Fool's Gold (The Wandering Engineer) (70 page)

Irons
sat back. "Don't worry, you'll get used to them in time."

She
frowned. "What I can't get over is the sleep teaching. Feels like a long
lecture. I wake up more tired than when I went to bed!" she groaned
rubbing her temples.

Irons
laughed. "It's the antigenic and meteffector nanites too, the nanites are
rebuilding your system to make it more efficient. Cleaning out the plaque from
your arteries, retuning and repairing your systems for a much longer, more
efficient life.” He smiled as she gave him a dirty look. Now that things were
under control the medics were going back over the crew and upgrading them as
much as possible.

 “But
yes, you've got a lot of catching up to do. At least for now. Once the basics
get drummed in, the rest can be picked up by osmosis if nothing else," he
smiled.

"Right,
so long as I don't have to dress up for a party." He laughed at her dust
dry growl.

"Gee
that sounds familiar, where have I heard that one before?" Sprite laughed
as well.

Shelby
smiled as he rounded a corner on his way to exit Firefly later that day.
"Going to check in with the Valdez clan?" she asked looking up as she
signed off on a delivery tablet. He chuckled.

"Eventually.
I have to pretend to work first though," he shrugged.

"Ha!
You're just afraid Mama Valdez will rap your knuckles for missing to many
meals!" she teased.

He
rolled his eyes. "Something like that," he smiled.

He
exited the dock and turned in place. The docks had been cleaned and restored.
Machines, humans, and aliens were moving about, some with purpose, some just
here to see the ships through the view ports. Kiosks and stores were open for
business. He smiled at a few people he knew, who waved.

He
was starting to get quite a following, teenagers, young adults, those not
completely crushed by the centuries of living hand to mouth. Even some of the
adults were adding new life to their steps. He nodded to a pair of kids he
passed then moved off purposefully to the lifts.

"How
goes the talks?" Irons asked in the lift. The woman he was sharing it with
sniffed.

"They
are still talking about starting over," she shook her head. "Like
we're not doing that already!" She waved to the station.

Irons
nodded politely. "Starting over?" he asked.

"Yeah,
a whole new Constitution, dissolve the old Federation..." she shook her
head. "It's not like we're more than one system." Her laugh was
brittle. "Hell, up until you came along we were just a rundown
station." She gave him a look.

He
shrugged. "Just trying to help," he smiled.

She
grimaced. "There are some that like it, some that don't." She tugged
at her hem. "I'm not saying nothin' you don't already know though,"
she waved. "My stop." He bowed politely as the doors opened and she
exited.

"What
was that about?" Irons asked.

"There
is a motion on the floor to repeal the Federation government. Establish a new
government. There is even talk of an empire," Sprite informed him. He
frowned.

"Damn.
I'm going to have to nip that one in the bud. Change in plans. I'm going to
check in then go direct to the conference," he grimaced looking up.

"Schedule
change has been made. Admiral do you want me to inform the Valdez family?"
Sprite asked.

"Please
do. Tell them I apologize," he sighed. "Can't be helped, this needs
to be attended to."

"Not
that Mama Valdez will agree. Nothing, not even a hull breach interrupts her
five o'clock dinner," Sprite joked. Irons chuckled.

"So
we're agreed, we're going to set up our own Constitution?" the elected
chairwoman looked around. She was a platinum blond beauty in her high forties.
She'd made her fortune working as a power broker for the ruling families. Now
was her time to shine though.

Irons
stood. "Point of order if I may." He walked past the bailiffs and
stood before the council.

"Admiral?"
Judge Farley looked tired but nodded to him.

"Don't
you mean system governor? At least for now," the chairwoman said bitingly.

Irons
shrugged. "For now, at least until you hold system elections. But my point
is this. Setting up a local government is part and parcel with Federation
law." He looked around. Several delegates nodded, others scowled.

"But
we're not using Federation law. Or the previous Pyrax Constitution as our
founding documents," the chairwoman said sounding patient. Irons nodded.

"And
there in is a problem. You see, if you do that, then I, Firefly, and any other
Federation naval vessel and personnel will have to withdraw." He looked
around as the room fell deathly silent.

"Is
that a threat Admiral?" the chairwoman snarled suddenly standing.

Irons
shook his head sadly.  "I am a citizen of the Federation chairwoman, As
such I and the ships are hardwired against any sort of attempt at a breakaway
republic or monarchy. I would be forced to withdraw." Several of the
delegates looked thoughtful.

"Withdraw?"
one asked. Irons nodded.

"It's
part of the Federation charter. We can't be involved with non Federation worlds
unless tasked to do so by the Federation assembly," he shrugged.

"But
that would mean you'd have to leave right?" another asked.

"Sadly
yes, Firefly and I would have to leave. Also any other Federation ship. And
unfortunately, many of your systems would stop functioning."

A
babble of voices started in the gallery. The chairwoman rapped her gavel
smartly a few times until quiet returned to the room.

"That
is better. And why would they stop working Irons?" she asked. “Are you
threatening us?”

"Because
they are hardwired, as I am, to follow Federation law. Any attempt to change
that would force them to destroy themselves." He shrugged. Several people
looked around starting to look concerned. A few of the industrial leaders
nodded.

"You
wouldn't really leave would you?"

"We'd
be defenseless!" several cried, getting to their feet.

Irons
sighed. “Like it or not ladies and gentlemen, a republic such as the Federation
is the best form of government ever created. It guarantees the rights of all
it's free citizens while protecting them and allowing individual systems as
much autonomy as possible.” He looked around for a moment as the talk died
down.

“Yes,
as a safety measure all hardware, all replicators, and especially all military
equipment or vessels are hard wired to follow the strictures of the Federation
Constitution and law. Any attempt,” he paused turning a stern eye on them all.
“Any attempt to undermine this will be disastrous for any who attempt it. So
don't.”

He
watched as the men and women representatives talked, heads turning back and
forth.

"That's
enough people," the chairwoman rapped her gavel. The bailiffs motioned
people to their seats. Another motioned for Irons to move away from the center
of the room. He went over to a door and stood, arms crossed. "I think you've
made your point Admiral," she cocked her head to him. He could see from
her thermals that she was seething. Irons nodded politely.

"Thank
you for the opportunity to present it." He went back to the gallery and
sat down.

"Madam
chairwoman, I do believe we were about to have a vote?" Farley suggested.
She grumped, staring at the Admiral then turned to Farley.

"Vote?
Why, ah..."

"Surely
a matter of this importance deserves a democratic voice?" Farley
suggested. Several of the other delegates nodded.

"Right,
I second the motion."

"I
do as well."

"Me
too." Several delegates stood or raised their hands. It quickly grew into
a tide of voices.

"Don't
you want a moment to consult with your peers? With your colonies?" the
desperate chairwoman argued. Irons realized she was playing for time.

"No,
a vote has been called for," Farley nodded to the others. They nodded back
then turned their attention to her. She scowled.

"Oh
very well. The motion before this board is whether or not to reinstate the
Federation Constitution." She turned a black look on the Admiral.

"And
the Federation republic," Farley added. She turned her scowl on him.

"And
the Federation republic," She grated out.

"With
the temporary capital here in Pyrax," another delegate added. The
chairwoman suddenly had a very thoughtful look on her face.

"Right!
We can send delegates to the other worlds inviting them to return to the
Federation!" another suddenly said, excited. A babble of voices in the
gallery and at the council table started.

The
chairwoman sat back suddenly looking both amused and sheepish.

"Right."
She stood suddenly, pulling at the hem of her top. "We've got a vote
before us. Let’s do this." She nodded to the delegates.

"She's
a smart one. She saw the way things were going and went with the tide instead
of fighting it," Sprite said. Irons nodded.

"Smart
cookie, I'll give her that. She's learning," he murmured.

"You
say something Admiral?" a person next to him asked. He shook his head then
tapped his temple. "Com link. Sorry to disturb you." They went back
to watching the vote.

With
a landslide the motion passed. The Federation constitution was reinstated.

"The
aye's have it. The Constitution of the Federation is reinstated. We'll adjourn
for lunch then begin debating the local Constitution," the chairwoman
bowed to Farley who nodded gravely.

"I
have the old one in mind to use as a template. I do believe we can trim off the
fat and work in new law that reflects our current position," he smiled.
She nodded.

"Meeting
adjourned for lunch." She tapped the gavel then left without a backward
glance. Irons rose with the audience and left.

"Well,
that went better than I expected," Sprite said. Irons grimaced.

"It's
not over yet," he grunted. He didn't like the look of that chairwoman. She
was trouble pure and simple.

An
aide to judge Farley motioned to him as he exited into the hallway. He fought
the tide until he got the aides side. "Yes?" he asked.

"The
judge would like to speak to you, in his chambers over lunch," she said.
Irons grimaced then nodded. "Of course." He followed the aide out a
side passage past a bailiff.

"I
hear Knox and a group of ... what do you call them, reporters?" she turned
to him. He nodded. "Well they're outside pouncing on any delegates that
come out. We'll just take a side route." She ducked under a pipe then
waved. "It's a bit convoluted, but it gets us there out of sight,"
she said with a smile. He nodded feeling a little relief.

They
rose as he came into the room. He smiled and nodded then motioned for them to
sit. "Sit sit, we've got a lot of work ahead of us." Irons sat at the
head of the table and looked down its length. Logan was there, along with
Shelby, Harris, Dan, Mayweather, doctor Standish, doctor Thornby, Captain
Waters, Jeremy, first Lieutenant  Senet, Naomi the exec of Maya, the bull
necked marine Major Forth, and a nervous Sergio.

They
were on their way to a nearby wreck. Most of the other ships were in dock at
Anvil undergoing repairs and refit. He'd snagged most of his senior commanders
for this conference so they could get onto the same page now that the
convention was over. The entire system was buzzing about it, even after a week.
He was hoping to pick up some momentum from it.

"Well,
it's been a long time coming, but it's past time we start looking at rebuilding
the Federation armed forces ladies and gentlemen. Those of you here represent
the highest ranking officers of each branch that we have so far," he
smiled.

"You
mean medical, marines, fighters, and ship captains?" Standish asked with a
smile. Irons nodded.

"Right,
we're the seed of a new generation. I can't speak for the Federation army or
special forces, they aren't my branch," he shrugged as Logan chuckled.

"Ground
pounding was never my style either Admiral," Mayweather and a few others nodded.
The Major snorted, leaning back.

"Oh,
I'd like you to meet a few additions to the group," Irons nodded as the
holo plates lit. Firefly's avatar took one, Sprite took the other.
"Firefly most of you have met by now. This is Sprite," he waved a
hand to her. She stood straight and gave each a nod.

"Sprite
is my personal AI." He heard a few people gasp at that. Irons chuckled.
"It's a bit more complicated than that, but I am not going to declassify
all of my functions just yet."

"Mainly
because we wouldn't understand them," Thornby said. He gave her a look but
she smiled. "I'm just being honest. I for one haven't a clue how the
engineering of your cybernetics work, let alone how you could stand an AI in
you," she smiled. "No offense of course Sprite."