some small way to making up for it." Jing reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small black leather box, which he handed to Christos.
Christos accepted the box and opened it. Sitting inside were two sets of three golden stars.
"Congratulations, Vice Admiral Papadomas, and may I say a well-deserved promotion. Now I'll be on my way. I've taken up enough of your time."
Christos walked Jing to the door, dazed by his sudden and unexpected promotion. As the door slid closed behind Jing, Christos made his way back into the living room where a nervous-looking Philippa was now sitting on the edge of the chair recently vacated by Jing.
"I take it you heard?" Christos' voice came out a little more gruffly than he intended. Philippa nodded without saying anything, so Christos sat down and forced himself to relax. Philippa was an adult now and deserved to be treated like one.
"I'll speak to Mrs. Brown and ask her if she's willing to stay on and help with the children until we get settled on Charon. It sounds like the family houses won’t be ready for a while yet, so there’s plenty of time for you to keep searching for a suitable college."
Philippa averted her eyes. Christos realized whatever was troubling his eldest daughter, it wasn’t his decision to take the job. Leaning forward, he cupped her hands in his and his voice was a low whisper. "What’s wrong, Philippa?"
"I don't know if I want to go to college, Poppa. I thought I did. I thought I wanted to be a famous ambassador like Nicholas and fly between the stars preaching the power of diplomacy and peace. But that was before they took Momma away."
Christos’ voice caught in his throat as he heard the depth of loss for his Kayla in his daughter’s voice. "You still can be, honey. My new job is an administrative post. I won’t be on a ship. There's no reason you can't go and pursue your dreams."
Philippa raised her head and Christos could see the glistening tears she was trying to force back, but there was something else. A determination he hadn’t seen before. A look he had seen so often in her mother’s eyes as she worked so hard to become a doctor while raising young children with a husband aboard a ship somewhere out in the solar system.
"They took Momma from us and I don't want that to happen to anyone else. Somebody needs to stand up to them just as you did. Maia and Odysseia need you here now so you can't be that person anymore... but I can... I want to enlist, Poppa."
The tears came to his eyes as he wrapped his arms around his daughter and held her close. "If that’s what you want, honey. I know your mother would be as proud of you as I am."
The soft double tone of his desk comms panel snapped Christos back to the present and he pressed the acceptance key.
"Your daughter’s shuttle is on final approach, Admiral."
"Thank you, Yeoman. Could you call my quarters and let Mrs. Brown know?"
"She's already been in touch, sir and told me to tell you she and the children will meet you at the landing pad."
"Of course she did." Christos replied with a smile. One day I'll get something past that woman... well at least I can try, he thought as he headed for the door.
#
The maglev car slowed as it came to its destination and the bare rocky walls of the tunnel gave way to the brightly lit terminal bustling with people. The car halted and its doors opened with a small hiss of hydraulics. The original Charon Base was small enough that one could walk from point to point but now that it was home to thousands of service members, support personnel, and their families, it far outstripped its original boundaries. Fortunately, the planners had the foresight to design a maglev network to connect the various hubs of a base, which now covered over forty square kilometers.
As Christos stepped from the car, he was greeted by the sight of Mrs. Brown, holding the hand of the twelve-year-old Odysseia, trying desperately to hide her impatience, and a very mature-looking
Christos accepted the box and opened it. Sitting inside were two sets of three golden stars.
"Congratulations, Vice Admiral Papadomas, and may I say a well-deserved promotion. Now I'll be on my way. I've taken up enough of your time."
Christos walked Jing to the door, dazed by his sudden and unexpected promotion. As the door slid closed behind Jing, Christos made his way back into the living room where a nervous-looking Philippa was now sitting on the edge of the chair recently vacated by Jing.
"I take it you heard?" Christos' voice came out a little more gruffly than he intended. Philippa nodded without saying anything, so Christos sat down and forced himself to relax. Philippa was an adult now and deserved to be treated like one.
"I'll speak to Mrs. Brown and ask her if she's willing to stay on and help with the children until we get settled on Charon. It sounds like the family houses won’t be ready for a while yet, so there’s plenty of time for you to keep searching for a suitable college."
Philippa averted her eyes. Christos realized whatever was troubling his eldest daughter, it wasn’t his decision to take the job. Leaning forward, he cupped her hands in his and his voice was a low whisper. "What’s wrong, Philippa?"
"I don't know if I want to go to college, Poppa. I thought I did. I thought I wanted to be a famous ambassador like Nicholas and fly between the stars preaching the power of diplomacy and peace. But that was before they took Momma away."
Christos’ voice caught in his throat as he heard the depth of loss for his Kayla in his daughter’s voice. "You still can be, honey. My new job is an administrative post. I won’t be on a ship. There's no reason you can't go and pursue your dreams."
Philippa raised her head and Christos could see the glistening tears she was trying to force back, but there was something else. A determination he hadn’t seen before. A look he had seen so often in her mother’s eyes as she worked so hard to become a doctor while raising young children with a husband aboard a ship somewhere out in the solar system.
"They took Momma from us and I don't want that to happen to anyone else. Somebody needs to stand up to them just as you did. Maia and Odysseia need you here now so you can't be that person anymore... but I can... I want to enlist, Poppa."
The tears came to his eyes as he wrapped his arms around his daughter and held her close. "If that’s what you want, honey. I know your mother would be as proud of you as I am."
The soft double tone of his desk comms panel snapped Christos back to the present and he pressed the acceptance key.
"Your daughter’s shuttle is on final approach, Admiral."
"Thank you, Yeoman. Could you call my quarters and let Mrs. Brown know?"
"She's already been in touch, sir and told me to tell you she and the children will meet you at the landing pad."
"Of course she did." Christos replied with a smile. One day I'll get something past that woman... well at least I can try, he thought as he headed for the door.
#
The maglev car slowed as it came to its destination and the bare rocky walls of the tunnel gave way to the brightly lit terminal bustling with people. The car halted and its doors opened with a small hiss of hydraulics. The original Charon Base was small enough that one could walk from point to point but now that it was home to thousands of service members, support personnel, and their families, it far outstripped its original boundaries. Fortunately, the planners had the foresight to design a maglev network to connect the various hubs of a base, which now covered over forty square kilometers.
As Christos stepped from the car, he was greeted by the sight of Mrs. Brown, holding the hand of the twelve-year-old Odysseia, trying desperately to hide her impatience, and a very mature-looking
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