vessel or vessels at this time. Once we’ve cared for the survivors and interviewed them we’ll share as much detail as possible.”
“Do you know when you will have that information?” asked one reporter.
“What about reports that there were children among the dead?” called another. Andrea blinked, but let that one go.
“Is there any explanation of how a liner could be tracked and taken in open space?”
“Which units of the Archangel navy are on site? Why weren’t they present in time to intervene?”
“The navy corvette St. Jude was the first on scene, and was joined within hours by the corvette St. Patrick and later the destroyer Resolute. The Archangel Independent Shipping Guild has three freighters en route, something that the Guild volunteered of its own initiative and for which they have the thanks of the administration and the people of Archangel.
“All this adds up to diminished safety for our people and visitors,” she continued. “The efforts of our men and women in uniform under these circumstances are exemplary, but all of this clearly underscores the need for an expanded home defense capability.”
“What about the Union fleet?” asked Herman Deng of the always-hostile Uriel Media Service. “Corporate security forces?”
“That would be a great question to ask the Union fleet and our friends in corporate security, Herman,” Andrea frowned, “because I seem to recall a significant portion of our defense budget going to contracts for NorthStar and CDC patrols. Yet they’re nowhere to be found on this one. As this appears to be standard operating procedure for our alleged partners—“
“Andrea,” interrupted Deng, “the president just wrapped up a speech attacking Archangel’s corporate partners for their performance in the educational field. Now you’re calling them out for their security measures, too?”
Though she never lost her composure, an attentive observer might have seen her eyes briefly flare. Tanner caught it as he viewed the conference. He couldn’t blame her.
“Yes, Herman,” she said, “that’s exactly what I’m doing. They can answer for themselves all they want, but once again I imagine it’ll just be empty rhetoric. Words are cheap, so we’ll undoubtedly get plenty of them.”
“Does the president believe an expanded Archangel militia will be effective in solving this problem?” asked another journalist.
“We’re talking about hardened criminals and mass murderers,” Andrea replied. “They aren’t going to give up piracy if someone asks them nicely.”
With that, the press conference came to an end. Tanner turned off his holocom, leaning backward on the balcony railing. He looked up into the dark skies above, and thought about what lay out there.
* * *
Predictably, Andrea heard a cacophony of shouted questions as she turned away. Her stride and poise held firm until she turned a corner; then her shoulders sagged, her eyes looked skyward and a long sigh escaped her throat.
She found the president’s chief of staff waiting for her. Victor Hickman stood amid passing staffers and bureaucrats looking at his own holocom’s media screens. A pair of “aides” accompanied him, both with serious, off-putting scowls on their faces and eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.
“You handled that well,” he said.
“I just want to go hide in a closet or under a blanket somewhere.”
Victor nodded in understanding. “I know what you mean. You did well, though. Pretty good jab at the end, too,” he observed. “You’re good when you improvise.”
Andrea huffed. “Sincerity sells. Victor, there were children?”
“Yes,” Victor nodded evenly. “At least twenty-three, maybe more. They aren’t done collecting yet.”
“Oh my god.”
“I know,” shrugged the older man. “So, what are we going to say when we’re inevitably accused of trying to score political points from this?”
Ghoulish though it seemed, Andrea
“Do you know when you will have that information?” asked one reporter.
“What about reports that there were children among the dead?” called another. Andrea blinked, but let that one go.
“Is there any explanation of how a liner could be tracked and taken in open space?”
“Which units of the Archangel navy are on site? Why weren’t they present in time to intervene?”
“The navy corvette St. Jude was the first on scene, and was joined within hours by the corvette St. Patrick and later the destroyer Resolute. The Archangel Independent Shipping Guild has three freighters en route, something that the Guild volunteered of its own initiative and for which they have the thanks of the administration and the people of Archangel.
“All this adds up to diminished safety for our people and visitors,” she continued. “The efforts of our men and women in uniform under these circumstances are exemplary, but all of this clearly underscores the need for an expanded home defense capability.”
“What about the Union fleet?” asked Herman Deng of the always-hostile Uriel Media Service. “Corporate security forces?”
“That would be a great question to ask the Union fleet and our friends in corporate security, Herman,” Andrea frowned, “because I seem to recall a significant portion of our defense budget going to contracts for NorthStar and CDC patrols. Yet they’re nowhere to be found on this one. As this appears to be standard operating procedure for our alleged partners—“
“Andrea,” interrupted Deng, “the president just wrapped up a speech attacking Archangel’s corporate partners for their performance in the educational field. Now you’re calling them out for their security measures, too?”
Though she never lost her composure, an attentive observer might have seen her eyes briefly flare. Tanner caught it as he viewed the conference. He couldn’t blame her.
“Yes, Herman,” she said, “that’s exactly what I’m doing. They can answer for themselves all they want, but once again I imagine it’ll just be empty rhetoric. Words are cheap, so we’ll undoubtedly get plenty of them.”
“Does the president believe an expanded Archangel militia will be effective in solving this problem?” asked another journalist.
“We’re talking about hardened criminals and mass murderers,” Andrea replied. “They aren’t going to give up piracy if someone asks them nicely.”
With that, the press conference came to an end. Tanner turned off his holocom, leaning backward on the balcony railing. He looked up into the dark skies above, and thought about what lay out there.
* * *
Predictably, Andrea heard a cacophony of shouted questions as she turned away. Her stride and poise held firm until she turned a corner; then her shoulders sagged, her eyes looked skyward and a long sigh escaped her throat.
She found the president’s chief of staff waiting for her. Victor Hickman stood amid passing staffers and bureaucrats looking at his own holocom’s media screens. A pair of “aides” accompanied him, both with serious, off-putting scowls on their faces and eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.
“You handled that well,” he said.
“I just want to go hide in a closet or under a blanket somewhere.”
Victor nodded in understanding. “I know what you mean. You did well, though. Pretty good jab at the end, too,” he observed. “You’re good when you improvise.”
Andrea huffed. “Sincerity sells. Victor, there were children?”
“Yes,” Victor nodded evenly. “At least twenty-three, maybe more. They aren’t done collecting yet.”
“Oh my god.”
“I know,” shrugged the older man. “So, what are we going to say when we’re inevitably accused of trying to score political points from this?”
Ghoulish though it seemed, Andrea
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