out who it was?”
Ian thought a moment and said, “E, send me all the class photos of the Lead Scientist starting from age fourteen.”
“Why fourteen?”
“Violet, I know up until I turned fourteen, I was more interested in playing than girls. It was at that age that I started noticing them.”
Violet shrugged and Ian said, “What?”
“Nothing, you just got a late start.”
Ian shook his head and Violet came around and looked over his shoulder at the display. Violet said, “Is the Lead Scientist a Genetic?”
“He is.”
“Then look at the females in his classes that were also a Genetic.”
“They all were.”
“Get out of here.”
“He was in the most accelerated classes on Euclid. Only the High Genetics could compete in them.”
“Well, it was just an idea.”
“And a good one; I suspect that only the brightest would have attracted him.”
Violet tilted her head and pursed her lips, “That’s not always true. A woman is often attracted to a man by his heart more than his head.”
“Well the Lead Scientist had a big heart, Violet.” Ian thought a moment, “E, I want you to provide a list of the females in each class listed by their ranking.”
The picture on the display suddenly had a list appear beside it. They looked at the list and compared it to the photo. “I don’t see anything that stands out.”
Violet said, “E, if any female in any of these classes would not be allowed to marry the Lead Scientist, move her name to the top of the list.”
They watched and the list didn’t change. Ian went to the next class. They examined each picture closely and no one appeared on the list that couldn’t marry him. After four photos Ian shook his head and said, “I haven’t seen anything.”
Violet nodded, “Me either.” Ian pulled up the last photo of the Lead Scientist’s graduating class and a name appeared at the top of the list. Ian saw it and Violet saw his expression, “What?”
“Look at the picture.”
Violet looked at the Lead Scientist and saw that he had his hand on the woman’s shoulder standing in front of him. The woman had her hand on his. “Who is that, I’ve not seen her in any other photos?”
Ian said, “Ariene, Ariene, Ariene, Ariene, Ariene.”
E said, “Weapons are now activated.”
Violet looked at Ian, “Who is that?”
“That was the woman selected to marry me. She was brought in to the university from another school on Euclid. She was chosen the next year.”
Violet shook her head, “You would have never found happiness with her.”
“Why not?”
“She loved someone else.”
Ian stared at the old photo and saw their smiles. He imagined the pain they suffered when Ariene was chosen the next year. He wondered why the Lead Scientist was not at the ship’s location during the attack to activate E’s weapons. He knew that he must have left to try and save the Royal Family and the Princess he loved. “No one should have to endure that.”
Violet stared at him, “Then don’t make the same mistake.”
She turned and left the bridge. He sensed her demeanor turn cold.
“Ian, I’ve just run an inventory of my armaments and we won’t have to run from a scanship in the future.”
Ian tore his attention from the door Violet exited and said, “Why not?”
“I’ll take them out. It will take at least a squadron of the Nebula’s ships to cause us problems.”
“Good.”
“What’s wrong?”
Ian sighed, “Nothing, how long until we arrive?”
“Two more hours.”
Ian pressed the intercom, “Violet, we’ll arrive shortly. Is there anything we need to know before our arrival?”
Violet came back to the bridge and said, “We need to cut our power down to minimum and go slower than light speed from the outer planets.”
“That could increase the arrival time by hours.”
“You are going to have to do it that way or risk being killed.”
“Violet, what are you not telling me?”
Violet’s melancholy expression was clear,
Ian thought a moment and said, “E, send me all the class photos of the Lead Scientist starting from age fourteen.”
“Why fourteen?”
“Violet, I know up until I turned fourteen, I was more interested in playing than girls. It was at that age that I started noticing them.”
Violet shrugged and Ian said, “What?”
“Nothing, you just got a late start.”
Ian shook his head and Violet came around and looked over his shoulder at the display. Violet said, “Is the Lead Scientist a Genetic?”
“He is.”
“Then look at the females in his classes that were also a Genetic.”
“They all were.”
“Get out of here.”
“He was in the most accelerated classes on Euclid. Only the High Genetics could compete in them.”
“Well, it was just an idea.”
“And a good one; I suspect that only the brightest would have attracted him.”
Violet tilted her head and pursed her lips, “That’s not always true. A woman is often attracted to a man by his heart more than his head.”
“Well the Lead Scientist had a big heart, Violet.” Ian thought a moment, “E, I want you to provide a list of the females in each class listed by their ranking.”
The picture on the display suddenly had a list appear beside it. They looked at the list and compared it to the photo. “I don’t see anything that stands out.”
Violet said, “E, if any female in any of these classes would not be allowed to marry the Lead Scientist, move her name to the top of the list.”
They watched and the list didn’t change. Ian went to the next class. They examined each picture closely and no one appeared on the list that couldn’t marry him. After four photos Ian shook his head and said, “I haven’t seen anything.”
Violet nodded, “Me either.” Ian pulled up the last photo of the Lead Scientist’s graduating class and a name appeared at the top of the list. Ian saw it and Violet saw his expression, “What?”
“Look at the picture.”
Violet looked at the Lead Scientist and saw that he had his hand on the woman’s shoulder standing in front of him. The woman had her hand on his. “Who is that, I’ve not seen her in any other photos?”
Ian said, “Ariene, Ariene, Ariene, Ariene, Ariene.”
E said, “Weapons are now activated.”
Violet looked at Ian, “Who is that?”
“That was the woman selected to marry me. She was brought in to the university from another school on Euclid. She was chosen the next year.”
Violet shook her head, “You would have never found happiness with her.”
“Why not?”
“She loved someone else.”
Ian stared at the old photo and saw their smiles. He imagined the pain they suffered when Ariene was chosen the next year. He wondered why the Lead Scientist was not at the ship’s location during the attack to activate E’s weapons. He knew that he must have left to try and save the Royal Family and the Princess he loved. “No one should have to endure that.”
Violet stared at him, “Then don’t make the same mistake.”
She turned and left the bridge. He sensed her demeanor turn cold.
“Ian, I’ve just run an inventory of my armaments and we won’t have to run from a scanship in the future.”
Ian tore his attention from the door Violet exited and said, “Why not?”
“I’ll take them out. It will take at least a squadron of the Nebula’s ships to cause us problems.”
“Good.”
“What’s wrong?”
Ian sighed, “Nothing, how long until we arrive?”
“Two more hours.”
Ian pressed the intercom, “Violet, we’ll arrive shortly. Is there anything we need to know before our arrival?”
Violet came back to the bridge and said, “We need to cut our power down to minimum and go slower than light speed from the outer planets.”
“That could increase the arrival time by hours.”
“You are going to have to do it that way or risk being killed.”
“Violet, what are you not telling me?”
Violet’s melancholy expression was clear,
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