Building site, Nha Tranh University, Kowloon, main hall...
Elizabeth examined the blueprints, and then, looked at the half-completed renovations. The former residence of the Regent-in truth, the former center of what passed for 'government' on Kowloon for the last two hundred years, was built in the fortress-style favoured by the old Rim Worlds Republic, as renovated by at first, the Star League, and then the Lyran Commonwealth.
Like her Grandfather, she had determined not to live here. Unlike him, with his preferred residence a fishing cabin in the equatorial north, she would live near the center of government.
"...library looks small." She said, "have we so few books?"
"Your grace, the Library dates to your ancestors who signed the peace with the Commonwealth. A new building, or perhaps a storehouse for excess material-" the Architect was a Cappellan expatriate.
"Hardly sufficient. build a space, find a space, I want nothing 'locked away' from the students here." she said in a cold, scolding tone, "Davion had it right-information must be available to everyone-at least, everyone who can read it. Convert some of the old barracks to a printing and publishing establishment while you're at it-precious books are only precious because of what's in them-and the difficulty of getting at them. nothing, and I mean nothing shall be irreplaceable here-let the raiders steal a copy, we'll just hand out more copies-in as many formats as possible...is the science building completed yet?"
"Still in work, Your Grace." he answered, "your requirements are...difficult to satisfy, and I fear that you may not have so many students here as you seem to think..."
"Not at first." she stated, "Later. Build for growth, never assume stasis, everything that grows, lives, everything that is satisfied to be smaller, eventually either dies, or is consumed-we have been in a society that is dark to the light of knowledge for far, far, too long-I wish to build a fire that will be a light in that darkness for the next thousand years-and that means growth, which means bigger classrooms-and more of them."
her comm chirped at her, and she checked it, "I have to take this, get with the engineers and the foreman, make the changes I outlined, and get it done-bill the firm for the additional costs."
she answered the call. "Yes?"
"Lady Daphne Rowe has arrived at the space-port with her retinue, Your Grace." Kelli Whyte's voice was flustered, worried, and irritated. Liz smiled. "Earlier than I thought-I just finished speaking with Erich-I'd assumed a week at least."
"What do we do? she's asking for you."
"Send her to the Nha Tranh University site-use something fast and comfortable, maybe that Mercedes from Grand father's collection, I'll meet her in one of the finished wings."
"very well, Your Grace..."
"Oh! and Kelli, have the research teams found the item I've asked for?"
"Ground penetrating sensors show a possible cavity at the second or third possible site for the ruin of Dinh Diep, your grace, they expressed some optimism."
"Excellent. Page me, interrupt me if you have to, as soon as they have either confirmation, or confirmation of lack." Elizabeth ordered, "If the legends are true, we might have more books to add to the university's collection."
"As you command, your Grace...is that all you wish?"
"Don't forget to brief in your counterpart at the end of your shift, and have fun tonight." Elizabeth said in a mock-scold.
For the next hour, Elizabeth indulged herself-she studied personnel dockets and lesson plans, the University was her 'hobby' project-a present to herself, and as with all of her endeavours so far, something she could hurl her energies into while she waited for her professional, and Ducal, responsibilities to catch up.
Precisely fifteen minutes before the Blackwell entourage would arrive, she stopped in the refinished bathroom, filled a collapsible travel-cup with water from rebuilt waterlines, and took seven medications-two anti-seizure medicines, a muscle relaxant, and four pain pills. Then, she drew out an 'eighth' medicine.
Stimulants.
This stim was cut with certain precursor chemicals that would, in theory, replace neurotransmitters used up by the body while awake. The mixture is called 'wake the deads' by tweakers (Stim Junkies) throughout the Lyran half of the Commonwealth, and was devised by military scientists to help keep soldiers-and especially 'mechwarriors, alert and focused while sleep deprived.
Liz used it to average fourteen hours of sleep a week, mathematically managing her dosages to hold off the inevitable backlash stim-junkies call 'burnout'.
she looked in the mirror as some part of her body protested her typical regimen of abuse. "Never underestimate what you can do, when you refuse to accept limits." she recited. It was what she told her staff, when they expressed concern over her work habits. Truth is, yes, it cuts years off your life-but I don't have those years anyway.
she straightened her blouse, looked over the charcoal-and black suit she wore, even in the heat of the Landing Continent's summer (December to mid June most years). Blinked at her reflection, and pulled a stray hair away from her eyes.
"This...is going to suck." she told herself, "Wish me luck."
she walked out of the bathroom-a lavatory meant for fifty future students to visit between the Business and Civil Service levels, and took the stairs to what would someday be the complex of offices devoted to the University's administration staff.
Her comm pinged, this time from the site foreman's office. Liz answered it as she walked.
"Yes?"
"Milady, your visitors are here...where shall I send them?" he asked.
"Give them the nickel tour, but end it at the Dean's office." she told him, "make sure they get a look at the model of the future grounds on the way."
"Yes Milady." she closed the call off.
the "dean's office" was bare-there was no furniture here except for a few foldables and a portable dataterminal. The historic furnishings for generations of viceroys, governors, and Dukes were boxed up, awaiting a museum to be built near the former athletic field that now served as 'government house' for the Assembly.
Making them meet out-of-doors, Liz found, was a great way to shorten much of the wrangling and one-upsmanship, while it compelled them to be aware of conditions in the city.
The time-clocks she'd installed also let her track attendance-and shame those who found pursuing campaign contributions and currying favours more important than attending the job they were elected to do.
Elizabeth pushed matters of governance aside-with some difficulty-and focused on matters of business.
"A Dean's office doesn't fit you, Elizabeth." Daphne Rowe said from the doorway, snapping Liz out of a reverie, "I seem to recall the education counselors saying things like 'undirected' and 'lazy' about you..."
"Along with 'Gifted' and 'Under-Achiever'." Elizabeth shot back, "Erich only told me you were coming this morning."
"We agreed it should be a bit of a surprise, not letting you set up an ambush or arrange an accident seemed rather prudent." Daphne countered, "Though I have to warn you, the outfit's mostly bullet-resistant, and I won't let you get me pinned so you can shoot my eyes out like you did to Colonel Condit."
"He had it coming-you've got worse, but that's not mine to deliver." Elizabeth stated, and finally stood up, "Talked to Maggie yet?"
"She still won't return my calls...may I sit?"
"Suit yourself." Liz told her, "Lyran blue looks alright on you, but it highlights your pallor." she noted, "Erich mentioned Rowe McClaren's doing banking for Blue Shot now."
"Financial assistance, all very boring, just the sort of thing you probably love when you're not crucifying people or killing old men." Daphne's smile could cut glass.
"You've gained weight, they must feed you pretty well on your duty-days." Liz shot back, "Slept with any Clanners lately?"
"You're one to talk-you move like an old lady and I can almost smell the stimmies in your sweat, right there with the envy." Daphne shot back, "Slept with anyone...Ever? IS there a man...or woman...who can even stand you?"
"Nope." Elizabeth said it flippantly, "Pretty sure that's the answer-and yes, I'm carefully using controlled dosage of Stimmies-I have a lot of work, you know-and not nearly enough hours to do it in."
"I win the bet then." Daphne stated, "You were high when you went up in front of the Estates General and said those idiotic things."
"I was straight when I said that." Elizabeth countered, "I got high after...tell me, Daffy, your dad still make you pee in a cup when you visit, or has he resigned himself to it?"
"I've been clean since '52, Liz." Daphne told her, "First because I was at the pre-program for the Nagelring, then later because I was at Sanglamore. YOU obviously leapt off the wagon shouting 'gung ho' as soon as you were out from under the regent."
Elizabeth drew out a pack of smokes, and opened the window before lighting up, "Maybe." she said, "On the other hand, me drugged has reversed a planetary economic collapse, restored order, rebuilt six factories in the Commonwealth and guaranteed arms and supplies getting to Lyran soldiers on the front lines. Me sober is what you saw on Tridee when I went in front of the Estates."
"Spoken like a dedicated junkie." Daphne told her. "My principals will be appalled...but I have to ask, can you do it?"
"That's what we're going to find out, if you can hold the vomit long enough to sign." Elizabeth told her, "by the way, how is your eating disorder?"
"not as bad as your obvious intellectual envy." Daphne stated, "What is this? a school? Really??"
"Really." Elizabeth stated, "Open to the public-when it opens. This is going to be the central campus, but I plan on having one in every major inhabited region on the planet-my citizens will be educated."
"assuming you maintain control." Daphne stated.
"yes. Assuming I maintain control long enough." Liz agreed.
Daphne looked around the office, and spotted a drinking-water cooler, she got up, poured a cup for herself, "And Penny would've loved that." She said. "You loved her, didn't you?"
"Didn't you?" Elizabeth asked coldly, "I think you even told her that...once."
"Not what I meant." Daphne turned around, "and you know it."
"I don't have feelings like that-for anyone." Elizabeth stated, "I don't have time to have feelings like that."
Daphne sat back down, "What the hell is your rush, Liz? You're not even twenty yet-and you won't ever have to face conscription, because you're already on the books as doing your civil-service time instead of military time."
Elizabeth regarded her, "Fifteen years, from '52 to '67." she said, "We're above the truce line, and the only reason they've left us alone so far, is that they don't think Kowloon is worth the bother-but that can change."
"With your mouth, I'm honestly surprised it hasn't already." Daphne told her.
"Well, look at the basting I got in the media for it." Liz told her, "besides, I'm not a reputed 'mechwarrior or soldier-they probably took one look at my public profile and said 'not worth the effort'...they won't do that with, say, you."
Daphne looked surprised, "YOU followed my career?"
"If you're planning to hurt, or destroy, someone, it's a good idea to know everything about them." Liz told her, "I have to put those plans on indefinite hold, but I was angry enough that I did the pre-gaming research, followed your career, know which unit you're on leave from to be here...that uniform you're wearing? the patch it's got? means you're safe from me-until you dishonor or disgrace it."
"We used to be friends, Liz." Daphne's tone was hurt, her expression mirrored it, for a brief moment, Elizabeth entertained the notion that maybe there was some actual feeling there...she dismissed it with effort.
"I was just the third wheel." Elizabeth countered, "You were Penny's friend, I was Penny's friend, but I was also the bratty little kid in our trio, and I never forgot it...but I thought you cared about her-until you didn't bother to show up while she was dying in a coma." Elizabeth crushed out the smoke, "Let's get to business, get it done, and you back on your way to your unit."
Daphne motioned to an aide, who handed Elizabeth the text of the proposed contract. Liz had to fight off the urge to look away, and she had to fight off the feeling that Rowe might have actually been hurt by her words. bullshit, she's acting, like she used to do when we'd get caught out after bed-check.
She felt the focus kick in as she read through the pages of legalese.
"Deal's good." she said when she finished, "Generous even." she took the stylus out of the PADD, signed, and affixed her thumbprint. "We're done now, you can find your way out?"
"Yes." Daphne said.
"Please go." Elizabeth told her, "I have a considerable amount of work to do, and you should be getting back to your post."
