Tomorrow and Tomorrow

Chapter 23: calling her out

Cameron had checked her holo-rib, but seeing no new emergency congress meeting, continued her normal routine. O'Keefe left their berth at the same time she did, giving her a nod as they headed in separate directions. Harper was still asleep. It was rare for him to sleep in, but Cameron hadn't awakened him. He would probably have another build call soon anyway.

She opened up the personnel bay, sliding her holo-rib into the extended holo to enlarge the screen. She had to finished all the paperwork for Titus and Valerie, and hoped they would come in so she could meet them.

"Cameron?"

She glanced up. Anita was standing in the doorway, and swiftly walked to Cameron. Cameron hadn't seen her mother in a week, though noted with a grimace that she had forgotten to mention that she was pregnant. She wondered if Anita already knew.

"You have to stop," Anita said. "I heard about Charles this morning, and the moment I did, I knew. You can't take justice into your own hands."

"Then where should justice come from?" Cameron countered. "Congress has done nothing. Anita, I'll stop when I stop finding guns."

That stopped Anita up short. "What?"

Charles had had several, and they hadn't even been hidden, just sitting on the kitchen table. He lived alone, but that was barely an excuse. Cameron didn't feel comfortable with four guns in her home, and they had been there for less than a day.

"They didn't melt them, they lied," she continued. "I am not letting my child live on a base where there are active, loaded weapons sitting in the hands of murderers."

"Then what does that make you?" Anita shot back.

Cameron rolled her shoulders. She didn't have to justify anything to her mother. Anita was the Canary's former captain, if anyone should have been able to see this coming, to prevent the massacre, it should have been Anita. Cameron didn't really blame her, no one had been prepared for Landing Day, but she hated that Anita didn't fight harder to bring Lincoln and the others to answer to some law. Surely, in the hundred years that both the Canary and the Aeneid travelled, surely there had been one instance where they had to act.

"Speaking of this child," Anita said, trying to rally when Cameron hadn't continued the argument. "When were you going to tell me?"

"Sorry, Anita," Cameron admitted. "Harper told everyone before I could and then I assumed you knew."

"I did, but I would have liked to hear it from you," her mother scolded. "How far along are you?"

"Seven weeks," Cameron admitted.

Anita laughed. "You wasted no time with Harper, did you?"

"Anita!" Cameron cheeks colored. "We're the first Aeneid/Canary pair. The base needs us to have a baby. We'll never be able to move on if we keep thinking of each other as separate."

"We would also have a better chance of moving on if there weren't intermittent unsolved murders," Anita retorted.

"Are you going to turn me in?"

"No, of course not. You're my child, and while I don't approve of your actions, at least you are taking some. Promise me this will end. Promise me you'll turn in the guns, get them melted and that will be the end."

"I promise," Cameron agreed.

Others were starting to come into the bay and Cameron hoped her mother would have the good sense to drop this conversation. Keller and Matisse waved as they passed the counter. Cameron waved back and turned to Anita to ask her to leave the matter alone.