We Shadows

Chapter 4: a little bit of salad, a little bit of diplomacy

"Yes?" I replied. "Why the surprise?"

"She...likes Dashiell. We talked briefly last week, and she seemed so meek."

"Cameron is not meek," I remarked. "Canary members grew up differently than you or I did. She's quiet, but if you think she's meek then make a remark about Harper and watch her go. She's fierce."

Tyson ate a couple more bites of his salad and craned his head to look at my notes. Mostly it was about campaigning, but I had added information about the vice president. I thought that was worth bringing up at our very next congress meeting. Seasons forbid something happen to Vertov, but I didn't want the base to be totally at a loss like it had been without my madre.

"You know, you might be able to talk to my mother about some of this," Tyson offered. "She was a lawyer on Earth. Or Libba. Eh, my mother was more political that Libba, but either would have some tidbits and it wouldn't get back to Dashiell that you had been talking with them."

"Are you sure?" I inquired. "I just feel like he knows so much more about me than I know about him. Everything I have done since becoming department head has been documented meticulously. It's very clear from the congress recordings and from my previous messages that I want this base to expand and to be complete independent of life support in five years. I just haven't seen any sort of plan from Dashiell. I have no idea what his priorities are."

Tyson frowned at a tomato and then shrugged. "Dashiell's priorities are his own. I have no idea; he's been on the base longer than I have. I barely know my own priorities."

"Oh?" I questioned.

"I want to help people recover from Landing Day," he told me. "And I want the transition from cryo to the base to be smoother. But both tasks are too much for one person to take on. I just don't know who to talk to."

"Cameron or Rainier," I recommended. "Cameron picks who to wake next and Rainier is the head of cryo with Louis. Both have a vested interest in making that transition smooth."

"Cameron is a little short staffed, isn't she?" Tyson remarked.

"No, she already has three people in training," I replied. "And Matisse is straddling both archives and personnel right now. I'm not sure where he'll end up, but my point is that she should probably spare a person to help you."

I glanced down at my bowl of salad, realizing that I hadn't touched it. I would need to eat if I planned on working late today. I set my holo-rib down and picked up my fork instead.

"This is your what, second week?" I inquired. "Do you have any questions?"

"Well, you might be able to help me; who would I talk to about changing codes to a berth?"

"Cameron," I replied. "Can I ask why?"

"It's related to one of my clients, so it's confidential," he admitted. "Which I'm realizing will be impossible in this place. Everyone knows everything. Except me, it would seem. Who's in charge of rooms and space on the base?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "Edison or Vertov. If you want your own space, you'd have to talk to Vertov to get permission and then Edison would build what you'd need. Is this also client-related?"

"Yes," Tyson replied. "Thank you for understanding. I haven't wanted to ask anyone in medical because they know who's been seeing me."

"Well, if I can help, let me know if I can ever help," I told him. "I know I'm going to be bothering you with questions."

"I was about to say the same thing," he laughed. "Well, thank you for lunch. I'm sure we'll do it again soon."

"Indeed," I admitted.

"One thing," he asked, as he rose from his seat. "Madison says she's trying to get Alcott and I unmatched and that she's hopeful, but tell me honestly, Dylan. Is that realistic?"

I sighed. Tyson nodded and put his hands in his pockets, looking defeated.

"Vertov hasn't it made it a priority," I told him. "Even the larger lack of genetic diversity hasn't been truly discussed. I'm hoping now that the mining expedition has launched we can get back to projects that have been tabled. We can't just work on one thing at a time, that's why we have separate departments."

"I hear that slow congress meetings have never stopped you," he pointed out.

I grimaced. "True."

An alarm went off on Tyson's holo-rib. He glanced at it and headed for the door.

"I have another appointment," he called. "Thanks again. See you later, Dylan!"

He left the berth with a wave, and I began cleaning up lunch to head back to work myself.    

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Tyson is probably a good ally for Dylan right now. She's never had information from Earth that was of use to her. Thank for reading!