We Shadows

Chapter 11: calm congress meeting

I was certain that he was right. Levi and I got along now, but if I had been given a different option, I would have never agreed to him as my partner.

"So what do we do?" Vertov asked.

"The first thing that has to happen is populating the genetic bank," Madison said. "The second has to be create a new plan for waking people in cryo. This changes everything about how we handle cryo."

"Then for now, I think we should move toward getting gene bank filled," Vertov said. "We can send out a mass message to the base and start on that immediately. We won't announce this until we have a plan for cryo. Louis, I expect you and Rainer to work on this."

"Will do, sir." Louis bobbed his head.

"And no one is to talk about this outside of congress," Vertov warned. "Not a hint or a whisper. Understood?"

The group nodded. Dylan wished she could tell Tyson. He would be so relieved. Alcott could focus on her child and not this new partner Dashiell had tossed into her life.

"Dashiell, I saw the drafts you send me," Vertov continued. "I think they're a good start, and I think you're right that we will have to vote on each portion before presenting to the base as a whole. We can talk later since it's not quite ready to vote on now."

"Agreed," Dashiell replied.

"Anyone else?"

"I actually have one more thing," Madison said. "It's much less life altering," she added, when people looked a bit apprehensive. "Tyson wants to interview every department head about their department. He's making a video log for people who get out of cryo. So if each of you could set up a time with him in the next week or so, then he wouldn't have to hunt all of you down."

"That young man is remarkable," Vertov commented. "Madison, is he alone on this? Does he need assistants? Anything? I've heard nothing but good things across the base and I can't help but worry he'd going to be run ragged."

"Keller is helping him with the videos," Cameron commented.

"Does Keller have interest in helping full time?" Vertov questioned. "With Matisse back, you'll be less shorthanded. And I think Keller would be a good resource, he knows most of the people on the base. Tyson has a lot of catching up to do."

Cameron shrugged. "I can ask."

Vertov clapped his hands and rose from the table. "Then let's adjourn," he said. "Message me about anything at all. We're going to meet next week at the same time, by then we'll have people back home from the expedition and we can vote as a base for captain."

"Oh, I...I have one thing," I piped up, nearly forgetting. "I think we need... that we should also vote for a lieutenant."

"Lieutenant of what?" Vertov asked.

My hands were shaking again. "When my mother died, we had no one to run the base while we tried to get everything back together," I explained. "And when O'Keefe was removed, we had the same problem. I think we should have a second in command in case something unfortunate happens."

"We did on Earth," Dashiell agreed. "That's the role Titus took in my administration. He had other duties of course, but he was my second in command."

I hated to agree on anything with Dashiell, but in this case, we were both right. Vertov nodded.

"I think you're right, Dylan," he said. "So next week we will also add names for a lieutenant for the vote. I think the base will agree that such a measure is a good idea."

I bobbed my head and rose from my chair. We all filed out of the room; meetings were short since we had been having so many of them. I waited for Levi at the doorway and we walked together.

"What do you want to do for dinner?" I asked.

He shrugged. "We have leftovers; we don't have to do anything special. I liked the pasta and lamb we had last night."

"I thought that we could cook something new," I told him. "Oh, and Grimm told me that the sunset was amazing yesterday through Alcott's garden, we could go check it out this evening?"

Levi sighed. "I'm pretty tired, Dylan. I have an early morning department meeting tomorrow that I need to prep for. Maybe later?"

"You're the department head," I objected. "Why'd you set such a meeting?"

"It needed doing," he replied.

Levi and I had yet to talk about his appointment to congress. I didn't know if he was still mad at me. Sometimes it felt like nothing had changed, and sometimes it felt like there were galaxies between us now. I hoped that he didn't blame me, but since I hadn't brought up the conversation, I wasn't sure.

I had promised myself I would learn to be bolder, and Levi was as good of a start as any.

When we got back to our berth, I pulled out the pasta and lamb, prepping it so we could heat it up.

"Levi?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you still mad about being on congress?" I grimace as the words came out of my mouth. "I mean, are you still mad at me?"

Levi didn't say anything for much longer than I felt comfortable with.

"I guess so," he said. "Each day it gets a little easier, until I'm back in that room sitting next to Anatoly and wondering how I had got myself into this mess and then I have to start all over. I'm so angry that this happened, Dylan. Not all of it is your fault."

Meaning some of it was. I sighed inwardly. He took his plate and fork and made his way to the table. I sat next to him, feeling awkward and a little sorry I had brought it up at all.
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A little bit of good and a little bit of bad. I like Vertov as captain, I think he keeps everyone focused. As for Levi, I hope that after the department vote that his and Dylan's relationship can be patched. But we'll see.
Thanks for reading!