We Shadows

Chapter 25: a new lieutenant

Lully didn't have an answer. He knew what his job entailed and he knew that it could be sorely abused by the wrong person. But that didn't mean he wanted to stay on the base.

"It's only for a week more, until we really vote," Vertov added. "Please fill the role as it is now, and I promise we will find a suitable compromise if congress decides to keep you in this position. Pas mal?"

Lully blinked at him, but nodded. Reluctantly, he came to the conclusion that there was no way Vertov was going to let him out of being lieutenant, so he might as well accept it and get on congress to negotiate the terms later. This was a brand new position; no one had any rules. If he was lucky, he could still join exploration on an expedition or two; he could just request to join as lieutenant instead of begging Vertov to let him leave.

This could work out if he was careful.

Vertov smiled and reached over the desk to shake Lully's hand.

"Unfortunately this means you need to stay; we have a congress meeting tomorrow," Vertov explained. "I'm sure Esperanza will be fine for a couple nights."

Lully nodded, seeing that he had been tricked into staying away from Esperanza. He had just told Joan he wanted to stay out of congress, now he was, if Vertov was telling the truth, the second in command on the base. He definitely needed to call Esperanza the moment he got out of here.

"Do I get a badge?" he asked, mustering up a smile. "No one is going to believe me. My madre will try to take me to medical for a head injury."

"It won't be so bad," Vertov told him. "Merci beaucoup, Lully. I'll send you the details on the congress meeting."

"Is there anything else?" Lully inquired. "Any other responsibilities, any other catches I should know about?"

Vertov either didn't pick up on his tone or didn't care. "This role hasn't been defined past our need for a second in case something happens to me," he said. "It was Dylan's idea to have the lieutenant be the project manager."

"Oh."

Obviously it wasn't Dylan's fault that this had happened, but Lully felt it was like cosmic retaliation for his changing her print queue. That action had dropped him into this mess.

"I should finish up so I can send the printers home," Vertov said. "Thank you, Lully for coming back today. I know that it was short notice."

"Will you need me at all before tomorrow?" Lully asked.

"I don't think so," Vertov replied. "Go on, enjoy the day. I hear that Tyson organized a baskets game."

"Without me?" Lully scoffed. "Impossible. See you tomorrow, sir."

"See you tomorrow."

Lully got up and hurried out of the printing bay, grabbing his bag as he left. He pulled up Esperanza's contact on his holo-rib and called her, sighing as he did so. Hopefully he would get to the berth before announcing it to the eavesdropping corridors. He punched in his code and made it inside his berth before Esperanza picked up.

"Lully! You made it to the base all right? How did your meeting go?"

"Um, Vertov won't let me join exploration yet," he told her. "Also, he wants me to be lieutenant."

"Okay, what is that?"

"Second in command."

"Of printing?" Esperanza sounded confused. Lully didn't blame her.

"Of the base," he explained. "He wants me to be second in command of the base."

She didn't say anything for a long moment. Lully could hear Oliver and Harriet laughing in the background, so he knew that hadn't been disconnected.