People With Dignity
The diplomats disembarking from the shuttlecraft Europa V forced Joanni out of her reverie. First, Ambassador and Mrs. Gillis emerged, then First Deputy Ambassador Lee, then Second Deputy Ambassador Palladin, and finally, Brennan Vela. The rest of the delegation, the scientists and academics assigned to Operation Tarrash, were exiting the Europa VI, the second shuttlecraft to arrive.
Tom Chipman watched the assembled officials with rising dissatisfaction. Through hard work and dedication, he had secured himself a position that sustained him: guiding a beautiful ship through the heavens with the best crew possible at his command, a crew that respected him. It was the adventure of it all rather than the power that gave it meaning for him. The ambassador would most likely attempt to impose himself upon this setup, creating complications that would tax the captain’s attention and energy. Chipman saw this possible interference more as an annoyance than a threat. But recently, the captain had added another component to his ideal journey—that of guiding the magnificent galaxyship Eridanus through the stars with his crew and a beautiful, loving woman at his side. He wanted very much to turn the key to this latest desire, to unlock it and make it real. The arrival of the diplomats placed Joanni squarely in their midst as part of their delegation, and as part of that team; he knew she was expected to step up now and listen and answer to Gillis. He felt certain that her first loyalty was to him, but he wanted Gillis to know that, too. He had to ruefully admit to himself that if anyone was going to boss her around, it was gonna be him. Turning his attention to the task at hand, Chipman shook off these thoughts; better that she had no idea of them. Joanni’s own thoughts on this matter were that she answered to no one. But better that no one knew that, either. Indeed, better that everyone on the hangar platform at this point had no idea of the thoughts in anyone else’s mind.
Ambassador Gillis strode up to Chipman and the two men shook hands. The ambassador then introduced his wife, Mathea, and his first and second deputies. Joanni stood at the other end of the receiving line, the last to shake hands before the delegates were escorted onto the observation deck. After a silent nod and handshake with Ambassador Gillis, Joanni turned to Mrs. Gillis and held out her hand. Mrs. Gillis took her hand in hers, but held it rather than making any other attempt at a greeting.
“You look tired. Is government space travel not agreeing with you?”
“Not at all,” Joanni replied.
Gillis’ deputies then introduced themselves. Deputy Lee seemed comfortably normal, a pleasant enough middle-age man, competent and looking to get ahead. Why not? But there was something about Second Deputy Palladin that set off her internal radar. His hard-eyed stare caused her to instinctively pull inward to avoid notice as much as possible; his too firm handshake hurt her hand. She had a suspicion the pain was caused intentionally, but she shook off the creepy feeling he evoked as the specialists, all brilliant, made their way down the line. Brennan Vela was last, and quickly shook Joanni’s hand as the receiving line was breaking up. Joanni immediately disapproved of her; she did not like her excessive under-eye makeup albeit in the common style of Altruz IV, nor did she appreciate the clinging, inappropriate fit of her clothing.
‘What a bunch,’ Joanni thought. She had become quite comfortable with the discipline and tradition of the Eridanus crew, and she liked to think of herself as the one free spirit among them; she didn’t want competition. She wished Gillis and company could have come on board much later in the mission. This truly was the end of a shining season. The end of the beginning, the end of unchallenged illusions. This delegation had invaded her world, a world that had been, up to this point, populated with people with dignity, people with a depth of understanding of their mission, certainly not with climbers, and grubbers, and creeps, and an aide who dresses like a cocktail waitress.
The delegation was to be housed in the VIP/diplomatic guest wing of the galaxyship where Joanni’s and the other planetary officials’ quarters were located, and she accompanied the new arrivals to their living space after the brief welcome aboard ceremony on the observation deck to help them get acclimated. She was standing in Brennan’s quarters about to take her leave, when Gillis’ AA decided to make an initial shot across the bow. “Do you carry a clipboard around outlining a set of behaviors you’d like me to exhibit so you can check off the boxes for your particular satisfaction?” she asked.
Joanni was taken aback that her dislike was so apparent, but recovered quickly. “Is everything you say rude? Why the attitude?”
“You don’t have to act so high and mighty like you’re some great prize, you know.”
Joanni lifted her eyebrows, but said nothing.
“Don’t you understand? How long is it gonna take you?” Brennan continued in the manner of revealing an obvious truth to the willfully blind. “You’re not here for your contribution to the mission; you’re here because you’re in jail, under lock and key.”
Image: The end of summer dreams. Source: Detail of “Women’s Kimono Decorated With Pheasants and Autumn Plants.” Anonymous, Japan, 1920-1940. Public Domain. http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.481530