Date: Sun, 8 Aug 93 01:47:28 MDT
From: tperreau@banshee.VLA.NRAO.EDU (Tonemiester)
Message-Id: <9308080747.AA04543@banshee.vla.nrao.edu>
Subject: Once a King -- Part 5 (finally!)


Sorry it took me so long to get back to this, but work got busy for
a while.  Here's the next installment.

Tony

				  Once A King...

				    Part V

Tina wanted to crawl under the console as Meagan emerged from the
imaging chamber.  She had been monitoring the data flow, and had seen
the glitch.  Meagan walked over to her and placed the handlink on the
console beside Tina.

"Can you rig a fiber optic interface?"

"Huh?  Oh, yeah, sure.  No problem.  Won't be as fast, but it'll cut out
the glitches."  Tina picked up the handlink.  "Reason why we didn't before
was that Al...uh, Admiral Calavicci, well, he kinda talks with his hands,
and he got the fiber wrapped around his feet once, and..."

"I understand.  I will watch where I put my feet.  Thank you."  Meagan
walked towards her office.  Tina shot a look at Gooshie.  He shrugged
his shoulders and shook his head.  He had no idea what had happened, but
it was obvious that Dr. Beckett had said something to her.

"I think that father put her in her place," Ziggy said with an almost
audible sniff.  "About time, too."

"Ziggy," Gooshie scolded.  "Sometimes I think I liked you better when
you were asleep."

"Spoilsport."

***

Sam flipped through the books, looking at the not to neat handwriting that
filled the margins.  It was obvious that Ron had definite ideas on how to
do things, and what he thought was right and wrong about commonly accepted
principles.  One comment intrigued Sam, for it mentioned carbon 60, other-
wise known as Buckministerfullerine, or more commonly known as Buckyballs.

"Interesting, but not period, m'lord," a woman's voice said from behind Sam.
He shut the book with a slam and spun.  A tall blonde stood at the opening
of his tent, a green shash draped over her shoulder.  "The forces of the
kingdom are amassing, Lord Cedric, and here I find you out of your armor?
My, my, my."

"Uh, well, I was..." Sam thought frantically.  "Um, I was, uh..."

"Oh, never mind."  She walked into the tent.  "Even away from school, I
still can't take the school out of you."  She took the book away from
Sam and moved against him.  "Tonight, right?"

"Uh.  Yeah."  Sam hugged her back.  "Your tent, right?"

"Well, it certainly isn't going to be in here!"  She broke the embrase and
looked about.  "There's hardly enough room for you to curl up and sleep."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Sam replied.  "Compaired to a monks' cell
on Iona, this is very roomy."  He stopped.  How did he know what a monks'
cell was like?

"You ok?"

"Yeah."  Sam shook his head and smiled.  "Yes, m'lady.  I am fine, merely
bedazzled by your beauty."

"Flattery will get you most everywhere, m'lord."  She moved to the tent
opening.  "Better get armored up.  His Grace is expecting you to fight 
with him."  She walked out of the tent.

Sam sighed as he looked at the various pieces of armor. "I don't even
know where to begin!"

***

Al looked at the new security badge.  A holographic image of himself looked
back.  He shook his head at the new security proceedures.  Things had
changed, he realized, and probably not for the better.

"Welcome back, Admiral;" the guard said.  "Wish that you were back in
charge instead of Major O'Connor.  She has us running drills at least once
a month -- it's like we're back in the real military!"

"Sorry.  I'm just here to get the Major up to speed."  Al clipped the badge
to his dress uniform.

The guard rolled his eyes.  "Please take about a couple of years?"

Al laughed and walked through the checkpoint.  He entered the elevator
and descended to the main level of the project.  He thought about how he
would approach Major O'Connor.  Things had changed with the oversight
committee and the military rank structure, but he still outranked her,
retired or not.

The doors opened Al walked down the hallway past the various lab and
offices.  He walked up the ramp that lead into the control center where
he stopped and looked about.

Gooshie and Tina were watching various displays, and Ziggy's lights twirled
above them.  Naturally, it was Ziggy who noticed him first.

"Good afternoon, Admiral."  She said.  "You're looking rather fit.  Retire-
ment must agree with you."

"AL!"  Tina squealed and ran over to him, leaping into his arms.  "Gee,
since when did you grow a beard?"  Tina said as she patted Al's cheek.
Gooshie looked up from his display and broke into a grin.  "Welcome back,
Admiral."

"Thanks, guys.  It's good to be back."  Al released Tina.  He looked up at
Ziggy.  "Have a nice nap?"

"Really, Admiral, is that any way to talk to a lady?"  Ziggy sniffed.

"Lady?  You?"  Al shook his head and pulled out a cigar.  He lit it and took
a long drag.  "So, fill me in about Sam."

Between Ziggy, Gooshie, and Tina, it took them about fifteen minutes to fill
Al in with Sam's current leap.  Al nodded and puffed on his cigar.  "Where's
the Major now?"

"Her office, which was your office," Gooshie said.  Al looked up at the
twirling lights.

"Have them set up an office for me, would you Ziggy?  I'm going to be
here for a while."  Al finished the cigar and headed down the corridor
to Major O'Connor's office.