Chapter 11: Intrepid City

Coral and I spent the first part of the next day in bed, I missed two of my scheduled tours, Coral told me at some point she had talked to Janus and explained that I would go to them later. Coral cooked for me and I tried some of the local flavor, all in all it was very good, we went to a local part near her place were I watched children playing with her, I saw a mother with five children all of the same age.

"Are all those kids hers?" I asked.

Coral blushed a bit, it was hard to read her expression with her eyes.

"Yes part of the Dna enhancement triggers multiple births, with the healing part it takes the sting out of it." She said looking at the kids.

"Oh" I said.

"Yes, you understand we started with a limited gene pool so it was important to maximize it." She said watching the kids.

I nodded that kind of made sense.

"In the earlier years it was important to spread the diversity around." She said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"We had breeding programs, artificial insemination and so one, mixed families, I am actually not my fathers genetic child, but I am my mothers." She said.

"That wasn't odd?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"Not really, not when its still a common practice, part of the reason my parents are disappointed in me is that I haven't chosen to be artificially inseminated, most people my age have already had children." She said.

I shook my head.

"Hey if you don't want kids who are they to force you?" I said.

She laughed and nodded.

"I have talked to Janus about it, perhaps in a few years." She said.

"So you really talk to Janus about everything?" I said.

She shook her head.

"Not everything, just important things." She said.

I had a pit in my stomach as I watched her watching the children.

"Coral, I know you have no reason to trust me, but I need to ask you to do something." I said.

She looked at me.

"Whats that Anthony?" She asked.

"When I leave, I need you to tell Janus something, but not until than, can you do that?" I said.

I told her what to tell her, she frowned.

"what does that mean?" She asked.

"Its something I think she will understand, when you tell her say it is what the colonial fleet believes causes peace" I said.

She looked at me strangely.

"Just promise me you will tell her that when I leave." I said.

She nodded slowly.

"okay, I will." She said.

We watched the children play in the park for several hours, we parted ways just before sun down, she had a night shift at the hospital, and I had a tour in the mourning, she smiled at me.

"Anthony if I don't see you again, I enjoyed the time we had together." She said.

I nodded, I caressed her face.

"I will request if its possible to be stationed as the liaison here, I hope everything will be okay between our peoples." I said.

She nodded kissing me on the lips.

"I know the Governor will do everything to pursue peace." She said.

I just nodded watching her walk toward a nearby taxi, at least thats what I had taken to calling them, she must of called it awhile back, once it left I walked toward where I was to meet my shuttle, tonight I would be going to view the ship yards.

Over the next several days I got several detailed tours of several military bases, all of which impressed me, their capability to wage war far outstripped the colonies, I only hoped the Admiralty would listen to my recommendation, on the last day I found myself in the Governors office again, Jan was there as well as one of Janus Armored insect human Golems.

"Well Commander, I hope you will extend my offer of peace with the Colonies, we do not wish to interfere with them, but we do ask that they consider using our worm hole technology over there own, you have to tell them how imperative that is." She said.

I nodded, after the first half of the week I had no doubt of their intentions to let me go back to the Colonies, I did not know how wise that was of them.

"Yes Governor I will explain your peaceful intentions." I said.

Janus nodded.

"We can not let you take your A.I. with you, we have discussed it and we will be giving you a modified navigation computer, it will use the insect technology to relay the appropriate data to you, once you arrive at your location the computer will destroy itself." Janus said.

"You have to understand my Government will not like that." I said.

Jan shook her head.

"I am sorry Commander, you will have to explain to them that we could not let it return to be treated like it was, He willing purged all classified information from himself, he would be of little use to you anyway." Jan said.