"I received a communique from the CIO requesting a formal hearing with you!" He was looking at me, grinning.
"Uh...me?"
"Yes. And Ralph, of course."
I turned to Ralph. "What do I need a hearing for? Isn't that for criminals?"
Ralph looked to Reginald. Uh oh. I didn't like it that he wasn't even sure.
"No, no," Reginald began, then stopped. "Well, yes. I mean, criminals have hearings. But this is more of a...hm. Formal presentation?" He sat down. "Let me see if I can explain."
I'd go to Earth and straight to this hearing in front of not only the CIO, which consists of all the top politicians, I was assured, but the rest of the international governmental representatives. I'd have to stand in front of them and answer their questions.
"What kind of questions?"
"Oh, all of them. Who you are, what your life was like, where you've been..."
"But that would take months!" said Ralph.
Reginald sighed and explained further. I'd say what Christophe prepped me to say. We both would. It was just a formality, he insisted. They didn't really want to know all of the information. Not in that one hearing. They had copies of all the information we had, anyway.
Ralph laughed. "Then why are we doing this?"
Reginald seemed annoyed that we weren't thrilled. "Come on, Ralph. I know you've been gone awhile, but did you really think governments had changed? They need to say they put you through the paces. They need to publicly take and interest. They need to at least appear like they are making the world safe from potential invasion..."
"But no one's invading!"
Reginald tented his fingers and pressed the tips firmly to his mouth. I knew that look. He was on the edge of anger. "Listen to me and listen to me good. You need to get it through your head that about ninety nine percent of humanity is terrified of the unknown. Right now, you are the unknown."
"And Ralph," I mumbled. I felt like I was being singled out. I was.
"No. Ralph is already one of them. He'll be an oddity, at best. People will poke and prod and ooh and ahh and say 'I can't believe how young he looks!'. He's one of them. You are not."
"But you've been saying..."
"That you have to act like one of them! And you do. And that starts by going before their government and being as open and honest as possible and showing the people through their government that you are not a threat!"
Ralph gave a little snort. "Open and honest...as long as it's in the script."
Reginald did not deny it. "We are prepared for this. You are not. You will not tell a single lie. Your character will remain intact."
Ralph really laughed then. "Have you read my service record? It's not my integrity and character I'm worried about."
"I've read it. A womanizing fly boy. I get it. But the moment you gave that up for the noble cause of human space travel..."
"Oh god," Ralph rolled his eyes.
"...you shed the fly boy and became an international hero. And you will keep that image."
Ralph gritted his teeth and crossed his arms over his chest. I didn't understand his sudden anger. "Don't worry. ST made sure my womanizing days were over."
Reginald turned red and quickly cleared his throat. "Anyway, Jake. They will concentrate on you. Christophe will orchestrate it with you tonight before you leave."
Wait. What? "Leave?"
"Yes. We've got a window tonight at about two-ish. We'll have to take it. The next won't be for another three days."
"But the fah'ti..." I turned to Ralph. "I thought we'd talk to Dad?"
"Can't we just hold off and see if the fah'ti works?"
Reginald shook his head. "No. We've got to hit this window, kid."
"But..."
"Here or Earth won't matter. You'll just go through our com channels from Earth."
"But I'll be in flight."
He sighed. "You've waited four months. You mean to tell me you can't wait an extra day? Come, now, Jake. Be a big kid."
That was a low blow. I snapped my mouth shut and looked away. He kept babbling about Lynette and Marlon and the doc and the roles they'd play and blah blah. I didn't care. One day. He couldn't wait one damned day?
I was ordered to the shower when the meeting was over. Reginald was gone when I came out, but Jillian was there. Once she heard the news, all sulking was forgotten and she was poking, measuring, holding up fabric, and arguing with herself the whole time.
Marlon arrived at some point in the fitting of my new uniform. He didn't laugh, so I guess it didn't look that bad. "Why do we have to go today of all days?," he grumbled. "What's one more?"
"I know, right?" At least he and I agreed on one thing.
Lynette was making a list of things she and Marlon both had to pack. Jillian said they'd get new uniforms before we left.
"Why do they need me to testify?" Marlon grumbled from the couch.
"Technical questions."
"Ask a squeak."
Lynette sighed. "Technical questions about Jake," she said.
I gave a laugh. "I'm not a bot."
"And he's got to attest to that."
I was about to laugh again, but she was being serious. "What the hell is wrong with the government?"
"They need to get re-elected, that's what. It's a game of cover your own behinds. Haven't you read anything I've given you on modern governments?"
"I thought you were kidding."
Lynette stood and grabbed her list. "Come on, Marlon. Let's pack. We'll be down after dinner for Christophe's briefing."
I was standing on top of the little table with my arms out where Jillian could mark where my stripes and tassels went. I argued against the tassels, but she pointed out that even Christophe had some. "They show rank. They stay." When I was all marked, Jillian grabbed the jacket she'd marked up for Ralph. "I better get these to the girls downstairs in laundry and see if they can help me work miracles. See you tonight!" The doc followed. He had a list of files he'd need to have prepared on my medicals for presentation, and he went to compile those and pack his own items.
The flurry of activity was over and I flopped into the overly soft couch next to Ralph.
"You okay, kiddo?"
"I wanted to be here when they turned it on."
He nodded. "Yeah, I know. Me too. But Reggie's right. I don't suppose it'll matter if we're here or Earthside." He smacked his hands together then rubbed them quickly. "I can't wait, man. I can't wait to get my hands into that dirt!"
I was surprised. Ralph always seemed like he loved the stars.
"It's different, Jake. It's not even anything I can explain. It's home. It's going home. I didn't think it mattered that much, but..." he gave a helpless little shrug. It was clear that it meant the world to him. For some reason, that made me feel a little better about the whole thing.
"What are you looking forward to most?"
"Burgers. A nice, thick burger. And a beer. A real beer, too, not this posh fruity crap they've got here. How about you? What are you looking forward to?"
I was about to say I wasn't looking forward to any of it, but was surprised to find that wasn't exactly true anymore. Somewhere in me there was an interest. "I don't know," I answered honestly.
He studied me for a second. As a second dad, he knew everything about me. Most importantly, he knew when not to pry. "Fair enough."
I soon wished the rest of my team could learn that little trick. That night was terrible. Christophe's list of things I needed to remember was a mile long. "I'll never remember this," I said after I listened to a mind-numbing barrage of details.
"You will. You'll listen and then when they ask, the answer will be triggered."
As he peppered questions and answers my way, Jillian was simultaneously stuffing me into my new uniform, assuring me this was only a travel uniform and that the dress uniform was much fancier. She had to keep batting Doc's hand away, as he was reaching in for various tests to be able to present up-to-the-minute records to the IOC. Marlon was whining about missing out on his "life's work", Lynette had thought up a million things about the culture she forgot to tell me... All in all, it was a blur of activity, noise, and misery and I was actually grateful when it was time to board the ship.