After the Fall, and after the initial scramble for simple survival, she had been selected by Sheida Ghorbani as one of several counselors on specific post-Fall problems. Besides issues directly related to the rise of women from virtual serfs to equals in society, Elnora was widely versed in surrounding disciplines. From Elnora’s perspective, the rise of women was, essentially, one of technology and economics. Therefore she had to be versed in both disciplines to ensure the validity of her models.
As time went on she became a closer and closer counselor of the queen on a variety of issues. Their thematic positions meshed very well and while Sheida was widely read and highly knowledgeable, like any good manager she did not consider herself an expert on every subject.
When the previous Key-holder had succumbed to the dangers of Dream, a highly advanced form of virtual reality, Sheida had asked Elnora if she would accept the Key. After much painful thought, Elnora accepted. On one level it would increase the likelihood that her theories would become policy, not to mention giving greater automatic status to women in the United Free States and, hopefully, their allies. On another level it would make it hard for her to continue her studies, especially studies of the changes that had occurred in female status post-Fall.
She had continued as an advisor, and now implementer, of Sheida’s policies. She had concentrated, however, on domestic issues. Her knowledge of anything military, other than that the war was going on and generally where battles were taking place, was limited. The one area where she had been very hands off was the subject of women in military forces. The military had been fair and evenhanded on the subject, in her opinion, simply requiring that females meet the same standards as males. The fact that many females were unable to do soÑit took a very odd female indeed to survive Blood Lord training for exampleÑwas besides the point. The military created the chance, it was up to women to take it if they so desired. Equality of opportunity not outcome was one point where she and Sheida agreed entirely.
So she was somewhat surprised to be asked to undertake an, essentially, military mission.
“I can do it,” Elnora temporized. “But I have no experience in military matters, Sheida.”
Unlike Sheida, who maintained her reign from her beleaguered home in the Western Range, Elnora maintained a small office near the capitol in Solous. She had been going over notes from the day’s meetings when Sheida had contacted her and the interruption was not to her liking, either in manner or content.
“All you have to do is go to Raven’s Mill and set up the portal,” Sheida said. “Your contact on that end is General Lanzillo, who has been briefed that you are arriving. The timing on portal generation is tight, but we’ll have communications on it. All you have to do is stand by until the portal has to be generated, generate it and then you’re done.”
“I have meetings…” Elnora said, frowning and brushing her light brown hair out of her eyes.
“Elnora,” Sheida said, gently, “there is a time and a place for everything. What we have been working on is of vast importance. In the long term. But at this time the most important thing we have to consider is whether we can prevent New Destiny from taking our eastern cities so that we can keep working on those policies. You can’t work on civilization if the barbarians are inside the gates.”
“Intellectually, I’m aware of that,” Elnora said, grimacing. “However, much as I admire the military, of course, at a distance…”
“You’re not comfortable with them,” Sheida said, smiling slightly. “I understand. However, in this case…”
“I’ll do it,” Elnora said. “When should I leave?”
“Unfortunately, as soon as possible,” Sheida said. “We need to ensure that everything is prepared.”
“Right away?” Elnora said, gasping. “But I’ll have to instruct my aides…”
“Elnora,” Sheida said, firmly, “go to Chin. Contact General Lanzillo. Put in a portal to Raven’s Mill through one of the inactive gates. Go to Raven’s Mill. Ensure that you’re ready for the rest when you get there. Please.”
“Very well, Sheida,” Elnora said, standing up and nodding. “If that’s all?”
“Have fun?” Sheida asked. “Think of it as research. Studying the myrmidon in its natural habitat.”
“Mr. Chambers?” Elnora said, frowning slightly. “Sorry to bother you.”
Chambers looked up at the avatar and then stood up. He had been working late in his office in the War Department and he carefully controlled the start at seeing the Key-holder in the room.
“Mistress Sill,” he said, bowing from the waist.
“Oh, posh, Mr. Chambers,” Elnora said, waving a hand. “I don’t need that. But I do need a bit of advice…”
Harry Chambers had been an agent of New Destiny for nearly three years. He hadn’t intended to become an agent; it had just sort of… happened. A touch of bitterness and a bit of hubris had caused him to talk about things he shouldn’t have talked about. Small things. Then a little stroking, some favors granted and before he knew it he’d turned over real information, the sort that could get you hanged. After that, one thing had led to another.
If you’re two hundred years old and even half bright, it was hard in the middle of the night to lie to yourself. He’d been manipulated, sure, but he’d let himself be manipulated. What had the UFS done for him? What had Sheida and Edmund done for him? Edmund had damned near cut his leg off in the moments after the Fall. Sure, they’d been sparring and who knew that the personal protection fields were going to fall just then. But it had still been a damaging wound. He still limped from it, even healed. Sure, it should be “completely healed” and unnoticeable. But he could still feel the blade slicing into his quad. For a person who had always considered his body his best asset, that sort of wound was mentally crippling. And Sheida, the bitch, when Tanisha gave up her Key, who did it go to? Did it go to her closest aide? No, it went to a woman, an academic, somebody who didn’t know what was happening in the world without a ten-thousand-word briefing.
And he’d passed information right under their noses. Gotten them back for all the things they’d done to him. And New Destiny had money, lots of money, for the sorts of information he passed. No way to spend it, not yet, but there would be. He had a sack full of gems ready for a quick exit. Hit a couple of portals, get to the exterior of the teleport shield and he was golden.
He’d been considering taking just such an exit lately. He’d been Sheida’s aide since right after the Fall. But just last month he’d been “promoted” to a war department undersecretary position, a liaison to the House of Lords. Technically he should be getting even better information than before; he could call on any information available in the war department. But some of the information he had been sent… didn’t make sense. Didn’t quite fit other information he was sure about.
If he was being fed disinformation, it meant that someone suspected him.
Sheida had become… cooler as well. And there were rumors, rather well-placed ones, that an intelligence service had been formed. Oh, there was already the Intelligence Coordination Committee, but this other service didn’t even have a name. “The Group” was the name most often associated with it, the head of it just known as “T.” There was a confidential budget, a rising one, but that was all he had heard about it.