Dev eyed her. “You don't really mean cook, right?” She hazarded. “They asked me some questions. But Doctor Dan was there to keep it all straight. He told them they weren't allowed to be mean to me.”
“I like him more and more everyday.” Jess asserted. “They weren't mean to you, were they?”
Dev shook her head. “No. They asked me a lot about things here, and how I did tech, but they were all right.” She studied Jess' face. “I hope they let me stay.”
Anxiety from a completely different direction smacked Jess in the kisser. “Oh...wh. Wait.” She jerked up, propping her weight on her elbows. “What makes you think they won't?”
Dev blinked in some surprise. “Well, they said this was something that the man Bain had approved, and now.. “ She let the words trail off, seeing the alarm in her partner's face. “I think they thought I did good work, Jess.”
“Fuck.” Jess was now sitting bolt upright in bed. “They asked me how I felt about the project before I walked out of there and I told them it was the best thing that ever happened to me.” She ran her hands through her hair. “I didn't think those guys were that dense... let me go talk to..” She paused and looked at Dev, who had captured her fingers and was holding them. “What?”
“Really the best thing?”
Jess took a breath, then paused, caught by that husky whisper. “Um.” She felt a blush heat her cheeks unexpectedly. “Yeah actually it is.”
Dev exhaled slowly.
“So let me go talk to them.” Jess rolled up out of the bed and headed for the door, pausing when her comms lit. “Damn it.” She swerved the desk and hit the relay. “Drake.”
“Agent Drake? Alters voice filtered through. “We've done reviewing the vid. Can you come to the debrief room, please.”
Jess exhaled. “Sure” She clicked off. “C'mon. You come with me. We might as well find out our fates together.”
Dev scrambled to stand up and came over to join her willingly. “Will they get upset?”
“Don't care.” Jess took her hand and led her out the door, glad, in a sense that soon she'd know the worst, one way or the other. Dev leaving? Screw that. She'd go with her. Jess was pretty sure she could talk Kurok into taking her to station, if she had to.
It was only minutes walk and they were at the debrief, and she scanned them in. Alters was alone in the room, and he looked up as they entered. “Ah.” He said. “Agent Drake, I didn't expect...”
“This is my partner.” Jess stated, taking a seat and motioning Dev to do the same. “Deal with it.”
Alters studied both of them. Dev was wearing her tech's jumpsuit, with her insignia on the collar, and with the suit fastened all the way up, her collar was covered and invisible and as such, she and Jess looked like any other agent and tech pair he'd ever seen. “Okay.” He agreed mildly. “This won't take long anyhow.”
Jess folded her hands and waited.
'The vids conclusively back up what you told us.” Alters said. “In fact, they overtold the story. You left out a few things.” He added. “I have packaged them up, and squirted them back to HQ for their records and review.” He cleared his throat. “They will have to make the overall decisions on what happens to this base, and North base, in terms of personnel. I think you realize we can't let Alex's appointments stand.”
Jess nodded “I expected that.” She stated.
“On the other hand, my rank does allow me to make field appointments and so, with the concurrence of central HQ, I will confirm you in your senior ranking.” Alters said. “Whether they will eventually appoint you further is out of my hands at this time.”
“I don't want any further appointment.”
Alters looked up from the plas in his hands at her. “At this time, I understand that.”
“At any time.” Jess stated clearly. “I don't want to be advanced in rank. I want to remain a field ops agent.”
“You could change your mind in the future, Drake.” Alters said in a mild tone. “Some of us did y'know.”
“I could.” Jess admitted. “But I probably won't”
“Probably not, if you've bred as true as these records indicate.” He smiled faintly. “But in any case, I have officially updated your records fleetwide to include your senior rank and so, I guess, congratulations are in order.”
“Thanks.” Jess nodded, and stopped, waiting. Since he didn't speak again, she turned her head and regarded Dev, then looked back at him, eyebrows lifting in question.
For a moment he paused, a puzzled expression on his face. Then it cleared. “Ah.” He shuffled the plas. “Doctor Kurok has agreed to pursue the continuance of the biological alternative technical program.” He looked up at Dev. “Though it surprised the hell out of HQ, and no doubt will continue to confound many in the corps I agree with you in that this is a very valuable project that should be continued.”
Dev sat up a touch straighter, and her eyes brightened, but she remained silent.
Alters leaned forward “There is a matter of your legal contract.” He addressed Dev directly. “We have to sort that out. We can't have you beholden to an outside organization no matter how helpful they are. You understand?”
“Not really.” Dev said. “But as long as I get to stay with Jess I don't care.”
Alters blinked. “Ah.”
“I've got some ideas.” Jess said. “I'll talk to Kurok.”
“Ah.” Alters repeated. “We'll be leaving ten carriers and two destroyers behind.” He said. “HQ is sending cargo planes out with resupply and re-provisioning until you can get things sorted here.” He glanced at the plas again. “So the final thing I have to discuss, Drake, is a legal matter.”
Jess managed to stop internally bouncing with her own happiness long enough to focus on him. “Legal matter? You going to charge me with something?”
“No.” Alters bit off a grin of his own. “I wouldn't know where to start with that, given claims from various agencies so we're going to ignore all that as we usually do. Our legal team in HQ will deal with damage quotes and the rest.”
Jess nodded. “Fine.”
“No, the legal issue is property allotment.” He folded his hands and looked at Jess. “You're not supposed to have any.”
She shrugged .”I don't.”
“You do.” Alters said. “It registered at HQ just prior to all this.” He circled his finger round the room. “You attained majority stake in Drake's Bay.”
Jess blinked. “No I...” She paused. “Oh shit.” The exclamation issued from her as she realized. “My father coded his shares to me but that was only in the event I went civ.”
Alters nodded. “And for 36 minutes, Drake, you did.” He said, “When you processed final exit, until Bain had you rescind. your resignation and were reinstated back in you were civ.”
Jess sat back, honestly dumbfounded. “Oh hell.” She finally blurted.
“In fact, if Stephen Bock had, as Bain stated, killed you on exit, it would have been an illegal act and we'd have been liable for it.” Alters concluded. “Would have been damn messy, if your estate made a claim.”
Dev merely watched both of them, looking from Alters to her partner, unsure of what, really was going on.
“So what do I have to do?” Jess asked, after a long moment of silence. “My father did that, apparently, to keep the Bay out of the hands of my family .. or.. really my mother.” She said. “She's dead now.”
“We heard that.” Alters said. “I'm not really sure what you do with this. I assume you didn't know it was going to happen?”
Jess shook her head. “Didn't find out until I was at my mother's out-processing it was even in the cards.” She said. “Explains why my brother freaked out though. He must have gotten a notify... “ She paused in sudden realization. “And why he called me at base night after I came back in.”
And why she'd gotten that call, to attend her mother's out-processing. “Probably were waiting for me to say something. Make a claim.” She shook her head. “I had no fucking clue.”