Starship Armstrong - Season 3

Part 28 - Family Ties (VI)

McAfree actually liked the look of her quarters. The bed was comfortable, the furniture was tasteful, if it wasn't for the contents of the wardrobe she'd be quite content here.

Pants had been made available to her, a possibly mute servant girl of some variety brought her vast quantities of pants, but thanks to all the tops there was no combination of clothes available to her that wouldn't make her look like an idiot.

So there she was, looking in a full length mirror, dressed like an idiot. She attached her golden eagle Foundation insignia.

There was a knock at her door. Probably some humorless guards there to escort her to the party.

McAfree went over to the door and opened it. Lieutenant-Commander Mitzner was standing there, in one of the great elaborate cake dresses of the kind she favored so much.

"Oh wow," she said. "You look really nice."

"That's a lie," replied McAfree. "I happen to look like an idiot."

"It's not a lie," retorted Mitzner. "I'm sure you would have under dressed for this thing if they had let you. You weren't given a choice but to dress nice. You were out maneuvered. Don't underestimate my sister."

"Now she's your sister all of a sudden," said McAfree. "She has creepy potentially mute servants. Let's not start kissing her ass too much before we know how their whole social system is set up. This could be old fashioned Martian feudalism."

"Keep your voice down," said Mitzner, stepping inside the room and closing the door. "You're going to insult them."

"I'm just saying some servant girl brought me pants and she wouldn't reply when I tried to talk to her."

"I can think of lots of reasons why someone might not want to talk to you besides being an oppressed peasant in a feudal system," said Mitzner. "I'm going to talk to the Queen and see how they live but until I do you be nice. For once. In your life."

"Fine. I was just saying."

"Well you said it. Now take off your insignia."

"Why?" asked McAfree, "I might need it."

"Don't be difficult. It's a Foundation symbol."

"Fine,| said McAfree. She unpinned it and casually tossed it onto her bed.

"Hey," she said, raising an eyebrow. "How did you find me here?"

"What you think you're some master ninja I can't track down?" asked Mitzner. "I could have found your quarters by scent alone."

"Gross," said McAfree.

"Do you want to come back with me to my room while we wait for the party? It's much bigger."

"Yes."

* * *

Two armed and carapaced guards like the ones from before came and found the two women in Mitzner's quarters and showed them to the Great Hall. This necessitated an awkward half-hour elevator ride.

The Great Hall was in part of the expansion to the arcology, and was larger and more grand than any room in any Imperial-built arcology. Huge vaulted ceilings were accompanied by pillars covered in majestic bas relief images of the human form. Large windows looked out onto a garden that spanned an entire level of the arcology.

Lush, real living green plants filled alcoves in the walls. A gargantuan red carpet covered the entire floor, accented with geometric shapes and intersecting lines.

In the center of the room was a working fountain covered in statues.

The hall was filled with finely dressed people milling about. Some were sitting by the fountain.

In one corner was a band. They were playing traditional old-earth instruments but the song was something new. At least it was something neither Mitzner nor McAfree had heard before.

Mitzner turned around and realized the guards were gone. They had shut the large pseudo-wood doors behind them.

McAfree stood beside a man holding a tray of hors d'oeuvres, eating them greedily. He started to move away.

"Hey can you wait for a second," said McAfree, her mouth full of food.

The man ignored her, and continued to walk deeper into the party.

"Oh that's how it's going to be, huh?" asked McAfree.

She swallowed the food in her mouth and started to follow him.

"McAfree, wait," said Mitzner.

"Oh leave her," said the Queen, walking up beside Mitzner and pulling her arm on her shoulder. "She seems to know her own business."

Mitzner hadn't noticed her. No small feat in a dress. She had met her match.

Instead of her uniform the Queen was wearing very ornate dress, similar to the one Mitzner had on but far finer. She was also wearing a King's ransom in jewelry. A Queen's ransom perhaps. Someone's ransom.

"There are some people I'd like you to meet. Her I could care less."

"There are people who want to meet me?" asked Mitzner. "I thought your people hated the Foundation."

"They don't want to meet Lieutenant-Commander Zarah Mitzner of the Huxley Foundation, they want to meet Zarah Mitzner sister of the Queen."

The Queen led Mitzner around the room from small group to small group, and she made sparkling small talk with various well dressed people. The Duke of Transportation and the Lord Protector of Sector 3 and what have you. Mitzner didn't really care who they were but she was having fun.

She was just being introduced to the Duchess of Rationing and her wife when she heard a crashing sound, followed by another, then another. Several people screamed.

Armed men and women wearing hoverbelts came swarming through the windows.