Shoshone Station: The Galactic Consortium season 2

Episode Five: Adam #1

Lannister felt butterflies in his stomach as he waited for Brooke, no Adam. He couldn't blow this by using the wrong name. He had been worried since his sister had told him that her daughter Brooke had run away. Then he discovered that Brooke was transgender, going by the name Adam and had left after a fight with their dad.

Adam was nearly a head shorter than Lannister and stockier. Zie was wearing hir faded blonde hair short these days, but zie'd cut off the braid zie had been sporting from the side of hir head. Zie wore army surplus fatigues and had a small bag over one shoulder.

"Uncle," zie began hesitantly, still standing in the door to Lannister's office.

Lannister stood and approached hir. Zie watched him closely, trying gauge his reaction. Zie looked on the edge of fleeing.

He placed his hand on either shoulder. "I was hoping you'd come, Adam." He wanted to give hir a hug, but wasn't sure how zie would react. "Come in, have a seat." He went back to his seat, gesturing Adam into another.

"Thanks," zie muttered. And then, "Adam?"

"That is the name you've been going by, isn't it?" He'd seen this on Facebook but hadn't commented.

"I just didn't know you knew. I..."

"Left home. Yes, I know that too."

The two stared at each other a long time, not sure what to say.

"Frank," Lannister began and stopped. "Your father...I can't say I fully understand what's going on. But I don't share his prejudices."

Adam nodded. "Thanks. That means a lot. I, I don't expect you to do anything. I just wanted to let you know, I'm on the station. I intend to stay awhile, see about...things up here. They say you can get a job or something, and I have enough for a hotel."

"A hotel. No."

Adam gave him a startled look. Zie's brow scrunched and zie started to look angry.

"You're not staying in a hotel," Lannister repeated. "I've plenty of room. And you are family. I won't hear another word."

Adam stared at him slack-jawed. "You want me to stay?"

"Of course," he repeated. "You are family." Seeing how much zie wanted to believe, he pushed on. "And about this job. You're seventeen, Adam."

"I'll be eighteen soon."

"But not yet. They've opened a basic education academy. To give adult learners the basics, so they can get a higher education within the consortium."

Adam nodded. "Heard that, too. Was interested."

"Good, because that will be your job. You want something part time for spending cash, that's okay. But an education is your priority. Understood?"

A smile played on zie's lips. "You serious? I can stay here?"

He nodded. "Of course, come'on. Let's see what Peeta has whipped up for supper. And then I'll show you one of my guest rooms."

"Who is Peeta?" Adam whispered as Lannister escorted zie across the conference room to the zero G lift.

"My page. You didn't know?" he smiled. "I'm a space captain these days. I rate a personal servant." He shrugged. "He's good at what he does and there are worse things than having someone cook your meals."

At the top of the lift he introduced the two formally. Peeta served them and Lannister gestured for him to join them as well. As they ate he commented to Adam. "That last picture I saw, you had a braid."

Zie nodded. "It means something. Only, I haven't earned that."

"True. Is that what you want?"

"Do you know how? Is there a school? How does one go about joining them?"

"I've met one, but I can't say I know. Peeta? Do you know how one becomes Kurgara?"

Peeta gave Adam an appraising look. "You simply must ask. But it's not easy to get them to say yes. And if they do, the training is harder still. I'd think hard about that path."

Adam gave him a fiery look. "Who do I ask? When can I?"

"A battalion is coming to this planet," Peeta said. "Soon. There will be a temple headquarters. You go there and ask. They will say no at first, but if you keep asking, make it clear that you are determined, perhaps they will begin training you. In the meantime, see to your education, and think hard. It's not an easy path."

"He speaks true," Lannister said. "You will need your basic education, at the least. Fox's..." he paused, not sure what word to use, "lover is Kurgara. I will introduce you to Nara when she comes again."

After they'd eaten and Peeta had cleaned up and dismissed himself for the night, Lannister made Adam a bedtime cup of herbal tea. Zie sat across from him in the lounge area, the viewscreen showing the Baseship news but neither of them paid that much attention.

"There is one thing you should probably be aware of, if you are going to stay," he said.

"Okay."

"Your family is coming for Christmas."

Zie blanched, hir eyes wide with fear. Then zie covered it. "I can leave for those days. Stay at a hotel. Hide."

"No. I won't have it. They'll have to accept you, sooner or later." He spoke with more emotion then intended. "You are family, whatever they think of this one choice. We'll figure something out. I promise."

Fear mixed with relief on Adam's face."This one choice," zie said. "It's a pretty big one."

"And I can't say I fully understand," Lannister said. "But I've seen and read things about transgender people. And met some of these new Consortium people that are... well you know they have a bunch of different names. But one thing is consistent in both worlds. It's not a choice you make. It's just who you are."

Zie smiled. "Yeah. I'm kind of surprised. I thought, you being a military captain and all..."

"I'd be more conservative? Politically I am. But socially, the military forces you out of your shell. You see lots of different people."

"Thank you," Adam gushed. "For letting me stay. For saying that I'm still family. I don't know about Christmas though. What will the rest of them do?"

Lannister shrugged. "They have two choices. They can learn to accept or they can just deal with it. I am serious. You are family. I'm not having you hide away at Christmas. It will be okay." Lannister sighed, wondering how he was going to manage to convince the rest of the family to deal with it.