I couldn't remember how much I hated Micheal Garrison, and the fact that somehow the disease that now raced through my body was his doing.How do I know this, you ask? Simple he was capable of it. Much as my hints to the contrary that he was responsible for the death of my dearest friends husband, and that despite the wishes of his curmudgeon father, the late Senator Garrison, there had to be one thought that the apple had not fallen far from the tree. How could someone raised on the evil that motivated the younger Garrison not become what was a polluted soul, and one who would motivate all the evil in the universes at large.
Simply put, I, Professor Juliana Cameron-Sinclair am holding onto all the secrets, and anyone who knew me was sure that I was not to blame. How could I not feel responsible for my dear friend Lauren Saint Mauraine's falling from grace and sleeping with Garrison? I may hold the keys to her kingdowm... I am the only one who knows how far she would go to keep the dreams of her late husband alive. I am not at that hand one to understand how she could be with a hated man, and one who stirred the pot of racism as well as he did. He whispered in human ears how much we should fear the cat races of the Miang and the Khaffiri. With the other side of his mouth he preached to those who would listen that by giving into the Jyhad against humanity that they would have what they called for. Revenge against the race that had killed them at will. It was not religious for them, except that they would rely on the feelings of a nature would keep the pot boiling. I could not blame the unclean... and Khaffiri was in an ancient language meant be the bottom of the caste ladder. Now I digress... I am falling into a hole of someones making... and all that could be done is to continue the mission that Nathan Saint Mauraine started long ago. He may be dead to the world, but not to me, or for that meaning the father of the contract I know as the ComFederation. I cannot fail to try and back Admiral Jack van der Veldt.

I felt cold, almost bitter today. I hadn't heard back from Lauren in days. My godson Saul was still yammering on about his student Diane Van der Veldt.. Was she really Jack's daughter or not. Of course I told him so because I do recall how excited the Admiral was the day she was born. As if the arrival of another person actually meant something. No, Jack was a happy, happy man that day. "If she is her daughter, then why does he ignore her?" he queried me yesterday through the net. "I am sure he has a good reason... Jack was in school as much of the time as Diane is now. It is important since she wants to be in the diplomatic field to be able to sort out everyday problems. Family only makes that more difficult than you can imagine."  That I had said that bothered me today. I stretched my neck around in a slow fashion. The disease I had was shrinking my ability to move every day.. Soon I might be confined to a robochair, and then what would I do? I did not want to think about it. Life was hard enough with trying not to be angry that someone had done this to me. I can't blame the rose bush I was trimming that day. Although my agent told me that the bush had be laced with high levels of toxins. How...., and who would know so much, and how would they get that access to my private garden.

     I was glad that I had returned to University One... Alpha Andromides seemed more like my home because here no one insisted that I drop everything, except Naldren Andrac. Of course I trusted the Ovadhan with my life. Every inch of his huge body was dedicated to this University, and Naldren would never do anything to hurt me or any of the staff. No, he saved his mild rancor for my Godson. Saul Augustus Graham usually got the blunt of it here. I recognized though that Andrac was only insisting on the best from Saul. I couldn't blame him for that. We were all part of the great gristmill that kept the ComFederation going.

I felt the rumbling in my ears... It was early in the lab, and I knew how alone I felt. Since the death of my husband Angus Sinclair there was little that consoled me except work. That went lagging lately. It was dark out still, and despite having the best weather control system in the quadrant, there was the occasional outburst of funky. It looked like it was going to pour cats and dogs today. I pulled a shawl over my shoulders as I hunched over my desk.

     No one was due in for hours, and my godson Saul wasn't going to have a class starting for at least another hour. No, I was alone, staring at the floater A.I. and wondering what I was going to churn out today... The way it looked I probably would end up with a list of wants from our fearless leader Chairman Garrison. I hated him, and I believe he knew it all along and cared less. No, he was sleeping with my best friend, and despite my warnings about the uncouth man there was no stopping her.

     How Lauren stooped so low as to be with a man that had to be at least partially responsible for the death of her husband. It was all beyond me. I felt the heat of anger thrusting itself at me until I was reminded to stop... The twinges in my fingers stopped me from banging them on the desk.  "Charis draw up the list of specifications on Minos Bataan. I am thinking about what the minion from Antares said about his needs listing."

      <Done Professor Sinclair. It looks like he is on the edge of needing more A.I. placed at four sectors. Do you wish a print out for later, or shall I send on these spec's for Willoughby?>

       "No, that won't be necessary. I am just curious."   That was it I at least had curiousity in the midst of my anguish... I rubbed the not so limber fingers as I danced them across the air, pointing to a map that the A.I. had brought up.  "It looks a little too big for recreational purposes Charis... I am sorely tempted to call in Naldren Andrac and the Omegan council and consult their opinions. If he is attempting to put up a platform that could be used for warships, then he is breaking not more than a few dozen major acts from the ComFederation compact. I am sure that we could even get Earth Congress agitated over this one."\

   <It is upon your own judgement of course Professor.>   Charis was never the light weight when it came to the artificials I had designed here over the decade or so I had been on University One... I had to give her the credit she was do... There I go again being more familial with my machines than ever I was with my own family.

    "Charis, do I have an open channel to earth?  "  She paused for me, as I was visibly shaking now.  <No Professor... We have a block on earth communications for the next fifteen hours.>  "Damn and shatz, I just need to talk to my brother Graeme. What's so bloody hard about that?"   <We don't have the clearance at this time... Willoughby is timing our clearances due to security risks over this side of the quadrant. There is still this war to consider. At least that is what I am given professor.>