Albrick stormed from the Executive Residence across Pratt Square towards the Artemis Building. He was fuming from the argument with the president. How could he be so cold and calculating? Does he not think of human emotion from time to time? The confrontation was something he had been wanting to do for a long time. He was doubtful about the direction the President was leading the Homestead program. He didn’t like that the President was micromanaging the project.
As he arrived at the Artemis building, he walked with a purpose. He didn’t notice the receptionist greeting him as he walked across the lobby to the elevator. He failed to hold the door for another program director who was running to the elevator. When the elevator finally arrived at the 14th floor, he got off, walked to his office, threw his jacket at the coat rack, where it fell in a heap on the floor.
He sat at his desk, and pressed a button on his com-screen. The screen flicked to life, showing an office with a young red haired man studying a computer monitor intently. “Gredge, can you come to my office please?”
The redhead on the screen looked up, “Right away sir.”
Less than a minute later, Gredge entered the office, and Albrick got up, grabbed him by the arm, and walked him into the hallway. “Come on, we’re going to the roof.”
“Al, I don’t understand.”
“Just walk with me, I’ll explain in a minute.”
Albrick walked to the stairwell at the end of the hall, pushed open the door, and bounded up the stairs to the roof. Gredge followed behind, still confused about why they were going to the roof. Albrick swung open the door at the top of the stairs, and shuffled out onto the roof. Albrick paced back and forth, waiting for Gredge to catch up. He kicked a pebble across the roof, and it struck an air-recycler with a satisfying clang. Albrick picked up another pebble, threw it at the recycler. CLANG.
After throwing three or four small rocks at the recycler, he looked over at Gredge. “Gredge, how long have you been my program assistant?”
“About five years now, I think.”
“Have you ever known me to have poor judgment? Have I made many bad decisions?”
“Nothing comes to mind. Why are we on the roof?”
Albrick laughed, and walked to the edge of the roof, standing a few inches from the lip at the edge of the building. He looked down at the city below, and then across the cavern at the edges of the great engineering marvel that was New Washington.
Gredge was getting nervous. He didn’t understand why Albrick was so upset, and what they were on the roof for. “Al, is something wrong? Why don’t you step back from the edge?”
“Don’t worry, Gredge, I’m not going to jump.”
“Of course not, so what’s going on, Al?”
Albrick walked back to where Gredge stood, near the stairs. He put his hands on Gredge’s shoulders, and lowered his voice “I didn’t want anybody hearing this conversation. That’s why we’re on the roof. Gredge, I want you to contact Sarah Angler at the Armstrong Moon Base, tell her that Bruck Adams, Elliot’s father, has died of tuberculosis. Tell her to use her discretion in letting Elliot know. Make sure nobody overhears this conversation, I’m under directive from the President not to let Elliot know, but I don’t want him going to Mars without knowing.”
“Sure thing, Al, I’m happy to help. I don’t understand why the president would direct you not to tell Elliot.”
“You and me both, Gredge.”
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