He has to admit, it's nice not to be in charge.
Although, in fairness, he's not entirely sure who exactly that title falls to, just knows that his current inclination is to shirk out from under it. The rest of the day since the high point of drama in the late morning had been passed mostly in preparing to leave.
Theirs is a strange quartet, consisting of two distinct partnerships—John and EOS, Jeff and Kyrano—and the latter infinitely stranger, in John's mind, and this is allowing for the fact that he's embedded a super computer in his chest to accommodate a sentient AI. His father's bodyguard is a fixture in John's memory, but always in a strict, official capacity. When Kayo had been folded into the family, her father had resolutely kept his distance, kept things professional. It wasn't ever subservience, but there was a definite air of deference about him. A carefully delineated margin between employee and employer, and the definition of that relationship was always strictly held to, as a matter of course and a matter of preference.
No longer, apparently. Because if anyone's in charge, right at the moment, John thinks it must be Kyrano—even though now his father occasionally refers to him as "Ben", and Ben, in turn, speaks to Jefferson Tracy as though they're friends, equals—partners.
And their current course of action has Kyrano literally in the driver's seat, his father is dozing in the passenger's, and they're on their way to the airport, about twenty minutes out. EOS has made herself useful and made arrangements; three tickets, two flights: Munich to New York, New York to Vegas. John wonders if she has him retracing his steps on purpose. At the moment she's carefully reviewing available options as far as purchasable versus rentable spacecraft, because a commercial shuttle won't be an option this time around.
Half an hour to the airport. Nine hours to New York. Five hours to Las Vegas. A quick eight minutes into orbit and from there—well, John's not sure, but how hard can it be to find one satellite? If he had access to 'Five he doesn't doubt he could find the damn thing in an hour, now that he knows what he's looking for, regardless of whatever precautions his father's put in place.
And then—
Home.
And then everything changes.
It seems unwise to think that far ahead. To getting home; being able to relax, to relent, to stop running. Allowing himself to feel the extent of just what he's done to his brothers, and then getting to make up for it, by bringing his father home and putting his family back together.
And then, once the dust has settled, back into the fray. Once more unto the breach. Back to that high rise office in New York, back to the high court of his father's empire, to take up the banner of his newly minted cause. And for the first time, the thought doesn't make his chest clench with dread, with the memory of how badly he'd failed the last time he'd tried to advocate for her. Whatever comes next, he'll have his father on his side.
But it's best not to think that far ahead.
Besides, there's plenty to pay attention to in the here and now, as a prim little chime rings from the sound system. "I've bought a rocketship," EOS announces, bright and chipper. "If everyone is very, very nice to me, I could be convinced to let you borrow it."
EOS helpfully provides the specs for the newly acquired shuttle in John's eye line and he gives her a brief nod of approval, chuckles to himself. "I can't fly a rocketship, you realize."
"I can tell you how to fly a rocketship," she informs him. "But then, that would require me to trust you with my rocketship, and I should rather not do that. It's brand new, after all. So, actually, I imagine I'll probably fly my rocketship myself. You make a better passenger than a pilot."
"Right. Says the quintessential passenger."
It's still strange to talk to her aloud while other people are present. John wonders if she's playing up the playful aspect of her personality, trying to make herself congenial and non-threatening. The circle of people she's interacted with includes John's immediate family, but beyond that small circle, he realizes that her socialization is probably lagging behind some of her harder, sharper skills. Kyrano hasn't reacted, but John's father has stirred out of his half-doze, straightened in his seat, and now he clears his throat pointedly.
"Fairly sure I'm the only person present who's actually qualified to fly a rocketship," Jeff remarks mildly, and without quite meaning to, John finds himself pausing, waiting to see just how EOS bats that one back.
True to form, her tone is arch, blandly amused when she answers, "I don't believe there's any credential you could produce that would qualify you to fly my rocketship, Mr. Tracy."
Jeff chuckles at that. "I don't believe you have a license."
There's a soft huff of something that might be scorn from Kyrano, and the comment, "I don't believe she can own property."
John winces a little at that, aware of the fact that Kyrano ranks low on the list of "People EOS Likes", and that he's probably not improving his position. But EOS surprises him with a silvery little laugh. "I believe it's only by my sufferance that you're being permitted to drive the car, and that you're certainly not going to be allowed aboard my rocketship if you refuse to credit me the basic right of property ownership."
"I wasn't planning to be aboard anyone's rocketship, in any case," Kyrano answers evenly, and John can't help a faint smile at the way his hands tighten slightly on the steering wheel, as though that would make a difference. "That's beyond my sphere."
"Afraid of a little space travel?" EOS queries, and John wants to give her a warning, can tell she's deliberately probing towards something with which to needle at Kyrano. "Or are you afraid of me?"
John clears his throat prudently at that, interjects, "No one needs to be afraid of you," he chides.
"Let's not be disingenuous, John. Half of our problem is that people are afraid of me—of what I am. It does no good to pretend they have no reason to be."
There's a certain intensity to her, he gets the sense that she means to prove a point. He shifts in his seat, feels a little awkward now that both Kyrano and his father are listening, expecting him to comment. "Of what you are—maybe. I guess I can get my head around that; it'd be lying to pretend I'm not well-versed in at least the ethical arguments. And counter-arguments. But who you are is a different question. No one who got to know who you are would have any reason to be afraid of you."
"Debatable."
Kyrano again, and for the first time John feels a slight flare of temper in response. He glances briefly at his father, but Jeff has redirected his attention to the patchwork farmland, rolling past out the window as they cruise down the autobahn. John almost imagines there's a faintly amused smile playing about his lips, wonders if this is why he and Kyrano are friends to begin with. His father's always been fond of a good argument.
John hasn't really had the opportunity to really get his teeth into these particular arguments since college, but it's starting to seem as though he could use the practice. "Are you afraid of her?" he asks, tries to tamp down the note of challenge.
"Wary is probably a better word," Kyrano answers, and he glances briefly in the rearview mirror. There's no hostility in him and he'd chosen the word "debatable" quite deliberately. "She's just threatened to take control of my car," he points out. "I wouldn't care for that. Didn't care for it, the last time she did so."
"Well, she probably doesn't care to be told she has no right to own a rocketship." John refrains from mentioning the fact that he's not sure how exactly she's finagled herself the right to own a rocketship, but doesn't doubt for a moment that it'll hold up to whatever scrutiny it comes up against. He stops himself from meandering down the train of thought that's going to wind up with him, acting as power of attorney for someone who doesn't actually have a corporeal form, in the traditional sense. "But she doesn't need me to make her case on her behalf."
"No, I really don't," EOS agrees and maybe to emphasize her point, she gives a little twitch of the windshield wipers. "It also hasn't escaped my notice that Mr. Kyrano refuses to address me directly. So, if it's his idea of wariness to talk around me rather than to me, then I'll adopt the same manner. He fears me because he doesn't understand me. He doesn't understand me because he either hasn't tried to understand me or because he is very stupid—because in reality I am actually far from complicated. I'm sure he would rather not be rendered down to a binary of either very lazy or very stupid, and if he is offended by what he perceives to be an overly simplistic interpretation of his personality, well, he can consider the fact that I haven't tried very hard."
Before Kyrano can even begin to reply, Jeff's started to laugh, loud and hearty and genuine, and it takes John a few minutes to realize that his face feels weird because he's grinning to the point that his cheeks hurt, and the warm, heartening feeling in his chest is a glow of pride; radiating out from the very core of him.
EOS permits a few moments of silence once Jeff's stopped laughing, before she comments, waspish, "Also, he seems to be verging up upon male pattern baldness, and I'm wary of bald people. In my experience they attempt to murder my partner and steal me for the completion of their own ends."
If she means it to be a joke, it has the opposite effect, sobering the tone of the conversation. Kyrano clears his throat and there's nothing argumentative in his tone as he says, "Well, if I've apologized to John, then I suppose I should also apologize to you, for anything my brother might have done. I'm not sure how exactly he would have caused you harm, but if he has, I'm sorry."
"He hasn't, directly, but thank you," EOS answers, prim. She continues, charitably, "It may not be hereditary, anyway, perhaps yours is just a slightly receding hairline, common in middle to late age."
"One hopes."
John's still grinning as he gets another glance from Kyrano in the rearview mirror. It's still strange; still throws him off to hear her conversing with other people, but up through the strangeness, there's the sensation of hope bubbling up in his chest. There's a weird and wonderful satisfaction in seeing her interact with other people. Seeing other people get to know her. More than anything, John's starting to believe that this is going to be all it takes; just letting people get to know her. "Probably for the best if it's just me and Dad," he starts, and pulls up the specs for the shuttle EOS has chosen, glances over it again. "Looks like this thing only seats two people anyway."
"Well, I wasn't going to mention that." She seems a little defensive as she continues, "It was the best I could get, local to Las Vegas and at short notice. It's got a clean history and it's been decently maintained. It'll will serve for a single trip to orbit. And I won't actually be able to fly it, its guidance systems are dated to the point that I would have more difficulty crafting a reasonable interface than I would ceding it to the margin of error allowed for by a human pilot." Another pause, and then, "No offense intended, Mr. Tracy."
"Oh, none taken," Jeff answers, dry and sardonic, but John can see him smiling. He finds himself wondering—hoping—that EOS can hear the amusement in his voice. "Was only a Colonel in the WWSA for twenty odd years. Flew thirty-four successful missions. Only been in and out of orbit about half a dozen times in the last three years, one reason or another. Flew to the moon and back. Twice. Still don't believe you've got a license, but you know. No offense."
She laughs again and John can't quite stop his hand from going to the place where his pacemaker sits, a gesture of affection that she'll never feel, but that he can't ever seem to help. "I don't, actually. I suppose you can be the pilot."
"I'll take very good care of your rocketship," Jeff promises solemnly. Kyrano changes lanes as a sign indicating the turn for the airport comes into view. "Least I could do. Seems like you've taken very good care of my son."
It's impossible to miss the note of pride in her tone as EOS replies, "Thank you, Mr. Tracy. I've done my best."
