NOTE: I do not own SMAC/X and/or its characters.


Quiet Return

Lucas waited patiently for the Academician. Norah, semi-retired, sat next to Lucas. He was like an anxious puppy waiting for their owner to come home.

"Lucas, why are you worried?"
Lucas let out a long sigh, shaking his head.

"Don't worry child, he'll be back." She laughed, but it did little to comfort him.

Poor little Lucas has got far too attached. Norah thought.

Lucas comm beeped loudly, the jet had landed and Lucas zoomed off. She had never seen someone run so quickly that wasn't science involved.

Zakharov 's trip had been quiet, his mind kept thinking back.

Don't overthink this

"Don't overthink it."

"Overthink what, Academician ?"

Zakharov came back to the real world to see Lucas, standing at the bottom of the stairs with eyes filled with child-like wonder.

"People." He stated

"People?"

"Council meetings Lucas." He patted the young man on the shoulder, lying through his teeth. The Council meetings were never a problem, predictable old people playing stupid old games. Lucas was young enough not to know that he was lying, or maybe Zakharov got better at it?

"Sir, reports while you were away," Lucas handing over a PDA. "Also, out orbital defence system has exploded thanks to solar flares, but it increased energy supplies buy 300%."
"I am assuming all of them are down then?"

"Yes Academician."

"Has rebuilding begun?"

"Yes Academician."

"Anything else?"

"Hovertank test went smoothly, no problems with the Tachyon bolt or the Fusion reactors."
"What about the Plasma Shard?"

"We are having some overheating issues, instability with 35%, it has not been recommended for production yet. "
"Get on it."

Lucas nodded and head off, assuming to the Labs or the Commander centre.

He saw Norah standing next to the rover.

"Academician."
"Professor," He invited her into the rover. His former Head of Medical Science and Health as well as the former governor of Lab Three, Norah was always welcomed, however she was too clued in sometimes.

"You look good, enjoy your day off?" She commented.
Zakharov frowned, she knew something. Frowning however gave it away. He removed his expression. "My looks are not important."

"Yes, but you almost cracked a smile when you lied to little Lucas."

"Don't baby him Norah."

"I'm old enough to be his great grandmother, excuse an old woman for being maternal in her old age." Norah cut Zakharov before he could continue. "You saw lady Deirdre again."

Zakharov remained stoic, "I had busin-"
"You slept with her." Norah accused.

"What?"
Norah could read Zakharov like a book, she had a PHD, Bachelors and every other title under the sun when it came to psychiatry. She was trained by the finest Professors to come out of Harvard, excelled in all her classes, she had the makings as an empath, but she saw better uses for her skills. No matter her skills in Medical Science, the daughter of the first scientist to discover the secrets of the human brain, she was used as study and intern becoming the prototype for the 'perfect' perfect. No matter how old Zakharov got, he was still easy to read.

Gaian celebrations the previous night made it hard to concentrate on work, what was worse, the heads of state where converging on Baikonur sometime that day.

They were there to demand more funding, food and equipment, one usually asked for more defences, other for new labs after drone riots.
West wing of the commander centre, overlooking the sea to Mount Planet. On his way to Baikonur Commander centre, a young professor tried to get his attention, weaving in and out of people, calling out to him.

"What is it Professor?" More than aware of who she was.

"Did you enjoy the Gaian celebrations? You seem calmer? Are you always like this after dealing with the Gaian's? More informally the beautiful Lady Skye?" She interrogated.
Zakharov stopped in his track. "What do you want?" He demanded.

"I just wanted to start a conversation."

"You've been observing me?"

"I'm a professor in psychiatry, it's my thing, it's what I do."
"You are a minster, act like one." He barked. "Do your job and nothing else, understand me?"
"Yes Sir."

That didn't happen.

Zakharov let out a deep sigh. "Yes, I had a good time." He moaned. "Thank you for asking."

Norah patted him on the shoulder. "Now see, that wasn't so hard, was it son?" She exited the rover as it pulled up to the Headquarters building of the University Base.
"Son?" He closed his eye, rubbing his temple. "I was around since before you were born woman."

"