Chapter 41 (Elizabeth Lochley)
Elizabeth gazed through the window in her quarters at what was left of the Minbari cruiser. It was almost gone, just a few major support beams and the engine unit, which housed the singularity thought to power this monster.
She surmised that the technicians on the platform had little knowledge of such technology, and the engine core—what looked like several bricks bound together by cables and pipes—would be the last thing to be dismantled and disposed off. But as she studied the cruiser, her thoughts were elsewhere.
A few hours ago Elizabeth had been told by her superiors that she would be in command of the city that was damaged by battle. Several buildings in the city core had been partially destroyed and, despite reassurances that repairs were well under way, she really wanted to see how badly her city had been injured.
A call came through her personal communicator, prompting Elizabeth to move away from the window and answer it. "Yes?"
"Elizabeth, this is Chief Engineer Dovoch Hekenovich from the city Euria."
Elizabeth had burned the city's name into her mind last night and researched everything she could about her new responsibility. From the moment she'd received the reports about her command, she had downloaded all the data necessary and begun to study the intricate design and layout of her own personal city. She'd always wanted to command a city, ever since the metropolises first began to drift into the endless depths of hyperspace. It was a soul changing experience, something she could relate to.
After her family had been murdered, along with the human race, Elizabeth had been drifting through social circles, looking for purpose. Once the President approved building the cities, she'd begun studying to join appropriate Academies and rise up the command chain.
But in order to achieve her goal, she had decided to lay down some ground rules and follow them to the letter. She did not get along with her fellow classmates in her academy; she became first in her class and graduated with honours. From that moment, she'd joined the military and rose up the ranks much the same way. Now, as she stared at the communicator screen, she sympathised with the man who had to organise all the repairs.
It was not the city she would have to respect, but the people who lived there. They were all her responsibility and, despite the fairy tale rumours about how easy the city commanders had it, she knew all too well the responsibilities she would have to take on. This was her first port of call and she had to do it right, not just to prove to herself that she could, but also to lay the foundation of a strong and reliable commander.
Dovoch's voice rose slightly over the COM channel and brought Elizabeth back from her deep thoughts, "Are you there Ma'am?"
"Oh. Sorry, you lost me for a moment…go on…" Elizabeth was just about to make excuses about the COM channel breaking when she decided just to let the man speak.
"Construction bots have almost repaired the foundation damage done to sector 375 and repaired the transportation paths on the streets, but the high-rise buildings that have collapsed will take longer to repair."
Elizabeth continued to stare at the blank screen that showed the text AudioOnly on it. She preferred her privacy and she was only wearing her nightgown; she did not want strangers seeing her at her most vulnerable. But this incident demanded her full attention, and talking over the intercom did not feel right. She wanted to solve this matter face to face. This act would demonstrate her determination to be a respected commander who would put the people first.
With that firm judgement in her mind, she interrupted the babbling engineer, "I'll tell you what. I was planning on seeing the extent of the damage myself tomorrow morning, but since the construction teams are already on site I can't think of a better time to look over the wreckage and listen to all the recommendations in person."
"But ma'am, that's not necessary. We're already working to restore the structures and it's way past midnight."
Elizabeth removed her cotton nightgown and slid into her uniform top and pants, replying as she went. "It's no trouble at all. I've taken a greater liking to this city and its wounds are my wounds. Expect me in one hour."
Elizabeth glanced back at her city shimmering in the distance through the window. It might be a huge raging metropolis, but it was a living home, a place that demanded respect. With her at the helm she knew she would do good.
Elizabeth buttoned up her uniform and embarked on her quest to restore her city to its former glory.