Interlude: The Senator
Senator Bron Nantes reviewed the document one more time, encrypted it, and shut down his screen. He dimmed the blue tinted lights of his office, a sparsely furnished room framed by smooth, almost organic, plastic fixtures, vaguely reminiscent of Zentraedi construction. He had never felt comfortable adopting the gilded trappings of Earthly power - no mahogany desk or wall panels for him, no brass fittings or marble surfaces. He kept his eclectic collection of pop culture and Minmei memorabilia at home.
His Chief of Staff, Mary Brennan was casually leaning against the wall by the door, arms folded. The short, curvy, red-haired woman was smartly dressed in a herringbone jacket and skirt suitable for press conferences and back room meetings alike.
"Well," she eventually said, straightening. "She'll be back tomorrow, won't she?"
"That's right." Mary meticulously managed his schedule, so he knew she was just nudging him.
"And you're going to tell her?"
"Of course." He waited, and she began tapping her forefinger against her elbow impatiently. "Eventually."
"You should tell her right away."
"She's under enough pressure already. It's not fair to spring that on her, too."
"I doubt she'd agree," Mary said archly.
"I don't want to influence her decisions. She has the right to decide for herself."
"You should have settled this silliness three years ago. Six years ago!"
"The situation is different now," Bron protested, upturning his hands helplessly.
"Oh? And when did your feelings for each other change?"
His face darkened. "That's not fair."
"I think it is. You're acting foolish. Rico will tell you the same. So will Konda. And Minmei-"
"Don't tell Minmei!" Bron choked out desperately.
"I will if you don't stop being ridiculous. Vanessa needs to know. She has a right to know. And the future won't wait on either of you."
Bron pushed his hand through his reddish brown hair. He still kept it on the long side, but skilled barbers had tamed it, just like his wardrobe had been altered beyond recognition by Larry Patel, the long-tailed suits the tailor had made for him setting a new fashion for all professional Zentraedi civilians.
"I guess I'm… afraid of what she'll say. We sacrificed so much by following separate paths."
"You can't have been keeping her completely in the dark all of this time!"
"No, but I've been putting a brave face on it, especially since she got wrapped up in all of the hearings and inquests."
"Look, I understand the choice you've decided on- you've been all but separated for seven years. But you of all people should be able to guess how she'll react. And you can't wait. It's not just you and Vanessa. When the story breaks, it's going to affect a lot of people. And I'm going to be out of a job."
Bron sighed. "I will tell her."
"It's the right thing to do. She might be angry you didn't say anything sooner, but I think she'll realize that it's for the best."
"I hope you're right."
Next chapter… obsolescence, reunion, and skylines…