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Brooks went into the waiting room to find Apollonia sitting alone.

There had been a number of people outside, court officials and orderlies, including a court psychiatrist.  One official had looked as if she had wanted to intercept him, but then thought better of it.

“Apple,” he said.  “How are you?”

She looked up, vulnerability on her face for a moment – apparently not having expected to see him.

“I kinda screwed up,” she said.  Her voice was a little hoarse, miserable.

“That’s fine,” he said.  “I’m just sorry it was difficult for you.”

“People are saying that . . . it’s kind of a big deal,” she said, not meeting his eyes.  “I unleashed a shit storm.”

“I don’t know,” he admitted.  “But it’s not important right now.  Has anyone been in here to talk to you?”

“Some orderlies asked if I needed anything,” she said.

“Do you?” he asked.

“I told them I wanted an exanorb.”

Brooks paused.  “A what?”

“I don’t know, I made it up.  I think they’re still trying to figure out what it is, too.”  She looked amused for a moment, but then it faded into something like guilt or nervousness.  “I guess that was a dumb move, but I just wanted them to leave me alone.  The shrink was harder to get rid of.”

“What did you say to him?”

“I told him I didn’t like his face,” she said, suddenly angry.  “And to go fuck himself.”

Lashing out when she felt cornered, he recognized.  He took a deep breath and pulled up a seat.  “I’m sure he went off to do that,” he said to her.

Surprise, then a smile went across her face, and she laughed.

“I didn’t actually say that.  They can put you away for that kind of thing,” she said.

“Not in the Sapient Union they can’t,” Brooks told her gently.  “You don’t have to worry about that here.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” she said sharply.  “You’re not like me, Ian.  You, you’re just going to stand there and tell them whatever and they’ll take it because you’re . . .  I don’t know, greater than they are?  I’m just me.”

“I can’t tell anyone whatever I want,” he said.  “I wish I could.  You’re bolder with your words than I’ve ever been.  And you are special, it’s true.  But that doesn’t mean that’s the only part of you that has value here.”

She shrugged, not apparently believing it.

“Has anyone else spoken to you?” he asked carefully.

“No,” she said.

“Good,” he replied.  “Now, I need you to listen to me – I’ve got you booked on a shuttle to the Sol Brilliant-“

“The what?” she asked sharply.

“It’s the flagship of the 17th Guards Fleet – Admiral Vandoss commands it, it’s his ship.  From there, you’ll get another ship that will bring you to the outer system and the Craton.”

“You’re shipping me back to the Craton?” she asked, alarm in her voice.

“It’s for the best,” he told her.  At any moment, he knew, Director Freeman could come through the door and order him out.  He would be powerless if that happened.

He did not know if the man would outright lie to her.  But Apollonia did not know rules and regulations, and he might be able to trick or persuade her to go with him.

And if that happened he could whisk her off to another system, to a facility of his choosing . . . until the non recusatio transfer was made, and then getting her out again would have to involve numerous bodies of government . . .

“We need to go now,” he said sternly.

“Fine,” she said.  She was looking at the floor, and he wasn’t sure why she was upset, but right now was not the time to find out.

He went quickly down the hall – Apollonia seemed to dawdle, though.

“Hurry,” he said.

They got in a lift, and the doors were closing when he saw Freeman down the hall.

“Hold that!” he cried.

Brooks pretended not to hear him.

“Authorization Aleph-Gamma-Winston Niner-Niner Vandoss,” he said.

“What’s that?” Apollonia asked.

“Command code from the Admiral,” he told her.  “No one will be able to stop or recall the lift easily – or track where it goes.”

He scrambled the floors the lift would go to, and programmed it to continue on a wild goose chase, going to five other potential hangar locations after they got off.  They went to one false option before heading to a minor one.

Apollonia looked concerned as they came to the shuttle bay that was mostly used for cargo, rather than passengers.

“You want me to get on that?” she asked nebulously.

“Yes,” he said.  “Vandoss’s ExCom will meet you on the Sol Brilliant and you’ll be among crew of the Craton on the way back.  I’m sorry for an inglorious end to your time in the inner system, but-“

“It’s fine,” she said, cutting him off.  Her shoulders were hunched, and she was still looking down.  “I guess I’ll see you back there.”

Brooks felt a dryness in his throat as she got onto the shuttle, wondering just what fresh damage he had done to the young woman’s psyche.

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