Stories of the Confederated Star Systems Read Online Free PDF

If any of you men and women want to talk about your trip, feel free. Someone who is going to jail soon has already been leaking information and details to the press.”
    The president once again paused, then looked to the side and his mother stepped forward. “When we realized the implications of the White’s journey we created the Temporal Directorate under control of Lady Princess Leslie Ann Elisabeth Courtney Del Rios Roberts. Most of you already know she’s my mother, but that’s not the reason—well, not the main reason—she got control of the new directorate.” He paused as a few chuckles rippled through the crowd. “Mother got the job because she was once the top researcher in temporal phenomena on Hector’s World. The fact that her research found that time travel was impossible made her the perfect person to control access to the time travel process.” The president stepped aside and one of the security personnel placed a three-step-stool at the podium for Lady Leslie. She climbed the steps with a hand from her son for balance.
    “Good day,” she said as she gazed out at the crowd. “The Temporal Directorate was created to study and limit access to the time travel process to ensure we don’t go mucking up our past. There is a real possibility of that happening if we interact with the past as we know it. There is no proof of the multiverse theory, and it could be that a small change in the past could result in the eradication of our civilization.” She paused theatrically, then continued.
    “The Temporal Directorate will consist of myself, the Vice President, the First Lord of the Admiralty, whoever holds the chair of the newly-created Temporal Studies Chair at Charles De Gaulle University, and the Chief of Naval Operations. You’ll notice that we’re Navy heavy, and there is a good reason for that. The White has been rechristened the CSS Herbert George Wells , TCH-1, and will continue to be a Navy ship with a Navy crew. At this time I would like to introduce her captain, Erica Michelle Reordan, and Chief of the Boat, Master Chief Electronics Technician Krystal Elise McCormack.”
    Captain Reordan and Master Chief McCormack came forward as instructed and came to attention beside Lady Leslie. “You’ll notice that Captain Reordan is young for such a prestigious command. That is by my will. The nature of the H.G. Wells and the Temporal Directorate demand a certain amount of flexibility, and I didn’t want some old stick quoting regulations at me. In addition, Captain Reordan is the recipient of the Meritorious Service Cross for her actions in battle against the raiders over Hampton’s Planet in 2677.” She paused to let the reporters catch up. “In addition, as a second class petty officer in the same action, Krystal McCormack received the Confederated Star Systems Congressional Medal of Honor for service above and beyond the call of duty.” This time there was a stir among the reporters and representatives alike. Krystal was a real, living Hero of the Confederacy, and the men and women who had been about to object to her presence closed their mouths tightly. Elections had been lost because of a misspoken comment about a Medal of Honor winner, and there were far too many reporters and their omnipresent cameras and recorders to risk it.
    Lady Leslie smiled serenely; she was fully aware of the effect Krystal was having on the more status-conscious representatives. President Roberts stepped up beside his mother and smiled at her for a moment, then turned to the crowd.
    “We thank you all for attending this ceremony. During the coming weeks, we will be making various members of the Temporal Directorate available for interviews. Good day.” With that simple ending he turned and offered his arm to his mother, then escorted her back into the capitol building as reporters shouted questions at their backs.
    * * *
    Lord Kenyon caught Erica and Krystal and said, “Run, do not walk, to the nearest exit.”