As Doreen explained, Erik could only nod slowly and smile. He understood what she was saying completely. Sure, he had received plenty of support from his siblings, but it was Peter's very existence that gave him strength when his wife died. First and foremost, he chose to be strong for his son.
As Doreen turned around, her chest discretely more visible, her cinnabar hair fluttering in the wind, Erik couldn't help it. He stopped, for just a moment, to simply admire a beautiful woman, her counter question remaining just an echo in his mind. Before his reverie would become obvious, he straightened his back a little and leaned back on the railing, looking at the island's dome. "Indeed, they are similar. Although right after Peter, I also care about everyone in the Republic. It's how I was raised." - he didn't realise it instantly, but his statement referred to Doreen and Ben just as much. As this afterthought came to him, he smiled silently.
A few meters away, the boys started running one after the other while laughing loudly, probably playing some kind of catch game. If he didn't know the railings were more than sturdy, Erik would've probably stopped the two. His trust in Crayterian workmanship halted any reaction from him though.
She was facing him, still leaning on the rail while he answered. Yes, they were similar in their answers. She turned back a bit, looking out to at the water. She was loving it, the breeze, two happy children playing and Erik's company.
"Helping people....it's why I became a doctor," she explained. "Yes, it was to better myself, to be a Mom that Ben could be proud of and as I was a Zoner at the time, help anyone who needed it. It gave me such a sense of self worth. Saving a life, I thought, was power. Anyone can take one but not everyone can save one." She paused a moment and continued, "Besides, it was giving back for all of the help I received in a short time."
She again turned back to Erik much as she had before, smiling, "I think it'll make a me a good Crayterian. I seem to blend in nicely.
"I think it'll make a me a good Crayterian. I seem to blend in nicely."
His eyes still adrift, not looking anywhere in particular, Erik replied happily "I have no doubt you and Ben will become valuable members of our nation... and I do hope you'll become proud to call yourselves Crayterians." - he paused, then glanced at her for a moment, before looking away again and speaking - "But blending in... I'm not so sure. Considering your talents and dedication, you'll most likely stand out."
He slowly rose upwards, then stood away from the railing, facing Doreen. Erik opened his mouth, but before any words could come out, a worker came behind him. The man stopped next to Erik and Doreen and tapped his helmet as a sign of respect, then spoke "Good day, ma'am. Uhm, mister Corvin, the buoys are in place and we'll commence construction within the hour. Are the drones ready?"
Erik had forgotten all about his purpose at the construction site while he chatted with Doreen. He was supposed to handle the setup for a squadron of masonry drones that would help with the first phase of the construction process, at sea-level. Luckily, he took care of it before Doreen and Ben arrived. He stuttered for a second, then gave a response "Y-Yes. Yes... everything's ready. The remote is on the bench there. They're the default model so don't worry about weird controls."
With drones now in the hands of the workers, his job was done.
She was still leaning on the rail. She was comfortable, both resting where she was and being in Erik's company. Her eyes moved to where the children were playing. They were having a ball. It reminded her of a time when her and her brother would play together. It was a different time though in post war Hamburg. Yuma was warm and comfortable while Hamburg was cold. Playing outside meant winter clothing. Still, she loved her brother and missed him. She also felt badly as it wasn't his fault that the family was split due to exile. Still, the good of those times came out when she watched Ben and Peter playing. She smiled and sighed.
"I have no doubt you and Ben will become valuable members of our nation... and I do hope you'll become proud to call yourselves Crayterians." She gave a smile of approval at this before he continued. "But blending in... I'm not so sure. Considering your talents and dedication, you'll most likely stand out."
She took a breath as she sat up a bit, still leaning on the rail and replied proudly, "If it's for the right reasons then that is an honor I'll accept so long as our enemies don't put a target on me for it."
When the worker came around, she gave a light smile and a simple "hello" to him when he greeted her. She got back to her feet and took a step toward Erik as the two men spoke. Unintentionally, she was right next to him. Realizing that the work of the day was done, she looked at Erik, then to the still playing children and back to Erik, "I almost hate to break the bad news to them that we have to go back."
Just another day... another chance for fun. That's the thought Peter started with this morning, before he went with his father to New Astarte. Erik was, as usual, holding one of his lectures at the University. Meanwhile, he left Peter in the park, this time accompanied not only by a body-guard, but by Benjen as well. Ever since the first time the two boys came together on this island, Peter asked Ben if he'd like to go hover-bike riding... and today was the day they made it happen, with a pair of children's hover-cycle loaned from the Yuma Robotics HQ, at Erik's accord.
Half an hour into their activity, Ben had gotten the hang of the bike's controls. They soon started racing around the park's alleyways, while trying to count the trees and generally made it hard for the body-guard to keep up with them. After a few passes through the park's center, Peter suddenly stopped, taking his hover-cycle to the side of the alley and stepping off of it. After Ben joined him in this pause, Peter exclaimed "Hey, i think we should celebLate today!" - and at Ben's confusion, he continued with the same excitement - "It's been a month since you came to Yuma!" Understandably, for someone of his age, such a short time-span felt much longer...
Ben thought a moment. "It has been, hasn't it."
Time had passed by so quick. He never thought about it. He was happy as was his Mom. He loved school more than he had before. As they talked about it, he commented how school is much better when you're not being bullied because of where he came from.
He looked at the hover board and then at Peter. "I have only seen these before," he explained, "but till today, I never used one." He then looked at the body guard, knowing how much chasing he had been doing and sheepishly said, "Sorry."
"How to celebrate," he thought aloud. They had already driven the body guard nuts, made their parents chase them when they weren't working and played together every chance they had. Sitting next to Peter,he just looked at him confused, "How DO we celebrate anyways?"
Upon Ben's question, Peter became just as confused. He felt this day to be like some sort of anniversary, but the more he thought about it the harder it was for him to give a good answer. He just sighed and remained silent for one more second, before replying "Uhm, i don't know... Maybe we should ask dad. Or your mom, she always has great ideas!"
While completely oblivious to the kids' dilemma, Erik had just entered recess. 10:45 - a fine Sunday morning. He was on his way to the nearby restroom when one of his students approached him. "Professor Corvin, do you have a minute?" - the young girl asked with a shy smile. "Of course. What is it?" - he nodded. "Uhm, I'm required to partake in an internship program this year, and... I know you used to work at the C.D.I.. I was wondering if you give me any advice?" "Oh - I see. Well, how about you try to finish my course with a top mark, and if you do, I'll write a letter of recommendation for you. Sounds good?" "Great! Thanks so much!" - she exclaimed, while walking away joyously.
Erik chuckled to himself, then resumed his walking.
Another day at the main hospital found her able to take care of the Crayterian populace as battle casualties seemed to be fewer than normal. Either the Gauls were getting bested and retreated or they were ceasing the conquest of Crayter territory. Whatever the case, she didn't mind. These were times where her job was less stressful. Delivering a woman's first born, she shared the enjoyment of the moment with her.
"Congratulations, Mrs. Devers, you have a healthy baby girl," she told her. Having check the child over, weighed her and cleaned her up, she placed the child on the new mother's chest and then stood back and watched as she started talking to her....running her finger over her skin all the while the staff was cleaning up the mother.
It was moments like this she loved the most. New innocence in a world of war. It reminded her a little of when Benjen was born even if circumstances were different. Like her, the new mother was happy.
"My...my.....my husband," she asked with some concern.
"He's been notified," replied a smiling Doreen, "He told me himself that he's on his way back from a Camp Lister patrol, his exact words." Within the hour, he showed up and the young couple cherished the moment in her recovery room while Dr. Naggar herself went about her rounds.
_____
That night at Doreen's apartment, Benjen went over to his mother, scratching his head. He sat on her leg.
"Mom, how would Peter and I celebrate being friends for a month?" he asked.
She could only hold him tight and think a moment, "Oh I don't know. You two do everything together now. Um...."
Thinking, she remembered that his birthday was in a week. "I know, you have a birthday next week. I'll have to talk to Erik about getting two together for something extra special. He would know all the kool places to do that with."
"Really?" he asked looking up to his mother.
"Really!" she smiled back.
He jumped off her leg, turned and hugged her. "Thanks, Mom!" It was getting late and she put him to bed. As she went to leave, he said to her, "Thanks for bringing us here, Mom. It's the bestest."
She sat at her desk, glass of wine in hand as she thought about what he had just said. He loved Peter and being with him. Then she thought to herself, "Hard to believe he's almost ten."
Yuma Robotics HQ, Central Dome, New Astarte, Planet Yuma, Coronado
4 Sept. 824 A.S.
"Ah, i smell smoking brains already..." - Erik jokingly commented as he was just entering the nano-tech laboratory. Almost the entire team was already here, except for doctor Naggar, who was expected to arrive soon, and Richard Dean, who had other business to attend today.
He walked in an took a seat at his station, opening up a terminal and smiled as he noticed all his colleagues hard at work. Clark Desay was looking quite excited and kept fidgeting in his chair as he was tweaking on a small piece of alloy. Samantha Valders and Catherine Corvin were quietly debating the issue of stem-cell production speed. Valders was arguing that with the proper code sub-routines, the rate of stem-cell generation could be doubled, while Erik's young niece was trying to figure out if that's biologically feasible.
Yuma Robotics HQ, Central Dome, New Astarte, Planet Yuma, Coronado4 Sept. 824 A.S.
Finished with medical work, she returned to the robotics lab. Everyone was deeply involved in their work. She took interest as to what each person was doing. Doreen was a medical professional, not an engineer or technician but she kind of got the idea.
As she passed Erik, she came up behind him and whispered in his right ear, "Hey there." She thought he was involved and didn't want to disturb him more than she had to.
It was the debate between Samantha Valders and Catherine Corvin that got her attention. She quietly sat near them and listened. What she didn't understand were the sub-routines.
"Dr. Valders," she asked, "what sub-routines are you using? I don't know much about that aspect of things but stem-cell generation has a few different mediums to which can be used including nuclear medicine and bone marrow."
She didn't mention umbilical cord blood as it involved the death of newborns, something she wanted no part of.
She then started chatting with Catherine as to feasibility. Before long, she found herself in the middle of the project. It was new territory for her.