Page 53 of Breaking Point
Devar let out a gusty sigh.“No,” he said flatly.
“The Accouchement Institute have algorithms, AIs, which decide these matters for reasons well beyond what any of us can grasp.It was difficult enough to get them to agree to just one human-chosen parent.I’m sorry.”
Luciana pressed her lips together, holding in her reaction.
Devar gripped his hands together.“I suppose this is where you point out that on the upside, I get to keep breathing.”
“Well, there is that,” Travers said.“You will be free, too.You won’t be contained in a single cell.You can socialize on the Forum…although I suspect that you might find that awkward, at least for a while.Anyone can visit you when they wish, and no permissions are needed.Within the accommodations you live in, you can live as other people do.”
“I just can’t go outside?”
“Oh, a small perimeter around the accommodation would be acceptable, I suspect,” Travers said.“The idea here is not to imprison you, only to limit your interactions with the rest of the ship, while you devote your time to raising the child.Once the child is of age, your…”
“Sentence,” Devar supplied.
“Rehabilitation will be considered complete, and you can return to a full life once more.”Travers paused.“The only way this will be accepted by the ship is if you are seen to be making amends, that you are paying some kind of penalty.”
“Caelen is the penalty I will pay,” Devar said heavily.
Luciana gripped his sleeve.“You get tolive,Devar!”she murmured.“And you want a child.”
“I wanted a child to raise with Caelen,” Devar said.“Only…” He sighed.“Of course I accept,” he told the captain.“There’s no choice to be made.And no room for negotiation, either.”
“No, I’m afraid there is not,” Travers said.“I had to…well, sell this to several parties, and negotiating terms would have made the whole deal founder.It is what it is.”
“Sell it to who?”Luciana asked.“I mean, beside the Accouchement Institute.”
“As they filed the original fraud charges, I had to discuss this with the Tankball Association.I had to get them to drop the fraud charges.”
Luciana’s middle jumped and her nerves fizzed.“The Association?Brice?But he resigned…”
Devar made a sound.“Brice Falcon resigned?”
“It was on the Forum this morning,” Luciana said.
Devar shook his head.“That’s how this all works.That’s how he got it through.Magro wouldnevergo for this.But Brice would.And the only way he could ram it through would be to file all the paperwork, everything signed and delivered, andthenresign before Magro slaughtered him in public…which she would absolutely do.The woman is a piranha.”
“A what?”Luciana asked.
Travers smiled.“Your son is quite brilliant, isn’t he?I didn’t believe some of the reports about him.Apparently they were not exaggerated.”She smiled at Devar.“There’s just a small detail you got wrong.”
Devar held up his hand.“Wait.”He frowned.Then he sat back and smiled.“It wasBrice’sidea.Wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” Travers said.“And it is clever in its own way.Sold properly, the idea will mollify those who want blood over the arena tragedy.It will save you, Devar.And it will save this ship from tearing itself apart, which it is on the brink of doing.”
“Sold properly…” Devar smiled.“You want my mother to sell it.”
“Me?”Luciana said, her voice rising.
“Yes, I need you to sell this to the ship, Luciana,” Travers said.She looked far more relaxed than she had when Luciana had walked into the room and now she sat back, her arms crossed.“It was you who has been campaigning behind the scenes, changing the minds of everyone on the ship.Showing them how brutal and inappropriate the mutiny charge was.”
“Mother…?”Devar said, sounding surprised.
Luciana could feel her cheeks heating.“I…might have spoken to one or two people,” she admitted.
“Try hundreds,” Travers said.
Devar pushed his hand through his hair.“You changed the minds of awhole ship?”
