Chapter A Conversation With Jessica Morgan

Chapter A Conversation With Jessica Morgan

Jessica Morgan lounged in her study sipping a vintage port as she watched the news.

She snorted and shook her head. She pulled up her trading software and smiled. Her short-sells and put options were doing quite nicely. An encrypted e-mail, the old format, popped up. She opened her desk and pulled out an archaic Earth-tech holographic thumb-drive and plugged it into her antique desktop.

“How the fuck did you get nukes?” she chuckled. “Terrence,” she called into her phone.

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Contact Sasha Glent and place an order for fifty of those delightful missiles she is offering for sale, please. To be clear I want the ones armed with the nukes, just in case she has any conventional crap on offer.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Also see how many of those rations she will turn loose. In fact, see how many she can get us through her contacts. Weapons I have. Those rations however, are quite intriguing. I shall buy whatever she can get us up to ten million units.”

“Yes, ma’am.”Ñ00v€l--ß1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.

“That will be all,” she said as she set down her phone and returned to her port. She idly pulled up her soldiers’... oops... her miscellaneous employee’s readiness reports. She smiled. She was in pretty good condition. In fact, she had a fair chance of taking the planet if she felt like it.

Not that she was even remotely inclined to do that! She tried that whole warrior-queen thing before. Fuck that noise! She refilled her glass.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” Terrence announced over her phone. “The Federation Prime Minister wishes to speak with you.”

“By all means, put him through.”

Prime Minister Voxxkreen’Shal-Kalleri’s image appeared on her desktop's archaic two-dimensional display. Holograms annoyed her.

“Voxxie!” Jessica exclaimed cheerfully raising her glass. “Are your pendulous bits properly pendulous?”

“Such levity is inappropriate concerning the reason for this call,” the Prime Minister said sourly.

“Hang on, Voxxie,” Jessica said as she stepped off screen. “I’m gonna need a bigger glass.” She returned shortly with a highball glass and promptly emptied her port into it and topped it off.

“Ok, Voxxie,” she said as she took a nice long sip, “Shoot.”

“Are you intoxicated?” he asked with disapproval. “I need you clear-headed.”

“Voxxie, baby,” she laughed. “If I’m not intoxicated I’m straight up stoned these days. This is about as good as you are gonna get.”

“Harrumph,” the Prime Minister grumbled. “I wish to seek your counsel concerning your species, Jessica.”

“Lovely little shits, aren’t they?” she laughed. “Imagine trying to lead those fuckers.”

“Leading them is exactly the issue with which I seek your advice,” the Prime Minister said disapprovingly. Human levity is something that he keenly disliked. Their penchant for making light of the most serious topics was just horribly wrong. “I wish to know how to best deal with the current situation.”

“Well first of all,” Jessica laughed. “Lock up your fucking files. That’s my first bit of council. If you are gonna cheer on our extinction don’t let the fucking tapes hit the streets. It kinda pisses ‘em off.”

“We are launching a full investigation!” the Prime Minister exclaimed in annoyance. “And would you please not make light of such a dire situation!”

“I’ll give you a freebie,” Jessica chuckled. “Sheila motherfucking Donovan. She’s your girl. Her team did the strike and the hack.”

“And just how do you know this?”

“I cannot do as you recommend,” the Prime Minister replied. “They have caused death and destruction and we cannot allow ourselves to appear weak in the face of this deplorable assault! They have used military weaponry on the streets of the capital itself, killing numerous government officials including several councilors! They can’t be allowed to run riot. They must be brought to heel. I asked you for advice on subduing the disturbance not-”

“Then you are fucked!” Jessica snapped cutting him off. “You asked me, who led these fucking animals at their absolute worst, what to do and I just fucking told you! It’s on your head now.” she said taking a big gulp. “And, Voxxie, don’t call me asking for a solution when things go exactly the way that I told you they would because once that happens, there is nothing that can be done and I will have been forced to make a choice between the humans and the Federation. I’m gonna choose the humans and you know why?”

“Why?”

“Because if I don’t they will drag me out of this nice house of mine and if I’m very lucky they will just put me against the wall instead of doing what I actually deserve. I’m not kidding, Voxxie. As of now I have no choice but to side with the humans. The usual saying is ‘God forgive me.’ but I’m well past that point. Bye, Voxxie.”

“Wait-”

Jessica terminated the video chat and picked up her phone.

“Terrence,”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Make that one hundred missiles if you can get them.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And inform our ‘special employees’, they are all to report to their assigned positions and equip themselves.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Jessica stood up and walked to the window with her highball glass full of port, and looked across her grounds. She took a moment to truly appreciate the gardens, the sculptures and the fountains.

“Well it was nice while it lasted,” she said to nobody in particular and then drained her glass and tossed it aside. It shattered against the floor.

“Terrance,”

“Ma’am?”

“Execute Yellowstone protocol.”

“I am required to confirm your intent and state of mind. Are you sure and are you overly intoxicated or under the influence of any drugs at this time?”

“I am clear of mind, not overly intoxicated, and I confirm my intent. Execute Yellowstone confirmed.”

“Yes, ma’am. Starting Yellowstone protocol effective immediately.”

“Cry havoc,” she chuckled.

“Ma’am?”

“It’s Shakespeare.”

“Shakespeare, ma’am?”

“Doesn’t matter. Yellowstone this bitch up!”

“Yes, ma’am.”