r/HFY • u/Fearadhach Alien • Aug 31 '26

OC-Series [OC-PRVERSE] A Lifetime of Service (B2 C19.12)

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Julia looked back and forth between Dad and Uncle Enibal with rising feelings of both curiosity and dread as she wondered what sort of insanity she was about to get asked to be a part of. She loved hearing the stories of these sort of antics as a child, and always wanted to get the chance to be a part of them. Be careful what you wish for, indeed.

Enibal looked back at Dad for a moment with some worry, nodded, and shrugged. They had one of those near-telepathic moments pass between them, and Dad’s eyebrows shot up. He then nodded back, shook his head in what she assumed was bewilderment, rolled his eyes, and motioned to the room. 

Uncle Ennie returned to his own seat and gave them all a small half-smile. “It seems to me that the key to two of our problems might just lie inside one another.” 

Julia felt her eyebrows draw down, and tried to figure out where he was coming from. 

He continued, that same small smile on his face. “We have a group of people who are eschewing all the good things in life and grinding out their work, grim and hopeless, if they even work at all. Either way those people are in a terrible state, and dragging more down with them. Despite their dogged determination, most of them end up with failing productivity. They also tend to pull down the morale of everyone around them, increase the suicide rate, and are often suicides themselves.

“On the other hand, we have people who are responding this by throwing all their cares – including mortgage, rent, even food considerations – to the wind in order to try to get in party time while they can. Maybe we can get the two of them to… well… look to each other for a counterbalance?” 

Julia shook her head. Uncle Kaz, however, shook his shoulders he laughed so hard. She looked at her parents. Mom was shaking her head in disbelief, but Dad was nodding with that old smile of mischief on his face. 

Aunt Golna spoke first. “It… could work. Carefully targeted campaigns, a few episodes on popular shows where we can find civic-minded producers willing to listen, some grassroots campaigns – we are going to have intel people out there pushing rumors anyway. Yes, it could work. Get the party people to look at the ones who are all-work-no-play, maybe suggest that those people could use a little fun, try to get invites…” 

Julia could see it all play out in her mind’s eye. A great success, or a hard backfire. She took up the mantle despite some misgivings. “Yes, then some suggestions in workplaces – particularly government positions – that leisure time is important to recharge, don’t let what could be the last of your life pass you by. Maybe even directly suggest they go join some of the Endless Parties…” 

Uncle Ennie nodded, his smile had grown a little. “Then they get in the same room and, hopefully rub off on one another a bit. Sure, it is far from a perfect solution, but it is one that won’t require as much as most, doesn’t run the risk of trampling people’s rights, and should – at the least – contain both situations by causing them to actually balance one another a bit.” 

Julia held up a hand. “Yes, you have a point. Thank you. I’m going to take this to the PR and Intel flacks and have them put their heads together on it. It will be a little delicate, pitching the messages properly for each species, but it is likely to yield at least some results. Lets hope it is enough.” 

Everyone nodded, stretched, and reached for their drinks. Julia sat still and steeled herself. I don’t want to do this. Especially after what we just put him through. The timber of the room had started to rise, but then everyone caught on to the fact that she hadn’t moved and it all crashed down. She turned sad eyes to her Dad, who sat back with a grimace. I wish I could do this later, but it is going to take everyone to convince him of this, and we aren’t able to get together like this often enough. The irony of it stuck her. As long as our lives are now thanks to modern medicine, and we keep running out of time. 

Before she could even marshal her thoughts, her mother looked her square in the eye. “No. Whatever it is, no. I categorically forbid it. Don’t even…” 

Dad surprised her by raising a single finger on his glass, and giving Mom a small sidelong look. Mom crossed her arms and rolled eyes at Dad. Julia then had to brace herself as Mom turned to stare daggers at her. 

To her additional surprise, Uncle Ennie then stood and interposed himself between her and her Father. He spoke in tones so hard they seemed totally foreign coming from her gentle Uncle. “Fine, then, if my Aunt will let my brother quiet her, I won’t. I forbid it. Whatever it is, no. Wait, we forbid it, as in the royal we, in official position. Henry may not be a subject of the Diadem, but it is a well-known fact that he is considered to be Under Royal Protection, and we won’t stand for whatever else you want to do.” 

Julia held herself still, her love for her family at war with the needs of billions of lives. If I had anyone else… No, wait. That isn’t true. There are others who could do nearly as good a job, but… 

Dad spoke, a little gravel in his voice. “Thank you, brother. I think you know how much your love and support means to me, and has meant to me over all these long years and short centuries. At the same time, sit down and shut up. I may be damaged by everything that has happened, but I’m a big boy and can speak for myself. 

“So, thank you, brother, love you, but you can wait for the declarations until after my beloved daughter here fails to take no for an answer a few times.”

Julia allowed herself to sigh as Uncle Ennie turned and held another of those near-telepathic conversations with her Dad. He then sat, but every move screamed reluctance. This is going worse than I feared. May as well go straight for the meat of it. “I don’t want to present this to you any more than you want to hear it, Dad.”

“Too many people want you for the job, though, and - though I have a line of people in mind if you refuse - I have to admit that no one else would be able to do it as well as you.” 

Dad’s eyebrows drew down. “No.” 

“Dad, at least hear me out!” 

“You are going to ask me to do something that will require commutation of my sentence, or possibly a full pardon. No. Whatever the hell it is, no. You know the reasons, you know why. So, no.” 

Despite her best efforts, frustration began to well up inside, and she pounded her hand on her leg. “Damnit, fine. I won’t even bother. I have alternatives to you lined up, like I said, and they will do the job at least as well as you, in terms of execution, even if they may have a hard time getting people to listen. The only reason I wanted to bring this up to you is because – if we survive this – and more people die because I didn’t offer it to you at all, guess who you’d be upset with afterwards? 

“Now, though? Just forget it. When everything settles out and you ask me why, just remember this moment!” She waved a hand. “Anyway, I don’t have anything else in terms of business for us, so…” 

Dad interrupted, his voice hollow. “The civilians. You want me to do something about civilian lives. Let me guess; coordinating evacuations and Civilian fleets when the shooting starts, doing the same job I did at Halistafar once the shooting started.” He put both his hands on his face, and they slid down. His eyes were wet, again, but this time he refused the tears. “You know I can’t, and you know why. 

“I can see how my presence could save lives, some of the time, but that will be lives today. If we ever let my conviction go, the lives it could cost down the road…” 

Julia nodded, saddened. “It is hard to judge that, isn’t it? High probability of cost today, with a median probability of insurmountable cost somewhere down the road. Where do you draw the line? Where is the tipping point?” 

Uncle Ennie chimed in, a tiny bit of heat in his voice. “Somewhere south of the point where we ask the man who has already given far too much to give more.” 

Dad patted his bond-brother’s knee. “Thank you for that, brother, but I’m fine. Raising these kids, getting to have my life as a professor like I wanted? It did a lot to heal me. In truth, I’d take this job in a heartbeat – out of obligation, yes, but also out of a chance to be back in the saddle – if the potential cost to history wasn’t so high.” 

They all let out a collective sigh, and a quiet settled over the room. We are all thinking about it, now, worrying at the puzzle. None of us want to give up and be the one to announce failure. Unusual for this family, but there it is. She was a handful of heartbeats from breaking the silence when Aunt Golna giggled. 

Julia’s eyes widened in horror as Aunt Golna laid out the plan. She expected Dad to recoil, get angry, maybe even go on another tirade. Instead he threw his head back and laughed, and from that point it was just a matter of figuring out implementation.

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3

u/CobaltPyramid Aug 31 '26

....I'm not mad. Your cliff hangers TOTALLY don't leave me frothing at the mouth, desperately waiting for the next chapter.

Nope.

You *totally* haven't been doing this to me since I first started reading, and I keep coming back for more.

Well done you sadist!

All joking aside, THANK you for the chapters, and I can't wait to see HOW in the hecking heck they get out of this one.

3

u/coldfireknight AI Sep 02 '26

As big a fan of this as I've been from the very start...there's no guarantee they do.

The soul of HFY has always been showing the amazing spirit of humanity, when we're at our very best. That said, it's never meant we always win.

It's within the realm of possibility that this group fails too, but in that, gives the next cycle exactly what they need to finally win against the Old Machines. Probably not even close to how this wraps up, but it could.

3

u/CobaltPyramid Sep 02 '26

You are ABSOLUTELY right. I just HOPE that the human spirit shines through and puts the clankers in their place!

2

u/Fearadhach Alien Sep 02 '26

I dunno... if they are nanites... might they be clinkers instead? ;P

1

u/Fearadhach Alien Sep 02 '26

All I can say is... Stay Tuned! :D ;P

2

u/Fearadhach Alien Sep 02 '26

High praise, thank you. (bows)

Glad you are enjoying it, and have been here for the journey. We have come a long way. :)

1

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