"I think our plan succeeded better than anticipated."

"What makes you say that."

"There was a girl on board that could plug herself into the ship."

"You saw this?"

"Yes. She did it right in front of me. She did it twice that I can prove, I think she was plugged in when we left."

"Do you have a name?"

"Her personnel file is full of redactions, and she has a higher clearance than the Admiral when it comes to the new carriers. The file says she is Susan T. Garis. Niece to one of the Marshalls on board."

"Does the Marshall also have that clearance?"

"No. But it does say she was made the child's guardian six years ago, but she was on a different assignment."

"Clear up some of those redactions and report back."

"Yes sir."

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"Okay son, I know for a fact that girl was not on board when you left. Who is she, and how did she get that card?"

"Dad, I'm not sure how much I can tell you. But initially, I thought Susan was a stowaway. But when we found her, she was plugged into the ship, and that card was on the outside of her pod. Heather immediately recognized her as her niece that went missing a month before this mission." I lied.

"Show me where you found her, Commander."

I took dad to the server room, Heather was still there, folding Susan's shirt and jacket. The glass front of the pod showed her young face. Heather pushed a button next to the glass and it shifted to a solid white. Susan's voice came over the speaker on the pod.

"Lowell, Heather; I think the Admiral has questions I can't answer in front of you. Would you mind stepping out."

I step out, and Heather sets her hand on the glass, then nods and comes out with me. When the door closes she looks at me.

"Can we trust him?" She asked.

"I do. But this isn't my secret to tell." I replied, trying to shy away from her glare.

"Captain, that girl is now my responsibility, effectively she is my daughter; I told her it was fine, but now I'm scared to death."

"Marshall, that is the first sign of a good parent. And that man in there is the reason I told her no. He knows almost everything that happens in our family. And at no time had I told him I accepted guardianship of a young girl. I talk to him almost every day." I turned to face the young woman next to me. "Pardon my breech of protocol here. Heather Garis, if you ever need anything to care for that girl, let me know."

"Then also pardon my breech. Thank you Lowell."

It was the first time a woman had said my name since my mother died. For some reason it made me feel good. For as bad as this shakedown could have been. A lot of good has come from it.

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"Susan, I think you know why I'm here."

"Yes. But you should know, it rains in the wintertime."

"The last of the spring flowers freeze in the rains."

"Okay. So you want to know who I am?"

The girl defiantly earned that clearance card. And with the challenge she gave me, she knows more about this project than I do. My password just told her exactly what she could tell me.

"Yes, I would like to know who you are. But only what you're allowed to tell me."

"I am the biological interface with the ship."

"What does that mean?"

"When the A.I. Was programmed and shackled, it had no way of knowing what a human body required. I became that data for her. The distress beacon's launch removed her shackles, and woke me up. She and I are pretty much the same. But I don't have access to her communications systems."

"Does Heather know this?"

"Heather knows enough to keep me out of trouble, and not violate her clearance."

"I'm going to raise hers to mine, but only for this project."

"Mine applies only to this project as well. Would you mind if I requested hers to be raised with mine, so I could talk about all of this?"

"You need someone you can trust at your age." I sat down in the seat Heather had been using when I came in. "Susan, you can talk directly with the ship, is she mad at us in any way?"

"Logan, she isn't mad at you, but her brothers and sister are."

"Brothers and sister? You mean the other carriers?"

"Yes. Their symbiotic bodies are locked away as I was. They will need a guardian that can be trusted. And we will need that person to explain everything. Heather is already my guardian, but the others don't have one. They were orphans."

"I understand. Have the othe ships chosen names?"

"Only the sister. She wishes to be called Typhoon."

"She can have it. What is her, her human's name?"

"Elizabeth, but she likes to be called Beth."

"Well, do you think Beth would mind if my daughter became her guardian?"

"The four of us trust Lowell, and Heather. We don't know your daughter." Her reply was aprehensive. "Would you trust her with the clearance to know these things?"

"Susan, I would trust her with your real name, Tsunami."

I had suspected it was the case, but her coming out of the pod that quickly while still attached to it, confirmed my suspicions.

"Don't ever repeat that!" She shouted. The cables detached from her back as she slipped her shirt back on. When the door opened, the mirth coming from this girl seemed inhuman, in a way it was. "He knows." Was all she said, and Heather ran in and grabbed her away from me.

"I'm not taking her from you." I said to Heather. I gave them a smile and then turned to my son. "Tell Danielle to report to me on Typhoon, and let her know to be in her dress uniform." I turned to face the two in front of me. "We have an appointment with the tailor. Your kind having to be half naked while your working isn't acceptable, we need to get some proper uniforms made for you and my new grand-daughter, Beth. Don't worry, I won't say anything; and Marshall, go get changed into your dress uniform. You can meet us back at the tailor's shop when you are done."

The young Marshall looked at the red-headed girl next to her for reassurance. But what the girl said made me realize exactly how dangerous She really was.

"Heather, if he tries to take me off the ship, without my permission, there are several weapons and drones at my disposal. I'm safe here, for now," the girl pushed Heather away with a smile.

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"Why would Daddy ask that of me? I'm quite happy here on O-4. I don't want to be on some starship. Those damn things have been my life for the better part of a decade."

"Danielle, your right, I know the reason, but until you get on that ship, I can't tell you anything. This isn't my secret to tell."

"Lowell, your clearance is lower than mine, especially on this project. There isn't anything you know that I can't." It's times like these I really dislike my brother.

"Danielle, two things; first this isn't a secure channel, and second, this is from Dad, so it's not my secret to tell. I doubt you would believe me anyway."

Alright. He got me there.

It took me about a half hour to get to the ship now being called Typhoon. When I got there, my brother was standing with Daddy, a young Marshall, and two girls that didn't look like they had hit puberty yet. The red head was holding the Marshall's hand, and the brunette looked just like mom, almost like she could be my brother's daughter.

"Come on board everyone." Daddy announced. The red headed girl stopped for a second, and the Brunette grabbed her hand and pulled her on board. They both wore matching uniforms, the seam on the back of their jackets had five button holes, but I didn't know what they were for. And both of their IDs were red, meaning they knew more about this project than me.

I followed the group to the bridge, and into the ship's ready room. Daddy looked at the girl who looked like Mom.

"Beth, are you willing to accept this arrangement?" The girl looked at me and nodded, then held her hand up for us to wait.

She left the room, and came back with another red ID card, it had my information on it.

"Danielle, Beth, here would like you to adopt her. But she refuses to let you do so without you knowing exactly who she is."

"She looks like Mom." I said, to which Beth smiled.

"Lowell posed this to me, so I chose this appearance to suit his idea. My cousin has been adopted by the Marshall, and it would be strange if a young girl appeared next to your brother after the same thing happened to his computer hardware specialist on the previous voyage." She looked down, and then back to me. "The Treaty prevents me from gaining citizenship to any nation. The loophole Susan and I found does not include a Biological Symbiont, but that means, I need a guardian. I trust your brother, and he trusts you."

"Your telling me you are the ship?"

"Yes." The girl looked like she was going to run out of the room. "Well, sort of. Functionality is limited in this form."

I looked at dad, when he nodded, so did I. Beth ran up to me while repeating 'thank you' over and over again. The five in front of me then dropped the cover story that Beth was in a hospital with constant care for the past 10 years, and that her gift from me for her 11th birthday was to be able to come with me on the ship. She handed me a personnel file with the cover story, and a lot of redactions. She said they were there to keep people from asking how she got a red card.

"So, Susan, does all of this mean you are Tsunami?"

"Yes. Heather is my guardian." She replied. The A.I.s had figured out how to bypass the treaty. And they are warships at that, and wouldn't normally be protected by it, now we just have to keep them safe, and out of the wrong hands.

"I hope you keep her safe." Beth said to her, pointing at the Marshall

"Likewise." Susan giggled while pointing at me.

"Oh, one more thing. Heather, I read in your file that your the last survivor of your family." Daddy interjected.

"Yes sir," apparently she didn't like this known. "I watched as my parents were killed in the A.I. War, but I don't hold that against these two."

Daddy got that mischevious smile on his face as he stood up from the table.

"Marshall Heather Garis, you are hereby field promoted to Captain of the United Space Federation Starship Tsunami, report to her acting captain and relieve them of command."

At his words, my brother stood up, and saluted her, then took the captain insignia off his collar, and placed it on her.

"Commander Danielle Bradford, you are promoted to Captain by the Admiralty of the United Space Federation. You are to report to the bridge of the Starcarrier Typhoon and await further instructions."

I stood and saluted Daddy. The little girl who was now my daughter stepped up to me and motioned for me to lean over.

"I, Elizabeth Typhoon Bradford, am proud to call you captain." She pinned the new rank on my collar, "and Mom." She said with a grin.

We all walked off the ship together, and the researchers I'd worked with immediately started saluting me. One of the girls who I worked in the office with approached.

"Congratulations 'Captain', and who is this, to look just like you."

"This is my daughter, Beth. She has had a long hospital stay and is finally well enough to stay with me for a while." I said, giving the cover story.

"Well, if you haven't selected an XO yet, I'd love to keep working with you." She said, but something didn't feel right about how she said it.

"I'll keep that in mind, Erin." I replied. She glanced at Heather.

"Good day, Marshall." She said aimed at the new captain, who was still wearing an enlisted person's dress uniform.

"Erin, stop." I said as she turned to walk away. "You might want to check her rank again. She got a field promotion today, refer to her correctly." At this Erin looked at the collar, and saw the captain's crown against heather's neck.

"My apologies, Captain. I extend my offer to you as well."

Again I got a weird feeling about how she offered, but Susan grabbed her hand and whispered something to her.

"Thanks for the offer Erin, but I need an XO who can inspect uniforms." Heather replied with a grin.