The hivemind is conquering for me?

”So?” Hailey asked, her tone returning to a neutral icy tone.

”He is going to call you in an hour.” Dickon informed and Hailey simply nodded. ”Ok. Bye.”

”Wait!” Dickon then screamed at the top of his lungs, not wanting to see his baby go again.

”What?” Hailey asked with a frown.

Dickon then froze. He hadn’t thought of a conversational piece to keep her on the line. He had to pick his words carefully or she would end the call and he wouldn’t see her darling face for months!

Racking his brain quickly as he saw the fuse wearing thin in Hailey’s eyes, he thought of the first thing that came to his mind, courtesy of Sigismund.

”How is your- Nngh!- Boyfriend? Is he enjoying his new status as a sentinel?”

It was at this moment, Dickon saw a cherished emotion on Hailey’s icy demeanour he hadn’t seen since she was a child. Genuine utter confusion.

”What are you talking about? Apollo is a fallen Archon.” Hailey asked, prompting confusion in Dickon as well.

”Yes, that was the case until two months ago. When Praetorian Nerissa came to do what she came here to do, we came to an... Agreement on something. A part of that agreement was granting Apollo Sentinel status. Has she not told the man? It is up in the public records. Take a look for yourself.”

Hailey began to do something on her end while Dickon waited for a moment. ”Yes I am looking, will you shut up.” Hailey said, prompting Dickon to state, confused.

”But I haven’t said anything?”

Hailey then sighed. ”I wasn’t talking to you, but you shut up as well.”

A few moments of silence later. Dickon heard his daughter mutter. ”I have gotten lax. How didn’t I find this? Wait. Two months? Why hasn’t Nerissa told him? Ugh I swear that- Ok, thank you for this information. I am going to prepare for Sigismund. Bye.”

...

Hailey then ended the communication, ignoring the second yelp of her life provider and looked at Gabrielle. ”Did you know about this?”

Gabrielle shook her head. ”No. Apollo isn’t really mentioned on the data networks so I stopped checking.” She said before she began grinning. ”Apollo is a sentinel and is only a couple of months away from being nineteen. That has to be a record! I am so proud of him! Wait... Do you think Apollo knows?”

Hailey went to open her mouth, but found herself stumped. After a moment of gathering her thoughts, she let out an uneasy ”I-I don’t think so? I mean he might? He isn’t really one to flaunt his status, is he? But then again, he would have told me? Right? I’m his girlfriend.”

Gabrielle then snapped her fingers. ”Plus, I heard someone call him Archon Apollo the other day and he didn’t correct them. He isn’t the shy, polite type. He would just tell them the correction.”

The two women mulled that over for a while before Gabrielle continued. ”I wonder why Nerissa hasn’t told him?”

Hailey then chuckled. ”Oh I have a hunch, that Pretorian loves making drama. I bet she is waiting for the perfect moment to drop that on him. I’ll ask her tomorrow before they leave. Speaking of. You leave and delete whatever you recorded me doing just then.”

Gabrielle stood up and grasped her data pad tight. ”I have no idea what you are talking about. Ta-Ta!”

...

After Gabrielle left, Hailey waited by her communicator, prepared to answer it at a moment’s notice.

It turned out she didn’t need to wait to answer as the crystal activated on its own and a man began scolding her.

”Hailey, what were you thinking making your father do that? Because of his need to do anything you say, I almost got flung into space.”

Hailey kept her face calm. ”You can survive in space, uncle. But I am sorry for using that method to contact you. I am in a time crunch.”

Sigismund chuckled before pointing his finger to the screen. ”This is why I like you, Hailey. You have a backbone. Willing to take risks. Fine. Well you have me, what can the king do to aid the princess?”

”You can cut the princess crap for a start. The only one that can call me princess is my boyfriend, because he is the only one that can say it without it being my title.”

Sigismund chuckled once more, knowing what was on Hailey’s mind. ”So this is about Sentinel Apollo I presume? What does the young lad want? He is a good one.

Hailey broke a moment, surprised Sigismund knew of the Sentinel status before beginning. ”Apollo doesn’t know I am contacting you. He has entrusted the sale of his dispensation research to me and as a member of the military, It is imperative you buy the formula and begin creating in mass quantities for our troops.”

Sigismund hummed. ”Ah yes, gene science was it? That was certainly surprising to learn about. You said he created a formula? I would need to examine whatever this formula does first hand. To make sure your feelings for the man are not taken into account.”

Hailey nodded her head. ”My thoughts exactly. Uncle, no, my king. This drug... I’ve experienced it first hand. It could save millions. I request permission to open a direct FTL lane from Leondis to your location tomorrow.”

Sigismund then frowned. ”That is a big ask, Hailey. A big ask.”

Hailey nodded. ”I know. I wouldn’t be asking and I wouldn’t have reached out this way if I was not serious. Apollo might be my boyfriend, but that doesn’t stop him from being a genius. He has made something revolutionary. Something that only benefits our soldiers. Something that can keep them alive.”

Sigismund got hit with the critical. That was all he cared about after all.

”*Sigh* Fine. I will give the authority. It will be easier too considering who you are. Bring whatever you need to convince me. Now if there is nothing else, I must go.”

”Very well, I shall see you in a few days uncle. Take care until then.”

...

Hailey then hung up and let out a genuine smile. ”Well he was in a good mood. I wonder what caused that?” She shrugged her shoulders. She wouldn’t let this opportunity slide. She wasn’t a stay at home wife and she knew Apollo wouldn’t want that in the future. She would support her man with everything she could muster.

...

”About time you showed up, you miscreant! I was beginning to think you were going to leave without saying goodbye!” Millie yelled from behind the counter with an angered expression.

That anger then quickly evaporated as she exited from behind the counter running before hugging me. She then squeezed me tightly before pulling back and giving me a look up and down.

Nodding at what she was seeing she smiled. ”You are looking fit as a fiddle. That is good. Now I know you have probably been asked a million times are you nervous and all that malarkey, so I will save you the trouble. I will just ask you one question, the answer to which will keep me at peace while you go away. Apollo, are you prepared to do what needs to be done? Without remorse? Without hesitation?”

I looked my grandmother in the eyes. We still had an odd relationship. We were close, but we didn’t have a hierarchy between us like normal families. We just cared for one another in our own way. It was nice. It was simple. It was us.

I placed my hand atop hers and looked her square in the eyes. ”No remorse. Zero hesitation. I will do everything I will do to get myself and those around me home. But I will naturally prioritise myself first.”

Hearing that, Millie smiled and patted me on the shoulder. ”Good boy. It’s all fun and games wanting to be the hero. But don’t. I’m not losing my flesh and blood over heroics. You fight dirty and you come back. Understood?”

I gave a simple nod. At which point Millie turned to the others. ”Hello Nerissa, Orchid. Are you two well today? Why don’t you all take a seat? I have some special treats for all of you.”

Orchid smiled hearing that. She loved the food here. She usually liked raw biomass, not mixed together, but Apollo’s kin made all biomass taste especially tasty. So tasty she often didn’t think about what Apollo’s kin would taste like while she was here.

Nerissa really liked the cookies also and would shove them through her gossamer face covering whole one at a time until the plate was empty

Therefore, when Millie brought out the goods, we had to eat quick or they would all be gone and so that is exactly what we did

...

After a short while of general chit chat and devouring plates in moments, I decided it was time. I then whipped out a surprise and planted it onto the table.

”Here you go Millie. As promised.” On the table was a container of liquid. An enhancement formula. Millie looked at the formula and her eyes went wide in surprise. ”It’s done? I thought you promised me you were focusing on your dispensation before you worked on my formula?”

I smiled. ”Already finished that. Plus, we share DNA. Makes it a heck of a lot easier for me to create. Now, before I give this to you. Have you thought about my proposition?” I asked, and Millie folded her arms under her chest.

”I have.” She said standoffish before continuing. ”But I also want you to agree that If and only if I choose to retire from making my cookies here, will I come and join your partner’s place in Ecumenopolis 4. You know about my condition, Apollo. It is hard for me to leave this place for physical and psychological reasons.”

I nodded, understandingly. ”Thats all I want. We are family, you should get to know the rest of mine after all.”

Millie chuckled hearing that before taking the formula. ”Alright, that does sound fair. Now how do I do this?”

”Before you go to bed tonight, press it against your shoulder and then click the button on the top. When you wake up, the changes will have already begun.”

Millie then opened her mouth to speak, but I held up my hand and stopped her. ”As per your request, I have not made it so you will de-age. You like the way you look, that is fine. All this will do is keep your insides in tip top shape and add some elasticity to your skin. Bye bye wrinkles.”

Hearing that Millie smiled looking at the tube.

”Very good.”