We Shadows

Chapter 15: some welcome help

Tyson looked up at the doorway when he heard a knock. Keller grinned and came to sit down.

"Did you talk to Cameron?" he asked.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"She told me that you needed an assistant and offered it to me. Levi shuffled Matisse back to personnel, and I was free to choose." Keller gave a wide grin. "I can barely believe it. I've wanted out of personnel for," he paused, thinking. "A year, I guess."

His smile faded. "You look confused. Was Cameron mistaken?"

"I'm sure she wasn't," Tyson promised. "And if it came up at the congress meeting, then no one told me this morning." He rose from his seat. "Let's talk to Madison."

Madison was working on her holos in her office; she looked up with a smile when the two came in.

"Cameron just messaged me," she said. "You got here quickly, Keller. You worried Cameron would change her mind?"

Keller managed an uneasy smile. "So I am transferring?"

"Yes," she said. "I'm not sure where we'll put you; I don't have another office in this space. But when we expand, I'm sure we'll work it out."

"Keller can work in my office for now," Tyson said. "But maybe if we could get a desk or something for when I have an appointment. Will that work?"

Madison nodded. Tyson clapped Keller on the back with a smile.

"We should get started," he said. "Thanks, Madison."

They made their way back to Tyson's office. Keller took a seat. Tyson wasn't exactly prepared for an assistant, but he was grateful. He liked Keller from what he could tell.

"One thing," Tyson said. "Videos aside, this job relies on us keeping appointments absolutely confidential. Anything that someone says in confidence has to stay in the room."

Keller nodded. "Will we talk about appointments?"

"Probably, if that is all right," Tyson admitted. "I am still playing catch up here and I am struggling to get the information I need to do my job. But only if you can promise to keep it to yourself."

Keller nodded again. "I am good with secrets," he admitted. "Tekcom, not so much. Baskets, definitely not. But people have let a lot slip in the past couple of cycles. Keeping secrets is the foundation of this base."

Tyson was curious, but didn't press further. He pulled up his schedule, seeing that most of the department heads had set times in the next two days. They needed to build questions for these meetings coming up.

"Madison told all the department heads to set meetings with me," Tyson explained, showing the schedule to Keller. "Your outline will be invaluable; we could set up my holo-rib and make sure it's going to record."

"It should be pretty simple," Keller admitted. "But sure."

"I'm really unused to tekcom," Tyson told him. "I'd rather triple check that it'll work. And we might want to move around the seat for better light or something."

They stood and set the holo-rib down, positioning it so that Keller had Tyson in a midshot view.

"Are you going give an opening statement?" Keller asked. "We could record that."

"Oh, I guess I should," Tyson conceded. "I don't have anything written though."

"So? Neither will anyone else." Keller sat down behind the holo-rib and messed with the controls. "Go on. We can always record it again."