A Spaceman

Chapter 16--Power of Who do

"Do you know about any caveats to the Project 10 program, when one of the children is dying? Tess was asking me for a friend," I say, as Lt Col Ziegfeld and I stand in line in the officer's mess. Major Tom is avoiding me and eating with the cadets, Ziggy is avoiding me because I scared him, and Thorn is trying to get superglue out of his mouth. Tess is eating at school or at least she should be. Everybody is entertained. Except me.

"That's sad, one of her friends is dying?" she asks.

"Yes, I suppose so---I honestly didn't research the program all that much, as I've full visitation to Tess it never mattered, but one of her friends doesn't have contact with either of his parents and since he won't be alive when it's unlocked he wanted to know if there's a way to access it now. I wasn't sure if you knew of anything like that, by chance," I ask, picking up packets of milk.

"My son's been out of the program for years and like you I had visitation so I didn't pay so much attention to that sort of thing---but I'm going to guess there isn't, I've never heard of anybody getting contacted like that," she says. "You could look it up easily enough, I'm sure."
"Yes, I'm sure, just thought I'd ask before I went to the trouble," I say.

"Poor little thing, only wants to meet parents and not having any," she says, "Did you talk with him?"

"No, I didn't know till Tess called me earlier to ask," I say.

"Huh, well, let me know what you find out, but as I said, I'm pretty sure it isn't a thing---you never know, though. There is the release for eligible parents to contact the co parent," she says.

"What do you mean?" I ask, not understanding.

"If one parent has visitation rights, like you do and I did, we can contact the other parent who does not, sort of a loophole, but it's intended so that the parent who didn't have visitation is more likely to participate again, knowing the first child and other parent are well and all that," she says, "It's a newer opportunity through the program."

"Oh yes---I remember now they told me about that when Tess was born," I say nodding. I got a whole lecture and dozens of documents explaining my 'free' visitation rights with my own daughter, as well as a host of other procedures and things, from when and how I'd be contacted if she was ill, to my rights of guardianship if she became unfit for the program. I really didn't listen and asked every 2 to 4 minutes if I could go meet her now and talk to her. they didn't like me very much.

"They didn't have it when I did it---did you use it to contact her mum?" she asks, "Or was she Space Forces?"

"No, she's a civilian, I never contacted her," I say, as we get our trays and go to sit down.

"Why not?" she asks.

"Never saw the need," I say.

"What if she'd wanted to meet you? She only carried your child," she says, a bit accusingly.

"I don't care, she chose to enter the program," I say, shrugging, "Her choice. She could've kept custody of her if she'd wanted."

"Yeah, but she'd not have gotten any money which is probably why she did it," she says.

"Then she got her money," I say, "Why should I care? I have my daughter."

"Hasn't it occurred to you Tess might be interested in meeting her mum?" she asks.

"No," I say, "She doesn't ask."

"That's because she thinks you don't know who she is. don't you think it's a little bit unfair to keep her from at least knowing who she is?" she asks.