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“It should be under Special Projects with the code for the Laconian science directorate? What would that be?”

“I don’t think we have a code set up for that, ma’am”

“We’ll have to find soovernrams, isn’t there? We can use that for now”

“I… uuess you could,” the man said

“Not perfect, but…” She shrugged and laughed “If you clear the access problem, I’ll take care of it that way”

She s Not yet If he pushed back, everything could be explained away But she was the face of Laconia at Xi-Taest navy in history and conquered the human race She let the silence stretch The man’s face flushed a shade darker as he decided whether he was going to tell her she couldn’t

He tapped soo, ives you any more trouble, just let me know”

Mona’s smile widened by just a few millimeters “Thank you,” she said, and dropped the connection

After that it was easy She copied Dr Car structure and put it in a new branch under joint governmental projects, updated the contact information so that any issues or questions routed directly to her She was expecting the funding level to refer back to some pool of money, but it was just a text field She could put in any value she liked, and theShe put in the value that Veronica’s unspecified powers that be had refused Then she doubled it, and closed the file

Just like that, she’d funded the project that should have been going for s ca lab space and equipment

She sat back in her chair, folded her hands, and let out a long, satisfied sigh There was a war slowly out toward her liin Her back relaxed, her heart felt like she was dropping from orbit for the first time Pleasure and risk On ih the office carpet, feeling the texture of it against her skin

The soft knock caer than I’d thought Interruptions all the time You kno it is”

“Yes, I do,” Mona said

Biryar didn’t knohat changed in Mona, only that sos She sleptprodded She ate better, and explored more of the local foods—fish and onion and a spicy red sauce the locals called sarkansmirch He’d sampled it himself, but found amore than she had, and there was an ease in the way she held herself

Her ith Xi-Ta reports out to the researchers on Laconia, and the responses frootiations for Laconia to get full datasets directly froh-level researchers into the staff on Laconia proper It was part of Duarte’s long-ter to the capitol should be a reward A mark of favor The soft power of culture and status would do rand huood that Mona’s position let her advance that