Chapter Text
"There are people still in those buildings, sir!" Mike reports urgently.
He sees Mister Kane open his mouth on the hologram as if to bark at him sharply, a habit he tends to fall into when he's tense; Mike doesn't think he realizes how nervous that tone can make some people. But Mister Kane doesn't mean to intimidate people, he's just naturally large and loud and it can already be daunting for anyone to be standing in front of such a larger than life figure such as Mister Kane.
But instead of barking, Mister Kane seems to pause, taking a second, longer, more thoughtful look at him. Mike's words finally sinking in, perhaps?
"... How surprising. Thank god you noticed, Commander Chilton. This is why I promoted you." He looks closely at Mike as his shoulders slump with relief and chest swells with pride. "You prevented a devastating mistake today. Report back to Deluxe."
"Yes, sir!" Mike responds. He may not have accomplished the mission, but he still managed to do something good today; he's happy. He turns to tell Jenzen to get the troops and equipment in order to take back to base.
"Just a moment, Commander Chilton," Mister Kane unexpectedly interrupts him. Mike turns back towards the hologram, remembering suddenly that he hadn't been formally dismissed, abashed. "Leave most of the troops and equipment down there for now, I have some other missions in mind for them so long as they're down there; might as well not waste the trip. Nothing suitable for your rank though, just take with you a small contigent of your most trusted cadets to accompany you back up to civilization. I'll find a more fitting mission for you. Dismissed." Mister Kane turns to face someone that's not on Mike's side of the hologram that he can't see. "Cadet Tooley! You said you wanted to prove yourself? Well, an oppurtunity just came up--"
The holoscreen blinks out. Mike's a little dissapointed; he'd been looking forward to his first mission as a commander. But Mister Kane said he'll find something for him soon. For now, he turns back to Jenzen and gives him a list of his top ten most trusted cadets to help escort him back up to Deluxe.
Motorcity is a dangerous, barbaric place, after all.
Mike's been a commander for almost a year now, and he's been at the head of many missions. Nothing to do with tearing down buildings still full of innocent civilians though, of course not. KaneCo would never do that on purpose.
Mike's been called in to Mister Kane's office, and he's wondering what it's about. He just came back from a mission. Is he going to get another one, so soon? Well, a good soldier doesn't need any rest, according to Mister Kane, but it's not as if Motorcity's a big enough threat to warrant it at the moment. The slow but steady defeat of the criminal underground city is going well.
When Mike enters Mister Kane smiles at him, and Mike smiles back without even thinking about it. Mike's glad when Mister Kane's in a good mood, he can get stressed so easily if things aren't going as perfectly as possible. Kind of like Chuck with a program. ("The smallest mistake can snowball into a huge catastrophe before you even know it, Mikey!")
"Good news, Commander," Mister Kane says, and Mike's at total ease now. "You're one of the first in your year batch to get their spouse match!"
Mike is not at total ease now.
"Uh," is all he can manage to say, wide eyed and wide mouthed. "What?"
Mister Kane chuckles paternally and stands up from his desk. "I reacted the same way when my wife proposed to me. The most wonderful things in life can be so startling. Her name is Julie Kapulsky, and you'll be perfect for her. You're strong, loyal, polite--"
Mister Kane's drawn up a picture of 'Julie Kapulsky', a beautiful young woman who does not have a blond hair or freckles or--
"Sir," Mike chokes, and doesn't know what to say. KaneCo has a board and Department of Marriage and forms and perfect algorithms designed so that everyone will get matched up with their most compatible match. They're needed, people can't just choose their spouse on their own. Mike remembers all the horrifying stories he saw in those videos in How Things Were Before KaneCo class when they came to the marriage chapter. Spousal abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, gaslighting, murder-suicide, divorce, families torn apart, happy marriages grown bitter and resentful and even violent because people are irrational when it comes to love and emotions and they don't make good choices. The list goes on and on. The KaneCo marriage algorithms and Department make good choices. Julie Kapulsky has been objectively judged as the most compatible person in all of Deluxe for Mike. There is no one he will get along better with, no one he can love more, no one--
Mike had been planning on dropping a word in Mister Kane's ear about Chuck in only a few weeks, before it became too late. Before they filled in their form, sent it in, and hoped for the best. Spousal match ups took all year. He didn't think he'd be one of the first ones. It's barely Month One. He'd thought-- he and Mister Kane got along so well-- he and Chuck got along so well, surely they'd do well in the algorithms even if they weren't the most compatible--maybe Mister Kane could pull some strings--
But it's too late now. Rejecting your KaneCo chosen and approved spouse is not legal. KaneCo knows best.
It's too late for them.
"Thank you, sir," Mike says quietly, and Mister Kane gives him a firm pat on his shoulder and a beaming, proud smile.