Maximilian T. Epper

When he gets home, Doris is practically waiting for him. She sees the box in his hands and instantly forgets whatever she was going to say.

"Max?" she asks in a quizzical voice. He never brings his work home if he can at all help it. And given the call he made earlier today...

Max, meanwhile dumps the box on the couch. "Hmmm?"

"What's this about Max? You call to tell me we're having a dinner guest on an afternoon's notice, and now you're bringing work home?"

Max smiles gently at his wife. "I'm sorry, I should have warned you that this might happen. I wasn't sure when he'd get here, though. Jack's come from Australia to help me," he says, watching as her eyes widen at the last statement. "Yes," he continues, "it's about that. Hence why we couldn't talk when he came to see me at work."

Doris settles down on the couch and flips open the lid of the box. "So, are you actually going to tell me any details about that?" she asks, looking at, but clearly not understanding what the stuff inside the box is.

"Well, given I expect it is going to come up at dinner, yes."

Doris looks shocked for half a second, her eyes flickering between the door to the kitchen where the tourtière sat, cooking steadily, Max's face and the box of stuff he'd brought back with him.

"Okay," she says after some time.

Doris gets up, heading back to the kitchen to finish up the preparations. Max meanwhile, sets to getting things out of the box and into place for later on. After a little while, he joins her in the kitchen to assist with the preparations. It's comfortable, and the two of them have developed a good routine out over the years.

Some Months earlier:

Lieutenant General Peter Cosgrove receives a letter from an old friend of his, Max Epper, asking for an introduction to certain members of the current Australian Parliament, specifically, those who have responsibility for defence and foreign policy, as well as members of the military and security forces who take a longer view of security of the nation.

Via several letters, and dropping the right names into them, Max manages to arrange a meeting with the foreign minister and the defence minster.

---

A couple of days ago:

Max was met by Peter's aide, and taken to a hotel on the outskirts of Canberra. He had only one question for the aide,
"What's with the VIP treatment?"
The only answer was that he'd understand when he got to his room.

In his room, he was met with the sight of Peter Cosgrove.

"Max, Max my old friend, I don't know what you put in those letters, but you've stirred the hornet's nest right up. So, what's this about?"

Max said nothing immediately. He looked about carefully.

"Is this room clean?" he asked at length.

Peter's eyes widened. It was that kind of mission/information then. He nodded, then gestured to the bathroom.

Max nodded back and entered the room. Once the two of them were inside, Max opened with a question.

"Given your here, I presume you'll be at the meeting itself."

"Yes, but, forgive me, I'd sooner get the cliff notes before it happens."

Max grinned, nodded, and opened his briefcase. "Here's a summary of my main points," he said, handing Peter a sheet of paper with several bullet points on it. As Peter looked down it, Max could see his eyes going wide with shock, and a trace of concern crossing his face.

"Okay, yes, I see why this is being put up by the government."

"Thank you. It doesn't leave this room, of course."

"Naturally."

With that, they exit the bathroom.

"See you at the meeting."

---

Earlier Today:

Max gave his speech to a small group of assembled politicians and assorted 'civil servants', some of whom almost certainly had the highest security clearance in the room, and a couple of Generals.

His main points were quite simple:

• the Tartarus rotation approaches, followed by an explanation of why this is a bad thing
• The Capstone and the rumours that surround it
• The United States of America will undoubtedly go after it
• Europe is also gathering it's knowledge on this matter
• What he proposes to be done about it

On this last point, he had two main points.

The first was the need to locate the Oracle of Siwa, an ancient line that has bred true through the years, and key to understanding vital writings that traced the capstone through the years.
The second is the need for international cooperation to protect any potential gains, or the American and/or European militaries would simply take it by force.

It was as he made the second point, that he saw Lieutenant General Cosgrove nodding particularly certainly.

There were some pertinent questions asked, but he dealt with them fairly easily. By the end of the conversation, he felt he'd made enough of an impression that this wouldn't be something that they'd ignore. Particularly not those 'Civil Servants', which was, to be honest the real aim of the meeting. They were the ones who really played the longer games, the politicians were just there because the held public office.