"Beatitude"
Beatitude by Fred Warren
Summary
Sister Monica finds the rhythms of her life disrupted and the scars of an old tragedy reopened when a rival organization arrives to compete for the Sisters' search and rescue franchise. Her world shatters when she discovers her chief rival in the competition worked for the same company that destroyed her family’s ship and abandoned them to die in space. Monica redoubles her efforts to win, but the line between victory and revenge is fading fast. Losing the competition may cost the Sisters their home, but failing to forgive could cost Monica her life.
Characters
Sister Monica: Born Janet Lapierre, she’s a Spacer girl who lost her mother and father, and nearly died herself, when their cargo ship wandered into a battle between two factions at the end of the Corporate Wars. She’s a talented rescuer, among the most capable at Ceres Base, and an expert at the zero-gee obstacle course. She uses the rhythm of prayer to help her timing on the course.
Sister Eunice: Monica’s best friend and workout buddy, a skilled rescuer in her own right, though she is very humble and prefers to keep a low profile. She has an unfortunate tendency to speak before thinking. Eunice is very protective of Monica and is her number-one cheerleader, when she needs it.
Derrick Robbins: Chairman of the Asteroid Mining Consortium, the organization that collectively speaks for the owners of the various mining companies that work the Belt. He’s a big, burly man with a booming voice who enjoys hearing himself talk. His plan to re-compete the search and rescue contract currently served by the Sisters may not be completely on the level.
Reverend Josiah Sims: A leader in the Universal Evangelical Church (UEC) who heads up a team of former corporate mercenaries competing for the Sisters’ search and rescue contract. He is a fierce competitor, but he insists on playing by the rules and winning on his own merits. Reverend Sims is a technophile and very proud of his team’s state-of-the-art ships and rescue gear.
Ty Hansen: A native of Texas, he’s a former mercenary combat medic who worked for Auradyne Industries during the Corporate Wars. He’s one of the stars of the UEC search and rescue team. He has a very confident, easygoing personality and always seems to be smiling. Sister Monica suspects his motives, and is even more dismayed to discover Ty’s connection to Auradyne, the company Monica blames for her parents’ deaths.
Mother Superior: A tall, soft-spoken woman from Australia who leads and guides the community of Sisters at Ceres Base. Respected for her insight and her ability to cut to the heart of any matter.
Sister Euodia: Stern, practical, and by-the-book, Euodia is the Operations Officer for the Sisters at Ceres Base.
Sister Gertrude: A Rescue Sister assigned to Ceres Base. She always has a question, no matter what the topic.
Sister Margaret: An older Sister who manages the hydroponic gardens on Level 3 of Ceres Base, below the surface of the asteroid. She loves to read, and her job gives her plenty of quiet time for that. Monica likes to pray in the gardens when she’s feeling troubled, so she and Margaret have become good friends.
Sister Joan: Leader of the Gyrfalcons, the Rescue Sisters’ elite demonstration unit. A solid leader, cool under pressure.
Sister Theodora: A Rescue Sister assigned to Ceres Base. A gymnast in her high school days, Theodora is nearly as fast on the obstacle course as Monica.
Sister Miriam: Flight Surgeon and Chief Medical Officer for the Sisters at Ceres Base.
Sister Priscilla: A semi-retired Sister who manages the Administrative Section at Ceres Base.
Sister Theresa: A Rescue Sister assigned to Ceres Base.
Sister Rhoda: A Rescue Sister assigned to Ceres Base.
Sister Mary Thomas: A Rescue Sister assigned to Ceres Base.
Sister Claudia: A Rescue Sister assigned to Ceres Base, featured in “Of All Things, Seen and Unseen.” She’s on sabbatical during the events of “Beatitude.”
Jerzy Sobrinski: Representative of the Miners’ Guild, the union of mineworkers in the Belt.
Sora Misakawa: Representative of the Spaceways Safety Commission, which oversees commercial space traffic in the Solar System.
