Free The Unincorporated Woman by Dani Kollin, Eytan Kollin

glancing at the pile on her desk.
    “Mostly Altamont related, Admiral.”
    “Anything I don’t already know?”
    “That you really need to know?” Marilynn’s slight upturned lip and shaking head was all the answer J.D. required.
    “See, Captain? This job might actually be easier than we both imagined. What else?”
    Marilynn thought for a moment and then pulled out a thick folder from the bottom of the pile. “This,” she said, offering the folder to her boss, “is our analysis of the suspension unit Justin found.”
    J.D.’s folded arms didn’t budge. “Summarize, please.”
    Nitelowsen obediently pulled back the folder, flipped it open, and placed it in her lap without bothering to look down. “The occupant is a woman. She appears to be in her early to mid-sixties and, as currently suspended, appears to have an aggressive form of dementia. The brain scan shows massive impairment of cognitive faculties.”
    “Memories?” asked J.D.
    “Intact … apparently.” Marilynn almost sounded surprised. She then added as an aside, “Her last weeks of life must have been disorienting, to say the least.”
    “I’ll bet. Anything else?”
    Marilynn smiled mischievously, “Oh, yes … we have a name.”
    “And it is?”
    “Sandra O’Toole.”
    J.D.’s brow arched up. “Why does that sound so familiar?”
    “Because it is. Remember President Cord’s first interview with Michael Veritas.”
    “That’s right!” recalled J.D., hand slapping down on the table. “She’s the one who suspended Justin.”
    “Not just suspended, Admiral,” corrected Marilynn, pulling a sheet of paper from the folder and sliding it across the desk, “made the suspension unit itself.”
    J.D. looked over the document. It contained a brief outline of Sandra’s myriad achievements leading up to her death. The creation of the suspension chamber, patent references and all, was just one item on a long and impressive list.
    “Smart cookie,” noted J.D.
    “Very,” returned Marilynn. “At least smart enough to have built a second unit and have someone toss her in.”
    “When do they intend to wake her up?” asked J.D., handing the sheet of paper back to Marilynn.
    “Dunno.” Marilynn tucked the document neatly back into the folder. “I suppose whenever you decide.”
    “Me?” objected J.D. “I’ve got enough on my plate, thank you. Give this one to a specialist.”
    “Already have. They don’t want the headache.”
    “What headache, Marilynn? Pardon my Erosian, but isn’t that their fucking job?”
    “Reanimation, yes. Religion, no.”
    “Oh, you have got to be kidding me.” A look of disbelief swept across her face. “Please tell me you’re kidding me.”
    Marilynn shook her head sympathetically. “We’ve actually had to increase security just to keep people from touching the ‘holy object.’”
    J.D. laughed. “You’d have thought the shrine they made out of Justin’s empty suit would’ve kept them satisfied.”
    “I think,” countered Marilynn, “people need all the good luck and divine presence they can get. You, better than most, should realize that.”
    “Batting a thousand today,” snickered J.D., conceding the point. “You sure that was HOD you inhaled there?”
    “Quite. Anyhow, from what I’ve heard, all the security personnel and lab technicians have stopped by at some point just to touch the thing.”
    “And what about you?” asked J.D. She got an immediate answer in the blood that rushed to Marilynn’s face. “My god, you have. That is interesting.”
    “I know it sounds weird, Admiral, but that woman is special. She gave us the One Free Man, knew Justin before any of us. She is of his time. Maybe even like him in some little way. I know it’s too much to hope.… No one can really replace Justin, sir, but it feels good … to hope. Does that make sense?”
    J.D. put her hand on the scarred side of her face and exhaled deeply. “More than you can imagine.… All right,