Prelude part 4 : Her name is...Crystal

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A large podium stood proudly in the town square with banners surrounding it thanking the crewmen for their work in the war. 'Welcome Home Boys' the hand-painted sign said; painted by the local school. All of the Ionian people came out onto the streets to hear Ace's speech. Ace was considered a hero; keeping up the morale of the planet even though they were being pelted with laser fire and debris.

Some people began to take their places as the seats were laid out. The widows sat in a cluster in front of the stage; still mournful and hoping Ace would somehow help. The others soon swanned to their seats and waited for him. Every single family was happy in some respects, unless you were looking at the Rimmer family.

Father Rimmer watched his eldest sons discuss battle plans and how they would work; hoping that his sons would avenge him in the space corps and become successful. The youngest brother, Arnold, sat behind the brothers one chair away from his 'father'. He sighed; never being as good at them at anything. Mrs Rimmer sat with her husband, holding onto his hand lovingly but winking at some service men as they walked past her. The service men winked back, but Mr Rimmer did not see them.

Arnold closed his eyes and thought hard about a remark which he could say to his father; a space corp directive perhaps which would make him slightly happier. But his train his thought was disturbed by a smell; Dungo's smell. Dungo was the family gardener and had decided to come to this event for some reason. Arnold glanced over , realising Dungo was smiling at him.

Arnold smiled back, but then became scared. Why was he being nice? Maybe his brothers were planning on burying him again and he was reassuring him that he had some nice compost to bury him in.

As Ace walked onto the stage, everyone applauded. Ace waved at the crowd and took his place at the podium. Arnold noticed something different about Ace's appearance since he saw him last time he came to the house. He seemed somewhat fatter or bulgier than usual.

"Father?" Arnold asked his father, but his father hit him.

"No Arnold. I don't want to hear you." He said, watching Ace and not looking at his son.

Holding his face in pain, Arnold continued to watch Ace as he began to speak, trying not to cry.

"People of Io..." Ace began and thought about what to say next. Several women whooped and applauded him.

As he was about to speak, the baby stirred. Ace moved his hand under the baby's bottom and held it further up him; hoping no one would notice.

"I want to thank you all for your efforts in the war against the Simulant Army. I understand several of you have lost people..." Ace paused. The baby then wailed loudly; wanting attention and feeding. People laughed as they thought that Ace had made the noise deliberately.

Ace jigged the baby up and down inside his jacket and looked down at her. He knew people would notice, so decided to show them.

"Including this little blighter." Ace said and held the baby girl in his arms.

The audience gasped and cooed as the baby cried.

Ace rocked the child lovingly, becoming attached to her very quickly.

"This little one I found in the forest shortly after I landed on Io. Sadly, I found her mother dead; died during birth. The father died in war, triumphantly of course. As both her parents are dead, I have decided to adopt this child and make her my own." Ace explained, watching the baby as she cooed; holding onto Ace's finger for comfort.

The audience clapped Ace and the baby cooed to the sound; finding it somewhat pleasing.

Someone asked Ace what the baby's name was.

Ace thought for a moment. What to call a baby? He hadn't been a father and would have never considered having one before; not wanting to leave people behind if he died in war.

"Crystal." Ace said quickly, "Her name is Crystal."

Crystal? What?! Why that name?! Ace got the name from the lake's nickname, near where she was found.

The audience clapped again and Ace looked around at the crowd. He saw his alternate self clap and became worried; how this would affect him? This had never happened before, in any dimension, so why this one? Why in particular this one?

Ace tried to give Crystal to Spanners, but for some reason she didn't want to leave him.

"Ace, your daughter wants you." Spanners smiled and handed her back.

"Alright, but stay quiet so I can finish my speech." Ace said to Crystal.

After his speech, Ace came down from the podium, attracting large crowds as Crystal lay there in his arms. Women cooed and men congratulated Ace, even though Crystal wasn't entirely his. Managing to get through the crowd, he came to the Rimmer family. Seeing his alter-ego's family made him feel strange; not liking how they treated him or his alter ego. Father Rimmer greeted him.

"Well done Ace, wouldn't have won the war without you." he presented his hand

"Thank you Mr Rimmer sir. I take your praise gladly." he said and shook it, worried how these events were planning out.

The three older brothers looked at the baby in Ace's arms and discussed it to one another. Arnold didnt seem to care about the baby and was isolated.

"Arnold, dont be such a coward, come look at Ace's baby." his father bellowed and the mother repeated.

Ace worried, showing this baby to his other self would definitely change the timeline of events.

Arnold began to gain closer and closer, timid of the child. Ace got down on one knee and showed Arnold the baby.

"This Arnold, is Crystal." Ace said.

Rimmer appeared to be somewhat amazed at the baby and smiled at Ace. Ace smiled back, hiding dread, finding it strange smiling at himself. It appeared to Ace that his alternate-self seemed to like children and that began to write a plan in his head. He noticed the gardener looking over at the two of them, but soon looked away and distanced himself. The Rimmer's walked over to their car.

"Thanks Ace for your help. Good luck with the baby." Father Rimmer called over and got into the car waiting in the shuttle port.

"It's okay." Ace called back over and when they left, looked down at the baby, "Oh Crystal, what a life you're going to have."

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