I gasped, a grin stretching my face from ear to ear.

“Oh, that's wonderful news. It’s going to make your mother’s day. Or night, whatever. You know, when I first woke up in this body the Masari rolled up their sidewalks when the sun went down every night?”

“Yes, we were all a bunch of savages or something before your beneficence…”

We continued to trade jibes as we left my office behind. A Masari in the red and gold hue of a Guardsman saluted me.

“Good evening, Mr. President…I guess I’ll have to stop calling you that, pretty soon.”

“It’s all right, Bojac. I’ve grown rather tired of hearing it, anyway. I'm looking forward to my life as a civilian.”

Bojac bowed his head toward Ajax.

“Your father will be sorely missed.”

Ajax smiled, but did not respond otherwise. We walked to the lift and took it to the ground floor. Ajax held my arm while I slipped into the cabin of my air car.

“Are you sure you don't want me to drive, Dad?”

“I’m fine.”

“You say that, but last year didn’t you run into a constable?”

I sighed.

“I’m not that old yet, Ajax. People a lot younger than my mere century have accidents too, you know.”

Ajax gave me a look.

“I think we both know you’re a little north of a century, Dad.”

I cackled with laughter as we rose into the air. I joined the line of traffic moving toward the north end of Starlost City, where my dwelling lay.

“Say, Dad, does it ever bother you that I didn’t follow you into politics?”

I gave him a look.

“Are you kidding me? I’m very proud of you, and the things you’ve accomplished with the Sages.”

“Keep your eyes on where you’re going, Dad.”

“Sorry.”

I swerved to avoid a line of traffic and dropped down to a lower level. The maneuver was technically illegal, but no Guardsman would dare pull over President Gro.

“Are you sure? I mean, Liria didn’t go into politics, either, and the twins are dead set on being Engineers. You don’t have anyone to carry on your legacy.”

I slowed the air car down as we approached the cluster of glass towers comprising our housing complex. I could see our penthouse lights, guiding me toward the rooftop landing pad.

“My legacy isn’t something I worry about, Ajax. Besides, how could I ask for a better legacy than having such fine children,..and soon to be, grandchildren.”

I set the air car down on the roof and shut down the engines. The wind picked up, buffering us as a glass tube extruded from the roof. Safety fields of antigravity particles kept us safe from a freak gust that might send us flying off the roof.

“I remember when the only flying vehicles were open air hover carts and skybreaker harnesses.”

Ajax laughed as we entered the tube.

“Now you’re just trying to sound old.”