“On the contrary, Lieutenant,” Colburn responded coldly and continued eating.
“Don’t you turn your back to me!” the Lieutenant shouted furiously. He didn’t want to admit that a common sergeant might provoke him before his soldiers.
While he was shouting, Colburn chewed peacefully. He directed his look towards the Lieutenant and murmured, “Mmm… I think that our chat… mmm, has finished, Lieutenant! You can see that I am eating, and I don’t like being disturbed while I’m eating.”
The Lieutenant went around the table and stopped behind Colburn. “Sergeant, get up when I approach you, or else Iʼll get the military police to make you do so!”
Colburn just chuckled at his words and empty claims, “Go ahead, please!”
Lieutenant’s face turned red with anger, and he said, “I don’t need any police. I am doing it myself.”
Lieutenant Jon laid his huge hand on Colburn’s shoulder and squeezed it in an attempt to subdue him. A swift, move saw, Colburn escape Jon’s grip. The Lieutenant was beginning to make him a bit pissed. He hated pumped up shit and this man one was of that kind. “Lieutenant, if you try to lay your hand on my shoulder once more, you might have to see your doctor. I think it would be a good idea to get back to your place. Besides, you will obviously use your rank against me, if, we got into a tiff. Now, that is something I can do without.”
“Rankly is relaxed,” the Lieutenant bellowed furiously. He was confident of his commando skills, and he looked angrily at Colburn’s face. “There, we have settled that now!”
Endy, finishing his meal, grinned at the Lieutenant. “You blew up. It isn’t clever to give off your only advantage.”
“You’d better shut up, Endy! This is between me and the lieutenant!” said Colburn.
Endy backed away from the table and spread his hands. “All right, all right then! Be kind to him, Sergeant!”
Colburn got up from his chair, turned around and looked at the lieutenant; lieutenant was a bit taller than him. “Shall we settle it in the gym or right here?”
The Lieutenant looked at his men and responded, “Trying to act tough, heh? Here suits me.”
“This is a great choice!” Colburn turned to his prisoners and pointed to the tables. “Push those tables to the walls! Clear the middle of the room boys!”
The lieutenant took off his shirt and threw it to his adjutant. Colburn handed his to Mark, turned to his rival and looked at him. He was 6.5 feet tall, as rammed as a tank, and each muscle was clearly visible under his green undershirt. His square jaw appeared to be carved out of rock and old scars were pulsating above his brows. He fixed his gaze at Colburn with greenish eyes, puffing through wide nostrils like a bull before an attack. When the room was clear, all the onlookers made a circle, creating an arena for the big match.
The lieutenant grinned and put up his guard. “Let the dance begin!”
Colburn took his position and started moving around the circle, carefully following his opponent’s moves. They were looking each other in the eyes, searching for some weakness before an attack. The soldiers and the prisoners started cheering; each group endeavored to be louder than the other and soon the canteen was filled with a cacophony of voices.
The Lieutenant attacked first. Colburn escaped the blow at the last moment, and it flew behind his right ear. Instantly he knew that the Lieutenant wouldn’t be an easy opponent. He returned with a left blow, but his opponent placed his hands in front of his face, and Colburn’s fist only glided along his upper arm. Both of them backed away at that moment, looking at each other like wild cats.
Colburn liked having a worthy competitor; for a long time he hadn’t been in a situation to fight against someone who was so skilled. “I have to admit that you’re good.”
The Lieutenant laughed and readied himself for the next attack. Though Colburn succeeded in avoiding the first true blow, the second one, directed with his left fist, hit him directly in the chin and threw him towards Vandor, who broke this fall. While he was shaking his head to come to his senses, the Lieutenant replied with a smile on his face, “Champion of the Tenth Army district in the heavy category.”
Spitting out blood from his mouth, Colburn put up his guard again and grinned, showing bloody teeth. “Super. I’ll like that more when I beat you. The greater challenge, the better it is.”
The Lieutenant looked at him with incredulity in his eyes; he hadn’t expected such a response. He rushed violently at Colburn, but this time, the Sergeant was ready and stopped the attack with his forearm. Then, in a counterattack, he punched the Lieutenant directly in the face with swift and precise blows. Nevertheless, the Lieutenant merely shook his head, stood firmly on his feet and continued with renewed attacks. As the fight went on bruises appeared on both their faces, but neither of them was growing weary. At one point it seemed that the Lieutenant would fall on the floor, and the next, the Sergeant. Neither happened, though, and the fight continued for some more time. The Clear winner was nowhere in sight.
*
Major Nancy and Henry were just coming from the command office, where they had checked the data about the upcoming action. That’s when they heard loud cheering from the entrance to the dining room. They sped up to see what was happening.
Nancy wanted to break up the fight, but Henry caught her shoulder and whispered in her ear, “Let them go on.”
She looked at him angrily. “Do men have anything better to do? Demonstration of power is all that you’ll care for.”
Henry raised a brow, “Don’t you forget that I was at the Academy with you, and I know very well you wish for demonstration too?”
“That’s something else,” she replied with a smile. “This is more a demonstration of men’s raw strength. Women’s demonstration are a bit more subtle.”
Henry shrugged and said, “That I would have to agree.”
They watched the fight for some five minutes. Then Henry realized that neither one of them would give up nor would they get to a truce, so he decided to jump in. Henry approached the first soldier at the edge of the circle and tapped his shoulder. He waved off his hand without turning. “There is no more space here!”
When Henry tapped his shoulder again, he turned around angrily. “Shit! What do you want …” He stood at attention when he saw Henry and Nancy and saluted them. “Excuse me, Brigadier. I didn’t …”
Henry pushed him aside and made his way to the inner edge of the circle; the onlookers dispersed around him. He shouted loud enough to end cheering that was going on. “What’s happening here?”
Complete silence fell. The Sergeant and the Lieutenant responded unanimously, “Nothing, Brigadier!”
Henry stared at their swollen and sweaty faces and grimly, conclude, “Nothing, you say!” Henry attempted to sound official, though he’d have liked to laugh at their dramatic appearance. They saluted, barely standing on their feet and quite bruised and blue in the face. “It looks to me more like a boxing match.”
The Lieutenant caught his breath and tried to apologize. “We’re only practicing, Brigadier.”
Henry watched him carefully for a while and eyeing him from head to toe. He stroked his right fist, which, Henry realized must have ached devilishly; of course, he had confirmation of the pain on the lieutenant’s face. “Tell me your name and rank?”
“Lieutenant Jon Burn, Sir.”
Henry turned to Nancy. “Major Bauer, does this look like an exercise to you?”
She gave a glance at the Lieutenant’s and the Sergeant’s swollen faces and then concluded coolly, “I wouldn’t think so!”
“Is this a gym? This place just doesn’t look like a place for exercise.” Henry asked the exhausted combatants.
The Lieutenant stood erect and replied, “No. This is a dining room, Brigadier.”
Henry winked at Nancy and she barely hid a smile; he was sure it amused her greatly. “Major, have you got a room for practicing on this cruiser or do yo
u exercise here in the dining room?”
“We have a huge room for practicing and keeping in shape, Brigadier.”
“And what shall we do now, gentlemen?”
The Lieutenant stepped forward. “It was my fault. I challenged the Sergeant.”
Colburn, added, “No sir, the lieutenant is using his power of veto. It was my fault. I was the one which led to the provocation in the first place.”
“Very well, we have established whose fault this boxing match was.” Henry looked over the soldiers and prisoners who still were standing in a semicircle. “Now the show is over! I want the tables to be in their proper places in one minute. I am hungry, and when I am hungry I get angry as well! Is that clear?”
“Yes, Brigadier!” they all replied and dispersed, running around the canteen, fetching the tables and the chairs.
“And both of you are to report in an hour’s time at my office.”
“Yes, Brigadier!”
When they went away, Nancy came closer to Henry and said in his ear, “Well done.” She looked towards the separate area for officers in the corner of the canteen. “Our table is waiting for us and my stomach is giving off a distress signal.”
When they sat down, the soldier cooks brought food to the table. Nancy didn’t look at the table but at Henry. She asked him seriously, “Are you ready for this operation?”
He replied, chewing a small piece of steak, “For the… most part.”
“I’ve heard what happened to the commandos…” She sighed. “Nobody survived! Not even the two people who were nearly saved.”
“I spoke with General Hensell, so I know all about that…”
Nancy with astonishment on her face stared at him, “And you don’t worry about it? Not in the least?”
Henry raised his eyes and said, “Of course I do! There are too many dead for not to worry about. We’re ready for the eventualities…” He laid the knife and fork on the plate and leaned against the wall, watching her worried face. “We’re way more advanced compared to all the other expeditions that have landed on Godeena.”
Nancy looked at him straight in the eye. God, he is totally infatuated with this expedition. Whoever landed on the planet is dead, and he claims to have the advantage. Although she tried to calm down, she could not mask her anger, “How do you claim to be more advanced?”
“We have Maria Conchez.”
She nervously stroked her forehead with a hand, with a dose of discontent in her voice because she was not sure a certain Maria could change the game on the planet. She asked, “Who is she anyway? Now, that you have so much confidence in her? How is she going to be any different for your survival on the planet?”
Henry sensed the anger and discontent in her voice and tried to soothe her, “We’ll discuss that in my office.”
But Nancy did not have the patience nor the mood to entertain suspense, “Why there?”
“Here there are too many ears, and not all of them should know what we’re talking about. Right now we should have our meal.”
“Well then, I’ll wait till we get to the office!” said Nancy, listlessly pushing green peas around her plate.
*
Henry cleared all that was on his plate and gazed at Nancy. She was still fighting with her lunch. “Have you eaten or will you keep on torturing your peas?”
Nancy looked at him, in a bad mood, and snorted through her nose. “Yes, I have. Anyway, I’ve lost my appetite.”
“Then we’re going to my office. I can see that you’re impatient to hear why I’m sure we’ll succeed in landing on the planet?”
“That would be so nice of you.”
The cruiser was huge, and Henry’s office was on the opposite side of the main warehouse. It took them some fifteen minutes to get through the labyrinth of corridors and arrive at his command post. During that time they didn’t exchange a word and just returned the salutes of passing soldiers. The nearest office to his was Major Vallery’s, and she was currently there reading a book about a memorial plate. When Henry appeared at the door, she raised her eyes and asked, “Do you need something?”
“When Sergeant Colburn and Lieutenant Jon Burn come about, bring them to me immediately. Until then nobody is to disturb me.”
“OK, see you when they arrive.”
She continued reading the book, but Henry noticed that she was watching them under her brows while they entered his office.
Nancy took place at the desk opposite him and not being able to control her curiosity, asked, “What is the story about Maria Conchez? Why are you so convinced that you’ll be able to survive on that bloody planet?”
Henry leaned back comfortably in his chair and crossed his arms, and then said to her in a calm tone, “Well, she knows the place where we should land to avoid the Being who is dwelling there.”
Unsatisfied with his answer she crossed her hands, knitted her brows and asked angrily, “And you believe all that?”
“When you meet Kir even you will change your opinion.”
Nancy asked him with confusion in her voice, “Who is Kir?”
“That’s Maria Conchez.”
She looked at him with wide eyes. “You’re kidding me?”
“No, I wasn’t. Kir and Maria are one and the same.”
She waved her hand and caught her head. “And you believe her although she has a split personality. You must be insane, really!”
“You’re wrong. She isn’t a divided person. I can explain.”
“That would be nice.” She shrugged her shoulders as if she had said, “I’m ready to hear more rubbish!”
In a hurry, Henry told her all about Maria. She listened carefully and asked him whenever something wasn’t clear.
“You mean that she was the first to report anything about the Being on the planet?!”
“Though I wasn’t able to comprehend it then, she convinced me. I understood only a fraction of his strength and believed I wouldn’t like to be his enemy.”
Nancy paused for a moment. Henry saw uneasiness in her eyes. “So, she said the Being is mighty and dangerous, and she suggested that you might land on just a single landing place on the planet. What happens after that? How do you intend to fight him?”
“Unfortunately, she didn’t explain that to me, but it’s essential that we land safely and stay alive. We can’t do anything until the General’s granddaughter arrives at the crater. I’d like to learn more about the Being from her, and how she managed to survive.”
“And what if she doesn’t appear?”
“Then we’ll have a great problem and…” A knock at the door interrupted him, and he called out loudly, “Come in!”
Vallery appeared at the door. “Maria Conchez needs you, and she’s pretty insistent on talking to you.”
“It’s all right. Let her in.”
After Vallery had retreated, Maria appeared at the door, completely pale in her face. Henry invited her in. “Come in.” She stood in front of the two of them and watched Nancy gloomily.
When after a long silence she didn’t say a word, Henry asked her, “Why do you need me? Is anything wrong?”
She looked towards Nancy and then turned to him. “Would you want me to talk now? On everything?”
“Go ahead. She’s been my friend since the Academy.”
At that point, Maria lowered her head and looked at the floor. After that, they heard an icy voice which made the hair bristle on their necks. Henry knew that Kir had arrived. “A friend, you said.” She stared at her and Nancy recoiled, frightened when she saw Kir’s abyss-like dark eyes. “Hmm. She’s cherishing some quite different feelings towards you.”
Nancy tried to defend herself, clearly wondering how this witch knew what she felt. “That… isn’t true!”
“Are you confident, Commander?” Kir asked her and then stared at her face. Nancy lowered her eyes towards her hands and did not respond. “I’m not here to argue about your feelings
.” Now Kir addressed him. “Henry, I had my first contact with the Being.”
Henry looked at her full of surprise. “When did you contact him?”
“I contacted him an hour ago.”
“Have you found out what he wants?”
“He wants to kill all of us. That’s his definite aim. He thought that I felt his huge and destructive force. He hates anything living. He named the planet Breeh, and he says that it is his. He threatens to kill us if we land on his planet.”
Henry frowned. “Why does he do that?”
“When I tried to go deeper he absolutely rejected me. Nonetheless, we have come too far. When we land there, I’ll surely know lots more.”
“Does he know the location of our landing?”
Kir laughed loudly and then asked him angrily, “Do you really think that I am so stupid as to tell him where we would land?”
“I didn’t think that you would tell him, but I’m interested in whether he has a presentiment of something?”
Kir carefully watched him through half-closed eyelids. Henry had made her angry with his questions, but at the same time, she was glad that he was so direct because he knew how to surprise her, “He doesn’t know and he doesn’t have any presentiment. During our contact, he also tried to read my thoughts, but I didn’t permit him to. When he conceived that it was impossible, he gave up and then broke contact.”
Henry ran a hand through his hair and appearing a bit dissatisfied said, “It means that he tried it nonetheless!” He got up from the chair and went to the small window, through which he could see dark space filled with numerous stars.
“But he didn’t succeed!” She came closer like a ghost, and touched Henry’s neck with the tips of her fingers; a wave of warmth passed through him. “Forget the Being now! I’ve wanted to tell you how much Maria likes you.” She embraced him around the shoulders, rubbing his thigh with her knee. “Frankly, I just couldn’t overcome the temptation.” At the same time, she turned to Nancy, who was watching her angrily. Kir really wanted that, so she smiled at Nancy and started to stroke his neck with her fingers. “Maria wants you too much, and I can’t resist it.”
Godeena: SF Novel Page 18