Rocket Babe_Reflection

by Stephen R. DeArman

  “Ashteroth Karnaim literally means two horns. Do you have horns?”

  Tyl relaxed her scalp enough to allow her horns to rise.

  Verna watched as twin, one-inch spikes appeared on the front of her head just inside of her hairline. “I have to admit, I never thought I’d meet Astarte face to face. What is the name you are known by, Ishtar? Astarte? Aphrodite?”

  “My only name is Tyl.”

  “I also know how things work in your culture. By Emim tradition you were a slave to someone of importance, and you were forced to come here… or die. Emim females are not considered valuable. They have always been expendable, tools, or merely property of some influential male; a resource to be used until exhausted. When they are no longer useful, the females are tossed aside, or worse. You have been lied to, misused and abused since you were born, with no hope for a life of your own. You have no family; only slavery. Even though your people originally worshipped the goddess of love and fertility, you have never been loved or allowed to love, and true, unconditional love is the one thing you want more than life itself, but even you do not want it by deception. You want the real thing.

  “Now, correct me if I’m wrong but my guess is that you were programmed for this mission; to assume my identity. But in order to be convincing you literally had to become me mentally, physically and emotionally, and that’s when something happened you never expected. You developed feelings for Randall, and that’s why you sent him the information that allowed us to defeat the Emim armada.”

  “Yes.”

  “And for that, I am eternally grateful. After you completed your research of us and practiced being me for a while, you learned what true love is, and it left you entrapped; by your own wish for a true love of your own, not something false. Now that you have seen the real thing you could not bring yourself to corrupt it, or take it by deception. Even Emim females have a conscience.

  “Once you were here, in the heat of battle you made a life altering choice and decided to escape your bonds, and now, the ones that made you a slave are gone.”

  “Gone? Are you absolutely sure?”

  “Yes. Randall used the information you sent to him to destroy them. They will never hurt or abuse you again. You can safely have a new life, if you are willing to work hard for it and if you can adapt to this world. Do you want to try?”

  “It would be allowed?”

  “Yes, with some conditions. But you would be free if you join us of your own free will.”

  “My choice and mine alone?”

  “That’s right. General, could DSSF use an expert on the Emim?”

  “That is an excellent idea, but as you said, with some conditions and a good deal of social education, we could find a place for her.”

  “My own decision… how do I begin?”

  “First, you must be yourself.”

  “Be myself?”

  “Yes, just be yourself.”

  A bright smile slowly spread across Tyl’s face as she nodded her acceptance, and right before their eyes she morphed back to her own natural appearance. Standing at seven-foot two, in just a few seconds Tyl became one of the most beautiful women they had ever seen, with two small horns.

  “Your life will be quite different here, and you will have much to learn before you can be completely free. It will take some time, but we will help you adapt and work toward the day you will find a true love of your own, children and a home.”

  “My choice is yes! I will work hard and do whatever you ask of me. This planet will now be my home. Teach me your ways. Show me how to be… human. And you… will be my friend?”

  “I will be your friend. We all will.”

  “I have never had a friend.”

  “This is all very well, Captain, but she will need more than an education. She’ll need a mentor.”

  Verna smiled as she looked around the bridge. “That won’t be a problem, sir. I know where I can find four people to help me. After all, she probably saved their lives. They can return the favor.”

  Randall began shaking his head rapidly. “What? I have a crew and ship to run. I don’t have time to…”

  As he spoke he could see Verna’s head tilting to the side as her right eye brow began to arch. Slowly Randall’s voice trailed off as he stopped midsentence. “Fine, but Sela, Penelope and Addison have to help.”

  “That’s exactly what I had in mind, Commander.”

  Sela laughed as she turned to Penelope. “Well Patience, looks like you’re going to be a teacher.”

  “Me? What am I going to teach her? And what about you? You’re gonna help, too!”

  “Relax lieutenants; she’ll have a regular classroom teacher. The three of you will help me teach her how to be human, and in some instances, how not to act.”

  “Hey!”

  Outside they could hear 107’s engines winding down as she rolled to a stop. “Sounds like Addison’s back. I want to see her face when she gets a load of Tyl and finds out she’s going to be a mentor! Anyone have a camera?”

  “Now that we have that settled, you can all accompany the general and I back to the hospital and to find Tyl appropriate quarters. Let’s go.”

  Tyl stood close to Verna as she bent down to her ear. “Captain, may I speak to you before we go?”

  “Yes, Tyl?”

  “You were right in that I spent a great deal of time preparing to be you, watching images and listening to your conversations. I know you and Randall very well and the one thing I learned from all of this is that he would die for you. He loves you very much.”

  “I know Tyl; I love him more.”

  Having spent most of her life aboard a spaceship, being able to walk on a planet was something Tyl had rarely experienced. As she stepped into the bright desert sunshine, for the first time in her life she turned her face up to the sky and marveled.

  “Freedom feels… wonderful!”

  Chapter 17

  November 3, 1400 hours…

  Randall and crew made their way to the hospital with Tyl while Starr walked close by Barrett’s side bringing up the rear. The general was mending well but occasionally needed to lean on her as they made their way up the slight incline to HQ. About halfway they reached a bench where he could stop to rest his knee and catch his breath. The others moved on without them while Barrett quickly took the opportunity to fill Verna in on all that had happened in her absence.

  “It certainly sounds like you were having a lot of fun while I was away.”

  “I suppose, if you call inverting your knee, twisting an ankle and having a building fall on you fun, then yes, it literally was a blast.”

  Verna laughed but smiled as though something smelled very bad. “That’s a horrible pun, sir.”

  Barrett grinned and nodded but after a few seconds she watched his smile slowly fade into a distant stare. “Well, I’m a general not a standup comic, and the job is not about having fun.

  “You know, this is a rugged, desolate and dangerous place. My God, it’s beautiful here, but me, I don’t have the time to enjoy any of it; no time to just sit and soak it in. It would be nice to have a little free time to explore this place with my wife, Lucy. Heaven knows, it isn’t easy being married to a general.

  “I’ve commanded a base packed with exotic planes and space ships for many years but the only time I’ve been on a fighter was on the ground. I’ve seen tons of photos from space but the view from the Yard at 300 miles up must be spectacular! I’ve only been over 40,000 feet once and that was a commercial flight to London.

  “It sounds like you and Second Lieutenant Lucy had quite an adventure of your own. In a peculiar way, that must have been fun.”

  “I’d say about as much fun as having a building fall on you.”

  “Touché captain. Let’s get on back. I have to see McDonald at 1300 to be discharged.”

  “So, you’ll be convalescing at home the next few days with Lucy?”

  “Yes, and every morning after rehab I’ll take Chloe f
or a short walk. She likes to chase the squirrels and birds, but I’ll be available anytime, should you need me. Otherwise, as of this moment I’m turning command of DSSF over to you until I return full time.”

  As they approached the main door of the hospital, Verna got what she thought to be a wonderful idea. “I would be happy to mind the store, so you can get some rest, but would it be possible for us to have lunch together tomorrow about noon?”

  “I suppose; where?”

  “Since 100 is the temporary home of DSSF Tactical, let’s meet on Randall’s ship. I do some of my best cooking there.”

  “On Randall’s ship? Very well. I guess I can get up a ladder one more time; probably be good exercise at that. I’ll see you at noon.”

  Verna helped the general back to his room, then was off to her office to catch up on a little paperwork. It was almost twilight by the time she made it to her own quarters where she found Randall snoozing on the sofa. Bending down close to his ear she seductively purred, “Raven T. Sarr reporting for duty.”

  Randall opened his eyes and smiled as he pulled her onto his lap. “Well, it’s about time, angel. I thought you had gone AWOL. Where have you been?”

  “I had some things to upload to CVERS and I wanted to check the latest status reports for SF-1, but I’m finished now.”

  “Give me the bad news.”

  “The short version is that we got the stuffing kicked out of us. Technically, in battle we only lost one fighter; Ono’s. On the second run she took on one of the Dreadnaughts, alone. She managed to take it out, too, but they also decimated her ship. A cutting beam sliced her bridge in half. She and Sims were thrown clear, but the others were vaporized by the beam. If they hadn’t been suited up, they’d have died instantly as well.

  “The only good thing is that we didn’t lose a single pilot. Emmett, Jack, Charlie and Henry made it through with only minor aches and pains but they all lost crew members. In total, we lost 17 officers, and their ships all look like Swiss cheese, but somehow, and with Kontana’s help, they made it back to the Yard.

  “Two were patched up well enough to make it home but the other two need major hull repairs before they are up to atmospheric flight. Every ship took a severe pounding, and by the time they are all evaluated I won’t be surprised if we end up scrapping the entire squadron. They may make it back to base, but as for future flights, that remains to be seen.

  “The docking ports at the Yard are almost full, and I’ve assigned SF-1’s duties to SF-2 until things are back to normal. Our guys need some rest. It will be months before we’re at full strength again.

  “Carl Jackson came through but with substantial damage. Even so, she’s fully operational and Mike is still at the Line. I asked him to come back for repairs, but he refused, saying, and I quote, ‘We’re fine! Ain’t no Grey, Emim, Nephilim or little green elves in space suits crossing the Line as long as I have breath; I’ll throw bricks at them if I have to!’ end quote. Since we’re of equal rank, I couldn’t order him back. I talked to the general, but he refused. Barrett said he understood. ‘Sometimes a man has to do, what a man has to do,’ whatever that means.”

  “I understand.”

  “How did it go with Tyl?”

  “The last time I saw her, the lieutenants had everything under control. She’s going to move in with them for a while until she gets the hang of things, and they’ll take turns helping her learn our way of life.”

  “Excellent! You’ll be happy to know I gave everyone three days of R&R, including us.”

  “Great!”

  “So, what have you been doing besides checking your eyelids for cracks?”

  “Let’s see, I showered, ate, and watched some TV, but mostly I’ve been waiting for my angel to appear.”

  “Well, she’s here now and in the morning, but tomorrow afternoon she has a short errand to run. After that she belongs to you alone, for three days.”

  “An errand?”

  “Just a short one, for the general.”

  “No satellites?”

  “None.”

  “No Kontana, no Ant Men, no Emim, or Nephilim?”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “Well, ok. In that case, permission granted, but don’t take too long.”

  “Yes, Commander, I will do my best, and when I return…”

  Randall smiled when she snuggled close to him on the sofa, but as Verna leaned back she began to frown when they both noticed the curtains were wide open.

  “Really? I just got comfortable.”

  Randall moaned as he started to get up. “I know, we should close the curtains.”

  “No, wait. I have an idea.”

  “What?”

  “Kiss me.”

  “See, you’re learning.”

  The next day at exactly 1200 hours General Barrett was doing his best to ascend the ladder of 107, and with some extra effort he eventually made it to the door of the bridge. There he met Verna, dressed in her full flight suit and all smiles.

  “Welcome aboard 107, sir. Please allow me to show you to your chair.”

  Barrett looked a bit bewildered until Verna led him to the command chair where she released the lock and slowly turned it to face him. Looking down he did a double take when he saw his wife Lucy smiling up at him dressed like Starr.

  “Lucy! You look… amazing!”

  His compliment made her blush. “Happy Anniversary, Pete!”

  Obviously excited, Lucy stood so he could get a better look. “Captain Starr has made reservations for us at the Yard for an overnight stay, including dinner at Sagitta Cantina! Her friend Bernie manages the place.”

  Barrett couldn’t believe his eyes. “What a wonderful surprise! But I haven’t packed anything.”

  “Lucy brought your go bag and there’s a flight suit for you in my quarters. As soon as you’re ready we’ll get underway. I cleared things with Doctor McDonald and he said as long as I take it easy, you should be fine.”

  “This is very thoughtful of you, Captain. Thank you!”

  “Happy Anniversary, General.”

  A few minutes later, Barrett was ready to go. Verna smiled then climbed into the cockpit and prepared to start the engines. Looking back over her shoulder she could see the general and his wife both strapped into the command chair with his arm around her. The sight of them staring into each other’s eyes caused her smile to grow as she turned back to her controls.

  “Good morning. This is your captain speaking. Welcome aboard DSSF flight 107. We’ve been cleared for takeoff and since this will be the first flight for both of you, I’ll be performing a low G rolling launch, with minimum angle and thrust to orbit. Our cruising altitude will be 300 miles, at the leisurely speed of Mach 26. If everyone is strapped in, I’ll begin my roll.”

  “Excellent, Captain. We’re ready!”

  Lucy slowly scanned the bridge until she had turned far enough in the seat to face the general. He could see she was excited and a little apprehensive.”

  “Are you nervous, dear?”

  “No, well… maybe a little.”

  “Don’t be concerned. Starr is the best pilot we’ve got, and I’ll be right here with you all the way.”

  Verna was almost as excited as the Barretts. “Lucy, we’ll be in orbit in about twenty minutes. Once we are, thanks to the magnetic floor and the flexible metal in the soles of your boots you’ll be able to walk around and enjoy the view. If you get queasy just let me know. I have meds for that.”

  Lucy mainly focused her attention on the forward screen until Verna had them leveled off at 300 miles.

  “We are now in orbit and will overtake the Yard in just under an hour. In the meantime, the captain has turned off the seat belt sign and you are free to move about the bridge.”

  “Can we walk around, Pete?”

  “Certainly, but let’s take our time. Say, this isn’t too bad. My knee isn’t hurting as much.”

  Verna sat quietly watching as they carefully made their way to
the port window where they remained for quite some time, awestruck by the view.

  “Pete, this is breathtaking! It’s my dream come true.”

  “Mine too, dear, mine too.”

  Beyond the window they could see thousands of stars contrasted against the jet-black backdrop of space, and nearby a beautiful blue ball covered with wispy white clouds floated silently beneath the ship. After several minutes Lucy turned to her husband as an expression of complete wonder covered her face.

  Pete looked at her and began to smile. “My dear, you look as though you’ve had an epiphany.”

  “Well, yes. I just realized this isn’t our first time in space. The Earth has four billion people on it and they are all floating along through space, just like we are on Captain Starr’s ship. Earth is humanity’s spaceship, so in a manner of speaking we have always been astronauts!”

  Again, the general smiled and pulled Lucy close. “You have always had a unique way of looking at things, and this, this is spectacular! I never dreamed I would ever get here and I made it with you.”

  Lucy stood on her tip toes and kissed him softly, then with her head on his shoulder her gaze returned to the window.

  Verna was beaming as she quietly inquired, “Once around the block, sir?”

  “That would be excellent, Captain… but take your time.”

  An hour later while the Barretts continued to stare down at home, Verna eased 107’s docking tunnel into the last available port, but the Barretts were so lost in the moment neither of them noticed.

  “Sir, we’re docked.”

  “Really? Your piloting skills are amazing! I didn’t feel anything.”

  Verna gave the general a slight nod as she whispered under her breath. “And on my ship, you never will.”

  “What’s that, Captain?”

  “I said let’s get you settled into your quarters, sir. Dinner reservations are in twenty minutes.”