Gateway To The Universe: In Bad Company

by Craig Martelle

  “It would be our honor to stand between Nathan Lowell, the Bad Company, and their enemies. An attack on one of us is an attack on all. We would rather die than leave one of our own in peril. I speak for myself, Char, and every member of the Force de Guerre, when I tell you that you can count on us. On a personal note, I will do everything in my power to ensure that there’s a metric fuck-ton of bad guys giving their lives for their cause and not a single one from the FDG, or should I say, the Bad Company. And you can call me TH.”

  “Well, TH, you can call me Nathan, and I expected no less from someone who comes so highly recommended. You’re an old military man so let me give you your orders. The Bad Company’s mission is to evaluate, approve, and execute paid missions in support of the Etheric Federation. One. the mission must pass the smell test, subjectively approved by at least two executive members of The Company. Two. Approved missions will be executed with the appropriate level of violence as determined by the on-site commander. Three. The price must be right. I’ll have someone meet you when you reach Onyx Station. They’ll have the RFIs for you--the requests for interdiction.”

  “Sounds good, Nathan. Thanks for bringing us on board.”

  “I’ve sent some other material to ArchAngel for you. She’ll transfer it to the War Axe. Look through it and get yourself up to speed. I think someone said it’ll be a month before you arrive, so you have plenty of time. Choose wisely. Lowell out.”

  The comm channel closed. Dokken’s panting was the only sound in the conference room.

  Terry finally realized he was standing. He mumbled an apology and sat back down, only to get back up when Bethany Anne and Michael stood.

  “I didn’t even get a chance to give Nathan shit about running out of Pepsi on the Prometheus. He’s never going to live that one down, as long as I can get a word in edgewise.” She looked purposefully at TH.

  Terry whistled as he casually looked away. The Empress started to laugh as she moved around the table, taking Char’s hand and looking into her sparkling purple eyes. “Love that color, Char. You are one in a billion.” BA turned to Michael. “How would I look with purple eyes?”

  Michael scratched his chin. “This is one of those setup questions.” He looked to Terry for support and saw the understanding in the man’s face. Michael turned back to BA. “I can’t imagine what would make you more beautiful than you are now, so I won’t even try.”

  Terry nodded in approval of the Vampire’s solution.

  “So, you don’t know? I guess I won’t bother TOM with it.” BA started to leave and stopped. “How are the upgrades coming?”

  Terry wasn’t sure what she meant.

  “The Pod Doc,” she clarified.

  “It worked for us. I’m not sure about the others. We’ll head there straight from here to check in,” Terry replied.

  “I ordered an upgrade to your Vampires. They came over with us. I hope they don’t mind because the alternative wasn’t acceptable,” Bethany Anne said cryptically before leaving the conference room with Michael by her side and Akio following closely behind.

  Captain San Marino excused himself and left through the room’s other door. When it opened, Terry and Char could see the ship’s bridge. Screens showed a massive ship blocking out most of the stars.

  The ArchAngel II.

  The Empress and her party would be returning to it, and that was why they had to leave. Terry and Char had no idea where she was going from there. For the Bad Company, it didn’t matter. They had their mission.

  It dawned on TH as he looked past the flagship. “We’re in space.”

  “Does that make us cosmonauts?” Char asked.

  The door to the bridge closed. Dokken stood at the other door and pranced back and forth.

  “Something like that. The Bad Company. It’s almost as good as Space Warriors from Space, or maybe Space Marine Studs.”

  Char wasn’t going to be left behind. “Women Warriors of the Cosmos.”

  “Man Warriors of Humanity’s Spacemen.” Terry tipped his chin up. “From space, doing manly things.”

  “The Rainbow Unicorns?” Char asked.

  “Maybe we’ll just stick with Bad Company,” Terry conceded.

  “I think that’s best. What do you think, Dokken?” Char asked.

  Let me out. I gotta pee, the dog replied.

  Terry slapped the panel and the door opened.

  ***

  “What’s wrong?” Kaeden said, concern creasing his brow as he started to panic.

  “I can’t feel the Etheric,” she said sadly. She sighed as she clamped her eyes shut. “It’s gone.”

  The technician turned in his chair. “That’s a temporary impact from the process. The new nanos have to interact with the old nanos until they all speak the same language. You won’t lose anything you’ve had, you’ll only gain from this process.”

  Marcie looked at the man and sighed again, this time with relief. She hurried to the man and hugged him. He tried to get away, but was too slow. Kae didn’t look happy. His incredibly beautiful wife was hugging another man.

  While standing in her birthday suit.

  Kaeden took her clothes to her and worked his way in between the technician and his wife. “Maybe you can get dressed?” he asked politely. She strolled casually toward the privacy curtain with an extra swing of her hips. The technician was staring at his computer screens and talking to himself.

  The man’s face was beet red.

  “Put your clothes on, woman,” Kae whispered.

  “Yes, sir, man,” she whispered back.

  “How did I get so lucky?” He smiled at her as he followed her behind the curtain.

  “Hey!” Timmons yelled. “They’re trying to be the first to do it in space!”

  “Nooo!” the technician blurted. “No doing it in the lab!”

  Kaeden and Marcie reappeared moments later, both dressed.

  “That quick? You’re not giving mankind a good name, my friend,” Timmons suggested.

  “Next!” the technician yelled.

  ***

  Dokken disappeared down a side corridor. Terry and Char easily found their way to the Pod Doc. The ship seemed a challenge at first, but it was laid out logically. They figured that everyone would be able to find their way around before they hit their bunks for the first time.

  The smell of grilling beef filled the passageways of the War Axe.

  Terry stopped and savored the aroma. “Maybe we can stop by the mess deck first?” he asked.

  “We can call them,” Char suggested.

  “One of the many reasons for my never-ending love.” Terry hugged Char and nibbled her ear.

  “Later,” she promised.

  Smedley, can you contact our people in the medical area?

  >>You can contact them yourself, TH. Say their name and my system will connect you through their implants.<<

  “How cool is that?” Terry replied aloud.

  Marcie, are you there. Can you read me, over?

  It’ll take some getting used to, TH, you being in my head and all. Do you know what I’m thinking? Marcie replied.

  No. Should I? Terry wondered.

  No, you shouldn’t and you don’t want to either. How horrible would that be?

  You’d have to ask Joseph about that. I think it’s more of a burden than a benefit. But that’s not why I called. How is everyone?

  Joseph and Petricia are better than great. No blood craving and they are now official daywalkers, sunlight won’t bother them. Everyone else is fine. Merrit is in there now and he’s the last one. I lost my ability to see into the Etheric dimension, but the tech assures me that it is only temporary. I feel empty without it.

  Terry clenched his jaw. Marcie was his protégé when it came to the FDG. She understood things better, was better able to tolerate the sacrifices a leader had to make, order people into combat, even if there was a chance they’d die. She didn’t like it, but she could do it, based on the needs of the mission, the acc
eptable risk versus the probability of success.

  Meet us on the mess deck when you’re finished, because lunch, or is it dinner, smells like it’s ready. I’ll send the next bunch of victims from there. See you at chow.

  Terry turned toward the mess deck, but Char stopped him, holding her hands up.

  “Sorry, I always assume you can hear my conversations, even when it’s only me talking with myself,” he said softly. She had demonstrated over the past century a prescient-level of understanding to such a degree that TH was convinced she could read his mind. “The Forsaken are Forsaken no more.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  The mess deck was a buzz of activity. TH felt like he’d been physically slapped when he stepped through the door because of the volume of noise. The cook was yelling from the kitchen.

  He made a calming motion with his arms, but the noise level didn’t change. “SHUT UP!” he bellowed. All heads turned toward him. A utensil clanked loudly against a tray. “Thank you. Next group to the Pod Doc. Get on your horses and go. You have two minutes to report.”

  A number of people got up, first among them were Sergeant Garcia, Valerie, and Robin. The Vampires didn’t look happy as they walked past TH without saying a word.

  “Valerie,” Terry said softly. “We’ll talk later today, you three. There are some great things ahead, and we’re going to need the best that we have.”

  Valerie hesitated for a moment before nodding tersely and heading into the corridor.

  “Yes, sir. I look forward to it,” Sergeant Garcia replied formally before following the two Vampires out. Three other warriors joined them with Kurtz in the lead.

  “Take care, Kurtz,” Terry told the man.

  “You bet, Colonel. Someone has to show our hard-chargers how it works and that there’s nothing to be afraid of. There is nothing to be afraid of, right?”

  “Not as far as you know,” Terry replied, punching the lieutenant in the shoulder. Terry and Char left Kurtz standing there as they walked toward the kitchen. People were starting to talk again, but in more hushed tones.

  The cook continued to yell. Kurtz and his two charges left the mess deck on their way to the Pod Doc. Terry tip-toed to the window and peeked in. Two warriors were dancing around the grill where the remnants of the Weathers beef were getting seared. The cook was laughing all the while yelling at them to be careful.

  The kitchen had already been cleaned up. Two warriors were at the cleanup station running the last of the dishes through an alien cleansing and sanitation system.

  “Welcome to the future,” Terry said softly.

  “No shit,” Char agreed. “It’s the same, but completely different. Those stupid bastards who tried to destroy Earth. Could we have been to this point, as a species?”

  “I’d like to think so. But as different as things are, human nature will always be the same, even if they’re aliens. I guess it is truly universal, otherwise, why would the Bad Company need to exist?”

  Char chuckled. “Job security, lover. We will always have job security.”

  “Because there’s always someone out there who needs their ass kicked. In the immortal words of Marine Corps legend, Mad Dog Mattis, ‘The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event. That said, there are some assholes in the world that just need to be shot.’ Change world to universe and there we are.”

  Char nodded before pointing to the trays. “Lunch?”

  “Unless they’re calling it dinner.” Terry looked toward the door as he held his tray. He stopped and looked at the two men working the grill. “Have you two eaten yet?”

  “Not yet, sir, but Jenelope has promised us something special, so please, go ahead,” one of the men said, turning back to the grill.

  “You know I eat last,” Terry told them as he headed toward the opening to the kitchen.

  “You’ll eat when I tell you to eat!” Jenelope roared, storming toward the serving line.

  Terry flinched and leaned back. “My God, that voice! It’s Mrs. Grimes!”

  “You’ll keep a civil tongue in your head. Take your food and go. You’re holding up the line.” She jutted her chin toward him.

  Terry looked past Char. No one was waiting.

  “Is there a limit to how much we can take?” Terry asked sheepishly.

  “There’s one rule here. If you take it, you eat it.” She pulled a wooden spoon from her apron and shook it at TH.

  “What the hell is up with the wooden spoon?” Terry blurted, jumping back.

  “Sounds good, Jen, and thank you,” Char said pleasantly, stepping past TH and loading her tray with beef, and a small portion of vegetables.

  “You could learn some manners from this one,” the new Mrs. Grimes said, waving her spoon ominously in Terry’s direction.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said as he stretched an arm as far forward as he could to spear two steaks and drop them onto his tray. He filled the rest of the space with a sampling of everything else. Jen narrowed her eyes at him.

  “Mother fuck!” he whispered as he walked away.

  “Is that the same person we met earlier?” Terry asked as he sat down next to Char at the end of a long table. A number of warriors were sitting nearby chatting. Everyone was on hold as they waited for their turn in the Pod Doc. The schedule was filled for twelve hours straight before the process would be completed for all the new additions to the crew.

  The hatch opened and Dokken trotted in.

  “Yes, she’s the same, but with this mob, she’s had to put on her mom hat,” Char explained.

  “I see. I wonder how many arch enemies she has?” Terry dug into his steak and moaned in pleasure as he chewed. Char laughed, until she did the same thing.

  They ate in silence until the pack arrived with Terry and Char’s family in tow. Or it could have been the other way around. Marcie was in front, until she saw the chow line. She stood back to let the others pass. The Werewolves had no compunction about eating first. Sue and Timmons, Shonna and Merrit, led the way, followed by Felicity and Ted. The Vampires went next, leaning back and forth to get a better look at the meat tray as they neared.

  Aaron walked with Yanmei. When she rounded the corner, they saw that she had an orange bundle in her arms. Terry’s eyes shot wide. Instantly, Dokken unleashed a broadside of spittle-flecked barking. He’d been trolling the tables, getting hand-fed scraps of beef. He was in between tables and refused to be denied access to his quarry.

  His arch enemy was in sight!

  He leapt onto a table, landing among the trays and sending them flying as he launched himself toward the cat. He hit the deck, slid, and quivered at Yanmei’s feet as he barked furiously.

  Wenceslaus stretched out an orange paw to show his claws before yawning and resting his head on Yanmei’s arm.

  “SHUT UP!” came the yell from the kitchen, a mirror of TH’s earlier call for silence. Jen stormed up the line and wielding her wooden spoon with deadly accuracy, smacked the enraged Dokken on top of his head.

  The German Shepard yipped and jumped back. Terry hurried to join the group.

  “What’s he doing in here?” Terry demanded.

  Yanmei looked behind her, wondering who Terry was talking about.

  “Him?” Aaron asked, pointing.

  “He’s our arch enemy,” Terry stated slowly, glaring at the cat.

  “He’s a cat, TH,” Yanmei said softly.

  Wenceslaus meowed.

  “What did he say?” Terry leaned closer to the orange creature.

  “How would we know? He’s just a cat.” Aaron said, stepping between Terry and Dokken and Yanmei. Aaron’s unnatural height meant that Terry had to look up, but Aaron was a gentle soul, despite being a Weretiger. He and his Weretiger wife were most at peace with the universe.

  But Terry had convinced them that if someone had the ability to act, they had the responsibility. Aaron and Yanmei had exceptional gifts and they had used them to benefit all humanity.

  If they wanted a
cat as a pet, who cared.

  Terry reached past Aaron toward the good king to pet his orange head, but the cat lashed out at nearly vampiric speed and raked three lines across the back of Terry’s hand.

  “Why you little bastard!” Terry looked at his hand, unconcerned with the scratch that was already healing. Kim, Kae, and Cory held up their hands. The slight white lines of scratches were there, but fading.

  “Even you?” Terry asked Cordelia.

  She used one finger to pull the hair back on the side of her head, exposing her ears. She was born to a Werewolf, but wasn’t a Were. She had two features from her mother’s true nature--a silver streak of hair and wolf ears.

  Cory shrugged and rubbed the back of her hand. A faint blue glow appeared. When she removed her hand, there was no sign that there had ever been an injury.

  “Have you sworn fealty to our arch enemy?” Terry asked, starting to smile. He reached down and scratched behind a confused Dokken’s ears.

  “He’s a cat, TH. We swear nothing to this creature. He simply exists in our world,” Yanmei explained.

  Terry mumbled something unintelligible. “Come on, buddy, we have steak to eat. I have a nice big T-bone with your name on it.”

  Dokken barked one last time, dodged expertly beneath the wooden spoon, and chased after Terry Henry.

  Terry exercised great restraint in not turning at the sound of a spoon impacting flesh. He was better off not knowing. Jenelope started yelling as she returned to the kitchen and feet again started shuffling past the serving area.

  ***

  The door opened and Kurtz stepped out. He felt wildly different. A dull pain coursed across his shoulder blades. The technician looked at him in alarm. Kurtz immediately checked himself, patting his body with his hands. He flexed and his muscles bulged like never before. “Oh yeah.” He smirked.

  The warriors in the room watched him carefully, stepping back to give him space.

  “What’s wrong with you twat waffles?” he asked. One of them pointed to a mirror. He snarled at the young woman. When he reached the mirror, he froze. His shoulders were hunched in a way that looked unnatural, but to him, felt powerful. His eyes had a distinct yellow glint, his irises more canine like. “What the hell is wrong with me, doc?”