by Chris Hechtl
“We probably could have done this while he was awake. We did with Jethro,” Admiral Irons said. “Hell, we probably could have gotten away with doing it at the Cadre facility,” he said.
“If it is just the same to you, sir, I'd rather it happen under my watch where I've got the facilities on hand to deal with any emergencies that might crop up. Though I don't have a full trauma unit here,” Doctor Thornby said.
“True,” Admiral Irons said with a nod.
“The A.I. is named Fenrir,” Protector pronounced when the wake-up was concluded.
“Fenrir,” Jethro murmured. Bast flicked her ears and then put up an entry from the historical database. “Earth mythological beast. Wolf or dog in Viking lore said to be huge and a part of their Ragnarok cycle. Odd, but I guess fitting,” he said out loud.
Doctor Thornby looked up from what she had been reading, sniffed at Jethro's trivia, and then went back to making notes or monitoring the wolf's vital signs.
“If he's stable …,” Admiral Irons turned to the doctor. She nodded. “Then I don't think I'm needed here anymore. Though I'd like to check things out quickly while I've got a free hour.”
“I can arrange a cook's tour again, sir,” Nara said as she nodded to an orderly she had summoned. “Monitor the patient's vitals every fifteen minutes. Don't intervene unless he spikes or flatlines. Call me if anything happens,” she ordered, indicating the casket.
The human orderly looked dubiously at the casket and its contents, then to the doctor. She raised her eyebrows and then made a shooing motion so he went to the gurney and disconnected leads to the mainframe. He then unlocked the brakes with a foot pedal and wheeled the cart into motion with a grunt. Jethro pushed the doors open for him so he could get out easier.
Maneuvering the gurney with the heavy load wasn't easy, but it seemed like the orderly had it all under control. Jethro nodded.
“We'll monitor him until he wakes. Once he does, we'll ship him back to you,” Doctor Thornby said.
“Lovely. I guess I can go back now, sir?” Jethro asked. The admiral nodded. “Okay then. I'll go dig through all the paperwork I'm undoubtedly missing,” he said wryly. The admiral and doctor grinned at the Neocat. He flicked his ears and then left.
<)>^<)>/
Jethro received an email inquiring about his status. He blinked and then his eyes narrowed. It wasn't from BuPers; it was from someone in Pyrax. He was suspicious at first until he looked into the sender further. It turned out that the planners of the Tau mission wanted him for the senior Marine noncom. He brought it up with Captain Lyon when he met with him for their weekly SITREP meeting. “According to the email, Commander Logan requested it,” Jethro said after he explained it. “I'm flattered but the road not taken,” Jethro said with a shrug. “Right, sir?” he asked.
Captain Lyon nodded. He too had gotten the request, but he hadn't known they'd gone direct to Jethro. “I heard about it. We denied it of course. And before you ask, no, you can't go. Nor can we send you to Pi sector with the Ptah mission once it gets underway sometime next year. Hell, more likely the year after next since Ptah is still under construction in Pyrax. She's then got to go through the usual rigmarole of exercises before they sail her here for her final fitting and … well, you get the idea.”
Jethro's ears flicked. “Yes, sir.”
“Funny how they are sending two ships that start with the letter P as leaders to clean up those sectors,” Lyon said before he shook himself. “Sorry, woolgathering I guess.”
Jethro shrugged and flicked his tail. “Not a problem, sir.”
“From what I've been told, we're going to be here, in Rho, for the foreseeable future. We're going to try to keep a low profile. We don't want to get anyone's hopes up, nor do we need a target on our backs,” the captain mused.
“No, sir,” Jethro said, ears back as he winced.
Joshua eyed him and then nodded. “I know. It hits a bit close to home with your predicament. I don't think they'll have us as paper tigers, but I think the political calculus against loosing us will be there when we do start to get into deep hairy situations. No pun intended,” he said, indicating the Neopanther.
“Yes, sir.”
“I think they'll have us stamping out fires, getting blooded, and working up before the big show in Horath. At least, that's my take. No one higher is talking right now of course. Too soon.”
“Probably, sir. Most of the troops are combat veterans. We've proven how effective we are in the Marines. But we've been upgraded, and it's going to take time to get used to the changes and learn how to use them effectively. There isn't a manual.”
“Not one that has survived to this point, though I saw some of the material you provided has been referenced as background,” Joshua said. He nodded. “Thanks for that by the way.”
“Sir?”
“You don't remember?”
“I …,” Jethro's ears went back. He glanced at Bast. She flicked her ears. “I'm assuming it came from Bast, sir?”
“No, well, some, but not all. Some of it predates her awakening according to the time stamps,” the human officer pulled up a tablet and then scanned it. His fingers flicked before he found the entries he was looking for. “Yeah, from about ten years ago, give or take? That ring any bells? Right around the time you were first starting out. The entry has a tag, something to do with your armor? The rest is classified. I have the clearances but I'm not in the mood to dig through them.”
Jethro blinked then slowly nodded. “I know what you're talking about now, sir. My ancestor Tobias. He left some records. Some of it was sealed and encrypted.”
“I gathered that. Well, between what he thoughtfully provided, what I vaguely remember, what Bast has decided to tell us, and what Admiral Irons had in his memory, we've got the basics going. We'll just have to build off that with trial and error.”
Jethro's ears went erect. He nodded. “Yes, sir.”
<)>^<)>/
Lil Red realized she had to get off the station when working the crowd got too troublesome. She'd been forced to resorting to pickpocket work to make ends meet. She hadn't bothered trying to rent a place; she didn't have an income, barely an education, and didn't know how to get more.
Finally, out of desperation she looked up the Marines. She stopped by the Marine recruiter place and talked to the nice black Neopug there. “I'm looking for someone,” she said uncertainly.
“You can contact station administration. If it's a matter of missing persons, you can contact the LEOs,” the pug said.
“It's not that sort of thing. I don't know where he is. I mean, I know he was deployed on my planet, but he got pulled off to go to another one.”
“Oh,” the pug said blinking. “You are talking about a Marine?”
Lil Red nodded.
“His name?”
“Jethro. Jethro McClintock. He's a Neopanther, big black cat,” she said, measuring him out by standing on her tip toes and pointing to the ceiling. “He's my friend,” she said awkwardly.
“Well …”
“Please? He's the only family I've got left. He sent me and my sister a ticket to get off Protodon and he said to look him up … and I've got no place to go ….” She fought tears.
“Okay,” the Pug said. She heaved a sigh, then pointed to the chair near her. She tapped out an inquiry while Lil Red sat.
“Okay, I can't find him in the system. That doesn't really mean much. We might be in the capital but we aren't kept up-to-date as often we we'd like. He might be on another deployment …,” she frowned thoughtfully. “You know, you could find out on the ground at the Marine base.”
“There is another base?” Lil Red asked.
“Yes. By any chance are you an adult?”
“I'm not sure,” Lil Red replied cautiously. “My sire died. Mom kicked us out. We got taken in by Zelma, but well, when I and my sister hit puberty well …,” she shrugged uncomfortably, wrapping her arms around herself.
“Okay. And fro
m a war zone …,” the pug sighed. “Okay, there is an evening shuttle. You can fly coach. Do you have some credits?” she asked.
Lil Red nodded. She'd managed to get some free credits from some of the people but not much. The few bits of jewels she'd gotten she'd pawned, but they hadn't been worth much. Many people didn't carry coins or cash it seemed.
It had also quickly become apparent that the LEOs had cameras everywhere. She wasn't certain if she had been tagged yet, but it was only a matter of time, which was the primary reason she needed to get off the station.
“Okay, I'll book you a seat down. You are in luck; the spaceport is near the military base. You can hitch a ride to the base. Don't try to sneak in; you'll get hurt or killed,” she warned, holding up a stubby finger.
Lil Red nodded, wide-eyed.
“Good. Get to the gate, tell them I sent you, and tell them who you are looking for. Be patient. The gate guard will see if they can help you,” the pug stated.
“Thank you, ma'am,” Lil Red said as she rose.
“Have you eaten?” the pug asked. Lil Red shook her head. She'd gotten some bugs and a Denubian mouse the day before. “Okay, come on. I'll spot you dinner at a buffet place we like to go to. Business is slow. You can tell me a bit about Protodon, and I'll tell you a little about Antigua. Deal?”
Lil Red flicked her ears and smiled. “Deal,” she said eagerly.
<)>^<)>/
Lieutenant Fletcher noted the inquiry into Warrant McClintock, including an inquiry about his location. The bot that had picked it up hadn't flagged it as a priority, so he didn't get to it until most of his priority material had been handled or delegated.
When he did get to it, he noted that the inquiry had been at a Marine recruiting post on Antigua Prime. That was bad news; it meant someone in the star system was interested in the Neocat. He checked the file and inquiry originator and then since it was off-duty hours scheduled an appointment to interview Corporal Chi in the morning.
<)>^<)>/
They fell into something of a routine with Letanga once Jethro got a handle on the Neocat and Neowolves schedule. After a hearty breakfast, he'd have the leopard and Satet make some parts before Satet got bored with the project, then she'd force them into a nap. They'd wake at lunch, eat, do some light training, mostly to integrate themselves and move around, and then do a little replicator work before they went down for another nap until dinner.
Tungulria napped a lot more often and Fenrir was only good to make one or two parts a day. He usually questioned why they had to do so. When he got the same explanation, he got testy and then surly. Tungulria was not a parent type, so there were some adjustments to be made.
He knew from experience the naps would eventually shorten as the A.I. integrated and grew. Satet would eventually nap without forcing Letanga to sleep as well; they just had to wait it out a bit. The same could be said of Fenrir. What bothered everyone was that Letanga and Tungulria were tired all the time and uncoordinated. They frequently bumped, tripped, or knocked things over.
“Damn it!” Letanga snarled when he dropped the piece he'd been examining. Jethro glanced over to him and then picked it up, but Letanga waved it away so he set it down on a tray next to the cat.
“You need to adjust to the changes. You've been altered. You are still being altered, so take your time. You two are on desk duty until you are back on your feet,” Jethro said evenly.
“We can do more than sit …,” Letanga yawned. “Damn it!” he said, ears back as he smacked his lips. “Eat, sleep, and …”
“I know; it's frustrating. Did you notice you use the head a bit less?” Jethro asked. Letanga blinked at him. “You eat more yes. But the nanites and implants in your body need the fuel. You process it all a lot more efficiently than you had before. There are alterations to your muscles that don't come without cost either,” he said.
“So, that's why I'm always hungry when I wake,” Letanga said.
“Pretty much. You are filling out with muscle mass. You do need to use it a bit more. You'll need some sort of light rehabilitation until you get a handle on the mass and muscle changes,” Jethro said. “I don't think anyone thought of it. I'll check the files,” he said.
Bast checked for him and then nodded.
“Okay, they did, but I apparently overlooked it,” Jethro said.
“Ever get the feeling we're making this up as we go along?” Letanga asked.
“It's one thing to read about it, another to experience it first-hand … and another to try to describe and guide others through the process,” Jethro complained.
“The best way to show you know something is to teach,” the Neoleopard said. Jethro grimaced but nodded.
“So, is Tikaani next or one of the foxes?” Letanga asked as he flexed his right arm and then wiggled his fingers.
“None of the above,” Jethro said. Letanga turned his head to look at him curiously. “They have the suits, yes, but don't have the full blood. The brass wants to start with those of us who have the full blood package and then work down from there. Make it easier,” he explained.
“Ah. So I got to play Guinea pig because …?”
“We thought you would adapt faster given how close you are to me. And two Neocat armors …,” Jethro indicated his own armor then Letanga's, “seemed like the place to start. We're still figuring out the process of modifying the basic suits to the other bioforms,” he explained.
“Don't remind me,” Letanga said, grimacing as his fingers touched the ODN line attached to the jack on his left arm. He looked over to where Satet was guiding the replicator to make a leg component.
“The powers that be are building the basic frames out of material we've got. They still don't have the process down to do it fully right though. And the nanites are a problem,” Jethro explained. “We lose some in the new armor; they apparently start to self-destruct. But they do it slowly, a degradation process until we get the suit online and initialized. Just another fun thing we're learning as we go along,” he said.
“Lovely.”
<)>^<)>/
Lil Red took the shuttle flight down without much incident. She wasn't near a window since she was in coach. She would have much rather been curled up in a small space, but the stewardess had insisted she sit in the regular seat. It hadn't fitted her, and the massive seat belt had covered most of her torso and had been incredibly uncomfortable.
She'd seen an elf who had it worse than her though, so she didn't complain.
When they got to the ground, she breezed through customs since she only had her small bag. She went out into the crisp morning air, scenting it. She spotted some Marines in their uniforms so she tagged along with them to their base.
<)>^<)>/
“I'm sorry, sir; there was nothing in his file about it being restricted,” Corporal Chi said as Lieutenant Fletcher interviewed her. “Is there a problem?”
“You inquired about a Marine who has a special tag in his file. Why did you do so? And why did you need his location?”
“I was asked to do so by a young Neocat. She is from Protodon and was looking for the warrant,” Corporal Chi replied, clearly curious from her tone of voice about the inquiry the A.I. judged.
“Very well. Do you know where this person is?”
“She and I ate dinner at a buffet place nearby and then I escorted her to the night shuttle down to the planet. I instructed her to make her inquiry with the Marine base there, sir,” the Pug replied.
“Ah. I'll have her flagged. Do you have imagery of her?”
“Yes, sir,” the Neopug said. She accessed the previous day's recordings, found the appropriate time chops, and then attached them to an email to be sent to the A.I.
Lieutenant Fletcher, however, was in her system and had monitored her the entire time. He kept a copy of the chops as well as the voice recording. “Thank you. For future reference, any inquiries about personnel should be tagged. We don't want someone getting into trouble,” he warned.
“Yes, sir. It isn't in the handbook though. I didn't see the harm. She's a waif, sir, lost her father in the war zone …,” she shrugged uncomfortably.
“Understood. Also, don't fall for a sob story, Corporal,” the A.I. stated as he got an image of the Neocat. He checked the Marine gate and noted a guard had noticed the cat hanging around outside.
“She is at the gate. I will take it from there. Thank you, Corporal,” the A.I. said as he disconnected the circuit.
<)>^<)>/
Lil Red saw the grim Marines coming up the street. She waited in the tree. When they oriented on her and came to her, she felt a trace of alarm. It grew as they came closer and looked up at her tree. “Come down from there. We need to take you into custody, ma'am,” the Neodog growled.
“Why? What'd I do? I'm just sitting here!” she said, voice rising shrilly as she sat up.
“You need to answer some questions, ma'am. Now don't make me climb up there,” the guard growled.
Lil Red panicked as he reached the tree. She bolted along the branch, when it bent she jumped, scrambled onto the edge of another branch, then bounded off it when it wouldn't support her weight. She hit the tree on her way down, ducked under one Marine, slid under the dog as he took a swipe at her, then went feet first into a storm drain.
She landed on her feet with a splash, then lifted her foot and shook it in distaste at the dirty diaper she'd landed on.
“Damn it! Find her!”
“I'm tracking her heat signature. Someone figure out where this goes …”
Lil Red's ears perked. Finally, she oriented on the direction the Marines were going. There were two of them so she took a different direction from either of them when she got to her first intersection.
<)>^<)>/
“We lost her, sir. She's a slippery one,” the MP reported. “She just went into a sewer drain like she owned it,” he said with a shake of his head.
“I saw your implant recording of the incident. Nice thought attaching them; they undoubtedly saved you some grief. She is indeed fast,” Lieutenant Fletcher stated. “I've opened a file on her. I'll take it from here,” he stated.
“Yes, sir. We'll keep an eye out for her.”