Gods of War (Jethro goes to war Book 5)

by Chris Hechtl

  “Getting them in should be easy,” Lieutenant Fletcher stated. “It is inadvisable for them to be issued standard Marine armor, however, given it will need to be upgraded to Cadre standards. That doesn't seem to be working well I believe.”

  “The three suits are a pain to upgrade, yes, sir. They are form fitted for those Marines though, sir, so we know the basic body shapes involved. But the parts aren't the same and just about every component has to be remade anyway. Sergeant Riley said they were nearly finished.”

  “Okay. I'll have them go through the basics, then hit the SIMS. Good enough for you?” the captain asked. Jethro nodded. “Good. Get me the orders, and I'll sign off on them.”

  “I'll have Bast get the orders for me, sir,” Jethro said with a flick. Bast grimaced but then put the order forms up on his HUD. “And she just did.”

  “Filled out?”

  Jethro eyed the forms. The names and information filled in on their own. Most likely Bast again he judged. “They are now, sir,” he said.

  “Send them then. It is nice to have an A.I.,” the captain said with a shake of his head. He looked at the lieutenant. “I can't wait to have my own partner,” he said.

  “I'm not interested, sir; you aren't my type,” Fletcher replied dryly. Jethro and the captain chuckled.

  <)>^<)>/

  Jethro managed to get a warning in to Red a few minutes before the two people arrived. The ONI ensign was an elf; the other, a woman from Child Protective Services, was a small human female. The woman was in a dress and rather frumpy with her hair done up in a bun and wearing severe glasses. She was also allergic to cats, which they found out when she started to sneeze and stuff up uncontrollably.

  The interview went rather fast for the CPS woman who apparently didn't want to have anything to do with the cat. Cats plural given the way she kept shooting Jethro a dark and brooding look from time to time. She signed off on the situation and took off within twenty minutes of her arrival.

  “Well, that was unprofessional,” Ensign Waterlily said with a shake of her head. She flicked her antenna at Red. Red was fascinated by the dangling things. Jethro just hoped she didn’t' try to bat or “play” with the elf. He'd seen her version of playing with a fly. It hadn't worked out well for the fly.

  Lil Red was troubled, quiet, and reserved. Jethro could tell when the ensign pressed her that the domestic cat wanted to hide under an end table in the room. “I'm just an analyst; I'm glad they got me out of the office for this though,” the ensign pronounced when she was done. “You understand you cannot go into restricted areas?” she demanded, eying Lil Red. The cat nodded solemnly.

  “You can't ask Warrant McClintock about his work. He can only answer in the vaguest terms,” she said, eying Jethro.

  He nodded.

  “If I can't ask, how can he answer?” Lil Red asked, wrinkling her pert nose.

  “Well, never mind that,” Waterlily said with a shrug. “Being a member of a Marine family can be rough. You move a lot,” she warned. “But if you are willing to go forward with the adoption, I don't see any problems with ONI. But Warrant McClintock has to understand there are threats to your safety as well,” she said, eying Jethro. “I don't know what, I wasn't told, and I was just told to convey that message.”

  “I understand, ma'am,” Jethro said quietly.

  “I … you can adopt me?” Red asked, eying Jethro. He nodded slowly. “I … you'd be my father?”

  “It's a formal way to let you stay with me. It's on paper, Red. I know you didn't have much of a dad …”

  “I hated him. You … you seemed to be my dad. That's how I remember you anyway,” Red said with a tail flick. “Where do I sign?” she asked, looking at the elf.

  “Well, um, that's not my department. I'm here to assess you and see if you present a security risk,” the elf stated. “And as long as you stay out of trouble, don't tell anything about the warrant to anyone,” she shook one finger at the Neocat, “stay clean with the law, you are okay. I don't have the last word, but that is what I'm recommending to the brass,” she said.

  “Thank you, ma'am,” Jethro said quietly as he showed the elf out.

  <)>^<)>/

  “So, she's not a threat?” Lieutenant Fletcher asked as he scanned the report.

  “No, sir. I believe she would be an asset to ONI if properly guided. But that is up to her. She is highly immature at this stage in her life. Definitely not ready for any serious duty.”

  “Then the warrant is going to have his hands full. I'm almost willing to reject her for the distraction she is going to create, but with the admiral distracted by Caroline's return, perhaps it is a good thing. He can get Caroline sorted out and the warrant can get his house in order. Hopefully, they'll be able to pick up where they left off shortly.”

  “Yes, sir. Above my pay grade,” the elf replied, clearly confused.

  “That it is. Forget I said it. You did good. You can return to your normal duties then, Ensign.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  <)>^<)>/

  Bast realized she had to bow to the inevitable so she got the paperwork and presented it to Jethro. She also added her own bots to monitor the little feral cat. Jethro went to work, but he fretted about Red the entire time. He'd given her his number in case of an emergency, but Red called out of boredom, constantly interrupting him.

  Jethro for his part remained patient. He dutifully filled out the paperwork as well as paperwork to transfer into general population. He would no longer be in the noncom barracks or officer's quarters. Bast quietly made an appointment for Red to see the base civilian doctors. She flashed the appointment up on his HUD. Jethro grimaced but then nodded.

  He knew that domestic Neocats were one of the most common of the Neo species. But they had a high mortality rate as young and a low life span. Inbreeding was a problem as was breeding with fallow cats, genetic issues with breeding with larger feline breeds, and then there was exposure to possible diseases and viruses. He wanted her to live a long healthy life so seeing the doctor and getting her off on the right paw was vital.

  The following morning, he took Red to the pediatrician. She hadn't been happy about the poking and prodding, but they'd gotten through it. She'd dutifully swallowed the pills for her ID implants. “The implants will let you do all sorts of things,” Jethro said after she popped one pill but stopped to stare suspiciously at the second. “You can get into banking and use some electronics differently. And you will be tracked,” he warned.

  Her eyes refocused on him. “Tracked?”

  “The implant will allow ONI and base security to keep an eye on you. They want you to remain in the civilian side of the base. So, you can't wander. This is a requirement, Red; it's not negotiable,” he warned her, taking a harder stance.

  “Okay,” she said meekly. She popped the pill in, chased it with a gulp of water, and then made a show of swallowing it. He watched the pill go down into her gullet.

  “I'll show you how to use your implants tomorrow.”

  “Why not today?” Red asked.

  “Because they don't kick in until you go to sleep for a couple of hours,” Jethro explained patiently.

  “She has a clean bill of health, sir,” the pediatrician said as she came back in the room.

  “I could have told you that,” Red said with a sniff.

  “It is nice to know. We don't have you on file so we had to do a full workup. You said there are no files on Protodon?”

  “Zelma made us get the shots that the free clinics gave out. That was it.”

  “Okay, well, we tested your blood, and you are good there. Feline Parvo, Distemper, Rabies and other diseases are all covered. Good to know,” the medic said with a nod. “Do you want an implant?” she asked.

  “I thought you just gave me one?” Red asked.

  “No, silly. This is a different sort. It's um …,” she glanced at Jethro. He flicked his ears. “Female dear,” she said. “This sort of implant stops you from going
into heat for a few years. No more threat of getting pregnant. No more being chained to the cycle,” she explained. “We have literature about it …,” she offered.

  “I … my sister got a shot to stop her from getting pregnant. I think they gave me something like it. I haven't had a normal heat cycle,” Red said, cocking her head as she tried to remember. After a moment, she shrugged.

  “We didn't … let me check the blood again,” the doctor said as she left the room.

  “Should I get it?” Red asked as she looked at Jethro.

  “I should hope so. That way you can focus on what you want, not have the boys chasing; you can be sick sometimes,” Jethro said.

  “I remember the cramps and the blood from my rump,” Red said, checking herself. “I remember the boys chasing me.”

  “Well? You need to go to school, young lady.”

  “School?” Red asked, eying him as if he was crazy.

  “Well, you aren't going to sit around watching TV and driving me nuts calling me because you're bored,” he mocked. “You go to school to get an education and to get a better job and career down the road. Zelma didn't get you into school?”

  “She had at-home classes,” Red said indifferently. “I tried, but honestly, I'm not into math and stuff,” she said with a shrug.

  “Well, there are other things you can learn,” Jethro said. “How are you doing with the implants?” he asked.

  “They are … weird,” Red said, pretending to swat at something. “I keep wanting to swat at the things hovering in my vision. Do I have to put up with it all the time?”

  “It's not that bad. And you can set it to just come up when you need it. I like the Wi-Fi,” Jethro said.

  “You've got implants too; I know that. What's Wi-Fi?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.

  He went on to explain that as the doctor finished her retest and came back.

  “You have a one-year implant according to the blood test,” the doctor said. “It is set to expire in a month. Do you wish to renew it or get something longer?”

  “I …,” Red frowned, looking at Jethro. She shrugged. “Whatever you think is right,” she finally said.

  The doctor turned to Jethro. He squirmed, being put on the spot about her health was something he supposed he was going to have to get used to as a parent. “Try the one year for now,” he said. The doctor nodded.

  “Okay,” Red said, then her eyes widened comically. “That means I've got to get another shot, right?” she said, clearly afraid.

  “No dear, we can give you a pill,” the doctor said. Red slumped in relief. Jethro flicked his ears in amusement at her behavior.

  <)>^<)>/

  He was still forced to jump through the paperwork hoops the red tape brigade threw at him in order to adopt her though. The Marine's bureaucrats had their own version, and getting them to allow her into base housing was a challenge. As they were glacially moving along, he started to get Red into something of a normal routine and try to domesticate the feral child.

  There was of course the problem with her being on the RECON base. RECON had no facilities for civilian dependents. Captain Lyon tried to lecture him about the problem, but he instantly saw obstinacy in the warrant's eyes. He decided to try to find a way to make it work. “Damn it, you are dead serious about going through with this?” he asked.

  Jethro nodded. “I got her this far, sir. I want to see her through school and into some sort of profession. I believe we're going to be here a year, right?”

  “At least that,” the captain said with a nod. “No way I can talk you out of it?”

  “It's not just me, sir. She's a willful little minx,” Jethro said ruefully.

  The captain snorted. “That's typical with most females of any species I've found,” he growled.

  “I'm finding that part out the hard way, sir,” Jethro said with a shake of his head.

  “She's your responsibility, Jethro. We are on a secure base for a reason,” the captain said. “If she talks, not only will she go through hell, but so will you and I. I'm going out on a limb here for you. You're going out further for her. See that she doesn't saw it off behind us.”

  “Yes, sir. I'll do my level best to make certain she doesn't know what she doesn't need to know. Strict separation of work and home life,” he offered. “I know Bast will keep me honest.”

  Bast nodded emphatically.

  “Okay. ONI has signed off on it tentatively, and CPS washed their hands. I don't think anyone thought about the threat of putting you and her in general Marine population. It is a threat to her as well as you and your neighbors,” the captain said, eying Jethro severely enough to make the Neocat wince.

  “But, we have no choice. You are going to have to get on her about the ground rules and get used to a longer commute time,” he warned. Jethro nodded. “The good news is, as we add additional personnel to the Cadre rosters, we'll be able to make more parts cottage style. And we'll be able to make different sized parts and for different species, so that should lighten the load.”

  “Yes, sir. I thought of that. We're still hung up on the admiral though.”

  “I know. Well, we'll work it out. Get the routine going and get her into school or work.”

  “Aye aye, sir.”

  “Funny, I was surprised ONI signed off at all. I wonder if they have designs on her,” the captain mused. Jethro's eyes flared in alarm. “No, not anything short term, I've read the file. They and CPS noted her maturity issue. I gather she is a handful?”

  “I tried to research it. Some people mature at different rates than others. Some see trauma and instantly hit the adult mold, others bounce off or in some cases break and never mature. I'm hoping she's not the last one, sir,” he said.

  “You and me both. Okay, get back to the Cadre. I'll finish the paperwork. You should have it by the turn of the watch tomorrow.”

  “Thank you, sir,” the Neocat said.

  “Oh, don't thank me. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into. You've got a small inkling now, but it will get a lot worse when she gets older and more set in her ways,” he warned.

  “I was a DI, sir. Still am. I know we need to break bad habits and form new ones. I’ll do my best to do it with her.”

  “It’s not as easy when it’s family, Jethro. But you'll find that out in time. Good luck.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  <)>^<)>/

  Caroline's return had thoroughly disrupted Admiral Irons' plans, but it had allowed the Cadre members to get their feet under them and get more of the suits roughed out. By the time the admiral's office called Captain Lyon and alerted him to the admiral's arrival the following week, they'd finished eight more suits, bringing the total to a gratifying twelve ready to be initiated, and five completely synched up with their users.

  Well, not quite synched up, Jethro thought. They spent so much time getting the other suits online that they didn't have much time to train. At least after the first month, Letanga had sorted himself out into a more normal routine and didn't need to nap anymore, though he admitted Satet did on a regular basis still. He always had a note of affection when he talked about his A.I. Jethro wondered briefly if it was in his own voice when he talked to or about Bast.

  Quite possibly he thought.

  Tungulria had gone through a less invasive procedure, so he'd bounced back in half the time as Letanga. Fenrir had a mind of his own though and still insisted on the occasional nap with his partner, whether said partner wanted it or not.

  Roarack had a similar issue, but he managed to adapt to the situation.

  With the admiral being unavailable for such long periods due to the briefings and ansible meetings he'd attended, they'd been forced to table questions for later. But when the admiral did come, it was awesome to see him go to work.

  Jethro was there when the admiral inspected the twelve suits and then jacked into each one. Each suit morphed and changed, writhing and reshaping themselves with their internal nanites. It was a lit
tle stomach churning sometimes and a bit annoying, given it had taken them weeks to make the parts only for him to change them all in minutes to their final form. But by the time he'd made the rounds, twelve new Cadre armors had been completed and ready for their partners to be synched to.

  Unfortunately, they only had one more full blood, Private Lobo, a new private who had just passed the RECON class. He had some training and swore he was a combat veteran before enlisting.

  Since they didn't want to do implants on the others just yet, he was the only one to get a suit that go around.

  “I think Nara, Doctor Thornby is dithering about the whole process with the rest of the group to be honest,” Admiral Irons said as they took Lobo to the Resurrection facility.

  “Letanga had a few rough spots. Everyone is of the blood, but some more than others I heard. The less they have, the more trouble they will have,” Jethro stated.

  “I know. We've got to get it done though,” the admiral said.

  “Is there a way for her to implant the Royal Jelly into the others and then have you activate it later? Do it in stages, sir?” Jethro asked just as his implants pinged. He winced.

  “Problem?” the admiral asked, sensing the incoming signal.

  “It's … Red, sir, my adopted daughter. She's …,” he checked the text. She'd called, but Bast had screened it. He'd told her and told her that he was going to be late that evening, to not wait up, but she was already starting in with the “are you done yet” pestering.

  “I get it. I read ONI's report and signed off on it,” the admiral said. He looked up. “At least, I think I did,” he mused. He shrugged after a moment. “I've been dealing with so much paperwork they just stick a pen in my hand and tell me where to sign now. My eyes are bleeding,” he said with a shake of his head.

  “Sorry to hear that, sir.”

  “So, getting you lot sorted out will be one less headache. Back to your suggestion, I'll take it up with Nara. As for Red,” he smiled in sympathy, “it's all part of the joys of being a parent. I understand she's a teenager?”