Vira Episode One

by Odette C. Bell

  This time Jameson controlled the throw, and Park could tell, considering what had happened with Vira, that Jameson deliberately didn’t use his whole force.

  He kept the Ensign pinned for several seconds until Jameson pulled up, offered the guy a hand, and pulled him to his feet.

  Jameson spun hard on his regulation boots and continued to walk down the line. “I’ve been brought aboard the Apollo to shake up security. And I intend to do just that. Due to the changing nature of the Coalition’s never ending battle for peace, we must be prepared for attack,” he said, and in a blisteringly quick move, he pivoted on his foot and threw himself backward 2 m, attacking the Lieutenant several people down the line.

  The guy had visibly relaxed, obviously thinking that Jameson would only attack people closest to him.

  A mistake.

  Jameson barreled into the guy’s chest and knocked him to the floor.

  He held the guy down for the regulation time, then shifted up and pulled the man to his feet. “If we’re not ready,” Jameson continued, “then we’re useless. The threats that will come our way are changing,” he said flatly, “and we must be on guard every moment of every day.”

  Jameson had walked several meters away from Park.

  But Jameson turned and threw himself at Park.

  Park was ready for it, and pivoted to the side, fully expecting to dodge the move. Just at the last moment, Jameson changed direction and managed to wrap an arm around Park’s middle.

  Park’s combat skills kicked into gear, and he bucked back, planting his feet hard into the surface of the metal floor.

  The two men began to grapple. Jameson was strong. Quick, too, and though Park hated to admit this – the two of them were on par.

  Jameson attempted to throw Park down several times, and Park did the same, but after a few tries, Jameson broke free.

  Park knew better than to continue the sparring match.

  He straightened up, let his arms drop to his sides, and looked straight ahead.

  Jameson offered a curt nod as he shifted backward, neatened his training vest with his hand, then turned to the group. “You must never turn it off – that part in your mind that expects attack. Because as the security division of this ship, you are in a privileged and yet terrible position. If anything happens to the crew of this vessel, it will ultimately be your responsibility. You’re not responsible for the engine. You’re not responsible for the meals getting onto the tables in the mess hall in time. You’re not responsible for piloting this vessel. But you are responsible for the crew. If you sense danger, go toward it. If the cost of saving someone else is your life, then I ask that you give it. Because ultimately, though we do not make the ships and dictate the orders, we are the force that drives the Coalition forward. Because ultimately, we are the last line of defense.”

  Jameson was a good speaker – Park would admit that. But Park had gone through many chest-punching orations in his life, and they ultimately meant little to him.

  Vira?

  She was standing straighter. The look in her eyes was different, too.

  Park’s stomach sank. The Admiral’s warning slammed into his mind – that Vira would take her orders literally. She’d been cooped up for too long, and like any good soldier, all she wanted to do was get out there and act.

  “So here is my order,” Jameson continued, “each and every one of you must protect this crew. And ultimately, you must protect the Coalition. You must do whatever it takes. And you must never, never drop your guard.” Jameson spun, heading toward Vira once more.

  He brought his fist up, angling it toward her jaw.

  Vira dodged back.

  It all happened in an instant, but that flash of time was more than long enough for Park’s stomach to do it again – to twist as if someone were tying a noose around his intestines. At the sight of Jameson trying to punch Vira, Park’s anger surged.

  But again, he needn’t have worried.

  Though Jameson pivoted direction quickly, showing the same seriously quick agility he had during his sparring match with Park, Vira was prepared for him.

  She dodged back again just as Jameson attempted to land a kick to her knee.

  “Whatever you do, don’t take him down too hard,” Park thought at her desperately.

  Either she followed his thought, or she didn’t need to. Rather than attack, Vira competently dodged.

  Thankfully, she didn’t float into the air, transport, or call on her subspace weapons. She simply pivoted, snapped back, and leaped to the side, showing speed that was unusual but certainly not impossible for a competently trained security officer.

  Jameson kept sparring. “And here’s my final lesson, my final order,” he said as he brought his arms up in a boxing position and swiped toward her once more, “we can’t always be on the defensive. At some time, we have to attack. Peace isn’t won by building walls between us and our enemies – it’s won by breaking down our enemy’s defenses and ending the fight.”

  Vira took the order literally. Park had just enough time to see her eyes. And he saw it – the cooped-up soldier.

  Just as Jameson shifted direction in a blisteringly quick move and attempted to wrap his arms around Vira’s middle, she twisted out of the way. Before Jameson knew what she was doing, she was behind him. She shoved him hard in his back, set him off balance, kicked at the back of his knee, and sent him toppling.

  She landed on top of him, wrapped one arm underneath his neck, locked the other on the back of his left wrist, twisted it around, pinned it against his back, and tapped his wrist device twice.

  In combat training, that was the equivalent of pointing out to the loser that they were down. If this were a real fight, Vira could have used the wrist device to lock him down.

  She held him for several seconds, then jumped up. She offered him a hand.

  Jameson stared at her eyes for several seconds, but this time rather than getting up on his own, he accepted her hand.

  She pulled him to his feet. She wobbled a little, though, and had to shore up her stance – looking exactly like someone of her size would as they were attempting to haul a heavy man like Jameson to their feet.

  In other words?

  Vira looked normal.

  And Park? He blinked back his surprise.

  That had all happened so damn quickly.

  Jameson tugged down his vest several times. He nodded at Vira. “Whoever trained you did a good job,” he commented.

  Park’s back stiffened. Was that a throwaway comment? Because surely every other person here had been trained by the same people that had trained Vira – the standard Academy combat teachers.

  Vira snapped right back into line, holding her hands behind her back and ensuring her stance was even, her stare steady. She no longer blinked precisely every 10 seconds like a robot – it was much more natural. And as Park paid attention to her, he saw every now and then as her gaze darted and locked on the eyes of the other lieutenants and ensigns in turn.

  … She was starting to model her behavior off them, wasn’t she?

  Which meant she hardly needed Park’s ineloquent orders blasting through her mind, he realized with something that suspiciously felt like regret.

  Jameson swiftly ended his speech and ordered the assembled security staff to spar amongst themselves.

  Though Park desperately wanted to be paired with Vira, he didn’t get his wish. He was paired with an athletic, pretty damn attractive Ensign he’d seen on the transport.

  If this were an ordinary situation and Park didn’t have to keep his eyes on the super weapon lest she crush someone to smithereens, he would’ve enjoyed this particular pairing. The Ensign offered him a particularly nice smile, after all. But Park barely paid attention.

  He focused everything he had on Vira, twisting to stare at her whenever he could, hoping like hell she wouldn’t momentarily forget her strength and slam someone through the very floor.

  … She didn’t. Again she looked c
ompetent, well-trained, but not epically strong.

  Jameson strode between the sparring crew, correcting people’s techniques every now and then.

  He had comments for every single member of the crew – even Park – and yet none for Vira.

  Park had a reputation, for not just being the life of the party, but for being one of the best combat specialists in the Coalition. And yet, Jameson still tried to correct Park’s technique.

  If Park hadn’t been sparing all of his attention for Vira, he would’ve taken offense at that. Jameson had no right to make suggestions to Park – Jameson hadn’t been able to get Park off his feet.

  Park knew better than to look pissed.

  He was more than thankful when the training session was finally over. It took up the entire duty shift, and though the crew could have complained that that was an unacceptable length for a sparring match, he got Jameson’s point. Or had it been Vira’s point? Because the exact way she’d phrased it had stuck in his head. It wasn’t training unless it prepared you for real battle.

  Despite his skills, by the end of the eight-hour shift, Park was spent. As was the rest of the crew. Of course, except for Vira. And yet, she was making an effort to mimic everybody else’s reactions. Though she wasn’t sweating – and probably couldn’t – she attempted to stoop and slouch, though she didn’t go as far as to complain about her aching muscles. Which was wise, because as soon as some of the ensigns did it, Jameson rounded on them.

  Once they were all let out of the room, everyone staggered toward the lifts.

  Park caught sight of Vira’s face several times, and her expression was different. She looked calmer than she had since they’d come on board. She looked focused, too. And hey, while that could have been cause for celebration, it made his stomach sink. Because he could understand fully why she looked so focused. Jameson had given her a categorical order, essentially a blank check to do whatever she could to keep other people safe.

  As soon as they were alone together, he would really need to qualify that order and remind her that the best way to keep the Coalition safe for now was to ensure nobody knew who she was.

  The new security staff staggered their way toward the elevator at the end of the hall, some of them so oblivious that they didn’t see as Jameson strode up behind them.

  Vira was not oblivious. And though she’d been the first toward the elevator, she swiftly turned, stood out of the way, and locked her hands behind her back, giving up her position for Jameson.

  He looked at her briefly as he strode past, nodding.

  Though Vira didn’t make eye contact, she nodded too.

  Jameson walked into the lift, turned around, and brought his hand up, spreading his fingers wide in a move that the elevator computer would recognize as an order to pause. The doors didn’t close, and Jameson cleared his throat. “We’re going to have another session like that tomorrow. And to make up for it, some of you are going to need to go on duty right now. Any volunteers?”

  Nobody volunteered.

  Except for Vira.

  She put up her hand.

  Jameson looked at her calculatingly. Though Vira had done pretty damn well during that training session, and the assembled staff would no longer think of her as a stuff up, if she became too eager, they’d think of her as a suck-up instead. Someone who was willing to do anything to gain the favor of their commanders.

  Her expression, however, was completely neutral.

  Jameson narrowed his eyes for half a second, then shrugged. “Very well. Your sacrifice means the rest of the crew here can celebrate.”

  “Ask politely where your shift will be,” Park thought to her.

  She nodded her head. “Where will my shift be?” she asked in a competent voice.

  “In the mess all.”

  Though any ordinary member of crew would point out the mess hall didn’t require security, Vira snapped a salute.

  As hard as it was to admit, Park had to appreciate one fact – despite the massive holes in her training, her salutes were perfect.

  Jameson cleared his throat. “Aren’t you going to ask why you’re being stationed in the mess hall?”

  She held her salute and let it drop. “I was waiting for your order, sir.”

  Again the delivery was perfect. Jesus Christ, yesterday when Vira had boarded the ship, she’d looked like a complete stuff up. Now she was learning faster than a sophisticated artificial intelligence designed specifically to mimic people.

  Park wasn’t an idiot, either – it wasn’t coming from his tutelage or his desperate warnings in her mind. She was watching the crew and adapting.

  He could appreciate the irony – he was the one who was called Adaptable Park, and more than that, back in her room in the Academy he’d told her that the secret to a good mission was adapting. Well, she was leaving him in the dust.

  “There have been several violent incidents on the Apollo recently. Altercations between the crew. Nothing serious. And I want to ensure it doesn’t get serious.”

  Though it was usual for there to be minor altercations between any crew, considering the stresses of being in space on an enclosed vessel, Park got the feeling this was slightly more serious.

  He frowned, too. Why hadn’t the Admiral pointed this out?

  “Who are the crew involved?” she asked competently.

  “It will be on your duty shift notes. Access them. And good luck.” With that, he straightened up and cast his glance toward the rest of the security staff. “Though you will not be on duty, in many ways, from this point forward, you will never be off-duty. If you observe a security incident, you will intervene.” Jameson swiped his hand to the left, and the lift doors finally closed.

  It took only several seconds for another lift to arrive on the deck and the doors to open. Though Vira was technically first, she took a step back and nodded to the first person in line.

  Crap, she looked distracted.

  What the hell was she thinking?

  At the revelation that the crew were fighting, was she going to secretly transport through the rest of the ship, read everybody’s minds, find the ring leaders, and deliver them to the brig by the end of her shift?

  As Park freaked out, he failed to appreciate one thing. As the rest of the security staff filed past Vira, several of them smiled and said, “thank you.”

  Though a few of them were obviously just saying it to be polite, one or two sounded genuine, and Vira looked surprised.

  … Really? She was making friends already? The cynical part of his mind pointed out. Then he pushed that away and focused on the task at hand.

  Park deliberately waited until everybody else had gone in the lifts, then he strode up to Vira’s side.

  “Don’t say anything until we’re in the lift,” he thought to her.

  She complied as the lift arrived and they strode in. As soon as the doors closed, he took a breath.

  “Do that thing again where you slow the lift down,” he thought at her.

  She shot him the kind of look he deserved – one that pointed out that only eight hours ago he’d shouted at her for doing the same.

  She shrugged.

  Park waited several seconds – the same amount of time it would take for a standard lift to arrive at its destination anywhere in the ship. When it didn’t, he let out a sigh. “Can we speak freely?” he thought to her. “I mean, can you block scanners in case anyone is listening in?” He had no idea why he was being so overcautious. He’d spoken to her freely on several occasions before now, but there was something about what Jameson had just said that had rattled Park.

  She nodded. “I am capable of outputting an unbreakable jamming field. Even if there were listening devices in this lift – which there aren’t – they would not be able to pick up nor record anything we say.”

  He let out a sigh. He brought a hand up and quickly pinched the bridge of his nose. Then he slid his gaze toward her warily.

  “You’re about to chastise me for wh
at just happened, aren’t you?” she said.

  With his fingers still clamped against the bridge of his nose, he snorted. “Just the opposite. You, Vira, did good.”

  She didn’t look as if she knew how to handle that comment. Confusion crumpled her brow. “Good?”

  There was something so cute about the move that Park dropped his fingers from his nose and laughed. It felt good, for half a second, until he remembered all of his worries.

  When she predictably looked as if she had no idea how to deal with the fact he was laughing at her, he straightened up and cleared his throat. “You acted well during that incident,” he said, sounding exactly like the competent Lieutenant he should be. “But now we need to prepare you for what comes next.”

  “A standard duty shift? I’ve already accessed the notes. I comprehend my task. I will fulfill—” she began.

  As Park’s hackles started to rise, he brought a hand up and spread his stiff fingers wide. This – that competent, eager look in her eyes – was exactly what he’d been worried about. He should have damn well volunteered for that duty shift. Then again, that would have left Vira alone to party with the rest of the crew, and though she was obviously getting better at mimicking them, he knew that the rough, curious Vira was underneath.

  She blinked. “You are regretting the fact that I volunteered for this duty shift. I did so for two reasons. I knew it would mean I didn’t have to socialize with the rest of the crew, and I also recognized it would provide me with an opportunity.”

  Park had been about to point something out, but his lips froze against his teeth. He swallowed. “What are you talking about? You can’t forget the parameters of our original mission. All we have to do is wait out the next two and a half weeks until we make it to the Expanse.”

  She nodded. “Which I will do. However, it provides me with an opportunity to go through with the secondary mission you have already given me.”

  His eyebrows crumpled. “Secondary mission?” He couldn’t remember ordering her to do anything but stand up straight, keep her mouth shut, and not blast through Jameson as if he were nothing more than a sheet of old human paper.