by E J Randolph
I grabbed the screen out of his hands and raced through the list. “These are good movies.”
A slow smile spread across his face.
I gazed at him for a long moment. “I get it. Thank you.”
“That’s what I’m here for. Doctor's orders. You pick one of those programs and check back in two weeks.”
I giggled. “We’ll arrive at Bellasport in one week.”
He chuckled. “How about you check back in one week.”
I studied the various options and settled on one. The directions said I could start right away, send a payment and my first reports later. The program took people who signed up and placed them into an appropriate level. Anyone could study with them as long as they wanted and get a certificate for work completed. I snapped my fingers. Easy.
During the next week I watched a number of my favorite movies. I analyzed the craftsmanship, the acting, the writing, the lighting, the camera work, and especially the editing. What fun.
A few days later at dinner, John glanced at me. “You certainly seem to be in a good mood.”
Ricardo waved his fork. “She’s happy we’re going to Bellasport.”
Dan smiled but said nothing.
Nick tapped his plate. “I’ve been counting, and she has smiled fifty percent more times in the last two days.”
John stared at him for several seconds.
I stood. “I’ve got to rest now because I won’t be sleeping for six months.”
Ricardo tilted his head. “Not even if you date?”
I waggled my eyebrows. “Especially not then.”
In my quarters I gazed at myself in my mirror. Would I find someone special on Bellasport? Get a relationship going? There was no point worrying if I were pretty enough. I was all I had. But would that matter? If I ended up metaphorically cleaning toilets at the embassy, would anyone care how I looked? No, I was not going to let that happen.
CHAPTER THREE
*<>*
O N THE day of touchdown at Bellasport, I woke early and hastened to the commons with Shebang. She showed no interest in any of the usual food items I suggested and continued to look at me with a bright eyed, what-else-can-you-come-up-with expression. I punched up oysters, and she gobbled the slimy, gooey things. My stomach heaved, and I settled for tea for breakfast.
“Time to strap down.” John’s voice came over the intercom. “Approaching the transition port.”
A shiver of excitement ran up my spine. I hurried to the control room, strapped myself in, and strapped Shebang into the small harness Nick had made. She stared straight ahead like a stone statue of a long-ago Egyptian cat god.
We dropped out of flicker space at the appropriate coordinates and streamed toward the beautiful blue ball that was Bellasport.
I glanced at Nick. “I wonder why we strap in when we transition. It’s not like there’s even a bump.”
He looked into the distance. “There are terrific stresses on the skin and structure of the ship. Used to tear ships apart.” He smiled. “The engineering has improved – most of the time.”
An image of the ship being torn apart entered my mind, and I shuddered.
A big grin creased Ricardo’s brown face. “Two hours to Bellasport.”
We all smiled.
Near the planet John contacted the tower at the main spaceport. “Federation Navy ship FNCV 635 here for a six month layover. Need maintenance facilities.” The tower assigned an outlying port, and John smiled with satisfaction. “Didn’t want to be parked in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the main port.”
But of course the guys would sleep onboard, like they always did. Surely living that way would feel like always being in transit to somewhere. I tapped my finger. “You know Bellasport offers every kind of accommodation imaginable.”
Nick grinned. “But it’s not home.”
“That’s the whole point.”
John rubbed his forefinger and thumb. “It costs a lot of money to live in uncomfortable, strange surroundings and pay for bad food you have to wait for.”
“But you’re missing the point.”
Ricardo grinned. “If I score I’ll let her bring me to her place.”
I wagged my index finger. “Cheapskates, the lot of you.”
Dan laughed. “Look at it this way. If I find a young lady who wants to spend time with me, I can check into a hotel at that time.”
Did the guys appreciate the R&R we had earned? “We’re landing at the party planet of the Federation. The thought of you guys spending it studying onboard is intolerable.”
John chuckled. “Don't worry so much, Mother Hen. We will be availing ourselves of the pleasant diversions Bellasport has to offer.”
I snorted and called up more information on Bellasport. Bella, the capital city, sprawled over several square kilometers with parks embedded in all the business and residential areas. Our assigned port was not located in a bleak, industrial area as it would be on so many other planets. It was surrounded by a thickly wooded park with hiking paths winding through it. Hmm. Maybe I too would spend nights onboard.
Our pilot touched down and maneuvered the ship to the side of the lot next to the woods and near the maintenance facility.
John glanced at us. “I’ll stand first watch.”
Ricardo grinned, “Fine with me, ol' man.”
John clapped him on the shoulder. “Don't forget me while you are out having a good time.”
“Don't sweat it. I’ll be back.” Ricardo raised both hands palms facing outward. “I’ll pull second watch.”
I frowned. “Stand watch? Why can't we all go?”
“Killbot War.” John’s voice was curt.
“I know about the ol' regulation that came out of that war. You left the ship during the day on Gorak.”
“And you know what happened.”
“Oh, yeah. We were kidnapped. But what about when we were on Terminus?”
“We all left only for a couple, brief times in the day on a low-tech planet with Miss A set to nonlethal defenses. Most of the time someone was onboard. Now we’re on a modern, technically oriented planet, with people and spacecraft from all over the Federation and elsewhere. Anything can happen at any time.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “What exactly in the Killbot War made everyone decide to keep a human onboard spaceships all the time? That war occurred a long time ago. Besides, Miss A is completely trustworthy.”
“Chinese killbots cut a swath of death and destruction through India that beggars my capacity to describe. The Chinese claimed it was an accident that the robots ran amok. It may have been, but–”
“I know about all that.”
“Soon most of Old Earth was at war.”
“It was a long time ago.”
“But it shocked Old Earth. One of the newly formed Old Earth government decrees was to keep a human in the loop at all times and to build all computers with limits.” He rubbed his chin. “But not Miss A.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “She has no restrictions.”
“Should we have kept someone on board on Gorak?”
“Yes, even though we set her to nonlethal self-protection only. We should never have left her alone – not just to conform with regulations, but to protect us as well. With someone on Miss A at all times, we always have back-up when we’re on a planet.” He pounded the console. “Think what would have happened if one of us had been onboard to pilot Miss A to the rescue on Gorak?”
I lowered my head. “I understand.”
Ricardo waved his arms. “Hey, guys, are we going to have a regret session or have a good time?”
I leaped out of my chair. “You’re right. I’m ready.” I sped down the passageway and skipped the length of the gangway. “Come on, you slow pokes.”
Dan, Nick, Ricardo and I hustled to the small, glass-domed station near the port and caught the high-speed underground shuttle. Within a few minutes we jumped off in downtown Bella and hurried up the ramp to street level.
/> I spread my arms, raised my face to the sky, and turned three hundred sixty degrees. “Bellasport, I am here! I made it!”
The guys laughed.
I took a deep breath. No smog. No dirt. What a beautiful city! Across the street, a large park invited with wandering paths and shady green trees. People of all ages walked around or sat on park benches. Children played ball sports, laughed, and chased each other in the clear air. Multistory glass buildings housing vast networks of interplanetary banking and trade soared on the perimeter of the park.
For a few moments Ricardo consulted his wrist computer. “Two blocks to the north, then through an alley.” He smiled. “That’s not far even for spacers who need to get their land legs back.”
I was not ready for even a short hike. I glanced at a nearby robotaxi.
“Come on.” He waved at me to follow him. “It will be excellent exercise. Just what we need to work up a proper appetite worthy of the food.” He took off at a quick clip. Of course with all his exercise, he was in great shape.
Dan and Nick hurried after Ricardo. I heaved a sigh. Oh, alright. I ran and caught up with Dan and Nick. They began a walking speed competition. As the shortest member of the group, even with my legs a blur of motion, I fought a hopeless battle against my longer-legged companions.
Nick won hands down, his thin, angular body leaning forward and his long legs churning. He reached Ricardo and got him to stop and wait until we were together as a group.
Another hundred meters and we stopped in front of a building in the shape of a rocket with its nose pointing to the sky. The multistory, black cylinder had simulated flames shooting out the bottom.
Ricardo grinned. “Wait 'til you see the entrees – Flash Gordon burgers, Ming the Merciless chocolate shakes.” He smiled a little boy smile. “Are you ready?”
We hurried up the gangway, the door slid open, and we pressed into an interior teeming with kids and only a few adults.
Ricardo grinned like a little kid, went to get our food and returned with a tray filled with burgers and shakes. “My treat.”
I bit into the tastiest burger I’d ever eaten. “Mmm, delicious.”
Dan took a big bite. “Mmm, yes. Great place.”
Nick snapped his fingers. “All it needs is sweet honey.” He got a package of thick, gold honey and poured it over his burger.
Dan suppressed a smile. “How about a pickle to go with your shake?”
Nick tilted his head to the side for a moment. “Nah, I think that would be a bit tart.”
~ ~ ~
I tossed my wrappers. “What’s on for the afternoon?”
Nick smiled shyly. “I know where there is a cool amusement park with the universe's most diabolical rides.”
I clapped my hands. “I’m up for it even if I lose my lunch.”
Ricardo's eyes brightened. “What are we waiting for?”
I shook my head. “Poor John, he’s missing all this.”
“Don't worry, I’ll bring him here, and if the amusement park lives up to Nick's description, I’ll bring him there as well.”
Nick consulted his wrist computer. “Need to take the shuttle.” He led the way to the nearest underground station.
Half an hour later we stood in a long line outside a huge, alien head with red eyes, saliva dripping from long fangs and folds and folds of sickly white, scaly skin. Groups of people stepped into the cavernous mouth and the jaws closed and made chewing motions. A few minutes later the huge maw opened for its next “victims.”
I shuddered. “Yuk! That’s gruesome looking.”
We moved toward the big mouth. The monstrous eyes turned and stared at me with horrible, malicious menace. I stifled a scream and froze to the spot. The guys moved forward, but I didn’t budge.
Ricardo glanced at me. “Come on, Kate, you’ll miss the fun.”
Dan held out his arm and bent toward my ear. “Don't worry. I won't let it eat you.”
Ricardo took up station on my other side. “That alien will rue the day it took us on.”
I stepped into the alien's mouth. The air reeked of rotting flesh. The alien's teeth moved up and down amid loud shrieks and the sounds of breaking bones. The little kids in there screamed for their mommies. The conveyor belt carrying us forward dropped us off within seconds into comparative peace and quiet. I gave a shaky laugh. “That is definitely an, uh, unusual entrance way.”
Ricardo hopped up and down with excitement. “That was great!”
Nick grinned. “Did you see how that was done? Lots of coordination of holo imagery with sound and smell.” A sign pointed to the left for classic rides and to the right for modern. “We want the classic for a copy of the coolest roller coaster ever built.”
We entered a huge, phony rock cavern filled with dinosaur replicas that shook the ground and roared. A medium-sized, ostrich-like robot snapped its beak at me.
I drew back. “This one is demanding food and might bite me.”
Nick pulled an apple out of his pocket and held it out. The creature grabbed it with its mouth and raced away. Nick’s eyes widened. “Ooh, awesome technology.”
“How did you know to bring an apple?”
“I read the description. Everybody knows this is where you feed the dinosaurs.”
“What if you hadn’t been here with an apple?”
Nick grinned. “You might have been eaten.”
“Oh, come on.”
“You’re right. There is so much safety built in, no one can get hurt.”
The conveyor disgorged us onto a platform in a large area filled with rides.
Nick hurried to a directory of rides. “We want the demon roller coaster.” He pointed to the left and led the way at a rapid pace.
A couple minutes later we stood beneath a large structure of wood with rails riding on top. A historic plaque announced this was a recreation of a famed roller coaster in California on Old Earth. We were in luck. The line was short and the previous ride was coming to an end.
We climbed into the little, open cars, the safety bars came down, and we were off, the train of cars creaking and clattering on the wooden frame. We inched up an impressive incline and flew down a steep decline, whirled around corners and careened up and down. We spent weightless moments flying high over the tops of inclines and experienced g forces pressing us against our seats in the barrel rolls. My tummy rose, threatened to come out my mouth, and went back where it belonged.
I got out with shaky legs. Nick and Ricardo hopped up and down with excitement.
Ricardo hurried to the end of the line. “Let's do it again.”
I laughed. “That’s all my tummy can take. I pointed to a small cafe with outdoor tables not too far away. “Collect me from there when you’re finished.”
The two of them nodded with little boy smiles on their faces and jumped into the next roller coaster car.
Dan stood next to me. “I’ll join Kate.”
I walked with him to the cafe. Large, red and white striped umbrellas shaded white-painted, wrought-iron tables ringed by matching chairs with red cushions. A perfect place to get something to settle my stomach and nerves.
A petite, black-haired, young woman of Asian descent stood behind the counter. “What shall you have?”
“What’s the favorite drink around here?”
“Alcoholic or nonalcoholic?”
I looked at Dan.
“We’re off duty.”
“Make it alcoholic.”
“That would be a lemon fizz.”
“Okay. Two for us.”
We carried the tall, slim glasses filled with a yellow liquid and rimmed with lemon slices to a table near the walkway where we could do some people watching.
Dan raised one eyebrow. “I’m not sure a drink is real without a paper umbrella to remove.”
I chuckled. “Something tells me this is not the local favorite drink. Have you ever heard of a lemon drink being a planetary or even a city-wide favorite?”
He
gave a short laugh. “You’re right.”
“Let’s play guess the planet of origin. See that couple with a child?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s so sad. They’ve come here in a vain attempt to save the child's life. They’re from Plantagio, one of the primitive, agricultural planets.”
Dan squinted at me. “How do you know?”
“The clothes! I made that up about the child, but the clothes are a dead giveaway of agricultural pursuits.” I gave him a conspiratorial look. “Maybe this is a tryst, and the child is along to allay suspicions.”
“Not a good idea. Can’t do much with a child along.”
“Oh, you’re right.”
Dan waved at a single, tall figure in a naval uniform striding on legs disproportionately long enough to give Nick a run for his money. “I have no trouble identifying that man as a naval officer simply by his clothes.”
“Hmm, right.” I stared at the man. He walked with a bold stride and a wayward lock of black hair fell over his broad forehead.
The tall man glanced at us, flashed us a big smile, and headed our way. With surprising grace he hopped over the short railing demarcating the cafe from the walkway. “Nice to see another navy uniform.” He held out his hand to Dan. “Pierre Leden, exec on the medium combatant, Canopus, in port for two weeks liberty. Just docked two to three hours ago. Would have been here earlier, but as you know, there are always a few more forms to fill out.”
“Dan Thompson, corpsman on the courier ship, Miss Appropriation.”
Pierre held out his hand to me.
My stomach tingled. “Kate Stevens, diplomatic service, currently on R&R.”
“What are you drinking?”
“Lemon fizzes.”
He darted toward the counter and returned with two lemon fizzes and a large mug of beer. He gave me an intense look that hit me like an electric shock a few centimeters below my naval.
His features were a little too sharp to be considered handsome, and he seemed a simple but nice guy until my eyes met his. They were way too old for his nearly unlined face. There was some depth here.