Standish

by Donald B McFarlane

  “I’m looking for someone.”

  46

  The Past

  Killious

  Killious looked just as cold from orbit as Standish had remembered. Her ship had jumped in just above the planet, a place she would have rather forgotten, and started its slow descent to the planet’s surface. Even though all traces of the battle that had once raged above the planet had been carefully cleaned up by an army of drones, there was still a sense of death lingering in the back of Standish’s mind when she looked down at the snow-covered world.

  When the shuttle opened its hatch inside the massive hangar that was cut into an enormous mountain, Standish took a deep breath and readied herself for what was ahead of her. With her bag slung over her shoulder, she found the duty officer for the hangar and got directions for the 5th Fleet’s personnel section, her first port of call.

  “Personal data chip.”

  The female behind the desk marked personnel was a cyborg with several technological enhancements to her red-skinned body. Her cold blue robotic eyes were not synched, one permanently fixed on Standish, while the other was looking at information that was on the disk Standish had handed her.

  “Everything is in order.” The officer said. “You will need to be given quarters on the same level as the rest of your team, Beta One-One.”

  “How many teams are stationed here?” Standish interjected.

  The second eye flicked up to join the other in looking at Standish for a moment, then looked back down.

  “You will report to your quarters.” She pulled out a small drone from her desk, powered it on, then tossed it in the air. “Follow this drone. Once you have dropped your personal items, you will report to the quartermaster for a full uniform issue, then you will report to the head of Dynamic Operations for the fleet.”

  Standish took the chip and watched as the little drone started to move away from the desk, and towards the door. It hadn’t been the warmest of welcomes, but at least she was finally where she wanted to be.

  The small grey drone led her out of the office, and down the long corridor she had passed through earlier, to a lift that opened on their approach. The elevator descended through several levels until the doors reopened to reveal another long hallway, with dozens of doors leading off of it.

  Following the drone about halfway down the hall, Standish reached a room with a single access pad on the side of it. After a few seconds hesitation, Standish tapped it, and the door opened to reveal her new home. The space was about fifteen metres deep and about eight wide. A quick survey found a small en-suite kitchen with all the basics for cooking and a small lavatory. Dropping her bag in the middle of the room, she exited back into the hallway, closed the door, and followed the drone back to the lift.

  Above the lift doors was a scrolling stream of information on a large data board. The information included the local time, the threat level, and other pieces of information that didn’t mean anything to Standish yet. Re-entering the lift, she waited as the drone picked which level they were headed to, and as the elevator rose smoothly, Standish realised that she hadn’t seen anyone once she left the personnel department.

  When the lift doors finally opened, she found herself in the middle of a vast storeroom, shelves stacked to the ceiling; a loud hum of drones, droids, and other robots moving about, carrying items from here to there. The flying drone that was acting as her tour guide immediately started to float away from the lift towards a massive desk that was in the middle of the room where a tall, slender, almost entirely silver robot was standing.

  “Val Standish, Operator.” The robot looked down on Standish, its smooth oval-shaped head without any features. “Welcome to 5th Fleet.” The robot motioned its slim arm towards a neatly folded set of clothes on the table, which included a physical fitness kit, a few pairs of footwear, and an assortment of other items. “Would you please try on all the kit to ensure it fits. Your dimensions were supplied by Dynamic Operations.”

  Standish moved over to the assorted items and started to undress. There didn’t seem to be any organic lifeforms in the massive warehouse-like space, and she wasn’t nervous about getting unclothed in front of the machines. It took a while to try on each piece and ensure that it fit properly, but once she was happy, she put on her original set of clothing and made sure that the items were tidily arranged like she had found them.

  “These will be brought to your quarters.” The robot said in a warm tone.

  “Can you get me a Rescue Technician skin suit?” She asked.

  There was a pause while the robot considered the request. “Since you are Rescue Tech qualified, I can request a skin suit.” The robot paused. “I would anticipate its arrival in the next two days.”

  Standish smiled. “Thank you.”

  The robot didn’t reply but went back to the task it had been performing before she arrived. Looking at the little hovering drone that was taking her to see the sights, she waited for it to start moving, and when it did, it went straight back to the lift and brought Standish to the same level where she had been processed.

  Leading Standish down yet another long hallway, the drone made a few turns past occupied offices, mostly with transparent walls, allowing Standish to finally see some other members of the fleet. This level, with all the offices, had a real buzz about it, and it got Standish’s heart racing.

  When the drone finally stopped, it was outside the closed door of an office with the symbol of Dynamic Operations in the middle of the door. Standish waited as the drone emitted a few beeps, and then after a moments silence, the entrance to the room opened, and Standish was called inside.

  Stepping through the door, Standish quickly looked over the room that was twice the size of her living quarters but scantily decorated with just a view data-screens on the walls, a large desk, a long couch, and a set of chairs next to it.

  “Take a seat.” The figure from behind the desk rose and motioned Standish towards the couch. “Operator Standish, right?”

  The male was dark-skinned with almost stripe-like features running over his skin.

  “Yes, Sir.” Standish replied, lowering herself down to the couch.

  The male moved from around the side of his desk and sat down in one of the chairs facing the couch.

  “Welcome to Killious.” He said, leaning back in the chair. “First assignment in Dynamic Operations.” He said.

  Standish nodded. “It is.”

  “Very good. I am Dynamic Operator Senior Grade Everall, you can call me Everall.” He nodded his head, then pointed at a chart that was on the wall next to the door. “That is the area that 5th Fleet is responsible for. It’s a massive area with hundreds of worlds and systems and many different cultures and much much too large for the forces allocated to it.” He looked back to Standish. “We at Dynamic Operations are tasked with supporting the fleet in whatever way we can. We run twenty-five teams out of here, with another seventy-five teams stationed throughout our sector of responsibility. We have four roles that we are primarily responsible for in support of the fleet, direct action, special reconnaissance, personnel rescue and recovery, and finally, VIP protection. Any one of the hundred teams under my command could be tasked with conducting any of those missions at any time, anywhere in our area of operations, or inside Coalition territory or the Core.”

  Standish nodded. The prospect of all of what she was hearing was exhilarating.

  “Of the teams on Killious, one third is on readiness to deploy, one third is recovering from a deployment, and one third is training. Some of that training is done here, some is done off-world. During your time here, you may apply for training courses that will add skills to your team if your team leader sees fit.” Everall got up from his chair and walked back to his desk and picked up a datapad, then returned to his chair.

  “I see that you’ve been assigned to Beta One-One, a good team.” He looked up from the device. “Currently under the command of Dynamic Operator Grade One Jun. A competent leade
r and tactician. You’ll learn much from him.” Everall said, smiling. “Now tell me about yourself.”

  Standish was out the door just under an hour after she had walked in. Everall had given her a D-O 5th Fleet operational guide, which included a map of the sprawling base. He also suggested that Standish catch-up with her new team at the evening meal, a suggestion she heeded, even if she went to the wrong dining facility first before finding the one that was reserved for Dynamic Operations personnel.

  The room was filled with operators, all in various states of dress, with no real uniformity to what they were wearing. There were dozens of planets represented, and a few of the operators speaking in tongues other than Universal. Looking around the room, she was trying to figure out how she was going to find her team when a male walked up to her.

  “You lost?” The male positioned himself directly in Standish’s line of sight, and uncomfortably close.

  “I’m looking for my team.” She said in a voice loud enough to be heard over the racket of the dining facility.

  The figure smiled. “Your team?” He nodded twice, then glanced down at the data-pad that Standish had in her hand. Without saying a word, he snatched the pad and looked at the front screen. “Operational manual.” He nodded. “Very nice.”

  “May I have that back?” Standish put her hand out.

  “What team did you say you were looking for?” The figured asked.

  “I didn’t.” She replied.

  Before the male could respond, a group of eight operators marched into the room in a single file. Their uniforms matching perfectly, their heads all completely shaven. Their eyes locked to the front.

  The male watched them pass. “That’s the only Prime Team in the entire 5th Fleet. I’m trying out for them one day.” He looked back at Standish. “So which team are you supposed to be joining?”

  “Beta One-One.” She replied.

  The male shook his head. “Oh, boy.”

  The punch came out of nowhere. It was the fastest hit Standish had ever taken, and it knocked the wind right out of her. She dropped down to one knee, one hand over her stomach where she had been punched, the other touching the ground for stability.

  Looking up, Standish caught the last inches of flight of the male’s fist as it came crashing down towards her face. She was unconscious before her head hit the ground.

  When Standish came to, she found herself on her bed in her quarters, a throbbing pain in her head. The lights were dimmed low, and Standish could just make out the figure of someone sitting in the room’s lone chair.

  “Doctor says you have a minor concussion.”

  Standish tried to sit up but didn’t feel well. There was something about the person's voice that was familiar to her.

  “He said you should be fine in an hour or two.” The figure got up and moved closer to the bed, then bent over until his face was visible to Standish. It was the same figure that had attacked her in the dining hall. “How do you feel?”

  Standish blinked twice. “I’m fine.”

  The figure stood back up and looked over Standish’s body. “You don’t look fine.” The figure bent back down. “Are you combat ready?” He asked with a smile on his face.

  Standish swallowed hard, fighting the banging in her head and the pain in her midsection. “Always.” She replied as best she could.

  “Ha!” The figure let out a boisterous laugh. “That is good.” The figure reached down and touched Standish gently on her shoulder. “I’m Operator Grade 3 Cryne. Beta One-One’s second in command.” He took his hand off her shoulder and moved towards the door. “Welcome to the team.”

  Standish watched the door open, and the figure disappear out of view. The door closed and Standish rolled over to her side, not sure what to make of the encounter. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. She didn’t move for the next four hours when there was a loud bang on the door, followed by it quickly opening, and a very tall male from planet 242 walked into the room, turning the lights up full.

  “Operator Second Class Mils Cannarr.” He strode over to Standish, looked down at her, and then gave her a wave. “Don’t worry, Cryne broke my arm on my first day.” He said with a smile. “Welcome to One-One.” The figure moved to Standish’s closet and pulled out her fitness kit. “Weights today.” He said, putting the kit at the foot of her bed. “Be outside in two minutes.” The large male waved at her again and exited the room.

  “Fuck.”

  Standish pushed herself off the bed and swung her legs to the ground. Her midsection still hurt, and her head was still killing her. She hadn’t felt this bad since injuring herself on Bern 36. Anytime she was injured in the past, a quick shot of nano-bots or an application of medical cream and she’d be good to go. Something told her that she hadn’t actually been given any medical treatment after Cryne’s attack, just a consultation.

  Stripping off her clothes, Standish got to her feet slowly and proceeded to put on her fitness gear. Everything on and in place, she exited the room, and found a buzz of activity in the hallway, with the tall Mils Cannarr standing patiently outside.

  “Good?” He asked.

  She nodded.

  “Oh, Cryne wanted me to give this to you.” Mils said, holding out a tiny pill.

  Standish smiled and took the pill and popped it in her mouth. She had seen them dispensed daily at her Rescue Tech and Dynamic Operations training. Medical nano-bots, the good stuff.

  Mils turned and started moving down the long hallway towards the lift that she had used upon her arrival with Standish in tow, but instead of taking it, they passed through a sliding door and started to climb a set of stairs.

  “Jun doesn’t want us taking the lift.” Mils said over his shoulder, referring to the team’s commander.

  Standish could understand why. Every bit of exercise and fitness that could be squeezed into the day was a benefit. By the time they had gone up several levels, the pill she had taken had kicked in, and the pain in her stomach and her headache were both gone. Perhaps Cryne wasn’t such a bad guy after all.

  When they left the stairs, they exited onto a massive space that was two hundred metres long, and one hundred metres wide with very high ceilings. They had reached the gym. There were dozens of groups training on various apparatus along with some individuals running and working out by themselves. The bald team that Standish had seen the previous day were performing sprints in the corner just off to her right. Standish only caught a glimpse of them, but she could tell they were fast.

  “All Prime’s have been modified.” Mils said, bending down closer to Standish’s ear.

  She looked up at him with a look of slight disbelief on her face. She had heard rumours that Prime team members received physical and neurological upgrades, but she had never seen any Prime operators on Guhr 8-Nine during her training, and when she had met Bender and his associate, they didn’t appear to have any modifications.

  Either way, the group of eight bald individuals that were sprinting hard in the corner looked extremely fast. In Standish’s estimation, they were running faster than sixty kilometres per hour. Standish had heard rumours that ground-force soldiers in the Imperial military had ‘Juicer Packs’ that allowed them to run that fast, but Standish had never asked any ground combat personnel if the packs actually existed.

  So much conflicting information.

  “Let’s go.” Mils said, and started to walk down one of several yellow stripped pathways that ran the length of the facility.

  As they reached the functional section of the space, Standish kept her head on a swivel looking at all the equipment and apparatus that was present. Some of it was familiar to her, some not. Most of the kit seemed relatively new, while other pieces looked like they were starting to rust. There was a stench in the air, and even though the room was massive, it had the same smell that Standish had come to expect from every other fitness facility she had been in.

  About halfway down the gym, almost in the middle of the room was wher
e Standish finally met the One-One team. The six other members of the team looked like they had just arrived and were warming up around a large matted area with two long metal bars in the middle surrounded by racks with multi-coloured plates on them.

  Without thinking, Standish started jogging in place, and started to loosen herself up, Mils Cannarr was doing the same thing right next to her.

  The other six members of the team quickly locked their eyes on the new arrival, trying to size her up. Most of the team members were paired off. Cryne she recognised from earlier, and after a few moments of warming up, the figure standing next to him lightly jogged over to Standish.

  “Team leader, Grade One Jun.” He continued to jog on the spot next to her. “Welcome to One-One.”

  “Sir.” Standish continued to jog in place.

  “You know my second, Cryne.” He pointed across the circle they were in towards the figure who Standish was already familiar with. “There you have Operator First Class Mo Ho, and Operator Second Class Oyni Lo, both from Jaxos.” Jun moved his arm two the next pair. “Next, we have Operator First Class Systa K.” His finger was stopped on the only other female on the team. “Our pilot.” He moved his finger to the male next to her. “Operator Second Class Nik Has.” He dropped his arm and looked at Standish. “You and Operator Second Class Cannarr make up our eight.” Jun looked back to the centre of the circle. “We’ll be doing some lifting today.” He looked back at Standish. “Have you trained with this equipment before?”

  Standish nodded. “At Rescue Tech training.” She replied.

  “Excellent. Today we are training the clean and press then maybe some running.” Jun looked at her. “You seem very fit. I look forward to your efforts.” He smiled, then jogged back to his original position next to Cryne.

  Looking up at Mils, Standish slowed her jogging to a halt, then started stretching her arms and legs. “I suppose this is easy for you?” She asked the tall and powerfully built creature.