by Marcus Sloss
Your husband, and master,
Mack Raul.
I sneakily kissed Astrid and Starla on the cheeks and left the room. There was a private shuttle waiting for me that I had ordered earlier. A last longing look back at the bedroom where my wives slept was abandoned as I left. The shuttle had a pilot who asked for my destination.
“EDF processing please,” I said as I entered the back of the vessel.
We shot out of the small landing pad and entered the chaotic traffic. Even this early a city as vast as New York was a bustle. I glared out the window hoping I was making the right decision.
When I arrived at the facility things progressed fast. I was scanned, bleed, urine tested, and given a physical. I was stripped of my armor and given a blank gray spacesuit. There was a red flag that I was deceased and when I ensured them it was a typo they fixed it in their records. After the physical was a barrage of tests. I felt I did fairly well with them. A green line illuminated under my feet when my results were finished review. I was placed in a pod, shot up to an orbital, and then shuttled through a gateway. The entire process took less than two hours and I was impressed. The military was efficient in shipping recruits off. Made sense. Gave them less time to escape with a changed mind.
There was a notification on my display telling me I would do my week of training starting today aboard the EDF Britannia. The shuttle to Britannia was crammed with other recruits, and for once I was not the largest human in the most discomfort. There was a lanky woman who was two and a half meters tall hunched over with pain etched on her face.
We arrived and were promptly screamed at. A new red spacesuit was handed to each of us and modesty was not an option. We stripped and dressed. There was more yelling. A silent meal. More yelling. Then exercise. I was bored, none of the wide hats intimidated me. Sure a few probably could best me in hand to hand but they were all bluster and no bite. The exercise was weak and the few out of shape recruits vomited from the exertion.
As a group, we were ushered into a classroom. The lights were dimmed and a video played. It went over the importance of maintaining peace on the frontier. That the job we were doing was vital and to give it our all. Then it went over some rules and guidelines. It was standard stuff. No sex, no fighting outside pre-arranged areas, if your instructor fondled your privates inappropriately to file a report. It was a basic orientation. A few heads dozed fighting sleep.
The young man beside me started snoring. I clasped a hand around his wrist to wake him. He jolted a bit and I motioned for us to go to the side of the room. It was harder to fall asleep while standing. More recruits were proactive and stood, fearing the consequences. The lights returned to full illumination and we were ordered to sit.
It was during the next hour I learned something provocative. I was a worthless worm, no greater than an insect. But… Just maybe… If I performed well I could redeem my sorry soul and become a proud EDF fighter. It was pathetic. They even swapped instructors mid speech to play the good cop – bad cop. I was expecting well… more. My ability to manage my eye rolls and scoff at the stupidity of it all was on point.
Additional upper body exercise was next and my muscles started to become sore. My ear received attention when an instructor yelled for me to quit. It got to the point where I was the last person doing pushups. I heard some of my fellow recruits mutter about me being a cyborg. Finally, my arms gave out and I collapsed to the ground. That thump was the check the box for the instructors and we were led into billeting.
I found out it was two people to a tiny room that had a bunk bed and two dressers. We were told to inspect our lockers and validate our gear was fit to us. The Mack Raul locker contained four sets of uniforms and four sets of workout clothes. There was a fresh set of shoes and boots neatly tucked away. I verified the sizes were all correct and signed off on my locker. Across from was a Rio Ramirez. The whole process from reception, to Britannia, to orientation, and to exercise we had never been allowed to talk. I missed the girls already.
The young man was shy of two meters with a tanned complexion. He was physically fit from endurance training and carried himself with poise. There was a hidden danger to him if I had to guess he was a fighter of some sort. Or grew up fighting. When he verified his locker he turned to inspect me.
“Names Rio, glad I am not the only person in this class who can brawl. Your stances indicated you are always on edge. I could easily exploit most of them but with time you can correct them.”
“Nice to meet you, Rio, I am Mack. I would welcome any tips you have readily. Wonder what happens next…”
An instructor yelled down the hall to get naked, grab a towel, and hit the showers. It was awkward, not that nudity was new to me, merely standing in a line at arm’s length waiting for my turn. It seemed inefficient to waste time waiting in line. When it was my turn I entered a cleansing tube and was morphed from a sweaty smelly man into a freshly scented man. It was only slightly different than the shower pods at Vensi and mom’s apartment on Earth.
That night we were given study work and a test to complete before bed. It reviewed orientation and impressed upon the rules that governed the EDF. There was also a clear set of punishments for violations. I aced the stupid test and went to sleep.
∞∞∞
The next two days flew by in a hurry. We covered formation marching, land navigation, and exercised extensively. The little free time I had always ensured I sent a daily message to Starla and Astrid. I never knew if they got them or heard anything back but I persisted on letting them know I missed them and was fine. After that, I focused on EDF manuals and doctrine. A clear pattern had emerged. Humanity was prepared to fight other humans, not aliens. The sheer amount of changes that would have to be made gave me a spin. I really hoped the Emperor had received the proper information from Mila. That eventually there would be a drastic shift in the training guides and manuals.
On day four we got to go to the firing range. I was ecstatic. Finally, my time was being applied properly. Or so I thought.
My weapon in hand, I was placed in a dugout and pointed downrange. I reviewed the weapon. It was a blingy auto firing weapon of instant destruction. There were dozens of buttons, what looked like hundreds of attachments and thousands of tiny parts easy to lose. What in the all that was holy hell was this? I did not think I was the only potential soldier holding their weapon trying to establish how it worked. That was when the drill instructor belted out his orders.
“Keep your weapon downrange. That way! Gorammit private Barns I swear if I was allowed to kick your dumb skull I would. Point the fucking… as you were… Point the weapon that direction. The next idiot I catch aiming their weapon any direction but toward the mock enemy will be scrubbing shit tubes with no gloves using your toothbrush.”
I mentally pictured that image and it worked. I verified my weapon was firmly aimed in the correct direction.
“Listen up you maggots. When the targets populate your weapon will detect them. You do not touch a fucking… as you were… You do not touch a button. You simply accept or reject your target. That is all. It is that easy. My pet monkey can do it, and trust me I have taken him here and showed him which targets to shoot and which to avoid. He can do it. So you can too. Any questions?” The drill finished his speech and I was flabbergasted.
Some idiot asked about his pet monkey. This elicited a bunch of laughter but I was still in shock. Before I could ask if this was a joke a target popped up downrange. Human bad guys with bandana facial covers held a gun pointed at me, I selected fire. A three round burst erupted from the weapon. Two in the chest one in the head. Schoolgirl wearing a uniform holding books, hold fire. Two bad guys holding a hostage. I selected to kill the enemy and not to shoot the hostage. The bullets traced into arcs that never missed. My weapon was not even aimed close to them and it was a perfect head and two heart shots. It was that easy, at least the instructor was not lying. My score populated at the end and I got a hundred. Yeah… Beau would have gotten
a hundred. Skippy the monkey probably got a hundred.
We marched from the range to a fighting pit. The entire time my anger blistered into rage. I was becoming unhinged in disappointment. I could have been in a giant bed with my two hot wives. Instead, I was here doing nothing. Hand to hand combat was probably the worst place I could be in a mood like this.
The instructors paired us up and let us go to the mat. First to tap or go unconscious lost. I did not pull anything. I choked my first three opponents out until I faced Rio. He was all smiles, we did get along, and he was probably my only friend here. When he saw my demeanor he knew I wanted to spar not hold hands.
I came in fast and he dodged the tackle. A leg kick snapped into my left thigh. I caught his foot but he twisted his frame to spin his left leg toward my head. I ducked that and lunged as gravity pulled his body down. I rapidly snaked my arm around his neck and my rear chokehold was firm. A few elbows hit my ribs but he went under. I think he gave me his back on purpose to avoid a bloody fight. He was better than that and we both knew it.
“Think you can fight Cadet Raul, I am next.” The large instructor said once Rio had recovered.
The match was a slugfest. Neither of us went for a tackle. We traded jabs, hooks, and uppercuts. In the end, I fell to a knee first and caught a kick to the side of my face knocking me down. The fight was over and I was the loser. The instructor had needed to release as much anger as I had. An injection into my neck from a medic and my skin stitched back together. The nanobots healed my wounded body and then pissed themselves out and down my leg. Great… There was no time to recover or clean up. An obstacle course was next.
This was at least enjoyable for me. What person didn’t like climbing, hanging, and jumping over stuff? It was a minor challenge but still something different. I kept getting sidelong glances from the instructors when a high ranking woman approached our group. I was called out of the course and sent to her.
“I am Admiral Beckett, commander of the forty first fleet and captain of the Britannia. I was told to relay a message to you.” The Admiral was a stern faced woman with a pointed nose and sunken cheekbones. Her brown eyes glared with dispassion of the situation. “You are to be thanked for your contributions to the Empire. That is all.”
She spun and removed herself from my presence.
Instructor Zamm, the one I had fought it out with, came over to me.
“Let’s go for a walk, Cadet Raul.” We paced around the obstacle course never deviating too far from the other trainees. “I know who you are. It was not easy, someone has been hiding your files. It was as if they knew I was looking then let me in on the secret. I will not go easy on or change your training for the last three days of hell week. But from us grunts in the muck, thank you. There was a deluge of information dumped on us yesterday. We have been doing everything wrong. The Admiral merely confirmed our theories. In my entire two years as an instructor, this is a first time that I thank a trainee. My contract expires soon, I might look you up later. You seem to like to get in a lot of fights that look fun. Good spar today, and again… thank you for revealing our flaws. Now get your dumb ass back to the course and run it faster this time!”
I did as ordered and was slightly quicker. Mila had to be up to something. I wondered if my flaring anger triggered some alert to her. Maybe I should bring Vivian back for when I am alone… No… crutches were not going to help.
∞∞∞
Assignments came hours before our graduation. I was given the prestigious opportunity to serve the EDF on Narshak. An outer world colonized three years ago. Only recognized by Earth as a colony planet four months ago. Status – hostile population. Moon patties! That was not good.
We were allowed an hour of free time before our ceremony. Call me vain but the first thing I did was an apprehensive glance at my bank accounts. I breathed a sigh of relief. There were expenditures and a large lump sum from one Earth bank account in E-bits. Probably the reward for the knowledge. The books looked good. The girls didn’t empty the accounts. There were nightly videos… let me pause right there. Astrid and Starla knew my calls were screened. So they were sappy and boring. Giving very little detail and no boobs. I felt my heart swell missing them, those damn emotion things again.
I decided to watch them later in their entirety and went to the news. The rebellion was over, humanity was whole again. The separatists were given leniency and admitted that the new rules were required. It was the information we released. Apparently, Mila also solved a civil war, albeit a small one. There were countless stories on our trade deal with the Lunish government. I found out our company was named Expansive Trading Group. It worked, and I nodded in approval.
Free time ended and I was placed in an alphabetical line with the other recruits. We made it through basic training now we would get a certificate and a rank. The turnover rate was so high the current EDF functioned on a different standard for initial rank placement. Old armies you started as a peon officer or enlisted and then worked your way up. The problem was few joined and fewer stayed. Those that were competent and wanted to, could easily climb in ranks. Instructor Zamm was a prime example of this, he was a master sergeant with twelve years in.
So how did you fix the problem, you inserted a new policy. You gave a few promotions based on initial test scores, performance, and instructor recommendation. When my name was called I was promoted to Captain. I saw my family cheering in the crowd of relatives. I didn’t get much more than a wave off to them before I was off the stage.
I had two parallel bars on my uniform at the collars. The highest rank a fresh recruit could earn. It would be years before I saw major and there was zero chance of that happening. The ceremony came to a conclusion and I was able to see my family for two hours before I shipped off to Narshak.
There were clumps of people hovering around graduates. Rio my only friend from the week long experience was alone so I dragged him with me. His family was poor and he was serving to raise funds to help his sister’s son get a nano flush to save his heart. A doctor was already en route that I paid for earlier.
Rio and I tossed some jokes while we approached my family. There was Arenus with Beau in front of him. She wore a sparkly tiara and a lovely lavender dress. Mom (Beth), was with my wives in skin tight suits of blue and white. The three of them chatting away. I caught snippets of a story about my childhood. My real mom, the twins, and Mila were missing. I could hardly complain, this was a big surprise to see them for such a simple ceremony.
“Rio this is Beth my mother, Arenus my father, Beau my sister, and then Astrid and Starla are my wives. Everyone this is Rio, he joined to raise funds to save his nephew. Heart issue. Some rich guy fixed the problem before the celebration though. Guess you can retire now.” I said to him as I jostled him from my arm slung over his shoulders. Rio was a smart man and figured it out.
“Excuse me while I make a call. You endlessly talked about your wives. I never realized you were rich too. If this is true the creator has answered our prayers.” Rio excused himself.
Starla and Astrid hugged me and kissed my cheeks. I kneeled down after to greet Beau, got a hug from mom, and a handshake from my stepdad. Both made excuse for their spouses that fell on deaf ears. It was okay, really.
“You got married, and I never got to go. The girls at least said you will hold a proper reception at a later date. Your life has drastically shifted, I remember hoping for you to get a scholarship for ZBall but I guess that option is gone.” Beth said she clasped my hands at this, then took a step back letting go.
“I know mom, I am sure the girls explained, it was a spur of the moment event and transpired quickly. If an extravagant ball is needed for later we can happily host one.” I replied. Arenus was itching to talk which was unusual for him.
“Thank you for all the information, the policy is shifting rapidly and the rebellion has ended. How did you find your week of training okay and where are they sending you?” Arenus asked.
“I leave in
less than two hours for Narshak. The training illustrated some major flaws in the current doctrine the EDF is executing. I am sure things will change, but for now, they are drastically out of line with what should be happening. The gun I fired determined friend from foe and my only input was to confirm. I came for weapons training and combat training. There were no tactics, it had been cut from lack of full scale wars for so long. It was literally a waste of time I regretted every day. I did meet a few interesting people, Rio for example. Rio is a good man… not much of a talker.”
“Two hours! We redecorated the entire griffin while you were gone, and we have so much to update you on,” Astrid said in disappointment. Her arms were crossed. When she saw me focus on her propped up boobs she lifted them just a bit more with a mischievous grin.
“It will have to wait five days and then I get the weekend off. Maybe we can spend some honeymoon time together.”
“Right, you are dumb Mack. I am proud of you but I huffed and puffed for hours when I found your note. Who leaves his wives in bed to say he joined the army. I think I get it, you want it off your record as a negative mark. You served your punishment instead of running from it and at the same time got some training. But Mack I wanted to slap you for three days. I am better now… mostly.”
It was Beau's turn. “Yogurt?”
“You know it!” I replied and I corralled the family toward the mess hall.
We sat around a circular table meant for ten. Rio caught up to us later and thanked me three times, then sat in silence. Conversation was light, jovial, and there was lots of laughter. It was good to be around family and I missed them. Everyone mentioned a few times how proud they were of me and complimentary on my highest rank achievement. We got a ten minute warning notification so Rio started to get ready to leave. A final sendoff from Arenus included a stern warning. There were mutterings that things on Narshak were very hostile. I whispered into his ear that I was immortal. Ever the diplomat he kept an even face and wished me luck.