“I see. And do you realize that your comments were heard over the whole command circuit?”
“We didn’t at the time sir.” Denner said.
“Very well. I know that enlisted talk, and that’s to be expected, but when on a mission, concentrate on the mission, not who you want to get banged by. Is that clear?”
“Yes Sir!” They both said, still standing at attention.
“Now. I was going to toss you both out the airlock, but the Chief promised me that by the time he got done with you that you’d wished I had. Just what has the Master Chief got in mind for you two?”
“The Master Chief has ordered us to come apologize to you, and then finish the rest of the day dressed like this. He said that if it was ok to verbally broadcast an officer’s endowment, that we shouldn’t mind too much showing off our own. Following that we have extra duty for the next week in the suit room cleaning and inspecting all the officers’ hard suits, sir!” Denner said.
“I take it you don’t care for the Chief’s punishment?”
“No sir.”
“Do you think it’s unfair?”
“Yes sir.”
“Which part don’t you think is fair?”
“Having to go to the enlisted mess naked sir.”
“I see. It’s going to be a bit embarrassing, is it?”
“Yes sir.”
“Good. Maybe you’ll understand how I felt, standing on the bridge in front of junior officers having my sex life talked about.”
“Yes sir.”
“Very well. I don’t want to find out that any enlisted rating touched you in any way. Is that clear? If anyone touches you they will receive twice the punishment. That should keep you safe. I wouldn’t want some horny young man to take advantage of you dressed like that.”
The two women looked at him incredulously. “But sir!” Denner started, but Tasha elbowed her and she shut up.
“Yes?
“Nothing sir.” Tasha said.
Matt stood looking at them. He knew full well that between the raging hormones of the high velocity trip and the horniness of walking around naked, that not allowing them to be touched included any consensual relief. That in itself would be a significant punishment. “Dismissed.” He said abruptly, sitting back down at the desk. He heard more than saw the two ratings leave his office. Matt sat, shook his head and chuckled. “The Master Chief did good.” He said quietly as he sat back down to his reports.
Chapter 9 - Europa
Right on schedule the ships intercom notified all crew that the ship was about to flip and start its nearly full day of high g deceleration. It wouldn’t affect most ships operations, but there were some things that were not safe. The zero g gyms and certain engineering spaces were not safe for personnel during deceleration, since the dampers could either not handle the high rates or there were no dampers at all. Matt half expected to feel the ship move in some way as the final warning came and the ship did the tumble maneuver; placing its primary thrusters in line with the deceleration angle. The thrusters kicked in, slowly building the deceleration thrust to over two and a half times the force of Earth’s gravity. The ship needed to slow from its current velocity of nearly six million kilometers per hour to just fifty five thousand to insert into orbit around Jupiter parallel with the small icy moon Europa, and it would take nearly twenty hours to accomplish this without wasting precious fuel.
Europa was a small icy world orbiting the massive gas giant, Jupiter. It had only about a hundredth the mass of earth, but the discovery of liquid seas under its ice crust had fueled years of research on the many and varied water born life forms, some of them proving to have rudimentary intelligence. Supplying the mostly underwater research station was tricky at best. The small moon was blazing around Jupiter at the rate of one complete orbit every three and a half days. In addition, it had the exact same rotational period, effectively making the same face of Europa point toward Jupiter all the time. If it were not for this relative stability, landing on the small planetoid would be impossible because of the gravitational forces of Jupiter. As it is, it takes an experienced pilot to set down on the tiny station landing pad.
“Matt!” Ensign Sparks shouted as she practically ran into the armory. “I got it! I got it!”
“Slow down! Got what?” Matt asked her, looking up from the desk and it’s never ending supply of work.
“I got the copilot slot on the station landing!” She said, still practically bouncing around the room. “I’m getting to fly with Cynthia on the resupply mission!”
“Hey! That’s super! This is supposed to be a pretty tricky landing.”
“Tricky? God you have a real flair for understatement don’t you. This is like trying to jump from three decks up and land on a basketball… and stay on it once you do!”
“Sounds like fun,” he said with a chuckle.
“Fun? Are you whacked? This is about as much fun as piloting a pulse canon target drone… in person!” She said excitedly, breaking into a huge grin, “God, I can’t wait!”
“It sounds like you’re going to have fun. I hope you’re going to get me back in one piece.”
“Don’t worry, I will!” She said practically running over to the desk and leaning across the corner to kiss him on the cheek. “I gotta go! See you onboard!”
When Matt walked out of the armory for the day it was nearly seventeen hundred hours. He made his way back to his quarters and punched the door open.
“Well, it’s about time!” Jenny’s British accent said from one of the lower bunks.
“Oh shit!” Matt swore under his breath, realizing that he had completely forgotten about lunch with Jenny. “I’m really sorry. I got busy with problems and forgot all about lunch.” He said to her apologetically as he sat down on the edge of the bunk noticing that she was sitting propped up on the bunk, but covered to her neck by the blanket. He leaned over and kissed her tenderly on the lips before mumbling another apology to her. She pulled her arms out from under the blanket and pulled his face to hers, returning the kiss sensuously.
“That’s much better.” She said breathlessly. “Apology accepted.”
“I really am sorry.” He said again as he leaned in for another apology kiss.
She kissed him back, thoroughly enjoying his apology. When they broke the kiss the whispered. “If this is how you’re always going to apologize I think I’m going to have to find a way to get you to mess up a lot.”
“Well, I did mess up.”
“Yes you did, and I had a special surprise all worked out for you,” she said slightly louder than a whisper.
“Really? I hope I didn’t ruin it.”
“Almost, but I think your apology salvaged it.”
“Oh, I’m glad,” he said leaning in and gently kissing her moist lips again.
“I think it’s time for your surprise.” She said huskily after he pulled back to let them both catch their breath.
“Oh? So what’s my surprise?”
“Go stand by the bathroom door and close your eyes.” She said with a huge grin on her face.
“Yes ma’am.” Matt said with a chuckle as he got up and walked over and stood in front of the bathroom door.
“Your eyes closed tight?” She asked him as he heard her rustling around on the bed.
“Yep.” He answered, wondering what she had in mind.
“Ok. You can open your eyes.” She said quietly.
Matt took a few seconds to focus and adjust to the brighter room lights, and what he saw took his breath away. Jenny was standing in the middle of the room, her hands clasped in front of her. She was wearing a long, sheer, dark blue robe that was covering an equally sexy dark blue teddy. As Matt watched she turned slowly, allowing him to enjoy the view and drink in her beauty. The dark blue fabric allowed him to enjoy how the teddy snuggled itself against her curves, the cut of the material high over her hips and lifting her beautiful breasts up, encasing them with lace that almost didn’t hide what they
held. As she came back around to face him, she reached to her neck and untied a small blue ribbon, allowing the robe to slide from her shoulders into a pool on the floor. The dark blue lace teddy contrasted her light skin and dark red hair, making her look absolutely radiant. She turned again for him, raising her arms enough for him to see her from every angle, the lace of the teddy showing almost as much as it covered. The cut of the teddy left nearly all of her creamy smooth rear bare, enticing his eyes to follow the edge as she continued to turn. Matt stared lustily at her as her turn brought her back to face him, the lace disappearing between her legs allowing her now smoothly shaved mound to peak enticingly at him.
“My God you look beautiful!” He whispered.
She stepped toward him and between his outstretched arms.
“So do you like your surprise?” She asked quietly.
“I love it. You are truly the most beautiful woman on this ship.”
“Oh, you know just the right things to say to a girl.” She said as she pulled the zipper of his jump suit down and pushed it off his shoulders. “I bought this last time I was on Earth. I thought I’d save it for a special person.”
“I take it that’s me?”
“It’s just for you. I’ll never wear it for anyone else.” She whispered as she ran her hands down his body, pausing at his waist to slip her fingers into the elastic of his briefs and push them down a foot or so. She lowered herself to her knees slowly, gently kissing her way down his chest, pushing his briefs down lower as she went. He lifted his feet and let her pull off his deck shoes and pool of cloth around his ankles off his legs, and then kissed her way back up his body, one tiny kiss at a time. “Ok lover. It’s your turn to unwrap your present.” She whispered as she pressed her body against his bare skin and her lips to his.
It was oh eight hundred hours sharp, ship time, when Matt settled down into the acceleration couch in the shuttle cabin. He looked around at his transfer crew, Petty officer Jenkins and specialists Tempe and Denner.
“Is everyone set?” Lieutenant Cowens asked over her shoulder.
“Looks like we’re all set Lieutenant. Going to give us a smooth ride?”
“Velvety as a baby’s bottom.” She replied with a smile.
“Sounds promising.” Matt replied.
“Lieutenant, sir,” Jenkins said. “How have things been going? We haven’t seen much of you in the suit room.”
“Well, after Denner back there gave the whole ship the low down on how I look out of my jump suit, I figured I better get some tickets printed up before I start stripping down again.” Matt said with a chuckle.
“Well you have to admit that at least she painted a pretty flattering picture.” Cynthia said from the pilots seat as she worked down the lists scrolling on her screen, “and a pretty accurate one from my experience.” She murmured quietly.
“How did your penance work for you Denner?” Matt called back to her.
“Well sir, I think it will be a while before I discuss any officer’s privates.” Denner responded with a bit of an edge in her voice.
“Well, I’m glad that the punishment fit the crime Specialist.”
“Yes sir.” She said a bit more meekly.
“Okay everyone belted in?” Cynthia asked, looking over her shoulder.
“Looks like it Lieutenant.” Matt responded after a quick look around.
“Shuttle three to Command, we are ready for departure.” Sparks radioed.
“Affirmative shuttle three. You are cleared out of the bay for direct approach to Europa station.”
“Thank you Command, shuttle three departing.”
“Ok Sparks. Take us out.” Cynthia said as Sparks touched the maneuvering thrusters deftly, easing the shuttle and cargo pod slowly out of the shuttle bay.
The flight to Europa only took about twenty minutes, but it was twenty minutes of the most spectacular views that Matt had ever seen. Most of that was spent setting up for the landing maneuver. Since the Saint Claire was in a parallel orbit a few ten thousand kilometers behind it and on nearly the same orbit, all the shuttle had to do was to speed up and then slow down changing the relative speed without much complicated maneuvering. The landing, unlike most planetary landings, was more like docking with a large ship that was on a circular orbit. The task was simple, except for the terrible tricks that the gravity of Jupiter plays on the small chunk of ice and rock of course. But the two pilots were more than up to the task and the ride turned out to be as smooth as promised, and relatively uneventful. The shuttle set down on the well-marked pad, the rear airlock pointed to relatively small building that was the only obvious sign that the station exists. The crew was still unstrapping from their seats when they felt the small bump travel through the ship.
“That would be the docking collar.” Lieutenant Cowens said. Stepping past the rest of the crew and cycling the lock open. “Not more than three at a time, and don’t forget to cycle it down to local gravity. That’s less than one fifth g. Also remember that while there is an oxygen atmosphere, the pressure is so low that it’s almost vacuum out there. Mister Molter, now that we’re on the ground, the mission is yours.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant. Petty officer, take charge of the loading team while I go meet with the station personnel.”
“Aye aye sir.” Jenks said snapping to attention as Matt stepped into the lock with the two pilots.
The gravity was just enough to keep things from floating away, but not enough to make walking even slightly convenient. Matt had no problem adjusting to the low gravity with his experience in the suit bay, taking off toward the containers rear airlock using a long low bounding step, similar to what he used in the cage room. The pilots, not as familiar with working in low g struggled to find some kind of pace that would propel them without bouncing them off the containers low ceiling. By the time they were halfway across the cargo pod, the three load specialists had emerged from the lock and were bouncing their way down the cargo pod, bouncing off the walls and ceiling playfully.
“How do you do that?” Sparks asked them as they bounced past them
“A little practice in the zero g gym ma’am.” The Petty Officer said with a grin. “A few hours in the gym with a friend and you’ll get the hang of it pretty quick.”
“I guess you’ve had quite a bit of practice Petty Officer.”
“Oh yes ma’am! I take my zero g training very seriously!” she said with a huge grin. There was no doubt in Sparks mind that the Petty Officer got that good by practicing more in zero g than walking across a compartment.
Matt cycled the air lock open and equalized with the docking collar. Once the system indicated that the cargo pod was equalized with the tunnel attached to the outside of the air lock, he commanded the system to override and cycle the outside door open as well, making it possible to do the unloading process much quicker. As the door slid open Matt saw a gentleman in a light green jump suit standing at the other end of the tunnel.
“Welcome! Welcome!” He called as he began bounding down the tunnel. “We so rarely get visitors… This is wonderful!” He said enthusiastically. He saw the two pilots step into the airlock area behind Matt and his attentions quickly focused on the women. “Forgive me, where are my manors? Ladies… My name is Doctor Zweldan. Please, come into our station.”
“Hello Doctor.” Matt said, inserting himself between the doctor and the pilots. “I’m Lieutenant Molter, this is Lieutenant Cowen and Ensign Sparks, our pilots. My load team is Petty officer Jenkins and Specialists Tempe and Denner.” Matt said pointing back into the pod.
“My goodness. Such a lucky man. A whole crew of beauties!” The doctor said, not even being subtle about his checking out how all the women looked.
“Doctor. My team would like to get to work unloading. Where should we move your supplies to?”
“Oh my, yes. Please. This way! I will show you where it all goes.” He said turning and beginning to bound down the tunnel rapidly.
“I think he’s b
een isolated a bit too long” Matt whispered to Sparks as they prepared to bound down the tunnel after the doctor.
“I know. He practically undressed me just looking at me.” Sparks replied with a scowl.
“Maybe he doesn’t get to see many women.” Lieutenant Cowen added before bounding down the tunnel.
The three of them made their way through the semi-rigid tunnel, half walking in elongated steps, and half bouncing off the ceiling of the tube. The doctor was waiting at the already open door of the station airlock. “You can unload all the supplies and equipment into this store room.” He said motioning to the door to the right of the airlock.
Fleet Academy Page 23