Fleet Academy

by M. Scott Cottrell

  “You must have ma’am.”

  “You know one more thing that is rare in a man… You know when to be quiet and listen.”

  “Thank you ma’am.”

  “Ok Lieutenant. Go make your wife happy one more time before you go out and risk your life for the rest of us.”

  “Thank you ma’am.” Matt said standing up.

  The Captain stood up and walked around the desk. “One more thing Lieutenant.”

  “Yes ma’am?”

  She stepped forward and hugged Matt, kissing him on the cheek. “Good luck Lieutenant. I hope you survive this mission so you can have a long happy life with that very lucky woman.”

  “Yes ma’am, me too ma’am.” Matt said after she released him.

  There was less than an hour until the EVA was scheduled to start before Matt left the Captain’s quarters. Somehow he thought that she was above the effects the other women were experiencing, but as it turned out, she was simply denying what her body was demanding, until it finally overflowed, Matt being the recipient. Matt headed to the infirmary where he found Jenny and snuck her off to one of the exam rooms to make love one more time before the mission. He was lost in thought from his encounter with the Captain and the recent emotional high from being with Jenny when he walked into the suit repair office.

  “Morning sir!” Ensign Light said brightly from behind the desk wearing a jump suit that was obviously fully unzipped.

  “Morning Joan. How are you doing today?

  “Horny as hell, sir!” She responded as she got up from the chair and stepped around the side of the desk. “You interested in helping me out?” She asked as she pushed the material off her shoulders and let it fall around her ankles, leaving all of her best parts visible.

  “Damn Joan. You don’t let much stand in your way.”

  “Well…” she said as she shuffled closer to him, taking his zipper and pulling it down. “I’m horny, you’re a hot sexy man, and we’re alone. What else do you need?”

  “I really don’t think this is the time for this.” He said to her.

  “Oh, don’t worry.” She said, placing his hands on her huge bare breasts. “I haven’t found a man yet that I can’t get hard.” She finished.

  “Ohhhh.” Matt groaned quietly as one of her hands snaked inside his jump suit.

  “See. I can already tell you like what I’m doing.” She cooed as she pulled him over to the edge of the desk so she could sit on it. She kicked her jump suit off and spread her legs, pulling him between them. “Now wouldn’t you like to put this inside me stud?” She coaxed huskily.

  Matt gently withdrew her hand from his jump suit. “Thank you Joan, but not right now.” He said “We need to concentrate on the mission right now.”

  “Oh come on Matt, your words say no, but your body is saying hell yes.” She said pushing his jump suit off his shoulders and helping it fall to the deck. She reached out and pulled him closer once again, drawing him to her with her legs and pulling his face to hers so she could kiss him sensuously. He finally gave in and allowed her to have her way, her ministrations on his body breaking down his resistance.

  “WOO HOO!” Specialist Endez called as Matt walked down the locker room isle past her. “Here comes the stud!”

  “No way Endez. If he’s going to stick it anyplace it’s right here!” Petty Officer Jenkins called back, from her spot down the row of lockers, where she stood totally naked.

  “At ease… Both of you.” Matt responded.

  “Well, when we get back in, I have first dibs on that huge hunk of man.” Endez shouted at Jenks

  “No sweat Endez I know for a fact he can handle both of us at the same time!”

  “Ok. Can the chatter and get your naked asses dressed!” The Master Chief shouted at the two girls. “We got a mission to do and I don’t want your horny asses screwing the pooch out there!”

  “Aye Master Chief!” They both shouted back before getting quiet and proceeding to dress in their cool suits.

  Once the entire six man EVA team was dressed in their cool suits, Matt has them gather at the lock. “Ok. Review time. Master Chief and Denner will be suited and in lock three. Endez, Tempe Jenkins, and will be the primary team. We will exit from lock one when Saint Claire is in the shadow of the tanker. Once we’re out, Saint Claire will roll to present us with the refueling ports. Under NO circumstances is anyone to venture into direct sunlight. If you accidentally get into the sun, get back into shadow as soon as possible. The suit will only last for a tad over five minutes before it fails, and then you’re dead. Any questions?”

  Matt heard a chorus of five ‘yes sir’s’. We’re going to take our time suiting. Once you get suited, take a few minutes to work with the sun shields, just to remind yourself where the tabs are for each shield. Once you’re in the sun you will be blind and have to do it by feel.” Matt paused to look at each of them in turn. “I don’t want to have to write any letters today. Let’s try to all get back in once piece. If you go spinning off into the sunlight, there is no rescue. You will be dead before anyone can get to you. Let’s be extra careful out there.” Matt finished as he turned and cycled the lock to the suit room open and headed in, followed by the rest of the team. It only took a few minutes before each of them had carefully connected their cool suits and mated the sections of Mylar foil covered hard suit. The technicians had done a good job of giving the foil enough flex and give for the team to move without ripping the foil material, degrading the protection it adds.

  “EVA one to all team members. Check in now.” Matt called over the command frequency.

  “Endez ok.”

  “Jenkins ok.”

  “Tempe ok.”

  “Wallace ok.”

  “Denner ok”

  “Roger all. EVA to command ready to go to locks.” Matt radioed.

  “Affirmative EVA, you are cleared to your respective locks.”

  “Thank you command. Team one designate EVA one. Molter in command. Team two designate EVA two, Wallace in command.” Matt radioed back to command before changing to the intersuit frequency. “Ok teams. Let’s go... and good luck to each of you.”

  “Roger, and thank you sir.” Master Chief Wallace responded as he turned and headed for his air lock with Specialist Denner.

  Matt turned and headed to the now open and waiting lock one with Tempe, Jenkins and Endez following closely behind him. Once they were inside he cycled it closed and dumped the atmosphere. He punched the second door open and they moved into the outer lock, sealing it and dropping the gravity until it was at a point for them to just touch without floating away. “EVA one to command. We are in the lock and ready for exit.”

  “Roger EVA one. The Captain says you are cleared for EVA and good luck.”

  “Thank you command… opening outer doors now.” Matt replied as he cycled the outer door open. The normally dim interior of the lock was washed with an almost piercing brightness. Matt slid one of the lightest shields down over his clear glass faceplate to bring the light down to tolerable levels, and this was just reflected light. “Let’s go.” He said sliding out of the air lock and heading toward the body of the tanker, traversing the fifty meter distance between the two ships. In this formation they were as close as two space ships not docked would ever be. This was to keep the length of the giant fueling hoses as short as possible. Even at this length the half meter diameter hoses were difficult to handle. This time it would be even harder because they would have to stay inside the shadow cast by the tanker. “EVA one to command. We are in the shadow of the tanker and you can make the roll maneuver.” Matt radioed in as he turned himself to see the Saint Claire.

  “Roger one. Rolling now.”

  “Affirmative. We see you rolling now… Fueling ports coming into view.”

  “Roger. Let us know when to stop.”

  “Affirmative… Continue the roll… About another thirty degrees… twenty… ten…ok. Hold there.”

  “Affirmative. Roll complete.
You are cleared to begin fueling operations.”

  “Roger.” Matt answered before switching to the intersuit frequency.

  “Ok team, let’s go. Just like we worked out, let’s get all four sections of the first hose in place first along the axis of the tanker and then put it in place.” Matt heard a chorus of "rogers" from his team as they set to work opening the hose storage compartment on the tanker. It took nearly thirty minutes to assemble the four hoses required to stretch between the two ships. “Ok. Endez and Jenkins, you take the tanker end, Tempe, you come with me on the other end.”

  “Roger.” Endez radioed as she and Jenkins arranged themselves on one end of the long hose while Tempe gently slid down the length of the hose to where Matt had stationed himself, little winks and flashes of her control jets marking her progress.

  “Ok Tempe… Nice and easy.” Matt said as he and Tempe connected a small tie cable to the hose.

  “Just like I like it… Nice and slow.” She replied as she hit her control thrusters to drag the hose out toward the Saint Claire.

  “You better concentrate or you’re not going to live long enough to get it nice and easy or any other way for that matter.”

  Aye sir!” She answered crisply.

  It took another fifteen minutes to carefully maneuver the hose into place and connect it to the A port connector on both ships. They went to work building the second hose set and getting it into place. Matt and Tempe once again carried the long end over to the Saint Claire and made the connection on the B port.

  “We’re having some trouble with the connection here.” Jenkins radioed.

  “What’s the problem?”

  “The latch won’t connect. We can get the hose in, but it won’t latch into place.”

  “Roger, on my way.”

  “You want me to come or stay sir? Tempe asked as he jetted away.

  “Might as well stay Tempe.”

  “Aye sir.”

  Matt jetted carefully across to the tanker, taking great care to not stray into the direct sunlight. He finally reached the connection points.

  “We can get it in sir, but we can’t get it latched.” Endez told him as she worked the latching mechanism several times.

  “Yeah, I see. Looks like the hose is a bit tight. Are we drifting?” Matt asked no one in particular.

  “Don’t know.” Jenkins said.

  “EVA one to command… Would you give us a distance check on the tanker?”

  “Roger EVA one… We show fifty two meters.”

  “Roger Command… Can you bring it back to fifty even?”

  “Roger EVA. Coming back in to fifty even.”

  “That’s got it.” Endez said with triumph as the latching mechanism clicked into place.

  Matt turned to look at the Saint Claire, the maneuvering jets flashing and blinking, still bringing the two ships slightly closer together. He was just about to radio the ship to stop, his transmitter already switched to the command frequency. The second it took to switch back to intersuit was long enough to make the warning late. Tempe was floating between the two ships, watching them on the tanker end of the hoses, not watching the Saint Claire as it silently moved closer and closer to her in her blind spot. The motion was slow, but unexpected. The open fueling port hatch cover struck her just above her knees. It wasn’t much of a push, but it caused her to spin suddenly. Under normal conditions, it was easily corrected, just a few touches of the jets, done by instinct. Without thinking she reached her jet controls as her feet flipped almost horizontal. Instinct told her to she hit her upper thrusters to right herself. Her suit immediately began a slow roll back to her arbitrary vertical. Matt watched it all unfold in slow motion, her suit slowly rolling up, a small sliver of sun touching the top of her helmet first, and then growing until the full force of the light blasted into her helmet. She immediately struggled to close the visors.

  “I can’t see!” She screamed into the radio.

  “Get your shields down!” Matt hollered back as he watched her drift father into the sunlight.

  “Got them down, but I still can’t see.”

  “Ok… Relax. I’m coming. Let your suit roll a bit more, until I tell you.”

  “Ok.” She answered, fear clear in her shaky voice.

  “I’m on my way, but you’re going to have to help me. When I tell you to, I want you to thrust forward for two seconds.”

  “Yes sir.” She answered, her suit continuing to roll slowly, the foil covering her shoulders now reflecting the full force of the sun.

  “Ok Thrust now… two seconds.”

  “Aye… thrusting…. One…. Two… Off.”

  “Good job. Now just ride it till I get there.”

  “Yes sir.” She answered, her voice still shaking.

  “I’m almost there. Just hang in there. You’re out of the sun now. I’ll catch you before you get across the shadow.”

  “Yes sir.” She said quietly, trying to hide the fear she felt.

  Matt jetted as fast as he felt he could, staying in the shadow, trying to time his flight so he would intercept her before she passed through the shadow. If he went to fast he could knock them both out into the sun, if he went too slow she would pass through and have no chance to get back into the shadow. “Easy does it girl. Just like you like it… slow and easy.”

  “Um…. Yeah…. Slow and easy…” She said quietly.

  “I’m almost there Caitlyn.”

  “Yes sir…. Ready and waiting.” She said, her voice starting to calm down some.

  “Ok. I’m going to catch you… Ready…. Three….two….one….Gotcha.” He said as he grabbed hold of her suit and held on. Her momentum tried to carry both of them out of the shadow, but Matt was quick with his thrusters and nudged them back into the narrow band of safety. “EVA one to Command. You are clear to transfer fuel. Be advised we have a casualty out here.”

  “Understood, beginning transfer. It will be at least thirty minutes before we can roll back to get the locks in position.”

  “Roger.” Matt said, nudging them back up toward the couplings. They floated silently, no one speaking while fuel flowed through the lines, pouring life blood back into Saint Claire.

  “Command to EVA one.” The communications officer called after what felt like a year.

  “EVA one.”

  “Fueling completed. You are clear to disconnect. Captain says to just give the hoses a push when you disconnect and let them go.”

  “Roger, we will give them a push off axis so they clear our thrust datum.”

  “Roger. That’s the intent.”

  Matt switched over to intersuit. “Ok Tempe… You hang on right here while we disconnect.” Matt said as placed her hands on the fueling port hatch cover and then let go of her. “Jenkins and Endez… Disconnect on your end and then get back over here.”

  “Aye sir!” They both answered together.

  Matt set to work disconnecting the hoses from the Saint Claire. He had just finished; the job normally done by two, harder to do alone, when Jenkins and Endez floated up to them. “OK. Jenkins. I need you to go about ten meters out and give the hose a push up in alpha so we can get rid of them.”

  “Roger sir.”

  “And Jenkins… Watch how far you go on the push.”

  “Aye sir. Nice and easy.”

  “You got it.” Matt said to her over the radio as she floated slowly away from him. It didn’t take long for her to get where she needed to be.

  “OK. I’m ready.” Jenkins said.

  “Ok Pick a hose.”

  “This one.” She said as she moved over to one of the lines and positioned herself under it.

  “Give it a push.”

  “Here you go.” She said giving it a gentle push up. Initially it wiggled around like a wild snake, whipping up and down. Matt had to time it right, but when the angle of the hose was about right he gave his thruster pack a hard nudge, and then quickly reversed it, pushing the hose off and out, leaving it wigging around
like a twisting snake as it floated off into space. They repeated the act on the second hose, letting it float off after the first.

  “Ok Tempe. I got you.” Matt said as he reached out and pulled her back to him, closing the fueling hatch in the process. He switched to the command frequency. “EVA one to command. You are clear to roll. Please have a mobile suit rack ready at the lock as well as medical.”

  “Roger. Mobil suit rack and medical… beginning roll.”

  “Affirmative on roll maneuver.” Matt said as he saw the ship slowly rotate, the fueling ports disappearing from view. He looked more upward, at least relative to him, waiting to see the airlocks come into view, which they did after what seemed like several minutes. He waited until the lock doors came into the shadow before Matt called a halt to the process. “Locks are in the shadows. Please open lock one.”