“We took a real beating,” Adam muttered as they stared through the glass window of the elevator. The trio was crammed into the normally spacious lift along with members of the Revolution’s crew, all of whom had been granted shore leave during repairs.
“Yes, but we won,” Yen added. His mood remained dark, as it had for the past four weeks of transit.
Adam frowned at his friend’s tone. Leaning in close to Yen’s ear, Adam whispered so that only the psychic could hear him. “It’s been four weeks. Let it go.”
“Screw you,” Yen growled, his gaze never leaving the damaged Cruisers.
Adam shrugged, accepting that his friend’s mood was not going to soon improve. Instead, he turned toward the stoic and unemotional Lithid. “What plans do you have during leave, Penchant?”
The featureless black, oval face turned toward Adam. Without eyes, Adam wasn’t entirely sure if Penchant was looking at him directly or just in his general direction. Eventually, Penchant’s shoulders shrugged in an unassuming gesture. “I thought I would spend a large portion of my shore leave studying Terran and Pilgrim anatomy. I know so little about your race’s physiology. I need to know what you’re made of if I’m ever required to shift into that form.”
Adam rolled his eyes before placing a firm hand on both Yen and Penchant’s shoulders. “No,” Adam said to Penchant before turning to face Yen. “And especially ‘no’ to you. We’re on shore leave. I’m not spending my first vacation in months with a Lithid studying textbooks and a self-absorbed psychic.”
“Then what do you propose?” Yen asked in irritation.
“We drink, for starters,” Adam replied.
“You know I can’t get drunk,” Penchant corrected.
Adam sighed. “Then immediately afterward we’ll go dancing, or we’ll take in a show, or we’ll just find someone smaller than us and pick on them. I don’t give a damn what we do, but I won’t be cooped up with a pair of whining bitches for my entire vacation. So both of you, snap out of it!”
The trio lost themselves in other people’s conversations as they finished the long ride toward the space station proper. Below them, the armored exterior of the station rose up to meet them, growing closer until the lift disappeared into the interior of the station. Immediately, the elevator was cast into darkness before the interior lights activated. They could feel the centrifugal forces growing steadily heavier from the rotation of the station as they neared the end of their trip. Passing beyond the dark walls of the station’s interior, light flooded through the glass windows as the lift came to a stop in a vaulted hall and the doors slid open.
Immediately, the trio was assaulted by a myriad of sounds. Large liquid crystal billboards displayed the stern visage of the space station’s commanding officer as he read through a series of enforced rules for personnel taking leave on the station.
“… fighting will be placed in the brig for a mandatory twenty-four hour recuperation period,” the voice blared through a series of hidden speakers. “Those who will be consuming alcohol are reminded to drink in moderation. Public displays of indecency will not be tolerated. Any personnel entering off-limits establishments will…”
Adam gestured to the closest screen. “And here is another prime example of someone with a stick up their ass.” He furrowed his brow until he had reached a similar impersonation of the commanding officer. “Fun will not be tolerated during your leave. Should you be found violating our policy, the Fun Police will quickly apprehend you and you will be beaten until the fun is excised.”
Yen caught himself laughing in spite of his dour mood. Grabbing Adam by the arm, he pulled him away from the monitor. He glanced quickly to each side, ensuring that the Fun Police were not pursuing them for public displays of laughter. The trio scanned their identification cards as they passed through the kiosks, officially signing out on shore leave. Yen let the others get ahead of him before turning back and accessing one of the monitors on the kiosk. Typing quickly, he entered her name onto the screen. The search quickly came back with no one matching that name. It didn’t surprise Yen that Keryn hadn’t taken her leave. Since their argument, she had handily avoided him at all costs. Consumed fully in her work, she had put her pilots through a series of flight simulations, much to the dismay of her already weary Squadron.
Feeling a strong hand on his shoulder, Yen stepped away from the kiosk and let Adam lead him toward the two-story archway that led into the actual city of Farimas. As they cleared the kiosk area and moved across the open courtyard between the disembarkation area and the city entrance, civilians began standing and applauding the Crewmen, soldiers, and pilots of the Revolution. At first, the cheering civilians were small, isolated groups. But the clapping spread virally until, before long, the entire crowd was applauding and clapping wildly.
Penchant slid between Adam and Yen, hiding himself from public eye. “This is a little awkward.”
Adam raised an eyebrow at the concealed Lithid. “We’re the first crew to fight and defeat the Terran Empire in a long time. We are heroes to these people. So quit cowering, give them a smile, and thank them for their support.” Confidently, Adam flashed a broad smile and waved to some of the gathered crowd.
“I’d prefer to stay a little more under the radar, Adam,” Yen muttered, his voice barely carrying over the clapping. “Why are you drawing more attention to us?”
“I’m doing it for them,” Adam said, the smile never leaving his face. Yen followed his gaze and found Adam waving and winking toward a group of Academy-aged girls who giggled from Adam’s blatant attention.
“You’re impossible,” Yen sighed, grabbing Adam’s arm. “Let’s go, lover boy.”
Together, the trio made their way past the crowd and under the massive archway before entering into the first floor of Farimas City. The ceiling of the city’s first floor rose thirty feet above the three as they cleared the archway. The walls of the surrounding buildings brushed the ceiling, acting both as edifices for the stores and supports for the heavy ceiling above. The smooth streets and alleyways that interconnected the main thoroughfares of the city were pristinely kept, as were the storefronts themselves.
Yen, Adam, and Penchant found themselves in the business district of the city. All around them, merchants hawked their wares to throngs of recently disembarked Fleet personnel. Despite being confined to the interior of a massive space station, the sprawling city was full of lush greenery, which recycled the oxygen throughout the ship. Hanging plants draped their lazy vines down the sides of the buildings as ivy and other climbing plants clung to the lower structures. Trees lined the streets, accentuated by smaller shrubs and open parks with lush green grasses. Tilting his head skyward, Yen let the warmth of the artificial sunlight soak into his skin. It had been a long time since his body had felt anything even remotely close to sunlight and it seemed to instantly brighten his mood.
“So where to?” Penchant asked, wasting little time absorbing the noises and subtleties of the city around him.
Adam motioned toward a series of lifts and stairwells that led both up into the ceiling and disappearing into the floor below. “The city is split into three levels. This one is the main level of the city and the most sprawling. Above us is mostly the residential area. We’ll have to head up there eventually to check into a hotel. Below us is where we really want to go, though. That’s the entertainment district of the city. It’s more heavily patrolled by the guard force, but it’s also where we’ll find the bars, clubs, and theaters.”
Yen stared at the stairwells and shifted the weight of the overnight bag from one shoulder to the other. “We’ll head up first. I want to drop my bag and get cleaned up before we go exploring.”
“Do my ears deceive me?” Adam asked curiously. “Does it sound like Yen Xiao might actually be interested in enjoying himself during this leave?”
Yen’s arm shot out, punching Adam in the ribs. “Kicking your ass is step one to having a good time.”
“Come on, chil
dren,” Penchant said dryly as he led the way upstairs.
Riding the escalator, the trio passed through the thick ceiling of Farimas City’s main level before entering through the floor of the upper level. For Yen, it was a little disorienting. The artificial sunlight of the main floor faded away during the transition, only to be replaced by a second level of artificial sunlight above them. The streets themselves also added to Yen’s disorientation. Structured like an ancient floating city, the residential floor of the city had vast hand-crafted rivers that flowed through the streets. Framed on either side by raised sidewalks, large bridges spanned the rivers and interconnected the city blocks. Even the architecture of the buildings was different, relying more on faux bricks to create a more archaic look to the city. It seemed hard to believe that so differently designed a city could exist just forty feet above the bustling business district below. Near the center of the residential district, a large glass dome was clearly visible. At his query, Adam identified it as an observation deck, something he described as a romantic escape in the heart of the city.
Adam, being the only one of the three that had visited Farimas before, led the way over the sturdy bridges and along the winding rivers. Yen quickly found himself lost to the twists and turns. He was sure that, if left alone, he would never find his way back to their hotel. Eventually, Adam led them across a wide bridge and stopped before a pillared exterior. The tall pillars reached nearly to the ceiling and were capped by an extending balcony above. Draped from the balcony were both the Alliance and Fleet flags, proudly displaying their support for both organizations.
Yen looked at the mirrored glass windows and the intricate reliefs carved upon the brick exterior. Mentally calculating, Yen was suddenly aware of how few credits still remained in his account. “This place looks a little out of our price range,” he muttered, slightly embarrassed.
Adam smiled broadly. “This is one of the forgotten gems of Farimas. It’s off the beaten path and it offers discounts to active duty Fleet personnel on shore leave. With the three of us splitting the cost for the room, it won’t be that expensive.”
Entering the hotel, Yen wasn’t convinced. A small fountain bubbled happily in the center of the large, open foyer. To either side, artistically upholstered couches and chairs offered plush relaxation for weary travelers. The countertops, behind which the concierge waited with a patient smile, were crafted from artificial marble. Though lightweight compared to its contemporary cousin, the false marble was still significantly more expensive then most other substances available for architects and shipbuilders. Yen swallowed hard, his eyes tracing the carvings and small statues set into alcoves along the walls.
“Welcome to the Infinturius,” the manager said politely as the trio approached the marble countertop, “the finest hotel to be found in Farimas City.”
Adam handed over his identification card, which the manager swiped through the system. The computer beeped loudly and a soft green light glowed form its monitor. The manager looked up with a warm and inviting smile.
“Welcome back, Mr. Decker,” he said, significantly more cordial then he had been upon their arrival. “I’m glad to see that you could stay with us again.”
“Thank you,” Adam replied. “Can you give us my normal room?”
The manager typed furiously on the computer before looking up, the broad smile having never left his face. “Absolutely, sir. I’ll have someone come around immediately to take your bags up to your room.” Lifting a handheld console and setting it on the counter, the manager continued. “If you could please sign here and here, we will get you set up immediately.”
Yen nearly choked on his own saliva when he saw the price for the room. Even split three ways, the room would cost him nearly all of his savings, leaving little money to use the rest of his leave. Though Yen tried to say something about it to Adam, the Pilgrim passively held up his index finger, stopping Yen in mid-thought. As the manager walked away to get the keys, Adam turned toward Yen.
“Are you crazy?” Yen hissed, not waiting to get to the heart of his complaint. “We barely have enough money to cover this room!”
“No,” Adam replied, “you barely have enough money to cover this room. But I’m not going to ask either of you to pay for any of it. Consider this my treat to you; a friendly gesture to make sure we all have the best time possible during our leave.”
“Adam,” Penchant added. “We can’t ask you to pay for this room. We can find somewhere cheaper.”
“Of course we can,” Adam said with a sigh, “but that’s not the point. You have to understand, I’m an infantryman. I’ve been on active duty for a few years now. During that entire time, I’ve been assigned to Fleet duty. When we’re on the ship, how many times have you seen me spend lavishly? None. I just don’t spend money when we’re away on missions. During all that time in space, I just quietly collect my paycheck and keep to myself. But when I go on shore leave, that’s my time to treat myself like a king. I take all that money that I’ve been saving up over the months and I stay at the best hotel possible. I eat the best food I can. I drink the most expensive drinks. And why, you ask? Because I’m an infantryman. My next mission is very possibly my last.”
Adam’s shoulder’s drooped. “So yes, we could stay at a cheaper place, but I’m not going to. Leave if you want or stay if you want, but I’d prefer you enjoyed this time with me.”
Yen arched and eyebrow and look at Penchant, who shrugged as well. “Well, Adam, I guess we’re staying. After all, if we don’t who knows how much of an emotional sissy you’ll turn into.”
Penchant and Yen both laughed, the Lithid’s gravelly laughter sounding coarse and grating. Adam smiled, despite himself. “Laugh it up,” he said. “And remind me to shoot you later, when I get the chance.”
The manager returned with three copies of their room key. “If you’re both done having fun at my expense,” Adam offered, “then let’s go upstairs and get ready for a wild night on the town.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Keryn walked the empty halls of the Revolution, glad to be away from the bustle of activity that accompanied their docking at the space station. Nearly everyone had left the ship, eager to begin their shore leave, leaving the ship a vacant ghost. Only the sounds of hammering and the distant sparking of the welders repairing the Cruiser broke the silence.
It was a welcomed change from the past four weeks. Keryn had thought that the hardest part of getting promoted to Squadron Commander would have been planning new strategies and taking her pilots through the simulations. Instead, her hardest task had been finding creative ways to avoid Yen Xiao. He hadn’t actively sought her company and she knew his blood still boiled at the thought of their argument. Still, against her own desires, she had refrained from apologizing. Though the time apart had been difficult, it had also been invigorating. Keryn found more and more time to examine her own interests and desires and, slowly, she grew more confident as a leader. Her Squadron still grumbled at the thought of more simulations, but they performed admirably, no matter how difficult the battlefield she envisioned.
Walking down one of the empty corridors, Keryn turned the corner and almost ran into Captain Hodge. Sliding quickly apart, the Captain placed her hand on her chest in evident shock.
“Squadron Commander,” she said breathlessly. “I hadn’t expected anyone else to still be aboard.” Slowly, Captain Hodge regained her composure. Her look of surprise was replaced by one of suspicion. “Why are you still on board?”
Keryn shrugged. “I had a lot of work to do, ma’am. I figured I could take some quiet time while everyone in the Squadron is enjoying their shore leave to catch up on some of the projects I’d been procrastinating to finish for the past four weeks.”
Shaking her head in disapproval, Captain Hodge replied. “You’re exactly right, Keryn. Everyone under your command is enjoying their shore leave, except for you.”
“There’s nothing for me down there that I can’t appreciate by
remaining on board.”
The Captain frowned. “You don’t honestly believe that, do you?”
“I believe it enough, does that count?” Keryn asked, laughing slightly.
Captain Hodge sat on a bench nearby. Tapping the seat next to her, she invited Keryn to sit as well. “You know, it may sound like a bad cliche, but you remind me a lot of a younger me. When I was a young officer, I believed that I could change the world… if only there was one more hour in every day. I worked myself nearly to death to try to set myself apart from my peers. And I was successful. I was one of the youngest Avalon to ever be promoted to the rank of Captain and be given command of my own Cruiser. It was a remarkable day, but you know who celebrated with me?”
Keryn knew where the story was going, and frowned at the realization. “No one, ma’am.”
“Exactly. Against popular belief, there is no such thing as being married to your work. At the end of the day, your work is a fickle lover. The job that you fill, the one that you’re so attached to, can easily be filled by anyone else. So if you want something that’s actually committed to you, you need to get your butt off this ship and go enjoy your shore leave.”
Keryn smiled. “Is that an order, ma’am?”
“If it has to be,” Captain Hodge laughed.
Keryn lowered her eyes, unsure if she would follow that order even if it was given. She didn’t want to go through the grueling effort of trying to find a good man amongst the sea of horny Crewmen all on their shore leave. If she was going to go through that much work, she might as well stay on the ship and do some work that would truly make a difference.
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