“So we’re going to show them how it’s done,” Nance said with a nervous smile. “I know there are still a lot of questions, but you’ll have plenty of time to ask Angel about the suits. For now, let’s grab some chow and then we’ll meet back in the fitness facility. Say two hours? We can begin our training and then work out a schedule for Petty Officer Daniels to finish outfitting the ARC suits.”
The Air Force officers rose from their seats. Angel felt as if she had failed to convince them of the importance of the ARC program. She hated the thought of fielding unprepared pilots, especially ones that seemed not only unimpressed with the ARC suits; but unconcerned about the threat posed by the Swarm. She wished she could have shown them video of the hordes of aliens sweeping across Neo Terra, devouring everything in their path. She stayed by the lectern feeling nervous and a bit discouraged. Nance approached her as the others left the room.
“Don’t let them get to you, Angel,” he said with a grin. “They’ll come around.”
“I just hope they get on board quickly,” she replied. “We’ll be in the Tau Ceti system in forty-eight hours. That doesn’t give us much time to prepare.”
“Hey, we’re all professionals. Don’t worry so much.”
“Captain, have you seen video of the Swarm?”
“No, not video. I have read reports, though. They’re bugs, right? Clones or something? What I read said they don’t even have brains of their own.”
“That doesn’t mean they’re not dangerous.”
“I didn’t say they weren’t,” he said with a frown stepping so close it made Angel feel uncomfortable. “Sue me if I’m confident we’re up for the challenge.”
“Captain, you do know—“
He interrupted her. “Call me Trigger,” he said, tapping the callsign that was stitched across the right breast of his flight suit.
“Trigger?”
“Yeah, I like to shoot first and ask questions later.”
“You do know I lost a man to the Swarm, right?”
“I read something about that.”
“And that the aliens set a trap for the battalion of Marines who were on planet to stop them. We lost scores of good men and women. The Swarm isn’t to be taken lightly.”
“Don’t let your ego get bruised,” he went on, seemingly oblivious to her warning. “I said they’ll come around. Get us in the suits, and we’ll show you what the tech can really do. We’re good at pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.”
He put an hand on Angel’s shoulder, and for a horrified second she thought he was going to lean in to kiss her. No other officer had ever gazed deeply into her eyes the way Nance was as he gave her orders. Angel felt stiff. Her body didn’t want to respond even though her mind was warning her of danger.
“Lieutenant Murphy?” Petty Officer Daniels said, stopping at the door as she made her way out of the room. “Can I have a word?”
“Of... of course,” Angel said, finally regaining control of herself.
“See you in the chow hall,” Nance said.
He winked and Angel couldn’t believe what she was seeing. He was actually flirting with her. She felt shaky as she watched him leave the auditorium.
“Oh, my god,” Daniels whispered. “He’s shameless.”
12
C.S.F. Minerva, Hyperspace,
En Route to the Tau Ceti System
Angel would have been more comfortable eating with Daniels, but her ARC technician wasn’t an officer and had to eat in the enlisted mess while Angel made her way up to the Ward Room. She ate a quick meal by herself. The Air Force officers with Nance seemed not to notice her, and Angel couldn’t help but feel like an outcast.
After eating, Angel returned to her room and changed into something she could sweat in. It was impossible not to think of the demonstration Cashman’s fire team had put on when they made their crossing to the Tau Ceti system in the C.S.F. Apollo. It had made the platoon celebrities with the crew, but had cost her with Major Dixon. And Angel had little doubt the Air Force officers would follow her lead, even in the training they had been ordered to undertake.
A quick glance at her data pad showed that Petty Officer Daniels was already at work on the ARC suits. The thrusters could be put onto the suits and then adjusted to each person. Angel wasn’t sure how she felt about arming the suits. It felt a bit like giving toddlers loaded weapons and expecting them not to shoot. At the fitness room, which was small like most things on the Minerva, Angel found an eight-by-eight padded area. It was obviously a new edition to the ship. All the fitness equipment had been moved to the walls to make room for her platoon to train. She began to stretch, knowing the others wouldn’t arrive for a while.
Eventually she practiced several moves. She started on the floor in a seated position, spreading her legs wide with her hands on the mat in front of her. Nance came to the door and stopped. Angel had her back to him and didn’t see him watching. She pressed against the mat, lifting her body from the floor slowly while rotating her legs back and up until she was in a full handstand. She held the move for several moments, then tilted back, spreading her legs in a scissor and coming to an upright stance in a single fluid motion. Without waiting she turned and did a cart wheel, getting a feel for the size of the small mat. She had to change directions to do a one handed cartwheel, then an aerial where her hands didn’t touch the floor as she cartwheeled from corner to corner of the small mat.
“Impressive,” Nance said, when Angel paused to catch her breath. “You’ve got serious moves, Lieutenant.”
“I didn’t see you there, Captain,” Angel said. “I was just warming up.”
“Well, don’t let me stop you.”
Angel didn’t like being watched by Nance. He wasn’t judging her moves; he was studying her body. She was wearing loose-fitting sweat pants and a long-sleeved compression shirt. Still, she felt like an item on the menu rather than a valued member of the team.
She did several roundoffs, remembering to shrug her shoulders as she pushed off from the handstand position to launch her body around and land on her feet. She finished off with a Salto and Gainer, careful to keep her balance through the landing. If she had learned anything about the ARC suits it was that keeping her balance was the key. She could let the suit do the hard work, but her powerful core muscles had to work to keep her balanced. It was part physical strength, part experience. Years of balance beam work had helped her gain control, balance, and strength in equal measures.
When the other officers arrived, it was clear that Raven and Zilla distrusted everything about the process. They stood together, arms folded across their chests, eyes narrowed as they watched. Princess, Fozzy, and Thriller were more open, while Nance stood back and watched as if he already knew all there was to the gymnastics techniques that Angel wanted to teach.
“The ARC suit’s reflexive fibers on the hands and feet will propel you forward,” she explained. “The entire suit is impact resistant, which means you can fall without being hurt. It’s a lot like taking a spill on the mat, only less jarring. You’re all pilots, accustomed to steering a ship in three dimensional space. You’ll do the same with your body in the ARC suit, but you can’t just run and jump. To really disrupt the hive you need to move your body up and down, change your profile. Leap, dive, roll, spin; it’s all necessary. The suit will make it easier to do with less physical strain, but you still need to know the proper techniques. Maintaining your balance is the key.”
“If the suit does the work, why do I need to learn gymnastics?” Raven asked.
“The suit gives you strength, but not dexterity and balance. It isn’t like a plane. You don’t just pilot the ARC suit. You have to make it move.”
“We’ll I’ve got the moves,” Thriller said, breaking into a dance routine.
The others laughed, including Angel. She could appreciate their reluctance and the humor the young Pilot brought to the situation.
“Why don’t we start with something simpler,” A
ngel suggested. “Let’s do shoulder rolls.”
She showed the Air Force officers how to roll from one shoulder up to the opposite leg, then she had them practice the move. It was simple enough that everyone quickly caught on. They were all in good shape and had lithe bodies, unlike the special forces fire team she had trained with on earth who were much more muscular. As the Air Force officers practiced Angel had to force herself to stay present and not day dream of Staff Sergeant Cashman. She missed his friendly attitude. He always made her feel as if she had an ally.
Next, Angel taught the group to do cartwheels. The focus was on maintaining balance. Raven struggled. The arrogant lieutenant didn’t like being instructed by a junior officer. Angel didn’t bother trying to win the man over. Instead she focused on the others. Nance was little help. He did the moves with the other officers, but he joked and put in little effort. He was in good shape, and did the moves flawlessly. His background in gymnastics was evident. There really wasn’t room to do much more, but Nance impressed his officers with both front and back saltos. Angel didn’t press the others to attempt the move. She felt a trampoline was the best place to learn to do somersaults, especially since they would be doing them in the ARC suits. Unfortunately, there wasn’t room or the proper equipment on the Minerva.
“What else would you like us to try?” Nance asked Angel.
“That’s enough, for now,” she replied.
“Great. He checked his wrist link and smiled. “We should be out of hyperspace early tomorrow morning. Let’s reassemble in Auditorium C after breakfast. Say 0800?”
The others nodded. Angel felt like they were wasting a lot of time, but it couldn’t be helped. She didn’t have the facilities to advance their training, and there was no room to safely put the ARC suits on. Perhaps, she thought, they could learn the facial movements that would operate the suit’s powered systems, but that was up to Nance. Her responsibility ended in the gym. As senior platoon officer, Nance was in charge of making sure his people were up to speed. She considered making the suggestion, but she didn’t really want to be around her new captain if she didn’t have to be.
Angel left the gym and headed to the Ready Room the ARC platoon had been assigned to. She found Petty Officer Daniels working on the ARC suits.
“How’s it coming?” Angel asked.
“Slow and steady wins the race,” Daniels said. “How was gym class?”
“Fine. Most of them are at least willing to try.”
“Let me guess, Lieutenant Raven scowled the whole time. I think that’s his default look.”
“None of them took the exercises too seriously,” Angel admitted. “But my job is to teach the moves, not ensure that they perfect them. Once they get a chance to see what the suits can do, their attitudes will change.”
“Maybe,” Daniels said. “Maybe not. They may put in the work, but I doubt their attitudes will improve. Some officers feel they’re better than everyone else. Even the ones who kiss up to their superiors are usually just looking for a way to stab them in the back.”
“That’s a pretty cynical outlook.”
“Cynical maybe, but in my experience it’s absolutely true. There are officers who take their responsibilities seriously, and officers who only care about climbing through the ranks.”
Angel dropped onto a stool and began adjusting some of the thrusters on a suit Daniels had finished with. She understood her NCO’s opinion, but felt disappointed as well. There would always be people who did things for the wrong reasons, but part of her wanted the CSF to be free of all petty rivalries and vain ambition.
“Will we have these suits ready when we reach Neo Terra?” Angel asked.
“No, of course not,” Daniels said. “I can probably get the thrusters in place, but certainly not adjusted. Each new member of the platoon needs at least a day of testing in gravity with a dedicated tech to get the ARC suit dialed in.”
“So they won’t be armed?”
“No, not before we’re on station. Ideally we would be teaching the officers how to load the flechettes themselves, but I don’t see that happening.”
“Okay, well, we can do what we can do. Maybe we’ll have time to go planet side and train for a while once we’re in system.”
“Unless the Swarm is on the move.”
“If that’s the case, we’ll do what we have to do.”
“Just don’t go being a hero,” Daniels said.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were starting to like me Daniels.”
“Never said I didn’t,” the petty officer replied. “And I hate to see officers who have a little common sense get killed and leave the rest of us in the hands of Captain Nance.”
13
C.S.F. Minerva, Hyperspace,
En Route to the Tau Ceti System
Trouble erupted at dinner time. Angel wasn’t surprised when it happened, even though she hadn’t really thought about it before hand. She knew the Air Force officers looked down at her; but she hadn’t considered the fact that her experience in the ARC program, and against the Swarm might cause friction with her new platoon mates.
She was sitting at a table, picking at a plate of food that was similar to chicken and rice, although the chicken was actually protein wafers, and the dish was overcooked. Lieutenant Jin “Zilla” Mi approached Angel’s table and sat without asking. Angel overlooked the slight and smiled, hoping to welcome the stern faced pilot.
“Stay away from Captain Nance,” she growled.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard what I said. Don’t think we aren’t aware of how Marines operate.”
“I don’t think I know what you’re talking about.”
“How old are you, Angel?” She said the name with contempt. “Eighteen? Yet here you are, supposedly an expert in a brand new field, giving orders to officers who are well above your station. That only happens one way.”
“And what way is that?” Angel said, her food completely forgotten and her anger rising like the temperature in an oven.
“I think you know.”
“Lieutenant, I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt. Did you just accuse me of conduct unbecoming?”
“I don’t know who you slept with to make officer in the Marine Corps, but in the Air Force, officers are chosen for their merit.”
“Where the hell is this coming from?” Angel demanded.
“Don’t raise your voice with me!” Zilla said loudly. “I’ll not have junior officers shouting as if we’re equals.”
“You’ve lost your mind, Lieutenant,” Angel said, getting to her feet.
“Just stay away, Angel, or you’ll regret it.”
At that moment Raven and Princess arrived and took up station on either side of Zilla. All three gave Angel withering stares as she backed away from the table. She turned to leave and ran into Nance, almost spilling her tray of uneaten food on the Captain.
“Hey, where are you headed off to in such a hurry,” he said, catching her shoulders just before they collided, and then holding onto them. “Why not join us for dinner, Angel?”
“No thanks,” she replied, pulling back. “I don’t think I’d be welcome.”
He bent close, “Give them some time. They’re adjusting. They don’t know you like I do.”
“Sir, you don’t know me. I think it’s better if we keep things professional.”
“What’s going on?” he asked in surprised, looking honestly confused as if he couldn’t fathom anyone turning him down.
Angel glanced back at the table where the other officers were glaring at her. She felt as if she were back in school. Somehow she had managed to upset the popular kids and it felt as if her future in the CSF was in danger.
“Ask them,” Angel said.
She left the Ward Room and returned to her berth. All she wanted was a few hours of sleep. Then, hopefully they would be in the Tau Ceti system and she could rejoin the Marines who treated her with respect. Unfortunately, sleep w
as elusive. She tossed and turned on the narrow bunk. The air in her tiny cabin felt stifling and the hum of the ship’s hyperspace engines grated her nerves. Eventually she dozed off, but in her dreams she saw Captain Nance riding an alien creature as he stalked her no matter where she went.
She got up six hours later, still tired but unable to rest. Her data pad pinged, letting her know they were out of hyperspace and on approach to Neo Terra. They were still several hours away, but the end of the torturous flight was in sight. She showered, dressed, and headed down to the Ready Room. Seven ARC suits stood ready. Only her own was armed, and Angel spent an hour tinkering with the suit. She was fascinated by the power system and cutting edge materials. She donned her helmet and ran a diagnostic check on the suit. Everything was in perfect order, just as she expected it would be. Petty officer Daniels was fastidious about her work.
Angel was just shutting down the helmet when someone came into the room. She turned to find Nance smiling at her. Angel found it odd to have a flirtatious CO. Normally officers conducted themselves with honor and professionalism, but Nance still acted like a cocky teenager. Angel found it hard to believe that he actually wanted to seduce her, and tried to tell herself that she was reading into the situation. Was it possible she was just imagining his advances? It seemed ludicrous, but even as the thought crossed her mind he leaned forward.
“Glad I caught up with you,” he said softly. “Don’t pay Zilla any attention. She’s got a bad attitude. We had a thing for a while. Nothing serious.”
“She insinuated that I was using sexual favors to advance my career,” Angel stated flatly. “That’s not a bad attitude. It’s insulting and conduct unbecoming an officer.”
“She’s jealous, that’s all. We’re all the cream of the crop in our respective fields. Thriller and I flew fast attack craft. Princess and Fozzy were space jockeys before they got pulled for this assignment. Raven was a drop ship pilot. Supposedly the best in the business. And Zilla can fly anything, from puddle jumpers, to ships like the Minerva if she wanted to. They see you as a threat.”
Battle ARC Page 6