Trampship Wars 2

by L. D. Roberts

  "Captain:" Mark spoke up. "Ah things have changed down at the building." Both Captain Cook in the Command Chair and the Captain of marines sitting in one of the un manned used consoles turned to look at Mark. "It turns out that the AI captured most of the missing troops and civilians instead of killing them. Though it is now threatening to start killing them if he is not left alone and contact with the outside world and the Military AI is not restored."

  The Captain of Marines spoke up. "What intelligence about disposition of the AI bots and where the hostages are being kept did you get?"

  "Nothing sir. They have banned all bots even recon bots and recon teams have not been successful in penetrating the basement of the building without being captured or killed." The shuttles slowly cruised toward the planets main space port well below the speed limit. Mark watched the Star port in the distance grow slowly larger.

  "Damn. We need to know where those hostages are if we are going to rescue them." The Captain of marines was worried. "Not to mention the fact that if we knew where it was keeping most of it's bots it would make eliminating them that much easier instead of having to draw them out to fight."

  Mark suddenly remembered standing in the truck deck hatch and hearing a huge crash outside the ship in the pit a couple days before after making one of his trips to the engine room. Rushing out side he had looked up around the hull to see the wide open hatch of Cargo Hold A looking as Garbage was being pushed out to drop down at a sensor torpedo as a junkyard rat ( that had been loading junk into an airtruck ), melted a groove in the deck next to Mark forcing him to drop the torpedo . into Mark and several of the Queens cargo deck crewmen had just pulle d the million credit sensor to r pedo out of the junk pile before the junkman could load it. That had started a battle and the uncovering of a bomb that almost bl ew up the ship tha t Mark was still trying to forget. B ut ma the empty pit below ma king him smile as he was . R r emind ed ing him of what had been in the trash that had gotten his attention to find the pirates planting tracking beacons and nerve gas bombs in the first place. "Ah Captain. Why not use those recon torpedoes I almost got my butt shot off trying to save last week a few days ago . Being part Empire tech, they should be immune to the AI taking them over even if it is able to see them witch is unlikely and should tell you everything you want and need to know."

  Captain Sounders looked over at Captain Cook. "Well Captain. If they still work they could make the difference between getting the hostages out alive as well as Mr. Collins in to neutralize the AI. Unless they are just long range remote eyes with limited sensors."

  Captain Cook frowned. "No; when I bought them 22 some years ago they were the best sensors I could find on the black market and just happen to be lucky enough to trip over them basically because the dealer did not know what he had and yes they should be able to tell us what the hostages had for dinner as well as where the bots are massed." Captain Cook had been tapping on the screen in front of her. Studying it as she talked. Suddenly she frowned. "Mr. Collins; am I seeing a simulation on the weapons screen or does this bucket have loaded Torpedo and Missile bays in it?" At Mark's node yes. "Good, if we can find where he is massing the bots, we can drive a torpedo or program a missile to fly right into the basement and take them out using a low yield setting on the warhead without doing too much damage to the building." Captain Cook turned to the pilot. "Mr. Gardner. We will be spending a few extra minutes in the pit. Make sure your entire crew gets suited up before we leave and pass that along to the other boats as well please."

  Turning the Captain's chair back around to face Mark. "Mr. Collins, you can find some way to mount and launch these sensor torpedoes… Say replacing a couple of the Mk. 104 torpedo's on the rotary launchers with the sensors. I will have a few of the ship's torpedo crewmen sent down with them. You just make sure it gets done. Oh and since you have a few minutes before we get to the port you can get suited up now before you get busy and forget." Turning the Captain's chair back around to face forward, the Captain hit the chair ’ s com switch and continued to bellow orders. "Star Queen get me the First Officer stat." As Mark left the bridge.

  Mark dropped down the ladder into a compartment aft of the gun rooms for the bow turret and shoulder tu rrets rrets to the side , with the hatch to the hold in the middle of the aft bulkhead. The compartment ran the 30 feet across the front of the hold to personnel air locks at each side. Both side locks had a couple of crewmen in front of them which Mark ignored as he thought about what to do with the new Mk. 104 torpedoes he needed to take took out of the launch rooms to make room for the sensor torpedoes. Deciding to send them back up adding them to the racks of cheap cheap relatively stupid Mk. 48 torpedoes the ship had. Fact w as he thought about having them unload the whole magazine into the Star Queen but they didn’t have the time. But then they might need a few if the sensor torpedoes managed to find the bots clustered together.

  Going aft through the central hatch into the cargo deck, several marines were going through working on equipment sitting to one side in the packed cargo hold. The upper grates that extended some10 feet out from the sides and ran the full length of the hold some 9 feet up, were filled lined with marines sitting strapped to the seats folded out from the upper bulkhead . Their bots standing at the edge of the grate holding onto the overhead with their feet locked down to the grate . Nowhere could he see any of the suit containers and their man pods. Walking around the piles of supplies and weapons to the First Class Cargo mate Sgt . that looked like he was running the show. " Mr. Cline Sargent , where is the suit up pods? The crew is supposed to get suited up in flight suits."

  "Sorry Commander sir." The First Class Sgt. smiled at Mark's bafflement. "The suit pods are mounted between the outer and inner hulls just aft of the personnel locks forward of the hold sir." He pointed back at the hatch Mark had just come through. “Easier to use without interfering with cargo operations. Technicians are there now ready for the crew. ”

  Mark looked at the hull at the forward corner of the hold. He could see a large hatch in the side that looked tall and long enough to get one of the 8 foot tall by 2 5 0 foot long narrow half cargo boxes slid sideways through it. With him concentrating on the location, the image of a shortened height 2 5 0 foot long, cut down the middle lengthwise, only 5 foot wide cargo container suit pod appeared beyond the inner hull with the suit molding pod facing forward into an opening in the inner hull on the aft bulkhead of the lock. "Damn it Mickey why didn't you tell me that was where I needed to go?"

  "You did not ask me Mark."

  "Well, I should not have had too damn it. Now I feel like a stupid fool." Mark Mark said under his breath as he walked back around the equipment feeling like everyone was looking at him and stepped through the hatch, paused and headed for the side with the shortest line that had grown there since he passed through the compartment a few minutes before. Finally noticing that the short line had only officers in it while the long line had a half dozen rating s in it with more arriving as he joined the short officer’s line.

  As he walked up, the marine Sgt. was just explaining how it worked to the lieutenant at the head of the short 2 person line as the ensign next in line undressed to put on one of the stretch fabric underalls taken from slots to one side of the pod. Even taking off her bra. Mark a little embarrassed as the young woman quickly covered herself in the stretched underall that did little to hide her many curves, stepped back out of the lock to give her some privacy. Mark recognizing the ensign from his Officers Swearing in party the week before as all the ensigns then much senior to Mark had spent the evening getting him drunk and hazing him mercilessly. That was until he puked all over the oversized breasts of his chief tormentor.

  The Sargent did not seem to notice the naked woman only a few steps from him as he talked to the Lieutenant. The Lieutenant busy read ing y the manual , did not notice either.

  The Sargent continued. "Once you pick out the suit you want from the list on the screen and all the accessories you want to put on it,
you stand inside the depression on the foot pads with your hands flat against the hand pads on the sides, fingers spread wide apart. Keep your knees slightly flexed like you were going to stand at parade rest for half the day or you could break your leg with a hard landing or hard hit from the front. And then relax."

  The lieutenant looked through the pages showing the different suits.

  After stan ding staring at the lieutenant for a couple of minutes looking through the screen ’s pages, t he rating coughed and then. "A… Lieutenant, you should probably get the ship’s Officers suit with all its extra coms, screens and computers."

  "But this scout suit looks rad. Is it as stealthy as it says. says? I can't believe it can disappear to all radiation including infrared . Is and is it really invisible?"

  "I do not now Sir. Are you planning on hiding from the enemy? Besides sir, as soon as you fire your weapon or talk to someone your platoon or the ship, you would be radiating energy that can be tracked makes you visible . Besides it does not have all the tactical equipment needed to run a division platoon or the ship and takes twice as long to process all the fittings . Get the Ship’s Officers suit sir with the standard outfitting. You can always change it later if you decide you need anything added."

  "Mickey: What is this scout suit? How stealthy can it possible get?"

  "I only know what the test and action reports say Mark. There are reports that during the last year of the war, scouts routinely penetrated enemy territory as fare as command posts and bunkers in the old first generation stealth scout suits. Again these new improved suits may not be that improved and may have had major flaws introduced into the suit with the design changes. They have not been tested in major combat yet as the war ended before they could reach the front. Fact is, these injection pod suits have not been tested in major combat yet except for small field tests. The individual suit injection pods had just been issued to all the front line troops when the war suddenly ended."

  The lieutenant looked at the Sgt. "Is there some way for me to get the officer's suit and the heavy weapons suit combined Sargent? The Heavy weapons suit looks he man buff."

  "I do not think so Lieutenant but you can check later. Please just get into the pod sir."

  Mark shook his head. “Sgt. isn’t there a standard ships suit?”

  Turning to look at Mark. “Ah yes sir. Several… Aaa. Basic spaceman, maintenance, ship’s patrol, medic, and an officers suit sir.”

  “Good limit the suits for ship’s or in this case, the boat’s crew, to just the basic ship suits. Pass that order over to the other pod while you are at it. That means no add s anything, period. This has dragged on long enough. ”

  The lieutenant turn on Mark. “Shut up worm. I will get…” Then the lieutenant saw Mark ’ s Oak leaves and turned white. “Shit ! You’re a fucking Lieutenant Commander?” Swallowing as he came to attention. “Sorry sir. ” Stepping backward against the almost naked Ensign. “You go ahead of me sir and I will get the standard officers suit when you are done.”

  “No lieutenant. You go ahead. I sti ll have to un dress and the Ensign is ahead of me anyway.”

  “Aaa. Yes sir. ” The lieutenant stepped into the pod without another word. Fixing his eyes on a spot in the middle of the front side of the lock as the pod closed on him leaving only his face exposed.

  As the tech went to work programing the pod, Mark stripped off his brand new kaki un i form full of burn holes from the torch splatter in the lifeboat compartment , turning away from the line of ratings on the other side of the compartment while moving to the side of the hatch along the bulkhead out of sight of the ensign standing practically naked in the far corner of the lock trying to stay out of sight with her back facing the open inner hatch as the lieutenant finely entered the pod .

  As Mark started to slip on the stretch underalls the Sargent stuck his head out of the lock. "Commander Sir. I suggest you take off your boxer shorts as well sir. They will bunch up and turn painful after a few minutes. We have already had to replace half a dozen suits for that very reason." Smiling at Mark. "I promise not to look. The underall will lift and support you so your junk doesn’t get pinch ed when you sit or jump anything important . And you are next Commander Sir.” Telling Mark that the ensign that was ahead of him could wait without saying so.

  Mark started to protest when the Sgt. continued. “You will be taking the standard flag command ship’s officer’s suit as well sir . ? " The Sgt. said it as a statement and not a question trying to speed things up as he turned to check on the progress of the lieutenant now in the pod.

  The ensign lieutenant that was trying to hide what the underall didn’t, frowned smiled and turned around from to face the corner of the small between hull's space, that also served as a lock for the outer hull hatch. Opening her mouth to protest not liking not b eing next .

  Mark’s mind had already turned to business . "Ah... No Sgt. I think I will take the Scout suit with the deep penetration package." Not sure if he really wanted to do what he was thinking and suddenly planning after finding out about the stealth suit, Mark forgot all about the Ensign as she crossed her arms in front of her chest under her boobs lifting them up making them look bigger (a technique she had spent hou rs practicing in the mirror) and ga ve Mark the evil eye that usually worked to cower most men into giving her preferences.

  The Lieutenant before her had already been undressed when she got there and was busy reading the screen to even notice her. And now the damn Commander that had noticed her. Had not only turned his back on her bu t ignored his own orders picking a suit that would take twice as long as the normal suit to process. Hate filling her eyes she suddenly realized who Mark was. Remembering helping her friends be at and kick the fool with the glasses over a week before. Only to get her ass superglued to the seat in the truck that was supposed to take them on a vacation to a very expensive ski resort and then almost crash as th e truck tried to disintegrate after being chained to the deck preventing them from taking off which she later found out was this fool s fault . Wishing now she had broken his stupid glasses. The Ensign started steaming as she stopped herself from screaming and looked up to see most of the males across the compartment had moved far enough over to gawk through the open hatch at her. Huffily she gave them the look most demon gave men that displeased them and turned her back on them and the stupid Lt. Commander sticking her nose back in the corner.

  The Sgt. turned back around not understanding Mark breaking his own rule. Then smiled as it downed on him. "Nice joke Commander but.." Then noticed Mark was not smiling back at him.

  “I have a job to do with the Marines off the boat Sargent and I don’t want the enemy seeing me doing it. That also means I need to take a lot of equipment with me that the normal ship ’ s suit just can’t carry. If that is possible? ” Mark pointed at his pile of cloths with his tools and weapons.

  "Ah…Very well Commander.” Looking out the hatch and down at Mark's tools, the torch and the pistol belt laying on his brand new uniform folded on the fold down bench . "You will have to put on everything you want to take along with you before you step into the pod sir." Seeing Marks baffled expression. "The suit has to cover everything you take or need or it will not be stealthy. Even a wrist com watch will stick out like a tank to sensors if they are close enough. Put your pistol belt, tools, comm watch and anything you need to see or use too big to fit into a pocket, on sir…. The suit will mold the basic suit under the equipment then leave flaps for you to get at whatever you put on… Ah Sir? You don’t need and including the old sunglass things over your eyes sir. The suits visor will protect your eyes from bright light . Sun glasses have a habit of fog ging up . "

  Expecting Mark to take them off at any second, not realizing that Mark was the retarded kid with the big thick plastic, usually glued together ugly glasses he had been seeing around the ship and hearing about for years. Turning to the console the Sgt. brought up a screen and started reading it. After a few seconds he whipped around to face Mar
k again. "Are you sure about this Commander?" As Mark stared back without taking off his glasses.

  "Yes Sargent Krump. I am sure."

  The sargent Sargent turned back to the screen and started reading again. Mark with Mickey's help read the screen (reading that the stealth suit required quite a lot of extra work even from the operator) and then the next page and within a few seconds had the entire manual read. Though he would have liked to go over a few sections a little more carefully, he had enough to do the job for the time being. Mark stripped off his shorts, slipped on the tight coverall realizing that they had a flexible cod peace built in that lifted his manhood up from between his legs rather comfortably keeping his package from binding or getting pinched between his leg s as they normally did when sitting down or bending or running or… Just as the Sgt . had said. B b ut leaving a bulge that you could not miss through the thin fabric. Mark was not used to having a bulge for all to see Especially with a near naked well curved beautiful ensign only feet away and started putting on the power pack belt and holster slid a little down his hip trying to hide his larger than normal bulge as much as possible. Then he fastened the tool pouch containing tools as well as Mickey ’ s sensor slides and disks to the belt on the other side. Then attached the torch in its holster to his upper thigh on his leg opposite the pistol . A Velcro patch sticking the holster to hi s underall , wrapping the stretch bands provided by the Sargent around his leg just tight enough to keep it there until the suit could take over and finely his wrist comm watch. Standing there with the coverall stretched thin and looking more see through by the minute as it continued to tighten in all the right places while loosen ing in others.

  Mark tried not to look as embarrassed as he felt standing there feeling naked with his weapons on as he waited…Feeling like a little kid at X-mas with all his new soldier toys over his PJ's including pistols that were much to big…. and waited…Feeling sillier by the second as he glanced at the Ensign at the the other corner of the lock as she gave him a disgusting look before turning back around. more worried about exposing herself than in what he was exposing … B B acking farther around the side from the lock’s hatch , Mark waited.