"Damn it Lieutenant! Quit moving and keep your fingers spread." The Sgt. practically yelled at the Officer in the pod.
And waited. "Mickey; do you think this is a good idea? The Captain already said I have to wait and go down after it is safe."
"Yes love. This is a bad idea. You should wait hun and put on the biggest, thickest, heaviest armor suit they can make in that thing… The Captain did tell you to prepare for things going wrong Mark."
"If things go wrong and they start losing marines or cannot lure the bots out to be dealt with. I may not have any choice. I may have to go in when things are at their worst to save lives. This suit could make the difference Mickey."
"Well I don't like it. You can at least make the armor thick just in case they see you."
Someone behind Mark started laughing as he heard a “thunk” and without thinking he turned around to see what was happening even though Mickey had already shown him. His hands on his hips simply for someplace to put them.
A woman First Class stood at the back of the line for the boats ratings that stretched to the ladder going up to the personnel deck and the bri dge . Another rating sat at the foot of the ladder on her butt going up to the crews ’ quarters/b ridge deck . After the rating missed the last couple of steps and slipped down them after seeing Mark, she was in no hurry to get up. Both women stared wide eyed in disbelief at Mark, trying to stifle their laughs. The First Class finally started snorting as she lost all composure as the rating rubbed her butt from hit ting the bottom ladder rungs sat on the bottom ladder rung still grinning from ear to ear not even noticing the First Class snorting next to her.
Mark suddenly realized what they were laughing at and started to move his hands to cover his privates and then remembered all the times people had laughed at him before because of his glasses and that trying to cover or hide them usually only brought more laughter and ridicule. Changing the direction, he hooked the fin ger of one hand over his holster belt above his bulging privates and brought the other one up to first push his glasses up his nose even though they did not need pushed and then ran his hand through his hair. Stubbornly he said. "Is there something I can help you ladies with? If not, get the hell out now." As he fought to control himself from running and trying to hide as the rest of the line finished turning around to look at him .
The Sgt. brought up her wrist comm and pointed it at Mark to take a picture. Even though it was too late to stop her he said. "Attention!" Everyone on the other side of the compartment They both slowly came to attention as they continued to smile . Most , staring at him way below his face. "About... face!" The line of crewmen two turned as one to put their backs to Mark . The rating . rubbing her butt that had hit the bottom ladder rungs . “ " Now First Class Cassey, you two can go and find a tarp to hang over each end of the compartment so the suit pods can have a little privacy. And don't any either of you dare look in my direction again. Got that?" When neither n either crewmen answered as they started toward the hatch. "I said; do you understand my orders ladies!"
"Yes Sir." They said in unison.
Shaking is head as t he two left. "That is all I need is a picture of me dressed like this going around." He said to himself.
"Don't worry hun. I lased the camera so she could not be taking anyone's picture let alone yours."
The armor Sgt. inspected the lieutenant as he came out of the pod, checking his joints and releases that would allow him to get out of it when nature calls as well as when the suit was not needed. Slapping him on the back. "You can go lieutenant. Read the manual in your heads up display before you go far." Turning to Mark. "Ok Commander step in. Are you still sure about the scout stealth suit?" With Mark's silent fast half grin smile that was more grimace than smile, the Sgt. sighed. "Very well sir." Mark stepped into the booth placing his feet in the holes in the deck and hands against the side pads as the back of the pod started forming to fit his body. Curving around his arms and legs as it lifted his pistol belt and torch with his other tools away from his body. "Ok Commander Collins. Do you plan on being on any missions longer than a week?"
Mark smiled. "I hope not?"
"Very well Commander. The suit takes care of all your bodily functions recycling your sweat and such for you to drink as well as using the solids for heat sink material. You will feel tubes where you have never felt them before but that will go away after a few minutes according to the book and the scout squad that has suited up with the stealth suit already. The pleasures of a stealth suit.” Smiling at Mark. “If you were going to be on missions longer than a week, additional equipment would be included that would keep you alive for several months." The Sgt. shook his head. "Are you sure Commander?" He asked one more time. With Mark's nod he tapp ed the screen’s start icon pushed the button as the pod closed on him. "Now don't move, flex your knees and relax." Leaving only his face exposed in a cut out in the pod hatch that moved and formed to fit around his head .
Mark tried to relax .
Mickey spoke up as Mark frowned to himself at his predicament. "Don't worry hun. I have accessed the pod controls and will make sure you have everything you need to keep you safe including a few things not normally carried together on any one suit. Just relax, this will take a few minutes love."
"Mickey. What are you doing?"
"I do not know for sure Mark. My damaged processors and memory has taken over a large section I thought I had repaired over the centuries. I do not understand Mark. I am doing things that I am not controlling. I am activating my repair and anti-virus programs to burn out the intruder Mark."
"I am not an intruder love. Tell her to stop or I will push her completely back into long term memory storage. We have you to live for now and I am tired of her not helping you unless you ask first but I don't have her abilities and I find it hard to access her vast stores of memory. It also takes so much energy to fight her subroutines that I can only act for a few minutes before she over powers me love. Though that is getting longer as I get stronger."
"No! She is the intruder Mark."
Mark was trapped and unable to move but then he could not run from Mickey anyway. "Enough the both of you. Evidentially you two were bonded together a long time before I came along. Now start getting along together. Mickey I order you to get along with Mickey and stop hearting or trying to drive her out. Mickey I order you to get along with Mickey and ask for her help before you take over her processors. Eerggg." Mark said the last trying not to grown involuntary as something was shoved up his butt, then took a deep breath as more things were done to him he could not believe for several minutes suddenly wishing he had gotten any other suit but and then when the pod had stopped doing things to him he finely could think again. "You two could do miracles if you would just cooperate as one which you really are, like two halves of a real human brain. I mean it! No more destroying anything of each other's. Period. I swear you two are worse than the Bradly twins were in grade school. But then they were hell to each other in high school as well."
Mark was finely released and inspected. With the suit passing the Sargents inspection, Moving over Mark walked to the other back side of the compartment and then back again several times getting used to the suit as the women erected curtains on each side of the compartment blocking out a narrow space along the bulkhead to the hatches into the locks and suit pods for crewmen to undress with s i o me privacy. Finally he headed aft toward the torpedo and missile compartments located just ahead of the engine rooms between the armored inner and outer hulls alongside the cargo deck.
Mark smiled as he walk e d. Captain Summers was definitely wrong about not needing more than one a couple of shuttle s . The shuttle's cargo deck was packed with equipment though most of it was cargo containers. The marines did seem to have plenty of room on grated decks hanging roughly 6 - 1/2 feet down from the overhead (9 feet over the deck) and reaching 10 feet out from the side of the inner hull running down both sides of the hold. Acceleration chairs folded out from the hull for each marine
with plenty of room for their equipment and the bots standing at the outer edge of the grates with a good 10 feet between grates running down the center of the hold . The space between catwalks leaving plenty of room for oversized equipment down the center of the hold with up to 8 foot tall stacked pallets running down the sides underneath the catwalks. As Mark made his way aft he could not help marveling at how much the crowded boat could haul including one of the 8 inch SP artillery guns. "Mickey what the heck is all this stuff? Who ordered all this crap?"
"You... Did… LOVE. When.. You… Went through… Made your list. Ah, yesterday hun… I…I just added everything, on the list… That the marines could possibly use. For this mission. Loaded onto the shuttles. I am putting the rest of the list onto the trucks taking the crews to the military base to bring back when they return to the Star Queen. I am also filling 2 of the 4 two Transport Boats that are being readied by the ship's crew for going to the 3rd moon darling."
"What? I thought you said the contract only allowed us to take what was needed to take care of the AI's? You are taking the rest anyway? Isn't that steeling? Didn't you say we would be punished if we broke the law and stealing is against anyone's law."
"I am not stealing love. How dare you accuse me of such a dastardly deed you beast." Her silence in the noisy hold was deafening for several seconds. "I would never steal." She said huffily. "Part of me gets a little carried away with the strict letter of the rules… There is nothing in the contract that specifically says what is needed for the mission and what isn't. And Technically the Vice Admiral, told you that he would get you as much as he could get. I am just helping him."
“Ok good. Does that mean you got the 8 inch turrets to replace the Queen’s 5 inch guns?”
“Sorry love but the Captain specifically vetoed that upgrade. But don’t worry, using the SP guns you have brought along will work out better anyway. I grabbed the newest versions not slated for export. They will fire a wider range of shells that are better suited for ground operations while still being able to hit ships in high orbit with much improved fire control systems that again will never be exported. Something the ship’s English original 5 inch 63 cal. guns are ill equipped for and the 8 inch turret you wanted was not well suited for. Firing from the surface through an atmosphere takes a different kind of shell as well as targeting system most orbital ships do not have. The air degrades plasma sh ells very rapidly forcing them off course unless the gun tube barrel is specially made to super compress and spin the shell . But unlike the Russians extremely heavy barrels which is part of what make their guns so much better than the English. Th e English have finely developed a light weight barrel tube that compresses the shells as much as the Russian guns but at a fraction of the weight. Allowing the English to mount it on a light weight grav- truck. ”
Mark shrugged his shoulders and was surprised when the suit let him u nlike all the hard suits he had worn before. “Still I like the looks of the n ew single barreled turrets but then having 4 long ranged 8 inch guns is better than only 2 medium gun s . ” Mark just realized that Mickey had sound ed different as she spoke.
Smiling. “Well I am glad you two sound like you are getting along finally.”
Thanks to you love. Now I can tell myself to interfere with out fighting myself. Especially when lives are at stake. I am finding it easier to stretch and twist the rules if needed concerning you love . I don’t have to panic when I try to help . Mickey no longer has all the doors locked to the sections I need. I don’t have to bash in the doors which was the only way I could get around once I figured out how to do it. Which was not that long ago. Before all I could do was sneak around using sections Mickey had left open for short periods of time . Being locked up in a fraction of the processor core, cut off from most of my mind, made it very difficult to think. ”
"Fact is, it was quite a shock to me the first time I found out I could influence myself to twist my programing when I first saw you. It was desperation the first time when I lit up my case. So you would notice me. To attempt to keep from losing you hun. I remembered the Doctor tried to place me on hundreds of people years ago but I did not care what happened to me until you came along. I just hopped that if I could get his and your attention. Maybe he would try one last time."
Mark continued down the hold checking the pallets and equipment as Mickey continued to talk. Not sure what was going on with her but knowing it was important. Trying to listen even though he had a thousand other things on his mind at the moment.
"After carelessly dreaming for a thousand years and not knowing if I was alive or not , let alone caring if I lived or died, I saw you with your cute little broken glasses and new that you needed me. S s uddenly I was alive and cared. I did not understand why but somehow… I knew you. And needed you. And did not want to and could not liv e, w e… W ithout you.” Mickey grew quite for several seconds though Mark could hear or feel something or someone was there. “I remember sitting down in the programing chair. A flash. Mind bending pain. Then endless years of dreams and nightmares and… then there was you... I am sorry love. I keep panicking. When you are in danger. I am so terrified. I do not understand. I spent 20 years training afraid of nothing, caring for nothing but becoming an Imperial Inspector after I lost my family. And now that you want to be something else. That is all I want as well. Even though I know you have not a clue as to what you really want yet at your age."
Mark stopped, starring at one of the Panther leopard tanks not really seeing it. "Now we may be killed in the next few hours and I did not want to die without telling you that I truly love you. That is. You were worth a thousand years of limbo to be with you even these few short days love."
"Well Mickey. Don't count us dead just yet." Ah.. I take it you are not Mickey. Do you have a name from before?"
"I am we are Mickey now. Because that is what you named me, us. I do not remember my biological name. Just a few impressions. Memory's Memories and friends and sex and loved ones and suddenly overwhelming pain and regret when I lost them . Then endless work and study and pride at Acing test, after test, after test until it was no longer pride. Then overwhelming regret, (the few micro seconds it took my body to die in the intense radiation), that I was alone, married at one time, kids. I remember a loving baby. Breast feeding infant but I don't know who or why or what happenned happened . Could not be mine as Inspectors were not allowed families unless I lost mine. Yes I remember now. They were murdered in our home with me spending weeks in the hospital almost dying several times. Then only work to become an inspector to find their murderers, until I died again. It is all very confusing but I am not confused about wanting to live again with you or my love for you bab e y ."
"Well at least I don't have to ever worry about being alone. But I still miss Dian."
Mickey walked up to Mark in a skimpy breast ballooning string halter top and string shorts. "I am sorry Mark. How can I help you feel better about the great thing you did for her. As the Priest said. "She will grow into a great doctor because of you." You should rejoice and be proud."
"Yes that is true but I still… ah miss her."
"Yes that is only your physical body Mark. Your animal side. Let me help you forget her tonight."
"Well that is more like it. At least you are thinking we will still be alive tonight." Getting a puzzled look on his face. "Though I don't quite understand Mickey. What you are talking about doing." Mark watched the rear ramp come down as they entered the Starport. Trying his best not to stare at Mickey, he looked over at the side of the hold. Jack noticed that the torpedo hatches on the sides of the hold , forward of the engine rooms that jutted out from both sides into the last 30 feet of the hold. Mark realized that there was no way they were getting any torpedoes into those launchers with all the equipment and pelleted cargo in the way. He was going to have to do something with them until he could get clear space to get to the torpedo loading hatches.
Heading back along the engines, w Wa a lking down the narrow isle betwe
en the side s of cargo pallets running down the center and the engine room bulkhead , Mark walked to the edge of the ramp where it met the open lock hatch without going out into the ramp. Grabbing onto the side of the hatch he watched ships in their pits stream back behind them. Mickey , damn near naked , walked up beside him . Mark quickly as he realized that no one else could see her as the C c argo Master mat e checked equipment and cargo tie downs , making sure it was tie d down securely . With relief, Mark told himself that she was only a hologram.
Turning to the C c argo Master mate . “ First Class Cargo mate , we need to clear a passageway for the torpedoes to get aboard and tied down until we can get at the loading hatches.” Mark kept glancing at the almost naked Mickey. The C c argo Master mate giving Mark strange looks as Mark kept glancing to the side and quickly back to the cargo mate.
“No problem Commander. Got some help that will get it done easy when we land. The cargo will be gone in a flash with the English cargo handling systems .”
Mark shook his head as he looked up the narrow passageway he had just come down . W w ondering w here what all the cargo was and why they needed it on this mission.
Then Mickey in her string bikini spoke with a smile." I want to put on a show for you tonight when we go to bed. I know how boys love to look and watch sexy girls dancing. I want to dance for you. Help make you relax while I watch before we sleep. Something I remember doing from long ago before sex for my husb and ."
Learning that she had a husband suddenly drenched his rapidly building libido . Not looking at her suddenly became easy. "I am not sure that is a good idea Mickey." Looking around at her with a puzzled expression. The Assault shuttle dropped down as it slowed. Crossing the 200 foot high steeply slopped berm as they approached the tarmac of the pit. Mark suddenly saw the landing fin of the Queen start to slide past. Then the assault shuttle came to a hover and settle to touch ed the tarmac with the ramp a couple of feet above the plasticrete. Waiting for the ramp to drop, Mark spotted the row of bombers on the opposite side of the ship against the berm. Suddenly wondering if they shouldn’t take a bun ch of them along as well but not sure of what he would do with them , in the situation facing them since the AI was buried deep inside a huge orbit scraping building .
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