“I won’t tell them we were intimate, ma’am. It’s no one’s business but our own.”
She smiled, stroked his handsome face, and kissed him tenderly. “Tell them the truth, John. We have nothing to be ashamed of. I openly and completely gave myself and made love to the only man I’ve trusted in years; the one man who rescued me from the Alexandria; the man who protected me in this tiny escape pod. I was the aggressor, remember? Not you. Just hold fast to the truth, John Mason, and we will be exonerated.” She kissed him again, and moved to the pilot’s seat. She took a deep breath, and hit the mute button, opening their pod for monitoring.
Captain Hanson divided the remaining food pouches, and advised Mason to eat as much as he could. Two long, anxious hours later, they were docked at SS8. Armed guards escorted them to separate cells in the brig. She had been correct; Earth Command treated them as traitors.
V
Mason had no idea what became of Captain Hanson for three weeks. Her warning to him proved to be true; he was immediately shackled and interrogated several times daily by various senior Space Forces officers, and his story was always the same. They did not beat or torture him, but he was stripped of all rank and pay, pending determination of the Joint Chiefs’ decision from their investigations.
True to his word, Mason never disclosed their affair while in the escape pod. Not even under truth serum did he reveal their intimacy. It was nobody’s business but his and Captain Hanson’s. He had too much respect for her to “kiss and tell,” especially since she was an officer. A Ship’s Captain, at that.
After three weeks, Mason was transported to Titan One under guard. He was on half food rations the entire time, and was as lean as a wolf. His ribcage protruded like a hungry animal. Upon arrival on Titan One, he was moved to the Alexandria, already docked and waiting there. The huge room originally used for forced genetic engineering was set up to reverse the process for the four surviving bridge officers of the Esmeralda, Captain Hanson, and Mason.
Mason and Captain Hanson were segregated away from the others, forcibly restrained, and under armed guard during their daily treatments. Neither he nor Captain Hanson showed any insignia on their uniforms; they were referred to as “Prisoner NR (non rank).” Mason was never insubordinate, and answered every question put to him honestly. Except when he was asked if he raped Captain Hanson, or engaged in sexual relations with her, he answered all their questions.
His daily routine consisted of six hours’ DNA reverse engineering, followed by his one cold, sparse, 300 calorie food pouch meal for the day, and returned to his cell. He was interrogated almost daily, at different times. He did isometric exercises, yoga, and stretching to keep his muscles supple, but he could not do any martial arts training. The guards would activate his shackles immediately if he assumed a martial arts pose.
“I cannot believe John Mason is being treated as a traitor, as a prisoner of war. Or Esther Hanson, for that matter,” Admiral Baines protested to Admiral Tomiko. “This is just not right. We have taken our champion Prime Marine, winner of the URE Medal of Honor, and abused, defamed, and dishonored him. What is the purpose of this unjustified, inhumane treatment of this man? Hasn’t he suffered enough?”
“The fact of the matter is no one trusts anyone anymore, Admiral Baines. Mason and Hanson will continue to be treated as prisoners of war until their DNA is fully reverse-engineered, and they are 100% human again. I myself do not agree with this treatment, but I have been over-ruled. That’s all I can say in this matter.” Admiral Tomiko raised his hand to Baines as he started to protest again.
“May I ask what is to be Mason’s fate after his treatments are complete? The man was set to enter OCS, with the Commandant’s recommendation, and endorsement from Admiral Worthington. He completed his PhD courses in preparation for this career path, Admiral Tomiko,” Baines asked.
“OCS is not even on the table for him. He could very well spend the remainder of his life in Mars Penal Colony, if certain members of the Joint Chiefs have their way,” Tomiko revealed.
“This is completely ludicrous, Admiral Tomiko. I know this man, as do you. We are doing a very great injustice here,” Baines said emphatically.
“He is obviously hiding something, refusing to answer certain questions. He has not been broken under the truth serums, and we cannot increase the dosage because of his treatments. I can say no more,” Tomiko said.
Dr. Rachel Baines was the Chief Research Genetics Specialist for the remote reverse engineering of the Esmeralda’s bridge officers, Captain Hanson and Mason. She became enraged upon seeing Mason restrained and sedated, under armed guard, for his treatments. Her husband finally convinced her the best way she could help him was to bring him back to 100% human DNA, and the Joint Chiefs would re-evaluate him then. It was obvious they were looking to him as their patsy; they wanted to pin the Esmeralda’s failure on Mason.
Dr. Baines personally supervised each and every treatment for Captain Hanson and Mason. Her treatment plan for Captain Hanson would be for three months. Mason had been altered at an earlier time than the Captain or her bridge crew; he was much further along in his “transformation” than the rest of them. He had the tell-tale marks on the back of his neck, scaly feet and underarms, and was growing a tail, for heaven’s sake. As a precaution, a vasectomy was ordered for Mason by the Joint Chiefs, and was performed without his knowledge. Dr. Baines was embarrassed to wear her uniform upon discovering that information.
The shuttle containing Captain Lee and Colonel Green was found adrift in the asteroid belt. The two men were nearly dead from lack of oxygen. They were successfully resuscitated and brought to Mars Colony II, incarcerated and held for interrogation separately.
Captain Lee and Colonel Green were proud of their accomplishments working for the Yellow Man. They each validated the stories of beatings, torture, sodomy and rape told by Captain Hanson and John Mason. Upon hearing their individual confessions, Admirals Tomiko and Spencer demanded Mason and Captain Hanson be reinstated and exonerated, and their service records expunged of recent accusations.
A special inquest was assigned for Captain Lee and Colonel Green, with Admirals Baines, Tomiko and Spencer officiating. The inquest was to be held on Mars Colony II in two weeks, which meant Admiral Baines needed to leave for Mars the next day on a transport.
Dr. Rachel Baines was not happy her husband was ordered on the Mars transport the very next day. He sent for his parents to come to Houston to assist her with little Victor, and an apartment was rented for their stay. Admiral Baines was sure it would take him away from home at least one month, since it took the transport two weeks just to reach Mars.
“This inquest is of supreme importance, Rachel. Lee and Green are so proud of their treachery they are disclosing many previously unknown factors about the extent of the Yellow Man’s plans. Not to mention, their confessions have already exonerated Esther Hanson and John Mason,” he revealed.
“I’m happy Mason and Hanson will be exonerated. They should never have been so badly mistreated in the first place. But why can’t Lee and Green be brought here for the inquiry? Why must you have to go to them?” She asked.
“The Joint Chiefs feel they may garner more support if they are brought to Earth Command. They want the inquest held off-world on Mars to avoid any sympathetic reactions. They want them isolated. Do you understand?”
“Don’t patronize me, Victor. Of course I understand. The Yellow Man has the Joint Chiefs afraid of their own shadows, so afraid they have treated our best friend John Mason as guilty until he can prove himself innocent, while sedated, restrained, and shackled! And Esther Hanson, as well. There is no need for three admirals to convene this inquest.” He knew she was right.
“The fact is, my dear, I have been ordered to Mars Colony II and I have to leave tomorrow. I don’t want to leave you and little Victor, but it is my duty. Now please, let’s not fight about it anymore,” he pleaded. She acquiesced, and packed his bags for a month-long trip.
<
br /> Dr. Baines helped her husband get ready to leave the next day on the noon Mars’ transport. She let him make love to her, but her heart wasn’t in it, an unusual situation for her. She felt such a strong feeling of foreboding about this trip she was afraid for him to go. She held onto him while his taxi waited. “Victor, I’m begging you to please not go. Call in sick or something. I have such a very bad feeling about this—please!” But he kissed her, and left in the taxi shuttle anyway.
Dr. Baines’ premonition was right on target. The Mars transport blew apart halfway to Moon Base, with no survivors. Upon hearing the bad news, she fainted and was taken to the base hospital. Admiral Baines’s parents helped her immensely with her husband’s final arrangements. She asked Admiral Worthington to release John Mason to assist her, but he refused, stating he was still a prisoner of war and could not be released until his treatments were complete.
Mason was not informed of the loss of his dear friend and advocate, Admiral Victor Baines. His funeral and memorial were held while his wife suffered in agony, as Mason lay sedated and fully restrained, or sat in electronic shackles in his solitary confinement. He discovered the truth by accident one day, through an off-hand remark from one of the med techs who was putting on his restraints.
“Dr. Baines should be back on duty next week to supervise this freak,” he remarked to one of Mason’s guards.
“Where was she?” Mason asked.
“They gave her two weeks off for grieving time.”
“Grieving? Who died?” Mason asked as his leg restraints were tightened.
“Don’t you know anything lizard boy? Her husband was in the Mars transport that exploded a couple of weeks ago,” the heartless tech said.
“Let me go! I have to go see her now! I have to go to her! Let me go!” Mason struggled and yelled, but they sedated him to a near-coma, and doubled his chest restraints. Lying on another exam bed next to the now-sedated Mason, Captain Hanson watched him, and felt his anguish. She cried for him as the sedative entered her veins through her forced IV drip line.
Dr. Rachel Baines returned to work to finish supervising the Esmeralda’s bridge crews’ genetic re-engineering. The four surviving bridge junior officers were released the next week, their records expunged, and they were cleared of all charges.
Captain Hanson was next. The Lee-Green inquest, held remotely after the Mars transport disaster, exonerated her from all wrong-doing. She was reinstated as Ship’s Captain, but placed on a top secret special assignment beginning in several weeks. She went home to visit her parents. She filed a recommendation that John Mason be fully reinstated, his record expunged, and exonerated from any wrong doings.
Dr. Baines watched her best friend and last patient, John Mason. She did not know until now he was not informed of her husband’s death until more than two weeks after the tragedy. He was so far away, still on the Alexandria, docked at Titan One. It would take him a month to come visit her, assuming the Joint Chiefs would exonerate him and reinstate him. Hopefully, that would happen, and he would attend and graduate OCS, and get assigned somewhere in Houston. She wanted him close to her.
After another three weeks of treatments, John Mason’s DNA finally tested 98% human, close enough for Earth Command. His tail was surgically removed, to his great delight. In a formal vid conference held on board the Alexandria, Admiral Worthington and the Commandant of the Space Marines exonerated Mason, reinstated him to Master Gunnery Sergeant with full back pay, and a special bonus for extreme hardship for $250,000. His record was expunged from all recent events and accusations.
Dr. Baines watched on her vid screen, while the Joint Chiefs of Staff issued a formal apology to Mason for his treatment, which was under their direct orders. At the very last, Mason was ordered to attend the current OCS already in session, having been passed out of the first six month’s basic training element, and two months for martial arts training. He would be on the Alexandria, headed for Moon Base, then a quick transport to Houston. He had to wait on Titan One for one more week before leaving.
Mason called Dr. Baines, “Master Gunnery Sergeant Mason calling, ma’am.”
“John, I’m so happy for you! I watched your formal reinstatement from my office vid screen,” she said happily.
“I’m glad, Dr. Baines. It’s finally over. I get my life back now. It’s been more than eight months of pure hell,” he confessed.
“The last few months have been tough for me, too, John. Will you come see me before you go to Quantico? I’d really appreciate it if you’d come see me,” she asked, her eyes red.
“I’d love to come visit you and meet little Victor. I hate that they wouldn’t let me see you before.” She could see his anger and frustration. She felt the same way.
“Absolutely come visit us. And plan to stay here. Don’t worry about anything, just come see us. Come see me, John.” She suddenly looked so vulnerable to him.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can, Dr. Baines. I have to testify in front of the Joint Chiefs for one day, with Captain Hanson. Other than that, my time is your time, Dr. Baines. I’m all yours, ma’am.” He smiled broadly at her, and she managed a little smile.
“And I’m all yours, John. Just get here, Marine.” She tried to give him a big smile.
“Aye aye, Dr. Baines. All my love to you, ma’am.”
“And all my love to you, John.” She clicked off, hoping he did not see her crying.
Mason went to his newly assigned room and changed into his one piece uniform, and felt like his old self. He went to the mess hall and ordered two rib-eye steaks, with a full carafe of orange juice. He saw his two former guards sitting at a table near the door. He casually invited them to spar with him at nineteen hundred hours, and they agreed, thinking he’d be so out of shape they could work him over a while.
When the cocky guards came in, Mason asked if they wanted to spar individually or as a team. They chose to team fight him. Mason had a couple of floating vid cams recording, just in case they attempted to press charges against him. They took him down easily the first round, and their confidence rose dramatically. The second round, they timed out for a draw. The third round, Mason beat the living crap out of both of them, legally and legitimately, within the rules. He felt so much better afterwards.
Mason walked out onto the Titan One space station Promenade, and noticed an advertisement for the bi-annual Space Marines Mixed Martial Arts Tournament, being held on Titan One in one week. He scanned the sign-up information and entered. Why not?
Mason placed another live call, this time to Captain Hanson. He told her about his reinstatement and exoneration, and the formal apology from the Joint Chiefs. She was elated.
“John, that’s superb! It sure as hell took them long enough. I’m so happy for you!” She looked so relaxed.
“I never told them anything, you know,” he said, suddenly blushing.
“Neither did I, John. We may have to, at the Joint Chief’s testimony. So, be prepared.”
“It’s still none of their business, Captain.”
“I know. But I’m glad it happened. I nearly lost faith, if you know what I mean, John,” she said softly.
“I absolutely know what you mean, ma’am. I practically gave up hope.” There was a very brief, but telling pause between them. “Well, I won’t take any more of your time, Captain Hanson,” he said.
“I’ll always take your calls, John, and give my time to you,” she said somewhat suggestively. She saw him blush.
“Thank you, ma’am. G’night.” God, he loved older women!
Mason worked out ten hours a day to prepare for the tournament. He was not in his best shape, by far, but he hoped he wouldn’t embarrass himself too badly. On tournament day, he did an abbreviated workout with some yoga to stretch out. Still tense, he decided to watch the women’s bouts, all held first. Like the men, their contest was one of elimination.
There were 12 female fighters, most adequate but not remarkable. There was only one real figh
ter, “Pantera.” The fighters never disclosed their rank, and most used fighting names to keep their real name a secret. She showed incredible muscle definition on all her extremities and back, Mason noted; a seasoned fighter. Her skin was the color of mocha coffee. She was from Brazil, the announcer said.
Mason watched Pantera in all four of her bouts, the last fight for the women’s championship. Her opponent in this bout was her only real opponent all night. Their first round was a draw; Mason knew she was just setting up the other woman for the kill. Round two, Pantera landed a midsection kick dead on, knocking out her opponent. She won in three moves.
Then the men’s bouts began, a much longer session with thirty contestants. Mason’s first opponent was a tall fighter, but nervous and weak. He succumbed the first round. His next opponent used a form of muy thai boxing. Mason enjoyed fighting him, and stretched him to the third round before knocking him out of the ring. The audience had taken notice of Mason by now, including Pantera, observing the men’s fights.
When his third bout was announced, he faced a tall Russian as big as he was. The man had an incredibly powerful kick, but left himself wide open immediately afterwards. Mason took him out in round two. He faced a man who called himself “Polar Bear” next. One flying kick sent that bear out of the ring into the third row of seats. Mason rested; there would be only one more bout.
The announcer called Mason into the ring to face Motumbo, who won the last three titles over the years. Motumbo was taller than Mason, and weighed 130 kilograms of solid muscle. His arms were longer, giving him the advantage in reach. Mason would be lucky to survive.
Motumbo was a dirty fighter, opening with a below the belt groin kick, which Mason barely missed. He noticed he favored his right leg. Whoever landed a dead on kick would win, Mason decided. Motumbo was agile and powerful, but Mason was faster. He tried to leave his body open on Motumbo’s left to judge his kick. Motumbo went for another groin kick and missed, and received a stern warning from the referee—as if he cared.
Vengeance of Sukesh: John Mason (Legend of John Mason) Page 6