by J W Murison
Steven’s smile slipped. ‘Ah! I’m afraid that’s how Charlie wants it.’
She stood. ‘Really? Then why don’t we go ask him?’
‘He uh... he isn’t expecting you.’
‘I want to know what the hell is going on. He doesn’t so much as get a mention in dispatches, and then you whip him away from under our noses without so much as a by your leave. I want to see him and I want to see him now.’
Steven raised his hands. ‘I apologise. He did want to see you when he knew we were going to meet but I refused him permission. I was only expecting to be here a few minutes. We are on a tight schedule.’
‘Untighten it then.’ Her tone was uncompromising.
Steven closed his eyes. ‘He will meet you at the airlock in ten minutes. He is undergoing training at the moment.’
‘Ten minutes.’ She sat back down and looked at the parcels. ‘Did you say these were from him?’
‘You may call him Charlie, if you wish.’
‘Do you?’
‘We were childhood friends. He doesn’t call me sir or Captain, even when I’m kicking his arse.’
It brought the first flicker of a smile to her face. ‘You like him?’
‘Very much.’
‘What kind of a man is he?’
Steven shook his head. ‘Do you have a spare week?’ Now she smiled and reached for the parcels. ‘I think he slipped a note in with one when he thought he wasn’t going to get to meet you again.’
‘I always judge a man by the gifts he buys me. Can you guess the kinds of gifts I normally get?’
‘Call me Steven, please.’
Her eyes flicked up. ‘Maybe later.’
Steven shrugged. ‘I would imagine the gifts you receive would be... diamonds and pearls.’
‘I’m not old enough to receive pearls yet, at least I hope I’m not. But diamonds certainly. I also receive a lot of lingerie. These are from men who hope to win me out on a date. I have always returned them. Many of them were from married men. To those I sent the gifts to their wives.’
‘Ouch!’
‘Do you sympathize with them?’
‘Not in the slightest.’
‘I wonder what kind of gifts a man who has never seen me would buy me. This is a novelty for me.’
‘I actually advised him to buy you some jewellery and perfume.’ Steven looked up to avoid her eyes. ‘Needless to say he ignored me. Charlie has peculiar ideas sometimes.’
‘You don’t say.’ She unwrapped the smallest box and a note fell out of a fold in the paper. It was a large wooden case with her name, rank and medals stencilled in gold on the front. A key was taped to the top. She peeled it off and inserted it into the lock. On lifting the lid she found a piece of foam and moved it. She almost choked at what was underneath. ‘OH MY GOD!’ She exclaimed.
Steven rolled his eyes.
Jean took out the Desert Eagle pistol. It was so blue it was almost black. Intricate scroll work was inlaid with silver. The handle was chequered ebony and contoured to fit her hands. Which it did, beautifully. Along the top of the slide her name and rank was etched in silver. There was a red dot on the foresight and the rear sight had green dots. They seemed to glow.
‘I knew he should have gone with the perfume.’ Steven smirked. Jean barely glanced at him; he didn’t notice the gleam in her eye. She lifted it and aimed it at something on the wall. Laying it back in the case, she picked up the small laser sights. Grooves were cut on the left side below the slide for it. She laid them back down and took out one of the four magazines that were loaded. She depressed the top round. They were full.
She lay everything back in the case, plucked a tissue from a box and wiped the gun oil from her hands. She found the folded piece of paper and opened it.
‘Dear Captain Wilson,
Please accept this gift as a small token of my appreciation. I had little hope of surviving the ordeal. To not only survive but to be rescued by one of my all-time heroes was more than I could ever have expected. I also wish to thank you for the time you took to talk to me each day. I will cherish those memories for the rest of my life. Thank you.
I remember you told me how much you enjoyed pistol shooting and that you had taken the junior officer trophy while in training. You also told me that your personal weapon was a Browning nine millimetre.
It is something that has bothered me ever since. I have fought some of these aliens in hand to hand combat and have met many more. In my professional opinion as an infantry soldier, that Browning just doesn’t have enough stopping power. This does. It is a shortened version of the Desert Eagle, designed specifically for female shooters. It isn’t quite as accurate at longer ranges as the full length version, however it is probably more than enough for fighting aboard a space ship.
I sincerely hope that you will accept this gift in the manner it is offered. I hope you never have to use it in anger. If you do and it saves your life, or that of any others around you, then I will feel fully vindicated in my choice of gifts.
I think the only real problem you will have with it is ammo. I know the yanks use them a lot and, as we are all one big defence force now, it may be as simple as requisitioning some. Good luck with that anyway. There is some spare rounds in the gun belt. A cleaning kit is included, hidden under the foam.
I was going to hold on to this until we reached the great barrier then send it back to you through military channels. However, our rendezvous has given me this opportunity to pass it to you a little earlier. I am simply gutted that I’m not actually going to be able to give them to you personally. Life in the military sometimes sucks.
Yours sincerely,
Sgt C Murison.’
She lay the letter down, tore open the bigger of the parcels and took out the gun belt. The leather was supple and dyed almost the same blue as the pistol. She studied the intricate tooling and found her rank, name, and the name of the her ship woven into it. A dozen shiny .50 calibre rounds studded the belt. On the holster was a picture of the Sir William Wallace.
She stood slowly and Steven thought she was going to blow her top. ‘I can always have it disposed of discreetly if you wish.’
Her eyes flicked at him again. Steven was confused when she began to strap the belt on. She tied down the holster, plucked the Desert Eagle from its case, checked the breach was clear, eased springs and then slapped in a magazine. She slid the Desert Eagle into its holster as if she had done it a thousand times before.
At the far end of her office was a full length mirror. She posed in it for a few seconds with a big stupid grin on her face before grabbing her cap from her desk. ‘Let’s go.’
She got more than a few looks and admiring glances as they walked towards the airlock. For once the men weren’t looking at her boobs; it made her smile all the more. Steven was confused and she knew it. When she reached the airlock she stopped.
‘For your information Captain Gordon, I have never received such a beautiful gift before. I will not be returning it.’
‘Oh!’ He scratched his head. ‘Alright.’
‘You look confused.’
‘I have to admit to not being very well-versed in buying gifts for ladies. Komoru did tell me that if I bought her one she would shoot me with it.’
‘Different folks, different strokes.’
‘Aye you’re not kidding. Be prepared for a very bright light. You won’t be able to see much of anything. Charlie is waiting on the other side.’
They stepped through and Jean’s hand immediately came up to shield her eyes. Someone caught her wrist. ‘This way ma’am. The canteen has already been altered. We can talk there.’
‘Is that you Sergeant?’
‘Aye ma’am it’s me.’
‘You sound different.’
‘Hardly surprising. You will see in a moment.’
She managed to get her wrist free and grabbed his hand. Her heart began to flutter a little. It was the first time Charlie had been able to hear her though
ts. All the time he had been on board her ship the migraines had prevented him from hearing anyone’s.
He guided her through to the canteen. She blinked as she reached it and her eyes focused. ‘Oh! He is quite ordinary looking.’ Was the first thought that went through her mind. Charlie switched it off and let go of her hand.
‘Would you like a quick coffee ma’am?’
‘Yes please, two sugars.’
She followed him to the coffee machine. ‘You look totally different.’
‘Hardly surprising. My body was encased in metal the last time you saw me.’
‘That is true.’
‘Catch you later Charlie,’ Cookie shouted as he left the canteen.
Charlie waved. ‘They are giving us a little privacy.’
‘Do we need it?’
‘Steven ordered it.’
‘Did he! How?’
‘We all have neural links and can talk to each other with our minds. No words necessary.’
‘I get it.’
Charlie suddenly grinned. ‘You like it, don’t you?’ He looked down at the pistol.
It took her a moment. ‘Yes I do. It is the nicest gift I have ever received.’
Charlie frowned. ‘I somehow doubt that. Let’s sit down.’ They took a seat and Charlie sipped a coffee. ‘I believe you have some concerns you wish to discuss.’
She took a deep breath. ‘You should receive recognition for what you did.’
‘I don’t want it.’
‘Why on Earth not?’
‘Because I am trying to keep my head below the radar.’
Jean shook her head. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘I know. Give me a moment to gather my thoughts.’ It was a simple case of how much to tell her. He pulled up one of his sleeves. ‘Please touch my skin and tell me what you feel.’ She looked concerned. ‘Don’t worry, I’m not being a pervert.’
‘OK.’ She touched his arm. ‘Well, you have no hair. But your skin is soft.’ Her frown suddenly deepened and she snatched her hand back. ‘It feels funny.’
‘That’s because it isn’t skin. It is actually an alloy.’
She shook her head. ‘Sorry?’
Charlie took a deep breath. ‘The truth is, I am barely Human anymore. When I was a young lad, I saw something I wasn’t supposed to see. Something cooked up by spooks that killed a lot of people. I reported it but it was buried. During the Albany campaign I ran into those people again. I was stupid enough to bring up the past. They decided to tidy up the loose ends, and used their influence to grab me. Then they systematically tortured me. Steven and his guys rescued me. Trouble was, by the time they did, there was very little left of me. They pretty much chopped off everything they could without killing me.
‘My life was saved by this ship. The only trouble was she had to replace about seventy per cent of my body and organs. Maybe more. The arm you were touching is artificial. So is the other one. All my limbs in fact. So are my ears, my eyes. I am more machine than man. Human skin just doesn’t cut it I’m afraid. It couldn’t take the stresses or the heat my new muscles can generate. It is how I managed to managed to complete my last mission. The ship filled me with nanites. They attached themselves to my skin and gave me an outer metal layer that was able to generate a shield.
‘That’s pretty much all there is to it. There is a few benefits to being like this. I am capable of enormous feats of strength. I can run faster than a cheetah, see better than an eagle. My biggest fear is that the type of people who tortured me might find out about my abilities.’
‘You mean spies?’
‘Aye, them and their kind. I just don’t want to come to anyone’s attention ma’am. I hope you now understand.’
‘How many people know?’
‘About my full abilities, very few. About some of my abilities, maybe a dozen. Most are members of this crew.’
Jean felt an upwelling of emotion and tears sprang to her eyes. ‘I understand now. I am so sorry.’
‘Don’t be.’
‘How do you cope?’
Charlie looked towards the ceiling for inspiration. ‘Day by day, a little bit at a time.’
She wiped away a tear. ‘I’m sorry. For crying.’ She hesitated to ask her next question. ‘You didn’t seem very impressed when we first picked you up. Were you hoping to die out there?’
‘A part of me maybe. It was so beautiful you know. Floating out there alone amongst the stars. I felt so at peace, for the first time in a very long time. I thought, what a beautiful place to die. No bones mouldering in a six foot hole in the ground. No dank and dark earth pressing down on me. Just endlessly drifting through the universe, and maybe one day, eventually, becoming a part of it.’
Jean got slowly to her feet, tears now streaming down her face. She plucked a hankie from her pocket, wiped her eyes, and forced a smile. ‘Your secret is safe with me.’
‘Thank you ma’am.’ Charlie stood. ‘I will escort you back to your ship.’
He offered his hand and without hesitation she grasped it. ‘You know your photographs don’t do you justice ma’am.’
‘How so Sergeant?’
‘Your photographs merely make you look beautiful. Up close and personal, you are a force of nature.’
Jean thought it over. ‘I have never been described as a force of nature before, but I think I quite like it. It certainly makes a change from the normal remarks.’
‘I can imagine.’
‘You don’t seem to be affected the way most men are by me.’ She ventured.
‘You mean ogling, spitting and stuttering.’
Jean laughed and shielded her eyes as they advanced down the corridor. ‘Yes pretty much.’
‘Well, I am probably older and hopefully more mature than most of the men you meet. Besides that, you’re not really my type.’
Her head snapped round. ‘Oh my God, are you gay?’
He felt her hand slacken. ‘Oh hell no. Honestly!’
‘Yes, OK. You don’t look the type. So what is your type then?’
‘Petite, raven haired and doe eyed.’
‘Oh no! Not one of them. The helpless ones. A woman that makes you feel more manly.’
Charlie grinned, ‘Yup, that’s me.’
‘Appeals to your protective nature.’
‘Yup, they make me feel really, really good.’
She laughed. ‘Well, at least you’re forthright and honest about it. But you just told me that I was a force of nature. That doesn’t quite compute. I am about as far away as you could possibly get from one of those women.’
‘There is no denying that. However I admired you long before I met you in person. When I did meet you I couldn’t see you, so I wasn’t aware of your full bodied figure, shall we say. I simply came to admire you even more for the time and care you took to make sure I was alright. I used to really enjoy our daily chats. And I can’t deny that you are one hell of an attractive woman.’
‘Having to reassess the kind of women you are attracted to Sergeant?’
‘No, not really ma’am. You are not only out of my rank but well out of my league as well. I shall simply admire you from afar, as befitting a junior rank.’
They reached the air lock and he let go of her hand. She turned and looked into his eyes. ‘It is so hard to believe they are not real.’
‘The colour is mine. That’s it.’
‘I wonder what they can see.’ Her voice had become a bit dreamy.
Charlie leaned forward and whispered into her ear. ‘You would be surprised at what I can actually see.’ He stood upright with a cheeky smile on his lips.
She caught his meaning and her breath. Colour raced up her cheeks. ‘No.’ She breathed. Charlie’s smile simply broadened. She took a step back, covering her bosom. ‘Just when I thought I had met a real gentleman.’
‘I never said I did.’ He countered.
That caught her. ‘I think it’s maybe time I took my leave.’
Charlie stood
to attention and saluted. Jean returned his salute. ‘Good luck in the future Sergeant.’
‘And you ma’am. By the way, you look really hot with that Desert Eagle strapped to your leg.’
She couldn’t help the laugh and the smile. ‘Suits me does it?’
Charlie grinned. ‘You have no idea how the sight stirs the blood of a fighting man.’
She burst out laughing and gave him a half whirl. ‘On that note, let us depart.’
‘Oh man a´ peeps!’ Charlie breathed when she was out of earshot.
A few seconds later he detected a presence behind him. He turned to find the doctor scowling at Jean’s retreating back. Her unfriendly eyes caught Charlie’s. ‘What on Earth did she want?’
Charlie raised an eyebrow at her tone. ‘She had some concerns about the way I was being treated.’
‘Oh! How so?’
‘She thought there was a lack of recognition for my part in the asteroid mission.’
‘Well I hope you put her straight.’
‘I most certainly did.’
‘Good. What did you tell her?’
‘None of your damn business.’
Her jaw dropped. ‘Don’t you dare speak to me like that Sergeant.’
Charlie leaned over. ‘If you want to know, then ask me in a civil manner, and when you are in a better mood. Ma’am. What are you sneaking about for anyway?’
Amanda ground her teeth together. ‘I am here to escort two Americans to their quarters. Here they come now.’
‘I will leave you to it then. Good afternoon.’
CHAPTER 59
The remainder of the journey was uneventful. A few weeks later they reached the rest of the fleet at the third Modloch planet. The Emperor was wining and dining the important officials, rewarding them with nice homes on board his city ship and punishing those who had not done well or had committed some crime.
The two ships came into orbit around the planet, which looked very similar to the Modloch home world. The moment they appeared the orders came flooding in. The two Americans who had been made welcome during their stay were picked up by a shuttle. Steven and Komoru had to board the same shuttle, which was going to take them to see Admiral Baxter and the President.