Everyone in the room knew that there were never any Allith prisoners taken. Nothing chemical would work on their brain and they were just too strong and mean to keep as prisoners. Colonial Military had adopted a take-no-prisoners standing order when it came to dealing with the Allith.
“General, do I have your permission to start working on a couple of projects in light of what you have just told us?” Ben asked.
“Yes Reaper,” the general replied. “Coordinate with the captain and her engineering staff for use of the ship’s fabricators. It will be a couple of weeks before you arrive so use the time wisely.”
He turned to O’Shaughnessy. “Captain, there is a new stealth shuttle you will be picking up and taking with you. It will already have a brig capable of holding the prisoners. We are still negotiating with the local government for use of a hangar. This will be our base of operation and a place to keep the shuttle hidden. We will discuss small details at a later date. Also, would you make sure you have the fuel and supplies to reach the furthest planet on the list I mentioned earlier? There is a chance we may need to divert you en route. This is all I have for the moment. Message me any questions.”
The vid shut off. It was quiet in the room. Ben got up first to leave.
“Major do we have any other meetings?” Ben asked. “If not, I would like to go work out in the gym as soon as I find out where it is.”
“I’ll show you.” The captain spoke before anyone else.
“Great. Lead the way, ma’am.” Ben opened the door and motioned for the captain to go first. As they exited, the marine outside the door came to attention and fell in behind her. Ben followed them both.
The XO and the major sat in the conference room for a few more minutes.
“I have to get to the bridge,” Holmes said. “Major, would you keep a eye on the captain and your whatever the hell he is. I hope they don’t kill each other.”
“I will do my best, Commander,” she replied. “If what I am thinking is going to happen does, it should be epic.”
No one had to come to attention when the captain entered the gym. The marine posted himself at the door but said nothing. They walked back to a locker room to change out of their uniforms. Ben walked back into the gym barefoot and wearing his thermal suit. There were about 20 crewmen working out or doing martial arts. Ben found a mat away from everyone and started stretching.
The captain decided to use the other half of Ben’s mat to stretch. Ben worked his way through his stretching routine. The captain stepped in front with her back to him. Legs together, feet firmly planted on the floor, she bent down placing her palms on the floor.
“Reaper,” the captain said in a soft sultry voice, head obscured. “Do you see a stick anywhere?”
“No ma’am,” Ben said, then laughed.
“Oh good,” the captain said. “So do you think now that you are mistaken?”
“Yes ma’am,” Ben said. “Seems that I am.”
Andrea walked in and watched the captain step in front of Ben. She watched the situation and saw him laughing and smiling. Her face became red; she knew her friend was flirting with him. She walked around until she found a place to sit where they could both see her. The captain was curious about the look on her face, but Ben knew what it meant.
He knew although he had done nothing wrong, he would pay for it later. The captain turned to face Ben and continued to work through her stretching routine. Her ample chest was causing him a huge problem. Ben decided the best thing he could do was close his eyes until one of them moved.
The captain stood up and asked him if he wanted to spar. Ben declined, indicating with his hand he had stitches across his back and shoulders and didn’t want to open any of the wounds. The captain wanted to know how he had been wounded. He told her about the young girl being attacked. He told her how the major got the girl to safety while he fought the tiger.
She looked over at Andrea. Because the captain was standing so close to him, Ben wasn’t speaking loud enough for the major to overhear the conversation. Andrea noticed the captain look over at her during the conversation. She decided it would be best for her to leave and not watch any more of whatever was going on between Ben and the captain. She yelled as she walked.
“Reaper, we have a meeting in a hour if you can pull yourself away.” Her face red, she walked without slowing for an answer. The captain looked at Ben, who shrugged his sore shoulders. She was more than curious about her friend’s attitude.
Andrea arrived at her quarters and sat down at her desk. She took out her mission log and started making notes for the meeting. She had messaged the sergeants and received their acknowledgements within seconds. What the hell was Aisling doing? Was she working some devious plan to get revenge on Ben? She didn’t look angry anymore. She had a look of admiration on her face at one point during their conversation. Andrea would find out later what they had been talking about. Ben would have to tell her.
Ben walked to the end of the gym where the crew was working on martial arts. He sat down to watch. The captain walked over a minute later and asked if anyone wanted to spar. A tall male crew member volunteered. All eyes in the gym were now focused on the match.
The crewman had three or more inches of reach and 120 lbs. at least on her, but Ben knew sooner or later the captain would get her shot at him. Unfortunately for him, the crewman was a brawler. He thought his size and strength would be enough. Ben knew this match would be over shortly if the captain was any good at all.
The crewman took a boxing stance and started with a series of punch combinations. The captain moved too fast and no punches made contact. He kept it up for a couple minutes, then tried to charge her and take her down. She ducked under his arms and punched him in the diaphragm as his momentum carried him past her. She crouched down, making him throw his next punches on a downward angle. Ben knew she was setting him up, measuring the distance of his reach.
The crewman started his next attack when the captain did a back flip, her foot catching him just under the chin. His body took two steps back, following his head. His eyes were glazed. The next kick took him in the diaphragm again. He landed on his back, gasping for air. The captain walked over to the crewman.
“Good job Sergeant,” she said. “You lasted 15 seconds longer than last time.”
Ben decided it was time to leave. He walked over and offered the fallen sergeant a hand. The captain took his other hand and they pulled him to his feet. Ben headed to the locker room to get dressed.
Ben made his way down the corridor, looking for Andrea’s room.
“Are you lost, Reaper?” the captain said as she walked up behind him.
“Yes Ma’am.”
“Follow me, it’s on my way.” She took him right to Andrea’s room and he hit the button to request entry. The door slid open and Andrea was sitting there, looking at him and the captain standing behind him.
“Thanks for the help, Captain,” Ben said.
“Anytime Reaper,” she said as she walked on to her quarters. Andrea’s room was icy cold and it didn’t have anything to do the temperature. Ben was early and the sergeants were not there yet. Andrea continued to stare at him.
“Aisling is very beautiful,” Andrea said. Ben sat silently, sensing a trap.
“Every man on this ship probably fantasizes about her.”
Ben thought it best to stay with the silent tactic.
“So, are you going to pursue her, Benjamin?” she asked. There was only silence. “Benjamin! Answer me,” she yelled. “I have to know.”
Ben jumped up out of his chair and grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her in to a passionate kiss. Her hands slid around his waist and held him tight. They stopped to breathe.
“Andrea,” he said, looking her straight in the eyes. “Aisling doesn’t know about us. It would be wrong for you to be angry at your friend. In a crazy sort of way, we reconciled our differences. We will get through it. I will talk to her when a good time presents itself. I will
lie and tell her there is someone back home. But you will need to keep your poker face on, okay?”
“I know, I just got so jealous,” Andrea said.
“And Aisling saw that as you walked out,” Ben responded. “She may figure it all out but until then, don’t worry. We are going to have a relationship and work together and fight aliens, not each other,” he said, adding, “and the relationship is going to be the hardest to do of all three.”
Andrea smiled and gave him a quick kiss. “Let’s get to work.”
The sergeants arrived at the major’s room and the four went to work on the supply lists. If all went well, everything would be ready by the time they departed Ares. The major copied the general on the message with the lists. Sometimes supply could be very stingy and uncooperative. The general would keep an eye on things. The captain arrived and walked up to Andrea.
“Major, with your permission, my chief engineer has some free time. Can I show Reaper to engineering so he can meet with them? He mentioned earlier he had a couple projects he wanted to start working on.”
“Yes,” Andrea answered, “thank you Captain for setting that up for him.” Ben got up with a folded piece of paper in his hand. He stepped forward to the captain and handed it to her.
“My written apology, Captain.”
The captain read it. Andrea, not having proofed the letter like they discussed earlier, was a little worried at first, but saw the captain smile so let it go. They stepped into the corridor and Ben walked along beside her.
“You have a way with words, Reaper,” the captain said.
“Thank you ma’am.”
Chapter 8: A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste
They arrived at the engineering section and were greeted by a middle-aged man and a female Trillond.
“This is Chief Miller and Ensign Aok,” the captain said. “They keep the Warhammer in perfect operational condition at all times.”
Ben thought it odd to see a Trillond here. The Trillond were a peaceful race the early explorers had encountered 300 years ago. They were a humanoid species and very close to the humans of earth in biology. Their skin pigment was a soft sea foam green, and they had red eyes like a albino. A small percentage of their race were telepaths. A lot of the Trillond were mathematical geniuses. This made them great additions to an engineering team on a ship.
“So the captain tells me you have some things you want to work on,” Miller said.
“I want to work on a suit of armor that is lightweight yet will deflect full power laser blast and also stop the teeth and claws of the Allith,” Ben said. “Our team will be going close quarters to accomplish our mission.”
“You are going close quarters with those monsters?” the chief said.
Ben just nodded. “That’s all I can tell you, chief. What materials do we have access to and how thin of a sheet can we make? I want to make a laminate of Tungsten and Waspaloy with a polished black top layer. We can model the suit after the lightweight armor panels. Is there a secure room I can fire a laser at full load without making the ship’s sensors go crazy?”
Ben could tell the wheels were turning; the chief was lost in thought. Ensign Aok had been quietly listening to the exchange, looking at the captain and Ben as he described what he wanted to accomplish. Ben knew they didn’t allow the Trillond telepaths in the military; the only exception was Military Intelligence. The ensign was studying the captain and had a odd expression on her face.
Ben wanted to try something. He made sure he was looking at the ensign and thought, I wonder what you look like naked, and how your skin would feel against mine.
The ensign turned on her heel and said over her shoulder that she needed to check on some algorithms she had processing and hurried off. The chief was studying the schematics of the basic lightweight armor and just grunted his acknowledgement. Now Ben was very curious. If she was a telepath she was doing a great job of hiding it.
The chief said, “I think we can do this but it will be expensive. They would never want to mass produce these.”
“You’re right, chief,” Ben said. “We will be making about 10 suits to start and another 10 for backup. I will get all the sizes you will need. I would like to have a reinforced webbing, and buckles made of the same material as the suit.”
“Captain? did you receive the general’s authorization with cost accounting yet for my special projects?” Ben asked.
“I did,” she replied.
“Any questions, Chief? If not, message me when you have some samples to test,” Ben said. “Hey, and can I borrow Ensign Aok whenever you can spare her?” The captain and the chief looked like they wanted to know why. Ben told them he had some numbers to crunch and didn’t want to be up all night getting them done.
“Look,” he said, “I can count on my fingers and my toes but after that it all gets a little dicey. This way I get to keep my boots on.”
“Will do,” the chief said. “I will send her up your way after our evening checklist is complete.”
“Thanks, chief.”
The captain decided to accompany Ben to his quarters. He could tell she wanted to talk.
“So is your sense of humor the reason why General Grey recruited you?” she asked.
“Yes it is, Captain,” Ben said. “Someone has to give all you uptight sailors and marines a laugh.”
“Well, you were not what I was expecting when you stepped out of the shuttle. I had the idea we were flying to recruit a super soldier,” the captain said. “I couldn’t believe we travelled thousands of light years for you. I’m sorry, Reaper. I shouldn’t have acted the way I did.”
Ben knew that must have been hard on her to say. He decided he wouldn’t respond right away and instead let the silence hang. She stopped walking after a few more steps and just looked at him.
“Were you talking to me, Captain?” he said with a grin. “I’m so sorry, I wasn’t listening; could you repeat that?”
She returned the smile. “Come on, let’s get something to eat.”
A couple seconds of silence passed, until Ben broke it.
“So how do you know I’m not a super soldier?”
“I don’t know,” she answered. “But I do know you’re trouble, that I am sure about.”
The captain asked Ben to join her in her state room for dinner. Ben asked her if the major could join them. She messaged the major with the invite. Ben couldn’t tell if it bothered her or not; all he knew was that he didn’t want to get into any hot water. He could have declined the offer, but he knew that the captain would have the best food on the ship. He wasn’t going to pass that up.
The major arrived within a couple of minutes and sat next to Ben. The captain asked the major about her day and if there was anything she could do for her or the team.
Ben looked around the captain’s quarters. They were sparsely decorated, but what she did have was very nice. Her desk had a dark wood look. Clipped on a crew schedule on the wall was Ben’s apology letter. He couldn’t believe the captain had it on display. The major saw where he was looking, got up and walked to look at it. She stood there for a moment and dropped her head, shaking it.
In childish writing, the note said: “I am sorry I was mean and made you mad.” It was signed Reaper and had a stick figure of a girl with tears. She looked at Ben and continued to shake her head as she walked back to sit down.
“I am sorry, Captain,” Andrea said, “that I didn’t see that letter of apology. I will ensure a proper letter is completed and presented to you.”
“No, Major, that won’t be necessary,” the captain said. “The matter is settled to my satisfaction.”
They sat in silence until the captain turned to Andrea.
“So Major, is there anything you can tell me about our top secret comedian that would not compromise security and the general’s orders?” The steward was serving everyone and his eyebrows raised and lowered as he listened to them talk.
“You mean besides being a major pain in
the ass?” Andrea laughed. “He is much more intelligent than he lets on. I have only known him for a week, but he appears to have adequate combat skills and a fondness for cheeseburgers. Other than that he is just a man of mystery.”
“I understand he saved a child just a few days ago from a tiger and received some injuries.” Ben was eating while listening to the conversation.
“I heard that rumor,” the major said. The captain frowned for just a second. She knew the major had been at the incident.
“It seems it was a act of courage and bravery, don’t you think, Major?” she asked.
“Yes, I suppose so,” the major said. Ben sat and listened as the two women talked back and forth right in front of him. The captain was curious and the major evasive. Ben finished eating and decided to excuse himself.
“Captain,” he said, standing up, “thank you for dinner; give your steward my compliments. If you hear from Ensign Aok please direct her to my quarters. Good night.” He left the room.
Ben sent a com message to the major as he walked down the hall. He wanted her to be in the meeting with the ensign.
Half an hour later, Andrea arrived at his room, and Ben asked her to take a seat.
“When Ensign Aok gets here, I just want you to sit and watch her like a hawk. Do not think of anything personal or top secret. Think about the tiger and imagine it is trying to kill the ensign,” Ben said. “Think about that over and over and stare at her, okay?”
“Ben, what the hell?” Andrea said.
“Just trust me. I do need her to help with the projects but I want to test her first. Worse case, you can tell her I’m an idiot and I will write another letter.”
Ensign Aok made her way to Ben’s quarters. She was unsure of what was going on but knew he wanted her help with some equations and specs. She hoped he wouldn’t have any more of those thoughts about her naked, but she was getting used to things like that happening and could deal with it. She arrived at his quarters and pushed the announcement button. The door opened and she stepped inside.
The Chronicles of Benjamin Jamison: Call Sign Reaper Page 11