They did not see each other again until a year later, when she, as an officer, brought him into her brother’s forming unit. They did not speak of their former association, but she knew his loyalty was guaranteed. He became her informal bodyguard, when she needed one.
Hope, as an 02 lieutenant, made contact with one Lieutenant Repro, a drug addict with no future in the Navy, who nevertheless had a dream of the perfect unit. He had a list of the best possible officers for it who were not otherwise committed, and urged Hope to assemble that unit. The first target was Lieutenant Commander Phist, a whistle-blower who had blown the whistle on a billion dollar cost overrun, whose Navy career had of course been destroyed by his honesty. He was thirty five years old and on the verge of retiring from the Navy.
Hope discussed it with Spirit, as he did anything of consequence. She was the lowest of officers, an O1, but that had nothing to do with their relationship. “I need to get Commander Phist’s commitment to my unit,” he said. “He is the best logistics officer in the Navy. Repro points out that though he ranks me by two grades now, mine will rise while his will not. But until I rank him, I can’t bring him in, even if he should want to come, and I’m not at all sure he would be interested in someone’s dream of a perfect unit. So this seems impossible to put together. What can I do?”
Spirit had an answer. “I will fetch him for you.”
He shook his head doubtfully “How?”
She smiled. “Just give me a little time, Hope.”
Thereafter she oriented on Commander Phist, learning everything about him. He was a good man, an outstanding officer, well worth recruiting. He had absolutely no future in the Navy—unless Hope was able to reverse the blacklist. When she was ready, she sent him a message:
May I meet with you on private business?
Ensign Spirit Hubris
Evidently bemused by this contact from space, as the phrase went, Phist agreed. Spirit took a taxi rocket to the spinning administration bubble that was his station, and made her way to the complex where he was posted. She reported to his office in uniform, but took along a civilian outfit. She intended to make an impression on him, and she had a fair notion how to do it.
Commander Phist turned out to be a tall, handsome, well formed man, the soul of courtesy. He was efficient without being pushy, and did not waste time on small talk. “Lieutenant, I admit I am perplexed by your wish to meet me. Is there some small problem I can help alleviate?”
She smiled. She had not tried to mask the scars on her face, or her truncated finger; she intended to be honest with him throughout. “My business is of a somewhat personal nature, and may require considerable reflection on your part. I can express it in one minute, but would prefer to express it in an hour or a day, in a less formal setting. I would greatly appreciate it if you would humor me on the presentation, though not on your decision.”
He reflected only a moment. “What do you know of me?”
“Everything that is on the record.”
“Does this affect my career?”
“Yes, in part.”
“I know nothing of you. Show me your power.”
She held up her hands, demurring. “Please sir, not here.”
“Will you trust yourself in my private apartment?”
“Yes.”
“Then I believe I can free the afternoon for your presentation. Will that suffice?”
“It may, sir.”
He smiled. “You intrigue me. But I trust you already know that I have very little influence on Navy policy.”
Just in case she were some kind of agent seeking military favors. “Yes, sir.”
They walked to the street level where his personal floater was parked. Gravity shielding did not work on spin-gee, so the vehicle did not literally float; it had wheels. But truly floating vehicles were so common on planets that the designation had spread more generally. They rode to his apartment complex, which was not fancy. Gerald Phist was evidently not much for personal display, conforming her research on him.
But his apartment was reasonably spacious and quite well kept. He was meticulous in personal habits. She appraised it at a glance, liking what she saw.
“May I change to civvies, sir?”
“As you wish.”
She stepped into his toilet cubicle and put on a blue dress. She let her hair down and tied it back with a matching blue ribbon. She applied foundation makeup to her face, hiding the scars. Finally she donned white gloves, the left one with a stuffed finger. The whole procedure took very little time; she was well familiar with this particular transformation.
She stepped out and walked to the center of the room. She twirled, letting her skirt flair decorously. She was slender, but her legs had ripened nicely. “This is the artificial me,” she said. “I will change back if you prefer.”
He studied her with obvious appreciation. “Why should I prefer?”
She sat in the chair opposite him and crossed her legs so that some thigh showed. “Because my appearance and manner may distort your judgment.”
“At this stage I am not clear whether your business is professional or social in nature.”
“Both, sir.”
“I am now more than intrigued.”
“I will show you my power now, sir, if you wish.”
“I believe you already have. You have transformed from a battle scarred ensign to a lovely woman.”
He had obliquely agreed to receive her presentation. She gave him the blunt summary: “My brother, Hope Hubris, wishes to assemble an ideal military unit. You are the best logistics officer extant, and he would like to have your association, when this becomes appropriate. Because you outrank him at present, this is not yet feasible. I am here to obtain your commitment. This is a business matter, in support of my brother, who is my galaxy. I am prepared to marry you and make you as satisfied in that respect as a man can be.”
His mouth had not dropped open, but his features had gone still. She had impressed him, all right, but not necessarily positively. “This is more business than I anticipated,” he said.
“I want there to be no deception as to my nature or my mission,” she said. “I can not promise you love, but I can promise you the semblance of it for the duration of our association, which will be as long as you choose it to be. But I would like to say also that I believe you will find my brother worthwhile, perhaps more so than me, and that he may in due course be able to improve your career. We need you, Commander, and we are prepared to pay our way.”
He frowned. “I think I am not for sale in quite that manner. But I confess that your personal appearance is appealing to me, I assume by no coincidence.”
“No coincidence,” she agreed.
“However there is more to a woman than appearance. I would like to know more about you personally.”
“The one minute summary is that I was a refugee from Half-cal, witnessed the destruction of my family and companions, was captured by pirates, and after four years was able to rejoin my brother and enter the Navy. It is the kind of background that leads to survivalist traits. I am a hard woman, but a loyal one.”
“You would do anything for your brother.”
“Yes. I am here for him.”
“Tell me about Half-cal.”
“Sir, do you mean historically, culturally, or my participation in it?”
“All of them. Call me Gerald.”
She flashed him a smile. “Thank you, Gerald. Stop me when you tire of detail; I don’t wish to bore you.”
“I think you know how not to bore me.”
She smiled again. Indeed, she did know. He had lost the early love of his life when his career foundered, and had not taken a regular woman since. Spirit had disposed herself to resemble that woman in subtle manner. Her dress, her style of hair, her smile—all were roughly reminiscent, considering that the woman had been Saxon rather than Hispanic. “Half-cal echoes Haiti on original Earth, whose people were descendants of free slaves that revolted again
st the French in the 18th century, during the reign of Napoleon. French buccaneers took over the west side of the island of Hispaniola and harassed the French until they gave up in disgust and let the revolutionists have it.”
“What of the original inhabitants?”
“Those were the Taino, American Indians, who welcomed the explorer Columbus but died out because of European illnesses like smallpox and the brutal treatment by the invaders. The French then brought many thousands of black slaves from Africa. There were fifty or more slaves for every Frenchman. Eventually these slaves revolted and threw the French out, naming their land Haiti. But that was not a happy conclusion, even for the slaves; there were racial tensions between mulattos—that is those of mixed white and black ancestry—and the blacks. Half-cal was colonized by those descendants, and by some from neighboring regions, a renewed melting pot. Our situation mirrored our origin; there were border tensions between Half-cal and the Hispanic Dominant Republic. Thus my family lived in a border city, and is Hispanic rather than mulatto.”
He seemed interested, but she decided not to leave it to chance. She got up and went to sit beside him. When he looked at her, she learned forward earnestly, showing more breast than before. She was seventeen, and now fully formed. She had no picture of her sister Faith at that age, but Hope said she was similar. She would rivet the gaze of a man, when she tried, and she was trying now. “So racially and culturally I am Hispanic. But we ran afoul of an aristocrat, and had to flee the planet. That was our mistake; the pirates–”
“I know about pirates,” he said, gazing into her bosom.
He really had no choice. “Their tentacles extend well into Naval supply procurement.”
“Yes, they prey on refugees.” She frowned, remembering the horrors of the refugee bubble. “But I think you would not care to hear those details.”
“Yes, I would.”
So she told him, but the telling crept up on her, especially when it came to the loss of her father and then her mother. She had blocked those memories off for years, but the bitter edge was still fresh when she reviewed it. “I apologize,” she said. “I am unprepared for this particular narration.”
Then she was in his arms, not by her decision, and crying against his shoulder. “Damn!” she said. “I don’t like to cry, especially not in public. Especially not now.”
“I apologize.”
She was startled. “Sir?”
“Gerald.”
“Gerald. Do I misunderstand? I have bored you with my pain, and wet down your shoulder. You should be angry.”
“Spirit, I wanted to see the genuine you, under the pretense. I did not mean to hurt you. I apologize for leading you on.”
“This is not what I had in mind. I have ruined the effect.”
“I appreciate the effect. You are a most attractive woman. But I prefer to keep company with a genuine person.”
“I am not sure of that. I have maimed men. I have killed. I have been the woman to an entire ship of pirates. My core is grief and bitterness. I am ugly inside. There was no need to burden you with that.”
“Then let’s leave that behind. Tell me of your brother.”
She cheered almost immediately. “He is smart, and honest, and courageous. When there is a difficult scene, he has such nerve he can face down a pirate or an officer. He can read people, understanding their natures. And his effect on women–”
“You pause?”
She smiled ruefully. “Women love him. They all want to do his bidding, to be near him, to have sex with him. It’s like an aura he carries with him, even when he was young. And I—am jealous.”
“Jealous of his magnetism?”
“Of his women.”
There was a silence. Then she got up and went to clean her face. When she returned, Gerald had changed to civilian clothing, and looked like any man on the street.
“I believe I am twice your age,” he said. “Does it matter?”
“I think not. If you still wish to associate with me, I am amenable.”
“You have just seen me at my worst. Are you sure?”
“My career is going nowhere. I am neither young nor virile, neither bold nor wealthy. You obviously have the ability to fascinate any man you wish to. Are you sure?”
“Yes!”
“Then so am I.”
She nodded. She lifted the hem of her skirt. “Do you wish to—?”
“It is tempting. But perhaps not appropriate at this time.”
“As you prefer.” She kept a straight face, but she was hurt.
“Am I missing something?”
“No, you are a sensible man. I am the one who has foundered.”
“I assume that having won your case, you are ready to return to your unit.”
“Yes, of course.” But her hurt remained.
“I fear I have offended you.”
“No, not at all.”
“Or failed you in some other manner. I ask you to tell me how, for you have made a considerable impression on me.”
“No failure. I am the one out of line.”
“Please tell me, Spirit.”
She took a breath. “I came to persuade you to join our unit, in spirit now, in reality later. I came prepared to win you by my body if not my logic. I find that you are a nice man. I am not used to nice men.”
“You have had brutal experience,” he agreed. “This is one reason I do not wish to require you to do what does not derive from your own preference.”
“I—I did not mean to expose my own emotions. You have been courteous and kind. You have seen my depths and not been repelled. I wish we could–”
He shook his head. “I do not have your brother’s ability to read people. I think you will have to tell me exactly what you mean.”
“I want you to desire me beyond the point of politeness.”
“Spirit, I do! But–” Then he reconsidered. “The men you have known—they leave you alone only if they lack interest.”
“Or if they are forbidden to touch me. I have had sex with many men; it was not really a matter of choice. The desire was theirs rather than mine. Now—now the desire is mine.”
“Spirit, if I relax my discipline, I will become like the men you have known. I thought to spare you that.”
“Don’t spare me that.”
He paused only a moment. “I will desist when you tell me to.” He came to her and embraced her.
“I won’t tell you to.” She kissed him. The passion rose up, and the kiss deepened. She knew it was in significant part a product of her savage emotions evoked by her memories, positive and negative. But she wanted him to possess her with abandon.
They moved to the bedroom alcove. “Undress me!” she panted, and put her hands on his clothing. He obliged, and soon they fell on the bed. She was on top, pinning him down. She wrapped herself around him, seeking his member, setting herself on him and around him. “Take me!” she gasped as she took him, feeling her climax starting before his.
The sexual aspect was soon done, but the emotion lingered. “Do you mind if I continue to kiss you?” she asked. “I do not mind, but I am bemused. Normally the girls of the Tail are not interested in any continuation.”
“Nor have I been, elsewhere.,” she confessed.
“I am pretty sure it is not my average body or my indifferent personal magnetism.”
“You do want candor?”
“Always.”
As she had known. “I come to you on behalf of my brother. I studied you, doing my homework: your history, your likes and dislikes, your philosophies. In the course of that research I discovered a man I liked very much. You are not like those I have known, in so many ways. I became taken with the idea of you before I ever met you, and I know that I want you in my life. My mission is to recruit you by offering you a package you will not care to refuse: my body, my loyalty, and the career my brother may be able to offer you. But it has become personal; I also want you for yourself. I think if you decline to join
my brother I shall have to leave you, to seek some other man, but I think I could love you, and I do not readily love anyone. I know I am not in your class, and that is not a matter of age; your entire existence is apart from what I have known. You know this, even if you can not read people, even if you did no research on me. I know that you could obtain a woman of your class. So I have perhaps just this day, this hour to possess you, and I can’t help myself; I must have all I can of you, for fear there will be no tomorrow.”
The Iron Maiden Page 11