He looked around to see the other pilots similarly ready, and they began to file out towards the exit. As each one approached the exit, the cyber on his or her shoulder jumped down to the deck and grew to full height, wearing the full Dress Whites of the Texas branch of the United States Marine Corps, just like their pilots. He idly wondered what it must look like to anyone watching outside, as more and more people walked out of the small shuttle. He didn’t even notice he was humming the clown car song until the other Cowboys began to laugh.
“Shut it, Jester!” Charles shouted, a suspicious hitch in his voice, and then coughed into his white glove, probably to cover a laugh.
“Aye, aye, Chief,” Jack answered with a wink.
Charles shook his head and waved Jack out. Betty and Jasmine jumped off his shoulders, growing to full height as they landed, and walked out before him, white cowboy hats shimmering into existence. Jack shook his head with a smile. This had to look impressive out there. Either that or really silly. He wasn’t completely certain which.
He stepped outside and looked up at the twin suns in New Earth’s blue sky, one yellow and one orange, and shook his head. Two suns were just wrong. There was a third star in the system too, but he couldn’t see it at the moment. He could see New Washington, the smaller and warmer planet inside New Earth’s orbit, in the sky just above the horizon. It had been the second Alliance planet colonized outside the Terran system, America’s statement that they could build one on their own. While New Earth was the center of Alliance activity outside the Terran system, New Washington was the greatest concentration of purely American power. And here he was, an American, standing on New Earth instead.
Jack shook his head and turned away from his study of the sky to see the last of the Cowboys leave the cigar-shaped shuttle. The hatch closed and the shuttle rose up into the air on silent waves of gravity. Jack heard the slight hum of the holoprojectors in his uniform come to life, taking the load of giving Betty and Jasmine form from the departing shuttle’s projectors. He smiled and watched the shuttle rotate to point straight up before flashing into the sky with an acceleration rate only a craft that could control gravity itself could manage. Jack dropped his eyes again to look at Charles and saw the man frowning up after the shuttle. Jack walked over and stopped next to his commanding officer.
“Hey Chief.”
Charles took in a deep breath and lowered his gaze to meet Jack’s “Jester.” Something in his demeanor suggested that small talk wasn’t on his current to-do list.
As usual, Jack ignored the to-do list. “Old home week?”
Charles cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. “My family has business interests here. Why?”
Jack shrugged. “Just wondering if you’re off to visit them?”
Charles shook his head and turned away from Jack. “Cowboys!” he shouted to all the soldiers on the landing field. “Be back here in thirty-six hours, ready to fly. Liberty begins…now.”
The Cowboys shouted a hearty “Oorah!” and turned to walk towards the main terminal not far away.
“No,” Charles said, back in his normal conversational tone.
Jack blinked, taking a second to realize Charles had finally answered his question. “Why?”
Charles sighed. “I have something more important to do.” He looked up after the departing shuttle again, now a pinpoint of light so far up even Jack’s eyes could barely see it.
“Ah.” Jack smiled, wondering what troubled Charles, but determined to enjoy his first liberty since joining the Cowboys. “Good call then. I’m sure you wouldn’t want old Aunt Bessie’s Fruitcake.”
“Hell no!” Charles said, perhaps a little too quickly.
“Well, if you’re interested, you can always go shopping with us,” Jack said with a wave towards Betty and Jasmine.
Charles visibly shuddered. “No thanks.”
Jack spread his arms out wide in a “how bad could it be?” gesture. “Come on, man, share the danger? We’ve flown into certain death together. This can’t possibly be that bad…”
Charles shook his head and gave Jack a rare wicked smile. “Accompanying women on a shopping trip is a fate worse than death. I will mourn your passing”
Jack held his hands out in a calming gesture. “Hey, they’re cybers. No bags to carry.”
Charles shook his head again. “Good luck with that,” he said the wicked grin still solidly in place.
Jack shrugged and turned to walk away. He stopped cold, a grim feeling coming from somewhere, and spun back to Charles. “Hey, if something important comes up, call me,” he said in a momentarily sincere tone.
Charles examined him for a moment before nodding. “Thank you for the offer. I will keep it in mind. Now go enjoy your liberty.”
“Yes, sir!” Jack shouted back with a jaunty salute, and turned to amble away, determined to have fun. He stepped between Betty and Jasmine, reached his arms out to grab each of them around the waist, and hesitated just long enough for them to signal their acceptance before pulling them along with him. “Come on, girls. We’ve got some fun to track down.”
“Yes, Jack,” they chorused in matching amused tones.
Jack smiled as they strode towards the terminal, determined to project his best party man persona. “So, seriously girls. Why are we going shopping again if we’re trying to have fun?” he asked, just looking for something to say.
Betty smiled and gave his shoulder a light slap. “It’s called ‘retail therapy,’ Jack.”
Jack rolled his eyes. “Right.” Jack did not go shopping. He never had. Shopping implied that he might fail. He went buying.
Betty shook her head. “I’m serious, Jack. It’s a very real form of therapy. There are studies that prove it.”
Jack laughed. “Let me guess. Funded by Target?”
Betty and Jasmine echoed his laugh. “Touché,” they said in unison and the terminal doors opened before them. The scent of real pine Christmas trees and the sound of Christmas carols greeted them as they walked in.
Jack’s stride faltered for a half second, and he blinked. He swallowed and shook himself back into action.
“What?” Betty asked, not missing his momentary pause.
Jack cleared his throat. “My house…smelled and sounded like this every Christmas…before.” Before the Shang came. He licked his lips, wondering if it had really only been six months.
Betty squeezed the hand around her waist with her feathery touch. “I’m sorry.”
Jack cleared his throat again and squeezed her back, gentle enough not to break through her holoform. “I…don’t worry…I just miss ’em.”
“I know,” Betty whispered. “Are you good?”
Jack blinked again, took a deep breath, and pushed the feelings of regret and loss away. He was on liberty. He was with his best friend in the universe, and with another friend who needed someone to make her feel better. That did it. He would not drag Jasmine down with his melancholy. He smiled and felt the party persona come back. “Nope,” he said with a jaunty stride through the Christmas-themed terminal. “I’m great! Let’s party!”
Five hours and one sunset later, shopping through stores playing Christmas carols, Jack carried the bags and shook his head with a rueful smile. He really should have known better.
“Something wrong, Jack?” Betty asked with a knowing smile.
Jack snorted as they walked down the street, lined with Christmas lights and wreaths. “Oh, just wondering how it is I’m stuck carrying bags while shopping with cybers.”
“Well, we can’t carry them. And all of these after-Christmas sales are just too good to let go,” Betty said with a shrug that said there was no question about that.
Jack gave her a quick glance. “And now we know the real reason you don’t have avatars,” he said with a deadpan delivery.
Betty laughed. “Touché. So what do you want to do now?” she asked with a tap of a finger on his shoulder, adding another point to the bad angel competition.
Jack glanced at Jasmine with a smile. “Well, I’m always up for a good party.”
Jasmine smiled back and looked down at the bags he carried. She bit her lip and hesitated. “Drew wasn’t a big partier,” she whispered.
Jack stopped short and examined her carefully, pursing his lips to the side. “That just means we have to find the right party,” he finally said.
Jasmine’s eyes widened.
Jack smiled. “Trust me. I’m an expert at parties.” He clicked his tongue. “Drew was a shy one. That means you don’t want to be the center of attention where we go, right? You don’t want to stand out? Afraid you’ll be noticed?”
Jasmine shifted her head to side for a moment before nodding.
Jack turned to Betty. “We need a night club. Dark with spotlights. Good driving beat for dancing. Crowded. One of the places where people go to be anybody but themselves. Anything like that around here?”
Betty smiled and shook her head in a knowing manner. “There’s a cyberclub two blocks that way,” she said with a wave of her hand.
Jack chuckled, wrapped his arms around the two cybers, and turned to walk them in the direction Betty pointed. “Trust me, Jasmine, you will love a cyberclub. They have permanent holoprojectors powerful enough that you might as well have a full-scale avatar! You can be anything you want to be there.” He aimed an exaggerated leer at her. “I’m thinking you’d look awesome as one of Santa’s elves and no one would know who you are,” he said in a hushed tone.
Jasmine gave him a look that said she was tempted and feeling guilty about being tempted at the same time. Jack chuckled. He’d met more than his fair share of girls like that back home.
“It’ll be amazing, Jasmine. The best party you’ve ever been to,” he said with a tempting smile.
She chewed her lower lip. “I’ve not been to any parties,” she finally said, chalking up another point towards good angel. “Unless you count those Peloran celebrations.”
Jack laughed. “Oh I do not count those as parties. So there you have it! It’ll be the best! Come on! Live large! It’s New Years. It’s time to do something new!” he finished with a shout.
Jasmine shook her head but gave him a smile. “OK, OK. I’ll do it,” she said with a laugh.
“Excellent!” Jack exclaimed and strode down the sidewalk with a jaunty step that said he was the luckiest, not to mention the best, man alive.
They’d barely made it a block when a young kid that couldn’t have been over eight years old walked up to them, dragging a woman who was probably his mother after him, and stopped to look up at them.
“Hey, mister! Are you a Cowboy?” the kid asked.
Jack smiled. “Yes I am.”
The kid gave him a serious stare. “Did you really kill those Chinese alone?”
Jack gave Jasmine a quick glance before answering the kid. “Yes we did.”
The kid continued to examine Jack with all the intensity that a child could muster. “Can I be a Cowboy when I grow up?”
Jack looked at his mother and saw her momentary terror. He smiled and squatted down, all his weight on the balls of his feet, to rest on his heels. He let go of the bags and held out his hand for the kid to take. “Hey kiddo. I’m Jack. What’s your name?”
The kid pulled in a deep, proud breath. “I’m Brian,” he announced.
“Well, tell you what, Brian. Study good in school, get good grades, and apply yourself. If you can get yourself a cyber, contact me and I’ll help you out.”
“Is that what you did?”
Jack looked to see Betty smirking at him.
“Not exactly,” he admitted.
“But we were really scrapping the bottom of the barrel for pilots when we found him,” Betty said.
“Hey!” Jack shouted in an outraged tone, and mentally chalked another point for bad angel. Or maybe two.
The kid giggled. “You’re funny.”
Jack cocked his head to the side and smiled. “We try.”
The kid pulled a holo out of his pocket and it expanded to show a picture of the original twelve Cowboy pilots and their cybers smiling at the camera. “Can I get an autograph?”
Jack smiled. “Sure, kiddo.” He grabbed a pen out of a pocket, placed it in the holo, and signed his name. The signature appeared in the holo, blazing into existence in a golden flame that burned to black to hover beneath his picture.
“Cool,” the kid exclaimed. Then he looked up at Jasmine, back to where she stood in the holo, and to her again. “Where is your pilot?” he finally asked.
Jasmine took in a deep breath. “She died killing the Chinese,” she said in a proud voice.
“Oh,” the kid said and walked over to hug Jasmine. “I’m sorry.”
“So am I,” Jasmine answered and hugged the kid back.
The kid pulled back and gave her a look far more mature than he had any business making. “When I grow up, I’m going to be your pilot,” he said with complete confidence.
Jasmine smiled at him. “As long as you study,” she answered and patted his shoulder.
Jack unfolded himself back up to full height and stepped over to the boy’s mother. “He sounds determined.”
The mother sighed. “Five weeks ago, he was determined to be a firefighter. He even has the helmet on his wall. Before that, it was a policeman. Before that, a race car driver.”
“So you don’t think this will stick?” Jack asked.
“I hope it doesn’t,” she answered, her voice desperate.
Jack looked to where the kid and Jasmine continued to talk in low tones. “I understand.”
“Do you?” she asked, sounding derisive.
Jack gave her a long look before answering. “I’ve lost a quarter of my squadron in a matter of months. If this war goes on another year…” He trailed off and shrugged.
The mother’s face fell, and she looked contrite. “Oh.”
Jack gave her a sad smile. “Exactly.”
“I really hope he changes his wish,” she said, sounding even more desperate.
Jack sighed. “So do I.”
Jasmine brought the boy back to his mother, laughing with him over a private joke. “Brian is a truly precious boy,” she said.
“Yes, he is,” the mother answered and hugged him close.
“Mom!” the boy protested, pushing away from her.
Jack smiled, and an idea hit him. He pulled the cowboy hat off his head. “Here kiddo,” he said and placed it on the kid’s head where it fell down to cover his face.
“Thanks!” Brian said in amazement and reached up to grab his new favorite toy.
“Keep it safe,” Jack ordered.
“Yes, sir!”
Jack looked to the mother, standing in shock and fear at his action. “I really do hope he picks another career, but we should all stand behind him, whatever he chooses.”
The mother blinked, and her mouth trembled, but she nodded and pulled her son in close again, despite his indignant protests. “Thank you,” she said and walked away, holding her son by the wrist to keep him with her.
“That was real sweet,” Betty said.
“Yeah, sometimes I try,” Jack said with a shrug and turned away. “Now, where was that club again?”
Betty gave him a sly smile and pointed him towards it.
“Excellent,” Jack said, picked the bags up again and smiled. “Ladies first,” he finished with an elaborate half-bow.
Betty and Jasmine shared a giggle before turning to walk away, hips swaying. He sauntered after them, a smile on his face as they turned the corner. Jack felt the dull beat of music in the distance and the foot-stomping bass vibrated from the pavement to his spine. He moved with the beat and caught up to the two girls with a smile.
“I think we found a live one,” he said between beats. “You ready?”
Betty just smiled at him. Yeah. She was always ready. He turned to Jasmine.
Jasmine looked down for a moment. “I think so.”
Jack smiled at her. “Goin’ as you or doin’ a disguise?”
Jasmine cleared her throat and looked nervous. “I’ll try me.”
“Good,” Jack whispered.
Jasmine gave him a confused look. “I thought you said I’d look good as an elf.”
Jack chuckled back. “I did. You’d look good as a lot of things, but I think you look best as you.” He shrugged. “The only question’s whether you’re comfortable with that or not.”
Jasmine stopped and stared at him for several seconds. As he sometimes did, he wondered if she really was thinking as long as she seemed to be or if she was just acting out what was to her a long consideration. “I don’t know,” she finally said. “But I’d like to try.”
Jack nodded in approval. “And that’s the first step.” He glanced at Betty and she smiled, grabbed Jasmine by the arm, and pulled her towards the club. Jack followed in their wake and they moved in rhythm to the music.
The bouncer saw them coming and opened the door for the visiting soldiers without a pause. They walked in and checked their bags at the desk, the clerk giving him a sympathetic smile. Jack shrugged with a good-natured smile. Divested of his burden, he straightened his collars, ran his fingers through his hair, and flowed towards the dance floor with the music. He turned to Betty and Jasmine, saw them hesitating, and smiled. He grabbed their hands and pulled, stepping back onto the dance floor. They merged with the hundreds of dancers on the floor, moved with the music, stepped between strobing lights, and became part of the party celebrating the end of the year.
Hello, my name is Charles. I grew up believing that my family were leaders among men. I grew up believing I was worth more than others. Then one day my mind connected the dots between two facts and a new worldview appeared to me. I was lost between two worlds, and did not know which way to go. Some people ask God for guidance in times like that. I have always found friends to talk to. Even before I became a Cowboy, I have always had friends I would trust with my life.
Forge of War (Jack of Harts) Page 18
