Forge of War (Jack of Harts)

by Pryde, Medron

  It was never good when he got bored. Back home, people had learned that a bored Jack was a scary Jack. Not that he was dangerous, but when he was bored he always looked for something to fill the time. Whatever it was usually made him smile, or giggle like a schoolgirl if it was particularly amusing. His conspirators always loved his ideas, though other people often ran away when he started giggling.

  Right now, he was bored. Very bored. He wanted to do something.

  Jasmine and Betty stood on either side of the watchtower, out of uniform as they usually were when alone with him. It was a violation of the rules, but he’d never minded. Rules were meant to be broken after all. Betty’s yellow sundress shown almost as bright as Jasmine’s white tank top, though both had a red tinge thanks to Cen C’s red light. They stood before the window looking out over Leif Erikson Spacebase, scanning for any irregularities. He watched too, but in all honesty they were much better watchers than he was. They never got bored.

  Jack frowned in suspicion as a thought occurred to him. “Are you two playing games right now?”

  The two cybers glanced at each before turning to shrug towards Jack. Betty answered with a smile.

  Jack sighed. “I wish I could.”

  “That would be against regs,” Jasmine supplied in a commiserating voice.

  “For me,” Jack grumped. “You girls have it so lucky.”

  The two cybers rolled their eyes in unison and returned to scanning the base. Not that they’d really stopped when they looked at him of course. They were monitoring every camera on base so didn’t really even need to stand there. Still, it was the appearances that mattered. He stood up and walked around the inside of the tower, staring out at the early morning darkness that covered the base.

  Jack frowned and slapped his hands on his knees. “OK. This is bull. I need something to do. Anyone up for strip poker?”

  Jasmine and Betty crossed their arms, cocked their heads, and just stared at him.

  Jack gave a disappointed sigh at their response. “I’ll take that as a ‘no’ I suppose.”

  Jack walked over and sat down at the watchtower’s main control console. He cleared his throat, drummed his fingers on the console, and looked out into the darkness. The cybers returned to watching and he felt more precious time crawl by. He hated having nothing to do, and this was just starting to make him go crazy. And very, very bored.

  Jack sighed. This was ridiculous. “OK. How about we plan to do something?”

  “Like what?” Betty asked.

  Jack shrugged and waved his hand at the console. “I don’t know. Something that makes me laugh, so I can at least anticipate the end of this soul-sucking boredom.”

  “Don’t like watching?” Jasmine asked.

  Jack grunted in annoyance. “There’s nothing interesting to watch. All those guys down there are sleeping! I’d even watch a game of beach volleyball right now! Clothed!” he finished with a theatrically disgusted shudder.

  Jasmine laughed back. “So what do you want to do?”

  Jack smiled at her.

  She lowered her chin and crossed her arms, an eyebrow raised at him. “What else do you want to do?”

  Jack sighed in defeat, leaned back in his chair, and furrowed his brow in serious thought. Finally something came to mind and he smiled. “What those tech wizards yesterday failed to do?”

  Jasmine and Betty looked at each other in confusion. Betty finally raised one eyebrow, questioning what he meant.

  Jack chuckled. “Scare the crap out of Leif Erikson Spacebase.”

  Jasmine rubbed her chin for a moment, in deep thought. “Didn’t Charles say not to wake him up?” she asked with a sly smile.

  Jack gave her an answering smile. “Then we don’t. Reveille is after he wakes up.”

  Betty smiled at him, brought both hands behind her back, and cocked her head to the side, asking what he was thinking about.

  Jack shrugged. “I don’t know…maybe we could start with fireworks?”

  Jasmine shared a gaze with Betty before answering. “Not very scary,” she finally said.

  Betty smiled, nodding for Jack to continue.

  Jack chuckled. “Not until the fireworks start exploding at street level all over the assembled Marines.”

  Betty laughed and shook her head at him. Jasmine looked at him in surprise.

  “Holographic of course,” he said with a smile and a shrug. “I’d love some better ideas. Come on and spill if you got any,” he added with a wink.

  Betty looked out at the base and shifted back and forth. “We could get in serious trouble for disrupting Reveille,” she said with a shake of her head.

  Jack scowled. “OK. Fine. Maybe we start the fun after Reveille?” He frowned as a new thought came to mind. “Say, are the Devildogs still on base?”

  Betty blinked in surprise and cocked her head to the side as she accessed the information. “Yes. They’re scheduled to finish their packing for transport to the fleet tomorrow.”

  Jack smiled in a conspiratorial manner. “Good. I may have a job for them.”

  The cybers exchanged a doubtful glance and Betty pursed her lips at him. “I don’t know if this is a good idea, Jack,” she warned him.

  Jack chuckled at the two cybers. “Nonsense. It’s a great idea!” he said with upraised arms.

  Betty sighed and shook her head. “You are going to get in so much trouble.”

  Jack chuckled at them. “Not if they don’t catch us,” he said with a wink. “Unless you think you’re not up to being able to do something like this without getting caught of course.”

  Both cybers bristled at the idea that they weren’t good enough.

  Jack smiled at them with a face full of cherubic innocence.

  Betty’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t fool me, mister.”

  Jasmine giggled. “But he’s right,” she said towards Betty. “It would be so much fun.”

  Betty glanced at Jasmine and they shared the silent communication the two cybers always had. Betty finally sighed and gave Jack a reluctant smile. “Fine. I guess I’m in too.”

  Jack clapped his hands in joy. “Excellent! This is going to be fun. So…any ideas on improving the plan?”

  Betty shook her head and smiled at him. “Your vision, Jack,” she said and waved a hand at him to get thinking.

  Jasmine cocked here head to the side and tapped her cheek. “I might have a few ideas.”

  Betty sighed and shook her head in defeat. “Fine,” she whispered with manifest reluctance.

  Jack laughed. “That’s the spirit!”

  Jasmine laughed and began helping him plan the morning’s festivities. After a few minutes, Betty emitted a long sigh of disapproval at one of the ideas, and gave them an idea to improve it. Finally, the minutes stopped crawling by, and Jack truly began to enjoy his time brainstorming. They shot down most of his ideas, but in all honesty he’d always enjoyed the brainstorming as much as the actual prank. And he so loved having conspirators who could think even faster than he could.

  Jack found his eyes stopping on Jasmine, and he studied her lithe form for a long time. A feeling of…melancholy began to fill him and he smiled. She hadn’t been around much lately, and it felt good to have her blue jeans and tank top back, even for a short time.

  She returned his gaze with a questioning gaze. “What?”

  Jack shrugged. “Just thinking I’m going to miss you.”

  Jasmine cocked her head to the side. “What do you mean?”

  Jack smiled. “Norman.” He nodded in the direction of Samantha’s house, far enough away in the darkness that he couldn’t see it even from this altitude. “It’s pretty clear how you feel there.”

  Jasmine blushed. “Oh.” She shared a glance he couldn’t decipher with Betty before sitting down on the window ledge. “Yeah.” She stared at him for a long time. “So what do you want me to do?”

  Jack sighed and spent several seconds thinking before answering. “Be happy.”

 
Jasmine and Betty shared another undecipherable look. “The coward’s answer,” Jasmine whispered.

  “Hey!” Jack erupted. “It’s the truth! I’ve seen how you and Norman are together! I can’t…” the words faded away and he shook his head in anger.

  “You can’t what?” Jasmine asked. When he didn’t answer, she sighed. “Jack, Jack, Jack,” she whispered in a sing-song tone. “What do you want? Not what do you want for me?”

  Jack shook his head, and let out a long breath. He couldn’t lie to her, even if he’d wanted to. “I don’t want you to go,” he said, looking her in the eyes. “I’ll miss you. But I’ve seen how you and Norman are. Don’t walk away from that because I’m leaving.” Jack pursed his lips. “I have to follow my orders. You don’t anymore.”

  A cyber’s feathery touch brushed his shoulder and Jack glanced over without turning his head. He recognized Betty’s hand, let out a long breath, and brought his up to hold it.

  Jasmine slid over to sit on the window ledge before him, a soft smile on her face. “So it really is my happiness you worry about?”

  Jack nodded without reservation. “Yes. You’ve got a chance to live forever with that family and be happy. Take it.”

  Jasmine laughed and shook her head. “And there’s the rub,” she whispered.

  Jack raised his eyes to look at her, one eyebrow raised in a question.

  She smiled back at him. “Do you know what I enjoy the most out of anything I’ve ever been or done?”

  Jack swallowed, thinking he knew exactly what she meant. Flying really was amazing, but it wasn’t everything. “Jazz, I had a family and friends and everything I could ever want back home.” He paused to give her a very serious look. “But that’s gone. I can’t get it back,” he said with arms spread out.

  Jasmine nodded slowly and pushed away from the window, standing tall in front of him. “I know what you mean,” she said with a sad smile.

  Jack had the sinking feeling that his words hadn’t had the effect he’d wanted. “Jazz,” he tried one last time.

  She raised a hand to stop him. “Jack,” she said over her shoulder. “After all that, you wouldn’t ask me to leave my family, would you?”

  Jack sighed as he realized what she meant. “Are you serious?”

  Jasmine nodded with a firm motion. “You’re not getting rid of me. So man up, stand up, and let’s get back to work,” she ordered.

  Jack came to his feet without hesitation, then shook his head in amazement. He wondered if she had any idea how much she’d changed in the last month. Probably. But maybe not too. Blind spots were always more powerful when looking on yourself after all. And Jack knew he had a lot of experience with those.

  Jack smiled at her. “Yes, Ma’am,” he said in the tone of voice he used for amazing women.

  Jasmine placed her fists on her hips and glared at Jack. “And don’t be using that tone of voice with me. I’m not one of your scrumpets.”

  Jack chuckled. “Yes, Ma’am,” he said in his superior officer tone.

  “Better.”

  Jack turned to Betty and cocked his head to the side, asking her if this is what she wanted.

  Betty answered with a smile and slight nod of her head.

  “I saw that,” Jasmine announced.

  Jack and Betty rolled their eyes.

  “Well then, where were we again?” Jack asked and turned back to their work.

  “The wolves,” Jasmine and Betty answered in unison.

  “Ah yes, how could I forget them? Do you think the Devildogs would enjoy chasing them away?”

  They continued planning and working, industrious little jokers, until the first notes of Reveille began and they had to salute the flag rising before the base headquarters. The Marines assembled in front of it looked great, in perfect formation all the way through to the end. Even the cannon shot went off with perfect timing, echoing across the base and declaring to all in earshot that a new day had come with the rising of the first sun over the distant horizon.

  And then the fireworks began, first high up in the air, and then lower and lower and lower until they swept through the assembled Marines. Wolves howled in the distance, pandemonium split the ranked formations apart, and the Jesters ruled the base as more and more of their ideas erupted into being around the targets that really should be on their toes enough to deal with them. This was after all a military base.

  The tech wizards from yesterday would be so jealous at being upstaged.

  Hello, my name is Jack. I’ve met a lot of people in my life. Usually, if I don’t like them right away, I never will. If I like them off the bat, I usually always do. Most people are quick to read. The interesting ones are those who I can’t figure out right off the bat. Sometimes I’ll engage them just because I want to know who they are. Sometimes the person I end up meeting improves my faith in the human races. Sometimes they don’t.

  Faith

  Jack leaned against a wall, arms and legs crossed, scanning the studio and the studio audience waiting for the show to start. Jasmine and Betty leaned against the wall on either side of him, while Charles and Dorothy stood across from them in the small offstage run. Their Dress Whites shown bright in the light spilling off the stage, even though they weren’t all planning to be on the show. They made an impressive sight walking down the halls.

  “It won’t be much longer,” Charles intoned in a careful manner, keeping his voice low. “Are you sure you’re ready?”

  Jack smiled. “I was born ready.”

  Charles raised a single eyebrow at Jack. “I am serious. If you do not feel comfortable, we can cancel right now.”

  Jack shook his head. “No need. The network agreed to the conditions.”

  Charles grumped. “And then picked her for the interview?”

  Jack shrugged. “Backing out would look bad for us.”

  Charles chuckled. “That does not mean I like it.”

  “Me neither,” Jack answered with a smile. “But seriously, Sir, Betty and Jasmine have prepped me well. I can end the interview whenever I need to without making it look like I’m ending the interview.”

  Charles aimed a raised eyebrow in his general direction. “No holographic monsters I hope?”

  Jack returned with an innocent expression. “I have no idea what you mean, Chief.”

  Charles chuckled again and rolled his eyes. “Right. I am sure.” He shook his head. “You know base security is still trying to track down whoever did that, right?”

  Jasmine emitted a derisive snort.

  Jack smiled at his superior officer. “I wish them luck in finding the hacker.”

  “I bet you do,” Charles said with a grunt.

  Jack raised a hand. “Scout’s honor, Chief.”

  Charles raised another eyebrow at him.

  “Honest, Chief,” he said with a beaming smile. “We take Scouting real seriously back home. I’d never blaspheme it.”

  Charles sighed and rubbed his forehead with one hand. “Just…do not do anything that would get me woken up,” he finally whispered and aimed a rueful smile at Jack.

  “Sir! Yes, Sir!” Jack answered with gusto.

  The opening music of the Landing Report, the oldest and most prestigious newscast on New Earth, filled the studio, and they turned to the stage. Jack still didn’t know why they wanted to interview a Cowboy. He knew what they said. They wanted to interview one of the Americans who saved New Earth, to get to know who would leave their home to fight out here. They wanted him on the prime time newscast, for everyone in the system to see.

  And then they handed the interview to their religion consultant rather than one of their main anchors. That was what had him confused. And that was why he’d asked Betty and Jasmine to scan the nets for anything he could use on her if he had to. They’d come back with proof that she wasn’t near as holier than thou as she acted. He would keep that in his back pocket, just in case he needed it. But he would work with her as long as she was willing to work with him. He w
ould find how willing she was soon.

  The religion consultant, a former contestant in the Miss Universe competitions, walked onto the stage wearing a smile and a suit that accentuated all of her curves while still looking business-like. She had the reputation of a good, clean, Christian girl to maintain after all. She waved at the studio audience and they cheered back as she sat down behind the news desk. She looked at the cameras and the applause faded away with the music, leaving the most prestigious stage on New Earth to her.

  “Thank you for tuning in tonight,” she said in a clear soprano tone that carried through the studio without any need of amplification. It was a beautiful voice actually, one that had done well in the competitions in the past. “I am Faith Hendriks, speaking for…the Landing Report, and it is a pleasure to be here, on today of all days.”

  Jack had to hand it to her. She did sound real sincere. He wondered if she was putting on an act or not, but couldn’t tell yet.

  “One month ago,” Faith continued, “two major war fleets attacked New Earth. Our brave navy destroyed both fleets, with the help of the Peloran,” she said through lusty cheering and applause from the studio audience. “Today we have a guest you will not soon forget! He is a fighter pilot who has faced down the Shang and the Chinese in multiple star systems, and come back looking for more to kill,” she announced and the cheering erupted again. “He is…a real American Cowboy!”

  Jasmine and Betty rolled their eyes. Jack just chuckled at the campy introduction, tipped his cowboy hat towards them, and walked out onto the stage with a jaunty gait, a beaming smile, and a waving hand. The studio audience ate it up and their applause followed him all the way to the desk. He placed a hand on the chair and smiled at Faith. “May I?”

  “Of course,” she returned in a whisper and waved for him to take the chair. As he sat down, she returned her focus to the cameras and the studio audience. “It is my pleasure to introduce you to Captain Jack…” she paused as she squinted at the teleprompter and blushed. “I’m sorry…how do you pronounce your last name?”

  Jack smiled at her, wondering why she’d not taken the time to learn that behind his mask. “The way it’s spelt, Ma’am.” He turned his smile on the audience. “My momma always taught me to help people sound it out.” His smile turned humorous. “And if I learned one thing, it’s to listen to my momma,” he finished with a chuckle. The studio audience laughed and applauded him and he could see he had captured them. They liked him. That would be worth a lot if he needed it.