Tears of Glass (The Jana Darren Saga Book 1)

by Jessica Cole

  He motioned to the awards on the shelves. "Well you seem to be doing pretty well for yourself."

  "Hmm? Oh, that's not even the half of it." Jana pointed to the open suitcase at the foot of her bed, still stuffed with awards. It was the luggage that had shared in the christening of her room. One of the trophy cups had squashed completely, but Jana wasn't particularly concerned about it.

  "Now I see why that thing was so heavy." David rubbed his shoulder pointedly. "Lieutenant if you'll come with me, I'd be happy to show you around."

  "Please, it's Jana. And that would be wonderful, thank you. Shall we?"

  He led her from the room, the door whooshing shut behind them. Like most military stations, 311 had been built in a honeycomb shape with over a hundred levels. Each station had its own way of doing things, and that included delegating space. Above the large doorway down the corridor to the right the word Enlisted stood out in white lettering. From her room they turned left, through a black hallway lined with doors identical to Jana's. This area was for the CHAOS officers.

  "Each special team has their own floor. This is the CHAOS division, obviously. There are so many that eventually they gave up calling them by their proper names and the acronyms came into play. SCARECROW, GERMAN, WINTER..."

  "Okay, you've lost me."

  David laughed. "It takes a while, but you'll get used to it." There was a ramp downward, and they were on the next level of the station. He pointed to the directory posted on the wall at the bottom of the ramp. The display shimmered. He tapped the You Are Here marker and it zoomed in so she could actually read it. "This level we're on now? SOFT stands for the Special Operations and Fighting Tactics. They're sent out on highly classified missions, or tag along with another group but have special orders. Shady bunch, but not necessarily by choice. Either way, trust me, you don't want to mess with them."

  "Gotcha."

  He pointed to another level further down. "SPEAR is my division. Specialists Pertaining to Electronics and Radio. We deal with all the tech stuff from running the communications center to maintaining the mainframe for the station. There's a bunch of sub-divisions for each task, but you don't need to worry about that now."

  Jana scanned the map and noted the levels at the very top designated for the station's military academy, the simulation level..."Okay, and what about this one?" There was a green highlighted level down towards the bottom of the station.

  "That's a restricted area. That's the HADES division. Heavy Ammunitions and Demolition Experts of S311-M. Those are the major players, aside from the SCORPION team. Those are your doctors, field medics, and scientific researchers. In short, they deal with everything from chemical spills to virus outbreaks."

  "I don't envy their jobs."

  "That makes two of us, but I can't say I'd take yours, either. Are you hungry?" He nodded his head in the direction of the elevators. "We can talk more while we eat." David's next words went unheard. Something, or rather someone had stolen her attention. Six feet tall, black hair, wearing tactical pants and a t-shirt. Even though he wasn't in uniform, something about the way he carried himself made him unmistakably military. As he walked by, he looked over at them and his gaze met Jana's.

  "Jana? Jana? Hey..."

  "Oh, sorry. What?"

  "Do you want me to walk you to your briefing with the director after this?"

  "Yeah. Yeah, thanks."

  David led her up the lift and through a few more circular hallways before they reached the mess hall. All of a sudden, the graveyard-like silence of the corridor morphed into a screaming jubilee of madness. She sat at one of the handful of empty tables while David got their food. The whole time, she couldn't get the stranger out of her mind. The encounter lasted only a few seconds, but she couldn't help but want to know about him.

  He returned with a wide variety of things. Pasta, chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, grilled cheese, and a salad. “I didn’t know what you liked, so I brought options.” He sat opposite of her and gestured to the dishes, each on a separate little plate for easy distribution. “So what did you do before you transferred?”

  She didn’t look up from the large rectangular tray, but grabbed the salad and roasted chicken plates and set them in front of herself. “I worked in Humanities. I counseled academy cadets on what jobs would be best for them, and put in the paperwork to make it happen. No twenty year old wants to listen to a middle aged officer tell them what to do. Me, on the other hand...” She laughed.

  “What do you mean?” He asked, loading up a forkful of mashed potatoes and shoving it into his mouth.

  Jana swallowed a mouthful of salad and answered, “Well I was sixteen when I graduated. I didn't have anyone to really guide me through the process of figuring out where I’d fit in as far as military life, career. I was scared and overwhelmed. So, after graduation, I found an empty classroom where I sat in the corner and cried. This man comes into the room, a Major in his dress blues from the ceremony, and sits down on the floor next to me. He asked if I was alright, looked genuinely concerned.” She shrugged and half-smiled. “So he told me he’d take care of me until I wasn’t scared anymore. He offered me a position working with him in admin.”

  David was listening intently, leaned in to hear her over the chatter and clanking around them. “He sounds like a really great man. If you don’t mind me asking, why did you leave your old station? Did something happen to him?”

  She shook her head. “When I got up the courage to tell him I wanted to apply for the TAME position, he just smiled and said, ‘You’re not scared anymore’ and insisted that I do it. He knew it was time for me to move on and find something I was passionate about, and was my biggest advocate during the process.”

  “That’s actually a really great story.” David seemed pleased by it, and finished his food slowly, pausing here and there to think. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be nosey.”

  She waved a hand at him, “Don’t worry about it. I’ve been asked far worse. What about you? Is this your home station?”

  “I wish. I’ve been at three different stations over the course of my career already. I’m hoping this will be the last stop, at least for a while. 311 is the end goal for a lot of divisions. I can’t tell you what I’m working on, unfortunately.”

  Jana smiled, “I know better than to ask. I’m awful with tech, anyway. I’d hardly understand any of that even if you told me.” She chewed thoughtfully, and remembered something from earlier. “If the SOFT members are your special ops unit, why isn’t their floor restricted, too?”

  “Part of it is. But SOFT members come and go so frequently. They don’t really keep a lot of personal effects, generally, and that floor has by far the best security surrounding their situation room and all that. It’s not all restricted because it doesn’t need to be. Anyone stupid enough to try to steal information from SOFT wouldn’t make it out the door. Not even I would mess with that system.”

  “Fair enough.” She looked over at the universal clock. “We need to get going.”

  David hurriedly cleaned up their table and left the empty plates at the drop-off on their way out the door to the director’s office.

  07. The Director

  Five minutes into the hearing, the director started repeating himself. Jana sighed inwardly and sat back in her chair. Blah, blah, blah. He wasn't telling her anything she didn't already know. It was just a bunch of garbage about how happy they were to have her there and what a great responsibility it was. The same crap Jana had been hearing for fifteen years.

  Eight minutes in, she started to count the holes in the floor grating. At fifteen, it was the number of straight lines in his office. By the thirtieth minute, she was about ready to rip out her hair. Finally, it was over.

  "You'll need to take all the classes for your certifications before you're able to choose your team. I suggest you do so quickly. Speak to someone in administration to schedule your exams. I read that you were Mech certified at your old station. I’d recom
mend looking back over Mech Mechanics, as we employ some models that other stations do not. Once you’re cleared on your certifications, admin will give you dossiers to look through and select your team members. Do you have any questions?”

  “No, sir. I don’t believe so.”

  “Then you’re dismissed, Miss Darren.”

  She was relieved to see that David was no longer there. It wasn’t that she didn’t like him, but the constant chatter was too much at times. Joe was more the quiet yet friendly listener type. Jana didn’t go back to her room; she wasn’t confident she’d be able to find it on her own right away anyway.

  Even in a station as big as this, there were mid-shift lulls. Jana passed a few small groups in the hallway, but not much else. She wandered around, enjoying the feel of the coated grating beneath her feet. The better part of her life was spent in military stations. After a few hours, this was already home to her. She was comfortable here. This was safe.

  The admin floors were right below the academy section of the station. The office she needed was two floors down from the Director’s. It took a little while to get there. She’d never been on a station so massive before.

  Her head snapped around at what she saw out of the corner of her eye. It was him...

  Unfortunately, as she turned she didn’t see the girl walking towards her. The double armful the girl was holding crashed to the floor. Jana turned scarlet and whirled around, apologizing for the accident.

  “I’m so sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was going. Let me help you...” She knelt down and tried to right the sheaf of paper.

  “It’s okay, really.” Said the girl, “It’s my fault, ma’am.”

  “You don’t have to be nice to me just because I outrank you,” Jana fussed, casting a glance over her shoulder. He was almost around the bend, quickly fading from view.

  When they’d gathered all the loose bits, Jana asked, “Do you know who that was that walked by a minute ago?”

  “I don’t know him by name. Not many people do. He’s a SOFT member.” She paused, then whispered, “He should be dead.” It caught Jana off guard.

  “What?”

  “They said he’s been on twenty-six SOFT missions. Most don’t make it past their first.”

  “Twenty-six?” Jana asked, impressed and a little on-edge.

  “Three years, twenty-six missions, or something like that. It’s crazy, really. There’s been a few times when he’s been the only one that’s come back alive. Doesn’t talk much at all, keeps to himself mostly.” Curious, how the girl knew so much about his career and didn’t know his name. Maybe this mystery man had quite the female following.

  “Hmm...”

  “Thanks for the help.”

  “No, it was my fault in the first place.”

  The mysterious man was on her mind the whole way back to her quarters. The trip took three times what it should have; she kept missing turns and forgetting to get off the elevator at the right floor. Back at her room Jana swiped her card and the door opened. Sprawled on the black and gray bed, she realized she’d completely forgotten about the paperwork for her certifications. Tomorrow.

  Jana missed Joey—that was for sure. In the morning, I’ll call him.

  When she did try to sleep, Jana tossed and turned. Each time it felt like sleep might claim her, the face of the brooding man crept into her mind.

  08. Never Enough Coffee

  She allowed herself to sleep instead of setting an alarm. Upon waking, Jana ran a comb through her long brown hair and put it back up into a high, loose ponytail. I don’t think I’ll chance looking in the mirror just yet. There was no telling what she’d find. If I look half as bad as I feel...

  In lieu of full uniform, Jana chose a simple black t-shirt and grey PT shorts. She had to pull the strings extra right to keep them up; the clothes weren’t made for adults the size of pre-teens. Jana couldn’t remember the last time she’d donned non-regulation clothing. Even on leave she preferred not to wear civilian attire. Most of the time, she had to make it work with whatever she was given, but for PT clothes and non-uniform clothing, she had a sweet deal with one of the logistics officers for the Academy.

  Somehow Jana managed to shuffle herself to the mess hall and snag coffee without incident. One large cup in each hand, she savored the warmth seeping through the thick plastic. Every hundred or so yards was an archway with a clock ticking away the seconds in standard military time, keeping pace like a heartbeat for the station. It was twenty minutes before shift change and the halls were much busier now. All around her buttoned-up soldiers clung to their coffee as if it were their lifeline.

  I know the feeling.

  The receptionist Jana needed to speak with was just settling in at his desk when she got to the office. It was a big, open waiting room right in the main hallway. Behind the circular desk was a narrower hallway that housed the administrators who handled all of the certifications and exams for the current military personnel at 311.

  When she approached the desk, he looked up and eyed the coffee in her hands enviously. Jana beamed and handed him the full one.

  “First shift is the worst.”

  He looked about ready to kiss her, the way his eyes lit up. “You’re a life saver,” he whispered before taking a deep breath and inhaling the scent.

  “I always bring an extra.” Jana pressed her hand against the touchpad on top of the counter and swiped her ID badge over the sensor. The machine beeped happily and a blue LED flashed momentarily.

  “Okay...Lieutenant Darren,” the man said, looking down at the display in front of him. “Looks like you need to register for your certs. Weaponry, Mech Mechanics, Flight Maneuvers and Tactics, Emergency Procedures, and the routine Psych Exam.” He raised his eyebrows and smirked at the last one. It was a long-standing joke with soldiers.

  “I can hardly contain my enthusiasm.”

  “When would you like to take them? One at a time, or all at once?”

  She took a sip of coffee and let it sit on her tongue for a moment before swallowing thoughtfully. “All at once, I think. Better to just get it over with.”

  “Okay...” He trailed off, entering information in his system. “What day?”

  Let’s see. Today is Tuesday. It shouldn’t be THAT bad. ”Let’s say Friday, around 0900.”

  “Do you want the study prep material in hard copy, or are you okay with using the Net for it?”

  “Have someone send over the materials to my quarters.”

  “Alright, ma’am. You’re all set. We’ll see you back here on Friday. Have a good one, and thanks for the coffee.” He added, holding it up in gesture.

  When she got back to her room, she sat down on the little couch and queued up the computer.

  “Mail.”

  ACTION REQUIRES IDENTIFICATION. PLEASE SPEAK I.D.

  “Jana Darren.”

  INPUT SERIAL NUMBER.

  “2-2-7-8-4-3-6”

  PLACE THUMB ON PRINT IDENTIFICATION PAD.

  Unfortunately, military security protocol dictated that it was unacceptable for soldiers to store the information for a quick log-in. Jana placed her left thumb on the little rubber pad on the arm of the couch. The screen on the opposite wall flashed with her print for a moment before it disappeared again.

  PRINT ACCEPTED. THANK YOU.

  An animated neon flyer for a station costume party was advertised for later that week in the banquet hall. Thanks, but no thanks. Jana Darren and dancing were two things that should never, EVER be put into the same sentence.

  INCOMING CALL. Joey’s face smiled down at her from the opposite wall . He was a welcome sight.

  “Accept.” The screen flashed momentarily, then switched to a live video feed of her best friend.

  “Heyyy, how’s my girl doing?”

  “I’m fine. I miss you, though.”

  He grinned broadly. “Aww honey, I miss you too.”

  “I’ve got certs on Friday.”

  “You’ll do fine.
” She hadn’t even told him what they were on. Jana wished she had half as much confidence in herself as he did.

  “I’m not so sure. Everything’s different here. Starting all over again feels so weird.”

  “I bet it does. Make any friends yet?”

  “I’ve met a few people. None of whom you could really call friends, per se.” Jana knew exactly what he was getting at.

  “You need to come out of your shell. None of what you pulled back when you came to the academy.”

  “I was twelve.”

  “So? Just promise me you’ll not be a wallflower. You’re amazing, and it’s time you let other people see that.”

  Her cheeks felt hot in the cool air of her bedroom. “Joey...”

  “And would you please hurry up and find yourself a guy? You aren’t getting any younger. You’re going to end up a spinster sitting alone talking to your vacuum.” Jana refrained from pointing out he was four years her senior and still wasn’t involved with anyone. “I’m gonna get some sleep. The test will go fine. Call me to celebrate.”

  “Night, Joey.”

  “Good night, sweetie.” The screen went black.

  With the whole day ahead of her and nothing to do until someone brought over the files she needed, Jana bit her lip for a moment and considered what she was about to do.

  “Search.”

  ENTER SEARCH PARAMETERS.

  “Miltary.” The blank screen changed to a list. White lettering read Results Found: 42,380,972,885. “Add current personnel.” The list reduced to a few hundred million. “Add Station 311 Military...add Special Operations and Field Tactics.” A few entries came up, but most of them read CLASSIFIED. “Add...” she struggled to find the right words to use. “Soldier Dossiers.”

  CLASSIFIED.

  “Damnit! Close search.”

  Jana sat for a while in the dark, thinking about how pathetic she was. Was she a stalker now? Had it really come to this point?

  A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.