Tramp Wars: The Enemy

by Larry Roberts

  Walking over to one of the chairs around a bunch of pits in the mettle deck between the aircars and a smooth glossy spot, he stepped up next to their own plasma heater and cooker, sat down propping his feet up on the heater without turning it on. Looking up he noticed a dim light blinking across the ceiling as he upended the can to take a swig. Little blinks that walked across the deck above them as a shadowy figure coalesced like a ghost walking down a faint passageway. “Wow Tom, Jolleen, you have got to see this. I can see a person walking on the deck above.” Another person joined the first as he noticed other people walking and opening hatches. Each time someone made a sound he could see them. The elevator ran up the left side bulkhead as the up and down chains continued to slide in their tracks along the opposite side of the hold to his right. He heard someone coming out of the cargo box. “Shit. I think I am going crazy. I did tell you the damn glasses talked to me down on the truck deck at the bus didn’t I?”

  Jolleen came out and sat down across the heater from Mark. Flipping it on. “No but Tom said something about that. What did she look like?”

  “Na. I didn’t see her just herd her. Besides she is just a computer voice and not a real person to see. You there Glasses?” But no one answered.

  Tom walked up to the bright red radiating heater as Dick came out of the tunnel. Tom had no more than sat down and propped his legs up when Dick came out of the access tunnel and said as he came around the cars." Tom!" Dick kicked his legs off the heater. "Come on, you owe me a game of Tramp Pirates."

  "Oh ya. You want your butt kicked again." Tom jumped up and ran for the container's hatch. "I get to choose platforms."

  Jolleen smiled down at Mark. Come on, race you for the third platform." Then shoved his chair over and then ran for the container. "Don't forget to shut off the heater."

  Mark followed a few minutes later taking his time as he marveled at everything he could see and hear. At the hatch into the container he looked up and spotted a set of eyes starring in his direction from the old cobweb and dust incrusted lift truck parked high overhead next to the elevator in the distance. Studying the eyes for a second they suddenly zoomed in as the night turned into day to show a black cat with yellow green eyes studying the junk far below it. It stood up arching its back before hunching down on its front legs as its fir stood up with its tail flickering around behind it. Suddenly it leaped from the ledge. It's legs arching out with long claws reaching out from all four paws as it disappeared down from clear sight though it's ghost continued down to pounce on something with a thump as it landed. The image became indistinct as it settled down with something in its paws and slowly faded away.

  Walking into the back club room Mark sat down watching the big end screen showing the three friends running across the deck attacking a group of pirates coming out of a passageway. "Damn it, spread out you guys. Don't bunch up like that. At least make the pirates have to work a little bit to get you guys."

  Shaking his head he suddenly found himself in the game standing behind them as they ran. Looking down he saw a pistol on his belt and a riffle strap over his shoulder. Taking the riffle from his back he raised it up and sighted down it and pulled the trigger taking out a pirate coming around the side to ambush his friends still clustered together. Running around to the left he flanked them and the enemy quickly putting an end to the defenses.

  As they gathered at the passageway the pirates had been guarding the three friends looked at Mark and Tom spoke up. "How the hell did you get in here?"

  Mark looked around and then down at himself and smiled. "I guess it is my new glasses. The Doctor said something about them being gaming glasses but I have never heard of anything without the helmet and game platform and gloves before." Walking around them as he looked them over again. "I think I am still sitting on the couch but I feel like I am walking like we do on the gaming platform."

  Joe reached out and slapped Mark on the shoulder with a good clap sounding in his ear on that side though he did not feel it. "Ok hero let’s get going. We have a ship to take back." They took off down the passageway.

  It was almost 11 when Mark finely got back to his families cabin on passenger deck 17 as he continued to explore his glasses powers and trying to get them to answer him again. His mother greeted him with a hug as he walked through the hatch then sat him down for a family Birthday party complete with chocolate cake and strawberry ice cream. “Thanks mom. It has been such a long day I forgot all about the birthday party.”

  “I am just so glad you are well and safe Mark.” His mother looked at him with new respect after watching him defend himself with the Captain. “And that you decided against that silly idea about the implants. Now open up your presents. Oh and I like your new glasses.” Smiling at him as only a mother could.

  His dad walked over and put his arm around his shoulder. “I knew you were too smart to go ahead with those implants son. These glasses are pretty nice. You should have looked for something like these a long time ago.” Then sat down to watch Mark blow out his candle and open his presents. Mark decided not to tell them that he was still getting them and was just delayed a few days.

  “We were going to have some of your friends over but we didn’t know when you would be home dear. Especially after all that had happened today.” His mother started cutting the cake as he opened his first package.

  “Fact is son, you are damn lucky you did not wind up in the brig. But it’s great that you made a good impression on the Captain today.”

  “You could have fooled me Dad. Looked like she was more disgusted than impressed to me.” Mark stripped the wrapping paper off wadding it up and throwing it aside as he gazed down at his present. “A set of bath towels?” Tearing open the other package. “A toiletry case with a set of wash rags and soap? Shampoo and, and…”

  “Don’t worry dear we will help you get set up in your new cabin.”

  “What?”

  “Here dear.” His mother handed him an envelope. “I should have given this to you first.”

  In it was a letter and not a birthday card.

  “Mr. Mark P. Collins;

  Congratulations on your 21st birthday. We are happy to be able to assign you your own cabin. A new cabin on this your 21st birthday. Cabin 907 on K-0 deck. The key pad is already programed to your bios. Please contact Birthing if you have any problems or questions. The Data link in your cabin has a list of rules and regulations you will be expected to comply with. We have also noticed that you are still enrolled in the Cadet program at the age of 21without filling out any forms for ship’s crew. Please inform us when you have chosen your Dedicated Career path within the next 24 hours or one will be chosen for you without regard to your current training positions. (Mark thought he had a week but had heard the stories and realized that he could be assigned to the Septic Tank Cleaning Division if he did not hurry up and make his decision.) You have also failed to choose your Battle station position. You have 24 hours to enroll into one of the many available battle station crew positions or one will be chosen for you.

  Thank you. Commander Samuel Q. Dickens. Executive Officer, Star Queen 52.

  “What the…?” Putting down the letter. “Well; I will have to go down tomorrow and take a look at the cabin if I get time. We have a lot of work to do on the engines. Or am I on the Truck Deck? What day is it? Oh did I tell you the Truck Chief wants me full time. Can you imagine that?”

  “Son.” Marks father looked at him sadly. “They took your stuff down to your cabin already. Tomorrow morning they will move your mother and I to a single bedroom cabin.”

  Mark jumped up and ran to his room jerking open the door. The room was completely empty. His full sized bed replaced by a crib and a child’s bed. “But why? Why the big hurry. I knew that I had to move eventually but…”

  “You are a man now son and there is a young couple with a one year old and an infant that need a two bedroom desperately.”

  It was 2 in the morning when Mark finely sat alone in his
new cabin that was more cold sterile cell than even a strange hotel room or cabin. Reluctantly leaving the cabin that had been his home for 21 years only when his parents insisted on going to bed and then closing the hatch in his face and locking it with a loud click that pierced his heart, leaving him standing their alone. Locked out of the only safe place he had ever none and family that had suddenly discarded him like unwanted trash. Though he could see and hear his mother crying on the other side of the normally sound proof hatch for several minutes before they finely went to bed. His father comforting his mother.

  Looking around the sterile cabin not remembering how he got there. Nothing was unpacked, the bed’s mattress still rolled up at one end with a single role of toilet paper sitting on a shelf next to the fold out sink and a toilet in the narrow alcove that was called a head for the cabin next to the entrance door. There was an upper narrow bunk but it was full of boxes from his bedroom and a few things his mother thought he would want. He placed the bag of birthday gifts on a box on the upper bunk and sat down in the only chair sitting in front of the Data terminal next to the head of the bunk. Drawers and Cupboards lined the bulkhead from the Data terminal to the washing area with a sink next to the door across from the little head.

  Instead of feeling excited at being a free grownup man; Mark felt abandoned and alone. The stresses of the day had taken a toll on him with the lateness of the hour leaving him shattered and hollow and too tired to fight the overwhelming despair that was settling in as tears started streaming down and dripping off his chin. He had been told months, even years before that he was required to move out of his parent’s cabin once he turned 21. Out of the only place he felt safe from all the taunts and comments and treatment the crew had insisted on throwing at him for his entire life. But why so sudden?

  The sudden unexpected reality had not sunk in before that very moment. Bringing into doubt his entire future as well as his self-worth. How could he face the world still wearing these ugly glasses after failing to get rid of them for implants? At least then he would have looked normal like everyone else even though he knew that was not true. Hate welled up in him at the glasses on his face. Reaching up he tried to grab them but his fingers slipped over the ear peace instead of under as a knock sounded at his door.

  The cabin was located under the 11th hold far down below the passenger decks, just above the lowest cargo hold, called K hold birthing. The round hold like all 12 holds was some 300 feet across with no obstructions leaving the space clear for cargo. To accommodate the weight of cargo, 8 foot tall thick foam steel I-beams spoked in from the rim to the center. Sandwiched between the deck of each cargo hold and the overhead (ceiling) of the cargo hold below. The 8 foot tall beams left enough room between them to build pie shaped compartments roughly 30 some feet wide by some 80 feet deep,tapering to about 20 feet at the close end, around the outside ring of the deck like a donut. They were then subdivided into a couple dozen cabins running up each side leaving a wedge shaped passageway up the center leading to a common gathering room at the narrow end. The very end had a couple of shower closets with cabinets and dressing benches to the side. A common room was placed between the showers and the cabins with tables chairs, couches scattered across the middle and a giant video screen on the other end. In all a very pleasant dorm arrangement for 24 young adults.

  With only a few dorm modules left to convert into cabins on that Tween holds deck and with no additional between cargo decks to expand or build additional cabins; that was about to change rapidly. They had already been encouraging couples to start bunking together but with the quickly expanding population of young; the nice single occupant rooms where going to be crowded with the now folded up empty upper bunks starting to be used within the next few months as the masses of young started to reach their 21st birthdays. The ship was already crowded with tensions high, a suicide rate that was unbelievable the year before. Everyone knew double bunking was just going to make things worse if they did not split the ship’s crew soon into another ship.

  The knocking came again as Mark heard his door open and close as he let his hand drop from his temple and opened his eyes as he stared at the deck in front of the chair he was sitting in. The legs of a young girl stood there as he slowly looked up with hope turning to disappointment that it was not his parents. Skimpy shorts ended half way up her wide hips with a good six inch gap between her legs. Her shorts barely covering her mound below her bare belly with a nice little round belly button as he followed the flat stomach up and up to a halter top that barely covered the nipples of her huge boobs much like the girl from the mess deck Mary. She smiled down at him. “Hi Mark…. I am Mickey…. Can I come in?”

  Wiping his cheeks he looked up with a puzzled look on his face. “You sound familiar but I don’t know you. Sorry if I woke you. I will try to be quiet so you can sleep. Which cabin do you live in?”

  “Close.” She sat down on the end of the wide low bunk bed. Her butt spreading out on the beds plastic shelf, her back leaning against the end partition providing some privacy for the head, facing Mark. Her legs spread wide and crossed in the lotus position with her thin shorts not quit stretching far enough between her legs and hinting at what lay half covered beneath. Though Mark did not notice. “You can’t sleep? Want to tell me about it? I am a great listener.”

  Mark shrugged his shoulders, not the least bit interested in the boobs trying to fall out or the skimpy halter top or what lay beneath her skimpy shorts that exposed more between her legs than not. “I don’t know…. I just feel strange… Worthless…. Alone…. Everything is just happening so fast I guise.” Sniffing he wiped his nose on his sleeve. “I can’t believe my parents kicked me out of my own home.” He said through clenched teeth trying to hold it together. What if I go and apologize to them?

  “Apologize for what?”

  “Ahhh. I don’t know. Got to be something I did wrong."

  "Do you want me to tell you what you did wrong Mark?”

  Mark sat straight up, hope flooding into his eyes as he wiped is face trying to clear his eyes. “Ok. At least if I know, I have a better chance of fixing it.”

  “Nothing! You did nothing wrong. Try to think of it this way. Put me and a screaming 1 year old baby and maybe even an infant in this cabin with you.”

  It took a minute for Mark to put things together but he finely frowned. A confused look crossed his face for a second at the thought of her sleeping with him making his loins move as he started to take interest in what she was wearing and then the thought of a couple of screaming babies made him freeze as a sickening fear spread through his mind. “No! I just met you and you and screaming kids want to move in with me? Not in this closet you aren't.”

  “No Mark. The couple that is taking over your parent’s cabin and your bedroom live in E 53; in an exact copy of this cabin with two kids, not just one. Your parents are taking a nice single bedroom that just became available a few weeks ago when an old woman was moved to the light care unit for the help she needs."

  “Well, it can’t be that bad. They asked for it having the kids and don't lovers want to be close to each other?” He said bitterly. It took another minute thinking about it before Mark shook his head sadly in disbelief as he looked around. “Where the hell would you put a second kid? God stars; it must be terrible for them.”

  Mickey smiled. “Yes it is Mark. Now help me make your bed.” At 3 in the morning Mark’s eyes just glazed over dumfounded. “Come on Mark. Get up and help me.”

  Slowly Mark got up and unrolled his mattress as Mickey watched from next to the little head. Taking a step back against the door keeping her distance when Mark got to close as he unrolled the mattress. “Good, now grab the pillow out of the closet.”

  Mark straightened up and starred at the many cupboards facing him until one lit up. After dropping it down on the head of the bed he grabbed for the sheets that where next to where the pillow had been. “No Mark. Don’t’ worry about the sheets tonight. Just lay down…. Go o
n; put the sheets back…pick up the blanket and kick off your shoes. Now just lift the blanket and lay down.”

  Mark slowly complied. Laying down on his back with his head on the pillow and the blanket over part of him. Mickey slowly walked over to sit in the chair he had occupied. Her boobs softly jiggling. Her nipples threatening to pop out as Mark just watched not really comprehending anything but that she was there. “Good. Now just relax and go to sleep. I will be here when you wake up in the morning. I will stay as long as you want me.” Mark continued staring at her with mostly vacant eyes. "This is a very nice cabin with everything a young man needs." A puzzled frown slowly changed to a contented half smile as his eyes started growing heavy and closing for longer and longer periods as she talked about how nice the cabin was and how much he was going to grow to love living there were his buddies could come and visit anytime and how he was going to be much happier living on his own now that he was an adult. As she continued to talk with her voice becoming softer and softer, his breathing soon slowed and finally leveled out into a light soft snore. She continued to talk about how well off his parents would be in a single bedroom with a living room as well as the couple with the kids. Knowing his mind was still not quite asleep yet. Her voice still soothing, comforting.

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  “Hey! Wake up Mark. It’s after 9. Come on; up and at em buddy.” Tom shook Mark’s shoulder. “Your mother told me about you moving out last night. I can’t wait tell I get my own bulkheads. Anyway come on get up we have to move our crap out of the shop pronto. They are junking everything left in the hold tomorrow so we don’t have much time. Come on get up!” Tom continued to shake Mark’s shoulder getting more violent by the second. “I tried calling you but you turned off you phone. Why did you do that?”