by Clay Moore
A shook his head as if John had surprised him. When John first proposed himself as an agent, A was inclined to say no, and that would've been back for the agency and bad for Eridani. "I thought for sure that you would take this route to upper management. I never meant it to be a retirement. You know too much you have too much experience. The service needs all of that to be trained into its Z agents as well as all the other agencies. You know what's going to happen if you kill Anton Hecton. Someone is bound to see it and post photos or video. When that happens, John Hardesty comes out, and Z 04 goes into retirement."
"You know," said John, "what this means to me. To kill the man that ordered the death of my wife will be the completion of that part of my life. If I can keep out of the limelight and kills him, then no one will know that it is me. If I was able to do that I could still be a Z agent. The main question is do you need me more as an administrator, or as an active Z agent."
"I need agent Z04 out in the field for right now. Then I need John Hardesty as an administrator for the Eridani Secret Service. The second thing can wait until Z04 as ready to come in from the cold."
Iris, her eyes brimming with tears, didn't know why this acknowledgment of mentor to student gave her an emotional jolt. She got the same emotional jolt when she saw how Vivana look after John on her ship while he was healing. She guessed that it was that expression of love between two people. With males is a little harder to get them to admit that. What she just saw were two men declaring that they would not want to separate.
A shuf fled his papers. He pushed back from the conference room table. "I think this meeting it is over. Tomorrow I will leave here and go into the hotel on faraway to conduct the various meetings with the signatories to the AI convention."
John thought that was odd. A was not an ambassador. In fact, everything about this affair smacked of political posturing by the Emir. John loves that old guy. One can forget that he actually is the leader of the religion. He seemed a more down to earth kind of person, more of a president, then a Pope.
"I didn't even know that the planet had a hotel." Iris turned to John. "Is this where you were staying during your mission?"
"Yes, fortunately, it is the only hotel that is rated five stars. It also has a five-star restaurant. I think the entertainment in the lounge is five-star. They even have dancing."
"No offense, John, but I don't think you would know a five star anything." "That's part of the training now. Where to hunt and look like gentlemen. It's only when we take our gun out of its holster that was allowed to make the face of the killer."
Iris laughed at the joke. She wondered if he really did know a five-star hotel from a three-star.
"I would like to experience that restaurant, and lounge. Will you escort me?" John looked at the two behemoths that Iris had as a bodyguard. It would be hard to be romantic when to Marines were near at hand.
"If I take you there, are your rolling rocks invited?" Iris looked where John was looking. Yes, her bodyguard stood to look like big rocks. That was part of their glamour. They made anyone think twice before doing anything with her that she did not want to be done. She could see where they would be a little bit intimidating to someone trying to romance her. She said to them: "I think I can dispense with your protection while on the planet. I believe that we can trust agent Z04 to protect me."
The guard with the most stripes touched the ear bug in his right ear. He somehow vocalized which allowed him to say things and not be heard outside of his body. A few minutes later the two Marines left the room.
"I never knew that the Navy was so worried about its admirals." "You were never really in the part of the Marines that supplied those good guards," said Iris. "If I remember my reading of your Marine record you ended up piloting the assault shuttles."
"Yes, that is where I got my love of piloting. The last five years of my career was either piloting assault shuttles or training Marines to pilot attack diverted your news."
"You did an awful lot of training in your career. Who did you train?" "I did boot camp, advanced battle suit piloting, I did a stint for the abnormal and training some of her agents for field work. When I started teaching assault shuttles."
"Well, as you can see I I have taken my minders off duty. What about you?" "I have the perfect suit for tonight. It's a black tuxedo." John stood up, but then he didn't realize where his gear had been taken. "Where did you guys put my equipment?"
"They haven't put into my quarters on a temporary basis. When we depart on our little date, I will have my steward move your stuff to the guest quarters next to mine."
"So I get to see what they put an admiral in."
"This is a light carrier. It has a lot of room for people. Right now we would be used more as a fighter airport." John chuckled at Iris's acerbic wit. "If nothing else goes right in the state at least we have a conversation. You are fun to talk to."
This time Iris laughed. "Okay let's get dressed." John nodded. He stood up and pulled out iris' chair. I was surprised as if no one had pulled out her chair for her. He knew that she was not a native of Eridani. If they were from Eridani, they would've had people pulling their chairs out for them once they have become ladies, and Iris was most definitely a woman. It took a little fancy walking, but John was even able to open the door for her. It is kind of hard to take credit four that when it was a gas tight door and was monitored by the computer. It opened when you got close.
Once out of the conference room Iris took charge of getting them to her quarters. John tried not to assume anything by the fact that his clothes were in her quarters. It was hard not to make the assumption. She was exceedingly kind to him. She laughed at his jokes. They did have a common experience together. Though he was mostly unconscious on the floor. She was even there when he came out of the auto doc.
John knew Kelly affected most people when they came upon him nude. Most people gawked as if he was some kind of freak. Others have more sexual thoughts. He always found it easy to fell into bed with most women. There were even some men that expressed desire. Those were the hardest to navigate. John thought he understood women fairly well. However, another male was entirely different. John held no condemnation for a man who propositioned him. He just explained that he had no desire to swing in that direction.
John observed Iris as they walked down the corridor to her quarters. She walked with a full stride. John had no trouble keeping up with her because he was polar, but he noticed that Iris walked with confidence that most other women don't get. She was the rear Admiral God dammit, and she was going to get her respect from others.
They finally reached the door to recorders. Standing beside the door was a Marine wearing his dress uniform with a white belt, and a black holster. John could see that the holster contained in the actual blaster. This was not a ceremonial guard, but a full on a security guard, how ever, he was dressed. As she approached the door, the guard pushed the button on the wall. The door to her quarters opened. There was a moment of comedy when Iris stopped to let John precede her. Then John stopped and indicated that she should precede him. They did this a couple of times until they begin to understand how ludicrous it looked. Iris accepted John's offer to let her through the first. John followed her into a very sumptuous quarters.
The door entered into a huge living area. A black leather couch was flanked by two leather, easy chairs. The couch was facing the area where they had set up the try-D projector. No doubt that it was connected to the media center of the ship. Behind the couch and to the right was a bar with a collection of various beverages. Apparently, if the admiral entertains the bar would be open. Directly behind the couch was a very long dining table. It looked like it could hold at least 10 people. To that tables right was a wall with another door. I was stopped at what that door.
"Through this door is my bedroom. My steward picked up your bags and only left them here under my orders. If I knew that you were going to be so charming, I would've put your baggage in the guest room."
&
nbsp; "If my stuff had to be moved to the guest room now, it would take a little bit of time away from the dancing, dining, and conversation."
"That's my thought as well. So, this is how we are going to work this. You will take a shower first. Then I will follow. While I am taking my shower, you will put on your tuxedo. When I get out of the shower to come, I will be putting on my formal black gown. While we are having a fun time, Angela will be moving your gear to the guest quarters."
Well, there is nothing else to do, but go on a date. Iris essentially told him that she did not play his game. He decided that he would make a claim for her even though she said She was not interested. That was something else that he learned about women, they always change their mind.hn
CHAPTER THIRTEEN IT'S A DATE
As is the truth in all things, John had to wait while Iris did the last minute things. He did not know why he expected this to be different. Perhaps it was the fact that she was in something that was considered to be a male only job up until nearly 300 years ago. It could be that she acted differently than most other females. Anyway, he ended up having to wait for her after he had gotten into his very comfortable tuxedo. That's one thing he liked about bespoke suits. The door to the bathroom suddenly opened and out walked a stunning Iris Jernwel.
John was correct in calling her gown a formal evening gown. It had a slight décolletage giving just a hint of what was hidden by the dress own. Her hair was done up, and a jeweled hair comb held it up. Then John noticed that the gown had a small bit of humor in it. The ultra black cloth had a few threads are woven into it that was reflective. As Iris walked her dress shimmered. The reflective threads went all the way down to the end of the train. Her makeup was artfully applied giving her the look of a lady, and not a woman of the evening.
There was one thing missing from her formal. They were going to go down to faraway. Where the settlement was the base temperature was cooler than the average temperature of Eridani. John walked into her bathroom because he knew that she had this accessory, and she might like to have it when they landed. He found approximately a meter and 1/2 of a gauze like fabric. It was black just like her gown. John came out of her bathroom and settled the shawl around her arms and across her back.
“You really think I need that?."
"Yes, I actually believe that you're going to need to act. Have you ever landed on faraway?"
“No, I have never landed on faraway. This will be my first time." "Unfortunately I am a well-known figure on this planet. I don't think that everybody knows that I may Eridani Secret Service agent. If they do know that I am an Eridani Secret Service agent, then they don't know what my job function is."
"Just from talking with A, I get the idea that you and your other agents belong to the part that gets things done, tough things, and where there might be a death involved."
"You got the idea of the whole thing. What you need to understand is when Eridani is at war it is common for the intelligence services to assassinate high-ranking officers. When we do this, it causes chaos. That is something that you can take advantage of.”
"I was not trying to disparage what you do. You just don't look like a person who kills in cold blood." “Killing my targets in cold blood is a way of hiding who did that deed. If someone dies and no one knows who killed that person, then they can't target their anger at any particular nation or service."
Iris agreed with John's ideas about his job. For the first time Iris and John seem to see eye to eye.
"We need to get down to the surface. Follow me. I have a ship."
"I say that you have about 25 ships."
Iris looks back at John. There was a smile on her face as the quip hit home.
"I have a ship all my own. Let's write it down."
"I'm going to have to call for a limo. And I have to make sure of our reservations."
"While we are resting in a friendly port we allow communicators to operate." "That's help." John followed Iris to the hatch that connected her ship to her ship. As he followed her, he got a chance to assess her from behind. There was no doubt that she wasn't an athletic woman and her rear showed it. When Iris turned to look at John again, he put the communicator to his gear and called Jeff.
When he called Jeff, he was in the middle of a very full dining room. When John asked for a table, Jeff could've honestly said that he had no room, but he understood that John's guest would be comfortable rear admiral lower half in command of the Eridani space navy fleet in orbit around their world. John could hear him issue commands to his waitstaff to add a new table and to put a reservation card on it. It was much easier to get Jeff to send his limo to pick them up at the Starport. All that got done before they even entered iris's ship.
Iris reached the airtight door that led to her personal craft. She turned around to make sure that John was with her. Before she reached the door, it opened, and a naval rating wearing the all white dress uniform was standing on the other side. Iris stepped into what appeared to be a converted assault shuttle. John followed Iris, and the naval rating said something.
"Welcome aboard the Admiral's gig." John knew that the Navy had names for all of its small craft. It just seemed a little funny to call the admirals shuttle a concert. Space for people to sit in an actual little bit like a luxury air shuttle. There were two seats on either side of an aisle. The seats were big, plush, and very comfortable.
Iris took her place which apparently is he's right. It was the port side right on the aisle. John took his seat which he assumed was the one to her left. She did not know demure about his usurpation of somebody else's chair. He did strap himself in. This being a military craft they use the four point harness.
John had a flashback to when he flew his own the D 80 A. He loved that work. It had enough thrust to get it out of the atmosphere with a full cargo hold. The computer was robust enough to keep his AI. Yes, possession of an AI could be considered a violation of the convention. He rather doubted that the conference would come after him. He did not design the AI. He simply used it.
"I thought space hound like you wouldn't be so nervous on takeoff." Iris had misread his nervousness. John was worried, but not for the takeoff. He was nervous for this date that he was going on with Iris. Somehow he sensed that this encounter with her would set up something wonderful. She and Vivana were similar. Both were influential women who made no doubt that they were powerful women. While Vivana was very physical, Iris was almost entirely cerebral. She had changed since the last time John had seen her. She was working out, and it showed in her body, thin and cut.
"This is the pilot speaking. We will be detaching from the Norwell in a few minutes. The interior crew members will make sure that you have your restraints properly secured. Once we have disconnected from the normal, we have a priority flight path to the only Starport. I was to inform everyone that the limo is ready for your use. Flight duration is 10 minutes."
"I remember when I had to do this in two minutes."
"I think that's why your men called your flight the rocket elevator." John looked at Iris. "I had to get those men down onto the ground. I had to do it fast and had to do it safely. All the times that I served as assault shuttle coxswain, there were no deaths because of a direct hit on my ship. I either hit the deck, or I flew above the ground. Either way, those armored Marines got the job done."
"With these fond memories of the Marines, I'm surprised that you did not take them up on an offer of a commission."
"I thought about taking them up on a commission. The problem is is that I would be stuck at Lieutenant. If you are going to strive for the grade, then having your classes held at a certain point makes the offer page. The only other way for me to work would be to go to the Academy. Once I have completed my course of study, I could be issued my commission. That will allow me to make the grade for all levels of an officer."
* * *
"By this time you have a new love. You take your light freighter out and move cargo for a living. Was that fun?" "Remarkab
ly so. By the time I had been discovered by the admiral, it started to dawn on me that it is a bore. When I was offered a commission to work as an agent, I took them up. The Admiral decided that they had to be a second, and she assigned Vivana to me and my ship."
There was a sudden movement as the admiral's gig detached from the narwhal. There was a feeling of acceleration. On the view screens, John could see that they were heading straight for the planet.
About nine minutes later the admiral's gig touched down at the one and only Starport. The gig had its middle hatch opened, and it formed a gangway down to the ground. John entered the exit and looked around. He created an arm and let Iris take that arm. Together John Iris descended the gangway and hit the ground walking on ferracrete. John saw Daniel who decided appearance to not to talk to John. Daniel did the only thing that one male could do for another male. He kept away when he saw that they were going to a formal dinner and dance.
They walked out of the Starport. A limo from a previous manufacturing year pulled up to the curb in front of them. The chauffeur got out of the car and opened the back seat for them. John helped Iris into the car, and he sat next to her.
The chauffeur said nothing the whole way to the hotel. For John that was an amazingly good choice for the driver. John said nothing, Iris said nothing, and the chauffeur said nothing. John felt the energy in his body increase as the closer they got to the hotel. He had no illusions that he could get her into one of the hotel rooms. It would take a bit more than that now is half the fun.
The limousine arrived at the hotel. Jeff had added a new member to his staff. This staff member wore a fake military coat primarily. This was the doorman. The limo stopped at the new covered entrance to the hotel.
