The Cresperian Alliance

by Stephanie Osborn

  "Not yet,” Tomlinson warned. “The Crispies have to be willing. This isn't a snap of the fingers for them, by any means."

  "So we talk to our Crispies first,” Hand ordered.

  Piki was walking back to her quarters alone, deep in thought. I must discuss this with my fellow Cresperians, she decided. Bang-bang has struck upon an excellent idea. But Sira and I cannot do it alone. We will all need to...

  Her musings were interrupted by a hand on her arm. She turned, apprehension gripping her insides, to see a vaguely familiar man standing beside her, a wide smile on his handsome face. A short shock of blond hair framed said face, and hazel eyes crinkled at the corners as they gazed at her.

  "Hi,” he said in a friendly fashion. “I'm Pete McCord. I'm a NASA propulsion engineer. I don't know if you remember me. We sat next to each other at the last briefing."

  "I... recollect you, yes,” Piki said warily. She could already sense what he wanted, and she only desired to get away. A knot of fear grew in her throat; it was a struggle to swallow. “I am afraid I am busy right now.” She resumed walking toward her quarters, moving swifter.

  "Oh, this won't take long. You're Cresperian, right?” McCord asked, matching his stride to hers.

  "I am,” Piki said shortly.

  "Good. I've... heard a lot about you Crispies, and I was wondering. You're a gorgeous babe. Would you like to go to the movies with me sometime?"

  "I am afraid not,” she said bluntly, spotting her door ahead with thankfulness. “I anticipate being extremely busy in the near future, helping Earth prepare to ward off any Snappers."

  "Oh, surely you'll have some down time. You can't work twenty-four hours straight."

  "We can do so for several days straight,” Piki corrected him. She arrived at her door and touched the lock plate. There was a click, and the door opened. “Excuse me, please. I must get ready for my meeting."

  "Oh, I don't think so,” McCord said, forcing his way through the door behind her with a smirk. “See, I don't take ‘no’ that easily. And I've heard all about how sex starved and hungry you Crispies are. I think you're just playing hard to get, trying to get me all hot and bothered.” He grabbed her arm again and pulled her against him. “Guess what? It worked. And I'm here to fulfil every fantasy you've ever had, sweetheart.” He bent his head to kiss her.

  Just then his shoulder was grabbed and jerked with enough force to spin him around. He lost his grip on Piki, who retreated across the room to the computer console, and found himself staring into the angry gray eyes of Sergeant Edward Bangler.

  "What the h- blazes do you think you're doing?” Bang growled.

  "Satisfying a little hottie,” McCord replied insolently, shoving Bang's hand away, “and three's a crowd. So shove off, kevlar top. The babe and I have some unfinished business—horizontal business. And believe me, she'll be more than satisfied when I'm done."

  "Has the lady told you she WANTED to be satisfied?” Bang asked, replacing his hand on McCord's shoulder.

  This time McCord found he couldn't break Bang's grip, which was tightening uncomfortably. “That's between the two of us. And like I said, three's a crowd."

  "I don't think so,” Bang snarled. “You obviously haven't got a clue who you're talking to, or what she's been through. I suggest you leave now."

  "Oh yeah? What're YOU gonna do about it, bad ass?” McCord challenged.

  "Oh, it's not what I'LL do to you,” Bang said with a wolfish grin, his hand continuing to tighten on McCord's shoulder; the engineer was now struggling to avoid grimacing in pain. “It's what SHE'LL do to you."

  "Wha?"

  "The last man who tried to force his attentions on my friend over there,” Bang nodded at Piki, “came away from the encounter with no balls and a dick barely big enough to piss with. Now, if you value your ability to reproduce—and given your level of comprehension, I'm not sure if you ought to be allowed to swim in the gene pool—I strongly suggest you apologize to the lady and get the hell out of her quarters. And never speak to her again."

  McCord paled. “She's... she's THAT one...?"

  "She is."

  "Oh, dear God,” McCord whispered. “Lemme go! Lemme go, now!"

  Bang released him, and he bolted out the door and down the hall, disappearing around a corner.

  Piki stayed by the computer, seeming frozen. Bang turned to her. “I'm sorry, Piki,” he apologized softly. “I know I used some words you don't like hearing. But that idiot wasn't gonna get the picture otherwise."

  "I... I know,” Piki murmured. “Thank you, Bang-bang. He... is as arrogant as the Prime Minister was, though in a different way. I... was able to record the incident, after you freed me.” She gestured to the computer, then switched off the video camera attached to it.

  "Good. Send it to the NASA coordinator here at the Enclave. That'll fix his little red wagon well enough, I'd think."

  "But... I thought you could not send them back."

  "Given how public things are getting,” Bang noted, “that might not be true. But what IS true,” he added with a smirk, “is that we've got a brig now. I don't think you'll be seeing him again, even ‘across a crowded room.’”

  "Oh,” Piki said, then managed a weak grin herself, as she sat down to email the video to the chief NASA liaison.

  Later, she contacted Sira. They had a brief, intense discussion, then agreed to meet in Sira's quarters.

  Anderson, with Tomlinson's help, approached the small contingent of Crispies already gathered in Sira Whitman's apartment. “Guys, we were wondering..."

  "Yes,” Chris Roberts, one of the original Crispies brought in from the Rocky Mountains, said, before Hand could even get out his question. “Sira and Piki have told us what they have done with Sergeant Bangler. And we are aware of the enhancements to Sergeant Tomlinson, Dr. Trung, and Kyle Leverson. Piki also explained Sergeant Bangler's rationale. We are in agreement."

  "You... you are?” Hand tried not to stammer.

  "Yes,” Sira said softly. “John and I have talked about the concept a good bit in the past. Also the four of us—myself, John, Piki, and Sergeant Bangler—discussed it considerably while Piki and I were enhancing the sergeant. And judging from the video we saw from the Zeng Wu, we are agreed that the Crispies and the enhanced humans were the ones who were best able to hold their own in the fight."

  "We believe this may be the best use of our abilities at this time,” Frstiminith agreed. “Dalunith and I have decided to postpone our own conversions until we can enhance—or ‘fix,’ as Piki likes to put it—as many of your Space Marines as is possible for us to do without exhausting ourselves."

  "Which thing we do NOT want you to do,” Anderson averred. “May we go forward to our superiors with this?"

  "With one caveat,” Peter Murphy, one of Piki's colleagues, added. “NO one is to be ORDERED to do this. Each space marine must volunteer, as we have volunteered. We will not perform the modifications against the person's will. We have had enough of that ourselves; we will not inflict it upon others."

  "Understood,” Hand agreed.

  "You're kidding,” Colonel Chadwick said blankly. “They want to enhance our people?"

  "They feel, as we do, it may be one of our best edges against... whatever's going to happen,” Anderson explained. “But we can't issue orders. The Crispies made that plain. It has to be voluntary."

  "I don't think we'll have any shortage of volunteers,” Chadwick observed. “Hell, I'll be at the head of the line, if I can pull rank.” He nodded. “I'll go forward to Washington and Terhune."

  "HELL, yes,” Terhune agreed immediately. “How fast can we get it started?"

  "Wait a damn minute, Wayne,” Washington interrupted. “What kind of strain is this going to put on our Crispies?"

  "Not that much, sir,” Chadwick declared. “They know their limits, and they know it doesn't do us or them any good to push too hard."

  "Is the injured one from China up to this?"

  "Right as
rain, sir. Clean bill of health from our medics as well as the other Crispies."

  Caleb Washington thought for a few moments, while Admiral Terhune fidgeted in impatience, and Chadwick waited patiently for orders.

  "All right,” General Washington agreed. “I'm with you, Wayne. Let's get this rolling. Put out the call for volunteers, Chadwick."

  "Yes, SIR."

  "So,” Peggy said to Bang in the mess hall, “I hear you're Superman now. The first in a long line, it appears."

  Bang flushed. “Not really Superman. Just... a little better.” He paused. “You gonna have it done?"

  "Damn straight. If I gotta patch up wounded, it's a lot more useful if I can run like hell and lift a couple times my own weight. Or at least more than, to get TO the wounded and get ‘em outta more harm's way."

  "Yeah, it works really good."

  "Your pretty little Crispy do it for you?"

  "She's not ‘my’ Crispy, but yes, Piki—and Sira—did it."

  "Ah,” Peggy said, her brittleness wilting a bit. “Why did you decide to do it?"

  "Because of what you said,” Bang shrugged.

  "About what?"

  "About having a bad feeling about the Snappers."

  "Oh."

  "I figured, if it came to a fight with some real bad boys, it'd be nice if I had a little extra edge,” Bang admitted. “Actually, Piki offered to do it to help me win you back."

  "She did?” Peggy sat upright, dark brown eyes wide. “Damn."

  "What?"

  "I knew she cared about you, but I didn't realize it was that much."

  Bang hung his head. “I..."

  "Listen, Bang, it's okay,” Peggy said softly. “I... was jealous of Piki, getting you for that D.C. trip, and... and I threw myself at you. I'm sorry. I got to thinking, and kinda reading between the lines of what you admitted to. And you've got reason for being hurt, and reason for taking your time. And that's the mark of a sensitive, intelligent, wise man."

  Bang nodded. “Thanks,” was all he said.

  "I guess you should know,” Peggy began awkwardly, “I started seeing this guy over in Company C. It was a rebound thing at first, but he and I... it's... pretty intense."

  Bang nodded, hiding his resignation. “You two serious?"

  "I... think so."

  Bang slapped a mischievous grin on his face to hide the disappointment and rejection. “But does he KISS as good as I do?"

  Peggy blushed scarlet. “Um. Well, maybe not quite."

  Bang grinned ruefully. “I'll take what I can get, I guess."

  "Listen, are you and Piki...?"

  Bang shrugged. “Subject's never actually come up, except for some really naive comments on her part back on the sub. And I sure as hell dunno how to BRING it up. Or even if I want to,” he admitted frankly.

  "You oughta do SOMEthing for her, after all that enhancement,” Peggy pointed out.

  "Yeah, I guess so,” Bang admitted. “Besides, all this waiting around for the other shoe to drop is killing me."

  "What do you mean?"

  "The Galactic is out there, somewhere. Did they find Cresperia? Did the Snappers find THEM? Are they still alive? Are the Snappers headed here? Are China and the Islamic Confederacy gonna push the button? One? Both? What the hell is gonna happen next? The suspense is getting next to me."

  "Yeah,” was all Peggy could think of to say.

  For lack of any better ideas, Bang asked Piki if she'd like to go to a movie, and she agreed. To make it easier on the pair, Sira and Tomlinson offered to make it a double date, and to cook dinner for four in their quarters. Bang and Piki accepted, and the four had a congenial evening together. The movie playing in the Enclave theater was an action adventure with comic overtones, and the two female Crispies sat side by side, with the men flanking them. Piki murmured the occasional question when the movie ventured into areas she didn't comprehend, and either Sira or Bang whispered explanations.

  In the end, Bang decided it had been an enjoyable evening. So, for that matter, did Piki. They discussed it a little bit, casually, as Bang walked Piki back to her quarters.

  "So this is a first date,” Piki murmured thoughtfully. “I think it was a nice first date, Bang-bang."

  "Good,” Bang grinned. “I'm glad you enjoyed it."

  "Are you going to want to come in now and... do anything?” The lovely copper eyes were inscrutable, but the slight hesitation in her voice betrayed Piki's anxiety.

  Bang shrugged. “Not necessarily. If you want me to, I can come in and talk for awhile. Or if you'd rather, I can go back to my quarters."

  "Would... you mind... not coming in... this time?” Piki looked up at him, pleading with those glorious eyes.

  "No,” Bang murmured, understanding. “It's okay. I know how you feel."

  "Thank you,” Piki whispered. “But...” she tilted her face to one side, “you may kiss me, if you wish..."

  Bang smiled, bent down, and dropped a soft kiss on the velvet cheek. Then he saw her safely into her quarters and made his way back to his own, happy with the evening and deciding maybe it might not be so bad after all to date an alien. He went to bed happy and content.

  The next morning, however, the other shoe dropped.

  "All hands, please report to the auditorium immediately. All hands not on security duty, please report to the auditorium immediately. This is not a drill.” The loud annunciation from his computer woke Bang from his sleep. He leaped from the bed, years of military instinct taking over, and realized he was hearing the voice filtering through the door of his quarters as well. Must be loudspeakers in the hall, he thought. I hope this isn't “The Big One."

  He shucked into a fresh uniform, ran a damp comb through his close shorn hair to ensure there were no cowlicks, scraped a dry razor across his cheeks, and headed out the door.

  The corridor was a river of people, all headed in the same direction he was. Side corridors were tributaries, funneling more and more human floodwater into the main stream. At last, like tumbling over a waterfall, they spilled into the lake of the auditorium, where they swirled about, located their respective units, and sat together in some semblance of order. The Crispies intermingled with Bangler's platoon. Piki chose to sit next to Bang, and Bang could find no particular objection to having a gorgeous blonde beside him.

  Once everyone was seated, Admiral Terhune himself rose and moved to the front. A soft gasp went up from civilian and military alike; Bang realized that, whatever it was, it was serious.

  "Ladies and gentlemen,” he boomed across the auditorium without need of a microphone, “The USSS Galactic has entered our solar system. In two minutes, we will be receiving a broadcast from that vessel which is also being relayed to the President and his staff of advisors, as well as to the heads of state of our allied nations, though with a slight delay in transmission. This will be our initial debrief regarding what they have found. And since they entered the solar neighborhood with all speed, we may assume that the news they bear is extremely important."

  He sat down, and moments later, the viewscreen flickered to life.

  General William Shelton's face appeared onscreen. “Sorry it couldn't be Jules sitting here,” he said, referring to Captain Becker, “but he's a little busy right now, navigating into the solar system as fast as possible without repeating the Cresperians’ wreck."

  "That's okay, Bill,” Caleb Washington said on a microphone headset Bang hadn't noticed him don. “What's up? You guys are coming in like hell bent for leather, as the saying goes."

  "Well, we got good news and bad news. First off, did the Zeng Wu make it back?"

  "They did, safe and sound—at least from the point where the Galactic showed on the scene."

  "Good. So you already know about some of the bad news."

  "If by that you mean the Snapper race, yes."

  Shelton drew a deep breath. “Okay. Good news. We found Cresperia. Bad news. So did the starship from India, who had a deranged Crispy on board, purportin
g to be their god, Kalki, Tenth Avatar of Vishnu. More bad news: they got there first."

  "Shi...” Washington began, then broke off, remembering the abused Crispies in his audience. “Blast."

  "Good news. Kalki went totally off the deep end and got himself and a bunch of his more rabid followers killed. Bad news. The Snappers followed us to Cresperia, even though we tried to lose ‘em,” Shelton continued.

  "So that's why you're running at max speed,” Washington realized. “Are they following you?"

  "Not so far as our sensors can detect, Caleb,” Shelton noted. “But we couldn't detect them during part of the flight to Cresperia and they still found us. So I don't know. Besides, good news: The Crispies outfitted our ship with technology that whupped the Snappers’ butts when they attacked Cresperia. That's the other reason we're going ‘hell-bent for leather’—to get the technology back here before the Snappers can find Earth."

  "Fantastic,” Washington noted grimly. “We'll all be glad to have that. Keep going; you don't look like you're done with the eleven o'clock news report yet."

  "I'm not,” Shelton said simply. “More good news: the Indian ship left. Bad news. We haven't seen them since, so we don't know if they were captured by Snappers, or their ship malfunctioned, or they took a different route back, or what. Good news: We have a colony on Cresperia, composed of civilian human scientists, a contingent of Space Marines, and Gordon Stuart heading up the Crispy humans, of which there were several in progress when we left."

  Washington waited. Shelton stared at the screen. “What else is up, Caleb? Waiting for the bad news."

  "That's it. No more news. End of the report. Downlinking a list of casualties from the Swavely fight, and another fight on another planet, for notification of next of kin now."

  "So you found a second group of hostile aliens?"

  "No,” Shelton corrected, “we found another planet of Snappers. We figure we inadvertently encroached on the edge of their space. Whether they have an empire or the like, or not, we didn't bother to find out, for obvious reasons. The encounter at the second planet was an immediate and unprovoked attack upon an exploratory team of scientists. Needless to say, we got the hell out in a real hurry."