by F. E. Arliss
Maybe I could back out, she thought. Oh, yeah, not going to happen at this point, she realized. What am I so afraid of? She asked herself in the mirror. The unknown, of course, silly, she chided herself. How can Orbit Guard and a good looking, though stoney-countenanced fiance, be worse than rural Missouri? Chloe asked herself. Ummm, not much, really. Space does not have endless weeds, swarms of insects, sweltering heat and humidity, jerk guys who only worried about how much money you made so that they didn’t have to make it, or how easy you were to get into bed. Yep! Chloe thought, Missouri could be worse. A lot worse. After all, she didn’t call it Misery for nothing.
“Well grandma, you always told me to make the best of things, so I guess I’m going to have to go with it,” Chloe said with a little laugh. “Here’s to the wild frontier, Grams,” she said raising her hand in a salute. She straightened her shoulders and walked out of the locker room to face her future.
Chapter 9
Port-a-John Challenges
Chloe cracked her eyes slowly and tried to gradually take in her surroundings. Oh, man, that light is bright! Chloe thought. Why does my head feel like a tippany drum? Ah, yeah, the launch, warp drive to the front, and the docking at Orbit Guard Frontier Command. There had been a lot of gut wrenching momentum getting to her quarters.
Chloe’s quarters were prettysmall. Maybe a ten foot by ten-foot box with an attached bath and small closet. The bed was a sort of full size tray bed that folded up into the wall. When it was stowed she would have enough room to do her yoga routine and as her Grandma used to say, “Swing a cat.” She’d actually slept pretty well, all things considered. On the other hand, she had been completely and totally running on fumes by the time she’d been assigned her match-box size room the night before.
When they’d finally docked into the Orbit Guard station, it had taken her several minutes to get her balance. Space travel, it turned out, had a slight movement to it the same way ocean going vessels rode the swells of the sea. Chloe had felt as if she’d fall over every other step until the swaying dissipated. It really didn’t matter that it was only a sensation manufactured by her cerebral cortex. The sensation still had the power to twist her stomach just remembering it.
The Orbit Guard station was a big heap of tacked together dark metal and tiny points of light against the black of space. It wasn’t a particularly sleek and architectural space station as she’d imagined. Just more of a big monstrosity of hangers and housing containment pods. Also, it smelled funky. Like dirty socks and B.O. Well there probably was a lot of B.O. smell floating about if the weird shower unit she’d used last night in her metal bathroom area was the norm. It hadn’t really been water, but some type of chemical. She supposed she’d come out cleaner than when she went in, but she couldn’t help but think about that blue liquid they shot into port-a-potties back home to clean them and draw an unfavorable connection.
Chloe sniffed her armpit. Well, at least I smell fairly clean, she thought. I’m going to have to start wearing some sort of body spray just in case. Jungle Gardenia here I come, Chloe thought, remembering the name of a cheap scent one of her friends in high school used to douse herself in. Um, no! I’m definitely going for something a bit more upscale. In reality, she knew, she’d have to go for what was actually on offer in the commissary. Life could get a bit restrictive out here she was beginning to realize.
Last night as they’d disembarked, there had been what seemed like hordes of soldiers all waiting to talk to Colonel Reinegaard. Leo had seemed genuinely glad to see most of them, saluting all of them and then clapping a few on the shoulder. He’d been a real gentleman and asked them to come to his stateroom in 30 minutes, but stating that he had to get his fiance settled after their long journey. The silence that greeted his announcement that she was his fiance had been deafening. Then a slim, tall, muscular young man with a sharp pointed chin and curly dark hair had stepped forward with a smile and shaking her hand, welcomed her on board, introducing himself as Major Torrence. That had broken the ice and after that everything was a blur of faces, names, and varying odors.
Chloe supposed she ought to get up and get dressed. If the gnawing on her backbone was any indication, she needed to eat. Her uniform was tossed onto a metal stool at the foot of her bed in a wrinkled mess. She remembered seeing some folded garments in the metal utility locker in the bathroom. Hopefully, they were the uniforms that had been promised her at the launch site. Struggling to sit up, Chloe slipped heavy legs over the edge of the bunk, the cold metal dug into the backs of her thighs. “Ooooh, nice good morning to you too, bed,” she cooed, patting the metal edge.
Sure enough, the folded garments did turn out to be her uniforms. How they’d gotten here before her, she had no idea. It was heaven to splash her face with a bottle of facial toner and then slip into clean clothes. Her skin had been struggling with the change in environment and she slathered the face lotion provided over her dry skin. The lotion, at least, smelled of lavender, so that helped make her feel a little more feminine. Brushing out her long wavy hair and fastening it into a loose knot at the base of her neck, Chloe slipped on a slender pair of gold stud earrings and headed out the door to find the Colonel.
Chapter 10
Settling
After wandering about blindly for a few minutes, Chloe figured there had to be some way to find her way about this monstrosity of tin. Holding a small hand up to stop the next soldier she saw coming down the hall toward her, Chloe asked how to find the mess hall and Colonel Reinegaard. “Just follow the blue lines to the mess, Ma’am,” the stocky young man said, grinning. “The food here will make you blue. That’s the best way to remember it for posterity,” he joked. “I’m Sergeant Chadmore,” he introduced himself. “Any time you need medical attention you can find me in the sick bay. Just follow the red line. You know, like blood,” he said, cackling to himself over his own wit.
Chloe thanked Sergeant Chadmore and began following the blue line. “Time to check out Sergeant Chadmore’s theory about the food,” she guessed. A few minutes later she wound around one last smelly corridor and found an open space with tables and chairs. It smelled like feet and plastic. Not exactly the most appetizing odor she’d ever encountered. “Hmmm, let’s hope the food tasted better than it smelled, she thought.
Several burly young ensigns helped her access the machines that dispensed the food. It reminded her of an old Lucille Ball antique video she’d seen from eons ago. You placed your tray under the spigot and food either spurted or plunked out, depending on what you’d chosen. Whether or not it actually hit the tray, was a whole other concept. There was a weird metal arm that came out and scraped the countertop after each dispensing. It reminded her of a windshield wiper blade. Lucille Ball had tried to stuff the leftovers in her mouth, but the wiper thingy worked better and probably added fewer calories to a girl’s hips.
Chloe found a table and tentatively forked some of the goop in her mouth. “Well, not as bad as I’d feared,” she thought. “It actually does taste like eggs, it just doesn’t smell or look like them.” She cut a small chunk of gelatinous stuff that was supposed to be ham and stuffed it in her mouth. “Yep, tastes like bacon. Just doesn’t look like bacon or smell like bacon.” That was one thing she’d miss a lot. There was nothing like the smell of bacon to put a girl in a good mood. Sighing deeply, Chloe finished her breakfast quickly. It wasn’t exactly a meal you wanted to linger over. Good thing she’d never been a morning coffee drinker either, because the stuff the rest of the crew was swilling down did not look very appetizing. Nor did it smell like coffee. She could see that food would be a big loss on this two-year cruise. Well, at least she wouldn’t have to worry about her weight, she thought.
Just as several of the crewmen were helping her find where to put her empty tray, the Colonel walked in. The young men quickly dispersed, leaving her alone with him. “How are you this morning, Chloe?” he asked, searching her face for signs of fatigue or worry.
“I’m fine. I
think,” grinned Chloe. “Crappy bed, but I was tired, so I actually slept like a rock. Breakfast was an adventure too. I can see that food may be something I dream of most nights!” she joked. “But I’ll keep my figure, that’s for sure.”
Leo wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Would she think he was rude if he said her figure was just fine? Better not risk it, he decided. “The food is high in nutritional content and configured to give steady energy and strength,” he said. “I apologize for its lack of tactile enjoyment. But it’s the best return for the least weight for transport,” he said seriously.
“No need to apologize, Colonel. I was just stating the facts,” Chloe said, smiling at him slightly. “There will be lots of things I have to get used to, and it will help me process them if I can speak freely to you about what I’m experiencing. Do you think you’re up for that challenge?” Chloe asked. “It’s part of how couples would interact and support each other,” she said. “Is there anything you’d like to discuss with me that would help you process something this morning?”
Leo stared at her. He’d never had anyone ask, or for that matter, even care, what he needed to process. This whole ‘couple’ thing could be really weird. But, he figured he’d have to give it a shot sooner or later, if they were going to set an example for the rest of the crew. “Well, here goes”, Leo said, grimacing at hearing that sentence from his own mouth. “First I think you should start calling me Leo when we’re in private or off duty. That will help the station personnel feel more comfortable with our relationship. We’ve got three days before the rest of the first contingent of women arrive. I need your help making sure that we’ve got sufficient stock in the commissary to fulfill their needs. And whether or not the housing will be comfortable enough. Believe it or not, your unit is one of the larger ones available, and some women will be sharing units that size with two, fold down twin bunks. Is that going to be an issue?” he asked frowning.
Chloe grinned at how uncomfortable he was asking her to call him by his first name and for her help. “Let’s sit down and I’ll make some notes about what needs to be done.” “Will that help you?” she asked.
They proceeded to a table and over the next hour made good headway going over the needs for the women’s arrival and where and how Chloe could see to the things they’d need. They actually worked pretty well together, Chloe thought. This might be easier than being gaga over a guy. No wonder arranged marriages seemed to be so successful for centuries. I don’t have to worry about hurting the Colonel’s feeling, or damaging his ego. He just wanted things done and she was exactly the same way, she thought. It was a bit of a relief to have someone so straightforward to work with.
Several crew members had entered the cafeteria while they worked. So as Leo stood to take his leave of her, he bent and quickly brushed his mouth over hers as she glanced up at him. Chloe blushed a bit, but then quickly stood, put a hand on his arm, and kissed him back briefly. Laughter and chuckles broke out around the room. “As you were!” the Colonel barked. Then stalked from the room back stiff. Chloe grinned at the service men. It could prove to be fun making Leo uncomfortable!
Ten hours later, Chloe’s door buzzed on her tiny quarters. She thumbed the ident pad to inquire who it was, and punched in the accept code when the monitor showed it to be the Colonel. “How was your day, Leo?” she asked, gesturing for him to enter.
Leo halted just a few feet into the room. His mouth worked soundlessly for a few seconds and then he muttered, “Fine, thank you.” Chloe grinned at him. “Not used to the wifey asking you ‘how your day was?” she cracked.
“No, not really,” he said quietly. “How was yours?” he returned.
“Very productive!” Chloe enthused. “I got all those items we talked about this morning, checked out and stocked, or organized. I think it all went really well, and I learned a bit more about the station. I had a great day!” she said happily.
He stared at her for a few seconds, then smiled slightly at her. “You’re probably the first woman I’ve ever met that had a great day because she worked overtime hours and got a lot done,” Leo said, a slightly stunned look in his eyes. “I think we may actually be able to pull this ‘couple’ thing off," he muttered.
“Don’t be ridiculous! Of course, we can pull it off,” Chloe grumped. “Don’t be so pessimistic, for Pete’s sake. We’re the perfect couple! Organized, hard-working, intelligent, and goal-oriented. Plus, we’re both incredibly good looking and a handsome couple,” Chloe stated with exaggerated bravado.
Leo smiled back at her, or at least he hoped it was a smile. He didn’t smile often and it felt a bit odd to him. This was the first time he’d ever felt like he had someone who was actually going to help him complete his goals. It was a good feeling. “I’ll be checking in with you every evening to see how things are going,” he said. “Does that work for you?”
Chloe laughed at him. “Leo, you’re going to have to do more than check in with me if we’re going to make this work. You’ll have to come to my room and stay for at least an hour every evening. Do you have logs or reports that you have to make each day? If so, I suggest you do them here, so that we can get to know each other and spend time together. The crew will need to see that to believe we’re engaged.”
“That should work. We are to be a couple for the next two years,” he stated. “I hope we continue to get along as well as we are now.”
“We will, Leo,” Chloe said. “You just have to promise me to talk to me and not hold back when there are things that we both need to know in order to be on the same page. Can you do that?” she asked.
“Of course,” Leo stated. “It will be much like debriefing any crew member about procedures.”
Chloe burst out laughing. “Oh Leo, it will so not be like that. But you can start out that way if you wish and if handling the idea that way makes you feel better!” she said grinning. “Sit, I’ll go get you some supper in the mess hall and bring it back here while you start on your reports. What would you like?” she asked.
After Chloe had departed to get their dinner, Leo leaned back and exhaled a sigh of relief. It was nice to have someone bring him his dinner and to ask him what he wanted. Maybe this was why couples seemed happier. His parents certainly hadn’t been happy. On the other hand, they hadn’t had even as much conversation as he’d had with Chloe in one year then he and Chloe had had in a week. He did feel more relaxed after having her to process with. That was what she had called it, processing. Yes, he could get used to this.
Chapter 11
Standard Time
Several months had passed and they continued to work well together. The women had arrived and been settled into their quarters. She’d worked hard keeping in contact with the women as they’d started their duties and begun adjusting to the much-contained life on the station. Her office door was always open and many of the women stopped by to talk about homesickness or the strangeness of the new environment. If the women didn’t stop by, Chloe sought them out on the job and dropped by to see if there was anything they needed. They all seemed to appreciate a friendly face.
If any problems arose, she negotiated with their Orbit Guard supervisors to make sure things could be worked out between the parties. So far, so good, it seemed. She’d only had to go to the Colonel once when Helen, a housekeeping assistant, had run into a particularly nasty munitions officer called Ensign Clayton.
She’d instituted an hour on each shift when she sat at a table in the cafeteria and the women could find her there to chat. She’d also brought cards and board games and gotten the women talking to each other as they played. Since it was a communal cafeteria, the men could see the women there and engage them in conversation. The whole project had gone very smoothly, with the men now joining in some of the games and women joining in the men's games of darts and pool. Once that was established Chloe still checked in for each of the shifts, but tried to keep open office hours too for the anyone who wanted to meet with her more privately. Thi
s allow free time for the women to mingle with the men in the mess when she wasn’t there. They were trying to encourage relationships after all, and she might put a bit of a damper on romance, she supposed.
Eventually soldiers had started to stop in, mostly letting on like they were checking in with her to see what she needed. Some just wanted to ask about particular women they were interested in. Many others did have deeper issues they wanted to pursue and she had a full roster of soldiers she was helping with PTSD symptoms. Since the soldiers were all active duty she couldn’t really institute a group session for them as privacy was an issue. So, she’d begun teaching each of the soldiers a coping mechanism called EFT, Emotional Freedom Technique, that helped the soldiers reframe negative feelings into neutral ones. She did a group session with the women to teach them how to do it too. Scheduling it in the mess, she noticed many of the men listening in on the how and why of the technique.
As for the guys who were just interested in picking her brain about women, she always laughingly told them to go ask the women themselves. They’d wanted the soldiers to be able to find partners willing to be at the front with them and they’d have to take those first steps sometime. It did seem having the women at the front had lifted morale for everyone.
