Children of Steel

by John Van Stry

  "About what I've heard."

  "Great, I've been there before; you've got to check it out. It's really something."

  "Well, I've never been on another planet, so that in itself sounds pretty thrilling to me."

  "It's not just that, Hobson's is thirty percent animan."

  "So?"

  "Man you really are fresh from the crèche, aren't you?"

  I glared at him a little, my ears going back a bit. "I never claimed otherwise."

  "Hey, don't get your fur in a ruff! If you had got out more you would have noticed that on Earth, we're not well liked. Heck in a lot of places we're not even allowed."

  "Well, I will admit that I did lead a pretty sheltered life in that aspect. Maybe the company does look out for us?"

  "Oh, there's no doubt about that, Tri-Star actually treats us like we rate. But on Hobson's the vast majority feel that way. They still got some Auntie-anns, but you won't dance with the hangman for defending yourself in a fair fight."

  Auntie-ann was slang for the anti-animen people. On Earth they made up a pretty sizeable chunk of the population and we’d been warned continually to avoid them. It was nice to know that my instructors had been honest about their being less of them on the other planets.

  "And you think you would on Earth?"

  "Damn right, Judge Lynch is out there and waiting!"

  "Ah, you're just being paranoid."

  "Yeah, well one of my crèche mates got lynched for sleeping with a human two years ago."

  I looked up at him, "You serious?"

  "Hell yes, did you know the company wouldn't let us off the grounds without a two day long indoctrination course? They didn't want anybody to get it again. But now on Hobson's I know this bar where the human girls just throw themselves at you. Something about the fur I guess," he smiled wickedly.

  "You're kidding?" I said shocked, "Human women?" The thought was a bit disturbing, I’d never heard of such a thing before.

  He laughed, "Don't knock it till you've tried it. Anyway it pisses off the Auntie-anns more than hemorrhoids."

  "Speaking of bars," I said while looking around to make sure we were still alone, I decided to ask him about my predecessor. "What really happened to the Raccoon I'm replacing anyway?"

  "He got his neck broke in a bar fight."

  "Listen," I said quietly, "don't give me that crap, I want to know how it happened. I don't want the same thing to happen to me."

  "Look," he replied just as quietly and taking a look around the room himself, "it's one of those things better left unsaid, the Captain was pissed as all hell about it and nobody's going to go picking on a Leopard. Anyway you're working out ok; nobody's taken a dislike to you. So stop worrying."

  "Well I'm worrying." I sighed, “So tell."

  He shrugged. "Ok, we came on together sure, but I was a transfer and already had over a year in grade. He was a total newb like you. Great pilot, lousy person. He was a little too clever with his hands, if you know what I mean, and for some crazy reason decided that Tigers were put here for his personal amusement."

  "Oh."

  "That's right, they really simmer a long time before they blow, not like some species who would have hauled him down to the gym and mopped the place with him."

  "You wouldn't mean Leopards would you?" I asked with a forced look of innocence.

  "Who else? Everybody knows you guys are wacko."

  "Really? I'm hurt,” I grinned.

  "Listen who's telling this anyway? So, as I was saying it built up for about six months and all the time the Tigers are getting real pissed about it. Then just before we hit earth the Chief tries to set the idiot straight, he's the Tiger clan head on ship and he knows what's brewing. Tells him to lay low or else."

  "Didn't work?"

  "Well, it did for a few weeks but when we hit earth everybody was really frustrated about all the restrictions on us. Well a bunch of us went down to the small animen quarter in town and were tying on a good one when he shows up. Now there was a Tiger, who will go unnamed, with us. Of course Bill, the Raccoon, started in with him. This was not a good move as he is one of the crew’s truly mean bad boys. We brought him along in case we got in trouble, because everybody knows he's tough."

  "Well, one thing led to another and Bill just kept on riding him, and suddenly Bam, he grabbed Bill by the face and threw him through the window."

  "And his neck got broken when he was grabbed?"

  "No, his neck got broken when he landed in the garden six stories below."

  "Ouch, I take it nobody remembered they were in a tall building?"

  "Well, that was the claim, but I'm not so sure. The Tiger Clan came down pretty tough on the one who did it. They got him on some heavy restrictions, and such."

  "What about the Raccoon clan? Why didn't they stop this joker before he got out of line?"

  "You are slow aren't you? Haven't you noticed that there aren't any Raccoons on board?"

  "Hey I’ve barely been onboard a full week yet, so far I’ve only seen this area, the gym, and my bunk. So what do you really think? Was it intentional, or an accident?"

  "I think that he intended to really hurt him bad, maybe even kill him, but I honestly don't know that he meant to throw him through the window. He really looked surprised when it broke."

  "Does the Captain know who did it?"

  "Nope, just the few of us who were there, and on Earth the police don't come to animen accidents unless a human insists. So it's pretty much been covered over. If you're smart you'll shut up about it now too. He did have it coming anyway."

  "Well, thanks for letting me know. I was beginning to worry about this type of thing being all too common."

  "Oh, it happens more than anyone would like. It seems that when some get out of the highly structured life of the crèche, they kind of go off the deep end. Lots of them buy it in stupid accidents and such. A few end up like Bill there, they just can't deal with all the different species."

  "Think I'll do okay?" I asked looking at him.

  "I wouldn't be wasting my time with you if I thought you wouldn't make it. Just remember to listen to your Clan. You been invited in yet?"

  "Tonight, it's going to be strange being in a clan that isn't full of my brothers and sisters."

  "You were the 'Clan head' of your crèche group, weren't you?"

  "Yeah, one of them, how'd you guess?"

  "I talked to Balizar, your Clan head, to see how you were doing. He told me that you were pretty respectful, and didn't seem like a problem child."

  "Well, after Herza threw me across the gym during a sparing session I figured I better behave!"

  "She is a tough one, cute though."

  "Chasing cats now? I thought you were after human game!"

  "Hey, have you noticed how many female Foxes are on this bucket? Not nearly enough! And us foxes have a strong libido. I'll take anything that'll sit still long enough!"

  "Remind me not to stand in front of you anymore!" I laughed.

  "Ah, you're too ugly. So have you checked out all the other Leopards on the crew yet?"

  "Pretty much, it only took about two days."

  "Two days!" He laughed, "You sure didn't waste anytime!"

  "Well," I admitted guiltily, "I just wanted to get it over with. I know I'm the low man, and I was warned about thrashing anybody. Quite pointedly too. Besides, I think they were as interested in checking me out as I was them, so it wasn’t like I had to go looking."

  "Well, you don't strike me as the thrashing type Raj," Gabe laughed again. "Or the type that gets thrashed either!"

  "Well, I thought so until I met Herza and Banner. They both made it fairly obvious just where the experience lay, and it sure wasn't with me!"

  "I'm just glad I'm not a cat," He grinned, "you guy's play way too rough for me sometimes! Anyway I gotta get going, good luck tonight, I'll see you later."

  He walked out the door. I looked at the time and decided I should start getting ready for my
date tonight. I didn't want to show up looking shabby. So I went back to my quarters, showered, groomed, and put on a clean uniform.

  I was looking forward to meeting the clan. Balizar, the clan head, was thirty years older than I was, and his lifemate was about as old. The idea of belonging to a clan whose heads were old enough to be my parents was actually very attractive, never having had parents myself. The fact that Balizar was the head of the Ship's security detachment was also pretty interesting. It placed him pretty high up in the scheme of things. Security was the biggest group onboard, being about one hundred strong. Actually nearly all of the ship's complement was combat trained and belonged to security to some extent or other, or at least the animen that is. I was a trained combat specialist myself and would probably have ended up as either a troop with a combat group or a security detail if I hadn’t earned the opportunity to become a flyer.

  As Balizar was a senior officer, with a lifemate who was also high ranking, he had fairly large size quarters, and that was where the clan meeting would be held. I showed up at the door at eighteen hundred sharp as I had been told.

  I knocked and the door opened, and there stood Sharazad, a slender, but still tough looking spotted leopard, she was Balizar's mate.

  "Greetings Raj, please come in."

  I stepped into the room and looked around, all ten of the leopards on board the ship where here and I noticed that they were mostly wearing just shorts, though quite a few were only in their fur, not much of a big deal when you’re covered in fur already.

  “A bit overdressed, aren’t we?” Balizar who was also spotted, and fairly well built chuckled, “Well I think we can remedy that…” and damned if he didn’t trip me onto the pillow’s strewn about the floor that some of the group were lounging on. Other than two fold out couches there wasn’t much else in the way of furniture in the room.

  I was mobbed as I hit the floor, mostly by the younger clan members, though Banner and Herza helped too. It didn’t take them long to relieve me of my uniform coveralls, I didn’t really put up a fight, it was kind of fun I had to admit. I’d missed the close physical and social contact of my siblings and my own kind for a year now.

  “There, that’s better, now you look normal.” Mist commented.

  “And much more relaxed,” Balizar commented. “So, how do you like your first assignment so far?”

  “So far it seems pretty good,” I smiled sitting up and finding myself a few cushions to get comfortable on. “Do you do that to everyone new?”

  “Just the ones fresh out of the crèche,” He chuckled. “You all tend to look so stiff and formal the first time you show up.”

  I looked around at the rest of the group, I’d met most of them already, first was Banner, he was about as big as Balizar and spotted as well. He was thirty something and a platoon leader in the security forces, which made him a lieutenant. Herza, was a very well muscled and attractive black in her late twenties, a squad leader and a sergeant in rank. The remaining three from security were Lyle, a spotted male, and Sheen and Mist, both black females. They were all about nineteen or twenty and fairly well built as well, the girls both being rather attractive I had to admit.

  The rest were: Franz and Kate, who were also lifemates like Balizar and Sharazad, they were in their late thirties. He was a scout, spotted and a little slender. She was a biologist, black and about the same size as him. Then there was Katrine, a member of the intel team and a very pretty and petite black of about twenty two.

  I found myself checking out the single females quite a bit, and noticed that Mist and Katrine were both checking me out as well. Herza just smiled at me once and then went back to chatting with Banner. Eventually we all settled down and Balizar passed out glasses to everyone.

  “A toast to our latest addition! Welcome Raj, and may your debts ever be dwindling!”

  “Hear! Hear!” the rest answered and we all drank. I was surprised to find it was real champagne.

  “Being the head of security makes it easy to get the good stuff,” Balizar said and winked at me.

  I found myself sitting with Mist and Katrine, which I had to admit I enjoyed quite a bit. For the most part the clan meeting consisted of just idle talk. Everyone talked a little about what they were doing, and if they had something to vent about they did. If they were having a serious problem with someone, they’d talk it over with Balizar who’d bring the issue up with the other person’s clan head. Clan heads dealt with most social and personal disputes, as well as some legal matters, freeing the ship’s Captain from having to do so.

  The other function of the clan was sort of a mutual support group. None of us had any real family to speak of, so we had no where to go for advice, or anyone to confide in. The stress of being alone could be hard for some, especially among the many different species you had to work with and around. It was always easier to relax among those most like yourself.

  “So how long have you been here?” I asked Mist.

  "I've been here for five years now. This is my first posting."

  "How do you like it?"

  "It’s been pretty good actually,” she smiled at me. “The Captain seems to be okay. The XO isn’t even half bad and having the top two security heads in the clan sure doesn’t hurt either.”

  I nodded.

  “And now with some new talent around things might even get more interesting,” She teased and winked at me.

  "I'm flattered." I laughed.

  "You should be, you know you are the largest leopard I've ever seen. Was everybody in your crèche group so big?"

  "No, I was the biggest. But come on, I'm not that big."

  "Check with Kate, six feet is supposed to be the genetic max on us. You sure there isn't any Jaguar in there? I'd be happy to look," she grinned.

  “Fairly sure, but if you’re bound and determined to look some time…” I teased back.

  Banner came over and sat down then, “Give the poor kid a break Mist, he’s only been here a week.” He smirked at her.

  “So tell us about yourself Raj”

  I shrugged, “What do you want to know?”

  “Well, how about the rest of your crèche family?” He said.

  So I told them a little about each of my brothers and then sisters, finishing with Cassandra.

  “In love already?” Kate asked leaning over interested, I think all of them had actually been following what I had been saying, which surprised me as I didn’t think it was that interesting.

  I fidgeted a bit, ears splaying a little in embarrassment, “Well, maybe. We’d been together and close as long as I can remember, more so than anyone else. I think the psychologists were bothered by it, they made a point of splitting us up on our initial assignments.” I sighed at the memory of that. “Of course if they’d given us the opportunity to stay together I would have had to skip flight training. So the company also gives as it takes away I guess.”

  Kate nodded, “Well, I’m sure things will work out for you eventually.”

  I nodded, “I hope so. I miss her a lot, we’re hoping that on our next assignments we’ll be able to work something out and be together.”

  “Planning on lifemating already?” Banner asked looking a bit surprised.

  I shrugged a little nervously and smiled, “I don’t know, Probably.”

  Franz piped in and changed the subject making me relax a little.

  “So tell us Raj, any idea why you’re so big? Can’t say I’ve ever seen a leopard as big as you.”

  “I’m an exercise nut,” I chuckled, “I work out a lot, started when I was two.”

  They looked a bit surprised at that.

  “Hey Herza, I think we found your match!” Banner snickered.

  “Oh really?” She said turning from her conversation with Balizar. “I’ll have to challenge him to a bench press competition then,” she smiled.

  “I’ll be sure to set it up,” Banner grinned back at Herza and I shook my head smiling.

  “Think you can
beat me Raj?” she asked still smiling.

  “Definitely,” I smiled back. I’d already seen what she normally pressed in the gym just before she’d beat me up in that sparring match. It would be nice to get back a little of my own.

  After that the conversation drifted off to other things, I had a lot of questions myself for the rest of them, and managed to ask quite a few of them before we called it a night and headed off to our rooms. Balizar did take the time to tell me that he was assigning my personal training to Banner as he didn’t really feel anyone lower in the ranks would be able to teach me anything considering my scores in my training classes.

  Life abroad the Astra quickly settled into a comfortable, and busy, routine. My schedule on regular days was twelve on, twelve off. That's 'off regular duty', not 'off duty'. Six of those hours were for extra duties, such as the one hour a day Balizar required me to practice my combat training with the regular security troops and sometimes he had me penned in for the whole six! Or work on maintenance details, or supplement the technical department, or whatever. Then there was my usual workout time in the gym, plus an hour three times a week working with Banner on my hand to hand combat skills. Needless to say everybody was kept pretty busy, though on Sundays, duty was normally pretty slack. Probably why the monthly Clan meetings were always held late on Saturdays.

  I didn't get to see as much of the Ship as I would have liked to during that first month, I was just too busy fitting in. I did get intimately familiar with the shuttle deck of course and the gyms as well. The Gyms were an interesting affair, they were actually multi-purpose rooms and only one of them was of any size really. The rest were smaller affairs located wherever the designers had felt there was wasted space. So they had some odd floor patterns and were scattered around the ship, so finding workout space wasn’t very difficult.

  I did get to take Herza up on the challenge that Banner had made for me. She benched three twenty on sheer grit and will. I was impressed; I didn’t think she’d be able to do more than two eighty. I sat down then and benched four hundred, twice.

  “Show off,” she grumbled but I noticed she looked at me a bit differently than she had before.