by Robert Boren
JJ smiled. “Shit, he’s right. If they could send transmissions when we’re not in a jump, they would’ve been able to target us in the last few battles. They couldn’t see us at all.”
JJ and I laughed.
“Okay, let’s cut the crap. Bottom line, we’ve stopped their message. How much exposure did we have in this jump, before you started monitoring for transmissions?”
“Perfect, that’s what I was hoping,” I said. “Thank you. We’re good, and they might not know we’re on to them as quickly as we think. Hell, there might not even be a return available, which would mean they have no idea if their message went through or not.”
“Why would you think that?” JJ asked.
“It’s much easier to send a transmission from a jump than it is to receive a message in a jump,” I said. “That’s the beauty of those new holographic communicators. Those are the result of a technical breakthrough in the reception of messages, not the sending of messages.”
“We’re a hundred percent sure they can’t tell we’ve stopped their message?”
“Are we gonna be like that when we grow old together?” JJ asked.
I laughed. “In some ways we already are. Let’s go eat.”
“Can I have a kiss first?” JJ asked.
“Now, where were we?” I asked, taking JJ into my arms for a passionate kiss.
“Wow, nice preview.” I watched her flustered expression with a grin on my face.
“Okay, now we can go.” I opened the door for JJ, and we left her stateroom.
“What about the helmets?” JJ asked as we got outside.
“Do you want to carry them around and answer questions?”
JJ thought about it for a moment. “I’ll bet they fit in the standard issue backpack. I’ve got one. Do you?”
“In the Zephyrus stateroom. We can go there after dinner and pick it up. Where’s yours?”
“In the New Jersey stateroom,” JJ said.
“Grab it if you want.”
JJ shook her head. “My helmet hasn’t been fitted yet, remember?”
“Oh yeah. We’re probably safe, based on what we were just talking about.”
“Yes, we convinced each other we’re safe quite nicely.”
I shot her a smirk as we neared the Officer’s dining room. “You aren’t buying the logic?”
“I’ve seen so many things go sideways over the past few weeks. You know what I’m talking about, right?”
I held the door to the dining room open for her, and she walked past me.
“Yes, I get it.” I followed her to the reception stand. “Two for dinner, please. Private room if you have it.”
“Yes, of course Captain,” said the receptionist. “Good to see you again.”
We got seated, not talking more about the plants. A text came onto my PA, and I looked at it.
“Crap, another transmission?” JJ asked.
“Reminder from Butch. Vermillion had a request today. It involves you.”
“Really? What?”
“You are hereby an Ensign on the New Jersey. Welcome to the crew.”
“What?”
“Vermillion said that only crew members can legally have the AI assistants and the Nano capability. It’s illegal for civilians. Sorry about the rank.”
“I don’t care about that.”
“I would’ve made you a direct report, but given our relationship, you can’t report directly to me. That’s against Samson Corporation rules. Vermillion insisted.”
“That means I’m in a way nicer stateroom than I should be,” she said.
“Well, yes and no. You’re still the Chief Technologist of the Samson Corporation. Being part of the crew doesn’t change that.”
“Regulations are regulations,” she said.
“I like you being across the hall from me.”
“Can we move in together?” JJ asked.
“Oh, are you proposing?” I quipped.
“No, but let’s be real. We’ve spent the last few nights together. Do you want to stop that, or do you want me in your bed when you wake up?”
“Is that a trick question?”
“You and the old movie references. Seriously, do you want me with you or not?”
“I want you with me.”
“Good, then I’ll move my stuff to your stateroom. What about the Zephyrus? Mind me sharing there too? That’s a much smaller stateroom.”
“Well, it is our love nest.”
JJ laughed. “I’m glad we put the children to sleep. They’d be all over us for this.”
“Don’t care.” We ordered our food, and relaxed with drinks, spending more than two hours in our private dining room. After that it was back to the New Jersey stateroom, were we made love and fell asleep in each other’s arms. I awoke the next morning to my PA buzzing.
“We have to get started already?” JJ asked.
“Yeah, Butch just reminded me that we’ve got the Tristar bridge crew coming to training pretty soon. You’re going to finish the speed training today before you start on the refinery, right?”
“Yes. No more transmissions?”
“Nope.”
“Did you have Butch check it out?” JJ asked as she got out of bed.
“No need, he’s been monitoring, and I ordered him to let me know if there was another transmission. Need to cleanse?”
“We can share again, right?”
“Sure.”
We got into the cleansing booth, JJ wanting to linger and play, me pushing her to get done. I was anxious to talk to Nolan. I contacted him right after I got my Nano suit on.
“Nolan? You wanted to chat?”
“Good morning, Captain. Yes, I discovered something about the full suits.”
“You’ve got yours on?”
“I do, Captain. The adjustment didn’t take as long as expected. You?”
“Butch told me to get used to them. I don’t see using the short suit unless we need to be under cover. What have you found out?”
“The long suits include a function called muscle assist.”
I laughed. “Of course they do. The speed capability is exactly that, so why wouldn’t they be able to enhance our strength as well?”
“It’s both strength and speed,” Nolan said. “Can’t wait to try it out.”
“You’ll get your chance a little later. The second round of training will start after I’ve trained the fighter squadron leads this afternoon.”
“Yes, I see where I am on the schedule. Dojo said there were weights we could use to test the strength. I’m surprised Butch hasn’t mentioned it.”
“Well, Captain, that’s all I had. See you later.”
“Thanks, Nolan. Keep on reading ahead.”
Nolan left the call.
JJ glanced at me, already dressed. “Heard all of that. Interesting. We should’ve expected it, I guess.”
“What?” I asked. JJ chuckled.
“It’s not just humans,” JJ said. “Barney did the same thing, when we told him how large the New Jersey is.”
“Yep, it’s just your standard double-take,” I said. “It represents shock.”
I laughed. “He has a point there, you know.” I grabbed my backpack and slipped the helmet into it.
“Oh, I need to do that. I’m going across the hall to get it.” JJ left, and I met her at her door. We grabbed a quick bite on the way to the mustering room, and were there about forty minutes before the Tristar bridge crew.
I sat, watching JJ as she fit her helmet and ran through the speed modes. When she finished, she pulled off the helmet, grinning at me.
“That was fun. You gonna try with the long suit?”
“Yeah, I’ve got just enough time.”
“I’m leaving,” she said, putting her helmet into the backpack, then putting her street clothes on over the suit. She gave me a peck, then left.
I stripped out of my street clothes and put on the helmet, then went through each of the modes. It felt more effortless than the day before. I was barely winded when we finished, even though I ran about twice as much as the first time.
I took off the helmet and sat, watching Cyrus walk in.
“That’s an interesting look,” he said. “I get one of those?”
“You get a short suit and this long suit, but we’ll begin the training with the short suit, and you’ll need to wear it for a day. Tomorrow we’ll fit you with the long suit and helmet.”
I watched as Cyrus’s AI ran him through the program, adding the low speed enhancement. He finished with a big grin on his face.
“That’s almost as fun as flying fighters,” he said, walking over to me.
“Butch, does it make sense that he change into the long suit and get used to that?”
“Good, then I’ll see you tomorrow, Cyrus.”
He grinned, putting his clothes on over the short suit and leaving, the next student arriving as he went out the door. We managed to keep to our schedule through the Tristar bridge crew. I had an hour break between the last of them and the first of the fighter pilots, so I called JJ.
“Hey.”
“Hey yourself, honey,” JJ said, her face showing on my PA. “Get through Cyrus’s folks?”
“Yep, and now I’ve got an hour for lunch. How are you doing?”
“Making great progress again. We’ll be ready almost a week before we get to Boroclize.”
“Excellent news. Want to meet for lunch?”
“I’d rather keep working, if you don’t mind. We’re at a complex part of the process.”
“Okay, then I’ll see you tonight.”
I left the mustering room, eating a burger at a nearby bar and grill, turning down offers of a beer from the crew members who were there. I was back to the training room with about ten minutes to spare.
The door clicked, and Commander Klemperer entered. He was shorter than I expected, with a shaved head, his broad shoulders showing that he liked to work out.
“Good morning, Captain Clarke,” he said, extending his hand.
“It’s not morning anymore,” I quipped as we shook hands. “Very good job the other day.”
“It was okay, but we lost a couple men.”
“True. Hopefully the AI capability will make a difference next time.”
Klemperer nodded, and I took him to the equipment room, his AI getting involved right away. He went through the training like he’d done it before.
I laughed.
I finished up with the rest of the fighter pilots on the schedule, running a little late when Nolan showed up for his second session.
“How’d it go, Captain?”
“Very well, Nolan. Ready for your speed training?”
“Of course. Dojo gave me a preview. I’m ready to hit the ground running, no pun intended.”
I shook my head, grinning. “Let’s get to it. We’re slightly behind schedule.”
I watched Nolan go through his paces. He was barely able to contain himself when he was finished.
“That was amazing,” he said. “I’m already used to the long suit, too. Wonder why we don’t just start with them?”
“Butch said something about the body handling it better in stages. I’ll just take his word on that.”
“Try the strength capabilities yet, Captain?”
I chuckled. “I knew you’d ask. Not yet. I have to keep my eye on the ball. I’ll probab
ly check it out at the end of the day.”
“Want some company?”
I shrugged. “Sure, Nolan, I’ll send you a message when I’m almost done with the last student.”
He grinned, then put his street clothes on over his suit, slipping his helmet into the backpack he brought. Sondra was coming in as he was leaving. I got through the other second sessions quickly, making up some time. I was about to call Nolan when JJ buzzed my PA.
“Trey, you just about done?”
“I’m going to spend another hour or so checking out the strength assist technology.”
“You aren’t doing that alone, I hope.”
“No, Nolan is coming over. We’ll do it together.”
“Good,” JJ said. “I’ll show up there when I’m done. It’ll probably be half an hour into it, though.”
“You’ve made good progress, I take it.”
“I have. See you soon.” JJ’s image left my PA, and I sent a quick message to Nolan.
I was laughing when Nolan came in.
“Something funny, Captain?”
“Butch. We’re going into the weight training room.”
“I figured we’d have to start small and build up,” Nolan said. “The documentation I can access doesn’t say much about the training procedures.”
“Probably because of folks like you who like to snoop,” I quipped.
{ 19 }
Steel Sheets
N olan and I entered the weight room, ready to start experimenting with the strength enhancements.
“Are we working just arm strength, or arms and legs?” I asked.
