A brief uncomfortable silence ensued. The pair stood from their chairs, facing each other. Roman finally broke the awkward silence. Natasha seemed to be waiting for him to. When they stood up fully, Roman was surprised that she was almost a foot taller than his six feet. He had thought she was standing on a platform behind the bar.
“Any chance you would like to go out sometime?” he got composure back quickly as he lit another cigarette and took a long drag. He felt like an idiot, hearing his voice breaking between words.
“You seem like you’re squared away, but I don’t play around anymore.” Natasha looked at her bionic arm, and back into Roman’s eyes. “I am scarred for life, you know. It’s enough I have to live with this day to day.” She headed back to the bar, leaving Roman staring after her, wondering if he had said something wrong. Maybe she was just another psycho woman. Of course, having limbs blown off and serving in a seemingly endless war might do that to a person. She hadn’t said no, though.
The tavern began emptying out at the last call. By the time Roman was ready to leave, most of the people exiting were staff. He thought for a moment that he might be making a mistake, but what the hell did he have to lose? He thought he had perhaps missed Natasha leaving the bar, but he checked himself. He wasn’t sure it was possible to miss a woman like that in a crowd, anywhere. He was pondering that, smoking his last L&M, when Natasha finally stepped outside. She was wearing a see-through jacket over her clothes. She saw him waiting off to the side and walked over. Her knee- high black boots made no sound on the pavement.
“You stand out pretty good in those clothes,” she said as she approached him. “I wouldn’t miss those pants anywhere.” A slight smile formed on her lips.
Roman smiled back. “All they had for me was army issue. I didn’t feel right wearing that to a bar.”
“Are you waiting for someone or what? The tavern’s closing up.”
That sounds like a trick question, Roman thought to himself. He cleared his throat and said, “Yeah—I was waiting for you. I thought maybe I could walk you home or something.”
She looked directly at him and wasn’t sure how to respond. Her tough girl routine wasn’t holding up very well right now. It was not every day she met a man who had the nerve to come up and talk to her. She answered the only way she knew how. That had been the safest way up until now. “Thanks, Johnny, but I thought I told you I have enough problems.”
Roman cut her off and put his hands up in defense. “Look, I just wanted to talk. That’s all. I am sorry if I overstepped myself.” Roman began to back away, feeling more than a little pissed off. Talking to members of the opposite sex was not exactly his strongest point, especially those from other planets, and rejection wasn’t a good feeling. Roman started to turn around and began the long walk back down the street to the training academy.
“Wait.” The voice was flat, and Roman sensed a little falter in it. Roman turned back and looked up into those grey eyes, causing Natasha to blush and look away. Natasha continued, “I’m sorry.” She walked toward him, closing the distance. The wind picked up, causing her hair to swirl about her face. “I don’t mean to come across like that. It’s nothing personal. It’s just the way it’s been for me since I got all scarred up.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Roman felt better already and was mad at himself for getting flustered.
Natasha nodded in the direction opposite from where Roman was heading. “My place is about two clicks from here.”
As they walked side by side, Natasha asked, “So where are you staying again? Sorry, I forgot if you mentioned it.” She hated forcing conversation.
“Over at the training academy,” Roman replied. “They have a bunch of empty rooms.”
“Ouch, sorry to hear that. I remember those accommodations being pretty rough.”
Roman looked up at her as they walked. The cool night breeze whistled as it blew. “The barracks aren’t half bad. The air is a little stale, though.” He fired back a question at her. “How long did you serve?” The conversation began to flow a little easier for both of them.
She continued looking straight ahead as she answered. “One year. I signed up for a career; I wasn’t drafted. I was commissioned as a lieutenant. I didn’t last very long, though, for reasons you can see.” She raised the silver bionic arm and flexed her hand. Most of her hand, save for a few fingers, also was bionic. She lowered her arm and continued. “I was discharged and really didn’t feel like doing anything until I got a job at the tavern. I was hopped up on painkillers most of the time. The job helped. I was in the psych hospital for a while. It was a rough time for me, as well as many of the others who ended up wounded and discharged. The tavern is run by vets and staffed by vets. I get by OK.”
Roman looked straight ahead as they walked, occasionally looking up at the surrounding monoliths. He could see no other pedestrians. The darkness of the night was held at bay by numerous streetlights.
“Well, this is me,” Natasha said. The pair stopped in front a dull grey building, ten or twelve stories high. It reminded Roman of an apartment building from the old Soviet communist regime. Natasha activated a video screen next to the glass door and swiped her entry key. The doors opened silently. She stepped into the building and turned around. Roman remained standing outside the door.
“Well, good night,” he said.
“Thanks for the escort.” Natasha began walking toward a turbo lift inside. “I’ll see you around, ok. You know where you can find me,” she said over her left shoulder.
“Oh, and one there is more thing,” Roman said.
Natasha stopped and turned around, looking at him as she activated the turbo lift control. “What is it?”
“You know, you’re not as bad looking as you think.” She smiled and entered the turbo lift, leaving Roman feeling like a schoolboy.
CHAPTER 32
Three months later, Roman sat at his desk at the Police Detachment Headquarters of XXX Corps. A knock sounded on the metal door of his office.
“Come in,” he answered.
The metal door slid silently open in response to his pushing a button on his desk. Scotts entered the room and gave a low whistle.
“Not bad, Lieutenant, not bad at all.”
Roman looked up from the news video feed playing on the monitor on his desk. Stacks of paper and a few books cluttered the rest of the desktop. Open boxes of various papers covered the floor, leaving only a narrow trail from the door to the desk. Roman’s trusty Remington 870 stood propped against the wall behind him. A pistol belt holding his newly acquired departmental issue sidearm draped over his chair.
“Good to see you, man,” Roman said, standing up and extending his hand. “It’s been a while. How is everyone else doing?” He waved Scotts to a chair opposite his desk.
“They’re keeping us all busy, that’s for sure.” Scotts looked at the stacks of papers all over the office. “It looks like they’re really keeping you busy here. And I thought I had it rough.”
Roman turned around and activated a switch on the wall behind him. A dark opaque cover on the wall slid upward into a slot, out of sight, revealing a clear window and the cloudy sky outside. A few pale rays of sunlight could be seen in the distance.
“I heard you were a pilot again, he noted. “That’s great, man.”
Scotts moved around a couple of boxes and sat down in the only other chair in the office besides Roman’s. “Yeah, it’s more suited to me. I used to be a pilot before all of this.” Scotts paused and looked at his friend, who was still staring out the window. “Are you doing all right? You seem worn down.”
Roman turned around and sat back down. He was wearing his lieutenant’s uniform, which now had the XXX Corps Dreadwolf insignia over the right sleeve. He also wore a gold, five-pointed badge over his right breast, indicating his position of police lieutenant.
“I’m just a little tired. When I signed on, I didn’t realize this planet’s police force was almost non-existent.�
�� He eased his chair back onto two legs and continued. “I’m going through all of the policies and procedures to see what changes I can come up with. There’s a lot to be done, almost like starting from scratch. The police force really should be run by civilians, for example. The colonel in charge here is very receptive to my ideas so far. He has me writing up a training protocol for new cadets.” Roman paused and scratched his head. “The types of crimes that go on here are a lot different from what I am used to. The cops here are pretty heavy handed, so policing my own force and educating them on suspect rights has been a challenge. I haven’t had a single murder, shooting, or robbery yet. Mainly just a lot of fights, public drunks, and missing persons due to that fact they were drunk and got lost. I’m far more used to being on the street, though. This office stuff sucks ass.”
“Well, Johann said you were doing a good job over here. Apparently, your hard work has not gone unnoticed.” He paused for a moment. “And it looks like you’re going to have your hands full in the coming weeks.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“The war is over,” Scotts said decisively.
Roman looked his friend directly in the eyes. “Over? I have the news on all the time. Why haven’t I heard that?”
“It was announced just a couple of hours ago, and the news still hasn’t trickled down from the highest levels. A peace settlement was finally reached. I wanted to tell you before you found out otherwise. You’re going to get a lot of recruits as the military demobilizes, that’s for sure.”
“Wow. I sure am glad for you guys.”
“Hey, you helped put an end to the war. Without your help on your planet, we may not have succeeded.”
“I suppose so.” Roman sat back down in his high-backed leather chair.
“The alien we brought back was studied, taken apart, and who knows what else. To make a long story short, with the knowledge gained, we were able to put more troopers on the field of battle than the enemy.”
Roman tilted his head and studied his friend’s face for a short moment. “You mean you sent an army of corpses out there?” He was more shocked than anything else, and he did his best not to lose his cool. “If just one could create so much havoc, who knows what hundreds could be capable of?” The mere thought was too much for him to comprehend.
“Not exactly an army of corpses,” Scotts countered. “I believe we were able to isolate his rapid healing qualities. That made our casualties much less serious, close to non-existent. Guys would get hit but heal almost immediately. I’ve heard reports of side effects, but nothing to be too concerned about.” Scotts glanced at his wristwatch and abruptly stood up, straightening his uniform. “I also wanted to tell you that your presence will be required soon. I am sure Sebastian will get in touch with you about the details.”
“Fair enough.”
“Oh, and one other thing I wanted to ask you. I hope I’m not probing into your personal life.”
“We’ll see. What is it?”
“How are you and Natasha doing? I had heard you two were spending a lot of time together.”
“You sure hear a lot!” Roman answered with a chuckle. “We’re doing fine. I work a lot; she’s still at the tavern. We don’t see each other that much, but we enjoy each other’s company, so I guess it’s working out.”
Scotts nodded and extended his hand over Roman’s desk. As they shook hands, he said, “Take care, friend. I’ll see you in a few days.”
Scotts exited the cluttered office and headed down the deserted corridor toward the turbo lift, Roman trailing behind him. Once inside the lift, he activated the ground floor button. As the doors slid shut, he added, “Just looking after you, buddy. See you soon.”
The doors closed, leaving Roman in the empty corridor. He glanced at his watch and headed back to the office to lock up. He couldn’t help but think to himself that Scotts just wasn’t the same anymore.
The next three weeks passed quickly for Roman. Per his usual pattern, Roman woke from a fitful sleep at 5:30 a.m., in response to the dull blare of an alarm clock. Ever since arriving on Hellenheim, he had been unable to get more than three or four hours of sleep at a time. He slowly got out of bed, stretching his arms. Morris stayed in place, lying on top of one of the pillows, licking his paw. The tiger-striped cat displayed no intent of moving anytime in the near future. Roman walked over to the window. The sun actually looked like it might break through the cloud cover later, a break from the routine of gray days.
His apartment wasn’t much, barely better than the one he’d had on Earth, but it beat the barracks. When his commission with the XXX Corps police services detachment was made official, he had started drawing a paycheck, and he immediately moved into the first modest apartment that he could afford that had a really good AC system. Utilities were included, which was nice. He missed a couple things from his home, but for the most part, he didn’t mind the beginnings of his new life. He was surprised at the similarities between his old life and life on this new planet. Morris didn’t seem to mind the change, either. Domestic cats weren’t native to the planet, so cat food was non-existent. Instead, Morris enjoyed an upgraded steady diet of imported, off-world fish.
Roman activated his shower and stepped in. Water rationing meant that he was done thirty seconds later. He’d found that hard to get used to. Fortunately, the soap was integrated into the water, making showering more efficient, but it was disgusting if any got into your mouth. He stepped out of the shower and put on a black T-shirt with the XXX Corps police insignia on it. He made a small pot of coffee and sat on a kitchen chair, looking out of his window, watching the sun try to break through.
The ceremony marking the end of the war would be held that evening. By the chancellor’s decree, Roman and his friends were to be decorated with the United Consortium of Planets’ highest medal. Cruwell had contacted Roman a couple of days earlier with all of the details. For the last several weeks, the news had been full of reports of troopships coming home. The streets became much busier, and housing almost impossible to find. Roman was glad he’d found his apartment when he did. He was still sipping his coffee when a wall- mounted video monitor activated itself. Natasha’s familiar figure stood outside on the street.
“Hey, you awake yet?” She held a white bag in each hand and held them up to the camera. “I thought you could use some breakfast before your big day.”
It took Roman a second to respond; mornings just weren’t his thing. “Yeah. Come on up.”
A few moments later, his front door chime played to indicate a presence outside his apartment. He walked over and opened the door. Natasha had her long purple hair in a ponytail today. She smiled at Johnny and gave him a big hug, which he reciprocated.
“You’re a lifesaver,” Johnny said. Taking the bags, he set them on his table. “Coffee?”
“Sure.”
He poured another cup for himself and one for Natasha, emptying the pot, and sat down at the table. Natasha removed the meat and egg burritos from the bag. They tasted OK, although Roman tried not to think about exactly where the meat and the eggs actually came from.
“You just got off not too long ago, I’m guessing?”
Natasha nodded. “Yeah, around 5:00. Just about every place in our sector is seeing a huge influx, with all of the troopships returning. I haven’t earned this much cash in a very long time.”
Roman took another bite from his burrito and washed it down with some coffee. He liked the easiness of his routines with her. Since the night that he had met Natasha, they had remained in fairly close contact, with only a few short breaks. She now seemed more comfortable around him, and she told him more about her past as the days went on. Roman enjoyed her company, even though it was taking a while for her to open up. He could respect that; he knew he was a private person too. He was in no hurry, anyway. Adjusting to life on a new planet gave him enough to do without rushing into a relationship. For now, Natasha was more like a friend, and he reflected that one needs all the frie
nds one can get.
“Are they treating you all right?” Roman knew how men in uniform could be, especially if they hadn’t been on leave in a while.
Natasha laughed. “You crack me up. In case you may have forgotten, I can handle myself very well.”
Roman had no doubt of this and quickly changed the subject. “I just want you to know that I’m still holding that position for you down at the H.Q. I mean, you were a XXX Corps front line platoon leader. Especially with troop demobilization happening soon, the police force is going to be one of the top employers. I know I can get your officer’s commission reinstated.”
“Johnny, we’ve talked about this before. I just don’t think I’m ready for government service again. They left me high and dry last time. I’m still waiting on my disability pension.”
“I’m sorry.” Johnny reached across the table and took her hand in both of his. She looked at him in surprise; the move shocked both of them. He could feel her hand tremble through his. He quickly released his grip, sat back in the chair, and resumed his blank stare out the window. “I just worry about you. Anyway, it’s there if you want it.”
Natasha nodded and decided to change the subject to something more neutral. “I think the cloud cover is breaking for good now that the factories are slowing production.”
Roman said nothing. He took another sip from his coffee and resumed eating his burrito.
“Are you ready for today?” Natasha asked.
Roman wiped his mouth with his hand. “A dog and pony show, from what Matthias told me a couple days ago. But tonight, after the assembly, I get to meet the chancellor.”
“I’ll watch the chancellor’s speech at home. All other programming has been suspended. I appreciate you inviting me to your ceremony tonight, though. I’ll be there. I think you look sharp in your uniform.”
Dawn of the Mad Page 24
