by Jerry Aubin
The enraged Marine had cocked his arm back while he yelled at Zax and appeared ready to smash his face. Zax wore a defiant glare but internally had wished a poignant farewell to his teeth. Mikedo arrived and grabbed the instructor’s arm.
“Stand down, Sergeant. Remember our deal. I get to dole out any punishment for my cadets. Let me get them both out of your dojo, and you and I can discuss this later.” She glanced at Zax. “Get out of here! I’ve already called the medics for Kalare. Meet me in the medbay in ninety mins.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
I heard everything.
Zax had no idea what to do with himself while he waited. His world currently revolved around the mentorship contest, and he didn’t have any other duties to attend to. He opened up some reading on his slate but failed to get more than a few sentences in before his thoughts were consumed by the image of Kalare’s horrifically twisted leg. He put the device away and paced the Ship instead.
Ninety mins later Zax walked into the medbay waiting room. It was populated by a half dozen morose cadets who awaited their turn with the medics. Zax asked for Kalare’s location at the front desk, but a tap on the shoulder made him turn and discover Sergeant Bailee.
“She’s in the fourth compartment on the right. I need a min before you visit her, though. Let’s sit down over here.” The sergeant steered Zax towards a couple unoccupied chairs and spoke once they were seated.
“I didn’t get a chance to formally evaluate you back in the dojo, but I’m signing off on you heading out with the recon mission anyways. There are three reasons why I’m willing to do this. First is the way you performed during the live fire exercise this morning. I’ve seen some great stuff from some amazing Marines in that simulator over the years, but I never would have imagined seeing such good work done by a couple of Flight pukes who’ve only been training for two weeks. The results were far from perfect, but you were both fearless and creative and that earns you a ton of points in my book.
“The second reason I’m willing to clear you for the mission is the way you jumped into the fray with that older cadet after he hurt Kalare.” The sergeant stared at Zax. “You possess something which can’t be taught and that is the instinct to selflessly protect your squad-mates even in the face of overwhelming odds. I was particularly impressed by the way you didn’t so much as flinch when Quentor was prepared to rearrange your face.”
The sergeant paused and took a deep breath before continuing. “The last reason why I’m willing to risk my reputation and allow you to deploy with my fellow Marines is because Mikedo wants me to. I can count on one hand the people in the Flight Corps who I trust and respect without reservation, and she’s at the very top of that list. Pay close attention to her when you two are down on the surface. She’ll make sure you don’t do anything stupid to get yourself or any of the Marines with you hurt.”
“Excuse me, Sergeant, but I’m confused. I thought you were going to be part of our squad and head down there with us?”
“My only role for this mission was to be a second experienced person in the squad so you and Kalare could each have your own individual babysitter down there. She’s not going, so I’m not needed.”
The Marine sergeant stood to leave. “I’ve got to get to a meeting, but Mikedo’s down in Kalare’s room and will explain the situation fully. You better do a good job on this mission, cadet. If I hear you screwed up from any of my Marines, then I just might have to deliver that beatdown you still have coming from when we met over coffee.”
Bailee’s mouth betrayed the slightest hint of a smile, but the man turned and walked away before Zax could determine whether it was real or only his imagination. Zax remained frozen in his seat. He knew he needed to get to Kalare’s room and talk to Mikedo, but the full impact of what the sergeant shared was still sinking in.
Zax’s guilt about his lack of sadness for Kalare’s predicament was dwarfed by how thrilled he was at the realization there was no longer any competition. He stood at the precipice of earning a mentorship with the Flight Boss! Zax only needed to get down to the planet and back without any mistakes, and his career would set off on an amazing trajectory. He sprang out of his seat and practically bounced down the passageway to Kalare’s compartment.
Kalare’s appearance washed away Zax’s good cheer and threatened to drown him in remorse. She was unconscious and connected to a machine which breathed for her. Her leg was immobilized within a massive aerogel protective cast. Mikedo sat in a chair next to the bed and spoke to Zax as he entered.
“It’s not as bad as it looks. They’ll wake her up in a couple of mins. Cyrus snapped all the tendons and ligaments when he wrenched her knee, but the surgery went well. She’s going to be in here with the cast on for a couple of days and then have a day or two of rehab, but she’ll be as good as new after that. The bad news is she is obviously not going to join us on the mission tomorrow. It’s a real shame because you two have exhibited such amazing teamwork, I had advised the Boss to stop the contest and just mentor both of you.”
Zax’s jaw dropped at the news that had been a potential outcome. Mikedo let the notion sink in for a few moments before she continued. “I caught something back in the dojo I need to ask you about. Cyrus seemed abnormally excited when Quentor asked for volunteers to spar with you. When he stomped on Kalare’s leg, he stared at you and smirked the whole time. Is there something going on between you two?”
Zax almost answered “no” reflexively, but paused instead for a deep breath. He gazed first at Mikedo and then to Kalare lying in the bed and then back to Mikedo. The pure compassion emanating from the lieutenant finally broke his resolve, and Zax told her everything. The years of bullying from Aleron, the way Cyrus treated him up to and including the day of the panorama breach, the attack by Aleron in the passageway with its death threat, how it was Cyrus who tripped him that first day in Marine Country. Everything. When he was done, Zax felt as if a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He sat in silence for a few mins while Mikedo digested what he had shared.
“Hmmm—one question for you, Zax. Did Kalare know about any of this?”
“No, she didn’t. She was stunned unconscious when Aleron attacked us in the passageway, and I lied when she asked if I knew who did it. We were just getting to know each other at that point, and I didn’t feel like talking to her about any of it. You know how she gets with her non-stop chatter. I’m used to it now, but two weeks ago she was still annoying me to death. I was afraid if I told her about any of this she might never shut up about it.
“Besides,” he added, “what could she do? I’ve dealt with Aleron and the rest of his buddies for years. What difference would one more bully make? Even if Cyrus talked about killing me, I’m sure it was just stupid bluster anyways.”
Zax’s voice broke during his last sentence and he stopped to take a few deep breaths and compose himself. It was bad enough he had shared all of this stuff with Mikedo, but he refused to lose control and start blubbering in front of the officer. Her expression suggested she might cry herself for some reason as she stared at him and spoke.
“Wow, Zax. I’m really sorry to hear all of this. You’ve been carrying an awfully big load for someone your age, particularly since you’re dealing with all of it on your own. Let me tell you something. I know what it’s like to be so talented at such a young age. I know what it’s like to feel so capable and independent you never want to admit weakness or ask for help. I’m here to tell you that’s not a great way to go through life.”
Mikedo’s gaze never wavered as she spoke. Zax felt like she peered directly into his core, and he was shocked to welcome the deep connection. “Showing vulnerability will not make you more vulnerable. Admitting weakness is actually a sign of great strength. People will always have to respect your talent and abilities even if they choose to hide it behind jealousy and bullying. What will get them to truly respect and love you as a person, however, is when you allow them to see you’re human just like
they are.”
Mikedo reached out and held his hand. “You need to trust some folks, Zax. There are people out there who want to be your friend and help if you will only let them inside. Two of them are sitting here in this room. I know it’s almost impossible to think about all of this when you’ve spent the last ten years obsessing about the Leaderboard and seeing life as a zero sum game, but I’m telling you this from hard fought, firsthand experience. Your native skills and talent have already made you great. If you can manage to crack open that hard shell a bit and let some of your humanity seep out, you have a chance to be exceptional.”
Tears welled up behind Zax’s eyes, but they receded when the door opened behind him and the spell was broken. Mikedo stood to leave. “Here’s the medic to wake Kalare. I’ve got to get going anyway to finish prepping for tomorrow. I’m glad you finally shared this with me, Zax. You don’t have to worry about Cyrus right now. He’ll be occupied with Quentor and likely begging for death between now and the time we leave for the planet. When we get back, let’s you and me sit down and figure out how you can be sure to avoid him until he’s dumped at Landfall.
“One last thing—I spoke with Kalare before the surgery, so she already knows the bad news she isn’t going. Stay here and visit with her for a while, and then meet me at 1800 in the same training room where we had our first meeting. We’re getting a mission briefing along with the officers and squad leaders from the Marine recon unit.”
Mikedo left the room and Zax took advantage of the opportunity to close his eyes and focus on regaining his composure. Mikedo’s words had nailed him straight between the eyes, but Zax willed away the big feelings they triggered to avoid breaking down in front of a complete stranger.
The medic gave Kalare an injection and removed her breathing mask. The shot took effect and she woke a few moments later. Once he had spoken with Kalare and verified she was well, the medic left the room with a promise to check on her again soon.
Zax and Kalare shared a min of awkward silence before he broke the ice.
“Does it hurt?”
“Not at all. I don’t even feel like I have a lower leg right now. Can’t feel a thing below my thigh.”
“That’s good. I’m very sorry you aren’t going down to the planet with us tomorrow.” Zax paused for a moment. “I would’ve never imagined saying this two weeks ago, but I’ve loved going through all of this training with you. You’re absolutely crazy and I’m guessing that hanging around with you will get me in serious trouble someday, but we make a great team. I’ll miss having you by my side when I’m down there with all of those insane Marines.”
Kalare beamed up at him. The pain meds had zero effect on the infectious twinkle in her eyes. “Thanks, Zax. It really means a lot to hear that from you. You know I’ve been indifferent to this whole mentorship thing all along, so when I had the chance to shield you from Cyrus I figured it would be a good idea. I was certain he wouldn’t be stupid enough to try and kill you in front of everyone, but I knew he wouldn’t be afraid to put an excessive hurt on you.”
Zax stared wide-eyed at Kalare for a sec before he could get any words out. “Wait—what? You’re aware Cyrus wants to kill me?”
“You’re not the only one who’s good at lying and keeping secrets there, mister.” Kalare giggled. “I was actually awake that day in the passageway when Aleron attacked us. I heard everything. For some reason the instructor who trained Epsilon on the stunstik didn’t like me very much, so she used me as her practice dummy every time we had class. I experienced the weapon so much I became immune to the effect of all but its highest setting. The initial jolt still smarts, but it doesn’t knock me unconscious the way it does all you puny mortals.
“When Aleron stunned me,” Kalare continued, “I figured it would be a good idea to stay down and sort out what was going on. I wouldn’t have let him hurt you and had planned to tell you all about it, but when you attempted to hide the situation from me, I decided to let the whole thing slide.”
Zax’s gears spun for a min while Kalare laughed again at how dumbfounded he was. Finally, he recovered enough to put all the pieces together. “You knew Cyrus wanted to kill me when you volunteered to take my place and go first in the sparring test? You had to know he would probably want to hurt you too after that busted nose you gave him!”
“Yeah, but like I said, I don’t really care about what happens with all of this mentorship crap. I know you do. I would have hated to see you get injured and lose out on your chance to work with the Flight Boss. This training has been a blast—I got to drive a mecha! I’m starting to think I might just want to get a job like Mikedo’s and work with the Marines. Hell, maybe I’ll drop out of Flight altogether and join the Marines! I owe you big time for making it all possible with the way you handled that breach. The least I could do was make sure that idiot Cyrus didn’t ruin things for you.”
The waves of emotion which had roiled Zax since the dojo finally overwhelmed him. Hot tears bursting with guilt came pouring out in giant, gasping sobs. Zax was ashamed about so much—his worries that Kalare was trying to steal the opportunity by jumping ahead of him to spar Cyrus, his excitement about winning the mentorship rather than compassion for someone who was his only friend on the Ship.
Zax was then forced to sit and listen to Kalare thank him when she had knowingly made the choice to risk injury protecting him from Cyrus. He wanted to say so much, he wanted to apologize, he wanted to thank her, but all he could do was bury his head in his hands and cry.
The medic returned a min later. He stopped short for a moment while he evaluated the scene but then spoke softly. “I’m sorry to interrupt, cadet, but I have to ask you to leave. The surgeon will be coming through and he needs to run a scan on Kalare’s knee to make sure everything is knitting back together the way it should.”
Zax rose and choked back a couple last sobs. He wiped his sleeve across his face and it came back streaked with tears and snot. He smiled at Kalare and managed to say “thank you” without the tears starting again.
“Good luck down there, Zax. You’re going to do great! Make sure you find me first thing when you get back to tell me about all of the cool stuff you see. I hope you don’t run into any alien robots with laser eyes!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Pretty cool!
Zax retreated to the Zeta berth. Since the other cadets were out performing their official duties, he had the entire compartment to himself and was able to nap (fifty demerits). A few hours later he woke with a clear head, soaked in his second shower of the day (twenty demerits), and returned to Marine Country for the mission briefing.
Zax entered the training compartment and was startled when he came face to face with an ant. Unlike the small Earth insects Zax had seen in the various Ship biomes, this one stood over two meters tall and was perched upright on its four hindmost legs. The dark green body was laced with brown stripes and the two forelegs grasped a digging implement with three-fingered hands. Its head was studded with tiny eyeballs which extended from the tip of its mandibles to the back of its skull and covered every point in between.
Mikedo smiled at Zax’s surprise as she stood and gestured for him to take a seat next to her. A group of Marine officers and sergeants were also arrayed around the compartment. They all sat ramrod straight with their eyes focused forwards. At the very back sat Marine major who stared at his slate with a severe expression.
A Flight lieutenant, a man whose shaggy hair and soft midsection gave him away as having some sort of cushy desk job, stood at the instructor’s table and started to speak as Zax sat down. “My name is Lieutenant Nineem and I’m here from the exobiology unit to brief you on the planet you will visit tomorrow, its flora and fauna, and its current inhabitants—a fine specimen of which is being projected here. The image of this particular alien was captured just the other day by one of our drones, but there are plenty more like it in the Ship’s archives from previous Landfalls.
“These creatures
are similar in many ways to the Earth insects which inhabit our biomes. We assume these aliens must be highly advanced given how many times we’ve come across them on planets spread far across the universe, but we’ve never seen any of their technology. Every encounter to date has been with a small planet-bound colony which presented as a simple, agrarian culture with zero technology except simple tools like the shovel this guy is holding.
“The Ship’s records reveal we’ve seen two distinct body types and corresponding modes of behavior for these aliens. This particular body type is what we call a worker. We’ve isolated a single individual for this image, but it was in a line of almost five hundred identical creatures.” The picture zoomed out and revealed row upon row of the insects marching in lockstep. “All of our records about these workers describe how they ignore humans whenever we are present. We assume they can see us given how many eyes they’ve got, but any one of them would allow you to walk right up and touch it without so much as flinching or interrupting its activity.”
The image shifted and the first alien was replaced by one which struck Zax as being even freakier. It stood more than four meters tall with the same dark green base color, but the giant bug had stripes colored vibrant red rather than brown. Instead of resting on its four hind legs, this ant stood on only two and held a bladed weapon of some sort in each of its four foremost limbs. Nineem spoke again.
“This image shows an alien with the warrior body type. It’s from the archives, not our current drone surveillance, because we’ve not yet observed any warriors on this planet. We’ve got a few guesses as to why there are no warriors with this colony, but the bottom line is we don’t know. I realize some of you may be familiar with these warriors from previous missions, but I want to be certain you’re all aware of the threat they represent.”
