“Then, let us begin anew, in full trust and accord with one another. I believe we should be getting back to the conference room, Admiral Mason.” Captain Hanson smiled, and they left.
Mason was waiting for them outside. The two women seemed much more even-keeled. He was happy the matter was settled, hopefully once and for all.
The Joint Chiefs’ decision was a master plan of compromise: Mason would leave in two days for another six weeks’ assignment on Mars X for the interviews. Captain Hanson would take over all daily operational tasks, and command of the dome and base construction. Mason would serve dual roles: Prime Marine to Captain Hanson during the one to two year temporary duty assignment to Mars X, and Special Liaison to the Joint Chiefs. Admiral Mason would head up a one to two year Space Forces research assignment for the new DNA repository and knowledge crystal chambers—the Great Vault. A permanent genetics research facility was to be established on Mars X, an extension of Admiral Mason’s group in Houston.
Mars X would therefore have two distinct purposes. The first was the establishment of a new, state of the art space base to replace Mars Colony and, eventually, Colony II. The second would be the Great Vault. The ten-year plan for Mars X involved building the base and research facility; the twenty-year plan included hotels, shopping and entertainment centers, and permanent housing for base and research personnel. With Mars X being only a forty-five minute shuttle flight from beautiful Mars Colony III, both colonies would benefit greatly in the future.
In two days, Admiral Mason and Victor took Mason to the transport station, all of them sad he was leaving. “Please send me as many messages as you can, Admiral. I live for them,” Mason confessed. “Victor, you have to take care of your Mommy for me. I love you,” Mason said, as the boy hugged him hard and began to cry.
Admiral Mason even broke discipline and held Mason tightly, and boldly kissed him. “You come back to me, John. That’s an order!” She smiled bravely for him.
“Yes, Admiral Mason, I will.” Mason saluted her and boarded the transport, waving to them as it took off, his eyes red and watery.
Mason reached Moon Base twelve hours later, and transferred to the landing hangar to get his fighter. He stowed his gear on board and began his pre-flight systems checks. He was ordered to complete mid-flight refueling this flight, unusual for the trip to Mars. They’re keeping me sharp, he decided. Three and a half days later, he landed at Mars Colony III, shuttled to Mars X, and reported to Captain Hanson.
“I’m glad you’re back, Captain Mason. We need you to begin your interviews tomorrow, if possible. When they are completed and your evaluations processed, you can assist me in getting this base on schedule. If I have to listen to one more lame excuse, someone’s going to get hurt!” Captain Hanson announced.
“We’ll kick ass, Captain Hanson. Show those slackers what discipline and maximum effort are all about, Captain,” Mason said confidently to her.
“Good man, Mason. Call your Admiral, and let her know you’ve arrived. Then come see me, and we’ll map out our trajectory of base rebuilding over a bottle of Jack Daniels in the lounge at nineteen-thirty. Get going, Prime Marine.” Mason saluted and did as she ordered. Captain Hanson thought, he’ll be next door; I can finally get some sleep tonight.
He made his call. “I’m here, Admiral,” Mason said. His jaw was tight again, she noticed.
“Was your flight easy and boring, Captain Mason?” She activated the holographic projection of his handsome face. “You are missed a great deal already,” she said quietly.
“Pretty much, Admiral,” he answered. “You sound tired. Are you okay?” He checked.
“I didn’t sleep well last night. But I’m fine, John. No need to worry.”
“Please don’t overwork yourself, Admiral. You and the baby need rest and good food, please,” he begged.
“I know, John. I promise to take care of myself and my little Mason,” she said, smiling and patting her belly. “He kicked me for the first time today. He’s getting bigger every day.”
“And you are more lovely every day, Admiral Mason,” he said, ignoring protocol for a moment. The damned transmission cut-off warning flashed. “I’ve got to go. Send me data messages when you can. Talk with you next week, Admiral Mason.” He was cut off. She looked a lot farther along than seven months.
Admiral Mason sighed as Mason’s live call was cut off, and resumed her day’s work. Her research assistant brought in an “Eyes Only” parcel from the Berlin labs for her; it was the analysis of Mason’s coffee cup, taken the day he came to visit her office. She opened it tenuously, and read the analysis. It was confirmed. The DNA on his coffee cup matched the DNA sample they had been analyzing for months in Houston. He had more than one hundred thousand base pairs of genes in his DNA than the average human. It would most likely not affect their unborn child, her primary concern. The pairs were dormant, for the most part, and those active were for intuition. No wonder his powers of deduction and intuition were even more acute than they were in the past. The origins of the one hundred thousand gene pairs were the result of his alien DNA alteration. She decided to regularly test both his DNA and their baby’s DNA, once he was born.
XX
On Mars X, Mason met up with Captain Hanson, already in the lounge waiting for him with her Jack Daniels, and one poured for him. They reviewed her schedule for construction and discussed how to enforce a more disciplined work regimen with her new crew and officers. She had not been assigned an Executive Officer (XO), someone to oversee her orders carried out. They agreed that would be his job after his interviews were completed.
Mason conducted his interviews quickly and efficiently, working sixteen hours daily, or more. He was a machine. Only one crewman was shipped out after failing his interview, and Captain Hanson was happy. All of the several hundred union construction workers passed their interviews, and were anxious to get to work as soon as the new plex dome sections arrived. Mason notified the Joint Chiefs his interviews were completed and all evaluations processed.
Captain Hanson designated Mason her official XO, a step up for him. He was surprised at the official announcement, but she reminded him, “Responsibility without power and authority does not work in either line command or in battle, Mason. You are now the XO of this base, and approved by Earth Command upon my recommendation.”
They made a great team. He never questioned her orders, and saw to it they were executed promptly and accurately. If he needed any clarification, he asked for it, and never tried to second-guess her. Mason usually slept only 3-4 hours a night; he was everywhere, at all hours, getting the job done expeditiously. Mason was Captain Hanson’s hammer.
During his fourth week there, Mason overheard a junior grade Lieutenant say, “The skunk said to do this.” He stopped in his tracks. He’d never heard a junior officer refer to the Commanding Officer in such a derogatory fashion. He stopped the Lieutenant immediately.
“You have disparaged your Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Johansen, an officer in the Space Forces with more than twenty-three years of highly-decorated combat experience. You will apologize to Captain Hanson to her face, then put yourself on report. She will decide your fate.” Mason took the junior officer in front of Captain Hanson, where the young man apologized profusely, and begged for another chance.
“You will be granted another chance to prove your worth to the Space Forces, Lieutenant Johansen, but it will not be on my base. You will put yourself on report, pack your gear, and report to the shuttle landing site, where you will be immediately taken to Mars Colony III for transport to another base. You will be in receipt of a formal reprimand within the next forty-eight hours. I suggest you spend the time waiting in reflection, and consideration of your future.” She transferred Johansen to SS10 the next day, the last space station in the solar system.
After that event, discipline returned to Mars X in a hurry. Neither Mason nor Captain Hanson tolerated idle chatter or slackness while on duty. The performance of all
departments improved vastly, and the base schedule was on track by Mason’s last week. Earth Command was pleased with Captain Hanson’s efforts. She was now running a very “tight ship.”
“Captain Mason, when you return here in a few months, I will request you continue as the XO and my Prime Marine. I see no reason you cannot fulfill both duty areas.”
“Yes, Captain Hanson, as you wish. When I return, however, Admiral Mason and our children will be living on Mars Colony III. I request your permission to spend one or two nights a week with my family on Mars Colony III every week, Captain Hanson.” He wanted his request out in the open before he and his Admiral came to Mars X for one or two years.
She’d anticipated his request. “I have no problem agreeing to your request, Captain Mason. I’ll grant you as much time with your family as possible, if we are on schedule. Both you and Admiral Mason will be assigned your own shuttles, to take care of business here and at home. My regards to your Admiral, Captain Mason. I hope she has a safe and painless delivery of your son. God bless you,” Captain Hanson said sincerely.
Mason tossed his gear bag in his fighter, did his pre-flight systems checks, and left for Moon Base. He notified Rachel he was on his way home. If the fighter could have done hyper-speed 20, he would have flown that fast. In three and a half days, he’d be home.
Rachel was experiencing much difficulty getting around, her belly grew so big. Her OB/GYN cautioned the baby may have to be taken early by induced labor. He was normal and healthy, but a very big baby. The next day at work, she collapsed, and was rushed to the base hospital. Caitlin and David were in her hospital room, talking with Rachel and Dr. Morrissey.
“I’m sending you home tomorrow, Admiral Mason, on complete bed rest. No use arguing with me about it. I nearly did this last week, and probably should have. We will be looking at an early birth whether or not we induce labor. You must have a C-section. The very first sign of labor you are to return here to give birth. Is your husband home yet?” Her doctor asked.
“He’ll be here in a few days, doctor. He’s flying in from Mars," she answered weakly.
“Good. Have him call me the moment he comes in, no waiting, any time of the day or night. Here is my private comm link.” She turned her head, and immediately went to sleep.
Mason received a data comm link message about Rachel’s condition from David. He took a taxi shuttle home after landing and immediately went in to see her. “My Rachel, my love,” he said softly, very concerned about her.
“John, you’re home. John,” she cried and put her arms around his neck. He kissed her gently. She gave him her doctor’s private comm link number, and told him to call now.
“Captain, your wife needs complete bed rest. Your baby is fine, but he is too big for her body. We will have to take him Caesarian section, at the very first sign of labor. You are not to attempt to bring her to the maternity hospital yourself. Call an ambulance. They will treat her immediately en route to the delivery room. Keep her hydrated, and let her eat anything she wants. Complete bed rest. Do you understand?” The Doctor asked.
“Yes, sir. I understand,” Mason acknowledged. Mason lay down with her after taking his shower. He held her close, and she went to sleep at once, sleeping soundly and deeply; the first time she’d slept well since he left. Rachel experienced labor pains the next morning, and Mason called for an ambulance shuttle. Caitlin rode with her to the maternity hospital, while Mason took Victor to day care. David accompanied Mason, and both men went to the hospital to wait.
The doctors had Rachel in her room, where Mason and David got to see her for only a moment before she was taken in for surgery. She was brave, but exhausted, and ready to give birth. Mason kissed her and walked down the hall to surgery with her. David was on the other side of the gurney. She went into surgery at 9:15a.m.
The baby was born at high noon, and Caitlin, who had permission to observe in the operating room, showed the baby to Mason and David through the window. But Rachel’s troubles had just begun. She was losing blood pressure, and her pulse and heart rate became erratic. Her breathing became labored, and she was intubated. She was bleeding internally at a very fast rate; she had developed an abdominal aneurism not detected until delivery.
Dr. Morrissey asked if either man was A+ blood type. The surgeons administered A+ blood to Rachel immediately, but she bled it out almost as soon as it entered her veins. Mason volunteered, “I’m O positive, universal donor, and a Prime Marine, with plasma-enriched blood. It could help her heal faster.” He was taken in for blood transfusion, while internal and vascular surgeons performed surgery on Rachel. Mason donated nearly one-point-five liters of blood, pumped directly into Rachel’s veins to keep her alive. Mason’s plasma-enriched blood type was stored on the main base, but it would take an hour to deliver it to the maternity hospital. They took all they dared from his veins, and gave it to Rachel.
The hours ticked by. Caitlin stood by and watched her daughter so near death, until she could no longer stand. She sent David to get Victor, and waited. Rachel’s aneurism was large, and the tear very long, but it was repaired. Her abdominal artery was reinforced with a bio plastic to prevent any further weakness of the arterial wall. They stopped her hemorrhaging at long last.
Mason was now the one receiving an emergency blood transfusion. They delivered two liters of his plasma-enriched blood, and more A+ blood for Rachel. After what seemed an eternity, an exhausted Dr. Morrissey came to the waiting room, and told the Cohens Rachel was stabilized, and Mason would be out shortly. It was 7p.m.
A very wrung-out Mason came into the waiting room. He and David took Victor to eat in the cafeteria, and were back in ten minutes with food for Caitlin. By 11:30p.m., Mason was allowed to see her. “Rachel, my love, it’s John. Can you hear me, Rachel?” Her face was pale.
“John, hold me,” she whispered. He bent down and held her gently. She put her arms around his neck and gave him a little kiss. “Are you okay, John?”
“I am now, Rachel. How do you feel? You gave us quite a scare,” he confessed.
She whispered, “I’m very tired, John. Where’s the baby?”
“He’s asleep, honey, and he is beautiful, just like his Momma,” Mason said, smiling at her. “Your parents are outside. Can I bring them in to see you?” She nodded. He brought Caitlin and David in to see her, and sat next to sleeping Victor. They were relieved to see their baby girl alive and speaking to them. They left and took Victor home.
Mason sat next to her all night, holding her hand. Rachel slept until early morning, when the nurse asked if she was strong enough to feed the baby. She agreed, and he was brought to her. He hungrily suckled at her breast while Mason held him for her. She moved him to her other breast, and he took his fill there, as well. He had a full head of hair already, brown and curly. “No doubt who his Father is, Admiral Mason,” the nurse said, as she took the baby from her. Rachel smiled at her husband.
Caitlin came in around 6a.m., and sent Mason home to clean up and take Victor to day care. “We nearly lost you, child,” Caitlin said. “You’d developed an acute abdominal aneurism. Twenty-fourth century technology did not detect it until the baby was born,” she lamented. “You lost one-point-five liters of blood over seven hours. You bled out all the A+ blood the hospital had in stock.”
“One-point-five liters? I have a rare blood type, Momma. Who was the donor?” She asked weakly.
“Your husband. He donated his O+ plasma-enriched blood. They brought in more of his blood, transfused him, and gave you the rest, child. The A+ blood arrived later. John saved your life, Rachel.” Caitlin began to cry, sat down and held Rachel’s hand.
Rachel looked at her Mother. “John has saved my life twice before, Momma, but they were much different circumstances. He protected me and Victor Baines with his own body. The scars along his right back side, and the right side of his head, were from laser fire aimed directly at me. He took the blasts intended for me, at my wedding rehearsal on the Hesperia. At our we
dding reception, John again protected Victor and me, from powerful mini missiles. Then he fought off dozens of armed mutineers, and saved us again, Momma.” She looked out the window, remembering the past.
“You never told me about that, Rachel,” Caitlin said, listening intensely.
“We couldn’t, Momma. John was a best friend to me from Day One on the Hesperia, and became best friend to Victor, as well. He has always been there to save me. So, it’s no surprise to me his blood now flows in my veins.” She touched her Mother’s hand, and Caitlin cried.
“I had no idea, Rachel,” she cried. “You never told me.”
“I couldn’t, Momma.” Rachel turned her head, and saw Mason standing in her doorway with her Father. Rachel held out her arms to him, and he came to her. She held him, and kissed him softly. Caitlin started to leave, but Mason motioned for her to stay.
“The nurse asked me if we have named the baby yet,” he said to her. “What name shall we give him, Rachel?”
“John, what else?” She answered.
“How about John David?” Mason asked. Rachel smiled, and looked at her parents.
“Perfect. John David Mason. A strong name; a warrior’s name.” She smiled weakly at her husband. “What do you think, Daddy? John David Mason,” Rachel asked her Father, David.
“It sounds a little Jewish,” he said, smiling. He was the only Jewish member of his Irish-Catholic family, and felt honored.
Mason left them after another hour and briefly reported in to work. His one week paternity leave began immediately. He picked up Victor and brought him in to see his Mother.
Vengeance of Sukesh: John Mason (Legend of John Mason) Page 27
