“Mommy, are you okay?” Victor asked, as he ran to her bed. She patted the bed, and he climbed up next to her.
“You have a new baby brother, Victor,” she told him. “Want to see him?” Victor nodded. The nurse brought in John David, and handed him to Rachel. They talked about his name, and his full head of hair. They enjoyed a very good visit, while Mason was in the hall, speaking with Rachel’s doctor.
“Is she out of the woods, Dr. Morrissey? She looks awfully weak,” Mason asked.
“For the most part, yes. But she needs complete bed rest. It will take all her strength to breastfeed the baby. She should be up in about three to four weeks. Her internal organs need time to heal properly,” the doctor explained. “And Captain Mason: no sexual intercourse of any kind for at least one month. She’s been through a lot.”
Rachel was in the hospital one full week, until the bio plastic repairing the aneurism was completely sealed. She was still very weak when they brought her home. The doctor was right; it was all she could do to breastfeed John David and shower every day. Otherwise, she slept. Caitlin was a blessing to have there to help her daughter. Rachel wouldn’t even consider supplementing his breast feedings with formula for the first month. She nearly died giving birth to John David, and she was going to make certain he had the best chance for survival.
Mason was ordered to depart for Mars X soon. Rachel arranged for Nurse Lacy to sit with John David while the family went out for a nice meal. “He’s such a cutie-pie!” Nurse Lacy said, as John David giggled at her. She had fallen for the baby already.
Rachel showed her all his things in the nursery, and they got along well. Nurse Lacy wanted to feed and change John David during this test visit. She rocked him, then went to change the baby. “Oh my! He’s big!” She exclaimed as she took off his diaper. “Sorry, Admiral.”
“That’s all right, nurse,” Rachel said. John David was very well endowed, like his Father.
Mason arrived after work, and came into the nursery to see Nurse Lacy. Rachel introduced him, and watched the young nurse size her husband up. “He has your bone structure and curly hair, Captain Mason,” she said, looking at his tall, muscular frame.
“He has his Momma’s eyes and smile, though. And her giggle,” Mason said. “Think you can take care of him while I take everyone out for dinner, before I get shipped out again?” She agreed confidently, and they synced their wrist comm links, so Mason could watch the nursery.
Mason took them for a steak dinner fit for a king and queen. He learned many months ago to order the biggest steak in the house, as Rachel would eat at least half of it, and Victor loved finishing the rest.
They took their time enjoying dinner. Mason checked his wrist comm link frequently; he had the full view of JD’s nursery. Mason could not thank Caitlin and David enough. He had grown close to Rachel’s parents, and the Baines. Because his own parents were killed when he was sixteen, both sets of Grandparents filled a void in Mason’s life. They also enjoyed their expanded family, appreciating Mason’s willingness to include them in his family’s activities.
XXI
Construction on Mars X was moving along at a rapid pace, with the completion of the first ten levels of underground facilities. Until the dome was up and fully operational, living and working underground was the most expedient methodology for base functionality. Mason’s plan was working perfectly, and his recommended construction schedule was weeks ahead, which pleased Earth Command greatly.
The new replacement panel parts for the dome were to be delivered in three weeks. Installation, testing and operational efficiency calibration would take at least another thirty days, working 24/7. Upon certification of the dome, the enclosure would be pressurized and filled with the perfect breathable air mix for people to live and work on the surface without wearing a space suit. Only after the dome was operational would the Space Forces research scientists begin their analysis of the Great Vault, led by Admiral Mason.
Work inside the Great Vault to provide a clean room environment had been underway for the last three months. The scientists would work in isolation labs, fully protected from any and all known bacteria, viruses, or other contaminants potentially lurking in the chambers. Although the lone cameraman who recorded the discovery of the Great Vault chambers never developed any illness, infection, or disease, or any mutation of his genome, he was still kept in quarantine. No such thing as taking too much precaution when dealing with DNA from unknown sources. All the top secret work would be conducted below ground, away from prying eyes and scanners.
The control tower was rebuilt, and the new landing site was nearing completion. Body parts were still being exhumed from the wreckage of the destroyed cargo transport at the original landing site. It was still a gruesome scene: twisted metal wreckage; charred ship and interior; and coroner’s transports lined up, even after all this time. The crash investigation team from Earth Command determined the cargo transport’s reverse thruster engines were sabotaged to explode upon initiation. Who performed the sabotage was not yet determined; everyone suspected the Yellow Man who knew of his existence. Mason suspected Sukesh.
The Joint Chiefs were anxious to send Mason back to Mars X. He was managing his scope of the construction efforts remotely, but was needed on site. He requested 50 Space Marines to provide security for the Space Forces research personnel upon their arrival; 20 Space Forces security personnel to guard the underground entry points and air locks; and for Sergeant DuMonde, his aide, to be temporarily assigned duty while he was stationed there.
Mason went to the nursery to change “JD,” trying to help out his wife. But this time, the clean diaper slipped off the baby, and Mason received a urine shower from his baby son. He called for help, and got into the shower, choking and sputtering. He washed his hair and face at least three times, and used half a bottle of mouthwash.
Rachel was beside herself laughing. She held John David, saying, “Did you give your big Daddy a shower? Did you christen your Prime Marine Daddy?” She laughed so hard, and the baby was giggling. Finally, Mason came out of the bathroom, and took JD to rock him to sleep.
“I don’t know why I love you so much, JD. You make such a mess it makes me puke. Now you just pissed all over me.” The baby laughed at Mason, holding him in his arms and rocking him. Mason stretched out his long legs onto the window sill. “You’re going to have to learn to be a good boy, JD. I know you want to be a wild man, but you have to be good, like your brother, Victor.”
“Victor had it made, you know. He had his Mommy all to himself, and then I showed up, and he had to share her. Now, you’re here, and Victor and I both have to take a back seat to you, little man. But you have to learn to be good. You can’t go breaking Victor’s toys and games, and messing up his room. You’ll need him to help you with your homework. He’s real smart, like his Daddy and your Mommy. So you be good, and be nice to him. And don’t go pulling on your Mommy’s hair. Victor and I will teach you tae kwon do, so you can learn to defend yourself, and protect your Mommy, and learn discipline.” Mason kept rocking and talking softly to JD.
Rachel was standing in the nursery doorway with Victor, both of them listening quietly while Mason talked softly to the baby. She put her arm around Victor, and they went to the double rocking chair, faced towards the window. She sat down next to Mason, and took the baby to feed him, as Victor climbed onto Mason’s lap. Mason rocked them all, and in a while she began to sing to John David. Victor and the baby fell asleep. Mason took Rachel in his arms and held her, still rocking gently, as tears of joy ran down his face. The warrior was at peace.
Mason’s peace and contentment would not last long, however. The Mars X dome’s last parts were to be delivered in five days, and he was ordered to supervise the cargo transport’s landing and unloading. No more explosions would be tolerated by Earth Command.
Only two days left with his family before Mason was to leave for Mars X. He would not see them again until Rachel joined him, when she took ove
r the initial phase of the Great Vault Project, three months from now. He dreaded leaving. He knew he’d be kept busy on Mars X, with little time to feel sorry for himself. But he would be gone for Christmas and Rachel’s birthday.
Mason made arrangements with Caitlin and David to babysit, for his last night at home. He put Victor to bed and read him all the stories he asked for. Victor didn’t want Mason to go. His eyes opened wide when Mason gave him his own wrist comm link for his early Christmas present, so he could text him whenever he wanted. Victor already knew thousands of words. He was an exceptional boy, his genius beginning to emerge.
They dressed up and enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Laughton’s. Rachel danced one slow dance with him, and felt more like herself. Mason even got her to laugh a couple of times. She thanked him for treating her so well, and being so very patient with her recovery. He gave her an early birthday present.
She quickly unwrapped the blue box, and smiled. It was a Mother’s ring for her right hand, in platinum, of course. “John, it’s so beautiful! I absolutely love it!” She put it on her right hand, and held both of her hands up to the light. “I’m bedecked in diamonds and platinum! Was any woman ever so blessed, ever treated so well?” She smiled a very big smile for him.
“My dearest John, my greatest love,” she whispered, and she kissed him. They sat on the couch and talked, like they used to. Mason watched his beloved Rachel come back to him; the woman he knew and loved was emerging from her recent trauma. They carefully made love and fell asleep in each other’s arms.
The next day, they discussed her upcoming Mars X assignment. “You’ll want to wear trousers on Mars X, Admiral Mason. Now, now; let me tell you why. There are just under 2,000 personnel on Mars X, only four of whom are women. 4 out of 2,000. Some of those men have been working for three years without taking any liberty. Men seeing those beautiful legs of yours in your high heels will make my job a lot more difficult. A lot.” He was dead serious.
“I always wore trousers on my ship and space base assignments, as on the Hesperia. I hadn’t considered my wardrobe for Mars X, to be honest. Thank you for bringing it to my attention, John. Only four women?” She thought out loud. No wonder Esther Hanson wanted him for her Prime Marine, to escort and protect her.
“That’s why Captain Hanson insisted you be assigned your own shuttle and senior command housing on Mars Colony III. Go to work, do your job, and go home to Colony III. No lollygagging, Admiral,” he said, smiling. “I already asked for two nights a week at home, and Captain Hanson agreed to give me one to two nights per week, unless I was needed on base. So, we’ll get together every week. Your apartment is close to Sarah and Dave, so you’ll be near family, and not alone. And Victor is already enrolled in school, and JD in baby day care,” he announced, anticipating her next question.
“You’ve been doing the thinking and making arrangements for both of us, John. I’m grateful for all the careful pre-planning you’ve done. It makes me feel a lot better.” She smiled and kissed him. He picked her up in his arms. He kissed her deeply and caressed her, a kiss to last three months. He put her down gently and she held him for a very long time. They pulled apart, and he called David, Caitlin, and Victor, and his taxi shuttle.
Mason hugged the Cohens, and thanked them again. Victor jumped into his arms and hugged him hard, and tried not to cry. Rachel came to him with John David, and he hugged all of them until they were in tears. The taxi shuttle blew its horn, and he loaded up his gear. He ran inside to hold Rachel once more, then got into the taxi, his eyes red with tears.
Mason suddenly resented his new assignment. Not only would he miss the baby’s first Christmas, he would miss Rachel’s birthday, again. He threw his gear bags into the cargo net, put his flight suit on, and went to the pilot’s seat to do his pre-flight checks. All 100%. Damned Joint Chiefs; they could’ve let me spend Christmas at home with Rachel and my family.
All he had to do was push the button and go. He centered himself with his martial arts meditation, and advised Earth Command Central tower he was ready. They cleared him, and he lifted up, up, higher and higher, waiting until Houston was a blur, and launched fast. He flew at hyper-space 4 to Moon Base, refueled, and ran for one hour. Then he was off again, for the three and one-half day journey to Mars X.
Victor and his Mommy sent Mason his first message, and Mason responded immediately. Victor jumped up and down, happy. Now he could call John Mason himself. They could afford the calls; why not? Her son was so happy, and felt important.
Caitlin took off two weeks after Mason returned to Mars X to help out her daughter. As a surgical nurse for over forty years, she had seen just about everything. She was a blessing to Rachel, who grew a little stronger every day. Rachel underwent her mandatory surgery to get her fallopian tubes tied. A woman could only have two children in the URE; it was the law.
By the time Mason reached Mars X, his countenance was a firm, set jaw, steeled to accept no excuses or failure. He was resolute in his determination to get the dome up and operational. He reported to Captain Hanson immediately. “Captain Mason,” Captain Hanson began, “You have been sorely missed. The dome parts are one day from arrival, and you will supervise their delivery. Call your Admiral and advise her you are here safely. I will meet you at eighteen hundred hours in the lounge to catch you up on our progress. Dismissed.”
Mason called and let Rachel know he’d arrived safely. “Will we be on the same weekly comm link schedule, John?” She asked, noticing his stern demeanor.
“Yes, Admiral. Please send me all the data messages you can.” He needed to read her messages, for his peace of mind. “I promise to read and respond to them all.” There was that damned “Transmission Ending” sign again.
“I’ve got to go now. All my love, Admiral,” Mason said.
“And all my love to you, John,” she said, choking up. Their life together was his absence on assignments; highly-charged, passionate welcome home celebrations; and more absences. At least she’d be on the same planet with him in three months.
XXII
“All clear for landing, cargo transport DYS-142.” Mason held his breath. It was time for the immense cargo transport to engage its reverse thruster engines. The last one that tried this maneuver was 1½ kilometers away, charred wreckage.
“Cargo transport DYS-142, ready to engage reverse thrusters for landing in 3-2-1. Engaging reverse thrusters.” The obese transport landed as softly as a command shuttle; all was well. The heavy equipment slowly approached the behemoth as all engines were shut down, and air lock tubes were attached to her hull for the off-loading of her human personnel. Mason was up for the next week, sleeping very little, until the last dome section was taken off the transport and moved in position for its mounting to the dome.
Within two weeks, the dome construction was completed. It took another eight days to seal and test it, and the date for final inspection and testing was set up. Every seam was inspected twice; each overlapping juncture was stress-tested three times, both from the outside and inside. The movable hatch allowing access into and from the base was tested over a dozen times, along with its air locks, to maintain inside pressurization. When the inspectors arrived from Mars Colony III, an anxious Captain and her XO Mason sat in her private office, awaiting the verdict. It was not unusual for a defect to be found. It would be isolated, repaired, resealed and re-inspected. No cause for embarrassment. Unless, of course, you were referring to Hanson and Mason, the team dedicated to the perfect completion of the Mars X dome the first time.
As the inspections continued, Hanson and Mason busied themselves with updates for the other construction projects on the base. After hours of waiting, the Captain’s comm link beeped.
“Inspector Chen to Captain Hanson.”
“This is Captain Hanson, Inspector Chen. What’s the verdict?” She cut right to the chase.
“Captain Hanson, we have fully tested the entire dome, its definitive compartments, access hatches and all sections. Al
l check out 100%. You are good to go. You may begin pressurization and air,” the inspector said, “and activate the gravity simulators.”
Captain Hanson jumped out of her command chair with her arms straight up in the air, like a cheerleader. Mason watched her with a smile. They contacted Admiral Worthington, and he congratulated her. He announced a Joint Chiefs’ Inspection to be held in six weeks.
“Admiral Worthington, we welcome the Joint Chiefs Inspection. However, I feel it is my duty to advise you our facility is less than hospitable in the officers’ mess. It would be advisable to hold any and all meetings on Mars Colony III, where food and beverage, and room accommodations could be made appropriate to your station, sir,” Hanson warned.
“Very well, Captain Hanson. We will transmit our arrival schedules to you. We expect the command officers of Mars X and the Great Vault present for all meetings. Worthington out.”
Mason was now the travel agent for the Joint Chiefs. The big brass liked their cushy suites at swanky hotels, with fine food and drink. Upon receipt of their schedules, he made all arrangements for them. He really needed Sergeant DuMonde.
Earth Command decided to send in the DNA research team in five weeks, headed by Chief Genetics Research Specialist Admiral Mason. The DNA repository had been on Mars for centuries, perhaps millennia. It was imperative Earth Command proceed slowly and methodically. This investigation must be conducted flawlessly, and the research impeccable. They could not have chosen a more capable research team leader than Admiral Mason, Earth Command knew.
Twenty-one days until Admiral Mason’s team arrived. The Queen of Sheba never had as much preparation for her arrival. Her team would number twenty-five, mostly research scientists, her research assistant, and her aide. Mason read the manifest. His Admiral and twenty-five young men. How appropriate; the Admiral and her stable.
The primary focus in the Great Vault for Mason was the conversion of the chambers to clean room status. The first floor was segregated, isolated, and clean room status achieved. The lower level posed more challenges, with its row upon row of data crystals. The construction workers could not go near the data crystals. The crystals were very old, perhaps ancient; no one knew if they were brittle and easily broken or chipped. Mason sealed them off while clean room construction changes were made, for the crystals’ protection.
Vengeance of Sukesh: John Mason (Legend of John Mason) Page 28
