Watching Yute

by Joseph Picard

  He took the old fashioned precautions against the alcohol. A solid dinner, a handful of pretzels when he had the chance, not to mention a mouthful of olive oil beforehand. He wasn’t sure that would do anything, or if it was an urban myth. He had been glad that the oil didn’t make him throw up on the spot and took it as a good omen. After relieving the liquid bulk of his drinking, he left the washroom and headed out.

  Two fellows stood in his path. They were Aguei. “Hey guys,” Kirison said, “If you want my wallet, you should have got me on my way in. It’s pretty empty now.”

  The smaller of the two men tilted his head. “Hey, norther. You worked for the feds?”

  Jackpot. It was on.

  ~~~~~

  :::C /11

  ~~~~~

  Cassidy cleared the helipad back at the Yute temple base. Another light dusting of sand swept across her, but lighter than the first time. It probably was just helicopter backwash after all. Her box of rejection felt a little lighter now, and the biting self-loathing she was developing at the central base was mellowing into a softer sorrow.

  She got back to the barrack to find three of the others asleep there. She put the box down on her bunk and sat next to it. The flap rested open enough that the letter could peek up at Cassidy, who eyed it back with a mix of fear, dread, and resentment. Cassidy just watched it sit there for a bit, expressionless. From behind a cloud of fatigue, she felt slightly braver than earlier.

  “Fine,” she thought to herself; to the letter, “let’s get this over with.” She slowly put her hand on the letter and pulled it forward. She opened it, and unfolded it with steady, measured movements. Hand written. Brandy had the most beautiful handwriting. The light was bad, but not so bad that Cassidy wanted to risk waking anyone by doing anything about it. “Okay, okay, stop making excuses, and read the damned thing.” She sighed.

  Cass-

  Where do I start? I met someone. There’s nothing going on, but I found myself wishing there was. It made me realize that I had felt like I had been single for a long time now. I thought for a while that it was just the long distance thing. That’s a big part of it, I’m sure. But it seems like you haven’t done anything to keep things going.

  To be honest, in the last month, I had a theory that you’d already dumped me, and were just avoiding telling me. That would be really cruel. But I know you a little better than that. I think I can just chalk it up to you being…. Lazy? No. I don’t know. I’m just going to give you the benefit of the doubt and say you fell out of love with me, and didn’t know what to do about it. It took me a while to realize I’d fallen out of love with you, so maybe you didn’t know. Whatever.

  You may have noticed I blocked your calls. Maybe that’s a bit harsh, but I was really ready for a clean break. I wish I could think of something more appropriate to say than ‘have a nice life’, but honestly, nothing else comes to mind. The good times were good, and the bad times… just kinda snuck in while we weren’t looking. While you weren’t calling.

  have a nice life

  -Brandy

  Well. That was that, wasn’t it? Cassidy was split about it. Brandy hadn’t called her a bitch or anything. Might that have made it easier? She was just so polite about it. Cassidy pulled out her terminal, ready to dial again. If by miracle Brandy picked up, what could she say? “I read your letter. Nice handwriting.” She put the terminal away.

  She tightened her fist around the letter, and punched down into the mattress. She needed a walk. Remembering the sleeping people again, she composed herself enough to avoid stomping until she got outside.

  Without purpose or destination, she stormed off between ruins, letter still crammed in her fist. It wasn’t hate she was walking with. Maybe it was. But not towards Brandy. She stopped at a convenient place to lean, and rested against a handy chunk of stone ruin. Half formed thoughts fired around her skull, aimed nowhere, getting nowhere. During all of this non-thinking, Cipriana had found her and quietly walked over.

  “Cassidy?” As usual, she spoke with only the required volume.

  “Oh, hey Cip.” Cassidy’s voice was a little less controlled, but she reigned it in some.

  Cipriana stepped a little closer. “Cassidy, what’s-“

  Cassidy interrupted by holding out her fist, and opening it, letting the half-crumpled letter open like a flower blooming in her hand. “Have a read.”

  Cipriana took it and flattened it out a bit. She turned to catch a little more moonlight to read by. A few moments passed, and Cipriana handed it back. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” Cassidy said, taking the letter back. “It’s not news. It’s just the recap.” She re-crumpled it, and let it fall to the ground, “I took her for granted. I ignored her, really.”

  “Then… why do you care?”

  “I... I didn’t think about it. I guess I never thought she had noticed. I barely noticed. I never wanted to hurt her. I’d be perfectly happy if we were still a couple.”

  “If you loved her, why did you ignore her?”

  “I think I loved her still. I mean.. I never saw her, but as long as she was out there, and we hadn’t broken up..”

  “Then you weren’t alone.”

  “Yeah.” Cassidy slumped, siding down the wall until she was in a crouched position. She could have sworn that the crumpled letter had reached up and dragged her down. “But this thing..”

  “Last nail in the coffin?”

  “That came a while ago. Maybe I hammered it. This is the last shovel of dirt.”

  Cipriana sighed. “Go to bed. Calvert’s coming to inspect tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, in a bit. Go on ahead.”

  “Cipriana gave Cassidy a tired stare. “No, Cassidy. Now. You don’t need a cry, you need sleep. I could make it an order.”

  Cassidy smirked, and patted Cipriana’s shoulder. “Kay.”

  ~~~

  The next day, everyone not at a station during the morning shift were preparing for inspection.

  “Really, it’s gonna be more of a visit.” Marcus said to Cassidy while she shined her boots. “I don’t think the Colonel’s going to be bouncing quarters off our beds or anything. He just hasn’t been here before, and since we are under his jurisdiction,”

  “Yeah. He’s new in his position, he’s got to go show his face around.” Cassidy gave a last flair of a buff on the toe of her boot, and started putting it on. “So, what, we’re going to make formation, salute, then you take him on a tour?”

  “Something like that. You wanna be my assistant in the tour?”

  “Me?” Cassidy pointed at herself. “I mean, I guess, Sir. I don’t really see why though.”

  “You just answered my question by calling me ‘Sir’. Colonel Calvert is apt to show up feeling very official. I’m not gonna hide how casual we are around here, but it might help him to have someone around who… who has the perspective of someone who recently came from his base.”

  “I’ll be translating from ‘casual’ to ‘brass’?”

  “Good way of putting it. His chopper’s due in just under an hour. Meet me at the pad in about half an hour.”

  “Yes Sir, Major Douglas Sir!” Cassidy exaggerated the full military protocol, with the stiffest posture she could summon, and the snappiest salute. “Sir! Shall I alert Alan to have cookies ready for the Colonel? Sir!”

  Marcus snickered. “Already taken care of, Leftenent. And finish tying your boot, before I toss ya in the stockade!”

  ~~~

  When the time came, Cassidy headed towards the helipad, passing the twenty or so troops there for the customary inspection. “Get in formation!” Wanda called at her.

  “Nuh uh, hosers!” Cassidy answered, directed more of less at everyone. “Marcus wants me to help play tour-guide!”

  “Teacher’s pet!” Wanda teased.

  Cassidy laughed her off, and continued on her way. It was moments like that which made her glad she came here. Not necessarily because it was so casual, but also because the
whole place was like a fresh start for her, devoid of reminders of Brandy. Remembering the letter, which by now may have blown clear across the desert, she felt that ugly little pang return, but these feelings were getting easier to get away from. Bit by bit. Maybe the letter was a necessary step in that direction.

  She approached the pad where Marcus and Cipriana were chatting idly, facing the horizon. Cipriana had tied back her hair in order to be a little more regulation. It seemed criminal that her hair should have to be imprisoned. It seemed to weaken her aura of serenity somewhat.

  Cassidy announced herself. “Hey guys. I mean, Sir! Reporting for duty, Sir!”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Marcus moaned, “you don’t have to lay it on so thick. No yelling. And cut those ‘Sir’s by fifty percent or so.”

  Cassidy stood down the lineup from Cipriana, and rocked forward and back on her heels. “Oki-lee-doki-lee then, Sir.”

  “That’s better.”

  “Cassidy.. ah, perhaps I should say Leftenent,” Cipriana’s voice maintained it’s constant easing tone. “Have you met the Colonel before?”

  “Not really. I was in formation when he came to Yute central, and I saw him up close, but I didn’t have cause to speak with him.”

  Marcus made a sound, and pointed his chin towards an approaching blur in the sky. “Alright then, ladies. Attention, I guess.” The three of them stood at attention, looking darn near military. The helicopter made its way in and settled softly on the pad. The engines could already be heard to be powering down when the door opened.

  Two soldiers popped out first and stood on either side of the doorway. The full-brass uniformed Colonel emerged soon after and looked around the terrain, taking in the scenery just in time for a dust-up of sand. He shielded his eyes, and moments later when the sand died down, he put his arm back down, and there was Marcus, smiling and saluting.

  “Welcome to Yute Temple base, Sir!” Marcus said, loud enough to be heard over the slowing chopper blades.

  The Colonel returned the salute, and put out his hand for a shake. “Thank you Major. Good to be here.”

  Marcus turned to introduce Cassidy and Cipriana. “Colonel, this here’s my right hand, Captain Reichenbach.”

  Cipriana saluted. Not a regulation snap salute, but it was hard to imagine Cipriana going anything without some degree of ‘flow’. “Sir.” She said. The Colonel saluted back, and Marcus turned to Cassidy. “This is Leftenent Stanton. If you remember, she’s the one I recently stole from you.”

  Cassidy snapped her salute, with a “Sir!”

  “Cassidy,” Marcus said, breaking protocol. “Permission to speak freely. Please explain to the Colonel why you’re here, instead of in the drill formation.”

  Still in full attention stance, Cassidy proceeded. “Colonel, Sir! Protocol around the temple base is extremely casual, and Marc- uh, Major Douglas suggested that I should be here to… uh Major? Why exactly was it again?”

  “At ease, Leftenent.” The Colonel chuckled. “I get the idea. So, Leftenent, you don’t find the lax protocol to be inappropriate?”

  Cassidy shrugged. “The nature of the post is pretty relaxed, Sir. Protocol or not, everyone here seems to respect each other, and things seem to flow smoothly. Sir.”

  The Colonel took a relaxed look at the three of them, and glanced towards the base. “I suppose that can work in a small unit like this.” He turned to Marcus. “What’s next, Major?”

  A short walk later with the Colonel’s two escorts trailing behind, they were at the drill formation, which was already at attention. “You all clean up pretty good when you wanna! Darn near looks like a military operation around here.” Marcus said to them. “Colonel, care to inspect?”

  Prompted primarily by routine, the Colonel walked along the front row, giving a casual look at the troops he passed, with Marcus at his side. Cipriana and Cassidy stood at ease at the front, near the Colonel’s escorts. “Looks plenty good to me, Major.” The Colonel said when he reached the end of the front row. “That’s enough.”

  “Just as well. I don’t think anyone in the back row has seen deodorant in a week. Biological hazard.” Marcus turned to the drill formation, and casually said “Okay, all of ya, dismissed. Scram.”

  The group fell apart, most of them heading back into the base. “That’s how orders are usually given around here?” The Colonel asked.

  “Yeah. Yelling gets the ghost upset. We’re his guests here after all.” Marcus gestured towards the temple.

  “The gh-“ The Colonel stopped himself. “Oh. Heh heh. How about we head over there, and check out the main attraction?”

  “Sure thing, that was my next suggestion.”

  Cipriana stepped up. “Marcus, permission to attend to duties inside?”

  “Yep, sure, go on.”

  Cassidy thought that Cipriana made for a great reason to stay casual. It was hard to imagine Cip barking orders, or doing anything… un-Cipriana-like. As Cipriana walked off she let her hair loose, much to Cassidy’s quiet satisfaction. That was much better.

  The Colonel and Marcus walked on with Cassidy directly behind, and the two escorts following behind. Marcus waved for Cassidy to walk beside him. “Say, Leftenent Cassidy, you were back at Yute Central yesterday. Saw some old chums?”

  “Yeah, saw my old patrol partner.” Her voice trailed off a bit, raising Marcus’ curiosity. “What’s wrong? You sound like I just brought up an ex-boy, er, girlfriend or something.”

  Cassidy gave a soft chuckle. “Naw, nothing like that. Things just felt.. different than I remember. My ex partner for example.. it was almost like… like we didn’t know each other.”

  “Hm.” Marcus lowered his head a bit as they continued walking. “I guess it’s true what they say sometimes. Ya just can’t go back home anymore.”

  The Colonel was mainly looking at the temple as they got closer, but was not tuned out entirely. “Leftenent Stanton, you haven’t been gone from central long, have you?”

  “Not long at all, Sir.”

  “Colonel,” Marcus jumped in, “I think Cassidy’s suffering a little from the… Well.. I wouldn’t say bias… but a lot of troops outside this base have a certain… perception of us at the temple base.”

  Cassidy wondered why, but it was the Colonel who asked. “What perception is that?”

  Marcus sighed. “Hard to put a finger on. Maybe they think the temple is creepy, or maybe a waste of personnel. Maybe it’s because we’re noncoms. Maybe it’s a mix of all that. Anyone with that attitude can go sit on it as far as I’m concerned. I’m darn proud of what we do here, and what it shows about the government’s relationship with the Aguei.”

  The Colonel nodded solemnly. “Well put. Maybe if more people were allowed to come here, they might understand.” He gestured at the temple as they neared the bottom step. “This... This is hard to write off as trivial, at any rate.”

  They climbed the first set of stairs, and stood before the gap in the floor, looking across to the upper stairs. The Colonel looked at the doorway on either side. “I can understand this sort of gap as a defence… force any intruders to the smaller doorways.. but why not just have a wall here?”

  Marcus shrugged. “You’d have to talk to the guy that built it. Got a time machine? If you ask me, he just likes to let the breeze flow.”

  The Colonel smirked at how Marcus liked to refer to the statue and its ‘ghost’. It definitely gave Marcus character. They walked over to the left door, to find two guards at full attention. These troops made the drill formation look like a high school photo shoot. The same uniform, kept to the same specifications, but somehow different being on duty at a temple post. And not just the spear. “Proud to be at your post, soldier?” The Colonel asked.

  “Yes, Sir.” Came the reply. Soft, but confident. Casual, but dignified.

  “This is our duty, Sir.” Marcus added with quiet pride. “This is why we’re here.” His tone let the Colonel know... and reinforced in Cassidy that yes, this was important.
The Colonel nodded at the guard and continued in. It felt a little like being in church. It felt disrespectful to behave otherwise.

  They climbed the inner stairs and passed the guards at the inner door. “Good lord.” The Colonel said quietly. “That thing’s incredible.” The statue rested as it ever did, staring forward majestically. Its incredible craftsmanship sometimes, like today, could almost convince you that it had a twinkle in its eye. “Is it carved from one piece of stone? Jesus, No way. Carrying such a block.. heck, even it’s existence would be…it's formed from sections, right? You could carve a decent sized house out of it!”

  “Heheh, no Colonel. As far as anyone’s been able to see, it’s all one piece. Some people think it was found here, and the temple built around it.” Marcus has a twinkle in his eye as well. He was definitely fond of it. Cassidy could understand that. Sure, it was a huge horned dog, but like many dogs, it wore an expression of calm and content. “Also, Colonel, he would not like to be carved into a house.”

  The Colonel chuckled and stepped closer, trying to get a closer look up into the statue’s mouth. “I suppose he wouldn’t. Probably wouldn’t let anyone get away with that, hm?”

  “Probably not.”

  ~~~~~

  :::C /12

  ~~~~~

  “We’re here” The Aguei driver told Kirison and the other Aguei man. The rattling old beige van finally stopped. It had been a long ride from the bar. The sun was well into its crawl across the sky.

  Kirison was tired, but didn’t feel confident enough to sleep on the way. He considered sleep seriously; after all, if they were going to hurt him, they had plenty of chance already. But this was not the time to think like that. Put the drunk act behind now, it was time to start seeming like he knew things. It was time to start taking control, or at least getting the right position to have authority over these people. Falling asleep in the back of a van wasn’t going to present that image of authority.