“I’m sure we have to go,” Riot said, nodding to the rest of her squad as they entered the hangar. “I’ll brief you all once we’re in the air.”
“It just couldn’t be worse timing,” Wang said, shaking his head in disbelief. “I had such a hot date lined up for tonight.”
“Your mom in town again?” Vet asked, joining the two.
“My mother is a beautiful woman,” Wang said, glaring at his friend.
“No argument there,” Vet said, waggling both of his eyebrows, the one over his good eye and the other over the metal patch set into the socket of the other. “I remember last time she came down and visited.”
Your mom’s hot. Rizzo used sign language with a shrug. Sorry, but it’s true.
“I’m going to kill you both—”
“Riot, what’s that on your chest?” Doctor Miller pointed to the new insignia designating Riot’s new position.
Everyone gawked at the promotion. Ketrick was the only one who seemed confused by the doctor’s question.
“Doctor Miller”—Ketrick looked to the others, confused—“those are called breas—”
“Congratulations, Warrant Officer Riot!” Wang, Vet, and Rizzo all snapped to attention and saluted.
“Sorry we didn’t recognize sooner.” Vet’s signature scowl turned into a lopsided grin. It was one of the few instances that anything but a frown touched his face.
“It’s all right,” Riot said, saluting her men in return. “It just happened last night. Is everyone ready to settle in? We need to be in the air within the hour.”
“Roger,” the responses came back, even from Doctor Miller. It seemed that the civilian scientist was picking up on the native dialect.
“Who is this ‘Roger,’ and why do you always refer to him?” Ketrick asked. He looked from one Marine to the next, searching for answers.
“I actually have no idea.” Wang picked up the duffel bag at his feet. “Ask Evonne when we board. She’s full of useful information.”
Wang was referring to the ship’s Artificial Intelligence that inhabited their ship, the Valkyrie.
Riot’s unit crossed the hangar floor, heading for their ship. The Valkyrie was a military-class cruiser equipped for long-distance travel, with enough weapons to defend itself in a firefight.
The exterior of the ship reminded Riot of a bat emblem she had seen on an old superhero movie a long time ago. The Valkyrie had a long nose and a heavy wing that sloped up toward the front of the ship on each side. The wings each ended in a sharp edge. Each wing end was fitted with an intimidating cannon. The back cargo ship door sat under a row of thrusters that powered the ship.
The door was closed now as Riot and her unit approached.
Rizzo pointed to the side of their dark grey-and-purple ship. A huge cheshire smile crossed his lips, revealing a set of perfect white teeth.
Everyone’s gaze swung up to see what had brought Rizzo such joy. On the side of the ship’s hull, in large white lettering, were the ship’s name and a mantra below it that read: The Valkyrie, Click, Click, Boom!
“Huh,” Vet huffed. “They let us keep it, and they actually touched it up so it looks good. No offense to Rizzo or Ketrick, I’m just saying it looks nice.”
The Trilord and Rizzo shared a glance. They had been the key influencers of changing the ship’s name from Peace Envoy One to what they saw now.
“I thought it would be nice to have everyone on the same page, since the ship’s previous name was a constant subject of scrutiny,” Doctor Miller said as she brushed a long strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “And no, before you ask, the answer is already no.”
“How do you know what we were going to ask?” Riot lifted a brow in the doctor’s direction. “We could be asking what you want for breakfast.”
“Unlikely, though that would be nice,” Doctor Miller said, shaking her head with a laugh. “You cannot call yourselves the War Wolves on a mission where we are trying to build alliances, but—”
Doctor Miller lifted a finger to hush whatever was about to come out of Wang’s and Vet’s mouths. The two already had their jaws open ready to protest.
“But after much debate and filing the right paperwork, I have a surprise that I think will make everyone very happy,” Doctor Miller said, clearing her throat and adjusting her black-rimmed glasses as if she were preparing to give them the news of their lives. “We now have SPEAR’s permission to refer to ourselves as … wait for it … Oh, this is so exciting. I can’t wait to see the looks on your faces. PE-One!”
This chick, Riot thought as she studied the Doctor. She thinks she’s doing us a favor by allowing us to call ourselves by an acronym. She actually thinks she’s helping us.
Everyone looked to each other, trying to figure out if the doctor was serious or if this was some kind of weird joke.
“Well, what do you think?” Doctor Miller looked around at the squad, then zeroed in on Riot. “Do you like it?”
For a split second, Riot remembered watching a movie where a kid had made a wooden pickle for his father as a gift. A freaking wooden pickle that looked like a piece of excrement. He thought it was the best present in the world. His father had looked at it and thrown it away.
Be nice, Riot said to herself as she forced a smile to her lips. She means well in her own weird way.
“That’s … thoughtful … of … you,” Riot said the words like a robot. It actually made her feel sick to be so nice.
“Oh good, I’m so glad you like it!” Doctor Miller jumped up and down, clapping her hands together in front of her chest. “I was so worried you weren’t going to think it was a big deal.”
“Actually it kind of suck—” Ketrick stomped his booted foot onto Wang’s left foot. “Awww … suuuuuper.”
“Evonne, can you open the cargo doors, please?” Riot looked up at the ship’s metal cargo door.
“Immediately, Warrant Officer Riot.” Evonne’s ethereal voice drifted from the ship. “Congratulations on your promotion, Warrant Officer, and on the new uniforms.”
“I thought they were new,” Vet said, looking down at his clothes. “Kind of tight in the crotch, though, if you ask me.”
“Yes, we all have the SPEAR insignia on our uniforms now, and the secondary color of our uniform better fits our class,” Doctor Miller said, smiling up at the ship as the cargo bay ramp slowly lowered. “Riot’s secondary color is red, for leadership. Vet’s and Rizzo’s are yellow for engineer. Corporal Wang and I share blue for medic and scientist.”
“Well, I’m glad that mystery is cleared up.” Riot rolled her eyes as the cargo bay finished lowering. “Let’s settle in. Briefing when we hit hyperspace. Time to go to work, Marines.”
5
Riot stood on the bridge behind Rizzo, who touched the holographic display on the pilot’s control panel in front of her. She watched as he ran through the ships pre-flight system checks without really seeing what he was doing at all.
Riot was deep in thought about their mission and what she was going to tell her team. She was going to give them all the facts, of course, but should she also bring up what she suspected? That the Grovothe only wanted to meet with them now because they wanted something from them?
The metal doors to the bridge slid open with a whoosh.
“How is she not a spirit?” Ketrick strode in, wearing long, dark pants and boots with a cut-off brown shirt. “I understand she is everywhere on the ship at once, so she’s a spirit, by definition.”
“Artificial Intelligence is closer to a computer program than a supernatural event,” Evonne said, her Australian accent cutting through her words. “I assure you, I am no spirit. Is your dragon aboard and secure on the ship, Prince Ketrick?”
“Vikta has resumed a smaller state and is lounging in the ship’s cargo bay.” Ketrick looked up at the ship’s ceiling as if he were expecting to see Evonne at any moment. “Truly wondrous.”
“Thank you,” Evonne said as the doors to the bridge whooshed o
pen again. The three other members of the unit walked in, all taking their seats. Deborah and Wang to her left, Vet, and now Ketrick, to her right.
Riot took the captain’s chair in the middle of the bridge.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
“Incoming call from General Armon,” Evonne said. “Shall I put him on the main screen?”
“Yes,” Riot said, directing her attention to the large glass window that looked out the front of their ship.
A second later, General Armon’s perfect buzzed haircut, groomed mustache, and crisp uniform filled their field of view. His eyes were hard, his tone serious as he began.
“Marines, I know you didn’t have much downtime between missions, but when you’re the best of the best, you take what you can get when you can get it. Warrant Officer Riot will be briefing you while you are en route to your objective. I just wanted to remind you that, although the general populace will never know what you are doing today, the entire staff at the Bulwark, as well as my superiors and the President of the United States himself, see you for what you are: men and women willing to put themselves in the way of danger not only for our great nation, but also for the entire planet.”
General Armon paused for a moment as if he were gathering his thoughts. The look of pure determination never left his square jawline.
“There is a word for those people who do the right things, the hard things, even when no one will know. Those people are called heroes. Take care of each other, remember your training, and come back safe. God speed, Marines. Oohrah!”
“Oohrah!”
The deep sound from the three Marines on the bridge and Rizzo, who pounded a fist to his chest, accompanied the act of the screen disappearing and the window transitioning to clear glass.
“Are we ready to rock and roll, Corporal Rizzo?” Riot said from her seat as she secured the harness over her chest.
Rizzo’s answer came up in large, red letters across the main screen on the bridge: READY TO ROCK
“You have permission to take off,” Riot said, glancing over to Vet, who looked at her expectantly with his one good eye. “Where are we flying to today?”
Vet’s constant frown changed from his nose down. His brow remained furrowed but his mouth turned into a grin.
“Evonne,” Vet said to the AI, “play the soundtrack I most recently uploaded to the ship’s mainframe, please.”
“Right away,” Evonne responded. A moment later, the bridge was filled with a melody by a classic rapper from many years ago, Biggie Smalls; his song “Hypnotize” blared over the ship’s speakers.
Rizzo activated the engines. The ship shuddered to life. The next moment, they were lifting off the hangar floor, turning in a tight circle so the nose of their craft aimed at the exit tunnel.
In front of Riot, Rizzo’s head bobbed up and down with the music. Out of her peripheral vision, she could see the rest of the crews’ heads follow the motion. Even Doctor Miller and Ketrick were feeling the beat.
Riot’s stomach clenched and felt as though it hit her spine as Rizzo punched the thrusters. The Valkyrie rocketed forward into the tunnel and up the long, metal tube to the surface.
“Do we always have to take the tunnel this fast!?” Doctor Miller shouted, her face pale. She pressed the back of her right hand to her mouth like she was about to puke.
Rizzo turned in his seat, the craft still ascending through the tunnel. He looked at the doctor with a worried expression and a head nod, asking if she was all right.
“Keep your eyes on the road! Eyes on the road!” Doctor Miller practically screamed. “Oh God, I’m going to be sick.”
Rizzo smiled and turned back to the control panel. The next second, the ship was through the tunnel and headed up. The bright, orange star they called the sun blazed to the east.
Riot went with the feeling of the G-force pressing against her body as the ship barreled through the atmosphere. The Marines had taught her a lot about life. One of the harder lessons was that when things got tough, you embraced the struggle and, knowing it would pass, continued on.
Soon, the sky transitioned from blue to black. Thousands of stars twinkled out in the blackness of space, each one of these bright spots on the ebony map carrying a unique story waiting to be told. A story that could now be explored, thanks to the help of faster-than-light-speed travel.
Sooner or later, Riot understood other Peace Envoy Units would be assembled, if they weren’t already. Mankind’s greatest urge was to explore. They wouldn’t settle until they had reached the ends of the universe. Riot was sure of that, more than anything in her life. For now, that meant gathering allies. How long before they discovered enemies?
Thoughts of the alien race of Karnayers that Riot and her team had encountered while on Ketrick’s home planet of Hoydren swam across her mind. Earth had already discovered their next foe. At present, the Karnayers had been dealt with, either killed, retreated, or captured, while their leader, Remus, was being kept alive in a Trilord prison.
When the Trilords were done ensuring he paid for his crimes, he would be transported to Earth. What they would find out from him would be crucial to preparing for the next time they encountered the race of aliens. There was no doubt the alien would refuse to speak. Riot had heard stories of black ops interrogators and what they were willing to do to gather information.
Let’s just focus on what we have in front of us, Riot reminded herself. There’s enough to deal with here and now without worrying about the next conflict with the Karnayers.
The sound of someone puking brought Riot back to the current task at hand.
Doctor Miller had vomited all over the floor. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
She lowered her head, sending another wave of grey liquid onto the bridge floor. There were chunks of creamy mush in her vomit, and even a few brown lumps.
“Let me guess,” Riot said, eyeing the doctor with an amused expression. “Oatmeal, banana, and … raisins?”
Doctor Miller looked up, wiping a uniform sleeve across her mouth. “Yes, how … how did you know?”
“It’s like her superpower,” Wang said, looking down at the vomit with a grimace. “She can pick out vomit like a pro.”
“Get yourself cleaned up,” Riot said to her, then looked over to Vet. “Can you plot the course for us to the designated rendezvous? I’ll send you the coordinates now.”
“Roger that, Captain,” Vet said as he started maneuvering his hands around the hologram control desk in front of his station. See-through red images designating controls and readouts popped up in front of him.
Riot looked down at the right armrest of her chair where a control panel rested in her seat. She punched in a few of the keys, bringing up a file and sending it to Vet.
“Received and sending it over to Rizzo,” Vet said as he turned to Riot with a raised eyebrow. “Permission to ask where we’re going now?”
“As soon as we hit faster than light speed, FTL, I’ll tell you all the good stuff.” Riot looked up to the main screen where Rizzo was typing.
Coordinates locked. Ready on your go.
“Should we do something about that first?” Wang asked from his seat next to Deborah Miller. He looked green and was holding a hand to his own mouth. “It’s going to start sliding around when we hit FTL. I know it.”
“Suck it up,” Riot said, shaking her head and motioning to Rizzo. “Rizzo, let’s go.”
Roger that. Rizzo’s answer appeared in typed out red letters on the giant screen.
There was a slight jolt as the windows in front of them transitioned from a black canopy of white stars, to a warping mixture of colors that spanned the spectrum of the rainbow. Ethereal lights transitioned from red to blue to orange and every other color Riot could think of.
Who would have thought FTL would be like looking at the Northern Lights, Riot thought. Kinda makes you forget you’re traveling at breakneck speed through galaxies.
Wang leaned over and vomited on the floor next to hi
mself and Doctor Miller.
“Ugh, I’m usually good on trips, until I smell someone else’s vomit,” Wang said, letting out another torrent of his last meal. “We really need to clean this up.”
“It smells. His smells so bad!” Doctor Miller looked up at Riot with panic in her eyes. “I’m going to throw up again.”
“Easy.” Riot scrunched her own nose as the sour odors wafted in her direction. “Fine. Let’s get this cleaned up, and then I’ll tell you about the dwarves we’re off to meet.”
6
Riot sat in the captain’s chair on the bridge as Wang and Deborah mopped up their vomit. Her eyes tracked back and forth, scanning the information on her hologram display built into the side of her chair’s arm.
The piece of technology mirrored her hand’s movements, bringing a screen to the front as she motioned upward. When she slid her hand to the side, it transitioned to the next screen. Information matching what Riot had heard in the briefing the night before came to the front of the screens as she shifted through the reports for any piece of new information.
After her ride on Vikta the night before, Riot had stayed up into the early hours of the morning, looking through the information given to her on the Grovothe. To be honest, there wasn’t much.
Rizzo and Vet were busy at their consoles. Riot could feel Ketrick’s eyes on her.
“Yes?” Riot looked up at the Trilord. “Can I help you with something, or do you just want to stare?”
Ketrick shrugged. “I’m just admiring the technology you have at your disposal, Sorceress. I’ll have to get Evonne to teach me more of these wonders so I, too, can use the controls.”
Riot bit back a retort about being referred to as a sorceress. Riot and Ketrick both knew she wasn’t a witch, but they also knew Riot thought it was funny, whether or not she would admit it to the Trilord.
“Man, no more jalapeño spaghetti for breakfast for this Marine,” Wang said, shaking his head. He tossed a rag into a steel bucket. “That was rough.”
Click Click Boom (War Wolves Book 2) Page 4
