Chapter 6: Between Assignments

Budzinski and Miller had requested and were granted shore leave on Earth. It had been a long time since Budzinski had last set foot on the planet of his birth and Miller had him thinking of past wars and the lessons that could be learned from them. The orders that assigned him to extraction duty left him feeling old and useless. Maybe he could get some advice from a couple of guys that were even older than he was.

Budzinski had arranged for Sgt. Carson to escort the pregnant Elizabeth to Demeter. The fiery redhead was ecstatic to be carrying Budzinski's baby. She could expect to remain in Budzinski's pod with his other concubines until after the baby was born.

Miller had accompanied Budzinski to San Antonio, but she remained in their hotel at his request. Budzinski had an errand to run and wanted to do it alone. Budzinski stepped up to the receptionist at the Audie L. Murphy Heath Care Home. The little brunette blinked at Budzinski's sheer size, "May I help you?"

Budzinski gave the woman a friendly smile, "Good afternoon, I called earlier asking if it'd be possible for me to visit Master Sergeants Reginald Cox and Walter Emerson. I'm Sergeant Raymond Budzinski." When the brunette remained frozen in place Budzinski followed with, "Hello?"

The lights came on in the big brown eyes, "Oh, I'm sorry." She looked down and retrieved the note that she had been given before lunch. "Yes, I believe they're waiting for you in the third floor visitor's lounge." She rolled back from her desk and shouted, "Anita, can you cover the desk for me, please?" The petite twenty-two year old stood and stepped around her desk. She was short enough to walk under Budzinski's outstretched arms, but was a solidly built hourglass in a brief halter and skirt. "Let me show you the way," she offered as she headed across the lobby.

Budzinski was ready to follow those swaying hips anywhere. He was only distracted from her hips by the crinkled nipples perched on a pair of firm D-cup globes that were pointing the way down the hall and trying to poke through the thin material of her top. The narrow strips of cloth that formed the bulk of the halter top exposed most of the bouncing breasts and barely kept her nipples from escaping into the open. He had been fucked silly no more than four hours ago, but was feeling serious wood taking up too much space in his boxers as he followed the brunette's jiggling butt to the elevators. The sound of her flip-flops slapping against her delicate heels was echoing in Budzinski's brain as well as in the polished hall.

In the elevator Budzinski tore his eyes away from the ample cleavage displayed by the skimpy top. He managed to focus on her face as he asked, "I didn't catch your name, miss?"

She flashed her brown eyes and white teeth. "It's Teri, Teri Eveready."

"Well, Miss Eveready," Budzinski asked, "Do you normally escort stray soldiers through the hospital?"

The blush was clearly visible beneath the deep tan on her cheeks and her tits, "I wouldn't consider you a stray, and Sergeant Cox is kind of special to us."

'Yes, he would be considering how he was wounded.' Budzinski thought to himself as he remembered that Cox had lost both of his hands and his eyesight when he picked up a crying baby. While both of the men he had come to visit were unsung legends, none was more so than Cox.

Had it not been for the obvious wounds, Budzinski would not have recognized the two mentors from his youth. The wrinkled and white-haired men were being fawned over by a brace of buxom redheads.

The man in the wheelchair looked up as the pair entered the room, "Budzinski! You're looking old, kid." Budzinski shook hands with the eighty-six year old Emerson, who had lost both legs when a mortar round had joined him in a foxhole. He also didn't hesitate to take the hook at the end of Cox's right arm.

"Man!" Budzinski exclaimed, "You guys have really become a pair of old farts! How do you rate all of this female attention?"

Cox sighed, "They just want us for our bodies."

All three women giggled and the redhead nearest Cox said, "You're just a dirty old man!"

Cox shook his head and appeared to be very sad, "No, but I'd sure like to be. So, what've you been up to, kid?"

Budzinski laughed, "No one's called me kid in ... Well, let's just say that no one calls me 'kid' any longer."

The three men sat around drinking coffee and remembered 'the good old days' while being waited on hand and foot by the three lovely ladies. Teri hadn't returned to her desk after delivering Budzinski.

Cox turned his sightless eyes toward Budzinski. "As much as I like to think so, you didn't just come here to shoot the shit with a couple of cripples. What's on your mind, Private?"

Budzinski laughed, "That's another moniker that I haven't heard in decades. All right, to the point then: there is nothing about tunnel warfare that you two clowns can't write a book about. I want you two to teach my boys how to fight in confined spaces. I lost eight good men and an outstanding lieutenant due to ignorance."

"Christ, we're pushing ninety, Budzinski. What the hell can a couple of old has-beens do?" There was a lot of regret and sadness in Emerson's eyes and voice.

"More than you can imagine," Budzinski replied. "It seems that neither of you have applied for a Capacity-Aptitude-Potential identification card. Didn't you know that it's mandatory to have one?"

Cox laughed, "Things stopped being mandatory for me long before people stopped calling you 'kid', Budzinski!"

"I'll bet these three lovely ladies have CAP cards hidden somewhere in their skimpy outfits, don't you ladies?" Budzinski glanced up at the trio and smiled as they nodded and touched various hidden pockets. He glanced at the clock. "Will you ladies be kind enough to help me escort these two to the side entrance? There should be a car waiting for us by the time we get down there. You two scofflaws have an appointment to become law-abiding citizens, and a destiny to fulfill."

"Where are you taking us?" Cox demanded as Emerson looked up pensively when Budzinski stood.

There was no question in Teri's mind that Budzinski was a Confederacy Marine who was there to help as well as be helped. She turned to the blind man and with a smile big enough to be heard in her voice told him, "Just shut up and do as you're told, Sergeant. You don't have to be a pain-in-the-ass all of the time!"

When the trio of veterans returned three hours later, Cox had an ID with 7.3 in bold numbers. The one in Emerson's pocket displayed 6.9 with some interestingly high nurturing and sexual response sub-scores.

Budzinski had gone to the hotel while the duo was being tested and had given Miller the details about his mysterious errand and what he was planning next. She didn't have any questions. She had just kissed him and headed to the Confederacy Consulate's office to get the equipment that Budzinski had requested. While she was there she contacted and made arrangements with the Asimov. It had just entered orbit, but was not expecting to board Budzinski and Miller for another three days.

Teri and the two redheads came out the health care home and approached the van breathless from their quick trip across the facility. Their lookout had had them paged and told them that Reggie and Walt were back.

"How did you do?" The taller of the two redheads, Wendy Scott, asked as she steadied the wheelchair in the lift that was sticking out of the van's sliding door.

A tired and truculent Emerson groused, "None of your damned business!"

The other redhead, Sandra Collins, smacked him on the shoulder. "Don't be such a grump!"

Teri and Sandra were on the steps waiting for Wendy to push Emerson's wheelchair up the switchback ramp. Teri grabbed Budzinski's arm and leaned in close enough for him to feel the heat radiating from her left breast and told him in an even tone, "You're going to take them away from here, aren't you?" It wasn't really a question.

Budzinski looked into the warm brown eyes and thought, 'You're not as dumb as you look.' He answered her question with a shrug, "That's up to them. Would you be interested in tagging along and helping me?"

Teri's heart leapt into her throat. She couldn't speak, but nodded enthusiastically and looked questioningly at the two redheads.

Budzinski tilted his head and shrugged again, "If you trust them, have them meet us in the cafeteria for dinner." He cautioned her, "If there's a crowd, then nothing happens."

Teri found her voice. "I understand," she told him before crushing her soft breasts into his chest and kissing him full on the mouth. When she looked up she was staring into the frowning gray eyes of an unusually large brunette who had appeared from behind the rear door of the van. A heavy backpack pulled the brunette's shoulders back causing an impossible pair of tits to thrust out high and proud.

Budzinski followed the open-mouthed gaze and laughed, "This is Corporal Cynthia Miller who will be orchestrating my surprise later this evening. Miller, this is my guide, Teri Eveready."

Miller extended her hand, "I'm sure she is, too." The two women laughed as they shook hands. Teri's face and chest again had a pink undertone.

The group had made their way from the lounge to the cafeteria when the evening meal was being served to the staff, visitors, and ambulatory residents. Miller put down her heavy pack inside the door and checked her PDA.

Budzinski wheeled Emerson up to a table and suggested, "Let's sit here for a minute and let the crowd in the serving line clear out a little." There were no more than a dozen people in the whole room. Teri looked puzzled as Budzinski checked with Miller. She indicated that there were four more potential volunteers in the room in addition to Cox and Emerson. "Teri, I saw a group of candy-stripers step into a lounge on the way here. Would you be a dear and ask them to join us?"

Teri was less confused as she sprinted for the door and disappeared up the hall with her butt and boobs bouncing enticingly. A few more orderlies, both male and female, entered with patients while Teri was gone. She was back in two minutes leading a group of six teenagers, three nurses and the only female doctor on duty that evening.

Miller signaled Budzinski that there was a volunteer in the group of women. Budzinski signaled her to secure the room.

Miller closed the door and triggered the small shield generator that blocked both doors leading into the hall. She then crossed to the kitchen access and shouted, "Would everyone please secure the stoves and then step into the serving area? Thank you for cooperating." She pushed a button on her PDA that signaled the drone overhead to isolate the cafeteria with an interdiction field.

Budzinski didn't need his amplifier in the modest dining area, "Ladies and gentlemen, if I may have your attention for a few minutes I believe I can conduct my business before your meals get cold. My name is Master Gunnery Sergeant Raymond Budzinski. My colleague and I are here to extract a few of you for service in the Confederacy Space Marines, or one of the wimpy branches that help us out from time-to-time."

"Budzinski, you asshole!" Emerson shouted from his wheelchair. "I told you already, we're too old to be of any use to anyone!"

Budzinski sighed, "You're probably right, let's see shall we?" He turned to Teri, "Be a dear and ditch the lovely outfit." Teri smiled as the skirt hit the floor around her ankles. She was reaching for the fastener that held her halter together when Budzinski look back at her. "Damn, that was fast." He looked at Emerson, "If the plump young pussy below that little patch of brown fur can't make you hard, then all that's left is for someone to throw dirt in your face because you're already dead."

"A potential volunteer only needs two things before the AI will let them onto the ship." Budzinski paused before telling Emerson and everyone else the room. "You have to have a CAP ID with a minimum score of six-point-five, and you must be able to create offspring."

Budzinski looked at Sandra and Wendy, "If one of you ladies can manage to suck a load out of Emerson, I'm certain he would consider bringing you along." Turning to Teri he added, "I believe that my young assistant would like first dibs on Sergeant Cox, though."

Sandra and Wendy had Emerson out of his pants in short order. As fast as they were, Teri was already on her knees and pulling Cox's limp noodle from his fly.

Cox started to protest, "What if we don't ... oh! Oh, Shit! Who is that? Damn!" His noodle wasn't limp for long.

By now all but one of the candy-stripers was naked. The last one stood toward the back of the group wearing only a pink bra and matching panties. She was timidly working on the bra fastening between her pert young breasts trying to decide just how far she was willing to let this go.

Budzinski spoke to the room at large as he walked toward the group that Teri had escorted from the lounge. "There are five more candidates in the room. If you would be so kind as to raise your hands, Corporal Miller will answer your questions as you select your travelling companions."

Budzinski was only mildly distracted by the display of young female bodies as he approached the group. Only one of them had made no effort to remove any of her clothing. Giving her his friendliest smile Budzinski asked, "May I please see your CAP ID, Major?"

Major Rita Fredericks, M.D. smiled as she pulled a credit card sized piece of plastic out of her brassiere and sensuously placed it into Budzinski's outstretched hand. Had it not been so cool in the room, sweat would have broken out on the tough man's lip as the busty blonde almost hypnotized him with her pale blue eyes.

He was shocked when he was able to focus his eyes on the card. "Very impressive, Doctor Fredericks, it's not often that medical people score an eight-point-three. Too much empathy, I believe." Budzinski couldn't resist. He dropped his reader onto Maj. Fredericks' card. He was not surprised to see that she was a very aggressive bisexual dominatrix. He was a bit concerned about a footnote indicating she was not squeamish about violence or death.