Chapter 3: Cadet Vivie

Vivie came awake crying. She was in a casket of some sort and the lid was rising. In the opening appeared a vaguely familiar face that changed from smiling to an expression of concern.

Sitting up, Vivie realized that she was naked, not that it bothered her. It was just a fact. She sniffled, then decided that she needed to ‘man up’.

“Welcome back, Missy, I’m Gunnery Sergeant Sam Anderson, and I have something of yours,” said the towering figure. “You and your baby toad-sticker saved my life.” He handed over her meticulously cleaned and sharpened Barlow knife. “You’re on the AP018, Indian Princess, and the AI says you are allowed to carry it anywhere you please. That’s a privilege not usually granted to anyone who hasn’t volunteered.” Then he reached out to help her from the med-tube. “Call me Gunny.”

“My name is Vivie, Genevieve Arthur, really,” she responded. “Please call me Vivie.”

“Well, young Vivie, it took some doing, but we finally figured out who you are,” he told her, “but now you’re an anomaly we really aren’t sure what to do with. You see, after that attack, we brought all the wounded back to the ship for treatment. Several wounded didn’t have their CAP cards with them, so the ship’s lieutenant just ordered the AI to test everyone without a card while in the med-tubes. Sort things out quickly, see?”

He sighed. “Turns out you have a CAP of 6.7 but you’re not quite twelve. You’re too young to volunteer, you have no sponsor, and the AI was about to shit a brick. It wanted to punt you back to Earth.”

“While I was still in the ‘tube, Corporal Stuart found out and told the lieutenant and the AI that the extraction team was likely to raise a real stink if they threw you back. When I got out of the tube, I was handed the mess, err problem, err you.”

He sighed again. “You’ve heard of the Chinese Obligation?”

Vivie nodded.

“Well, the AI has determined that I now belong to you!”

“Whaaa?!”

“That’s about what I said, too,” Gunny told her. “I’m to be your mentor. The AI has come full circle. It consulted with other AIs and they decided that you will be allowed to volunteer for service in the Confederacy. There’s a few, very few weird situations that were remotely similar, and you could be a ‘junior volunteer’.”

“You may volunteer to be a ‘cadet’ in either service, the Marines or the Navy, but it recommends the Navy. With citizenship, you may even choose the allocated number of concubines, but no sex of any kind until you turn thirteen, and no intercourse until you are fourteen.” He paused.

“Wow! That’s a lot of ‘cans’ and ‘mays’ and ‘cannots’. Reminds me of my reading about Vietnam – old enough to be drafted, fight, and die but not old enough to vote or drink,” she told him. “When and how do I choose?”

<If you are ready, you don either the Marine or Navy uniform in the closet before you.> a voice in her head told her. <Then, you say aloud, ‘I Genevieve Arthur, volunteer for the Confederacy.’ I’ll help you with implant communications later.>

Vivie, looked at Gunny, grinned, and walked over to don the black coverall uniform of the Navy. She explained, “I’m used to running with the boys, but I’m not so good at marching in step.”

The gut-gnawing hungry pair headed out to eat. They entered the ship’s chow hall and approached the section appropriated by the enlisted Marines as their mess. The room went silent when the giant Marine and the slip of a girl – woman? – approached. Then, there was the sound of pushed back chairs and a shouted ‘Oorah!’ The Marines nodded in her direction, reseated themselves, and resumed eating.

“That’s not something they’d do for just anyone or anything,” Gunny told her. “I guess your training starts now.”

As they stood by their chosen table, Gunny’s voice boomed, “Listen up Marines! This is Vivie Arthur, Cadet Vivie Arthur. Every one of you outranks her, unless she tells you ‘Gunny says’. When she does, whatever she says comes from my lips. Another thing, she’s a volunteer, but she isn’t thirteen. No sex! None! Nada! Not a touch or a lick! Give her another ‘Oorah’ so I know you understand.”

Again, chairs were pushed back and voices shouted acknowledgement.

Gunny led Vivie to the replicator and showed her how it worked. Returning to the table with trays loaded with steak, baked potatoes, broccoli, and apple pie, Gunny told her, “At home, one of my concubines would fetch our meals, but I don’t have any – with me I mean. Julia is pregnant and back in my home pod. Ruth and I weren’t good for each other, so I matched her up with a new extractee who seemed like a better fit. I was hoping to find a replacement while I was here on pickup duty.”

Vivie looked at him and said, “Instead you got saddled with me.”

“Yep, but I wouldn’t call it saddled,” Gunny responded. “You’ll just have to help me pick.”

“That’s fine,” Vivie told him, “but I don’t think I’m ready to be a sponsor, and for sure not a mother. I’ll wait. Anyone I could choose as concubine would have to be older than me. But don’t worry, I think I can work with you, ‘cuz I’m used to working with a strong mentor.” She spread butter on her steak, potato, and broccoli and began to empty her plate.

<You’d better, > the voice in her head told her.

Suddenly, Vivie was exhausted, and she released a huge yawn followed by another.

Gunny, smiled and told her, “Let’s get these trays recycled and you off to bed.”

“It’s no wonder you’re tired,” he explained. “You spent a heck of a lot longer in the med-tube that I did. Repairing your muscle and bone damage took seriously more time than my little puncture and blood replenishment. Your quick thinking and first aid saved me from some serious ‘tube time if I had bled out.”

As they walked, Gunny continued, “Ordinarily, I’ve been bunking with my Marines, but you rate a pod. I used your extra ‘tube time to scout us up one as far from the new extractees as I could. We’ll grab some rack time, and tomorrow I’ve scheduled you for some sleep training. You’ll start with Navy and Marine etiquette, protocols, and terminology. You may be a newbie, but we don’t want you to sound and act like one.”

As they approached a door, it opened for them to enter. <Cadet Genevieve Arthur, this is pod Green-six, > the ‘voice’ told her. <It is yours, and you can arrange and decorate it any way you please. I’m your pod’s AI; just tell me your specifications and ask me if you need directions.>

Still unsure how to use her implant, Vivie said aloud, “Thank you AI. Please call me Vivie.”

<Of course, Vivie. There’s no need to thank me.>

“I was raised to be polite,” Vivie responded. “We’ll both be polite to each other.”

<Acknowledged.>

Gunny looked at her, then pointed to a door. “Your master bedroom is through there. It has an ensuite ‘facility.’ I’ll be over here in one of the concubine bedrooms. Ask the AI for anything you need.”

Vivie stomped her foot. “No you won’t! You’re going to hold me and keep the nightmares away.”

Snuggled in his arms, Vivie cried for her lost Nate. She already considered Gunny a good candidate to substitute for Nate, but a distant second in her heart. She hurt, and would for a long while. As her sniffles wound to a stop, she pulled her new protector close and whispered, “Sam, I’m not an innocent. I haven’t done any sex stuff, but it’s okay with me if you find someone to haul your ashes. But every now and then, I’m going to need to be cuddled like this.”

Gunny turned, kissed her forehead, and she slept.

In the morning, while breakfasting in the mess, a tall, stunning blonde Marine approached their table. Gunny stood and introduced them, “Vivie, this is Melody, Staff Sergeant Melody Johns, my right hand, my friend, and my fuck buddy. Melody, may I introduce Cadet Vivie Arthur, my new owner? Sit with us, please.” Then he added, “You heard about yesterday’s FUBAR? I’m Vivie’s Chinese obligation.”