Chapter 14: Dinner

“And Poppy, remember that someday you will meet a frog who will turn into a handsome prince.”

“Good,” Beatrix said. “All she’s met so far are princes who turn into frogs.”

“Mr. Bayning is not a frog,” Poppy protested.

“You’re right,” Beatrix said. “That was very unfair to frogs, who are lovely creatures.”

—Lisa Kleypas, Tempt Me at Twilight

Jason spent an enjoyable afternoon with Robert and Marie in the kitchen, discussing the menu and then helping to cook his choice of food.

“I am placing you and your guests at your usual table,” said Robert. “Those in the canteen will eat as they usually do. They know you are special; now they must see that you get service as befits your royal status and the status you earned saving the ship.”

Janet and Phoebe arrived formally dressed as civilians, with their Marine escort ahead and behind them. Jason dressed in a formal suit with a black bow tie.

“Ladies, you are looking luscious. I can only recognize you from your eyes! Your armor looks fine but not as flattering as a lovely form-fitting but asymmetrical garment. Two dangerous women turn into soft and cuddly creatures at dinner!” Jason observed flirtatiously. “Tonight, Robert and Marie have excelled in the kitchen. There will be five courses with five different wines for you to try. Before we begin, I’ve made a cocktail called a ‘Brandy Alexander.’ I must warn you that these cocktails are lethal. Marie prepared pre-dinner snacks to help whet your appetites,” said Jason signaling to Marie, watching them through the kitchen’s transparent wall.

Marie, dressed in impeccable chef’s greens with her three-cornered hat, brought out a beautifully decorated platter of seafood appetizers, freshly netted that afternoon.

The tables had flowers in the center, and the drones placed special plates with the Kargo emblem in front of each guest as Marie placed the food on each plate and a drone added sauce to the seafood.

Jason thanked Marie profusely. The lights in the canteen were dim, and their table was the focus of lighting directed to the plates.

Drones handed cocktails to the guests.

“Jason, you scrub up pretty well yourself. That Earth clothing looks interesting and attractive. Tell us a little about yourself,” said Phoebe.

“My spies tell me that you guys have researched my background. You probably know more about my Empire family than I do. However, I’m happy to answer any of your questions, but I’d suggest that we wait ‘til the others join us so that I don’t repeat the story. Tell me a bit about your background while we wait,” asked Jason.

Janet Malone began. Her dress was red and fitted her body tightly. The dress had one sleeve off the shoulder on the right, but the sleeve reached her wrist on the left. Her skirt was short on the right side and long on the left, with a slit going up to the hip. She wore tight white leggings. Janet had an Empire red complexion but yellow hair. It was the Empire equivalent of Earth-blonde. She was tall, close to six feet, athletic, and healthy. She often smiled, but she had a severe demeanor.

Jason found Janet attractive, and so was Phoebe.

“I come from the most boring planet in the Empire. It’s an agricultural planet called Hesta. It’s so boring there that it makes me sleepy thinking about it. My parents are farmers, as were my father’s and my mother’s father. Our family goes back tens of thousands of years. I have two brothers and a sister, all of whom are farmers and married to other farmers close to where we live. Our family has none of the fertility problems you see elsewhere in the Empire. That goes for most people on our planet.”

“Remind me to talk about the priests and fertility,” said Jason.

Janet nodded and continued. “I wanted to be a Marine since I was six when I watched a serial involving a heroic Marine. Hesta produces many Marines for the Empire. When I was twenty-one and completed my undergraduate university studies, I enlisted; the Marines are my family and life. I can’t see myself doing anything else.”

“Why does Hesta produce so many Marines?” Jason asked.

“It is a pathway for those who don’t want to remain on Hesta and join the agriculture industry. Marine training is outstanding and takes sixteen years to train to our level. Basic training takes three years, and then we learn our specialties. We train on multiple planets in every kind of environment. We train in space and even qualify underwater. My people are all special forces trained.”

“Why do we have many highly qualified Marines on the ship?”

“This battleship crew is extraordinary and unusual because we are a very uniform group of humanoids. I don’t know why. The Empire is species-diverse. My best friend is a sentient lizard. They are large and can be irritable and overbearing but are fantastic shock troops and are powerful and relentless. The Empire has developed universal translators that facilitate accessible communication with diverse species that can’t articulate language or use telepathy. Every Marine must get fit and remain in peak physical condition. One must learn highly disciplined habits to survive.”

“What proportion of the military are the special forces?” Jason asked.

“As we serve in the military for a minimum of fifteen years, special forces represent a more significant proportion of the Army than you would expect on your planet. Thirty percent of our ground assault and all ship boarding troops are special forces. We also have elite groups in all our specialties.”

“Our medical care for veterans was indifferent. What is yours like?” Jason asked.

“Our medical care is excellent. We can repair most injuries, no matter how severe, except moderate to severe brain damage. I must stop there before I descend into evangelism for the Marines. Phoebe over to you!”

Phoebe sipped her cocktail delicately. Her hair was brown, which was uncommon on the ship. Her eyes were a green-gray mix. Likewise, her hair was tightly platted next to her head on the right side, and she had straight hair on the left side that extended to her jawline. She had high cheekbones and a narrow-wide mouth. She had an attractive and cheeky smile.

Phoebe looked at Jason, batting her eyelids. If he looked at her, she blushed. She wore similar clothing to Janet, except in green. The color shades were subtly different from those on Earth.

“We lived near the capital on an estate. My mother runs a merchant shipping Empire. Both parents come from merchant families, and their marriage merged two houses to form a much bigger house. Dad knew my mother was a great chief executive; she recognized he was a frustrated artist forced to work as a merchant.”

“What kind of art does he create?” Jason asked.

“My father is a famous sculptor and holo-painter and a homemaker. He is a superb cook, and he is a wonderfully warm man. He gets commissions from throughout the Empire. Dad produced giant sculptures that you will see in front of many buildings all over Cassiopeia and on many other planets of the Empire.”

“How did he handle creating art and running the family?” Jason asked.

“My father organizes himself well and delegates when he must. He was the one who supervised homework and went to school functions. He was a wonderful father. When he was busy on some projects, we had nannies who took over for him. At times when he was inspired, he would work day and night. My mother merged the two merchant empires and led a busy working life but was a devoted mother when time allowed. She learned to delegate more and spend more time with us as time passed.”

“Do you have any siblings?” Jason asked.

“I have one older brother recognized as an artistic genius who works with my father. They get on well together and have done so for centuries. I have five younger sisters.”

“How did you get into flying?”

Phoebe smiled. “The whole family is competitive in anything and everything. We competed at school in sports and games and had fierce competitions at home. Most would say we are fanatically competitive. When I was three, I started on a jet board, encouraged by my crazy father and brother. My father raced professionally in his youth. He played jet board hockey for one of the professional teams on Cassiopeia and played all over the Empire. Everywhere we go, people recognize him as a great center frontline player. He was among the elite of the elite and earned a fortune. He made enough money for our entire family to live on for the rest of our lives. My brother also played professionally but stopped a hundred years ago as he wanted more time for his art. My sisters compete at work and in sports.”

“How did it evolve?” Jason asked

“I raced on anything I could from the age of five. My father taught me to fly a small, racing shuttle when I was four. My mother was horrified. From five, I raced jet boards and a mini race shuttle. My brother was playing hockey; my sisters were on my heels. At school, we were into every sport. My father was our most avid supporter. My mother was the one who promoted the importance of academic studies. We all did well academically, but it was not our priority.”

“What led you to do what you are doing?” Jason asked.

“A critical event plays a vital role in our family. We traveled on holiday to a different planet every year. One year, my mother arranged a holiday to coincide with a freighter fleet delivery of goods to a new world our scouts discovered. We traveled on a newly fitted-out Cruiser my mother had acquired. It carried forty-five fighters. An incredibly stupid pirate attempted to intercept the fleet in an old Destroyer with four fighters, a derelict Frigate with one fighter, and two Corvettes that had been patched, so often there were none of the original parts left. We had 400 massive freighters armed with missiles. We had four Cruisers, sixteen Destroyers, forty Frigates, and a mini-carrier with 400 fighters. My mother liked to be prepared and then some.”

“The pirates deluded themselves they could succeed; I can’t imagine why they would attack your convoy,” said Jason.

“The pirates were high on Crawmills Wheel and believed they were invincible. They launched a futile suicidal attack. My mother takes no chances. She is a worrywart. She was always terrified we would be killed, taken hostage, or kidnapped. We had half an Army to protect us at home. If her precious family was going to travel, we went with a fleet and house Marines. Over the years, our naval fleet grew with our house.”

“Who led your fleet?” Asked Jason. “Was it your mother?”

Phoebe shook her head. “An ancient but spritely retired Admiral commanded our fleet. She fought in both Mob wars and was highly regarded. She explained everything she was doing to the children as if we were adults and showed us how she worked with her War AI. Furthermore, she was a great teacher and had a lifelong influence on our family. Four of my sisters have done the same as I have, joining the space force. One of my sisters is a brilliant strategist and tactician and has been made Admiral. She’s the youngest Admiral in the space fleet. Jason, you two would get on very well.”

Phoebe laughed. “No pirate could have taken on half our merchant fleet, excluding the escort. My mother wanted us to return to our cabins, but my father said we were safer on the bridge. It was the most exciting experience of my life and shaped my future. We slaughtered the pirates. I saw our fighters in action; they were beautiful, agile, and elegant. I fell in love with soldiers and space warfare; I knew it was what I would do,” said Phoebe passionately, glancing behind Jason. “Here come the others. I joined the space fleet. I love what I do and wouldn’t swap it for anything.”

Janet waved the latecomers to their seats. “You two took your time. It would be best if you learned to interrogate people faster. Jason asked us about our backgrounds before telling us what he said we already knew from our intelligence efforts. His counterintelligence informed him that we have been spying on him,” Janet informed the stragglers, smiling.

“Try this amazing ‘Brandy Alexander,’ and if you were a loose woman before it, you would be lost after,” said Phoebe laughing. “Connie goes next.”

Connie’s features were decidedly greenish, with short thick black/brown hair and pale green eyes. Her build was slight compared to the others. She had a stunning dark green dress with a plunging neckline and pale green leggings that matched her eyes. Her pupils were vertical and cat-like. She had metallic studs in the middle of her earlobe on one ear. She was startlingly lovely.

Connie moved quickly, and her movements were like a small mammal. When she talked, she waved her arms extravagantly. “Well, let me tell you a little about my family. We come from the planet Io, a massive Army training base that spans the planet. The outside is dry and hot. No one would live on Io if it were not for the Army. It’s so hot on the surface; everything is underground. The agricultural lights give us the characteristic green pigment that colors our skins. Beneath the planet’s surface, there are large caverns and tunnels. It’s an underground paradise for children to play in and explore. There are no natural predators that could harm us. The spectacular tunnels and caverns are among the great wonders of the Empire.”

“How do you get in and out of the spaces and connect them?” Jason asked.

The women all smiled. Connie continued. “Most of our cities, empire-wide, are underground. We use the surface for recreation and agriculture. Only the army uses the surface on Io. We have massive drilling machines continuously enlarging the habitats and training facilities. There are underground lakes and rivers throughout the planet. Though we grow our food hydroponically, we mastered underground soil-based cultivation. We eat minimal tank-derived animal and vegetable food.”

“Does the planet have native flora and fauna?”

“The planet has wide varieties of animals adapted to living underground. Most underground plants are inedible fungi. My mother made the planet self-sufficient. She’s a super biologist farmer and is a walking biology and botany encyclopedia. My father works in intelligence and is a professor and the Dean of Intelligence at the war college. He’s much older than my mother, but you would never guess there is an age difference between them. He looks young and has boundless energy and motivation. He’s a great cook, as is my mother. She trained as a chef in her youth. Cooking is my father’s principal recreation.”

“How did your parents get into what they do?” Jason asked.

“My mother came from a family of public service administrators. My father’s family was in military intelligence and academia, extending back to the distant past. My father says we are born into intelligence; if only we had more of it!”

Jason smiled.

Robert served the next course. Jason introduced the food and poured the wine. He indicated to Connie to continue. She ate with gusto, talking after every few mouthfuls.

“My mother and father met at a martial arts competition. They are equally competitive and are passionate collectors of weapons. My mother has a priceless ancient sword passed down through her family for longer than anyone can recall. Her parents gave it to her after she won a major interplanetary tournament. My father loves throwing knives, death discs, and darts. Despite his age, he’s good with a sword and performs well in unarmed combat. I started martial arts as soon as I could walk, and my mother insisted that I become proficient with the sword, while my father made sure that I could throw as well as he could.”

“When did you develop an interest in intelligence?”

“One day when I was eleven or twelve, on a day he was looking after me, I went with Dad when he gave a lecture to intelligence officers. I found it interesting and couldn’t stop asking questions and talking about it on the way home. He set me up in a simulation where I analyzed an interrogation, acted on the results, and continued the process as more information emerged. From that first day, my passion for my chosen area grew. I read everything that I could. We had a learning machine at home with the entire intelligence curriculum of the war college. By fifteen, I had done it all and had completed all the simulations. I thought I was doing it secretly, but my father knew I was using the machine. He created more complex simulations after the usual library of simulations ran out.”

“What did your mother think about your interest in intelligence?” Jason asked.

“She continued trying to excite my interest in agriculture but supported my passion. On my sixteenth birthday, my father took me to the war college, where I competed as an enemy intelligence General against a group of visiting intelligence colonels seeking promotion. The examiners were from the top intelligence college in Laomedeia, the capital, and created a challenging simulation. They argued I was too young to have a fair chance against experienced officers. Father told them I had done the war college course and all the simulations. The observers thought I would be minced krevil meat and warned my father that the talented officers would embarrass me.”

“That took some courage.”

“I was sixteen and full of confidence one minute and the next ready to fall apart. My father had more confidence in me than I did.”

“Nevertheless, you persisted; that was commendable,” said Jason.

“I slaughtered them, and after that, there was no way I would do anything apart from intelligence. The observers asked to see my previous simulations. After they looked at my results and how I achieved them, they offered me a scholarship to do intelligence training with them on Cassiopeia after I completed basic training at Imperial War University. They supported my application to the university. I chose to do my secondary training with the Marines, then transferred to Cassiopeia five years ago.”

“What work were you doing before this?” Jason asked.

“As a junior academic, I was researching intelligence analysis. Before joining the ship, Marshall Adams, the Dean, promoted me to join the HMS Empress Alana KerRexem to become the ship’s intelligence officer. ‘There’s something fishy going on, and that battleship is the key. It may be boring initially, but you will have the most terrifying and exciting life experiences by the end. That trip will make your career,’ he told me.”

“Where did he get that information?” Jason asked.

“The Dean has spooky second sight!” Connie added.

“Jason, you’ve had it easy so far, we’ll continue with the other two, but perhaps you will answer a few questions?” Janet asked.

“Fine, I shall do so with pleasure after Marie serves the next course. We must keep going with the food, or it’ll not be at its best.”

Marie passed wooden boards around with small pieces of roast meat and vegetables. Jason poured a Merlot from Margaret River in Western Australia.

“I believe your daughter encouraged you to leave and supported your trip. Can you give us a bit of background?” Connie asked.

“My wife suicide after she was diagnosed with dementia. We were married for fifty-five years. She and I grew up together as neighbors. Both families expected us to get together. I loved her as a friend ‘till I fell for her in my teens, but she went out with others. She said she wanted me to be jealous and chase her. I thought she wasn’t interested in me as a boyfriend.”

“When did you decide to marry?” Connie asked.

“While we were studying at university, Sarah encouraged me to marry her, and before I knew it, the years went by, we had two children, and we were old. I was eighty, and for Earth, that’s pretty old. Many friends had died of old age. After university, I spent time in the military in special forces specializing in jungle warfare, and fought for five long years in the jungle. It was a vicious, costly war that the politicians would not allow us to win.”

“What did you do after you left the army?” Janet asked.

“My later career was in computers, and I consulted in security. My daughter Lauren took over the company when I was sixty, and I reduced my hours. I was still working at the time of my wife’s death. Over the years, I believed my life lacked something important. I had a programming and cyber-security company that did well, but it was not enough. My wife and I had loving children, grandchildren, and many friends, but I needed something else. No other challenges arose, and I became old.”

“What do you think you were missing?” Phoebe asked.

“Since I’ve been on the ship, I’ve battled to rebuild my body, educate myself, and get myself up to Empire standards educationally and physically. I’m running faster and faster, but I can’t get ahead. Now I feel as if I’m no longer in control. One thing comes after me, and when that’s done, the next hits. Despite all of this, I feel alive and stimulated. I wouldn’t have said that when facing the pirates, but I feel better after facing the fear. Despite the lingering feeling that I’m an old man and my conflicting beliefs, I have a sense of direction.”

“What are you aiming to achieve?” Janet asked.

“I desperately want to get to the Empire and my great-grandfather, but everything obstructs me. Papa Zora prevents me from doing what I need to do. It’s strange ... a little over three months ago, I planned to live in a home for older adults. My body was full of aches and pains. Suddenly, everything changed; I was younger and stronger every day and headed into the unknown. I cannot control what is happening, yet I feel I am doing what I should. I don’t know who I am nor my place in the Empire, but I am confident I will find myself someday. I’m returning because my great-grandfather wants me back, as the Empress cannot meddle in my house.”

“That is disturbing,” said Connie. “You mentioned your experiences with the priests and the information you want to send?”

“When I was on Earth, the priests tried to kill me twice. A few weeks ago, they tried to poison me. My dogs foiled their attempt.”

The women looked at him, frowning.

“They are pet animals. They love playing but are fiercely protective. I’ll show them to you.”

“What happened on the ship?” Janet asked.

“I was incensed when I saw the dogs drag a priest into my wardroom at three in the morning and bite and chase away several others. I was not polite and friendly when the dogs dragged the priest in. I interrogated him while the dogs crunched his bones to encourage him to speak. The priest confessed they place poison in food replicators to impair the function of men. I don’t know what kind of evil bastard would poison all the men in the Empire. Correction! That’s not true; I know one evil bastard who would do that!” said Jason.