Chapter 5. A Close Look

by Tony

On Friday August 22, just before sundown I was summoned to a cabin near the bridge.

I had spent a long hot day, over 12 hours, first working on getting the various drones ready, then in the hold attaching the outrigger floats and loading ammo onto the two tracked vehicles. Attaching the floats is easy on the beach, because of the drive-on arrangement. But inside the hold, where space is tight, on a steel deck, moving the tank is a lot trickier, a small mistake could damage the ship, the floats and the vehicle. We had no spares for any of it.

The point is that I was dirty and sweating as I approached the door. When I knocked I heard a single word that sounded like “enter” so I went in closing the door behind me. It took me a moment to adjust, most of the room was filled with several tables pushed together covered in maps and charts, there was barely room to walk around it. A few chairs were on one side, but no bed. In the corner of the room was a small shower stall.

Irene stepped out of the shower stall, she quite naked.

I have not been in the military, so I really don’t know how to react to a naked superior officer of the opposite sex who was completely out of uniform. The troopers use co-ed showers and we have been together for a time, plus most of the guys and girls have spouses or sweethearts at home, so there is a “nudist family” feeling among the troops.

This didn’t feel like family. Irene and I had seen each other naked when I came in, before this got all military. In fact, she watched me fucking Nia and seemed pleased with my efforts to satisfy her friend.

My body had a reaction, and I was not sure what to do with that.

“Tony,” she did not address me “trooper,” which was how she addressed all the troops including me since we arrived at the training facility. “Come on in. I was about to take a shower and wondered if you wanted to share it with me before we go over the map.”

Showers on the ship are strictly limited to 5 minutes, even for the Captain, there is a timer on each shower head. You can stop the timer and the water, the idea is that you get wet, stop to soap up, then turn on the water again to rinse off. Most troops are encouraged to take showers in groups and alternate under the water.

The official policy is to shower every day, but not to use any water.

It was a very small shower stall.

“Could I come back a little later?” I really did not know how to say it in a military manner. “I’m kind of ... well I’m...”

She replied, “I should certainly hope so, I recall how long it has been for you since Nia and there is no privacy on a crowded ship.”

I did not seem relaxed.

She explained a bit more. “Look, I am aware you are non-military, the only non-military over 22 in this little task force. Because of how we met, a degree of informality is reasonable when we are alone in my quarters. I know you have been wrestling with an ornery 15 ton tank, so I figured a shower might be good for all concerned.” She had that right.

She smiled for the next bit. “Get undressed and don’t worry about stowing your weapon. I have seen it in action, but you can rest assured it will not be called upon here. Now, join me. Please? That makes it a request, not an order.” She stepped in to start the water.

It is a sin to waste hot water on the ship so I jumped out of my clothes. In the shower she washed my back, then I washed hers. Then she sighed and raised her arms with her back to me, inviting my hand to rub over her sides, with my fingers stopping for a moment at her breasts. My fingers touching her nipples for just a moment brought a satisfied sigh and a quiet “thank you.” She leaned back against me and could feel me stiffen. But that was as far as the deliberate contact went. There was plenty of non-deliberate contact, she washed everything and so did I. Maybe some of the accidental contact was intended, it was all nice. After the long tough day the water was surprisingly relaxing.

We each dried ourselves and smiled at each other, in this climate the shower feels good. She put on a little silk thing shaped like a short bathrobe with a slit sleeve. Then she held out a towel-with-a-belt thing I could wear. As soon as I put it on I could see that she became all military again. But she did give me a quick smile that raised hope for the future.

Looking around the room I had to ask where she slept.

“On a pad under the table. I need maps and other papers and space is at a premium with the crew and the troopers. Save your questions until later, for now I need you to look at the map and tell me what you see. The picture was taken this morning.”

This was the Red Cloud map of the Aztex area, assembled from the film camera. It was super detailed. The last time I was there was over a year ago, so I focused on the changes. The photo-map covered the table, 8 feet by 8 feet. The field with the pyramid had a new pad where tents - maybe to serve food and water - could be set. I could see where the power and water lines were buried because the grass was different. A few light poles were added to the edges of the field and the the dogleg trail connecting the field to the parking lot. On the trail the brick building was new, some of the windows had bars so it was a jail. Opposite was the water well, the pump, filters and storage tanks, all out in the open but essentially unchanged.

At the top of the path the cleared area was much larger. When I was there the shed with the tractors and the electrical equipment had been half surrounded by vegetation, providing cover for a break-in if desired. But now the shed was standing free in the cleared ground at the top of the path. The path entrance was enlarged on the other side as well. The entire upper leg of the path was twice as wide as before.