Chapter 14

Day 7

The ship grew in perspective at an impossible rate, which told John the ship was moving with incredible speed. John knew there was absolutely no way the craft was going to pull up. He prepared himself to jump out of the way of the explosion, that he knew he would never get clear. He was glad the gravity had been lessened in the bay. Because of it, he might have a slim chance.

The ship shot through the electro-gravatic curtain at a ludicrous speed, only to flip ninety degrees, with its maneuvering thrusters at max. The way the hair on his arms stood up on end, John was certain that the anti-gravs were at max as well. The ship then settled gently towards the now extending landing gear.

Sam laughed at the look on John’s face, then elbowed him in the ribs to get his attention.

“I think you and Commander Zan will get along famously. She is as insane a pilot as you are.”

John glared at Sam scowling, but he couldn’t hold it. He burst out laughing.

The three of them followed the ship over to the platform and rode the platform down to the hanger level. Once they and the ship moved off the platform, the platform moved up into storage quickly. With a satisfying ‘thump’, John knew it was locked into position. The ship’s anti-grav unit set it down. John, Sam, and Adam came to attention.

When the door slid open John’s eyes locked with Kirkuria’s, as she stepped down from the ship and came to attention. She had auburn hair that reached past her shoulders, and nearly emerald green eyes. The only word that came to John’s mind to describe her figure was svelte. He realized that some of this was because the lack of musculature due to the differences in gravity, but not all. Sam cleared her throat quietly, and broke the momentary enchantment.

“At ease, Commander.”

The moment she went ‘at ease’, so did John followed by Sam and Adam. John had been studying and found that the Rhylertians didn’t have any kind of a salute. They simply showed respect, by standing at attention until their superior was out of sight, or they were told to be at ease. He had found a common greeting that he had practiced, and believed appropriate for the moment. John put his hand over his heart and then extended it the palm up toward Kirkuria Zan.

Kirkuria was nervous. The landing she had made was reckless, and she expected a reprimand for it, but they had said she needed to hurry. It didn’t help that her hormones seemed to be in overdrive. They had been ever since she had seen the video feeds of the Admiral.

He had become the sole focus of her masturbation fantasies. When she had stepped down from the hatch, their eyes had locked. She felt the dampness growing, but realized he wanted her as much as she did him. She knew the look on his face all too well. She had turned down many a fellow officer who had similar expressions on their face. She knew with equally certainty, that she would never turn down the Admiral if he made such a request.

She stayed at attention, until he told her to be at ease. She was glad that her parents had insisted on her learning proper Rhylertian customs. Otherwise she might not have recognized the gesture that the Admiral had made.

It was a nonverbal gesture of welcoming someone, normally, to your home. The gesture meant: I give you my heartfelt welcome. She felt herself automatically responding. With her palm up extended toward John, she raised her hand and put it over her heart. Meaning: I take your welcome and hold it dear to my heart.

“Commander Zan. Welcome to Terra Moon Base,” John said with a voice that sounded stronger than he actually felt.

“Thank you, for the sanctuary you offer me,” she offered in slightly halting English.

“I apologize, Admiral, that I have not time to become better...”

John could tell she was searching for a word.

“Versed, yes, that is the word.”

John smiled and switched smoothly to Rhylertian, “Commander, I understand all too well the difficulties in learning a different language. Since I speak yours, in an acceptable manner perhaps you would care to speak it? I should mention that I’m also fluent in Galactic Standard, if you prefer.”

Kirkuria seemed to relax visibly, before saying, “Thank you, Admiral, your language is difficult.”

“Commander, this is a non-military installation. So, if you don’t mind, please call me John.”

Kirkuria raised an eyebrow, and looked at the Admiral to find out if this was a joke played on newcomers. How could he be serious? No one ever set aside their rank. At least she was not aware of anyone having done so. But he looked completely earnest in his offer.

“Very well, Sir, you can call me Kirkuria,” she offered hesitantly.

John’s smile widened before he added, “Kirkuria, please drop the ‘sir’ too, just John.”

Kirkuria was so stunned that she hadn’t even noticed that her ship was stowed. John, being aware of Kirkuria being more fragile than most people, took her arm very gently. He led her across the large hanger. She had no eyes for anything. Kirkuria was staring at John.

John stopped and looked at her, “Kirkuria, is there something wrong? Have I done something inappropriate?”

Kirkuria just stared at him, unable to voice all the things that wanted to come forth including her growing attraction to him.

Sam stepped forward and said, “John, if I may? I believe Commander Zan is suffering from the same problem I had when you asked me to call you by first your name. It is difficult to get around the years of ingrained training that the people of Rhyler go through. You see, John, there isn’t a single superior officer on Rhyler who would ever allow someone of a lesser rank call them by name. I’m also certain she is waiting for a reprimand, in regards to her landing.”

John looked to Kirkuria, who agreed by nodding her head.

“Which part are you agreeing to?” John asked.

“All of it, Sir.”

Sir! Sir! There it was again. John’s shoulders slumped, and he looked at the floor. He could almost understand. Ray and Bill had insisted on it, and he was all right with that. Why was it so different with Kirkuria?

‘Because you care about her,’ a part of his mind supplied.

‘That’s impossible,’ he thought back, ‘I have only just met her.’

‘Deny it all you want,’ was the reply, ‘one day you will have to admit it.’

Damn but he hated it when he started talking to himself. It was even worse when the arguments broke out, especially when ‘he’ was losing! At least no one else could hear him.

Kirkuria felt her heart ache, when she saw John’s strong shoulders slump. She had disappointed him somehow. She thought back furiously, and realized it had happened after she had called him ‘sir’, again. She resolved to do much better.

She could not believe how closely her own emotions were being tied to this man she had just met. Yes, there had been cases of instant bonding. They were very rare, but they had occurred. Is that what had happened here? Was she bonded to this man? She pushed the thought aside. She had caused John’s present state, and she intended to fix it.

“John, I’m sorry,” she said hesitantly, “this is all so new to me.”

John looked up with hope in his eyes, he could see that she truly meant it, and that she had called him John. He pulled himself up, and smiled for her. The one she gave him in return, made him smile even wider.

“You see, John ... my people, Rhylertians, would have taken this opportunity to ‘prank’ a newcomer. I suppose this is what I expected from you as well. It would have given them an opportunity to give me two reprimands, and to give me less than pleasant duties for a while.”

This was a revelation to John. Nothing he had studied so far, had mentioned anything like this.

Sam saw his turmoil, and decided to explain further.

“John,” she said, “call it what you will ... boredom, regression. What you think of as childish or sophomoric, most Rhylertians would find very funny.”

That settled something in John’s mind.

“Kirkuria, there will be no reprimand. You have done nothing that I can see as wrong. I only ask that you teach me those landing maneuvers.”

Sam could hold it no longer, and burst out laughing. Kirkuria got a very worried look on her face. Sam took her by the arm and led her a short distance away. From somewhere John noticed a screen had appeared. John rolled his eyes, when he realized that Sam was showing Kirkuria the video feed from one of his flights.

Soon the two of them were returning, and they both had smiles on their faces.

“John, I’m not sure that there is anything that I could teach you about flying, but in this case I have to give a lot of the credit to the AI. It was giving the exact moment to perform each maneuver. I simply performed them in the timed sequence it gave me.”

Sam frowned at this, so John quickly steered the conversation away. He showed Kirkuria where her ship was to be stowed until she wanted it. She was fascinated with the strange ship designs in the hangar.

She marveled over the Wraiths, but was confused over the Griffin class. She wanted to know the reason behind having two people in a fighter. John explained the separation of duties, since it was a heavier fighter it was less maneuverable, so the pilot did the flying and the passenger took care of all weapons systems. She nodded, but John wasn’t sure that she really understood the concept.

Her eyes lit up when she saw the Chimera class. The ramp of the Valkyrie was already open so he took her on a tour. When she saw all the strange controls, she asked about each, and walked away shaking her head. John did get to explain that the controls were different on the Valkyrie, because it was a one-person ship.

She asked about the AI, and John almost told her the truth. He almost pointed out Sam, but a small voice insisted that he keep that information to himself for the moment. So instead he explained that they were updating the mainframe at the moment, and the AI wasn’t available.

John hated to lie to anyone, and what he told Kirkuria was almost true. Sam had been away from her mainframe while it had been upgraded. She had notified him just prior to his meeting with Ray and Bill, that she was transferring back to her own mainframe. She and Adam had decided that the need for Sam to have increased processing capabilities was a priority. It would help her to run the base while Adam was transferring, without the risk of an overload.

John still wasn’t sure why he had stretched the truth. It was beyond the nagging little voice. There was something in the expression on Sam’s face. She seemed worried about something.

After an inspection of the shuttles it was time to see Kirkuria to med-bay. She scrunched up her face when John said where they were headed. John had no idea, what having bone and muscle mass added would feel like. It sounded uncomfortable, if not downright painful. He truly hoped that it wasn’t.

When they were about to enter the elevator Kirkuria took note of the strange looking chair. When John explained that it was to help her to the med-bay, so it wouldn’t be so arduous on her, her pride flared. She thanked him for being so considerate, but explained that she would rather make it under her own power.

John saw the same expression cross her face as had been there when she had refused to leave her ship, and knew there would be no arguing with her about it. There was enough room for them all to easily fit into the elevator. Kirkuria felt her body suddenly become very heavy. She eyed the chair, but her pride kicked in again, and she became determined to make it.

‘After all,’ she thought, ‘John said that it was a forty percent difference between the gravity I’m used to, and theirs. Since it is only forty percent, I should be just fine. Med-bay can’t possibly be that far. Surely it wouldn’t be any more strenuous than a heavy workout.’

Deep down she knew she was deluding herself, and that she should accept the help.

She had to commend John, as he was careful about their progress. As they left the elevator he allowed her to set the pace. She knew she was moving quite slowly, but John seemed so patient. When she fell against the wall sweating profusely, and panting heavily, John was there to catch her before she had a chance to hit the floor. When she felt the amazing strength in the arms that carefully cradled her, she realized what a fool she had been.

John saw her going down, and moved quickly and carefully to make sure she didn’t make contact with the walls or the floor. When she had looked up to him with such admiration and...

‘And what,’ his mind asked, ‘you saw something else. What was it?’

John ignored the question and took stock of the situation. It was nearly as far back to the elevators to get the wheelchair, as it was to the med-bay. The deciding factor was when he looked down. He couldn’t tell if she was conscious or not. She was leaning against his chest though and he felt the racing of her heart. She was still gasping to try and get her breath.

He began taking very long and quick strides for the med-bay. Sam and Adam had disappeared. He realized one, or both of them were prepping the equipment. He quickly arrived at the med-bay, and was met by Sam.

She had a glass of the green liquid, similar to that she had given to him, once before. John remembered quite well the wonderful effects the medicine had had. He shifted Kirkuria, so that Sam could get sips of the liquid into her. Suddenly John sensed someone else in the room. He turned to see two men in white smocks. He was curious at their strange reaction, when the two men suddenly took a step backward away from him.

He felt Sam stroking his arm tenderly. He turned his attention back to her.

“John,” she said in a very comforting voice. “These two men are doctors. They are here to observe, only observe.”

John felt he should be offended by her patronizing tone, but he didn’t have it in him. His focus of concern was Commander Zan.

When Sam saw that John had turned his attention fully onto her, she seemed to relax a bit. She led John over to a small bed.

Sam was glad that John was no longer focused on the two doctors. If she had known that John would have reacted in such a way she would not have invited them here.

Dr. Stephen Arnold and Doctor Michael Beckett had been invited to see an unusual procedure. Since they were not allowed to use the equipment yet, it seemed like a wonderful opportunity. They were standing and waiting when Sam suddenly appeared in the room. She explained that the patient was on the way, and that John was bringing her. They hadn’t had a chance to meet John yet, so they were excited for more than one reason, now.

When John came into the room, they could see that the patient had less muscle mass than most people on earth. Normally, exercise was the only way to increase it. They had been told that there was a genetic alternative, and they couldn’t wait to see it in action. Stephen stepped forward to get a better look at the patient cradled in John’s arms. It was as though John sensed his movement, and knew that they were there, because he turned his focus on them.

John’s visage was savage and frightening, and they both took a step back. His face displayed near feral protectiveness, normally displayed only by animals. Both swore, later, that they had heard a deep rumble coming from John. To them, it sounded like a growl.

They were both relieved when Sam stepped up and stroked his arm, and he turned his attention off of them. Both doctors agreed with that part of the original plan, and modified it in their own minds. They weren’t going to touch this small woman, ever! It surprised them when moments later they saw a very kindly man lying the woman down on the small bed. This was not the man they had faced but a moment before. They were both a little confused over the difference.