Chapter 2

New Pittsburgh, Mars

Friday, April 13, 2136

The Alexander Industries New Pittsburgh ammunition plant was five kilometers outside New Pittsburgh's main pressurized areas, on the side of the city closest to Standard Steel's main refining plant. The location had two advantages. First, this placed the plant close to its major supplier of metals for its shell casings and slugs. Second, this location minimized the potential destruction of the main New Pittsburgh pressurized areas in case of an explosion. Like most ammunition plants on Earth, the plant had a 300-meter zone free of any other structures. Unlike most ammunition plants on Earth, the 300-meter safety zone was enclosed with a pressure dome.

The plant itself used a variation on the standard design for all factories working with high explosives. Explosives manufacturers started using this design as early as the 1850's. The plants eastern and western exterior walls were weaker than the rest of the building, and would breakaway given sufficient internal pressure. The gravity plates in the safety zone adjoining these sides were set at 2Gs instead of the standard 1G of most gravity plates, a design feature unique to Mars. This slowed the expansion of the debris from an explosion. As an added safety feature, sixty seconds after an explosion, the gravity on that side of the building automatically dropped to 1G. This allowed rescue of injured workers blown into the safety zone by an explosion.

The northern and southern exterior walls were as solid as blast doors. In fact, these walls were constructed of the same material as blast doors, only twice as thick. On the inside of the plant were nine additional blast walls. These included eight walls parallel to the exterior blast walls with four on each side of the plant. Down the center of the plant, an additional blast wall connected the two exterior ones. The eight other interior blast walls joined this central wall at right angles. This created ten secure bays in which all the plants operations occurred. In one of the two bays nearest the MarsTrans station were management offices, the personnel office, the purchasing department, and the company cafeteria. The accounting department was in the Alexander Industries building in New Pittsburgh. This was the headquarters for all Alexander Industries Martian operations.

Each exterior weak wall consisted of five separate segments, thus allowing an explosion inside the building to destroy one exterior wall section without destroying the others. The overall design channeled any explosion outward, and limited its destructiveness within the building. This design also ensured that the office would normally be unhurt by an explosion in one of the manufacturing sections of the plant. Underground tunnels allowed transportation of materials between sections of the plant. As a further safety feature, the MarsTrans station was 500 meters south of the plant with a pressurized reinforced corridor connecting the plant with the MarsTrans station.

The administrative bay included the office of assistant plant manager Jacquelyn Johnson and her administrative assistant, Marilyn Kinney. Like most offices, the administrative assistant's outer office guarded access to the inner office. Marilyn's job included screening all calls, scheduling minor appointments, and screening people who wanted to talk with Ms Johnson.

This morning Marilyn was completing one of the hundreds of reports Mars Division headquarters and Earth main office required to verify that everything was running smoothly. Just as Marilyn completed the next to last section of the Small Arms Ammunition Production Report, her desk personal computer chimed. Marilyn noticed the call was from Ms Johnson and promptly answered. "Marilyn here, how may I help you Ms Johnson?"

"Marilyn, I need to talk to you in my office. Do you have the Small Arms Ammo Report done?"

"I just need to finish the last section."

"Good," responded Ms Johnson. "Please come into my office as soon as you finish the report."

"Right away, Ms Johnson."

Fifteen minutes later Marilyn sent a copy of the report to Ms Johnson's PC. Marilyn then checked her hair and make-up, as Ms Johnson was a real tight-ass about the personal appearance of her and her employees. Entering Ms Johnson's office, Marilyn took exactly two steps into the office and stopped, per Ms Johnson's standing request. Marilyn asked, "What can I do for you Ms Johnson?"

Jacquelyn Johnson looked up and thought, Just when I get this greenie broke in I lose her. At least my next admin will be from Earth and much smarter.

Speaking aloud, she said. "Monday at 12:30 pm the new assistant plant manager arrives at Triad. His shuttle leaves for New Pittsburgh at 2:00 PM and arrives in New Pittsburgh at 3:30 PM. By the time, he can reach the plant it will be almost 5 o'clock and I lose an entire day for briefings.

"I depart Friday on the 8:15 AM shuttle for Triad and then on to Earth later that day. This is all assuming I can bring him up to speed by Thursday evening. I need you to meet him at Triad when his ship docks. Give him the briefing I prepared for him. This should jump start the process and make sure I can leave on time."

"Yes Ms Johnson," responded Marilyn. "Does the new assistant manager have a name?"

"Yes, yes, of course he has a name. It's David Reed. I am downloading his picture and itinerary to your PC. Make sure you don't mislay them."

"I won't, Ms Johnson."

"Book yourself on the first shuttle Monday so you can meet Mr. Reed at his ship. The ship's name is in the files I downloaded to you. Give Mr. Reed the briefing first thing, then help him transfer his luggage to the shuttle. When you are back in New Pittsburgh send the luggage to temporary apartment 10 and bring Mr. Reed here to meet with me."

"Yes Ms Johnson, I will take care of everything and have Mr. Reed here before 5 o'clock."

"Good. You may go now."

As Marilyn left she thought Earthling Bitch. But, she carefully did not say a word. Returning to her desk Marilyn pulled up a copy of the briefing report and scanned it. If David Reed could not figure most of this out in the first day for himself, then he was even more incompetent than Ms Johnson seemed to think he was. Then again, Ms Johnson divided the world in to those beneath her, who were obviously unable to function without her direct supervision, and those above her whom she brown nosed constantly.

The office grapevine said that Ms Johnson was being promoted to plant manager of a plant on Earth. The rest of the rumor was that the plant was the smallest of Alexander Industries ammunition plants, just acquired as part of the acquisition of DefendCorp. Ms Johnson would not be missed by anyone at the New Pittsburgh plant, including the plant manager Thomas Nichols.

Back in her office Jacquelyn Johnson was thinking. Seven days from now, I can leave these greenies and Mars behind and return home to Earth, where real people live.

She did not even realize that top management viewed this as a way to eliminate a problem manager. What no one at Alexander Industries told Jacquelyn Johnson was that in nine months the company planned to close her new plant and layoff all the employees including the plant manager. The personnel manager who rotated back to Earth from the New Pittsburgh ammunition plant a year earlier was now the Ammunition Division Personnel Manager. Jacquelyn had caused him no end of trouble, both personally and professionally during his stay on Mars. Now he had personally selected Jacquelyn for her new job making sure she was on the pre-approved layoff list.

Marilyn reviewed the personnel information provided by Ms Johnson. She looked at Mr. Reed's most recent personnel photo so she would recognize him on Monday. The face that stared back at her had a strong chin, high forehead, heavy black eyebrows, and deep-set brown eyes. Like most ID photos, the photo made him look stern and forbidding. The file also stated he was 185 centimeters tall weighing 87 kilograms. Checking for a little more information; Marilyn noticed that he was born September 12, 2106, almost a year to the day before her birthday on September 25, 2107.

Marilyn then verified that Ms Johnson actually reserved temporary apartment 10. She made reservations for her round trip to Triad. Finally, she arranged for a one-day replacement, so Ms Johnson would have someone to abuse on Monday.

WSS City of Detroit, between Earth and Mars

April 15, 2136

"Well David, tomorrow we dock at Triad and I will be home by dinner." Sandra said while relaxing in one of the overstuffed chairs in the business class lounge. "I've enjoyed talking with you these last few weeks. You're such a good listener. It's an unusual quality in most men, and most women too."

"Thank you for the complement, Sandra. It's so easy to listen to you because you have so many interesting stories to tell. I actually feel like I now know enough about Mars to realize how little I knew about Mars. As much as I hate to end this, the purser said we will dock at 08:00 ship's time tomorrow. If we want breakfast we need to be there by 06:30."

Sandra responded, "Yes and it will be 12:30 pm Triad time, which is also 12:30 New Pittsburgh time. I always find its best to skip straight from breakfast to supper around 7:00 pm when this happens."

With that, David rose and took Sandra's left hand. They left the lounge walking hand-in-hand toward Sandra's cabin. Although this was the last night on the ship David had a feeling he had finally broken down Sandra's reserve. In spite of her insistence she would only have sex with him if he were going to Proctor, David thought she might change her mind.

At Sandra's door they stopped. David stared deeply into Sandra's limpid brown eyes, and felt an overwhelming urge to cradle her in his arms, sweep her off her feet, and carry her off to his cabin. Instead, he leaned over and moved almost to her mouth. He waited for her to make the final move. Their lips met with an intensity that none of their previous goodnight kisses had.

Without thinking about it, David encircled her waist with his right arm and placed his left hand between her shoulder blades. A shudder ran though Sandra's body followed by her opening her lips and slipping her tongue into David's mouth. It was like an electric shock going through their bodies. Suddenly, each of them needed the other desperately. Unfortunately, just at this moment one of the stewards came down the passageway. He stopped at each door, knocked loudly, and in a clear firm voice said, "Turn down service."

If looks could kill, the steward would have dropped in his tracks from the look David gave him. In the fraction of a second that David turned away from her, Sandra opened her cabin door and entered. Grabbing David's hand, she pulled him after her. Even as the door closed, Sandra gave David a kiss he felt all the way down to his toes. Their tongues dueled in the delicate dance of an amazing kiss. Then David reached out and ran his index finger along the outer edge and top of her ear. He quickly followed by leaning further in and gently licking her other ear starting at the earlobe, and trailing up the outside of her ear. David felt Sandra gave a little shudder.

David moved his left hand across the back of her dress, feeling for the zipper. Not finding one there, he slid his hand to her right side and found the zipper starting under the arm opening in her sleeveless dress. Sliding the zipper down in one fluid motion to her hips, he started trying to remove her dress. Meanwhile Sandra was trying to slide off David's suit jacket. She then started unbuttoning his shirt. By unspoken mutual agreement, they both stopped kissing long enough to remove his jacket, shirt, tie, and her dress.

They returned to stroking each other, and David found the clasp on her bra. Opening it, he slid the bra off exposing her breasts. David then began lightly stroking Sandra's shoulders and the side of her breasts. Carefully avoiding her areolae and nipples, he teased and stroked only applying light pressure, not so soft as a tickle but almost. Briefly glancing down he noticed that her nipples were sticking out like little reddish-brown thermometers. Gently kissing down her face, neck, and shoulders he approached her breasts. He just kissed the very top and the outside of one breast before descending lower to her abdomen.

After paying close attention to her bellybutton, he noticed Sandra starting to sway and undulate, trying to move her breasts down toward his mouth. Failing in this, she placed one hand on each side of his head, trying to force it upward. Instead, David used this moment to back Sandra onto the edge of her bed. She promptly sank back with a moan. David then moved his head upward in response to her steady pressure, kissing his way toward her breasts. He licked the underside of each breast, then licked the top of each breast. Sandra's moaning was turning into a whimper of frustration and anticipation.

Finally, David moved his mouth to her nipples, licking around each nipple within the areola ring. This raised goosebumps on each areola, and made her nipples hard as little pebbles. Taking one nipple into his mouth, he used a trick he knew drove him wild. He sucked just the nipple into his mouth, vibrated the tip of his tongue over it several times, then scraped his teeth across the nipple. Sandra responded as if he had run an electric current through her body. She arched off the bed and gasped, followed by a low throaty moan. Moving back and forth between her nipples, David raised her to a fever pitch.

Moving his mouth away from her breasts and nipples, his head moved lower. Her brief whimper ceased immediately as she realized where he was going. Instead her hands pushed on his head trying to speed his trip. David did not change his pace. He gently tugged at her panties as she arched her back and lifted her ass to help him remove them. Now he could smell the odor of her pussy juices and almost feel the heat. Gently he kissed down her abdomen right up to the top of her pubic hair. Changing directions, he kissed across the top and down the left side, bypassing her pussy altogether, and proceeding to the inside of her thigh just below the vaginal lips. Sandra almost pulled David's ears off trying to move his head back up to her pussy. Slowly lifting his head, he looked at her and said. "Relax, enjoy the ride, and let me lead. I think you will like it." Her only response was a groan and a loosening of her grip on his head.

Returning to her right thigh, he began to lick and kiss his way up the inside. Finally, he approached the outer lips of her pussy. He began to kiss and lick them, staying away from her clitoris, which was peeking out from between the upper portion of her pussy lips. The musky taste of Sandra's juices intoxicated David more than any wine could. Feeling a moment of triumph, David gave her pussy lips one more lick from bottom to top. Sandra exploded with a moan, followed by griping his head with her thighs.

Now David advanced on her clitoris and did the same thing to it that he previously did to her nipples. He sucked it into his mouth, vibrated the tip of his tongue over it several times, and then scraped his teeth across the head of the clitoris. That did it. Sandra arched her back off the bed and screamed in pleasure. When he started licking her again, she closed her thighs, pushed with her hands on the top of his head, and practically screamed, "Please stop! Fuck me now!"