COMMANDER

“Agreed. The bad feeling is mutual. Yet, how else can we learn anything? To stay dirtside is really our only option, and at least we will only be risking a small team and not the whole ship. We will stay on high alert here, I suggest you do the same with the ship, Captain.”

“What about the rest of your clan?”

“Don’t worry at all about them. Lieutenants Jenkins and Timmons know if I am separated, they are to command their Wedges independently and work together strategically. They also know to cooperate with you and the doctor the same way we have been doing.”

Lewellyn nodded. “I’ll fill in the doctor while we prepare the data packet to send down.”

“Keep the engines hot, Captain. If the Shaquaree pop in, run. Run fast and run hard. We’ll do what we can to head to the bush and stay hidden till we can sort it out.”

“Agreed. If we do become separated, Commander, try to make the gas giant our rendezvous point. If your pilot is any good you can make it there in, say, three to four days on gravitics without turning yourselves to paste.”

Grone Nefal was returning with a big smile creasing his face.

“Gentlemen, all is well! The PM understands your situation now and will allow all we have discussed.”

Within the hour the captain was on his way back to the ship, having set terms and parameters for delivering the data packet and our recordings of the betrayal of the Shaquaree. After the “security team” and I accompanied Lewellyn to the shuttle and they took off, Grone Nefal led us to a building where we would be housed temporarily. He was chatting happily non-stop on the way, providing much noise but little actual information.

Our new quarters were located approximately one and a half klicks from the central government building, situated in a brown-colored building of what looked like concrete with a brick façade. More evidence of potential treachery was growing. I could have sworn Grone led us on a winding tour which doubled back on itself at least twice. Perhaps an attempt to disorient us?

“Ronin.”

“Here.”

“Check our backtrail against Combat . . .”

“Yeah, we’re being twisted, Wolf. Already on that.”

Sonofabitch. Could this be an innocent and to-be-expected move of self-protection by a frightened government, or was it a deliberate move to disorient us with evil intentions?

And my team was already on to their trick! Hah! Of course, nearly all of the team had recorded higher IQ scores than mine, which meant they damn well should have noticed the subterfuge! However, Ronin’s score was noticeably lower. Hell, hers was the lowest on the team. Which made me wonder if she had been sandbagging the tests. Why would she do that?

Once we arrived, I was shown the street-level floor of offices with a kitchen and eating area, where we could cook our own meals. The second floor was a series of rooms, reached either by stairs or by elevator, where we could stow our gear and sleep individually in separate rooms with comfortable-looking beds. A third floor was essentially a large open storage space, empty at present. A secretary/aide would appear soon to help us with anything we required.

How very interesting! Was this building some sort of hostel type of structure, intended to house guests or students, or perhaps business people? Some sort of fancy barracks for trainees? How incredibly fortunate we were that such a building, with enough separate rooms for all of our group, was empty and ready for our occupation!

I thanked Grone profusely and expounded on our friendship, and invited him to come by later in the day to visit and talk. He eagerly agreed, and left us in a very happy mood.

“Ronin, take the team up to the third floor by the freight elevator. According to the specs it will hold two suits at a time easily. I will meet you there in a few minutes.”

She replied with a hand signal of confirmation and just led off. I stood outside on the sidewalk looking around like a tourist for a while. Traffic was light. I was amazed so few of the local Hanosians were interested in gawking at the Earthlings. There was what appeared to be the equivalent of a pastry and coffee shop several buildings down and across the street. No advertising signs appeared other than building or business names printed on the faces of the buildings above the main entrances. No flyers, no posters, no newspapers, no litter swirling in the light wind. Other than the few people walking by, it seemed somehow barren.

I took the stairs three at a time at a run up to the third floor where the team was waiting.

“We can detect no bugs at all, Wolf. No cameras, nothing. We did a full scan on every sensor we have,” Ronin reported.

“Anything from outside?” I signed to the group.

Heads shook negative in response.

“Okay,” I said out loud, “we’ll move some beds up here to set up a barracks. Back the suits up to a wall between the windows for shutdown in Condition Two. Go ahead and pop ’em and let’s get changed. Remember, no camo on the BBDs.”

As suits popped open with a brief tiny hiss when the seals broke and the pressures stabilized with external air, troopers began to climb out. Condition Two meant the suits would be set to close and seal and the AIs would remain online and alert, monitoring externally with passive sensors and with suits locked. Condition One would turn the sensors from passive to active and add more armed counter-intrusion measures. No one could open a suit in Condition One or Two except the trooper synced to it (and Command, of course), and anyone who tried to force one open would be in for a nasty surprise.

“How about a shower before we dress, Wolf?” asked Mouse. “I scanned showers in each room on the second floor.”

The tall female trooper was standing before her suit wiping at her skin like it had dust or some kind of goo on it.

“Problem with the gel-skin?” I asked.

“Naw, I just always feel like this coming out. But it sure would be nice to take a real shower again with hot, hot water, sir.”

I nodded. Everyone would probably enjoy a water shower.

“Okay, go. Half and half, security and shower, then turnabout,” I instructed. “No matter what’s there, use nothing. No soap, no shampoo, nothing but water.”

“Got it, boss,” she said with a big grin.

Ronin took over immediately and organized them into two squads. One squad would be security for the other squad showering, then they would trade off. Soon enough they were back. I had been watching out of the windows and using my eye implant to zoom wherever I thought might be a good hiding spot for any watchers on roofs of distant buildings. Infrared had revealed what I suspected.

“Speak carefully,” I signed to several of them as they came through the doorway of the stairs. “At least two watchers now spotted on roofs.”

My instructions were acknowledged and those who saw would pass the word to the others behind them.

“My turn,” I announced out loud, cheerfully. “Flyboy, come with me.”

I spotted Ronin from the corner of my vision signing quickly and both Spear and Dog picked up weapons and, still nude, followed Flyboy and I. I stopped us all in the stairwell.

“Flyboy, what’s the status of the AV?”

We had left it in the big square in front of the central government building where we had met the ministers.

“Right ’n tight, Wolf. AI powered to Con2, set to our team only.”

Good. It was locked down and guarding itself and monitoring external sensors passively. Again, a nasty surprise waited for any who might try to breach the entry. I sent him back upstairs and my two sentries followed me to a room where I undressed, folded my fatigues, and stacked them on the bed. As I turned on the shower, I could hear Spear and Dog conversing quietly.

“Damn!” said Dog. “That’s an impressive batch of scars! Did you see ’em, Spear?”

“Yeah,” she replied, “he musta had a few scuffles without a suit . . . and he’s just as built as you, Dog . . . maybe bigger.”

Dog just laughed. “Yeah, he’s bad-ass, baby girl. Bad to the bone.”

I smiled as the hot water stung my face and ran down my body. Damn, it felt good! Both the hot water and the knowledge my team was bad-ass, that is. With or without suits, clothes, or weapons, I’d put them up against anyone, anytime.

I was toweling off when Ronin appeared in the doorway.

“The aide person is here,” she announced.

“Okay,” I answered. “Spear, give your weapon to Ronin, and you and Dog go get dressed. Ronin will remain with me.”

Spear unlocked her weapon and handed it over. Ronin took up her station at the door as they headed upstairs and I began to dress.

The aide turned out to be a comely young woman. Her hair was long, as seemed to be the style, and light brown with darker random streaks through it. She was on the tall side, and slim with smallish, high breasts, and those large, violet eyes. She wore a dark brown knit top with a heavy neck piece and a tan skirt which ended just at the tops of her knees. Sturdy brown shoes were worn over socks of multi-hued earth tones. Her jewelry seemed to be a single brooch worn in her hair on the right side of her head. Her name was Joonia Valco.

Ronin and I met her in the eating area, beside the kitchen, and we were soon joined by the whole team minus Stitch and Buzz who were on sentry in our makeshift barracks. Joonia was very pleasant and seemed to laugh easily. She didn’t appear intimidated at all by the Earthlings. She showed us about the kitchen, where the food was stored and all, explaining about the varieties of dishes which could be prepared. I found it odd that there was no discussion whatsoever about nutritional values, considering their food, grown and processed on this planet, and the potential for mismatches in molecular structures between their food and our bodies. Another chit on the “items which did not make sense” list.

A couple of times she and I seemed to inadvertently bump into each other. I saw her nipples harden and stand out underneath the knit top. When I looked up, those violet eyes were tracking mine and there was the barest hint of a smile.

This Joonia Valco was completely different from any of the other women that we had seen up to this point.

“Wolf—Stitch,” Trooper Gold called over the imbedded team comm link in the informal “You—this is me” format. “An AV with the data packet has just arrived. Lt. Jenkins is piloting and they have also brought your suit.”

I hand-signed to Ronin, “Have Stitch tell the LT to sit tight until we arrive.”

She headed up the stairs without response. Joonia watched the exchange with interest.

“We have a sign-language also, Commander Rawlings. Is your team member deaf?” Joonia asked.

“She did suffer some damage to her hearing during the battle with the Shaquaree,” I answered her. “I use the signing to supplement or give basic orders when she is further than three meters from me. It is why you will normally see her closer to me than the rest of the team.”

With the others hearing what I said, they would pass the word to those not present.

“Representative Valco, I would like to take part of my team to the square to check on our shuttle and to see if the data from the ship has arrived yet. They were due several minutes ago. Can you take us there, please?”

It wouldn’t hurt to have them thinking we needed directions.

“Certainly, Commander. I would be happy to help.”

Thirty minutes later, half the team and I were inside the second AV with Lt. Jenkins and, to my vast surprise, Doc Hazel. Joonia Valco was outside, being chatted up by Mouse and the handsome Trooper Denby, “CanMan.”

“Any specific orders, Commander?” queried Jenkins as he handed me the data packets and recordings from the peace conference incident.

“No. Just follow separation protocol. You and Lt. Timmons will remain separate and equal, per SOP.”

“Aye, sir. We have both reviewed the appropriate files. As far as the packet, sir, inside you will find copies of all original files with associated meta tags to demonstrate they are from the original and have not changed size or orientation. There is a projector, as well, just in case technologies are not compatible.”

“Very good. Semper fi, Lieutenant.”

I shook his hand, and he gripped mine hard. “Stay low, Commander. I’d rather not have your job just yet,” he said with all seriousness.

I then went into the back compartment where the doctor was sitting, waiting for me.

“Hiya, Doc! What brings you to this fine planet?” My words were light but the tone and the look on my face was dark. What the hell was she doing, risking herself on this shuttle trip and out of the safety of the ship?

“Don’t get pissy with me, JD. I’ve brought you something you may need,” she finished with a stage whisper.

“You can talk freely, Doc. We have the jammers on so no one can intercept anything we say.”

Relief flooded over her face. “Okay, then! I had the lieutenants use the Combat AI to override your suit security to open it. We stuffed a full trauma bot and over half a field kit and your BBDs into it, plus some new transceivers.”

“New?” I asked, suddenly concerned. “Is there anything wrong with the ones we have?”

“No!” she hurried to respond. “But the new ones are upgraded. I worked with the AI to figure out how to convert them from sub-vocal to subspace.”

I whistled in admiration and she gave me a beaming pixie smile which would light up a whole planet.

“To do that,” she continued, “I got suit specs from your lieutenants and we figured out how the neural link with the mini-AIs work. We were able to apply the same technology to the new transceivers. You don’t even have to speak, now. Just think it, like you do with the suits and the neural links. There is a full spec doc inside to explain it all to your Trooper Gold.”

“So that’s why you brought us the trauma bot. It’s programmed so Gold can perform the implants himself?”

“Yes . . . and . . . well . . . just in case,” she admitted. “It can’t hurt to have a second one.”

“Thanks, Doc.”

Interesting, and clear. She had not made a single overture or used any wording which could be construed as teasing or double entendre. Okay. I can take a hint.

We transported my suit on a grav-sled. Representative Joonia Valco was very upset about the appearance of yet another ABS but she held her emotions at bay. Her face and voice were carefully neutral but I had seen her eyes grow big when the sled floated out of the AV hold with the heavy suit on it, and now her walk was stiff and her arms and shoulders were tense. With the stiff-legged walk her breasts were jiggling under her sweater, showing she wore no underclothing to aid in support or containment. I wondered if this were part of her assignment to seduce one of us, or if was just my paranoia. Then I wondered if she wore any underclothing at all.

While the team wrestled my suit up to the third floor, I sat in the eating area with Joonia.

“Now we have the data packets,” I was saying, “we can set a time to meet with the ministers to present our evidence. We may not need any of these food items at all.”

“The meeting is already scheduled,” responded Joonia. “We set aside a full day tomorrow beginning at 0900, based on your commitment to have the data set available even before then. If you would like, I would be happy to transport the data set to the ministry building yet today to allow our technicians to overcome any compatibility issues between our technologies.”

“Thank you for the kind offer, Rep. Valco, however, we feel it would be better for chain of evidence factors to have the data set remain in our possession until such time as we are prepared to present it with commentary. Does your legal system recognize ‘chain of evidence’ procedures?”

“Yes, Commander Rawlings . . .”

“Please, call me JD.”

“Oh, how nice! And you must call me Joonia. As I was saying, JD, we do recognize and practice chain of evidence. What will happen if there is an incompatibility issue with the recordings and presentation hardware?”

“I can use the holo projector our ship sent down to present the evidence. After the presentation, your technicians are welcome to take possession of the packet and examine it thoroughly for any signs of tampering.”

Joonia brushed against me several times during the cooking and eating process. Oh, accidentally, of course. And, of course, it was a completely unfortunate accident when she spilled a messy sauce over her sweater and skirt. She giggled and waved, and remarked on how clumsy she was, and, would I be able to show her to one of the rooms where she might clean up? Of course! I would be glad to help our good hostess, gallant fellow that I am! I saw a couple of elbows poke their neighbors amongst the team as I was ushering Joonia out the door and toward the stairs, and Ronin rolled her eyes exaggeratedly.

“Gods Above, Wolf, could she be any more obvious?” Ronin asked quietly inside my head as I led Joonia up the stairs. I didn’t respond, of course. Everyone on the team knew one of us, whichever Valco had picked or been assigned, would have to let themselves be seduced and try to gather what information they could. As Ronin had said, Joonia’s position as assigned seductress was almost laughably obvious.

I wondered again about the reasoning for the seduction. Why do it? What was the point? To validate comparative sexualities and compatibility? To find out if the humans placed the same values on sex as the Hanosians? To see if we could be manipulated by the offer of sex or if we were more or less controlled by our sexual mores? If all they wanted was a DNA sample they could have gotten one in any of a dozen different ways, from gleaning material from someone I shook hands with to examining the glass I had sipped water from at the ministry.

When we reached a room, she went into the bath area and, somehow, the door didn’t latch shut completely. She shucked all her clothing and began cleaning up prior to changing into other clothes she had brought along in a handbag. How thoughtful of her to bring extras!

I was waiting innocently in the bedroom area when she shrieked and I ran it to see what happened. “Oooh, a bug,” she cried out while standing there facing me totally naked and making very poor attempts to cover up. I was concerned for her safety, and, well, one thing led to another. It just sort of . . . happened . . . you know? It wasn’t our fault at all! We didn’t really need to say anything about this to our superiors, did we?

It turns out Hanosian physiology is quite human-like, right down to the groans and moans and orgasms. The female’s nipples are the only area of the breast to have any different skin coloring with a dark purple cast, and the pubic hair is very fine but short and thickly grown in similar coloring as the hair on their head. She seemed to be ticklish and sensitive in the same areas as a human, and clearly knew some sexual techniques the same way we knew them.

“Perhaps it would be best if we hurried back downstairs to join the others,” Joonia said, in a small voice laced with equal parts of shame and satisfaction. “We haven’t really been gone all that long, have we?”

“Wait, I responded, playing the lecherous human. “I am the leader and can be gone as long as I want and they wouldn’t dare ask any questions. Perhaps more, um, scientific investigation is called for.

“Of course, I am ready to make the sacrifice for the sake of science,” I continued after a pause while leering slightly and wiggling my eyebrows.

“What do you mean?” she demanded suspiciously, on the verge of anger at my mugging.

“Oh, well, perhaps if we tried . . .” and I leaned forward to whisper conspiratorially into her ear. “Or, maybe . . .” again with the naughty implications of the whisper. “What might happen then?”

“Ooh,” she squeaked, her eyes large, “I’ve never tried that before!”

I gave the team nearly four hours to complete as many of the implant replacements as possible, and, when I finally did make it back up to the third floor while Joonia was showering, I hurriedly passed a makeshift swab to Stitch so he could begin a full scan of Hanosian DNA with the trauma bot. I ran back down the stairs and was “waking from my nap” when she returned from the shower.

Then, we had to eat. Then, we had to talk a little more. By the time I was able to beg off for “much needed rest in preparation for the coming day’s important events,” it was nearly 2330 hours. I waited until she had disappeared from view into the transport vehicle she commed before I made my way up the stairs.

Most of the team was asleep already with Buzz and Boomer on sentry duty. Ronin was working with Stitch by the trauma bot, and she flashed a big smile at me as I approached, pushing through the medical curtain they had strung around one portion of the room.

“Yeah, I know,” I said to her, “the things I must do for humankind!”

Ronin had a nice laugh, very natural. “I know, sir, but you were able to get us the time to get all the implants changed out, and the sample.” Then she sighed dramatically. “It’s just so sad you had to go through such hell to get it.”

I grinned back. “That’s what leaders do, they sacrifice!”

“From the noise she was making down there, you’d think girls would be lining up on the sidewalk to get ‘sacrificed’!” Donner sassed with another hearty laugh.

Stitch looked at me, all seriousness. “I do have some helpful regenerative . . .”

“Shut the hell up, Stitch.”

He finally grinned. “Yes, sir.”

“Now you two have had your fun . . . report.” I robbed my words of any harshness with a fond smile.

Ronin started. “We’ve detected no attempts at electronic eavesdropping so if anything is out there it is passive only, although the two watchers you spotted earlier were relieved by two others at 2230. Buzz and Wheels had the jamming set up by linking the suit AIs by the time we got back from the delivery with your suit. That’s one of the mods CanMan set up on all our suits. They can now link together to create overlapping and cycling jamming fields.”

“How much coverage?”

“Full spectrum EM and sonics. With some manipulation and tuning of the overlap we can even focus on specific wavelengths and amplitudes.”

“Mondo! Good work. Pass an ‘atta boy’ to CanMan in case I forget.”

“Documentation on the new implants was clear,” Stitch said to begin his report, “and the trauma bot had already been programmed with the new procedures. Per trooper time for complete switchover was just over twenty-two minutes. There did not appear to be any issues with any of the processes. I was just finishing with Ronin when you came in. She was the last, except you, sir.”

“The doctor said something about syncing with the suit AI but I didn’t catch it all. Is there anything that needs to be done besides the procedure?”

“No, sir. What the doctor was referring to was the methodology of the link between the implant and the mind of the trooper. It feels and works the same way as the link with the suit AIs. It’s pretty amazing, sir. What she has done has given us some very unique capabilities.”

“Such as?” I queried.

“For one thing, our transmission range is pretty much limitless when we are suited,” Stitch replied. “Even without suits and using only our own biometric power we can easily reach system-wide in a system such as this. Secondly, just like in the suit, all you have to do is think it to get it done. Being subspace, there is no static, no interference. The signal is clear as a bell at any reachable distance.”

“So I could call the ship from here, even without the suit?”

“Yes, sir. I already tested this by contacting the doctor.”

“She has one, too?”

“Yes, sir, and so does the captain and several of the bridge crew, as well as both Lieutenants Jenkins and Timmons.”

“Alright, that’s great! Hey! What if it’s off and someone is trying to reach you?”

“I’ll explain it all as we work. If you’d lie down just over here . . .”