Commander and reporting you for harassment.”
Cas recoiled from her anger, backed up, and found LT Drew standing there in his path. Drew grabbed Cas by both arms and said, “Mister, you are upsetting this lady and insulting a friend of mine. I think you’ve had a bit too much to drink. We’re going to help you to a shuttle and send you to your quarters.”
“You can’t do this to me. I’ve got just as much right to be here as you.”
Ten gator lieutenants came and stood around LT Casimirski.
LT Drew said, “We’re not as impressed by your rank as these ensigns might be. Now, you don’t want to argue with all of us. You probably don’t even want to argue with me.”
Drew picked up LT Casimirski by the arms and frog marched him out of the club. The party resumed. Kelly and Tammy sat back down and finished their beers.
“So, Kelly, what have you planned for tomorrow? You do get tomorrow off, don’t you?”
“I don’t have any plans. Are you going to suggest something?”
“There is a pretty good sized lake to the west of here. I was going to rent a skimmer and go out to one of the islands and bake in the sun, splash around, have a picnic. Are you interested?
“Sure, that sounds like fun. Who else will be going along?”
“Just us.” She said with a beguiling smile on her face.
“With such pleasant company, how can I refuse?”
“We’ll leave from the Q at 0800. Just bring yourself and some sunscreen. If they didn’t explain the orbital dynamics of Armstrong, I should fill you in. Armstrong doesn’t wobble on its axis like Earth. There are no changing seasons here. The angle of the planet to the sun is constant. Here in the northern hemisphere it is always Summer. There is no northern polar icecap. In the south it’s always springlike. The sun can burn you pretty quickly here if you don’t use a strong screen. It's especially bad for folks coming off a long patrol. They go from pasty white to cherry red in a fraction of an afternoon.”
She tipped her bottle back and said, “I think it’s your turn to buy the beer.”
Kelly ordered another round, they spent the rest of the night talking and drinking. Periodically, one of the gators would buy a round for the house. As things wound down in the bar, she suggested they should go back to the Q and turn in. 0800 would come awfully early.
They shared a shuttle back to the Q. Tammy lay back in Kelly’s arms. She looked up at him, gave him a slow lingering kiss, and promptly passed out.
Kelly picked her up once the shuttle arrived at the Q and carried her to her quarters. He loosened her clothes, took off her shoes, put her under the covers, and retired to his own quarters.
* * * * *
Charles Delphant, Chairman and CEO of the Indigo Consortium was alone, working late in his office on the top floor of the Consortium’s main administrative building on Secundus, in the Fomalhaut System. The office’s furnishings reflected the wealth and prestige of its owner. Real oak panels covered the walls. Plush wool carpet covered the floor. The desk was solid walnut, imported to Secundus directly from Earth at no small expense. Earth wood and wool were an almost unheard of luxury in the outer worlds. He had let his secretary go an hour earlier, telling her he had only some minor matters to resolve before calling it a day. He finished those matters, then touched a hidden button under his desk.
That button activated a number of special security measures. The door double locked. The windows went opaque. Infrasonic wave generators activated in the walls, doors, and on the windows, foiling any possible listening
Cas recoiled from her anger, backed up, and found LT Drew standing there in his path. Drew grabbed Cas by both arms and said, “Mister, you are upsetting this lady and insulting a friend of mine. I think you’ve had a bit too much to drink. We’re going to help you to a shuttle and send you to your quarters.”
“You can’t do this to me. I’ve got just as much right to be here as you.”
Ten gator lieutenants came and stood around LT Casimirski.
LT Drew said, “We’re not as impressed by your rank as these ensigns might be. Now, you don’t want to argue with all of us. You probably don’t even want to argue with me.”
Drew picked up LT Casimirski by the arms and frog marched him out of the club. The party resumed. Kelly and Tammy sat back down and finished their beers.
“So, Kelly, what have you planned for tomorrow? You do get tomorrow off, don’t you?”
“I don’t have any plans. Are you going to suggest something?”
“There is a pretty good sized lake to the west of here. I was going to rent a skimmer and go out to one of the islands and bake in the sun, splash around, have a picnic. Are you interested?
“Sure, that sounds like fun. Who else will be going along?”
“Just us.” She said with a beguiling smile on her face.
“With such pleasant company, how can I refuse?”
“We’ll leave from the Q at 0800. Just bring yourself and some sunscreen. If they didn’t explain the orbital dynamics of Armstrong, I should fill you in. Armstrong doesn’t wobble on its axis like Earth. There are no changing seasons here. The angle of the planet to the sun is constant. Here in the northern hemisphere it is always Summer. There is no northern polar icecap. In the south it’s always springlike. The sun can burn you pretty quickly here if you don’t use a strong screen. It's especially bad for folks coming off a long patrol. They go from pasty white to cherry red in a fraction of an afternoon.”
She tipped her bottle back and said, “I think it’s your turn to buy the beer.”
Kelly ordered another round, they spent the rest of the night talking and drinking. Periodically, one of the gators would buy a round for the house. As things wound down in the bar, she suggested they should go back to the Q and turn in. 0800 would come awfully early.
They shared a shuttle back to the Q. Tammy lay back in Kelly’s arms. She looked up at him, gave him a slow lingering kiss, and promptly passed out.
Kelly picked her up once the shuttle arrived at the Q and carried her to her quarters. He loosened her clothes, took off her shoes, put her under the covers, and retired to his own quarters.
* * * * *
Charles Delphant, Chairman and CEO of the Indigo Consortium was alone, working late in his office on the top floor of the Consortium’s main administrative building on Secundus, in the Fomalhaut System. The office’s furnishings reflected the wealth and prestige of its owner. Real oak panels covered the walls. Plush wool carpet covered the floor. The desk was solid walnut, imported to Secundus directly from Earth at no small expense. Earth wood and wool were an almost unheard of luxury in the outer worlds. He had let his secretary go an hour earlier, telling her he had only some minor matters to resolve before calling it a day. He finished those matters, then touched a hidden button under his desk.
That button activated a number of special security measures. The door double locked. The windows went opaque. Infrasonic wave generators activated in the walls, doors, and on the windows, foiling any possible listening
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