followed as the other woman walked off. Her eyes flitted around, easily picking out signs that she knew indicated that the Alamo had originally been built as a microgravity environment.
“New gravity system, I presume?” she said as they walked.
“Yeah, test system used to develop the design for the new ships.”
Sorilla’s stomach rebelled just a little as she cringed. “Damn. I hope they refined the system on the new ships.”
“Why?” Latiffe asked, glancing back at her.
“Something’s off with the system,” Sorilla said. “I feel like my head is lighter than my feet.”
“You can feel that?” the commander blurted, clearly shocked.
“I’ve got micro-accelerometer implants all through my body, Commander. Took me a few seconds to figure out why I was feeling a little nauseous when I stepped off the shuttle, but yeah,” Sorilla confirmed.
Commander Latiffe shook her head. “We’ve had dozens of OPCOM operators through here recently, all with those implants, Lieutenant. None of them noticed a thing.”
“They’re all using the RFID-based implants, ma’am. My suite uses nerve coms,” Sorilla explained.
“What’s the difference?”
“Nerve coms are more secure, but it turns out that using the nervous system to piggyback communications has side effects,” Sorilla said. “Basically I’m more in touch with my implants than other ops are. They could have detected the difference if they’d queried the computer specifically, but there isn’t much call to do that.”
“I see,” Latiffe said in the tone of someone who really didn’t.
“Don’t worry about it, Commander. I’m just awesome that way,” Sorilla said with a smile that was very uncharacteristic of a butter bar lieutenant talking to a full commander.
It was pretty much par for the course for an experienced master sergeant talking to damned near anyone, however.
Commander Latiffe didn’t say anything in response, so the two continued deeper into the Alamo in silence.
*****
“Admiral?”
Brooke glanced up. “Yes, Terrance?”
Terrance Briggs was her Navy-assigned steward, or whatever they were calling his specialty these days. Terms and names changed, but the position was a constant in the service of the Solarian Organization. Something of a babysitter combined with a social secretary, she had once joked, though with more than a touch of truth to it all.
“Lieutenant Aida has arrived on station, ma’am.”
“Ah, thank you, Terrance,” she said with a nod and a casual gesture. He tipped his head slightly and backed out of the room, closing the door.
With Aida on station, her part of the upcoming operation was ready to begin, though the first few stages were going to be little more than training, of course. They certainly had a lot of that to do, there was no doubt there. Task Force Five had drawn the short straw, for better or worse. Seven had been assigned with the defense of Hayden and holding the jump point there at all costs, but Five…well, she wasn’t sure that what they wanted from her was even entirely possible.
I suppose that’s what we get for doing the impossible once before,
she thought, a little tired. She’d been working on the administration side of the upcoming mission now for over a week, and it would be good to focus a little more on something practical even if she wasn’t personally involved.
Brooke straightened up and got her feet, stretching somewhat to limber up muscles that were too used to being cramped into the uncomfortable office chair.
I’m going to really miss microgravity onboard ship.
Progress had its price, she supposed. Brooke glanced at the clock on her desk screen and decided to get something to eat before meeting with Lt. Aida. This was one brief she wanted to get in person.
Besides, the lieutenant might just deck someone else if I sent anyone lower ranked to tell her what we want her team to do.
Brooke was chuckling softly to herself when she stepped out of her
“New gravity system, I presume?” she said as they walked.
“Yeah, test system used to develop the design for the new ships.”
Sorilla’s stomach rebelled just a little as she cringed. “Damn. I hope they refined the system on the new ships.”
“Why?” Latiffe asked, glancing back at her.
“Something’s off with the system,” Sorilla said. “I feel like my head is lighter than my feet.”
“You can feel that?” the commander blurted, clearly shocked.
“I’ve got micro-accelerometer implants all through my body, Commander. Took me a few seconds to figure out why I was feeling a little nauseous when I stepped off the shuttle, but yeah,” Sorilla confirmed.
Commander Latiffe shook her head. “We’ve had dozens of OPCOM operators through here recently, all with those implants, Lieutenant. None of them noticed a thing.”
“They’re all using the RFID-based implants, ma’am. My suite uses nerve coms,” Sorilla explained.
“What’s the difference?”
“Nerve coms are more secure, but it turns out that using the nervous system to piggyback communications has side effects,” Sorilla said. “Basically I’m more in touch with my implants than other ops are. They could have detected the difference if they’d queried the computer specifically, but there isn’t much call to do that.”
“I see,” Latiffe said in the tone of someone who really didn’t.
“Don’t worry about it, Commander. I’m just awesome that way,” Sorilla said with a smile that was very uncharacteristic of a butter bar lieutenant talking to a full commander.
It was pretty much par for the course for an experienced master sergeant talking to damned near anyone, however.
Commander Latiffe didn’t say anything in response, so the two continued deeper into the Alamo in silence.
*****
“Admiral?”
Brooke glanced up. “Yes, Terrance?”
Terrance Briggs was her Navy-assigned steward, or whatever they were calling his specialty these days. Terms and names changed, but the position was a constant in the service of the Solarian Organization. Something of a babysitter combined with a social secretary, she had once joked, though with more than a touch of truth to it all.
“Lieutenant Aida has arrived on station, ma’am.”
“Ah, thank you, Terrance,” she said with a nod and a casual gesture. He tipped his head slightly and backed out of the room, closing the door.
With Aida on station, her part of the upcoming operation was ready to begin, though the first few stages were going to be little more than training, of course. They certainly had a lot of that to do, there was no doubt there. Task Force Five had drawn the short straw, for better or worse. Seven had been assigned with the defense of Hayden and holding the jump point there at all costs, but Five…well, she wasn’t sure that what they wanted from her was even entirely possible.
I suppose that’s what we get for doing the impossible once before,
she thought, a little tired. She’d been working on the administration side of the upcoming mission now for over a week, and it would be good to focus a little more on something practical even if she wasn’t personally involved.
Brooke straightened up and got her feet, stretching somewhat to limber up muscles that were too used to being cramped into the uncomfortable office chair.
I’m going to really miss microgravity onboard ship.
Progress had its price, she supposed. Brooke glanced at the clock on her desk screen and decided to get something to eat before meeting with Lt. Aida. This was one brief she wanted to get in person.
Besides, the lieutenant might just deck someone else if I sent anyone lower ranked to tell her what we want her team to do.
Brooke was chuckling softly to herself when she stepped out of her
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