The Stars Came Back (16 page)

Kat: You made that?

Allonia: (
A dismissive shrug in affirmative) I couldn’t find anything locally I liked.

Kat: Very nice. But I’d avoid red uniforms. Color
suits you, but it’s considered bad luck on starships.

Allonia: Oh.

Kat: …Something on your mind?

Allonia: How do you do it?

Kat looks at her, expression asking for further clarification.

Allonia: Put up with them all the time? I mean, they
’re all nice enough, well, except Darch who kind of creeps me out, but it seems like they are
always
watching me, every move I make.

Kat: Men are like that.

Allonia: So, how do you do it? I mean, I know you’re an officer, so I’m sure that helps, but…

Kat: Didn’t used to, all that much… The trick is to remember that men are simple creatures
. You need to keep the rules simple so they know where they stand.

Allonia: Even wearing my normal cloth
es doesn’t help, and wearing this today attracted a lot of attention.

Kat: I can imagine. But it really
is pretty simple. Three rules. One, don’t play games. Two, don’t put up with
any
bullshit. Three, you are already doing.

Allonia: But I don’t play games!

Kat: No, not overtly. I like that. So do they. But I’d bet that just about every guy on board thinks he’s got a chance to make it with you; you are not obviously off limits or taken with any particular person. Sooo…

Allonia: But that’s ridiculous!

Kat: That’s young men. You are young, healthy, smart, honest, hardworking, reliable, a
great
cook, available, and genuinely nice. Anyone that
doesn’t
notice you needs a psych eval. They pay attention, you don’t make it clear you are
not
interested, so they think that maybe you are, then.

Allonia: …Oh… What’s three?

Kat: Be worth it. We all have our hang ups and personal quirks. Bring enough to any relationship, private
and
professional, that you are worth whatever they have to put up with. I don’t think you’ll have a problem with that; you are short on issues and long on talent. Which ensures even
more
attention.

Allonia: Thanks. I guess.

Kat: If they get too forward, make it clear their advances are not welcome. Don’t be mean, just be
absolutely
clear that unwanted attention or bad behavior will not be tolerated. And, right or wrong, until you are clearly attached, expect them to be polite,
demand
that they be respectful and keep their hands to themselves, but don’t expect them to change. A billion years of biology doesn’t do an about face just because a damsel finds it annoying. Likely a good thing for the species, but… I know what you mean.

Allonia: So… you…?

Kat: Married 22 years. Once that happens, seniors like Colonel Lag and First Sergeant Reel make sure harassment is a nonissue, at least with uniformed personnel.

Allonia: But I don’t
want
to get married! At least, not right now!

Kat: Understandable. Until then, three rules. Makes things better, not perfect.

Allonia: OK. Thanks.

Allonia gets up and steps toward the door.

Kat: Allonia? Same cut, different color, and you have a winner. Make one for Quinn when you’re done, if you have time. Little guy would love it. G’night.

Allonia: G’night.

FADE TO BLACK

F
ADE IN

Kat's cabin
, later that night.

Kat leans back at her desk, and sits thoughtfully for a moment or two. She
taps a screen in front of her, it lights up. She pushes the MESSAGE icon, sits back.

Kat: Message encrypted level four. Send to Senator Sharmer on Adoni. Message: Lag is recruiting and training for shipboard duty
. Working on making local contacts. Nothing further at this time. Out. Send.

A confirmation message confirming message being sent appears on the screen, then it blanks. She leans back, and closes her eyes.

The camera view pulls outside her door, where Quinn stands silently, surprise and curiosity on his face.

FADE TO BLACK

Earplugs

F
ADE IN

INT -
NIGHT - Adelaide bar

Normal
spaceport area midrange nightlife bar. Dim. Locals sitting or standing around drinking, talking, playing cards, shooting pool, socializing. No strippers, though there are a few couples dancing in a small corner clearing. At a small table near a corner sit SGT Kaushik and CPL Kaminski, out of uniform, facing away from the wall, talking quietly over drinks. An ancient blotto drunk wanders around a little, then staggers over to their table, looking at them a little too closely.

Old Drunk: You… you’re from the ship…

Kaushik: Everyone here is from one ship or another.

Old Drunk: No-no-no, you are from
that
ship.

Kaminski: (
In good humor) Take it outside, you’ve had enough.

Old Drunk: THAT ship… That ship is going to go crazy…

Kaminski:
You’re
crazy.

Old Drunk:
That ship is, is
haunted
, it’ll drive you crazy, an, an, an kill you like it did its old crew-

Kaushik: Dunno about that. Kaminski here is pretty hard to kill.

Old Drunk: It’s haunted! Always has been. It’ll go crazy like the rest of them. And you’ll ALL die. ALL of you-

Kaminski: (
Humoring him) Of course we’ll die. Occupational hazard of the living.

Kaushik: (
Playing along) Even people
not
on haunted ships die, eventually.

Old Drunk: You, you don’t unnershtand. It’s haunted. It landed without a crew. It killed them all. Twice
! It went insane, they ALL went insane, and so will YOU. You need an EXORCISM like it did!

The bartender shows up, and hustles the old drunk out.

Bartender: Come on, Teddy.
They
are paying!

Old Drunk: (
Yelling back over his shoulder) They all died. TWICE I TELL YOU! TWICE!

They watch him leave, along with the rest of the patrons, who are joking and shaking their heads.

Kaushik: …Must’a been Buddhists.

Kaminski: …Or cats.
I like cats. Seven more lives to go! Cheers!

They clink their glasses and have
a drink.

As the drunk is being escorted out another somewhat under-the-influence local comes up to them now they have become a temporary center of attention, a much younger, tougher looking gent almost as big as Kaminski.

Drunk: (
Slightly slurred) You two’re new here.

Kaushik looks up at the drunk
questioningly as if to say “Your point?”

Drunk: (
Slightly belligerent) Newbies’er supposed to buy a round of drinks. I’ll take’a double shot ‘a double malt.

Kaushik: (
Skeptically) I don’t think so.

Drunk: (
Loudly to the crowd) Sure it is, isn’t it!

There are
muted cheers of “yah, right on!” CPL Kaminski sighs, and starts digging in his pocket.

Drunk: (
Bullying) Yeah, that’s what I thought. Pissies. Drinks on them!

M
ore half-hearted cheers. CPL Kaminski takes earplugs from his pocket, makes a show of putting one in one ear, starts to put in the second one, gets interrupted by the drunk.

Drunk: What’n’hell are you do
in’?

Kaminski: (
Matter-of-factly) Earplugs.

Drunk: (
Confused) Huh?

Kaminski: Well, know
in’ him (nodding to Kaushik) as I do, at the rate you’re going, any time now there’s going to be lots of shoutin’, n’shootin’, screamin’ ‘n sirens’n explosions ‘n shit, and I really don’t need a headache like that again.

Kaushik: (
While pulling out and putting on a pair of armored gloves) Armored up?

Kamin
ski taps his chest with a THOCK and nods, still putting in his second earplug. The drunk looks at them with a dull, uncomprehending expression.

Drunk: Uh… Explosions?

Kaminski finishes putting his ear plugs in. He pulls out a large pistol from a hip holster, bringing it just up far enough to be seen above the table, does a quick chamber check (keeping it pointed safely down), and reholsters it with the casualness of much practice.

Kaushik: Hanshot?

Kaminski shrugs noncommittally, then talks slightly loudly and with exaggerated casualness to Kaushik, almost as if forgetting the drunk.

Kaminski: Think the CO will be as forgiving this time? Last time they were mostly in uniform.

Kaushik: Right. Best keep the collateral damage to a minimum.

Kaminski nods, unsnaps the security strap on a barely seen kukri fighting knife, draws it partway to make sure it’s moving easily, then puts it back.

Both soldiers look up at the drunk, who is looking somewhat confusedly back at them.

Soldiers look at drunk as if to say “Still here?”

Whole bar is tense and quiet except for background music, looking on expectantly.

Bar patron (OC): Hey,
what about that game you promised us?

Drunk: Uh… Yeah, oh yeah, be right there. (
Then, to soldiers) Uhhh… sorry… I thought you were new here.

The drunk
disengages awkwardly and heads for the back of the bar.

The soldiers glance at each other, shrug. Kaminski starts to take out his ear plugs. Kaushik takes a sip.

Kaminski: Can’t imagine why they don’t let us come into town more often. Always so quiet and peaceful.

Unnoticed by them, in the background Seeless eyes them intently.

Kaminski see Helton and Stenson at the bar and waves them over to join them as they pick up a frosty mug each. They come over and take a seat.

Helton: That almost looked exciting.

Stenson: Anything colorful said?

Kaminski: Not by him.

Kaushik: Guy before him was much more entertaining. Said the previous crew on the
Tajemnica
died twice.

Stenson: How do you die twice?

Kaushik: Buddhists.

Kaminski: Cats.

Helton: Third marriage?

Stenson: Nah.
Budget resurrection.

They all kind of nod their heads and smile or frown to indicate their general agreement with the possibilities.

Kaushik: How
did
the ship get here?

He
lton: Landed on autopilot, crewless.

Kaminski: So they
were
dead?

Helton: Dunno. Just not on board.

Kaminski: How come the ship just sat for so long? Couldn’t
some
body use it?

Helton: I looked into t
hat. Lots of owners, not enough money or skill to fix it.

Kaushik: Does that mean you’re rich, or we’re grounded?

Helton: Ahem… Way back when starships were new and colonies scarce, it didn’t take more than a small ship like that to fly out trans-light, take care of things, and come back. As things grew and fights actually happened that destroyed a few of them around the Chi-Stan wars, the bean counters figured it was too expensive to put FTL drives and long range support equipment onto a high-risk assault lander, so they went to carriers. All the FTL drives and services go on the carrier that stays out of harm’s way, along with fighters and destroyers and cruisers to protect it and provide orbital support and cover, and some armored assault landers with only minimal onboard support facilities and in-system drives and so forth to land troops in high-risk places. So, navies didn’t want it.

Kaminski: And here I always thought they changed to carriers because admirals wanted to keep control and go out and do things, but they couldn’t justifying sending out an admiral on a hundred-person ship, but could on a two thousand person task force.

Stenson: Which would shoot down the “cheaper” argument.

H
elton: Of course it was cheaper. In
government
accounting.

Kaushik: Nah, it was a politics thing. The politicians didn’t want lowly company-level officers having all the fun and power to destroy worlds, and they can lean on admirals better, so they outlawed fully-aware AI’s at the same time, trying to avoid the sci-fi scare of machines taking over, or worse yet criticizing them.