This is a chapter of the science fiction blog novel, Stardiver Four. In the story so far Vikki was left behind after the ship was evacuated but was given safety with Whitey's mercenaries.
"Common, man. Haven't I told you enough?" Vikki rubbed her eyes and yawned. Yet Bill pressed her for more information about the ship. She was exhausted after escaping the flooded room, and running for her life from Crow and his gang. He kept asking her about the ship, and details that made no sense to her but seemed important to him.
Something made her alert and look around. The men tossed on armor and grabbed weapons as they moved to the inner freight doors. There was tension in the men's faces. "What is happening?" She asked Bill.
"Nothing miss. It's a training exercise." Bill lied and she knew it. "The shuttle has four cabins, take one and lock yourself inside, if you like. Get some sleep."
"Sure, sounds good to me."
Her quick eyes took in the scene. The men stood in ranks, fully dressed and armed for a fight. Bill ran up to the men. "Code alpha boys, common room." They ran out the shuttle bay and the large freight doors closed behind them.
Vikki wondered how they could keep on going when they were so tired.
Two men stood on guard by the door. Three were laying on the floor recovering from wounds and were attended by two medically trained mercenaries. Two men seemed to be staying near her.
"Officer Red, would you like one of us to show you the rooms on the shuttle?" one asked.
Vikki looked at him. Damn he is good looking. These guys could be the president's bodyguards if they wanted. Maybe this could be a fun bunch to be with.
"Officer Red?" His words reminded her of Whiteys instructions. Even when he wasn't there his presence seemed to linger giving orders; he ordered her to not get friendly with his men.
"What? You think I can't find my way? You think I am stupid? How do you think I got to be a security officer? It wasn't from getting lost on a shuttle. Out of my way, and get to your duties. Or maybe inside you think we could get friendly. You ain't nowhere near man enough for me. I should report you to the Boss but I won't this time. Now get out of my way."
She enjoyed the look of surprise and alarm on his face.
"Yes, mam."
She strutted to the shuttle where she stopped to turn around and look again at the man. He had turned away from her; he jerked his hand up with his thumb pointed over his shoulder to where she was standing and shook his head. The other men nodded, and then with a tilt of their heads indicated that he should look. Turning he saw her glaring at him. She spun around and stomped into the shuttle.
The mercenary sighed and said, "Oh, Shit."
The shuttle had four small quarters, one was clearly larger: it looked like the one a leader would use. "Well. If I am going to be this mean, bully, security officer I should take the biggest one." It was still a small space but had a bunk and a fold down workstation and a set of drawers. Under the bunk was a duffel bag. "I bet that is the boss's dirty socks and trashy magazines. If I throw it out the door it will be like I am taking over."
She leaned over and grabbed the handles to toss it out of the room, but it wouldn't move. "Crap! What is in this thing?" After a few minutes of working the locks she got it open. The gold coins inside were thick and beautiful, their shine was like liquid butter under a light. She picked one up. Its weight was unexpected. She plunged her hands into the bag and scooped out as many as she could hold, then let them pour through her fingers back into the bag. "I always wanted to do that. Looks like being a soldier for hire is good business these days. Maybe I should stick around for a while." Vikki was not a thief, so she sealed the bag and then locked the door.
She lay down, but the tension of the last forty hours was too much and kept her from sleeping. "Mom. Dad." The thought brought tears. As a toddler she would cry herself to sleep in a temper tantrum, somehow the memory of childhood became a comfort and she cried herself to sleep again for the first time in fourteen years.
An hour later the boss was looking forward to a few hours of sleep. Whitey and Bill led the tired men back into the shuttle bay. The guards greeted them with the curt nods of the field salute. "All quiet?" Whitey asked.
"All is well. Nothing to report."
"Good." Then to his men, "Set medical up in the shuttle and get the hacker sewn up." The strongest of Whitey's men helped support O'bee as he stumbled to the shuttle.
"Where is Security Officer Red?"
"In the shuttle sir."
"Good. No problems with her then?"
"Uh. Well, Donald kind-of ticked her off. Seems he offered to show her around the shuttle, real gentlemanly, just like we would to anyone above ranks; but she got the wrong impression. So she got real critical of him."
The men were beginning to scatter; some to duties, some to corners for sleep, but at Whitey's raised hand signal they circled around him. "Men, I know we do not like security officers, they are always spies, liars, and on somebody's pay. We've all had bad experiences with them. Well, like it or not we got one now. She is our security officer. We want her loyalty. So cut her some slack. A couple of you already saw what she did single handled to a squad of pirates, so don't mess with her. She is working with us and has already given us valuable intel on the ship. Dismissed." The men dispersed.
"That will hold things together for a little while," Bill said as they neared the shuttle.
"Yea, but it is only a matter of time before someone does something stupid. A beautiful girl like that around here is only trouble. I know Bill, let's let it slip out that she is your bride to be, and then the men will stay away from her."
"You men because no one will want to have anything to do with a girl so insane she would marry me?''
"Ha, I like that story."
They were in the shuttle. OBee was laying on a table with an oxygen mask on his face. His eyes were fluttering closed. One medic was about to stitch the gashes in his face and neck and the other began to examine his torn hands.
"Boss, this man went through a meat grinder. What happened to him?"
"A dog."
"Who would train a guard dog to attack like this?" The other medic asked.
"Not a guard dog. A boy's dog. The dog was protecting his boy."
"It nearly cost this man his life."
"It still may," The other medic said.
"He'll never have full use of his hands. And I think we have to take at least two fingers off. Are you sure it was a dog?"
"Yep."
"Common Boss," Bill said, his hand on Whitey's shoulder. "Get some rest."
Beyond the makeshift operating room were the four rooms. Whitey had the biggest one. The door had an old fashioned handle. He tried it but it was locked. "What?"
"Uh oh," Bill whispered. "Uh, boss, I told Red to find a room and sleep. I guess she took yours."
"Looks like I am bunking with you."
"Oh, crap. And you snore."
(c) Adron
To go to the next chapter CLICK HERE.
Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I hope you enjoyed it. Please see the sidebar for other chapters, I am sure you will enjoy them too.
_____________________________
Chapter 49
Vikki Settles In
Chapter 49
Vikki Settles In
"Common, man. Haven't I told you enough?" Vikki rubbed her eyes and yawned. Yet Bill pressed her for more information about the ship. She was exhausted after escaping the flooded room, and running for her life from Crow and his gang. He kept asking her about the ship, and details that made no sense to her but seemed important to him.
Something made her alert and look around. The men tossed on armor and grabbed weapons as they moved to the inner freight doors. There was tension in the men's faces. "What is happening?" She asked Bill.
"Nothing miss. It's a training exercise." Bill lied and she knew it. "The shuttle has four cabins, take one and lock yourself inside, if you like. Get some sleep."
"Sure, sounds good to me."
Her quick eyes took in the scene. The men stood in ranks, fully dressed and armed for a fight. Bill ran up to the men. "Code alpha boys, common room." They ran out the shuttle bay and the large freight doors closed behind them.
Vikki wondered how they could keep on going when they were so tired.
Two men stood on guard by the door. Three were laying on the floor recovering from wounds and were attended by two medically trained mercenaries. Two men seemed to be staying near her.
"Officer Red, would you like one of us to show you the rooms on the shuttle?" one asked.
Vikki looked at him. Damn he is good looking. These guys could be the president's bodyguards if they wanted. Maybe this could be a fun bunch to be with.
"Officer Red?" His words reminded her of Whiteys instructions. Even when he wasn't there his presence seemed to linger giving orders; he ordered her to not get friendly with his men.
"What? You think I can't find my way? You think I am stupid? How do you think I got to be a security officer? It wasn't from getting lost on a shuttle. Out of my way, and get to your duties. Or maybe inside you think we could get friendly. You ain't nowhere near man enough for me. I should report you to the Boss but I won't this time. Now get out of my way."
She enjoyed the look of surprise and alarm on his face.
"Yes, mam."
She strutted to the shuttle where she stopped to turn around and look again at the man. He had turned away from her; he jerked his hand up with his thumb pointed over his shoulder to where she was standing and shook his head. The other men nodded, and then with a tilt of their heads indicated that he should look. Turning he saw her glaring at him. She spun around and stomped into the shuttle.
The mercenary sighed and said, "Oh, Shit."
The shuttle had four small quarters, one was clearly larger: it looked like the one a leader would use. "Well. If I am going to be this mean, bully, security officer I should take the biggest one." It was still a small space but had a bunk and a fold down workstation and a set of drawers. Under the bunk was a duffel bag. "I bet that is the boss's dirty socks and trashy magazines. If I throw it out the door it will be like I am taking over."
She leaned over and grabbed the handles to toss it out of the room, but it wouldn't move. "Crap! What is in this thing?" After a few minutes of working the locks she got it open. The gold coins inside were thick and beautiful, their shine was like liquid butter under a light. She picked one up. Its weight was unexpected. She plunged her hands into the bag and scooped out as many as she could hold, then let them pour through her fingers back into the bag. "I always wanted to do that. Looks like being a soldier for hire is good business these days. Maybe I should stick around for a while." Vikki was not a thief, so she sealed the bag and then locked the door.
She lay down, but the tension of the last forty hours was too much and kept her from sleeping. "Mom. Dad." The thought brought tears. As a toddler she would cry herself to sleep in a temper tantrum, somehow the memory of childhood became a comfort and she cried herself to sleep again for the first time in fourteen years.
* * *
An hour later the boss was looking forward to a few hours of sleep. Whitey and Bill led the tired men back into the shuttle bay. The guards greeted them with the curt nods of the field salute. "All quiet?" Whitey asked.
"All is well. Nothing to report."
"Good." Then to his men, "Set medical up in the shuttle and get the hacker sewn up." The strongest of Whitey's men helped support O'bee as he stumbled to the shuttle.
"Where is Security Officer Red?"
"In the shuttle sir."
"Good. No problems with her then?"
"Uh. Well, Donald kind-of ticked her off. Seems he offered to show her around the shuttle, real gentlemanly, just like we would to anyone above ranks; but she got the wrong impression. So she got real critical of him."
The men were beginning to scatter; some to duties, some to corners for sleep, but at Whitey's raised hand signal they circled around him. "Men, I know we do not like security officers, they are always spies, liars, and on somebody's pay. We've all had bad experiences with them. Well, like it or not we got one now. She is our security officer. We want her loyalty. So cut her some slack. A couple of you already saw what she did single handled to a squad of pirates, so don't mess with her. She is working with us and has already given us valuable intel on the ship. Dismissed." The men dispersed.
"That will hold things together for a little while," Bill said as they neared the shuttle.
"Yea, but it is only a matter of time before someone does something stupid. A beautiful girl like that around here is only trouble. I know Bill, let's let it slip out that she is your bride to be, and then the men will stay away from her."
"You men because no one will want to have anything to do with a girl so insane she would marry me?''
"Ha, I like that story."
They were in the shuttle. OBee was laying on a table with an oxygen mask on his face. His eyes were fluttering closed. One medic was about to stitch the gashes in his face and neck and the other began to examine his torn hands.
"Boss, this man went through a meat grinder. What happened to him?"
"A dog."
"Who would train a guard dog to attack like this?" The other medic asked.
"Not a guard dog. A boy's dog. The dog was protecting his boy."
"It nearly cost this man his life."
"It still may," The other medic said.
"He'll never have full use of his hands. And I think we have to take at least two fingers off. Are you sure it was a dog?"
"Yep."
"Common Boss," Bill said, his hand on Whitey's shoulder. "Get some rest."
Beyond the makeshift operating room were the four rooms. Whitey had the biggest one. The door had an old fashioned handle. He tried it but it was locked. "What?"
"Uh oh," Bill whispered. "Uh, boss, I told Red to find a room and sleep. I guess she took yours."
"Looks like I am bunking with you."
"Oh, crap. And you snore."
(c) Adron
To go to the next chapter CLICK HERE.
Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I hope you enjoyed it. Please see the sidebar for other chapters, I am sure you will enjoy them too.
Adron
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