Eric Olafson, Midshipman 76

Part 76: NEWPORT CAMPUS

While we re-arranged the furniture and tried to make things more acceptable for Hans and Krabbel, more and more Cadets from other ships and installations filled the hallways outside our dorm.

Krabbel and Circuit managed to get additional mattresses and scavenged even a dozen Duranium steel beams to built Hans a make shift bed. I was not sure if I should ask them where they got the metal beams from, and then decided not to, because I was actually a little afraid of the answer.

Mao came back from his reconnaissance mission and gave us a short report about the other teams that had already arrived and of those still expected to be here. He knew that this time every academy branch had sent a team as well as several large ships that had third year midshipmen teams and more than 185 teams were expected to compete. He also found a mess hall with Serv-Matics on the ground level of this building.

Wetmouth also returned right after Mao and said she had some data she still needed to evaluate.

So after being situated I noticed it was almost 2000 hours and still no one had shown up to tell us what would happen next or where and when to go for dinner.

There was really nothing to else to do in the boring dorm room so I said, “Let’s have dinner. Mao found a mess hall with serve-matics.”

Har-Hi who had just finished helping Circuit to weld the steel beam supports underneath Hans bed said.” Good idea, I am actually quite hungry.”

Circuit put his tools away. “I wish I could have that Simu-Eat upgrade done as soon as possible. I always want to share our dinner and not just sit there.”

I turned to him as I straightened my uniform and checked my shave.”What is that?”

“You know I don’t eat. I can’t even pretend to eat as I have no throat, no stomach and no tongue, but I am a machine and there are Upgrades offered, not officially sanctioned by Mother Machine though, but one of them is called the Simu-Eat Upgrade and it would give me the ability to pretend to eat. It’s just so prohibitive expensive.”

“I can give you the money. I have lots and have yet found no real use for it.”

“Ah yes I remember you got almost as much cash as Mr. Schwartz.” He then looked to the floor.”I also remember I haven’t paid you back the money I borrowed when we first met.”

“Forget about it already, we are friends. I really don’t need it and I am glad I can do something for you. Consider it a birthday present or something like that.”

Elfi said.”Do X101’s have birthdays?”

Circuit nodded. “Yes we celebrate the day we are switched on. We call it Click-to-light anniversary, and it is celebrated much like a human birthday. We give and receive presents and everyone carries a little light around their necks.”

We continued our conversation about birthday traditions while we made our way to the mess hall, Mao had discovered.

No one was in the mess hall, so we prepared a table. Mao and Krabbel went to the Serv Matics and piled a four course meal on our table.

I made a short speech raised the glass and we started our dinner.

A group of Cadets came in and watched us eat. One of them asked. “Why are you eating? We didn’t hear any orders or mess calls.”

I shrugged. “We didn’t hear any mess calls either.”

Just then a Lieutenant in dark green Uniform walked in, looked at our table and went to the Serv-matics. He returned with a dinner plate and silverware and asked. “May I join you? Your table is nicely laid out.”

I stood and the others followed my example. “Please do. It would be an honor. Please join our table, Sir”

He sat down and we resumed our meal. The Cadet who had asked us about dinner was still standing there and sounded agitated.” Sir, we did not hear any mess calls and wonder when there is dinner?”

“Cadet, you are a senior, this is not basic training. The mess hall and serve matics are here for exactly this purpose so you may eat when you find time outside of scheduled training periods.”

The Cadet made a consternated face but told his friends and they went to the Serv-matics as well.

The Lieutenant on our table was humanoid, but had distinctive non humanoid features as well. To me he looked like a cross between Human and Shiss.

He looked us over. “Why so formal with silverware and table cloth and you all wearing dress uniform?”

I explained. “Sir, it is sort of a tradition for us. We try to have one meal together and when possible we do it the Navy way.”

He plotted his mouth with a napkin, reached for his glass and after he drank he nodded and said. “I see you are from the Devastator so it must have been you who landed that Barracuda Destroyer in that, let’s say heart stopping way?”

Shaka felt addressed so he answered. “It was not my intend to stop any hearts Sir, but Planet control requested we do not damage the grass and so I squeezed her in the only free spot on the Tarmac.”

He forked a morsel of food inside his mouth and after he had eaten it he said. “Expertly executed landing indeed.”

Shaka declined his head and said. “Thank you Sir.”

After he had eaten another bite the officer turned to look at me and said. “I went over your personal files and I must say I am impressed with your records. The flagship of the first fleet seems to have sent a capable team this time.”

He made some more small talk and while he seemed friendly and jovial, I had the unexplainable feeling he had ulterior motives for his meal with us. It was nothing but a feeling, nothing he did or say suggested anything. I considered that I was maybe a little too suspicious, lately.

We ended our meal a little later. He got up thanked us and left. After we had cleared the tables we also went back to our dorm.

The building was busy now with cadets from all over the Union and each group displayed their ship or academy branch badges and decals with pride.

There was a busy din of conversations in the hallways, groups had formed and had conversations with other groups, but not all were friendly we witnessed a few heated discussions too.

But when we were noticed, the conversations stopped or were replaced by whispers.

I credited much of that to the towering presence of Hans and of course Krabbel was quite an impressive sight, even for a society used to all kinds of alien life forms.

Just as we reached the second floor I spotted Olia and Limbur and both of them recognized me at the same time. Olia gave me a running hug only to be followed by Limbur, who appeared to have grown even a little bigger and stronger since I had seen him last.

Olia was as pretty as ever, but I had to admit she was no match for Elfi’s exquisite beauty, at least in my eyes.

Both sported patches of the USS Avalon and I learned it was an battle ship of the new Wedge class under an Ult captain they both deeply respected.

I thanked Olia and Limbur for their support and what they had done to help me. I told them what I could and what Elligott told me.

Finally I found time to introduce them to the others and Limbur looked up to Hans and offered his hand. “That is just my luck. I thought I would at least gain points in physical combat but now that there is a Saturnian competing...”

Hans smiled at him and took Limbur’s hand.”For the most part I am just a good eater and besides physical strength has very little to do with excellence in physical combat.”

Limbur nodded I know. We both have a friend who attacks anything regardless of size, when he gets angry.” Limbur gave me a wide grin as he said that and earned a round of laughter from my friends.

Har Hi elbowed me into the side.”Yes it appears he knows you well.”

Hans said to Limbur.”I am strong yes, but I would not want to face Har-Hi our Dai if he would fight for real. Physically I am far superior but I would still end up dead faster than you blink an eye.”

Limbur looked at Har-Hi with respect.”I heard of the fighting skills of the Dai and hearing that from a Saturnian, that is some compliment! I am sure glad you are on our side then.”

Olia then told me how the Avalon fought a battle against Nul-Nul ships and got damaged.

Her girlish face suddenly changed and had a grown up, almost old expression when she told me how she helped to save dozens of plasma burned crew members, piled up in a smoke filled corridor while everyone else fought against a Nul boarding party.

Only now I noticed, she was a Medical specialist and her ribbon read out displayed the Silver Star and the Combat Medic ribbon in gold, a rarely awarded decoration and given to acknowledge exceptional heroism and dedication saving lives.

Olia had lost much of her girlish ways and it became apparent to me while she was talking. She was no longer the fashion crazed, colored hair girl she had been when I first met her at Camp Idyllic. She had grown up, not just physically but inside as well. She told me that Az-Az and Naxwax re-entered the Academy and were now in second year at Arsenal II and she kept contact with both of them and extended their greetings. Galmy had chosen the legal career and was at Fleet Legal School on Pluribus. I had to promise Olia to call them all as soon as I could.

Limbur rolled up the sleeve of his uniform and showed me his right arm. The skin was pasty white. “Look at my brand new arm. It’s as good as the old one and they tell me the color will change in time as well.” He grinned, but it was a hard smile as he added. “I tell you those Nul have sharp teeth. One of them made off with my old one.”

Olia looked up to Limbur and pride glittered in her eyes. “Limbur held an access corridor all by himself and prevented the Nul from taking engineering. We are all very proud of him.”

Just like Olia, Limbur appeared to be the same old on the surface but he too had lost much of his youthful innocence he displayed when I meet him first. His ribbon display showed the Purple Heart and the Silver Star and he had a row of ribbons giving attest to his marksman ship and fighting abilities. He shrugged. “I don’t really give a hoot about this contest. It doesn’t seem all that important to me or to our Captain.But I will do my best, for the ship’s honor.”

Olia agreed with him and said.”I too hope it is over soon so we can return to the Avalon. Limbur and I are going to stay after we graduate, Captain Wonn said so.”

I said. “Wintsun is here too.”

They both looked at each other and then at me. Olia hugged me again and whispered in my ear.”Yes, we know. We haven’t told him anything about you because somehow he has changed. Limbur thought we should be careful around him.”

Limbur said nothing but I felt he was troubled about something in regards to Wintsun.

So we shook hands and wished each other luck and they both returned to their group.

Back in our dorm Hans said.” Now those two were real and I am certain they are going to be real fine officers.”

Har-Hi nodded. “I think they already are.”

Wetmouth sat down at the table and pulled her PDD. “Was it just me or did you think that Lieutenant who ate with us had something else in mind?”I was surprised I wasn’t the only one who had that feeling and nodded. “I did think so too.”

She checked the readout of her PDD. “I scanned him under the table. He has both human and Shiss DNA and he also had an active transmitter of some kind on his body. Whatever we said was transmitted to somewhere else.”

I put my finger on my lips and took the PDD from her and typed on it: “Let’s check the dorm and our stuff for listening devices and perhaps ourselves as well.”

She nodded and showed the text to the others.

We started to discus Ice cream flavors with Krabbel while Wetmouth and Circuit scanned the room and us. Circuit held his hand up displaying four fingers.

He then took a small device from his belt and worked fast.

After about ten minutes he said. “The listening devices are neutralized.”

I was certain now Admiral Stahl’s feeling about this place was spot on. “Let us record everything from now on, for later reference.”

Mao sat down on one of the chairs and shrugged. “Maybe it is just part of a test and we are to find the bugs and do something about it? Security and Counter Intelligence are part of our training after all.”

I had to agree. “You are right that is of course an explanation and a likely one at that, but my gut tells me otherwise.”

“Well whoever was listening might need a new set of ears. I sent a hyper frequency sound pulse, and disabled the filters in the listening devices that would take out such noises. The pulse also destroyed the bugs”

The thought of someone getting a set of bleeding ears after listening to us felt strangely satisfying and I said.”We got to keep on our toes and I think we should even keep watch trough the night.”

We were interrupted in our conversation as we all heard a heated discussion just outside our dorm.

We went to investigate and were met by a small crowd of Cadets and a Lieutenant in dark green uniform.

A group of nine Cadets argued that they were assigned to the dorm we occupied while the Lieutenant tried to explain to them and said. “We have more teams this year than usual and we are out of Dorm space. You can sleep outside and we issue you tents or stay in your shuttle. Just be here at 0600 every day during the challenge.”

The leader of that cadet team was not satisfied with that and said. “We were dropped off, we don’t have a shuttle. Is that how you try to eliminate us even before the contest, by not providing rest and hygiene facilities to some?”

The Lieutenant hissed. “Watch your language, Cadet.”

That however did not intimidate that Cadet, who was an Attikan and his team included two Petharians, four humans and three Blues and he responded.”I am watching it alright. I will lodge a formal complaint with Fleet Command and protest this unfair treatment.I am also a Union citizen and my rep will take this to the Assembly. Others get dorms and we have to fend for ourselves outside.”

I interrupted their conversation. “Lieutenant, Sir, these Cadets can use this dorm. Since you mentioned that it is possible to sleep outside or in a shuttle, we got our own ship and we can stay there.”

It was obvious that the Lieutenant didn’t like to make such a decision on his own, but he could not back track on his own words so he nodded.”That will be an acceptable solution to this problem.”

The other cadet team, I learned was from a new branch of the Academy and came all the way from across the bridge, accepted this as well.

So we vacated the dorm and returned to the Barracuda and all our mood drastically improved the moment we were aboard. Here we were certain no one could listen in on our conversations and we had all the creature comforts one could ask for. Especially Hans was glad to have a Vari-matic bed that accommodated his enormous body adequately.

Krabbel who could find a comfortable resting place just about anywhere by hanging from a thread also preferred an actual bed he could adjust to low gravity.

Part 77 »