A few days later and Jack's team found themselves with their new teammate. Jessie was clad in her retro jeans, a blue short-sleeved sweater, and her plaid jacket with the tears mended. Jack gave her a full tour of the warehouse and gave her an office on the basement level.
"That triangle craft we picked up has been giving us some problems" Jack reported. He leaned against the door frame. "It started pulsing. It hasn't stopped and it hasn't changed."
"Did you open it up?" Jessie asked.
"No" Jack replied.
Jessie leaned against the empty, barren desk. "How will you figure out what's in it if you don't open it? I mean, if I find a box, I'm going to open it to see what's inside."
"It might have something very bad inside" Jack said. Jessie nodded.
"Like a bomb?" Jessie asked.
"More like a living thing that could devour the human race" Jack said. "But close enough."
"A living thing" Jessie said. "Can you freeze it?"
"What do you mean?" Jack asked. Jessie stood up and walked around the small office. It was simply a small box of a room with an empty desk and a mediocre office chair. Windows sat on both sides of the door so she could see into the hallway.
"I mean, open it up and use some liquid nitrogen or something" Jessie replied. "If it's living, that would stop it, right?"
"Right" Jack replied. "But, we might not find any information if we kill it."
"I suppose that leaves us in a bit of a quandary" Jessie mused. "Can I see it?"
"I was actually hoping that we could get some preliminary stuff taken care of" Jack said. "We can check it out afterwards."
"Yes, sir" Jessie said with a smile. Jack led her down the sub-basement and through a blue door. It wasn't a room as large as the basement shop, but it was long enough to have been converted into a small gun range. Jack retrieved a set of ear protection for each of them and opened a cabinet that held a dozen different guns and matching ammo.
It didn't take long for Jessie to run through each weapon, aiming for the three targets at the far end of the room. The majority of the shots fired were 'kill shots', the rest would have easily disabled an enemy. The acrid smell of powder filled the room, hanging heavy.
"You are a good shot" Jack said.
"I told you I wasn't bad" Jessie replied. Jack had a pistol from the gun cabinet. He took aim and fired at the targets. When he stopped he had a look of satisfaction on his face, as if he was blowing off steam.
"Brian is a pretty good shot" Jack said. "Ritha and Cole need some work. I think Cole's shooting experience comes from Duck Hunt."
"I never had a nintendo" Jessie said. She checked her pistol for bullets and set it aside.
"Cole and Ritha are gaming fanatics" Jack said. He checked his gun and then put it back in the gun cabinet.
"Are they a couple?" Jessie asked. She handed her gun to Jack, who put it away.
"They are" Jack replied. "Disappointed?"
"Not about that asshole" Jessie said. Jack laughed and put up the ear protection.
"He's not so bad once you get to know him" Jack said. "He's actually a fabulous surgeon."
"Everyone has to be fabulous at something" Jessie stated. Jack shut the gun cabinet and struck a pose.
"I'm fabulous at being fabulous" Jack joked. Jessie cracked a smile. "Come on." Jack put a hand to Jessie's waist and ushered her out of the range. "Let's go have a look at that craft."
"Jessie had the idea of freezing whatever is inside" Jack said. Jessie stood against Brian's station and watched as Jack pointed to the craft with Cole and Ritha at his side. "If it's Axon, then there's a good chance that it's potentially hazardous to the entire planet."
"Freezing stops most lifeforms" Cole said.
"It might be our best chance of figuring this out" Brian commented.
"Everyone on board with it?" Jack asked. No one argued. "Good. Let's set up a quarantine area. Nothing can leave here."
Setting up a quarantine area went fast once they had acquired all the supplies. By the late afternoon they had a space in the basement set up. Jack handed a packaged suit to Jessie.
"Suit up" Jack ordered. Jack ripped his open and held up the white jumpsuit. "Looks like I need to go change. Ritha, do you have all the equipment ready to go?"
"Almost" Ritha replied. "This new stuff you brought in is a little old."
"Work with it" Jack said. Jessie changed in the shop bathroom and Jack went in once she was done.
"Jess, over here" Brian called out. He was wearing a lab coat and goggles. Jessie went over to him and he handed her a pair of black vinyl gloves. "Those should help. We're not sure what's in that thing, so we have eye protection and a face mask for you. I also want you to wear this." He pulled a headband from his pocket with a camera attached to it. "It's a wireless camera. We will be able to see whatever you're looking at."
Jessie put it on, as well as the goggles and the breathing mask. Brian handed her an ear piece.
"How many times have you guys done this?" Jessie asked.
"This is our first quarantine" Ritha answered. Jessie muttered something under her breath.
"Let me check your gear" Brian said. He went to his computer and pulled up the audio and video on the monitor. "You're good."
"That jumpsuit looks terrible on you" Jack said with a chuckle.
"They look bad on everyone" Jessie said, her voice muffled by the breathing mask. Jack was handed the same items. Black rubber boots were set out for them to put on. "These are a little big."
"I have enough liquid nitrogen in the quarantine area for the job" Cole said. "One of you should be ready with it while the other opens the craft."
"We have a few items in there that should help you open it" Ritha said. She pressed a few buttons. "The monitoring systems are on."
"I should be going in there with you. I'm a doctor. I know how to properly use the liquid nitrogen" Cole said.
"We can handle it" Jack said. He slapped Cole on the arm. "Just keep an eye on us through the monitors."
Jack and Jessie entered the quarantined area. Cole sealed up the plastic room that they had created. A work light illuminated the space. Jack scooped up a crowbar and got to work trying to pry the craft open.
"Do you really think a crowbar is going to work?" Jessie asked. She grabbed one of the heavy, very insulated containers of liquid nitrogen. "Didn't this thing come from space?"
Jack leaned into it and grunted a little. "You would be surprised."
The metal gave way after a minute. It slowly shifted until a center piece popped out. Gas hissed from the opening. Jessie hurried to open the liquid nitrogen container.
"Get it open!" Cole yelled over the ear piece. There was a popping noise from inside the craft. Jack moved to help Jessie dump the liquid nitrogen into the craft. Through the erupting gas he could make out a golden brown blob that twitched.
"Hurry!" Jack said through gritted teeth. The liquid nitrogen smoked and crackled as it froze everything it touched.
"We can barely see anything" Brian said over the ear piece. Jessie set the liquid nitrogen container down and moved in closer to the craft, alongside Jack. The inside of the craft was crusted with frost and the thing inside was frozen and still.
"What is that?" Cole asked.
"That is an Axon" Jack said. He waved his hand to move the gasses out of the way. "I think we got it."
"What do we do with it?" Jessie asked. Jack picked up the crowbar and jammed it into the blob, shattering it. "Well that solves that. You didn't want to save it or something?"
"Hell no" Jack said. He looked over at her and stopped. "We have a problem."
"What is that?" Jessie asked pointing at Jack's side. They each had a golden brown blob on their jumpsuits.
"Oh my god" Ritha said. "Don't let it touch you."
"It's moving!" Jessie cried out. The blob slowly moved upward, from her hip towards her waist.
"Use the other canister of liquid nitrogen" Cole said.
"No! That could be highly dangerous to yourselves" Brian said. Jack tried pushing on the blob that was clinging to him, but it didn't budge.
"We need ideas" Jack said. Jessie hurried over to the other canister of liquid nitrogen. "No. Brian said no."
"I have an idea" Jessie insisted. She looked around the space and was quick to pull off her own glove. She threw it at Jack. "Hold that open."
"What are you doing?" Jack asked. Jessie lifted the canister and poured the liquid into the glove as Jack held it. She set the canister down and gently took the glove.
"Hold out your suit" Jessie said. Jack did and Jessie slowly poured the liquid nitrogen onto the blob until it froze and fell off.
"You did it" Jack said. He took the glove from her and managed to get the blob on her suit to fall off. Once the blobs were both on the floor, they crushed them under their feet. "I think we're okay."
"Those things were on you" Cole said. "Jack, what else do you know about these Axon? If they consume organic material, how fast do they consume it?"
"I don't know" Jack said. "What exactly are you saying, Cole?"
"You have to remain quarantined" Cole said. "We have the supplies handy. Give us a little time. We can get a room set up for you two to use for the night."
"I'll grab the cots" Brian said. Jack paced around the plastic room for a time. They could hear the other hurrying around the shop. They were creating a new space as fast as they could with metal supports and heavy plastic sheeting. Jessie had her ungloved hand pulled into her jumpsuit and she was sitting in the corner of the 12'x12' space.
"Jack, we're going to set this up so you can enter the new room and seal it behind you" Brian finally said over the ear piece.
"The monitors say that the air is breathable. You should be okay to take your masks off" Ritha said. Jessie and Jack both took their breathing masks off. Jessie pulled her goggles and her camera headband off.
"I can't muscle my way out of this" Jessie said. Jack came over as sat down next to her. He pulled off his gloves and looked at her.
"Did I mention that this is a dangerous job?" Jack asked. Jessie smiled.
"I don't mind being in danger or dying" Jessie said. "I do have a problem being the cause of Earth's destruction."
"We'll be okay. Earth is going to be around for a long time" Jack said reassuringly. There was more noise of things being set up. A knife, immediately followed by wide tape sealing up the tear, ran down the center of the quarantined area.
"We're almost ready for you two to move" Brian said. "We're leaving you two with a cooler, cots, and blankets. Cole found a camp toilet."
"Swell" Jessie muttered.
"At least we get a toilet" Jack said. They sat there for another 30 minutes until they were told that they could move through the cut in the plastic. As soon as they were through, they sealed the room off and began taking their suits off. They put the suits into a garbage bag left in the space. Jack touched his earpiece. "Brian, I'm turning off the earpiece for now."
"No problem, Jack" Brian replied. "Ritha and Cole are going to watch the monitors for a bit."
"We will just make ourselves comfortable" Jack said. Jack and Jessie were standing in the new quarantine room in their underwear and shirts. Jack took his earpiece out and set it on the floor under his cot. Jessie sat on the cot left for her and set her earpiece underneath as well. "How are you doing?"
"I think I'm okay" Jessie said. She looked down at herself. "I don't see any marks or indications that the Axon touched my skin. How about you?"
"Same" Jack said. "I like the fuschia panties. Nice color on you." Jessie shook her head and got up to set up the sheets that were left on the bed. She didn't linger on Jack's briefs. "I wonder what they left us in the cooler." He moved the small blue cooler around and opened it up. "Toilet paper, water, sandwiches, crisps, and a bar of chocolate. Wait. There's a magazine in here and hand sanitizer."
"Indoor camping at its finest" Jessie said sitting on her cot.
The evening passed slowly. They had both awkwardly used the camp toilet, a 5-gallon bucket with an attached toilet seat and bucket liner. The seat had a lid to help contain the smell. It was still awkward to use it in such a small space. They had taken their time with the sandwiches and the bag of crisps. They had listened to the others begin the clean up and incineration of the room where the craft resided. It was followed by an immediate oily smoke smell that lingered. By 7pm, Jack was lying on his cot reading the magazine.
"Want to test your sex IQ?" Jack asked. He glanced over at Jessie, who made a scrunched face. "It's a Cosmo quiz."
"Fine" Jessie said after a sigh.
"It's possible for a guy to have multiple orgasms. True or false?" Jack read.
"Uh...true?" Jessie said after a moment.
"What percentage of men in relationships have orgasms? 55, 95, or 75 percent?" Jack read. Jessie shrugged
"75, I suppose" Jessie replied.
"What is the average length of a hard penis?" Jack asked. "5 to 6 inches, 6 inches, or 3 to 4 inches?"
"I don't know. 5 to 6?" Jessie answered.
"If a guy thrusts too hard, he could break his penis" Jack read with a chuckle.
"What the hell?" Jessie asked with a laugh. "False."
"Who daydreams more while having sex? Men or women?" Jack asked.
"Uh...women?" Jessie said. She glanced over at Jack who seemed highly amused.
"In the US, most people's sexual partners number in the single digit range" Jack said. "True or false?"
"True?" Jessie answered.
"In some parts of the country girls have to get permission before waxing down there" Jack read.
"No...um, false" Jessie replied.
"The clitoris have more nerve endings than the penis, true or false?" Jack asked.
"False" Jessie said gazing up at the plastic coated ceiling.
"The bigger a man's feet, the bigger his penis" Jack read.
"Ah...false, I'm sure" Jessie replied.
"Do guys have a g-spot?" Jack asked.
"Isn't the g-spot supposed to be a complete hoax?" Jessie asked. "False."
"You really don't know that one?" Jack asked. He shook his head. "Sex burns as many calories as running a mile."
"Pfft. No" Jessie said. "How many more questions?"
"Only three more" Jack said with a smile. "A small flaccid penis signifies a small erect penis."
"There are showers and there are growers, so false" Jessie said.
"After the bedroom, where is the second most popular place to have sex? The kitchen, a public restroom, or a car?" Jack asked.
"Outside the bedroom?" Jessie muttered. Her eyes moved around in an attempt to seek out an answer. "The...kitchen?"
"Guys can fake orgasms. True or false?" Jack asked.
"False?" Jessie answered. Jack looked at the answers for a moment.
"You only answered half of these correctly" Jack said. He looked past the magazine at her. "That's pretty bad. If this was a real test, you would have an F."
"I think this room is giving me a headache" Jessie replied. She slung one arm over her eyes. Jack turned the pages of the magazine, not really interested in what was written or even in the pictures. It just gave him something to do. "Can we dim the lights or anything?"
"I think it's going to be like this all night" Jack replied. The white heavy plastic-lined room glowed just like a lamp. "Are you worried?"
"No" Jessie replied. "There's nothing to indicate anything from the Axon. I think our suits protected us, unless it has some sort of spore or something that it produces."
"Axons reproduce by growing around organic matter until it encompasses it entirely. It does that until it becomes huge, then breaks off into pieces" Jack said.
"That little blob split apart and jumped on us" Jessie replied turning to look over at Jack. Her grey eyes met his blue ones for a second and she frowned. "What would you call that?"
"A desperate attempt to live" Jack replied. He turned back to the magazine. He had been staring at the shoe advertisement for a while, thinking rather than having any desire for shoes.
The rest of the night was quiet even though they both laid on their cots completely awake.
"Look at these readings" Ritha said while resting in her bed. Cole was beside her and the sheets were pushed down to their waists. Ritha held up a small tablet that displayed the monitors in the basement shop. "They're both still moving about."
A glance at the clock told Cole that it was nearing 1am. "Maybe Jack's having a romp with the new girl."
"Their heart rates don't indicate that any activity like that has occurred" Ritha said. She pointed to the timeline at the bottom of the display.
"They're just in there, awake?" Cole asked.
"What do you know about Jack?" Ritha asked. She stretched and set the tablet onto her nightstand. "He knows more than anyone on Earth that I've ever met."
"I don't know much about him" Cole replied. "He found me after I came across some kind of pod implanted in a man's chest." The two cuddled up together. "You live here with him."
"He always seems to be moving around" Ritha replied with a yawn.
"I want to see the readings in the morning" Cole said quietly before drifting off to sleep.
"You're up late" Jack said from his cot. He was laying there with his eyes closed to the harsh brightness of the room. Jessie was on the cold floor stretching.
"I don't sleep much" Jessie replied. She leaned forward, pressing her body against one of her outstretched legs. "Besides, I didn't have the opportunity to take anything tonight. I thought you were sleeping."
"Just resting my eyes" Jack said. "The light was getting to me." He watched his teammate change positions and lean in for another stretch. "Why can't you sleep?"
"I can sleep" Jessie said. "I just don't stay asleep for long."
"Sounds like me" Jack said. He went back to closing his eyes. "I sometimes wonder how everyone can get along with so much sleep."
"I think we're fine" Jessie said after a few quiet minutes. "We haven't had any symptoms from the Axon, no side effects, not even a bruise."
"What would you be doing?" Jack asked. Jessie moved to sit on her cot.
"Sweatpants and a movie" Jessie replied. "What about you?"
"Work" Jack said softly. "I always work." Jessie pulled the sheets over her, mimicking Jack, and stared up at the plastic ceiling. "Try to get some sleep. I expect you at work in the morning."
They laughed awkwardly and tried to bring themselves to rest.
It was disappointing. More than disappointing, it was downright blasphemy. Jessie spit out the coffee and emptied her mug. Cole and Ritha watched her as if she was half crazy.
"Ugh! That's how you make your coffee?" Jessie asked.
"What's wrong with it?" Cole asked. "Too strong for you?"
"You have too many grounds in there and it is definitely not fresh" Jessie said. She pulled out the filter and saw that it was halfway filled with grounds.
"We like it strong" Ritha said. Jessie dumped the used filter and shoved the filter holder back into place.
"That's not how you make strong coffee" Jessie grumbled. She had finally been able to shower and put her clothes back on. She took a deep breath. "I'll fix this. I'll fix it."
She left the kitchen. Ritha sipped her coffee. "She's weird."
"Pretentious" Cole said. He sat down at the table and looked at the tablet that he had been holding. It was Ritha's and she was letting him check out the readings from the night before. "This was monitoring them the whole night? Both of them?"
"Yes" Ritha said. She moved to look over his shoulder. "Why?"
"Neither one of them slept" Cole said. He pointed to the early morning portion of the readings. "They were still, but they never achieved REM sleep."
"They could have been worried about the Axon" Ritha replied. "Fear can keep one awake."
"Neither one of them show elevated signs of adrenaline or even an elevated heart rate" Cole said. "Calm. They were both calm and didn't bother sleeping."
"That isn't normal for humans" Ritha said. Cole sipped his coffee and handed the tablet back to Ritha.
"I'm driving you to the grocery store?" Brian asked. He had a small silver car and had just pulled in when Jessie had started leaving the warehouse. She had coaxed him into taking her to the nearest grocery store.
"I need some goddamn coffee, Doc" Jessie said. She was cranky after that terrible cup. They pulled up to a small grocery store.
"You're going to stir the pot with this" Brian said once they reached the coffee aisle. He watched the American look at the bags of beans. He touched the tie knot at his throat. Today it was a green tie. She smelled a few and finally selected a bag. "That's whole bean."
"Yes, I know" Jessie grumbled. She snagged a grinder. "We're going to have some decent coffee."
"All in the name of decent coffee" Brian said following her up to the cashier.
When they got back to the warehouse, Brian followed her to the kitchen. She dumped the pot that was mostly full and got to work grinding a small amount of beans. She put a filter into the filter holder, then dumped the beans in and started the coffee pot brewing.
"You seem to be a coffee connoisseur" Brian said. He flashed Jessie a handsome smile.
"I've spent a lot of time drinking coffee and learning about it" Jessie replied. She went through the cabinets and pulled out a #5 can of Folgers. She dropped it into the trash can without a second thought. The brewing coffee had a rich, almost chocolatey smell to it. Brian touched his lips.
"That smells delightful" Brian said. Jessie smiled and nodded.
"Yeah. The day will turn around now" Jessie replied. "Cups?"
"Far right cabinet" Brian said. "I'll take a mug of that." Jessie retrieved two mugs and eagerly waited to fill them with coffee. "You're going to be on permanent coffee duty if that tastes as good as it smells."
"I'm okay with that" Jessie said. Once the pot was half full, Jessie filled the mugs and put the pot back to catch more coffee. She handed one mug to Brian. "What do you think, Doc?"
Brian took a sip of the coffee and was in full appreciation. "Not wild about the nickname, but the coffee is excellent."
"What is that?" Jack said from the doorway.
"It's damn fine coffee" Brian announced. Jack stepped into the kitchen and poured himself a cup. He had changed into grey trousers, a grey vest, and a blue shirt. "This is what I'd like to wake up to every morning."
"I thought you were more of a red-head fan, Brian" Jack said teasing the short man.
"Ha ha" Brian replied. He got up from the table. "I have work to do. Jess, this was worth the grocery store trip."
"I kind of forced him to take me to the grocery store" Jessie said after seeing the questioning look on Jack's face. "What's on the docket today, Jack?"
"Interesting thing happened last night" Jack said. "There were two more Axon crafts that crashed while we were in quarantine. We need to retrieve them and neutralize the Axons inside."
"Good thing we just had a trial run" Jessie replied.