I have to say; this story is getting good. I hope you enjoy…
Chapter 9: Patrol
"Boredom: the desire for desires."
Leo Tolstoy
Mission Profile: Bug-Hunt/Hold-Out fight
Time: 1900 Hours
Mission Log Time: 0700 Hours
Marine Casualty Count: 2
Marine Kill Count: 00
Status: Keep night watches, rest, and regroup
Nathan
He sat at the console, watching the monitors. There was just the simple view of the sections of the colony, still and tranquil.
No sign of movement anywhere. It was the making of pure boredom.
Currently, he couldn't help but wonder if getting this watch was worth it. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to interrupt sleep, but was the boredom really worth it.
Still a Marine, he always gave 160%, but the boredom of watch often got to your head.
He wondered what Standard was doing. He wouldn't mind her company since she always had an interesting debate for him to be a part of.
However, the only thing he could do would be to just watch the monitors and hope he didn't miss anything.
Standard
Currently, she had finished dissecting the Face-Hugger, and had made all of the observations she could with it.
The specimen was interesting, fascinating even. It was like looking at one of the most unique extraterrestrial life-forms that existed. How a creature like this one had escaped human discovery was a fascinating subject.
She remembered that Nathan had the first watch. She was dieing to have one of their debates right now. The man seemed to be looking at her a bit more when they were in the same room.
When she had walked over to begin dissecting the Face-hugger, she remembered the feeling of being stared at. It was the strangest thing.
She set down the scalpel, removed her surgical gloves, and exited Medlab. Entering Colony Control, she saw Nathan sitting at the terminal, watching the monitors.
She walked up to him, and set her left hand on his right shoulder.
Nathan
He jumped at the sensation of someone's touch on his shoulder. He turned around, and saw Standard behind him, looking down.
"Anything happen?" She asked, motioning to the monitors.
"No" he sighed "Just the same old view of nothing."
"Perhaps I can help you with watch?" she replied "I think an extra set of eyes could be helpful."
"It's not really hard" he admitted "It's just really boring."
"Maybe we could have one of our talks?" she replied "I've been really interested in the aspect of relationships with Humans."
"You have?" he asked, scanning the monitors quickly before looking at her.
"Indeed" she replied, taking a seat next to him. "I really think that humans forming relationships of friendship is nothing new" she paused "The need for companionship seems to be necessary for most animals. The interesting facet is the forming of relationships for romance"
Nathan was definitely interested in Standard's new tangent with this. He wondered what she'd ask him about with this.
"Really" he inquired "How so?"
"I know that all romantic relationships are a form of mating" she explained "But can't that be done in a way where there's simply sex and none of that other stuff?"
"That's the thing" he replied "People seem to want to get to know their mate. It's one of those things that decide whether they are satisfactory."
"That seems like a lot of hassle though" she admitted "I highly doubt that finding a truly perfect mate from all of that is worth all of the time. I know people must find it important, but is it really truly worth it, considering the high divorce rates?"
"If it's really good to you" he sighed "it'll be worth it. The only bad part is the rejection, and the heartbreak of it not working out. However, the hope that it might someday is what keeps people going." He paused "You're a companion model, how is this stuff not second nature to you?"
"I just find that intellectual talks seem more interesting and engaging" she replied "It's why I enjoy talking to you about this stuff. I like the fact that we seem to connect on so many basic levels. The fact that you always have something interesting to say, and a good answer to my questions really gets me going."
"So the fact that we talk so much seems to be a good thing?" he asked.
"I was probably built for a college professor," she explained "it's why talking intellectually seems so easy for me."
In the talk, Nathan hadn't noticed the fact that she had her hand on his knee.
In fact, during the talk, he was amazed at how he'd been able to keep checking the monitors. There was no sign of movement, but that didn't mean anything.
"So is there any female who you're in a romantic relationship with?" Standard asked, changing the subject to him.
"Actually" he replied "There isn't. I haven't really met anyone back home. It's really weird."
"Maybe the right one hasn't come yet" she replied "I think that if you simply look in the right place there will be someone"
This was weird. He wondered where Standard was going with this.
"Are you getting at the fact that it should be you?" he asked.
"I don't know" she replied "I really think you're the most interesting member of your unit, and the fact that you were the first person to talk to me when everyone else in your unit simply ignored me has made a difference." She paused, before continuing with "I find that the talks we have fill a need that has been built into me, a direct programming of a companion model android. However, those simply make me confused. It's really weird. I'm not sure what to think"
"Maybe you simply like me" he replied "The possibility exists. I wouldn't be surprised about a companion model android liking someone."
"Well" she replied "I'll think about it. Right now, I'll leave you to your watch"
With that, she got up, with a slight, unintentional placing of her butt in his face, and walked off.
Something about seeing the redhead walk off like that, seeing all of her curves, and the realistic, feminine features that she had, really got to him. It was kind of turning him on.
In fact, it made him wonder as to how his relationship with her really was. He wondered if there was truly something between them, if they really had chemistry.
He'd always felt something with her, how they seemed to click. It was weird and right at the same time.
He kept on thinking about that as he scanned the monitors, and before he knew it, those three hours had passed incredibly quickly.
As Jiminez relieved him of first watch, he couldn't help but think about how things were between Standard and him. It was strange, and somehow, it felt good.
Standard
She couldn't help but wonder if she indeed liked him that way. She felt a slight excitement in seeing him, fascination and good feeling whenever she was with him.
Whenever he would be aboard the Australis, she felt a good feeling. True, she did get lonely aboard the ship when they were in dock, and the fact that he would be there made her feel better.
As a companion model, company with humans always was a good thing. It made her feel good talking to people.
However, the other marines were hardly good conversation. They abused the English language with their constant swearing, talking like sailors. They talked bad about each other, making similar and very dirty jokes about each other all of the time.
The fact that they all had nasty habits, and seemed to think that combat was the only good thing made her disgusted. It was like all these people knew was combat.
Nathan "Dutch" Van Hold was different though. He joined in on it, used some bad words, mostly on the lower end of the spectrum, and knew his way around a gun.
However, the fact that he was actually really nice, and decent company to everyone, seemed to be what set him apart.
She wondered if she really did like him. When they'd transferred her to the Colonial Marines, they'd erased most of her memories. She'd forgotten what it was like to like someone, to recognize and help those in love, and the basics of being a companion model.
She was thinking that Nathan might be able to help her figure everything out again, to show her the way, to help her figure out what her existence was about. It would mean the world to her.
As she was walking, she bumped into someone absentmindedly. The combat armor's impact with a feminine feature on her, built to be realistically sensitive; had knocked her mind back to the moment.
"Sorry" she apologized.
From behind, all she could tell was that it was one of the male marines.
Nathan
After being bumped into and hearing Standard's voice from behind, he simply sighed.
Turning around, it indeed was Standard who had bumped into him.
"It's okay" he replied.
Turning around, this revealed Standard rubbing/holding her left breast, wincing in pain.
"Are you okay?" he asked "Did I hit you there or something?"
"It seemed that when I ran into you" she replied "This was the first thing to touch you."
She seemed to take a few quick breaths, and quickly regain composure.
All Nathan could think of was how they actually made those on an Android sensitive. He never imagined them having to do that.
"Those were built sensitive?" he asked. "I never imagined that being needed."
"Well" she replied "It's one of those things that must have been made as a companion type."
"Is there any place you were headed?" she asked.
"I was on my way to bed" he replied. Then an idea came to his head "Would you care to join me?" he asked, joking manner to his voice.
"I don't know" she admitted "I couldn't imagine sharing a bed with a human, or sleeping for that matter."
"It was a joke" he sighed "If you want to, then I'm fine with that."
"I think it'd be interesting" she replied "Sharing a bed sounds like an interesting experiment."
This befuddled Nathan. "Really?" he asked, partially happy and partially confused.
"I can imagine it'd be cramped" she explained "But I would like to know what it's like."
"Alright" He managed "Let me show you to my bunk."
Ty'kad
He arrived at his camp before nightfall, hoping to get a meal. He remembered that this turn to cook belonged to Jut'nei. He rather enjoyed her cooking, seeing as she used local ingredients to give meals some flavor fitting for the environment.
He climbed into the "Air-Traffic-Control" tower that the Oomans had built for the colony, where they set up camp.
[did you score any new kills brother?] Jic'nya asked. The older Yuat'ja stood tallest, a full three Jun'ticz (nine feet in Ooman measurements). The oldest of the three siblings, he had the most scars. He regularly fought close-quarters with all of his prey, something that most Yuat'ja never did. He only used the cloaking to reach everything, and to phase out when he needed to get away, when reinforcements came from Oomans. As a result, his green skin was torn with black and yellow scars from so many close scraps.
[The gods of the hunt have smiled on us] Ty'kad replied in the Formal. He was the middle child of the three, and new better than to use Informal speak to his elder brother, a full 80 Ooman years older. [There are Ooman Warriors that have landed, and I have saved us a good many of them.]
[It's about time they sent people] Jut'nei sighed, talking in the Formal to the two. As a female, she would have had the option of not taking part in hunts. However, she wasn't like most females. As a result, she dressed like a warrior, leaving only a simple strip of cloth to cover her chestline, and wearing pants just like the males. She had marked herself from her Hard Meat Trial on the arm, her left to be precise. As a result, by showing the scar, she showed that she was a Blooded Hunter.
Ty'kad was always very proud of his sister.
[Are the meals ready?] Jic'nya asked.
[the meat is finished marinating, and all that is left is full cooking] Jut'nei replied [I look forward to initiating the true stage of the hunt. Perhaps we shall deactivate the scrambler?]
[A satisfactory idea] Ty'kad replied [thus, we can unleash the Hard Meat upon the Oomans]
[Let us focus on now though] Jic'nya commanded [my stomach churns in hopes for a meal. The food can be smelled, and it is making me hungry]
[I am searing the meat just the way you like it Brothers] Jut'nei replied [Only a short amount of time until we feast]
[So be it] Ty'kad replied [I wonder what local ingredients you have added to marinate the meat]
[Simply a few spices from the Ooman stores] Jut'nei explained [I have been wanting to try Ooman flavors, since they might become extinct if the events turn out in the Ooman's disfavor.]
With that, a buzz went off the control gauntlet Jut'nei wore, signaling the time that the meat was ready.
[It's waiting] she replied, walking back to their makeshift kitchen [Come and get it brothers]
With that, they walked in, and saw the meat cooked on spears, skin still attached, and juices heard boiling inside. The creatures were small mammals, having been raised by Oomans in the facility. This creature, he'd heard referred to as a 'cat'.
However, the three that had been roasted smelled of Ooman flavors, an obvious selection of some rather aromatic spices.
It partially took him back to his childhood. Their mother used to grow certain spices in addition to the usual crops. The spices were said to have been bred from Ooman seeds long ago. The plants had been first grown by their grandmother.
A story went that their grandfather hunted on the Ooman homeworld, and had taken an Ooman with pouches of seeds in his clothing, having given it to their grandmother.
As a result, they had access to Ooman-based spices in their cooking.
It took him back as he ate the creature. He always had fun hunting small creatures that roamed their property, and that seeing their father come home with new trophies excited him.
He knew that this place would be memorable hunting. He prayed a silent prayer hoping that it would stay true.
