Chapter 2 – When Adventure Comes Calling
It was cold. And wet. He was very cold. And very wet. And one Doctor Delbert Doppler, whoever he was, was certainly taking his sweet time in answering the door.
Not that I blame him, Cadet Roderick thought to himself. If I had the chance to stay in bed on a day like today, I would.
But he didn't have the chance. No, Roderick forfeited that opportunity when he had decided to follow the elite few and paraded across the Academy grounds in his spacer boots and nothing else. It was a fine Academy tradition, and although one wholly unsanctioned by the Administration, it was faithfully carried out every year by a handful of midshipmen determined to see to its survival.
Unfortunately for Roderick, this was the first year the Administration had decided to finally crack down on it, a consequence of the poor Chancellor's wife having had the misfortune of being out and about on the grounds during the previous year's run. While the cadets found it extremely amusing and had pictures of her expression to verify this, the Chancellor and his wife did not. So, it was with great surprise and not a little shock that Roderick found himself being pursued, in the wee small hours of the morning, by security personnel in a hovercraft as he made for the final leg of his journey. It was with even greater surprise to later find himself shivering in front of the Chancellor's massive oak desk at 0300 with only a flimsy towel to cover him, waiting for the man to decide his fate.
He had been fortunate. The incident was grounds for immediate expulsion, but the Chancellor had taken Roderick's record into account, which had been spotless until the incident. After much debate, scolding and more than a little groveling on the cadet's part, his fate had been decided; which was why he was presently standing in the pouring rain, working off a discipline chit, serving as a courier for the Royal Navy and Administration's business for two long weeks. He hadn't realized how much business passed between the two organizations.
He sighed. Hawkins had been right. He should have stayed in and done his astrophysics homework, instead.
As if having heard the unspoken reference to astrophysics, the door opened up to reveal an irritated Canid, a scowl shadowing his usually pleasant features. Roderick instantly recognized him as the noted Delbert Doppler, his own personal hero from his chosen field.
"May I help you?" he inquired, his tone asking anything but.
Roderick frowned. Judging from the man's hastily tied robe, he must have pulled him out of bed. Great. Another mark against him.
"I'm sorry to have disturbed you, sir," he apologized, reaching into his coat pocket. "But I have a telegram for you, Dr. Doppler."
"A telegram?" Doppler's features took on a perplexed tone and the irritation rapidly faded from his features. "For me? That's odd."
"Will you sign for it, sir?"
"I will," he nodded, finally notice that the poor cadet was, in fact, soaked to the bone. "Please, please, do come inside. You must be freezing."
Roderick nodded gratefully. "Thank you, sir. And yes, I am." He stepped inside and removed his hat. That dark, wet mass of hair clung to head, matted beyond control. "Your telegram sir," he reminded him, extending the somewhat damp parchment. "Dr. Vitale asked that you open it immediately."
"This is from Maris?" Delbert brightened. "I wonder what she's up to. Might this possibly concern her new grant?" He glanced at Roderick while breaking the seal. "She didn't mention what this was in regards to, did she?"
"No sir. I was simply told to deliver it and make sure you signed for it."
"Hmmm." Doppler unfolded the message and began to read. As his eyes traveled over the contents, his brow furrowed in confusion. The wording was cryptic, to say the least. Maris was asking for his presence at the University and wanted it immediately. She apologized for the inconvenience and regretted the lack of explanation for his presence, but said she knew he'd understand once there.
"How very odd," he murmured aloud.
"What's odd, darling?" Amelia asked, coming from behind him and handing him a steaming mug of tea. She had slipped into an ivory-silk robe that came barely to mid-thigh. The open v-neck collar plunged dangerously low. When she noticed that Delbert was not alone, she brought a hand up, pulling the collar closer together.
"This telegram," he replied, shifting so that she could skim its contents.
"Hmm, that is odd," she agreed. "But I suppose you have no choice but to go."
Doppler frowned at her. "I suppose not," he sighed. "But I had been hoping to spend at least a little time with you before you left, Amelia."
"I understand, darling, but it's all right. I'll just head down to the Legacy for a bit and –"
"You're Captain Amelia?" Roderick blurted out, momentarily forgetting that he was addressing a naval officer, and a much decorated one at that.
"I am." Amelia gave him a questioning stare. "You seem surprised, cadet."
"It's just that you don't look at all like the photos."
Amelia looked surprised at that. "I don't look my photos?"
"Well, no. Of course, I've never seen a Captain so out of uniform." His eyes widened as he realized what he'd just said, and to Captain Amelia! "That is, uh, I mean, not that you look bad out of uniform," he cringed. Oh gods. Why was he still talking? "I ... um," he fumbled.
"You'd do well to mind your tongue, Cadet," Amelia warned, fire flashing in her eyes and a definite edge making its way in to her speech.
As well as your wandering eyes, Delbert thought with a defensive snarl. Not that he could blame the poor cadet. After all, Amelia was a very fine woman to look at, and there she was, standing in front of a very young, hormonally-charged cadet, in nothing more than her robe. As fetching as it was – one of Delbert's favorite gifts to her – Doppler didn't think the young man really needed to see as much thigh as the robe was currently affording him.
Roderick cringed at the Captain's spoken and Doctor's silent, but rather apparent, rebuke. "I'm sorry, m'am. I meant no disrespect."
Amelia nodded stiffly. "I should hope not." She glanced out the doorway. "The rain has appeared to ease up a bit. I suggest you be on your way, Cadet."
"Yes, m'am. Thank you, m'am," he mumbled. He gave her a very quick, but sharp, salute and replaced his cap. With one final glance outside, he dashed from the hallway and in to the fine mist that was blanketing the road. He was grateful for the slight reprieve in the weather, as he wasn't sure how much longer he would have made it before saying something he'd truly regret.
Doppler watched for a moment as the young man sprint down the pathway and out of sight. He shut the door and turned to Amelia. "I think we adequately frightened him, don't you?"
"I probably shouldn't have been so harsh on him," she said ruefully. "But his comment was so brazen. I reacted purely on instinct."
Delbert chuckled. "I imagine it's not every day one sees the famous Captain Amelia out of uniform."
"I should hope not."
"Perhaps we should get you something a little more, ah, appropriate for your forays out of the bedroom," Delbert suggested. "Or at least for when we have visitors."
"Are you telling me you don't like this robe?" Amelia inquired in a saucy tone. "Because I was under the impression that –"
"I love that robe, my dear," he interrupted as he took her arm and guided her up the stairs. "I'm just not comfortable sharing you with others when you're in it."
"Jealously does not suit you, Doctor," Amelia laughed.
"It suits me just fine when it concerns you, Captain," Delbert informed her as they stepped inside the bedroom. "Now, if you will kindly excuse me, I have to dress. It seems as if I will be spending the morning in town. You're more than welcome to join me," he offered as he removed his robe and proceeded to rifle through his pants.
"As exciting as that sounds," she winked, "I believe I'll drop by the Legacy and take care of a few things there."
"Shall I come by when I'm through?" The question came out a bit muffled, as Delbert had a shirt over his head and was trying to poke both his head and arms through – rather unsuccessfully.
"That would be lovely," Amelia nodded as she smothered a laugh. Delbert was fighting a losing battle with the shirt, and it was quite comical.
"Then I shall see you later," he promised, finally poking his head through the neck of the material. Delbert tried to lean in to kiss her; it was a bad decision, as he had no balance with his arms still caught within the body of the shirt. Fortunately, Amelia leaned in to catch the armless canid and steady him. There were some things she would always be able to depend on, she thought with a wry smile, and Delbert's clumsiness was one of them.
She wrapped her arms around his slender frame and pulled him close, placing a lingering kiss against his lips. "You make it hard to say goodbye, Delbert."
"And you make it hard to want to leave," he murmured. "But, I fear if I don't, Maris might come calling for me. And we can't have that."
"Indeed not." She waved a hand at him and smirked. "Finish your battle with the shirt. I wish you the best of luck."
"Har har," he replied, giving her a mock glare before retreating into his bathroom, hands still flailing about as the door closed on the sound of Amelia's laughter.