Disclaimer: Nadesico is not my property, only the story herein.
Nadesico: Oysters and Pearls
Chapter 2
Fruitcakes!
'You know I was talking to my friend Desdemona the other day. She runs this space station and bake shop down near Boomtown. She told me that human beings are flawed individuals. The cosmic bakers took us out of the oven a little too early. And that's the reason we're as crazy as we are and I believe it.' 'Take for example when you go to the movies these days, you know. They try to sell you this jumbo drink, 8 extra ounces of watered down cherry coke for an extra 25 cents. I don't want it. I don't want that much organziation in my life. I don't want other people thinking for me. I want my Junior Mints! Where did the Junior Mints go in the movies!? I don't want a 12 pound Nestle's crunch for 25 dollars! I want Junior Mints!' 'We need more fruitcakes in this world and less bakers! We need people that care! I'm mad as hell! And I don't want to take it anymore!'
Jimmy Buffett
New Utopia Colony, Mars
Genechiro Tsukuomi ran his fingers anxiously through his long black hair as he paced in front of the view screen, waiting for the "Stand By" message to change into something more meaningful for him. The conference room in the New Utopia capital building's conference room was comfortable, complete with plush chairs and a table piled high with snacks made from both Earth and Jovian food stocks.
Genechiro didn't care about it. He hadn't cared about anything since opening the sealed envelope containing his orders, and by then it was too late. He was already on Mars.
They had certainly planned for that.
Finally, the screen switched to the face of an elderly gentleman around sixty years old wearing an expression of frank unconcern.
"Commander Tsukuomi," he said in greeting.
"I've been on hold for an hour!" Genechiro railed at him. "What is the meaning of this!? You told me I was going to be a part of a great and noble mission!"
"And you are," the elderly man said with a smug smile. "History will view this assignment, no doubt, as your greatest exploit."
"You're lying," Genechiro accused him. "Speak to me."
The man's smile dropped a hair. "Ship assignments are not up for debate in the Greater Male Forces, Commander. We do what we're ordered to."
"You're ordering me into exile!" Genechiro hissed.
"Exile?" the man asked in mock surprise. "Now what could you have done to warrant exile?"
Genechiro bit his tongue.
The old man's expression slowly morphed into one of wrath. "It took me four years, Genechiro, and even after all that time I don't have the hard, solid evidence to have you killed, but I don't need that, do I?"
The younger man bit his lip. "Admiral...."
"He was your friend," the man whispered. "He trusted you. He asked ME to trust you."
Genechiro's heart went cold and dropped into his stomach like a ball of Callistan ice. Despite the cold fear in his soul, sweat broke out on his forehead.
"You," the old man continued slowly. ".....killed my son." He swallowed back renewed grief and focused a hateful gaze onto Genechiro's soul. "And as long as I draw breath and have the power to do so, I will see to it that you live in humiliation and dishonor."
"Admiral....."
"You will never serve onboard a Jovian vessel again," the admiral hissed. "You will never see the inside of a Gekigangar again. You will never stand before a promotion board again. I will deny you the very ambition and sense of purpose that drove you to kill my son!" he finished. "Until you die a joyless husk of a man."
Genechiro said nothing.
"You have your orders," the admiral told him. "Either accept them or confess to your crime before the council."
Words failed to pierce the cold fog around his mind.
"And may God have mercy on your soul!"
***
Nadesico
"Look at this piece of crap," Ryoko demanded accusingly, pointing at the Aestavalis towering over them. It's torso was blue, it's left leg pink and its right leg yellow. Mismatched though they were, at least the legs were there.
The arms were a different matter entirely.
"I guess he was disarmed," Jun quipped.
"Wokka wokka wokka," Ryoko grumbled. "Is this actually a mission? We're not a float in a parade or something?"
"Mission's real," Jun told her.
"And you want me to work....with this?" She pointed at the armless Aestivalis.
"You have two weeks," Jun said meekly.
Ryoko fumed. "In two weeks I can give you the galaxy's best robot place kicker, but if you want a real Aestavalis, you're going to have to do a HELL of a lot better!"
Jun held in a sigh and did his best placate her. "Tell you what, I'll call ahead to Utopia and tell the Nergal office to have some parts ready by the time we get there. Good enough?"
"No!" Ryoko shot back. "But I suppose it's the best you're going to give me."
He placed a hand on her shoulder. "If it makes you feel better, you know I'd never put this crew at risk by settling for substandard equipment. We'll find a way to get you the parts you need."
She smiled and shook her head. "Hell, Jun, I don't even know what I'm doing back here." She sighed. "It's funny. I had to deal with every low- life in the business, but I miss Havanna."
"I know what you mean," he said. He turned and started for the access hatch.
"You miss Japan that much?" she asked.
"No," he said, turning back to her. "I missed Nadesico."
***
Megumi rolled over in bed as she heard the door hiss close. The clock on the wall screamed 1:42 in bright neon green numerals. She yawned and rolled back again.
"Long day?" she asked sleepily.
Jun sat on the edge of the bed and removed his boots. "Just trying to put out all the fires," he yawned.
"Hmmm, I hope this isn't going to be the norm the way it was during the war," she remarked. "You need sleep."
He collapsed on the bed next to her. "How was your day?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Oh, it was wonderful," she yawned. "Your helmsman used to play for the CoralReefer Band, Ruri's condescending vocabulary has gotten more complex, and Ryoko and Izumi still refuse to speak to one another."
He paused for a moment. "How did you know about that?"
"Talked to Moira on my lunch break," she explained.
Jun sighed. "I guess I better put that on my 'to do' list," he said. "We can't have them like that. They have to work too closely together."
"They'll work it out eventually," Megumi told him while snuggling her pillow. "I think if you butt into it, they'll just dig their heels in. You know how Ryoko is."
"Yeah," he sighed.
She sat up and kissed him. "You're the captain, not God. Don't take it personally."
"I just thought they would have worked through it by now."
Megumi hugged him. "Imagine how it must be for them. They were all so close, and now...."
He hugged back. "Yeah."
"Get some sleep, Jun chan. Tomorrow's another day."
1. * * *
"And so, you see we offer 100 percent tuition assistance, as well as job security as long as you meet the contracted requirements. Of course, there are other benefits such as use of Nergal facilities such as any Nergal Exchange or Commissary, gyms, education offices, etcetera, etcetera...."
Kim Tencza adjusted the papwork before her and looked up at the young Aestivalis technician.
"I don't know," he said uneasily. "I mean, a year away from the whole SOLAR SYSTEM?"
Kim waved the concern aside as if it were nothing more than an annoying gnat. "It's no different than an extended cruise on any other Nergal or UE vessel. Plus, there's the addition of flight and hazard duty pay."
"I don't know," he said again.
"Tell you what," she told him. "We have five days until we reach Mars. Think about it. Talk to some of the other permanent crew members. If you're not interested, no harm, no foul."
He nodded and stood up, shaking her hand before turning and walking out of the office.
She let out a breath and sat down again, just to shoot back up when Jun poked his head into her office.
"Got a minute?" he asked.
"Of course, Kanchou," she told him, gesturing to a seat.
He sat down and began. "As Nergal's civilian representative, and I'm assuming Erina's watchdog, I'm hoping you can tell me why our three Aestavalis squadrons look like something pulled from a scrap yard."
She wagged a finger at him. "Never assume, Kanchou. You make an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me.'"
"It's not a statement against YOUR character, Ms. Tencza, just Erina's."
Kim smiled. "As a matter of fact, I HAD heard about our problem with certain mechanical assets on board, and I'm doing what I can to expedite a solution."
Jun arched an eyebrow. "Oh?" he asked noncommittedly.
"Indeed," she replied, turning back to her terminal. "I've already forwarded a request for additional parts to our office in Utopia."
"Oh.....Good," he said.
"However...."
"Uh oh."
"Being a Nergal 'insider,'" She made quote marks with her hands as she said the last part. "I am fully aware of the answer I'll receive before we actually get it, and that answer will be a drawn out excuse as to why they don't have it."
"That's bad."
"However...."
"Go on."
"Knowing that the answer will be no, I have already contacted several private firms who specialize in battlefield salvage. It is quite probable that, using my expense card, we can procure several needed items in operable condition under the table."
"That's good," Jun said.
"However..."
He sighed. "Go on."
"Despite this stop-gap solution, it is highly unlikely that more than half the parts we receive will be without damage that would prevent it from being used long term. In other words, Kanchou, no matter what we get, it will be too little too late."
"I see," he said.
"However...."
"You really like that word, don't you?" he asked her.
"There are other ways to minimize the negative effects," she told him with a smile. "I'm working on that now by renegotiating the contracts of some of our temporary Aestivalis technicians; the ones who would be leaving when we get to Mars. If we can keep some of them, the life expectancy of our Aestavalis fleet would be considerably increased."
He thought on that for a moment, then nodded. "I see. It seems I owe you an apology, Ms. Tencza."
She gave him another predatory smile. "Kanchou," she said, shutting her terminal off. "I'm not going to lie to you. During the war, I was the proctor on the Suisen." She leaned over her desk as if sharing a great secret with him. "And I prided myself on being able to squeeze the life out of a dime. This is a different situation. If we get into trouble out there, there's not a soul in this solar system who can help us."
Jun said nothing.
"So, as you can see, it's in my own best interest to make sure that Nadesico has everything she needs before her little trip to the stars."
* ** *
The clock in Jun's office read 10:30 as he finished his second cup of coffee. Blinking, he turned back to his monitor and hit the record button.
"We're one day out from Mars, and I think we've shaken the majority of the bugs out. At least the mechanical ones. One of the things that has always been buggy about this ship is the personnel assigned to her. They're all experts in their fields, but as Proctor once put it, they have slight personality problems."
He paused and checked his coffee cup. Seeing it empty, he rose and went to the coffee machine on the table at the other end of the room.
"I'm not complaining," he said as he poured. "It's always worked in our favor, after all. It's just that when I first took command of the Nadesico, I had already been the XO for two years. I knew the quirks. These are new quirks on a new kind of mission. It's unsettling."
He returned to his desk. "I've been reading the service records of our new additions. The Jovian military was good enough to send the records of their half of the crew, however, I suspect many of them have been abridged. For instance, our new chief engineer, Hideki Amano, is supposedly a genius, the top man in his field, yet for some reason he spent the war working in a salvage yard on Ganymeade."
"Colonel Makoto Rikari's record goes on and on about his combat prowess. It indicates that he was up for a star, and yet, for some inexplicable reason, he was suddenly reassigned to the Nadesico."
He paused and looked at the Spirit of St. Louis model on his desk. "The record of my new XO, Genechiro Tsukuomi, is likewise, very distinguished. Fought in numerous engagements, including battles AGAINST the Nadesico herself. He commanded a battle group during the war. Yet, suddenly, he's transferred to the Nadesico by order of a Jovian admiral named Kaoru Shiratori. There's no way of knowing short of coming out and actually asking, but I'm forced to wonder if he is in any way related to Commander Tsukimo Shiratori, the Jovian peace envoy who was assassinated during the first aborted peace talks."
He paused the recorder. "More damn politics."
A flick of his finger reactivated the device as he settled in with his coffee. "Of course, it's unfair to go on about the bugs in the Jovian side of things without going a little more into the bugs on the UE side...."
*****
The Nadesico Club was open to everyone regardless of rank. It was the one place aboard ship where the UE and Nergal's rules didn't apply. Officers drank with enlisted, pilots with mechanics and Jun hoped, eventually, Earthers with Jovians.
At this hour of the night, the place was essentially empty, with only a couple of night shift workers there eating their lunch. In one corner, however, Jun was not surprised to see a man in a blue Hawaiian shirt and a guitar.
Jun walked up to the bar and nodded to the civilian contractor working behind it. Without a word, the man handed him a bag containing a sandwich.
"Your usual midnight snack, Sir," the bartender announced, a hint of a Latin accent flavoring his speech.
Jun gestured to the man in the corner. "What time does he usually leave?"
"El mariachi?" the bartender asked him. "He's usually out of here by midnight."
Jun took his snack and walked to the corner, taking the seat opposite the man with the guitar. "Late night?" he asked.
Chase smiled. "I have trouble sleeping," he said simply, strumming a light tune.
The captain nodded and opened his bag, removing the sandwich and applying generous amounts of mustard to it. "Ask you a question?" he requested casually.
"Shoot."
"What's your angle?" he asked.
Chase nearly laughed. "You mean 'what part of the Nadesico curse am I?'"
Jun gave him a questioning look.
The musician shrugged. "We all heard about the Nadesico, you know. How you couldn't be a member of the crew unless you had some kind of mental issue. It was called 'the Nadesico Curse.'"
"I guess the UE must have thought we were all crazy," Jun remarked with a smile.
"I always wanted to be part of something crazy," Chase told him.
Before Jun could comment, Ruri's face appeared before him in a comm window.
"Kanchou, please report to the bridge."
And before he could react, she was gone again.
"Snack time's over."
*****
"What's the story, Ruri chan?" Jun asked as he and Chase stepped onto the bridge. Chase took his seat at the helm as Ruri typed a query into the computer.
"It started ten minutes and thirty three seconds ago," Ruri informed him, her eyes not leaving her panel or her fingers slowing on the keyboard. "Sensors detected a sillhouette at the very edge of our sensor range, then it disappeared. It just appeared a second time, and Omoikane got enough of a look at it to take a guess at what it was."
"Don't keep us in suspense, Little Ruri," Chase asked.
"Sillhouette is similar to a Y Type Gekigangar unit."
"Y Type?" Jun repeated.
Ruri nodded and stopped typing. "Omoikane reports that the Y Type is smaller than the usual Gekigangar models, as they were designed to fight the more agile Aestivalis in head to head combat. The presence of one, Omoikane warns, hints at the presence of others."
"All stop, Skipper?" Chase asked.
Jun thought for a moment and actually smiled. "Negative, Mister Warren. Increase to flank speed."
"Um....We're running?" Chase asked.
Jun's smile didn't leave, but he didn't answer either. "Flank speed, please, Mister Warren."
Chase turned back to his panel and shrugged. "Flank speed, aye."
The Nadesico all but leapt ahead. Jun instinctively grabbed hold of his command console to steady himself. "Watch the board, Ruri chan," he ordered.
Ruri blinked as several red blips appeared for a moment, then suddenly vanished. "Kanchou! Sensors detected twelve sillhouettes, but they vanished a moment later!"
Jun nodded. Standard operating procedure in a case like this dictated that the ship stop and take up a defensive posture. By moving ahead so quickly, he had managed to take the opposing commander by surprise. There were only two things that worried him now: That the opposing commander knew enough about UE procedures to set a trap like that and that he had managed to move his forces away so quickly when caught.
"Stand by gravity blast cannon, Kanchou?" Ruri asked.
"Negative, Ruri chan. He's too smart for that."
"Skipper?"
Jun smiled again. "He won't bunch his men up enough to make the gravity blast worth it." He stood straighter and put on his combat voice. "Stand by point defenses!"
"Point defense grid standing by!" Ruri echoed.
"Five percent power!" Jun amended.
"What?" Chase whispered to himself.
The order caught Ruri off guard as well, but her shock came only as a two second delay before echoing the order.
"Five percent power!"
"Mister Warren, on my order I want a dead stop and a hundred and eighty degree spin to starboard."
"Aye aye, Sir," Chase replied. "But shouldn't we launch the Alert Five or something? I mean, five percent power is like hitting them with a flashlight."
Jun shook his head. "This isn't a battle, Mister Warren. It's an audition."
"Audition?!"
"Stand by," Jun ordered. "And......now!"
"All stop!" Chase confirmed. "Coming about!"
"Twelve Y Type Gekigangars phasing in on all sides, Kanchou!" Ruri announced.
"Point defense fire!"
The short range plasma phalanx cannons located on each side of the ship opened up, firing at only a fraction of their potential power. Three Gekigangars were hit, and despite receiving no damage, stood perfectly still in space as a result. The others managed to evade the fire and leap back out of range.
For several moments, neither side moved.
Jun turned to the comm technician on duty. "Open a Jovian military channel, please." He got a nod a second later and began. "Jovian commander, this Captain Jun Aoi of the Nadesico. Are you satisfied?"
A helmeted figure appeared on the forward screen. "Captain Aoi, this Colonel Makoto Rikari of the Superior Jovian Male Forces. We are quite satisfied."
"You're well versed on UE military procedures, Colonel," Jun complimented.
A faint smile could be seen through the helmet's visor. "Better versed than you, it would seem. SOP is to take up a defensive posture upon detection of an enemy scout. I'm not sure how I feel about being under the command of someone who behaves so irrationally."
Jun blushed a bit and scratched his head. //You ain't seen nothing yet if you think I'm irrational,// he thought. "Whenever you're ready, Colonel, you have permission to land."
"Thank you, Captain."
"Colonel Subaru and I will meet you on the flight deck."
Rikari nodded and the image vanished.
"You're expecting these maniacs, Skipper?" Chase asked.
"Do me a favor, Ruri chan, and wake up Ryoko. Tell her her new squadron commander is here."
******
"Waking my ass up in the middle of the night is NOT the way to make a good first impression," Ryoko growled.
"For what it's worth," Jun told her as the tenth Gekingangar landed on the flight deck, "He's good."
"Yeah, yeah," she yawned. "Hero of Io, Saviour of Ganymeade, I read the file."
Jun said nothing for a moment. "Ryoko, I hope you're not going to be influenced by what happened to...."
"Jun, you run your ship and I'll run my wing. Fair deal?"
He sighed. "Probably as fair as I'm going to get."
She was quiet as the eleventh Gekigangar landed. "He and his guys will get a fair shake, Jun," she said quietly a second later.
"That's all I ask."
The last Gekigangar landed and lumbered over to the line of other robots waiting for it. The hatch opened as the embarkation ladder rolled over to it. A small, lithe person descended, and Ryoko snorted.
"Kind of a little guy, ain't he?" she asked quietly. "I thought the Jovians stressed 'superior maleness' or something."
Jun arched an eyebrow and cleared his throat.
"Um.....Not that being short makes you less of a man or anything," Ryoko corrected.
"I didn't think you said that," Jun told her. Before he could say more, the pilot was before them, removing his helmet and saluting.
"Captain Aoi, Colonel Makoto Rikari, reports as ordered."
"Not to me, you're not," Jun told him. "Colonel Ryoko Subaru is in charge of flight operations onboard the Nadesico. She'll be your commanding officer."
Makoto looked at Ryoko and blinked, the pilot's eyes resting on her chest, shocked.
"EYES FRONT, ASSHOLE!" Ryoko cried, indignant.
*******
Makoto looked at the Colonel's chest in shock. A woman. A WOMAN was the Nadesico's wing commander! She had heard that the Earthers were more progressive about females in their society, but she never in a million years would have guessed that.....
"EYES FRONT, ASSHOLE!"
Suddenly it was like Makoto was back on the grinder at basic training. Her back went straight and stiff and her eyes locked dead ahead.
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF LAX BULLSHIT YOUR JOVIAN *SUPERIOR* MALE FORCES ARE USED TO, BUT WAKING MY ASS UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT THEN OGLING MY CHEST IS THE FIRST STEPS ON A JOURNEY TO A WORLD OF HURT!!!"
"Yes, Ma'am!"
"WHAT?! YOU'VE NEVER SEEN A FEMALE WHO WASN'T POLISHING YOUR BOOTS OR MAKING YOU FUCKING COOKIES BEFORE?!"
"No, Ma'am!"
"IT MUST REALLY PISS YOU OFF TO HAVE TO TAKE ORDERS FROM SOME DAINTY, WEAK- WILLED LITTLE FLOWER OF FEMININITY!" Ryoko roared. "DID YOU GO TO A MILITARY ACADEMY?! DOES YOUR DADDY KNOW YOU TAKE ORDERS FROM A WOMAN?! IT WOULD *KILL HIM!* WOULDN'T IT?! YOU WENT TO THE ACADEMY FOR THIS!"
"YES, MA'AM!"
Off to the side, Makoto's squadron mates were at attention, but grinning madly.
Ryoko glared at him for another minute, then nodded. "This was not a good first meeting," she whispered in his face. "You had best unFUCK yourself! We have to spend a year together, and I don't give a damn what kind of fucking hero your people take you for. You're MY bitch now!"
"Yes, Ma'am!" Makoto replied, her eyes never leaving their forward and locked position.
Ryoko chucked a finger at the other pilots. "Get your people and your shit together and report to sickbay for quarantine check."
Makoto saluted. "Yes, Ma'am!" Executing a perfect about face, Makoto marched toward her men.
Her second in command, Major Mutake, grinned. "Don't feel bad, Sir. She has a very nice chest."
*******
Jun whistled in awe. "Wasn't that a little over the top, Ryoko?"
"Fucking pervert," Ryoko muttered. "But no, Jun. I needed to bring him down a peg. He's a hero, and heroes have this stupid idea in their head that they know what's best all the time."
Jun smiled. "I know exactly what you mean." He quickly hurried off.
Ryoko arched an eyebrow. "HEY! WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!" she shouted at his back.
"Nothing! Nothing at all!" he called back over his shoulder. He waved to Makoto as he ran past. "Welcome aboard, Colonel!"
Ryoko shook her head. "The more things change....."
*******
"Major."
Mutake turned and saw Makoto standing in the doorway. In a flash, he snapped to attention. "Sir!"
"Have the men's needs been met?" she asked.
"Met and more, Sir," he replied. "The quarters are cushier than what they're used to. Earthers pamper their military, it seems."
"Think of it as a vacation, Major," she told him with a smile.
"Yes, Sir."
"Is there something on your mind, Major?" she asked.
"Well, Sir," he began. "It's just that..... Permission to speak freely, Sir?"
"Of course, Major."
"It's the bloody women, Sir!" Mutake blurted. "I mean.....the men weren't expecting this! They told us women would be aboard, yes, but in support roles like secretaries and....and.....waitresses.....You know.....WOMEN jobs. Answering to a female wing commander.....It's thrown the men, Sir."
Makoto sighed. Mutake was a good pilot and soldier, but was still at heart a Jovian man. "Colonel Subaru's war record is very distinguished," she told him.
"But it's just not right, Sir!" Mutake told her. "I know we have to live with it, I'm just saying it's going to be weird for the men! I mean, it was weird for you too! We all saw it!"
Makoto was caught short. Yes, finding out what gender the notorious Colonel Subaru was threw her for a loop, but not for this reason.
She knew the tightrope she was walking and took a minute to gather her words. "Major.....Shinji," she amended, using his first name. "I understand there will be a period of adjustment involved. Remember, the Earthers are not like us. Their views are different than ours, and we have to respect those views."
"Yes, Sir," Mutake said, sounding anything but satisfied.
Makoto decided to take a different tact. "Major, I answer to Colonel Subaru, but YOU still answer to me! Do you have a problem with THAT?"
"No, Sir!"
"Then let me worry about it."
He smiled. "Yes, Sir."
Makoto turned to go. "One more thing, Major," she said, turning back to him. "Subtley remind the men of what I just said. I don't want any cross cultural miscommunications developing here. Several of the ship's key officers, and all of the squadron commanders are female."
"Yes, Sir."
"Remind them that they are ambassadors of the Jovian Union, so they'd better act like it."
"Yes, Sir."
Makoto nodded and left with an inaudible sigh. Walking down the hallway, she couldn't help but laugh at the irony. For the first time in her life, she was aboard a ship where her gender wouldn't matter, and she still had to hide it or risk losing her final link to a homeworld she knew she'd never see again.
"What a bitch," she remarked.
*******
Megumi opened her eyes and yawned. Turning her head, she saw her husband, still in his uniform, snoring loudly next to her. Sighing, she sat up and climbed out of bed. Tucking him in, she hit the comm panel on the wall.
"Ruri, this is Megumi. Jun asked me to call and let you know he's going to be delayed this morning."
"Understood."
She sighed and got dressed. Scribbling a quick note for Jun, she adjusted her skirt and stepped out into the corridor.....
Only to run smack into Aurora Dayne.
"Oh! I'm sorry, Lieutenant Aoi! I didn't mean to...."
Megumi waved the apology aside and smiled. "Please, don't worry about it! They always say you're supposed to look both ways before crossing the street, you know."
Aurora adjusted her glasses and nodded. "Oh! I was going to call you today and ask for an appointment to go over the specs for the long range tranceiver and...."
"Well," Megumi interrupted, trying to stave off a five-minute explanation from Inez's overzealous apprentice, "I was just on my way to the cafeteria to have breakfast. Why don't you join me?"
The smile on Aurora's face threatened to wrap around her entire head. "I'd love to! You have no idea what this means to me!"
"Um....Sure," Megumi answered. She started down the corridor, the bubbly student right behind her.
"You know," Aurora began. "I probably shouldn't be saying this, but I'm a REALLY big fan."
"Fan?" the commo asked her.
Aurora nodded. "I've seen ALL of your anime! Magic Princess Lovely! Indian Jazz! Sweepers! Lovely Witch Alissa!"
Megumi blushed. "Oh! That's very nice of you to say!"
"Robo Techno War! Pretty Soldier Sailor Love!" Aurora continued.
"I had no idea they even showed those anime anymore!" Megumi declared, still blushing.
"Well, you have to dig for them, nowadays! That's how I found your other works!"
Megumi's blush deepened. "Um.....My.....other works?"
Aurora nodded vigorously. "Like Lustful Sister Minako, Demon Nurses, and Passion Warrior Ai!"
Megumi was sweating now, her blush covering her from head to toe. "Yes.....well.......Glad to know you enjoyed them. Ohlookwe'reherelet'sgoinside!"
The commo practically ran into the cafeteria.
She blinked as she realized she didn't recognize any of the men eating there. Their uniforms, however, were instantly recognizable to any otaku as they matched the costumes worn by the characters in Gekigangar III.
"Wow! These must be the new Jovian pilots!" Aurora cried in excitement.
Eleven pairs of eyes zeroed in on them like Aesti's locking onto a Jovian Grasshopper.
"Um.....Did I say something wrong?" Aurora whispered.
A second later, they were all over the two women.
"Can I offer you a chair?!"
"What would like to drink?!"
"Oh, don't sit at that table! The chair has a stain!"
"Don't worry! We'll bring your breakfast to you!"
The crowd was so busy making sure that the two women were accomodated, that they didn't notice the same two women crawling out from beneath the crowd and making their way to the cafeteria line.
"Wow, Jovian guys are really chivalrous, huh?" Aurora asked.
"Yeah, it's almost charming for a few minutes," Megumi replied.
"Tell me about it," Houmei commented as she poured miso soup for the both of them. "I had to actually chase them away from my kitchen. They felt my girls shouldn't work so hard just to make breakfast for them."
"How'd you chase them off?" Megumi asked.
Houmei smiled and hefted her meat cleaver. "Chef's secret."
Megumi turned to the men, who were returning to their seats. "Wish us luck."
As the two women approached the tables, Aurora piped up. "So where should we sit?"
Eleven men shot up and pulled out chairs.
Megumi sighed and just took the first chair offered to her. Amara took the seat opposite of her, and the two pilots who offered their seats sat next to them. "Thank you," she said.
"Oh, please don't mention it," the pilot on her right told her. "What kind of men would we be if we sat while women were still standing?"
"That's very kind of you," Aurora told him. She offered her hand. "I'm Aurora Dayne. How do you do?"
The pilot took her hand and kissed it. "Second Lieutenant Hideki Hataro."
Aurora turned beet red and squealed quietly.
The other pilot looked at Megumi expectantly.
"Lieutenant Megumi Aoi," she announced politely. The pilot went to take her hand, and she held it up. "See the ring?!"
The pilot, seeing the wedding band on her finger, bowed so quickly, his head hit the table. "PLEASE FORGIVE ME, MA'AM! I DIDN'T REALIZE! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!"
Megumi took a sip of her soup as the pilot all but broke down into tears next to her.
Hataro frowned at his friend. "Jeez, Kaoru, don't embarass us. Miss Dayne, would you pass the salt, please?"
"Oh! Sure!" Aurora replied. Reaching out to hand him the condiment, her hand clumsily knocked over his coffee, spilling it all over his lap.
"ACK!"
"OH! I'M SO SORRY!" Aurora cried, leaping to her feet and snatching several napkins off her tray. She dropped to her knees and began wiping at his crotch with the napkins. "I can't believe I was so clumsy as to....."
"Aurora," Megumi hissed.
The lab assistant looked up and blinked, continuing to dab at the pilot's lap. "Yes, Lieutenant Aoi?" Looking up, she saw that Hataro had gone stock still and his complexion was an ash gray. His expression was of a man scared out of his mind. "Uh......oh....." Aurora muttered.
"Hataro, Yamada, why don't you finish breakfast on the flight deck?"
Looking up, Megumi and Aurora saw Makoto standing over them, holding a tray.
The two pilots practically ran out of the cafeteria.
"I hope I didn't offend him," Aurora said sheepishly.
"A woman was going to do that to him eventually," Makoto said diplomatically as she took a seat. "And if not, I'm sure now there will always be a special place in Hataro's heart for you, Miss Dayne."
"That's great.....I think...."
"I must apologize if my men make you ladies uncomfortable," Makoto continued. "In our culture, the presence of women onboard a warship is unheard of."
Megumi smiled sweetly and put her soup down. "The Nadesico is no longer a battleship," she told her. "It's an exploration vessel now. A ship of peace, Mr....
Makoto smiled in return. "Colonel Makoto Rikari," she introduced herself. "And you would be the ship's communications officer, Lt. Aoi?"
Megumi nodded.
The squadron commander picked at her plate. "My men mean well," she told them in between bites. "But don't be afraid to draw the line with them. After all, part of this whole endeavour is to....enlighten one another...in the ways of cultures."
"I thought you were coming aboard when the Nadesico got to Mars," Megumi noted. "Was there a change?"
Makoto shrugged. "My men are still fairly new," she explained. "I wanted to give them some practice, and with the armistice there is an appalling shortage of UE battleships in the area to stalk."
"I see," she replied. "What about the rest of the Jovian crew?"
"Still on Mars," Makoto told her with a shrug.
******
"So what do you think of our new additions?" Jun asked as Megumi stepped onto the bridge.
"I thought you were sleeping in?" she interrupted.
He shrugged.
"They're...." Megumi began.
"....A hoot!" Chase finished. "You should've seen the ones I was screwing with in sickbay last night. I just had the nurse walk back and forth across the room near them." He shook his head and laughed. "It was like a yo yo! Up! Down! Up! Down!"
"That's awful!" Megumi cried.
"But freaking hilarious," Ryoko argued as she walked up the gangway to Jun's station. She unceremoniously handed him a datapad. "Let's hope Tencza pulls through on those parts. Right now, those Gekigangars are the backbone of our defenses."
"They're nice young men," Megumi sniffed as she took her seat. "They were just raised differently....with MANNERS!" She shot a look at Chase.
"Hey, I'm as chivalrous as the next guy, but there are extremes, you know."
"I don't like them."
Heads turned to Ryoko.
"Something wrong, Ryoko?" Jun asked.
"It's just," she began. "It's Rikari," she said finally. "I decided to try to smooth things over by giving him a tour of the ship before breakfast, and I noticed a few things."
"Like what?" Chase asked. He was turned around in his chair and straddling it.
"It's nothing I can really put my finger on. Just feelings. For instance..." She walked over to Chase. "Stand up."
The helmsman obeyed.
Ryoko bowed to him from the waist. "It's nice to meet you." She rose again.
Chase paused for a second, then bowed.
"There! That's what I mean!"
"What?" Megumi asked. "He didn't bow low enough?"
"No, not that. When pervert boy here bowed, he maintained eye contact with me for half the bow, then his eyes went right to my chest. Just for a second, but it happened."
No one spoke for a moment.
"Okay," Megumi conceded. "Chase is a pervert......So?"
"So when I met Rikari this morning, I did the same bow, but he kept eye contact the entire time."
"So what?" Megumi asked incredulously.
"But it's not just that!" Ryoko snapped back. "I mean, no interest whatsoever!"
Chase snapped his fingers and pointed at Ryoko. "I get it!"
Ryoko gestured to Chase as if to say, "See!? He gets it!"
"You're just pissed because your flirts didn't work!"
Ryoko turned on him like an incensed cobra. "Excuse the fuck out of me?" she hissed.
"Oh come on!" Chase said with a grin. "You're having a hissy fit because the guy didn't pick up on your signals?! Sounds petty to me...."
Ryoko leapt across the bridge railing at the helmsmen, but ended up tripping and falling to the deck.
"Maybe he's gay."
"Ruri chan!" Megumi cried in reply.
Ryoko sat up and scratched her head. "There's something else," she said, her anger seemingly forgotten. "Last night, remember how I sent them for a med check?"
Jun nodded.
"Well, I got results back for everyone EXCEPT Rikari. When I asked Inez about it, she said that none of her scans would work on him. HE says that he has a blood condition that requires nanomachines in his cardiopulmonary system to regulate his heartrate. Apparently, these machines give off an EM field that blocks med scans. CAT scans, MRI's, nothing will read him."
Jun frowned. "Ryoko, are you suggesting that Colonel Rikari is....what? An alien? A robot?"
"Look, all I'm saying is that he's hiding something."
Jun locked eyes with her for several seconds. Finally, he nodded. "Okay. Keep an eye on him, but don't be insulting about it."
"And try not to sexually harass him, okay?" Chase chided. "It's his first day."
This time, Ryoko got a good shot in, punching him in the back of the head so hard, his face hit the helm.
Ruri sighed. "Baka."
*******
From the log of Ruri Hoshino.
"For once, the Nadesico was able to land on Mars without destroying a large piece of it, for which the citizens of the New Utopia colony were grateful. The rest of the Jovian half of our crew came aboard with less flourish than I thought Nergal would give them. Another surprise came in the form of what the majority of that Jovian half consisted of...."
********
Megumi turned the corner and squeaked as she came to a halt. Before her, a yellow "Grasshopper" robot turned its head, focusing its four red eyes on her.
"Um....Hello," Megumi said with a nervous wave.
"It won't hurt you."
The commo turned and saw a large, bearded man before her. He stood at least seven feet tall and his tanned head was shaved bare, his hairless pate reflected light from the overhead lamps. His beared narrowed to a sharp point just above where his neck met his chest.
"Oh, I wasn't really afraid," Megumi explained. "I've met one or two before, during the war."
He walked past her and knelt next to the robot, patting its head affectionately. "Fluffy here is my assistant, a special model designed to help me interface with the others."
"You must be Amano san," Megumi ventured.
He nodded. "I was just taking a look at your ship."
"Would you like a tour?" the commo offered.
"I was told we were to meet with the captain soon," Hideki told her.
"Oh jeez," Megumi muttered, checking her watch. "You're right, we're going to be late. The conference room is this way."
Amano bowed slightly. "Thank you. Is it far?"
"A little. This ship is bigger than it looks from the outside."
Hideki knelt next to the robot again. "Fluffy," he said gently. "Mode two."
The grasshopper looked at him and gave a high pitched fluting noise. It took a few steps forward and rested its stomach onto the ground. Its legs bent upwards, and the robot began making whirring and clicking sounds.
"Um....Is your robot all right?" Megumi asked.
"Fluffy's fine. She's something of an experiment in theological engineering," Hideki told her.
"I see," she replied, not really understanding.
Finally, Fluffy stopped moving. Megumi could only blink at what was now sitting there.
"It's....It's...."
"It's a segeway!" Hideki announced, climbing onboard. Two of Fluffy's insectile legs had folded up and become handles. "Climb aboard," he announced.
Megumi hesitated, then finally shrugged and stepped up, wrapping her arms around the Jovian's waist. A second later, Fluffy was zipping down the corridor, with Megumi squealing along.
*******
"I don't think anyone has to be reminded of the historical significance of this moment," Jun told the assembled officers seated around the conference room table. On one side sat Megumi, Ruri, Ryoko, and Inez. On the other sat Genechiro, Hideki and Makoto. "I wish," Jun continued, "That I had the words to properly express what this day means for both our peoples. I can only hope that one day some historian will know better ones, but for now...." He smiled. "Welcome aboard."
Hideki grinned widely while Makoto offered a more restrained smile. Genechiro stared out the window.
"I wish we had more time to get acquainted, but unfortunately we have some pressing business," Jun went on. "Before we can leave Mars, we have to solve a supply itch. The Aestivalises Nergal and the UE has supplied us with are substandard. Our Nergal rep thinks we might be able to acquire some decent parts second hand, but....."
"Why bother?"
Seven heads turned to Genechiro, who was still staring out the window. He looked up at Jun.
"We have Colonel Rikari's Gekigangars, which are already vastly superior to your Aestivalis," he elaborated.
No one spoke for a moment. The condescencion in that statement had suddenly made the air in the briefing room ten degrees colder. When Jun finally spoke, he was careful not to let any of his aggravation show. "The Aestivalis has been a staple of the UE since the beginning of the war," he told him. "Two of our three combat squadrons onboard are Aestivalis squadrons."
Genechiro raised his hand and began counting off on his fingers. "They have no boson jump capabilities. Their armor is only half as sturdy. Their firepower is inferior to...."
"With all due respect to Commander Tsukuomi," Makoto interrupted tentatively. "The Aestivalis is hardly an inferior war machine. Merely a different kind of one. While the commander is right about the Gekigangar's advantages, the Aestivalis is faster in convential space, more agile and better suited for air and land combat."
"We've never had a problem kicking YOUR tail with them," Ryoko growled.
"Enough," Jun said quickly. "Regardless of our own opinions of which craft is better, leaving Mars with only twelve operational combat spacecraft is unacceptable."
Ryoko shrugged. "Just don't move the ship. Tell 'em if they want us to go to the other side of the galaxy, they gotta pony up some parts."
"Nergal's never worked like that," Megumi argued. "They'd just fire us all and replace US with damaged parts."
"Excuse me," Hideki said, raising his hand. "But I might be able to solve your problem."
Jun motioned for him to continue.
Hideki stood up and began to speak; slowly at first, but faster as he gathered confidence. "I've had ideas for special....modifications...to Jovian robots. Now I've been reading up on UE technology since the armistice, and I'm convinced the mods would work just as well or even better on an Aestivalis. I've brought designs with me and my pets brought enough basic materials to fashion the parts I need as long as the Nadesico has the equipment to do so."
"What kind of modifications?" Megumi asked.
Hideki licked his lips nervously and looked from side to side at Genechiro and Makoto before quickly sputtering. "Modular transformation."
"Heresy!" Makoto hissed incedulously.
"With some simple mechanical and metallurgical changes, your Aestivalises will be an even match for a Gekigangar!" Hideki continued.
Genechiro actually moved his chair away from the engineer. "A Macrossian heretic," he growled, pointing at Hideki. "I suspected as much!"
Megumi, Ryoko and Jun looked to each other in puzzlement. Inez remained aloof while Ruri rested her chin in her hands.
"Baka."
"I think we're missing something," Ryoko commented.
"Jun chan, I've seen what Hideki is talking about. It's amazing! If he can do the same for the Aestis...."
"He'll do no such thing!" Genechiro shouted. "If we were on Io, he'd be thrown in prison for simply suggesting the idea!"
"It's sound theory, not heresy!" Hideki shouted back. "It's narrow- minded, ultra-conservative viewpoints like that that has held up progress since we've discovered boson technology! If we had been allowed a free hand in developing it, WE might have been the ones to invent things like the transpositional cannon!"
Genechiro shook his head angrily. "I will have you thrown into the deepest, darkest hole on Ganymeade for this...."
The sound of a palm striking the table and everyone's water glasses jumping in response jarred the room into silence.
"All right! Cut it out!" Jun cried. "Now I don't know what kind of religious dogmatic holy war we just wandered into, but it stops right here. This is not a Jovian vessel, it's a UE exploration vessel. And one thing the UE guarantees for ALL of their crewmembers is freedom of religious expression. Now Commander Amano has just offered us a way out of this mess, and unless anyone has a sound SCIENTIFIC reason for objecting, I'm going to order him to go forward with it."
No one said a word. Jun met each of their eyes. Makoto stared back for a moment, but nodded reluctantly. Genechiro turned away angrily.
"Ryoko," Jun continued. "I want you to find your ugliest, most worthless Aesti and give it to Commander Amano to play with. Commander, do what you can with it and show me what you come up with. I'll make a final decision then."
Hideki saluted. "You got it, boss man!"
Genechiro glowered, and Makoto looked none too pleased. Jun decided to cut his losses on this meeting. He summoned a smile. "Now that we've managed to thoroughly irritate each other at our first meeting, how about a tour of the ship?"
*****
The cargo container struck the floor with a loud, metallic crash, spilling its contents all over the floor. Gilad Atzmon hissed and muttered a curse in Hebrew. "Get that shit back in the container!" he barked. Two sailors jumped to obey, tossing the contents back into the rectangular box. He hissed again as he saw shadows approach the door. Jumping forward, he threw the cover over the container and stepped back.
"ROOM, TENCH-HUT! OFFICER ON DECK!"
The dozen other men in the laundry room came to stiff attention just as Jun and the other officers entered. "The ship's laundry," Jun announced. "We didn't have laundrymen on our last cruise, it was a secondary detail, so the crew is viewing them as the greatest new addition." He smiled at the Jovians. "Present company excepted, of course." Makoto and Hideki smiled while Genechiro frowned.
Jun turned to Gilad, and the older man saluted. "Senior Chief Petty Officer Gilad Atzmon, chief launderer," he announced.
The captain offered his hand, and the sailor shook it. "As a man who ruined several good shirts, I say welcome aboard." He stepped past the chief and looked at the laundrymen in admiration. "You run a tight ship," he noted.
Gilad's eyes flickered to his feet. Sitting next to his toe was one of the items held in the container. His men must have missed it. He quickly, but discreetly placed his foot on top of it. "Thank you, Sir. It means a lot to the men to hear you say that."
Genechiro stepped forward and stood toe to toe with one of the men, a muscular black man in a tank top. The man stared straight ahead. "Sloppy shave," he noted.
Gilad bristled. "Proof's in the results....Sir."
"We're just giving our Jovian officers a tour of the ship," Jun explained.
Gilad nodded. "Yes, Sir.
"We didn't have a laundry on our last voyage," Megumi told him. "What are the rules?"
Jun wandered toward a nearby doorway as the chief explained. "Simple enough, Ma'am. Just bring your laundry bag, clearly labeled, and any specific instructions. My boys won't ruin anything." He turned to glare at them. "They know better than that."
"Can we move on, please?" Genechiro asked.
Megumi frowned at him and turned back to Gilad. "Thank you, Sir."
"'Chief,' Ma'am," he corrected. "I call your husband, 'Sir.'"
She smiled. "Thank you, Chief." She turned to the group. "Well, I guess we should.... " She looked left to right. "Where's Jun?"
"Ma'am, over here," one of the laundrymen beckoned.
She walked over to him and stood at the door Jun had walked through. "What is this?" she asked.
The laundryman shrugged. "Just a closet, Ma'am," he told her. "Is he okay?"
Jun was standing in the center of the small storage room, stock still. The room was only five foot by five foot. As it was just a simple storeroom, the walls were bare steel.
Megumi swallowed. "Do the lights work?" she asked.
"No, Ma'am, we haven't...."
Megumi didn't wait to hear the rest, she walked and stood next to her husband. "Jun chan," she whispered.
He didn't turn to her. "Get me out of here, Megumi chan," he whispered.
She bit her lip and touched his shoulder. "It'll be okay," she said quietly.
"I'll be fine," he told her, still not facing her. "Just get me out of here."
"Okay." She took his hand and gently pulled, guided, him out of the storeroom. As they reemerged, she told the others. "Perhaps Ryoko could finish the tour. Excuse us." Without another word, she took Jun out of the compartment.
"That was weird," Makoto remarked. "Is the Kanchou claustrophobic?"
Ryoko was silent for a moment. Then, as she walked toward the door, she said, "Only sometimes."
Gilad watched them leave and breathed a sigh of relief. Leaning over, he picked up the item he had concealed with his foot. "If he they had seen this, we would have all been fucked," he told his men, waving it at them like a baton. "Any of you get that careless again and your career as a laundryman will be permanent. Clear?"
"YES, SENIOR CHIEF!"
"Okay, get to work," he growled. The laundrymen resumed moving supplies. Gilad looked down at the object in his hand.
The first 7.62 millimeter round in the thirty-round clip stared woefully back up at him.
****
Lindbergh left long island in 1927
He thumbed his nose at gravity
And climbed into the heavens.
When he returned to earth that night
Everything had changed
For the pilot and the planet
Everything was rearranged
We're a pretty mixed up bunch
Of crazy human beings
It's written on our rocketships
And in early cave wall scenes
How does it happen?
How do we know?
Who sits and watches?
Who does the show?
Some people love to lead
Some refuse to dance
Some play it safely
Others take a chance
Still, it's all a mystery
This place we call the world
Where most live as oysters
While some become pearls
Now Elvis was the only man
From north east mississippi
Who could shake his hips
And still be loved by
Rednecks, cops and hippies
It's something more than dna
That tells us who we are
Its method and magic
We are of the stars
Some never fade away
Some crash and burn
Some make the world go round
Others watch it turn
Still, it's all a mystery,
This place we call the world
Most are fine as oysters
While some become pearls
Jimmy Buffett
"Oysters and Pearls"
Author's Notes:
Due to a deployment war-ward, updates on this fic are going to be slow. I might have an opportunity to work on it, but I have no idea when I'll be able to update again. Sorry. I'll try to work on it, but the job comes first. You all know how it is.
Nadesico: Oysters and Pearls
Chapter 2
Fruitcakes!
'You know I was talking to my friend Desdemona the other day. She runs this space station and bake shop down near Boomtown. She told me that human beings are flawed individuals. The cosmic bakers took us out of the oven a little too early. And that's the reason we're as crazy as we are and I believe it.' 'Take for example when you go to the movies these days, you know. They try to sell you this jumbo drink, 8 extra ounces of watered down cherry coke for an extra 25 cents. I don't want it. I don't want that much organziation in my life. I don't want other people thinking for me. I want my Junior Mints! Where did the Junior Mints go in the movies!? I don't want a 12 pound Nestle's crunch for 25 dollars! I want Junior Mints!' 'We need more fruitcakes in this world and less bakers! We need people that care! I'm mad as hell! And I don't want to take it anymore!'
Jimmy Buffett
New Utopia Colony, Mars
Genechiro Tsukuomi ran his fingers anxiously through his long black hair as he paced in front of the view screen, waiting for the "Stand By" message to change into something more meaningful for him. The conference room in the New Utopia capital building's conference room was comfortable, complete with plush chairs and a table piled high with snacks made from both Earth and Jovian food stocks.
Genechiro didn't care about it. He hadn't cared about anything since opening the sealed envelope containing his orders, and by then it was too late. He was already on Mars.
They had certainly planned for that.
Finally, the screen switched to the face of an elderly gentleman around sixty years old wearing an expression of frank unconcern.
"Commander Tsukuomi," he said in greeting.
"I've been on hold for an hour!" Genechiro railed at him. "What is the meaning of this!? You told me I was going to be a part of a great and noble mission!"
"And you are," the elderly man said with a smug smile. "History will view this assignment, no doubt, as your greatest exploit."
"You're lying," Genechiro accused him. "Speak to me."
The man's smile dropped a hair. "Ship assignments are not up for debate in the Greater Male Forces, Commander. We do what we're ordered to."
"You're ordering me into exile!" Genechiro hissed.
"Exile?" the man asked in mock surprise. "Now what could you have done to warrant exile?"
Genechiro bit his tongue.
The old man's expression slowly morphed into one of wrath. "It took me four years, Genechiro, and even after all that time I don't have the hard, solid evidence to have you killed, but I don't need that, do I?"
The younger man bit his lip. "Admiral...."
"He was your friend," the man whispered. "He trusted you. He asked ME to trust you."
Genechiro's heart went cold and dropped into his stomach like a ball of Callistan ice. Despite the cold fear in his soul, sweat broke out on his forehead.
"You," the old man continued slowly. ".....killed my son." He swallowed back renewed grief and focused a hateful gaze onto Genechiro's soul. "And as long as I draw breath and have the power to do so, I will see to it that you live in humiliation and dishonor."
"Admiral....."
"You will never serve onboard a Jovian vessel again," the admiral hissed. "You will never see the inside of a Gekigangar again. You will never stand before a promotion board again. I will deny you the very ambition and sense of purpose that drove you to kill my son!" he finished. "Until you die a joyless husk of a man."
Genechiro said nothing.
"You have your orders," the admiral told him. "Either accept them or confess to your crime before the council."
Words failed to pierce the cold fog around his mind.
"And may God have mercy on your soul!"
***
Nadesico
"Look at this piece of crap," Ryoko demanded accusingly, pointing at the Aestavalis towering over them. It's torso was blue, it's left leg pink and its right leg yellow. Mismatched though they were, at least the legs were there.
The arms were a different matter entirely.
"I guess he was disarmed," Jun quipped.
"Wokka wokka wokka," Ryoko grumbled. "Is this actually a mission? We're not a float in a parade or something?"
"Mission's real," Jun told her.
"And you want me to work....with this?" She pointed at the armless Aestivalis.
"You have two weeks," Jun said meekly.
Ryoko fumed. "In two weeks I can give you the galaxy's best robot place kicker, but if you want a real Aestavalis, you're going to have to do a HELL of a lot better!"
Jun held in a sigh and did his best placate her. "Tell you what, I'll call ahead to Utopia and tell the Nergal office to have some parts ready by the time we get there. Good enough?"
"No!" Ryoko shot back. "But I suppose it's the best you're going to give me."
He placed a hand on her shoulder. "If it makes you feel better, you know I'd never put this crew at risk by settling for substandard equipment. We'll find a way to get you the parts you need."
She smiled and shook her head. "Hell, Jun, I don't even know what I'm doing back here." She sighed. "It's funny. I had to deal with every low- life in the business, but I miss Havanna."
"I know what you mean," he said. He turned and started for the access hatch.
"You miss Japan that much?" she asked.
"No," he said, turning back to her. "I missed Nadesico."
***
Megumi rolled over in bed as she heard the door hiss close. The clock on the wall screamed 1:42 in bright neon green numerals. She yawned and rolled back again.
"Long day?" she asked sleepily.
Jun sat on the edge of the bed and removed his boots. "Just trying to put out all the fires," he yawned.
"Hmmm, I hope this isn't going to be the norm the way it was during the war," she remarked. "You need sleep."
He collapsed on the bed next to her. "How was your day?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Oh, it was wonderful," she yawned. "Your helmsman used to play for the CoralReefer Band, Ruri's condescending vocabulary has gotten more complex, and Ryoko and Izumi still refuse to speak to one another."
He paused for a moment. "How did you know about that?"
"Talked to Moira on my lunch break," she explained.
Jun sighed. "I guess I better put that on my 'to do' list," he said. "We can't have them like that. They have to work too closely together."
"They'll work it out eventually," Megumi told him while snuggling her pillow. "I think if you butt into it, they'll just dig their heels in. You know how Ryoko is."
"Yeah," he sighed.
She sat up and kissed him. "You're the captain, not God. Don't take it personally."
"I just thought they would have worked through it by now."
Megumi hugged him. "Imagine how it must be for them. They were all so close, and now...."
He hugged back. "Yeah."
"Get some sleep, Jun chan. Tomorrow's another day."
1. * * *
"And so, you see we offer 100 percent tuition assistance, as well as job security as long as you meet the contracted requirements. Of course, there are other benefits such as use of Nergal facilities such as any Nergal Exchange or Commissary, gyms, education offices, etcetera, etcetera...."
Kim Tencza adjusted the papwork before her and looked up at the young Aestivalis technician.
"I don't know," he said uneasily. "I mean, a year away from the whole SOLAR SYSTEM?"
Kim waved the concern aside as if it were nothing more than an annoying gnat. "It's no different than an extended cruise on any other Nergal or UE vessel. Plus, there's the addition of flight and hazard duty pay."
"I don't know," he said again.
"Tell you what," she told him. "We have five days until we reach Mars. Think about it. Talk to some of the other permanent crew members. If you're not interested, no harm, no foul."
He nodded and stood up, shaking her hand before turning and walking out of the office.
She let out a breath and sat down again, just to shoot back up when Jun poked his head into her office.
"Got a minute?" he asked.
"Of course, Kanchou," she told him, gesturing to a seat.
He sat down and began. "As Nergal's civilian representative, and I'm assuming Erina's watchdog, I'm hoping you can tell me why our three Aestavalis squadrons look like something pulled from a scrap yard."
She wagged a finger at him. "Never assume, Kanchou. You make an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me.'"
"It's not a statement against YOUR character, Ms. Tencza, just Erina's."
Kim smiled. "As a matter of fact, I HAD heard about our problem with certain mechanical assets on board, and I'm doing what I can to expedite a solution."
Jun arched an eyebrow. "Oh?" he asked noncommittedly.
"Indeed," she replied, turning back to her terminal. "I've already forwarded a request for additional parts to our office in Utopia."
"Oh.....Good," he said.
"However...."
"Uh oh."
"Being a Nergal 'insider,'" She made quote marks with her hands as she said the last part. "I am fully aware of the answer I'll receive before we actually get it, and that answer will be a drawn out excuse as to why they don't have it."
"That's bad."
"However...."
"Go on."
"Knowing that the answer will be no, I have already contacted several private firms who specialize in battlefield salvage. It is quite probable that, using my expense card, we can procure several needed items in operable condition under the table."
"That's good," Jun said.
"However..."
He sighed. "Go on."
"Despite this stop-gap solution, it is highly unlikely that more than half the parts we receive will be without damage that would prevent it from being used long term. In other words, Kanchou, no matter what we get, it will be too little too late."
"I see," he said.
"However...."
"You really like that word, don't you?" he asked her.
"There are other ways to minimize the negative effects," she told him with a smile. "I'm working on that now by renegotiating the contracts of some of our temporary Aestivalis technicians; the ones who would be leaving when we get to Mars. If we can keep some of them, the life expectancy of our Aestavalis fleet would be considerably increased."
He thought on that for a moment, then nodded. "I see. It seems I owe you an apology, Ms. Tencza."
She gave him another predatory smile. "Kanchou," she said, shutting her terminal off. "I'm not going to lie to you. During the war, I was the proctor on the Suisen." She leaned over her desk as if sharing a great secret with him. "And I prided myself on being able to squeeze the life out of a dime. This is a different situation. If we get into trouble out there, there's not a soul in this solar system who can help us."
Jun said nothing.
"So, as you can see, it's in my own best interest to make sure that Nadesico has everything she needs before her little trip to the stars."
* ** *
The clock in Jun's office read 10:30 as he finished his second cup of coffee. Blinking, he turned back to his monitor and hit the record button.
"We're one day out from Mars, and I think we've shaken the majority of the bugs out. At least the mechanical ones. One of the things that has always been buggy about this ship is the personnel assigned to her. They're all experts in their fields, but as Proctor once put it, they have slight personality problems."
He paused and checked his coffee cup. Seeing it empty, he rose and went to the coffee machine on the table at the other end of the room.
"I'm not complaining," he said as he poured. "It's always worked in our favor, after all. It's just that when I first took command of the Nadesico, I had already been the XO for two years. I knew the quirks. These are new quirks on a new kind of mission. It's unsettling."
He returned to his desk. "I've been reading the service records of our new additions. The Jovian military was good enough to send the records of their half of the crew, however, I suspect many of them have been abridged. For instance, our new chief engineer, Hideki Amano, is supposedly a genius, the top man in his field, yet for some reason he spent the war working in a salvage yard on Ganymeade."
"Colonel Makoto Rikari's record goes on and on about his combat prowess. It indicates that he was up for a star, and yet, for some inexplicable reason, he was suddenly reassigned to the Nadesico."
He paused and looked at the Spirit of St. Louis model on his desk. "The record of my new XO, Genechiro Tsukuomi, is likewise, very distinguished. Fought in numerous engagements, including battles AGAINST the Nadesico herself. He commanded a battle group during the war. Yet, suddenly, he's transferred to the Nadesico by order of a Jovian admiral named Kaoru Shiratori. There's no way of knowing short of coming out and actually asking, but I'm forced to wonder if he is in any way related to Commander Tsukimo Shiratori, the Jovian peace envoy who was assassinated during the first aborted peace talks."
He paused the recorder. "More damn politics."
A flick of his finger reactivated the device as he settled in with his coffee. "Of course, it's unfair to go on about the bugs in the Jovian side of things without going a little more into the bugs on the UE side...."
*****
The Nadesico Club was open to everyone regardless of rank. It was the one place aboard ship where the UE and Nergal's rules didn't apply. Officers drank with enlisted, pilots with mechanics and Jun hoped, eventually, Earthers with Jovians.
At this hour of the night, the place was essentially empty, with only a couple of night shift workers there eating their lunch. In one corner, however, Jun was not surprised to see a man in a blue Hawaiian shirt and a guitar.
Jun walked up to the bar and nodded to the civilian contractor working behind it. Without a word, the man handed him a bag containing a sandwich.
"Your usual midnight snack, Sir," the bartender announced, a hint of a Latin accent flavoring his speech.
Jun gestured to the man in the corner. "What time does he usually leave?"
"El mariachi?" the bartender asked him. "He's usually out of here by midnight."
Jun took his snack and walked to the corner, taking the seat opposite the man with the guitar. "Late night?" he asked.
Chase smiled. "I have trouble sleeping," he said simply, strumming a light tune.
The captain nodded and opened his bag, removing the sandwich and applying generous amounts of mustard to it. "Ask you a question?" he requested casually.
"Shoot."
"What's your angle?" he asked.
Chase nearly laughed. "You mean 'what part of the Nadesico curse am I?'"
Jun gave him a questioning look.
The musician shrugged. "We all heard about the Nadesico, you know. How you couldn't be a member of the crew unless you had some kind of mental issue. It was called 'the Nadesico Curse.'"
"I guess the UE must have thought we were all crazy," Jun remarked with a smile.
"I always wanted to be part of something crazy," Chase told him.
Before Jun could comment, Ruri's face appeared before him in a comm window.
"Kanchou, please report to the bridge."
And before he could react, she was gone again.
"Snack time's over."
*****
"What's the story, Ruri chan?" Jun asked as he and Chase stepped onto the bridge. Chase took his seat at the helm as Ruri typed a query into the computer.
"It started ten minutes and thirty three seconds ago," Ruri informed him, her eyes not leaving her panel or her fingers slowing on the keyboard. "Sensors detected a sillhouette at the very edge of our sensor range, then it disappeared. It just appeared a second time, and Omoikane got enough of a look at it to take a guess at what it was."
"Don't keep us in suspense, Little Ruri," Chase asked.
"Sillhouette is similar to a Y Type Gekigangar unit."
"Y Type?" Jun repeated.
Ruri nodded and stopped typing. "Omoikane reports that the Y Type is smaller than the usual Gekigangar models, as they were designed to fight the more agile Aestivalis in head to head combat. The presence of one, Omoikane warns, hints at the presence of others."
"All stop, Skipper?" Chase asked.
Jun thought for a moment and actually smiled. "Negative, Mister Warren. Increase to flank speed."
"Um....We're running?" Chase asked.
Jun's smile didn't leave, but he didn't answer either. "Flank speed, please, Mister Warren."
Chase turned back to his panel and shrugged. "Flank speed, aye."
The Nadesico all but leapt ahead. Jun instinctively grabbed hold of his command console to steady himself. "Watch the board, Ruri chan," he ordered.
Ruri blinked as several red blips appeared for a moment, then suddenly vanished. "Kanchou! Sensors detected twelve sillhouettes, but they vanished a moment later!"
Jun nodded. Standard operating procedure in a case like this dictated that the ship stop and take up a defensive posture. By moving ahead so quickly, he had managed to take the opposing commander by surprise. There were only two things that worried him now: That the opposing commander knew enough about UE procedures to set a trap like that and that he had managed to move his forces away so quickly when caught.
"Stand by gravity blast cannon, Kanchou?" Ruri asked.
"Negative, Ruri chan. He's too smart for that."
"Skipper?"
Jun smiled again. "He won't bunch his men up enough to make the gravity blast worth it." He stood straighter and put on his combat voice. "Stand by point defenses!"
"Point defense grid standing by!" Ruri echoed.
"Five percent power!" Jun amended.
"What?" Chase whispered to himself.
The order caught Ruri off guard as well, but her shock came only as a two second delay before echoing the order.
"Five percent power!"
"Mister Warren, on my order I want a dead stop and a hundred and eighty degree spin to starboard."
"Aye aye, Sir," Chase replied. "But shouldn't we launch the Alert Five or something? I mean, five percent power is like hitting them with a flashlight."
Jun shook his head. "This isn't a battle, Mister Warren. It's an audition."
"Audition?!"
"Stand by," Jun ordered. "And......now!"
"All stop!" Chase confirmed. "Coming about!"
"Twelve Y Type Gekigangars phasing in on all sides, Kanchou!" Ruri announced.
"Point defense fire!"
The short range plasma phalanx cannons located on each side of the ship opened up, firing at only a fraction of their potential power. Three Gekigangars were hit, and despite receiving no damage, stood perfectly still in space as a result. The others managed to evade the fire and leap back out of range.
For several moments, neither side moved.
Jun turned to the comm technician on duty. "Open a Jovian military channel, please." He got a nod a second later and began. "Jovian commander, this Captain Jun Aoi of the Nadesico. Are you satisfied?"
A helmeted figure appeared on the forward screen. "Captain Aoi, this Colonel Makoto Rikari of the Superior Jovian Male Forces. We are quite satisfied."
"You're well versed on UE military procedures, Colonel," Jun complimented.
A faint smile could be seen through the helmet's visor. "Better versed than you, it would seem. SOP is to take up a defensive posture upon detection of an enemy scout. I'm not sure how I feel about being under the command of someone who behaves so irrationally."
Jun blushed a bit and scratched his head. //You ain't seen nothing yet if you think I'm irrational,// he thought. "Whenever you're ready, Colonel, you have permission to land."
"Thank you, Captain."
"Colonel Subaru and I will meet you on the flight deck."
Rikari nodded and the image vanished.
"You're expecting these maniacs, Skipper?" Chase asked.
"Do me a favor, Ruri chan, and wake up Ryoko. Tell her her new squadron commander is here."
******
"Waking my ass up in the middle of the night is NOT the way to make a good first impression," Ryoko growled.
"For what it's worth," Jun told her as the tenth Gekingangar landed on the flight deck, "He's good."
"Yeah, yeah," she yawned. "Hero of Io, Saviour of Ganymeade, I read the file."
Jun said nothing for a moment. "Ryoko, I hope you're not going to be influenced by what happened to...."
"Jun, you run your ship and I'll run my wing. Fair deal?"
He sighed. "Probably as fair as I'm going to get."
She was quiet as the eleventh Gekigangar landed. "He and his guys will get a fair shake, Jun," she said quietly a second later.
"That's all I ask."
The last Gekigangar landed and lumbered over to the line of other robots waiting for it. The hatch opened as the embarkation ladder rolled over to it. A small, lithe person descended, and Ryoko snorted.
"Kind of a little guy, ain't he?" she asked quietly. "I thought the Jovians stressed 'superior maleness' or something."
Jun arched an eyebrow and cleared his throat.
"Um.....Not that being short makes you less of a man or anything," Ryoko corrected.
"I didn't think you said that," Jun told her. Before he could say more, the pilot was before them, removing his helmet and saluting.
"Captain Aoi, Colonel Makoto Rikari, reports as ordered."
"Not to me, you're not," Jun told him. "Colonel Ryoko Subaru is in charge of flight operations onboard the Nadesico. She'll be your commanding officer."
Makoto looked at Ryoko and blinked, the pilot's eyes resting on her chest, shocked.
"EYES FRONT, ASSHOLE!" Ryoko cried, indignant.
*******
Makoto looked at the Colonel's chest in shock. A woman. A WOMAN was the Nadesico's wing commander! She had heard that the Earthers were more progressive about females in their society, but she never in a million years would have guessed that.....
"EYES FRONT, ASSHOLE!"
Suddenly it was like Makoto was back on the grinder at basic training. Her back went straight and stiff and her eyes locked dead ahead.
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF LAX BULLSHIT YOUR JOVIAN *SUPERIOR* MALE FORCES ARE USED TO, BUT WAKING MY ASS UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT THEN OGLING MY CHEST IS THE FIRST STEPS ON A JOURNEY TO A WORLD OF HURT!!!"
"Yes, Ma'am!"
"WHAT?! YOU'VE NEVER SEEN A FEMALE WHO WASN'T POLISHING YOUR BOOTS OR MAKING YOU FUCKING COOKIES BEFORE?!"
"No, Ma'am!"
"IT MUST REALLY PISS YOU OFF TO HAVE TO TAKE ORDERS FROM SOME DAINTY, WEAK- WILLED LITTLE FLOWER OF FEMININITY!" Ryoko roared. "DID YOU GO TO A MILITARY ACADEMY?! DOES YOUR DADDY KNOW YOU TAKE ORDERS FROM A WOMAN?! IT WOULD *KILL HIM!* WOULDN'T IT?! YOU WENT TO THE ACADEMY FOR THIS!"
"YES, MA'AM!"
Off to the side, Makoto's squadron mates were at attention, but grinning madly.
Ryoko glared at him for another minute, then nodded. "This was not a good first meeting," she whispered in his face. "You had best unFUCK yourself! We have to spend a year together, and I don't give a damn what kind of fucking hero your people take you for. You're MY bitch now!"
"Yes, Ma'am!" Makoto replied, her eyes never leaving their forward and locked position.
Ryoko chucked a finger at the other pilots. "Get your people and your shit together and report to sickbay for quarantine check."
Makoto saluted. "Yes, Ma'am!" Executing a perfect about face, Makoto marched toward her men.
Her second in command, Major Mutake, grinned. "Don't feel bad, Sir. She has a very nice chest."
*******
Jun whistled in awe. "Wasn't that a little over the top, Ryoko?"
"Fucking pervert," Ryoko muttered. "But no, Jun. I needed to bring him down a peg. He's a hero, and heroes have this stupid idea in their head that they know what's best all the time."
Jun smiled. "I know exactly what you mean." He quickly hurried off.
Ryoko arched an eyebrow. "HEY! WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!" she shouted at his back.
"Nothing! Nothing at all!" he called back over his shoulder. He waved to Makoto as he ran past. "Welcome aboard, Colonel!"
Ryoko shook her head. "The more things change....."
*******
"Major."
Mutake turned and saw Makoto standing in the doorway. In a flash, he snapped to attention. "Sir!"
"Have the men's needs been met?" she asked.
"Met and more, Sir," he replied. "The quarters are cushier than what they're used to. Earthers pamper their military, it seems."
"Think of it as a vacation, Major," she told him with a smile.
"Yes, Sir."
"Is there something on your mind, Major?" she asked.
"Well, Sir," he began. "It's just that..... Permission to speak freely, Sir?"
"Of course, Major."
"It's the bloody women, Sir!" Mutake blurted. "I mean.....the men weren't expecting this! They told us women would be aboard, yes, but in support roles like secretaries and....and.....waitresses.....You know.....WOMEN jobs. Answering to a female wing commander.....It's thrown the men, Sir."
Makoto sighed. Mutake was a good pilot and soldier, but was still at heart a Jovian man. "Colonel Subaru's war record is very distinguished," she told him.
"But it's just not right, Sir!" Mutake told her. "I know we have to live with it, I'm just saying it's going to be weird for the men! I mean, it was weird for you too! We all saw it!"
Makoto was caught short. Yes, finding out what gender the notorious Colonel Subaru was threw her for a loop, but not for this reason.
She knew the tightrope she was walking and took a minute to gather her words. "Major.....Shinji," she amended, using his first name. "I understand there will be a period of adjustment involved. Remember, the Earthers are not like us. Their views are different than ours, and we have to respect those views."
"Yes, Sir," Mutake said, sounding anything but satisfied.
Makoto decided to take a different tact. "Major, I answer to Colonel Subaru, but YOU still answer to me! Do you have a problem with THAT?"
"No, Sir!"
"Then let me worry about it."
He smiled. "Yes, Sir."
Makoto turned to go. "One more thing, Major," she said, turning back to him. "Subtley remind the men of what I just said. I don't want any cross cultural miscommunications developing here. Several of the ship's key officers, and all of the squadron commanders are female."
"Yes, Sir."
"Remind them that they are ambassadors of the Jovian Union, so they'd better act like it."
"Yes, Sir."
Makoto nodded and left with an inaudible sigh. Walking down the hallway, she couldn't help but laugh at the irony. For the first time in her life, she was aboard a ship where her gender wouldn't matter, and she still had to hide it or risk losing her final link to a homeworld she knew she'd never see again.
"What a bitch," she remarked.
*******
Megumi opened her eyes and yawned. Turning her head, she saw her husband, still in his uniform, snoring loudly next to her. Sighing, she sat up and climbed out of bed. Tucking him in, she hit the comm panel on the wall.
"Ruri, this is Megumi. Jun asked me to call and let you know he's going to be delayed this morning."
"Understood."
She sighed and got dressed. Scribbling a quick note for Jun, she adjusted her skirt and stepped out into the corridor.....
Only to run smack into Aurora Dayne.
"Oh! I'm sorry, Lieutenant Aoi! I didn't mean to...."
Megumi waved the apology aside and smiled. "Please, don't worry about it! They always say you're supposed to look both ways before crossing the street, you know."
Aurora adjusted her glasses and nodded. "Oh! I was going to call you today and ask for an appointment to go over the specs for the long range tranceiver and...."
"Well," Megumi interrupted, trying to stave off a five-minute explanation from Inez's overzealous apprentice, "I was just on my way to the cafeteria to have breakfast. Why don't you join me?"
The smile on Aurora's face threatened to wrap around her entire head. "I'd love to! You have no idea what this means to me!"
"Um....Sure," Megumi answered. She started down the corridor, the bubbly student right behind her.
"You know," Aurora began. "I probably shouldn't be saying this, but I'm a REALLY big fan."
"Fan?" the commo asked her.
Aurora nodded. "I've seen ALL of your anime! Magic Princess Lovely! Indian Jazz! Sweepers! Lovely Witch Alissa!"
Megumi blushed. "Oh! That's very nice of you to say!"
"Robo Techno War! Pretty Soldier Sailor Love!" Aurora continued.
"I had no idea they even showed those anime anymore!" Megumi declared, still blushing.
"Well, you have to dig for them, nowadays! That's how I found your other works!"
Megumi's blush deepened. "Um.....My.....other works?"
Aurora nodded vigorously. "Like Lustful Sister Minako, Demon Nurses, and Passion Warrior Ai!"
Megumi was sweating now, her blush covering her from head to toe. "Yes.....well.......Glad to know you enjoyed them. Ohlookwe'reherelet'sgoinside!"
The commo practically ran into the cafeteria.
She blinked as she realized she didn't recognize any of the men eating there. Their uniforms, however, were instantly recognizable to any otaku as they matched the costumes worn by the characters in Gekigangar III.
"Wow! These must be the new Jovian pilots!" Aurora cried in excitement.
Eleven pairs of eyes zeroed in on them like Aesti's locking onto a Jovian Grasshopper.
"Um.....Did I say something wrong?" Aurora whispered.
A second later, they were all over the two women.
"Can I offer you a chair?!"
"What would like to drink?!"
"Oh, don't sit at that table! The chair has a stain!"
"Don't worry! We'll bring your breakfast to you!"
The crowd was so busy making sure that the two women were accomodated, that they didn't notice the same two women crawling out from beneath the crowd and making their way to the cafeteria line.
"Wow, Jovian guys are really chivalrous, huh?" Aurora asked.
"Yeah, it's almost charming for a few minutes," Megumi replied.
"Tell me about it," Houmei commented as she poured miso soup for the both of them. "I had to actually chase them away from my kitchen. They felt my girls shouldn't work so hard just to make breakfast for them."
"How'd you chase them off?" Megumi asked.
Houmei smiled and hefted her meat cleaver. "Chef's secret."
Megumi turned to the men, who were returning to their seats. "Wish us luck."
As the two women approached the tables, Aurora piped up. "So where should we sit?"
Eleven men shot up and pulled out chairs.
Megumi sighed and just took the first chair offered to her. Amara took the seat opposite of her, and the two pilots who offered their seats sat next to them. "Thank you," she said.
"Oh, please don't mention it," the pilot on her right told her. "What kind of men would we be if we sat while women were still standing?"
"That's very kind of you," Aurora told him. She offered her hand. "I'm Aurora Dayne. How do you do?"
The pilot took her hand and kissed it. "Second Lieutenant Hideki Hataro."
Aurora turned beet red and squealed quietly.
The other pilot looked at Megumi expectantly.
"Lieutenant Megumi Aoi," she announced politely. The pilot went to take her hand, and she held it up. "See the ring?!"
The pilot, seeing the wedding band on her finger, bowed so quickly, his head hit the table. "PLEASE FORGIVE ME, MA'AM! I DIDN'T REALIZE! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!"
Megumi took a sip of her soup as the pilot all but broke down into tears next to her.
Hataro frowned at his friend. "Jeez, Kaoru, don't embarass us. Miss Dayne, would you pass the salt, please?"
"Oh! Sure!" Aurora replied. Reaching out to hand him the condiment, her hand clumsily knocked over his coffee, spilling it all over his lap.
"ACK!"
"OH! I'M SO SORRY!" Aurora cried, leaping to her feet and snatching several napkins off her tray. She dropped to her knees and began wiping at his crotch with the napkins. "I can't believe I was so clumsy as to....."
"Aurora," Megumi hissed.
The lab assistant looked up and blinked, continuing to dab at the pilot's lap. "Yes, Lieutenant Aoi?" Looking up, she saw that Hataro had gone stock still and his complexion was an ash gray. His expression was of a man scared out of his mind. "Uh......oh....." Aurora muttered.
"Hataro, Yamada, why don't you finish breakfast on the flight deck?"
Looking up, Megumi and Aurora saw Makoto standing over them, holding a tray.
The two pilots practically ran out of the cafeteria.
"I hope I didn't offend him," Aurora said sheepishly.
"A woman was going to do that to him eventually," Makoto said diplomatically as she took a seat. "And if not, I'm sure now there will always be a special place in Hataro's heart for you, Miss Dayne."
"That's great.....I think...."
"I must apologize if my men make you ladies uncomfortable," Makoto continued. "In our culture, the presence of women onboard a warship is unheard of."
Megumi smiled sweetly and put her soup down. "The Nadesico is no longer a battleship," she told her. "It's an exploration vessel now. A ship of peace, Mr....
Makoto smiled in return. "Colonel Makoto Rikari," she introduced herself. "And you would be the ship's communications officer, Lt. Aoi?"
Megumi nodded.
The squadron commander picked at her plate. "My men mean well," she told them in between bites. "But don't be afraid to draw the line with them. After all, part of this whole endeavour is to....enlighten one another...in the ways of cultures."
"I thought you were coming aboard when the Nadesico got to Mars," Megumi noted. "Was there a change?"
Makoto shrugged. "My men are still fairly new," she explained. "I wanted to give them some practice, and with the armistice there is an appalling shortage of UE battleships in the area to stalk."
"I see," she replied. "What about the rest of the Jovian crew?"
"Still on Mars," Makoto told her with a shrug.
******
"So what do you think of our new additions?" Jun asked as Megumi stepped onto the bridge.
"I thought you were sleeping in?" she interrupted.
He shrugged.
"They're...." Megumi began.
"....A hoot!" Chase finished. "You should've seen the ones I was screwing with in sickbay last night. I just had the nurse walk back and forth across the room near them." He shook his head and laughed. "It was like a yo yo! Up! Down! Up! Down!"
"That's awful!" Megumi cried.
"But freaking hilarious," Ryoko argued as she walked up the gangway to Jun's station. She unceremoniously handed him a datapad. "Let's hope Tencza pulls through on those parts. Right now, those Gekigangars are the backbone of our defenses."
"They're nice young men," Megumi sniffed as she took her seat. "They were just raised differently....with MANNERS!" She shot a look at Chase.
"Hey, I'm as chivalrous as the next guy, but there are extremes, you know."
"I don't like them."
Heads turned to Ryoko.
"Something wrong, Ryoko?" Jun asked.
"It's just," she began. "It's Rikari," she said finally. "I decided to try to smooth things over by giving him a tour of the ship before breakfast, and I noticed a few things."
"Like what?" Chase asked. He was turned around in his chair and straddling it.
"It's nothing I can really put my finger on. Just feelings. For instance..." She walked over to Chase. "Stand up."
The helmsman obeyed.
Ryoko bowed to him from the waist. "It's nice to meet you." She rose again.
Chase paused for a second, then bowed.
"There! That's what I mean!"
"What?" Megumi asked. "He didn't bow low enough?"
"No, not that. When pervert boy here bowed, he maintained eye contact with me for half the bow, then his eyes went right to my chest. Just for a second, but it happened."
No one spoke for a moment.
"Okay," Megumi conceded. "Chase is a pervert......So?"
"So when I met Rikari this morning, I did the same bow, but he kept eye contact the entire time."
"So what?" Megumi asked incredulously.
"But it's not just that!" Ryoko snapped back. "I mean, no interest whatsoever!"
Chase snapped his fingers and pointed at Ryoko. "I get it!"
Ryoko gestured to Chase as if to say, "See!? He gets it!"
"You're just pissed because your flirts didn't work!"
Ryoko turned on him like an incensed cobra. "Excuse the fuck out of me?" she hissed.
"Oh come on!" Chase said with a grin. "You're having a hissy fit because the guy didn't pick up on your signals?! Sounds petty to me...."
Ryoko leapt across the bridge railing at the helmsmen, but ended up tripping and falling to the deck.
"Maybe he's gay."
"Ruri chan!" Megumi cried in reply.
Ryoko sat up and scratched her head. "There's something else," she said, her anger seemingly forgotten. "Last night, remember how I sent them for a med check?"
Jun nodded.
"Well, I got results back for everyone EXCEPT Rikari. When I asked Inez about it, she said that none of her scans would work on him. HE says that he has a blood condition that requires nanomachines in his cardiopulmonary system to regulate his heartrate. Apparently, these machines give off an EM field that blocks med scans. CAT scans, MRI's, nothing will read him."
Jun frowned. "Ryoko, are you suggesting that Colonel Rikari is....what? An alien? A robot?"
"Look, all I'm saying is that he's hiding something."
Jun locked eyes with her for several seconds. Finally, he nodded. "Okay. Keep an eye on him, but don't be insulting about it."
"And try not to sexually harass him, okay?" Chase chided. "It's his first day."
This time, Ryoko got a good shot in, punching him in the back of the head so hard, his face hit the helm.
Ruri sighed. "Baka."
*******
From the log of Ruri Hoshino.
"For once, the Nadesico was able to land on Mars without destroying a large piece of it, for which the citizens of the New Utopia colony were grateful. The rest of the Jovian half of our crew came aboard with less flourish than I thought Nergal would give them. Another surprise came in the form of what the majority of that Jovian half consisted of...."
********
Megumi turned the corner and squeaked as she came to a halt. Before her, a yellow "Grasshopper" robot turned its head, focusing its four red eyes on her.
"Um....Hello," Megumi said with a nervous wave.
"It won't hurt you."
The commo turned and saw a large, bearded man before her. He stood at least seven feet tall and his tanned head was shaved bare, his hairless pate reflected light from the overhead lamps. His beared narrowed to a sharp point just above where his neck met his chest.
"Oh, I wasn't really afraid," Megumi explained. "I've met one or two before, during the war."
He walked past her and knelt next to the robot, patting its head affectionately. "Fluffy here is my assistant, a special model designed to help me interface with the others."
"You must be Amano san," Megumi ventured.
He nodded. "I was just taking a look at your ship."
"Would you like a tour?" the commo offered.
"I was told we were to meet with the captain soon," Hideki told her.
"Oh jeez," Megumi muttered, checking her watch. "You're right, we're going to be late. The conference room is this way."
Amano bowed slightly. "Thank you. Is it far?"
"A little. This ship is bigger than it looks from the outside."
Hideki knelt next to the robot again. "Fluffy," he said gently. "Mode two."
The grasshopper looked at him and gave a high pitched fluting noise. It took a few steps forward and rested its stomach onto the ground. Its legs bent upwards, and the robot began making whirring and clicking sounds.
"Um....Is your robot all right?" Megumi asked.
"Fluffy's fine. She's something of an experiment in theological engineering," Hideki told her.
"I see," she replied, not really understanding.
Finally, Fluffy stopped moving. Megumi could only blink at what was now sitting there.
"It's....It's...."
"It's a segeway!" Hideki announced, climbing onboard. Two of Fluffy's insectile legs had folded up and become handles. "Climb aboard," he announced.
Megumi hesitated, then finally shrugged and stepped up, wrapping her arms around the Jovian's waist. A second later, Fluffy was zipping down the corridor, with Megumi squealing along.
*******
"I don't think anyone has to be reminded of the historical significance of this moment," Jun told the assembled officers seated around the conference room table. On one side sat Megumi, Ruri, Ryoko, and Inez. On the other sat Genechiro, Hideki and Makoto. "I wish," Jun continued, "That I had the words to properly express what this day means for both our peoples. I can only hope that one day some historian will know better ones, but for now...." He smiled. "Welcome aboard."
Hideki grinned widely while Makoto offered a more restrained smile. Genechiro stared out the window.
"I wish we had more time to get acquainted, but unfortunately we have some pressing business," Jun went on. "Before we can leave Mars, we have to solve a supply itch. The Aestivalises Nergal and the UE has supplied us with are substandard. Our Nergal rep thinks we might be able to acquire some decent parts second hand, but....."
"Why bother?"
Seven heads turned to Genechiro, who was still staring out the window. He looked up at Jun.
"We have Colonel Rikari's Gekigangars, which are already vastly superior to your Aestivalis," he elaborated.
No one spoke for a moment. The condescencion in that statement had suddenly made the air in the briefing room ten degrees colder. When Jun finally spoke, he was careful not to let any of his aggravation show. "The Aestivalis has been a staple of the UE since the beginning of the war," he told him. "Two of our three combat squadrons onboard are Aestivalis squadrons."
Genechiro raised his hand and began counting off on his fingers. "They have no boson jump capabilities. Their armor is only half as sturdy. Their firepower is inferior to...."
"With all due respect to Commander Tsukuomi," Makoto interrupted tentatively. "The Aestivalis is hardly an inferior war machine. Merely a different kind of one. While the commander is right about the Gekigangar's advantages, the Aestivalis is faster in convential space, more agile and better suited for air and land combat."
"We've never had a problem kicking YOUR tail with them," Ryoko growled.
"Enough," Jun said quickly. "Regardless of our own opinions of which craft is better, leaving Mars with only twelve operational combat spacecraft is unacceptable."
Ryoko shrugged. "Just don't move the ship. Tell 'em if they want us to go to the other side of the galaxy, they gotta pony up some parts."
"Nergal's never worked like that," Megumi argued. "They'd just fire us all and replace US with damaged parts."
"Excuse me," Hideki said, raising his hand. "But I might be able to solve your problem."
Jun motioned for him to continue.
Hideki stood up and began to speak; slowly at first, but faster as he gathered confidence. "I've had ideas for special....modifications...to Jovian robots. Now I've been reading up on UE technology since the armistice, and I'm convinced the mods would work just as well or even better on an Aestivalis. I've brought designs with me and my pets brought enough basic materials to fashion the parts I need as long as the Nadesico has the equipment to do so."
"What kind of modifications?" Megumi asked.
Hideki licked his lips nervously and looked from side to side at Genechiro and Makoto before quickly sputtering. "Modular transformation."
"Heresy!" Makoto hissed incedulously.
"With some simple mechanical and metallurgical changes, your Aestivalises will be an even match for a Gekigangar!" Hideki continued.
Genechiro actually moved his chair away from the engineer. "A Macrossian heretic," he growled, pointing at Hideki. "I suspected as much!"
Megumi, Ryoko and Jun looked to each other in puzzlement. Inez remained aloof while Ruri rested her chin in her hands.
"Baka."
"I think we're missing something," Ryoko commented.
"Jun chan, I've seen what Hideki is talking about. It's amazing! If he can do the same for the Aestis...."
"He'll do no such thing!" Genechiro shouted. "If we were on Io, he'd be thrown in prison for simply suggesting the idea!"
"It's sound theory, not heresy!" Hideki shouted back. "It's narrow- minded, ultra-conservative viewpoints like that that has held up progress since we've discovered boson technology! If we had been allowed a free hand in developing it, WE might have been the ones to invent things like the transpositional cannon!"
Genechiro shook his head angrily. "I will have you thrown into the deepest, darkest hole on Ganymeade for this...."
The sound of a palm striking the table and everyone's water glasses jumping in response jarred the room into silence.
"All right! Cut it out!" Jun cried. "Now I don't know what kind of religious dogmatic holy war we just wandered into, but it stops right here. This is not a Jovian vessel, it's a UE exploration vessel. And one thing the UE guarantees for ALL of their crewmembers is freedom of religious expression. Now Commander Amano has just offered us a way out of this mess, and unless anyone has a sound SCIENTIFIC reason for objecting, I'm going to order him to go forward with it."
No one said a word. Jun met each of their eyes. Makoto stared back for a moment, but nodded reluctantly. Genechiro turned away angrily.
"Ryoko," Jun continued. "I want you to find your ugliest, most worthless Aesti and give it to Commander Amano to play with. Commander, do what you can with it and show me what you come up with. I'll make a final decision then."
Hideki saluted. "You got it, boss man!"
Genechiro glowered, and Makoto looked none too pleased. Jun decided to cut his losses on this meeting. He summoned a smile. "Now that we've managed to thoroughly irritate each other at our first meeting, how about a tour of the ship?"
*****
The cargo container struck the floor with a loud, metallic crash, spilling its contents all over the floor. Gilad Atzmon hissed and muttered a curse in Hebrew. "Get that shit back in the container!" he barked. Two sailors jumped to obey, tossing the contents back into the rectangular box. He hissed again as he saw shadows approach the door. Jumping forward, he threw the cover over the container and stepped back.
"ROOM, TENCH-HUT! OFFICER ON DECK!"
The dozen other men in the laundry room came to stiff attention just as Jun and the other officers entered. "The ship's laundry," Jun announced. "We didn't have laundrymen on our last cruise, it was a secondary detail, so the crew is viewing them as the greatest new addition." He smiled at the Jovians. "Present company excepted, of course." Makoto and Hideki smiled while Genechiro frowned.
Jun turned to Gilad, and the older man saluted. "Senior Chief Petty Officer Gilad Atzmon, chief launderer," he announced.
The captain offered his hand, and the sailor shook it. "As a man who ruined several good shirts, I say welcome aboard." He stepped past the chief and looked at the laundrymen in admiration. "You run a tight ship," he noted.
Gilad's eyes flickered to his feet. Sitting next to his toe was one of the items held in the container. His men must have missed it. He quickly, but discreetly placed his foot on top of it. "Thank you, Sir. It means a lot to the men to hear you say that."
Genechiro stepped forward and stood toe to toe with one of the men, a muscular black man in a tank top. The man stared straight ahead. "Sloppy shave," he noted.
Gilad bristled. "Proof's in the results....Sir."
"We're just giving our Jovian officers a tour of the ship," Jun explained.
Gilad nodded. "Yes, Sir.
"We didn't have a laundry on our last voyage," Megumi told him. "What are the rules?"
Jun wandered toward a nearby doorway as the chief explained. "Simple enough, Ma'am. Just bring your laundry bag, clearly labeled, and any specific instructions. My boys won't ruin anything." He turned to glare at them. "They know better than that."
"Can we move on, please?" Genechiro asked.
Megumi frowned at him and turned back to Gilad. "Thank you, Sir."
"'Chief,' Ma'am," he corrected. "I call your husband, 'Sir.'"
She smiled. "Thank you, Chief." She turned to the group. "Well, I guess we should.... " She looked left to right. "Where's Jun?"
"Ma'am, over here," one of the laundrymen beckoned.
She walked over to him and stood at the door Jun had walked through. "What is this?" she asked.
The laundryman shrugged. "Just a closet, Ma'am," he told her. "Is he okay?"
Jun was standing in the center of the small storage room, stock still. The room was only five foot by five foot. As it was just a simple storeroom, the walls were bare steel.
Megumi swallowed. "Do the lights work?" she asked.
"No, Ma'am, we haven't...."
Megumi didn't wait to hear the rest, she walked and stood next to her husband. "Jun chan," she whispered.
He didn't turn to her. "Get me out of here, Megumi chan," he whispered.
She bit her lip and touched his shoulder. "It'll be okay," she said quietly.
"I'll be fine," he told her, still not facing her. "Just get me out of here."
"Okay." She took his hand and gently pulled, guided, him out of the storeroom. As they reemerged, she told the others. "Perhaps Ryoko could finish the tour. Excuse us." Without another word, she took Jun out of the compartment.
"That was weird," Makoto remarked. "Is the Kanchou claustrophobic?"
Ryoko was silent for a moment. Then, as she walked toward the door, she said, "Only sometimes."
Gilad watched them leave and breathed a sigh of relief. Leaning over, he picked up the item he had concealed with his foot. "If he they had seen this, we would have all been fucked," he told his men, waving it at them like a baton. "Any of you get that careless again and your career as a laundryman will be permanent. Clear?"
"YES, SENIOR CHIEF!"
"Okay, get to work," he growled. The laundrymen resumed moving supplies. Gilad looked down at the object in his hand.
The first 7.62 millimeter round in the thirty-round clip stared woefully back up at him.
****
Lindbergh left long island in 1927
He thumbed his nose at gravity
And climbed into the heavens.
When he returned to earth that night
Everything had changed
For the pilot and the planet
Everything was rearranged
We're a pretty mixed up bunch
Of crazy human beings
It's written on our rocketships
And in early cave wall scenes
How does it happen?
How do we know?
Who sits and watches?
Who does the show?
Some people love to lead
Some refuse to dance
Some play it safely
Others take a chance
Still, it's all a mystery
This place we call the world
Where most live as oysters
While some become pearls
Now Elvis was the only man
From north east mississippi
Who could shake his hips
And still be loved by
Rednecks, cops and hippies
It's something more than dna
That tells us who we are
Its method and magic
We are of the stars
Some never fade away
Some crash and burn
Some make the world go round
Others watch it turn
Still, it's all a mystery,
This place we call the world
Most are fine as oysters
While some become pearls
Jimmy Buffett
"Oysters and Pearls"
Author's Notes:
Due to a deployment war-ward, updates on this fic are going to be slow. I might have an opportunity to work on it, but I have no idea when I'll be able to update again. Sorry. I'll try to work on it, but the job comes first. You all know how it is.