/ Duel Universe
/ Author: The Cowboy of Oklahoma
/ Ch 7: Stupid
/ word count: 2271
Coronado Base:
"Of all the irresponsible, reckless, stupid, idiotic, selfish acts anyone of your rank should never have pulled off! Taking the Baddeck out to sea alone just to stupidly try and disarm a bomb by your stupid self! Which you nearly stupidly failed I might add! And you nearly killed yourself stupid! Reckless, idiotic, stupid, irresponsible, selfish, and down right stupid!! Have I mentioned it was stupid!?" Admiral Fleetfoot was yelling at the top of his lungs at Commander Ka'an for what he did.
Taking the ship to sea just to keep the damage, from an explosion near the magnitude next to what a nuke could have been, to a minimum. He was being chewed out, demoted, then promoted several times in a single, never ending paragraph.
"Poor guy." Lieutenant Commander Shelly Carson said to no one in particular.
"Is he going to be alright?" Ensign Sarah Jackson asked.
"Yeah, the Admiral gave me a similar talkin' to after I'd wrecked my third vehicle, then I gave 'em a black eye because I was irritated." Shelly stated nonchalantly.
Sarah went stiff with a look of sheer terror, confusion and amusement on her face all at the same time.
"Spent a week in the brig for that one. Then I was put on the mission to fly the parts your Baddeck needed and now here we are." She explained.
"Only a week?" Sarah questioned.
"Oh I'm sure me bein' a grey haired old bitty was what the Admiral had in mind 'fore I saw the light o' day again, but the goo attacked and all. He sorta had no choice but to send me along." Shelly said.
Lieutenant Junior Grade Christopher Lee sat across the hallway from the women, and was only half listening to their conversation. He wasn't even trying to listen to the Admiral chew out the Commander. He was trying to catch the eye of a pretty redhead receptionist the Admiral had. If she had an eye even partially in his direction, he'd make googly eyes and try to be charming..from 20ft away.
"Give it up Christopher." Sarah deadpanned from across the hall, killing the moment Christopher was trying so hard to establish.
"Bu..ga..wha?" He stuttered.
"She's not interested in boys. She only likes other girls. Last guy that tried to mess with her was laid up in a hospital bed for two weeks. And that was before I went in the brig." Shelly explained.
"Oh yeah?" Christopher asked smuggly.
"Yeah. Cause I was one of her exploits. Mmm..what a night." She said.
He hung his head in defeat. "Awe man. She's one of the prettiest women here too." He said, then almost instantly regretted it.
A bag with a laptop, glasses case, spare glasses, make-up kit, wires, headphones, and generally about 30lbs of stuff not meant for throwing, suddenly slammed into his head and he was reeling from the impact, and fell to the floor. Sarah got up, and stormed off without another word.
"Ow..," was all he could get out after she left, then after some time to readjust, "was it something I said?" He questioned, sitting up rubbing his head for the pain.
"Boy you must be blind." Shelly said flatly.
The office door swung open and Fleetfoot stepped out.
"Would you people keep it down out here!? I'm trying to conduct a meeting!!" Then he slammed the door shut again. "Now where was I? Oh yes, stupid, idiotic, reckless…!"
Sarah stormed away from the building, fuming about what Christopher said in the hallway.
"Grah! Who does he think he is!" She said out loud. "She's not that pretty!" She pointed out to nobody. "What does she have that I don't!?" She said to herself.
She went off towards the Baddecks hanger to do something, anything, just so long as she was away from him.
After the Admiral was finished ripping me a new one, he had meant to call in the other three for a debrief about all that had been discovered and done in the past few hours, but only two entered and Lee seemed to be holding his head as if he was in a little pain.
"Where is Ensign Jackson!? I told all three of you to be here!" He fumed.
"Well, you see sir, it was…" Christopher began.
"Christopher said somethin' stupid and got a headache for it. Then she stormed off." Finished Shelly.
"Bah. Fine. She doesn't really need to be in these discussions anyways." He said as he sat down. "Now down to business." He looked over at me. "Care to share what happened onboard the Baddeck Commander!?"
I gritted my teeth at the tone. "Aye sir. As I was dueling the computer program, it seemed to make some decent moves, but it made a fatal flaw with its first card. Then when the computer completely failed to duel, someone else took control of the duel live." I explained.
"Live!?" The two new occupants said together.
"You mean to tell me someone was watching everything that was happening!?" Christopher questioned.
"Not just watching, they even knew exactly who was dueling, my name, rank, everything." I added.
"That means they'r somehow watchin' this entire base, all our actions. We could have a mole here somewhere!" Shelly stated.
"That's right. All the personnel that was in the Baddecks hanger, and those that came from Northface are already being questioned and looked into as we speak." Fleetfoot said.
"We'll have to increase the list o' personnel to the entire base sir." Shelly mentioned.
"What do you mean Carson?" Ask Fleetfoot.
"When I was talkin' to Miss Akiza and she finally opened up to me, she thinks you'r not cute by the way," she motioning to me. "Then she told me a number of thin's that she'd witnessed and as many names as she knew."
"I'm what?" I asked.
"Focus Commander!" Fleetfoot said. "What else Carson?"
"I went to talk to ye'r duel opponent, and he opened up to me as well."
"How?" I asked.
"Feminine charm." She said snarkly.
"I don't even want to know how, but tell us what you did get." Fleetfoot said.
"Much the same as what Akiza told me, but he knew a few more thin's. Like how Akizas' dad, the senator, is one of the political backers for this Brethren Collective."
"Brethren!? That's the same thing the General said on the video." I interjected.
"What video?" Fleetfoot asked.
"Lee and his team where overhauling the Baddecks computer systems, and found several anomalies, or malware. One was a recording done before the Baddeck left dry dock. Before he..shot himself."
The mood in the room shifted a degree, then the Admiral motioned for me to continue.
"It is only a one sided conversation, but he was very clear he was talking to a senator, and that he was part of a group of god worshippers known as the Brethren. He was also clear he did not want to harm his men, merely deliver the Baddeck to this Brethren. But they changed the plan and he was forced to activate the bomb with a delayed reaction. It was by this video that we learned about the bomb. The last thing is that he wants someone else, someone very precious to him, protected and the Brethren knows who, or already has whoever in their grasps." I explained.
Christopher was still rubbing his head when he left the building and walked back to the Baddeck hanger. He was carrying all of Sarah's stuff, and was still a bit confused about what had happened.
"Why'd she throw her stuff at me? I wasn't being mean to her. I didn't say anything bad about her. So what was she so upset about?" He said to himself.
Walking the rest of the way in silent self debate, he nearly walked right into the Baddecks XO.
"Whoa there Lee." Lieutenant Michaels alerted.
Christopher snapped out of his own head and stopped dead in his tracks. "Oh! Sir! Sorry, I was just thinking about...something."
"Care to elaborate or do you need some time to get your head on straight?"
"The later sir. I'm going to check with my team and then head to my bunk for awhile."
"Alright then, just don't stay there. We need to run a full systems check again thanks to the shenanigans that happened. Get started asap, but maybe clean up that wound first." He pointed at Christophers' head.
"Aye sir. I'll stop by the medbay before anything else."
The XO sent him on his way and said he'd contact him when he was needed. Christopher walked up the loading bay of the Baddeck and went straight to the medbay. The Doctor was a middle-aged man with salt and pepper black hair. There was a nurse onboard as well, and she was the Doctors wife. Nurse Melody was clearing some used bandages and prepping a standard tray with fresh utensils, pads and medication.
She looked up and saw him coming in. "Christopher Lee! What have you done to yourself now!?" She stomped her foot.
Her husband heard from around a curtain at his desk. "Anything serious honey?" He asked, not paying much attention.
"No sweetie, he just has a bump to the head. I can handle it."
"Okay." Returning to his paperwork.
"You! Get over here and sit down now!" She pointed at Christopher and then to an empty bed.
Lee sighed and did as he was told. Then without warning the nurse hugged him and didn't let go.
"Aw mom. Come on that's embarrassing." Christopher said.
Then the doctor looked past the curtain to see his son, "Oh hey son. What's happened now?"
"Nothing serious dad, just a bump on the head."
"Don't give me that! Let me see!" His mom said and yanked him down to her level.
"Hey! Careful with the patient mom!"
"Oh don't give me that! Now how did you get this?" She asked.
"Uh, well, I was talking to Ensign Jackson and Lieutenant Commander Carson, when suddenly Jackson hit me across the head with her stuff here, then stormed off." He told.
"Stormed off? So she just hit you without provocation?" The Doctor asked.
"Well I was talking about how the Admirals receptionist was one of the prettiest women I've ever seen..ayiyiyiyi!" His head was suddenly yanked down by the ear.
"Stupid!! What were you thinking!?" His mom screamed in his ear, making it ring. "You never say that about anyone if the person that likes you is right next to you!!"
Lee's head shook for a second before he could regain some of his bearings, then he realized what his mom was saying.
"Wait. You mean that Jackson..and I, but she's just a colleague?"
His mom gave him a lite smack across the cheek, and he looked at her questioningly.
"Now go find her and apologize like a man should!"
"But..?"
"No buts! Go! Get out of here! And don't come back without a grandchild!"
"Now wait just a min.." He was cut off by the medbay doors shutting in his face, "..nute." He sighed.
After checking with the rest of his team, giving instruction to begin double checking all of the computer systems.
"Sir, where is Jackson?" Another Ensign asked.
"She's, taking a break from the whole bomb affair and briefings. I'll have her come and join you once she is rested." He lied. "Just get on it. I'll be back as soon as I get some rest myself."
Christopher walked back to his bunk, he could use with a rest before he got back to work. He stepped between the rows and grabbed his curtain, pulling it back to get into his bed, only he couldn't get in, because there was a petite female body already there, and she was asleep.
"Uh, um." He was stumped.
What was he supposed to do, then he pokes her on the cheek. She stirred, opening her eyes and looked up to see Christopher. Then her eyes went wide and her pupils shrank to pin pricks. She hadn't even realized she fell asleep on his bed after she had broken down.
"Chris...?"
"Uh, hey Sarah…, my mom says that there's this girl that might like me." He said sheepishly.
"So. Not like anyone can compare to a beautiful red headed receptionist." She leaned back and frowned at him.
"Look, I'm sorry okay? I had no idea about..your..feelings for me, and I didn't know about her..preferences." He apologized.
She gave a deadpanned look.
"Er, I mean, I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings or anything." He said.
She said nothing.
"And, um, I just wanted to..know..if you'd be..willing to..talk to me about it?" He asked cringing.
Again, she said nothing. Simply standing and starting to walk away.
"Oh for the love of..!" Christopher said as he grabbed her arm.
She turned with no small amount of surprise in her face. Suddenly his lips were on hers and he was pulling her in closer than she was ready for. However, her eyes soon closed and she returned the affection. It took a few moments for them to finally separate and take a breath.
"You know, you can be real stupid sometimes." Sarah said.
Then they leaned into each others embrace even more and continued showing their affections for one another for another hour or so. The looks they got from some of their crewmates for the next few days were of sheer annoyance, except from his mom, she wouldn't stop talking about it.
"Grandbabies!!"