Part 2 -- Assignments

Late August 2056

                Roy didn’t have the heart to tell his father his good news, because, for Rick, it would be anything but good. Roy had applied to the military in his parents’ good graces…learned to fly a veritech and become a pilot with their consent…but his father did not know that he had applied to accompany his mother on the SDF-4. He had received the word via mail in his quarters that morning, and his mother had personally visited him before her meeting with the Interworld Council that morning. But that did not explain how he would tell his father.

                Rick was working with the pilots that would be accompanying the SDF-4 indirectly. He was in charge of their deep space education before they faced their first launch into zero-g. Roy knew he wouldn’t be able to hide from the watchful blue eyes of the admiral for long…other than being 6’2” tall and a pilot his thick blond-brown hair would point him out immediately.

                Roy sulked around his quarters for a while, but once he realized it was almost lunchtime he set out. He got into the hallway and ran into someone almost immediately. “I am so sorry!” He said immediately. He stood up and looked down at the person he had nearly bowled over.

                Roy was a little surprised to find himself face to face with a woman. “It was my fault.” She said from under the stack of uniform she carried. Roy was even more surprised that she was almost his height. “Excuse me please.”

                He watched her walk down the hallway and smiled. She was pretty, with short dark brown hair and a rosy smile that brushed against tan skin. He watched her turn and look at a map she had on the top of the stack and turn left down the corridor. He contemplated and jogged after her. “Can I help you?” They were the only two on the floor this late in the day.

                The girl smiled at him, lighting up two hazel eyes. “If you can direct me to 320 I’d be grateful.”

                Roy’s eyes narrowed. “You passed it…its back here.”

                She smiled and followed him as he lead the way back to the room next to his. “Here you go.” She smiled and thanked him as she turned to let herself in.

                The girl turned to enter but Roy stopped her, “Are you assigned to the SDF-4?”

                The girl nodded. “Look…this load is getting rather heavy. Let me go put these things inside and then I will talk with you, alright?” She let a little bit of her annoyance seep into her voice. Roy nodded.

  * * * * * * *

                The girl emerged a moment later and he took some time to take in how she looked. She was very fit, and she wore a Commander’s insignia on her arm. “You were saying?” She asked as she started to return the way she had come from.

                “Hey!” He jogged after her, intrigued.

                “I’m hungry, Hunter.” She said.

                Roy looked down at his uniform and blinked. He wasn’t wearing a nametag.

                They took the elevator down to the ground level. “Ok…so you know who I am…”

                “Anyone who doesn’t recognize Roy Hunter needs a mental examination.” She smiled at him. “You’re the child of two admirals, what do you expect?”

                He thought. “They weren’t always admirals. So, what’s your name?”

                “Amethyst.” She replied, brushing back one of the long bangs behind her ear. “A pleasure to meet you Lieutenant.”

                “And you’re stationed aboard the SDF-4?” He asked, shaking her proffered hand.

                She nodded, “Most definitely.” Roy noted the sated satisfaction in her voice. The elevator stopped. “Ok, now point me to the Duty Officer and I’m outta here.”

                Roy laughed mentally. “Right over there.”

                Amethyst started off. “Thank you Lieutenant.” She called over her shoulder.

                “Thank you Commander.” He said as he watched her go.

  * * * * * * *

                Rick and Lisa were having dinner, he was going over the lists of pilots that would be accompanying her. “McCalister finally got another real position. The Commander should be pleased…Neon squadron, not bad…Should be good…” His breath stopped and Lisa held her breath. “There’s a typo here.” Rick laughed. “Roy isn’t going to fly with the SDF-4.”

                “Yes, he is Rick.”

                Rick looked at her, half afraid. “Oh my god.”

                The two of them sat in silence for a while, and then Lisa said, “He wanted to follow in your footsteps…and Roy’s. He wanted to make you proud.”

                “He wanted to get away from earth.” Rick said mutedly.

                Lisa waited.

                “He loves to fly as much as I do…as Roy did…I know why he’s doing it. But I am not pleased.”

                Lisa bit her lip. “Talk to him Rick…he’s a smart kid, he…”

                Rick looked at her, and she stopped talking. “He is just like Roy.”

September 2056

                A month into the two month leave and Commander Amethyst McCalister was sleeping in for once, having informed Officer Lynn-Smith the previous day, when there was an eruption in the next room. Amethyst pulled a pillow over her head and imagined that it was the gravity generators like back on her Optera tour.

  * * * * * * *

                Roy had known this was coming, he had only wondered when his father would blow up at him. Rick was a quiet man, usually, but this was something he had problems with. “I knew you loved to fly, I understand why you wanted to go, but NOW!”

                Roy listened in silence as his wiry father paced back and forth.

                “Just tell me why it had to be the SDF-4. There are other space operations…closer, safer.”

                Rick and Roy met gazes. “I want to protect mom.”

                Rick stopped and sighed. “Yes, I see.” Rick resigned himself to his disapproval and patted his son on the back. Roy knew all of this though, before Rick had started to speak. It would be a long time before Rick and Roy would see exactly eye to eye, it had been a long time since they had. Rick was against the principal of fighting after all these years, though he could see the reasons for it. Rick had accepted the military with his wife, and would now have to accept it with his son. “I take it you don’t want to go race today then?” His voice was wistful, and sounded old and tired.

                “I can’t dad…I’ve got a debriefing this afternoon that I can’t miss. Its for those of us that haven’t been to space at all.”

                “That isn’t required son.”

                “But I would rather be as prepared as possible.”

                “I can see why. That is the smart way. You should enjoy the speaker. I will see you on tonight for dinner then.”

                “Yes dad.”

                Rick left, determinedly glum, but not angry. The door slid shut behind him.

 * * * * * * *

                Commander McCalister was awoken a second time by an insistent phone ringing in her ear. “Commander McCalister?”

                “Yes?” She asked groggily.

                “You are required to report for duty in twenty minutes.”

                “Huh? I’m on leave.”

                “Active leave commander…report to the duty station in fifteen minutes.”

                The Commander said, “Yes sir.” And hung up, punching her pillow. She screamed.

  * * * * * * *

                Roy heard the scream next door, but chose not to disturb his neighbor. She didn’t like mornings when she was off duty, he had found, and could be rather snippy. He heard a pillow thrown and couldn’t help but laugh. Somehow, thinking of her always made him smile, and he hardly knew more than her first name…and that she was a commander.

  * * * * * * *               

                “Commander McCalister, thank you for being prompt, we realize you had applied for a late call today but we need you to give a lecture on deep space piloting.”

                Amethyst rubbed her eyes. “You what?” She was totally keyed down and accepting but incredulous.

                “Captain Lawrence, who was scheduled to give the lecture is currently indisposed. He is ill today and we need someone to fill in.”

                McCalister knew Lawrence, he was a vet from the last war, and she nodded. “Am I qualified?”

                “Yes…you will be speaking to pilots who have never been in space before. It is not required, it is informal. It will go down as overtime for you Commander,” Duty Officer Lynn-Smith said to her.

                “So in other words, I wasn’t even the first second choice?”

                Lynn-Smith smiled. “The other war vets aren’t called to base yet…or they left earlier this morning for leave. Besides, I figured someone like you would like the chance.”

                “Thank you sir.” She said, saluting and leaving.

 * * * * * * *

                Roy checked his watch and jogged down the corridor, he was almost late thanks to his mother, and he could never tell Captain Lawrence that the Admiral had wanted a goodbye hug before she would let him go. He caught the room just as the others took their seats.

                “I heard Lawrence is sick, and that we have a substitute.” The whispers ran on. “Some Commander…” Roy smiled, thinking of his neighbor, Amethyst. And then the room hushed as the speaker entered.

  * * * * * * *

                The door portal slid shut behind the Commander, and she entered with a dignified stride, carrying her briefcase up to the front of the room. The screen behind her began to glow and the bells chimed in their ears. “In lieu of Captain Lawrence, who is indisposed, Lieutenant Commander Amethyst McCalister will be giving today’s lecture on deep space aerodynamics. Commander McCalister spent two consecutive terms flying with the Defense Squadrons in the Optera sector. Please give Commander McCalister your full attention.”

                “Wow, someone remind me to get a copy of that opening for when we’re up against the bureaucrats.” The pilots laughed.

                Roy was knocked for a loop. He had thought she was a bridge officer with that rank.

                “I will thank those of you stunned that I am giving this lecture to remember Miriya Parino Sterling.” Several of the gawkers stopped. “Thank you.” She addressed the computer, “First slide please.” Several laughs came when it was a picture of a sunset over water.

                “No laughs please, this is a presentation. This is your usual flight zone, yes? Horizon, know your up from your down?” Nods all around. “Well…second slide…this is space.” There was a complex diagram of multi-axes on the screen. “Welcome to the one place that up is down and down is up. You better not eat a big meal before you go because the only force of gravity will be the g-force pressing you into your seat pad…”

 * * * * * * *

                The meeting finished, Commander McCalister drew up the lights and nodded. The class stood and saluted, each with a new appreciation for flying, and many with a new respect for her. One of those was Roy Hunter. Amethyst returned the salute and exited the class with her briefcase.

                Amethyst walked down the hallway, hearing the class exiting behind her, and then she heard, “Commander, Commander!”

                She turned and saw one of the female pilots rushing towards her, in her heels no less. “Yes Lieutenant?”

                “I have a few questions…”

                Roy watched her walk off with Lieutenant Edwards and looked at his watch. He nearly cried as he dashed past the commander, very indecorously, late for the train that would take him to his parents’ home on the outskirts of the city. He made it, after signing out quickly, but not without a scathing glance from Commander McCalister as he nearly knocked her over.

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