Conversations


© 2018 by Walter Reimer



Lieutenant Bor returned the salute, and the ferret stood by impassively as the palomino mare verified her identity by retinal and DNA scans. While this was going on, her bag was being thoroughly scanned. “Welcome back, Lieutenant,” the ferret said after the computer confirmed that she was who she said she was. “You are expected at the Captain’s office immediately.”

Meredith blinked, her ears swiveling. “What, now? But I thought I’d – “ her voice trailed off at the stony expression on Bor’s muzzle and the small, tight smile on the face of the Security rating standing nearby. The whitetail doe was wearing assault armor, minus her helmet, and although she was maybe a centimeter shorter than the mare, she looked formidable. “Ah. Yes, Lieutenant,” and she scooped up her satchel. “I’ll head directly to the Captain’s office.”

“Good.” The ferret had already started ignoring her, gazing fixedly at the way she’d come as she headed forward and deeper into the ship.

She could still feel the doe’s eyes on the back of her neck, until she was two decks above the personnel lock and a hundred meters forward.

“Merry!” the Captain’s yeoman said happily as the mare entered his office. The borzoi added, “He’s waiting for you. Has your bag been scanned?”

Meredith rolled her eyes. “Janusz was the OOD. I’m surprised he didn’t put a paw up my rear and look down my throat. How have you been, Xiao?”

The canine waggled a paw and winked as the mare knocked on the office door. “Come,” came the reply, and Meredith opened the door and walked in.

“Lieutenant d’Estcourt, Sir,” and she held the salute until the Shiba Inu returned it and waved her to a chair. While she got comfortable, he continued to study something on the desktop monitor.

He finally sat back and looked across the desk at her. “Welcome back, d’Estcourt. You’ve been missed.” He glanced at the monitor, and therefore missed her skeptical look. “Shortly before we docked here, I received a file from your commander on the Imperial ship. It’s your evaluation.” Another glance. “Captain k’Jen says that you learn quickly, including their language and customs – and are certified as a piloting officer and weapons officer. Hidden depths, it seems.”

“Permission to speak, Sir?” He inclined his head, and the palomino said, “I had received two certifications in Threat Analysis and Warp Propulsion here before transferring to the Kith. And I had to learn the language.”

“’Had to?’”

“Yes, Sir. The translator has some limitations.” True, as far as it went.

“You’ll write a report on it for me. I’ll send it forward to see if it can be improved.” The canine scratched one of his ears. “Captain k’Jen adds that, if the officer exchange program resumes after the Empire deals with their problem, he’d be pleased to have you aboard his ship again. I have already conveyed thanks to him on your behalf.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Kodai leaned forward, his expression softening slightly. “Relax, Lieutenant. You’ve done very well, and you’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Sorry, Sir.” Relaxing took a bit of effort, and it had taken her a moment to finally figure it out. The lighting was too bright, the gravity too heavy and the air was filled with scents that the scrubbers couldn’t entirely remove. “I understand the need for security, of course, but it felt like I was being charged with something.”

An easy grin from the canine. “Yes, I can understand that feeling.” He stood and held out his paw as she got to her hooves. They shook paws and Kodai said, “We’ll be undocking, so get back to your quarters, unpack, and relax. I expect you to be on duty in two days; check with Xiao to see what shift you’ll be on.”

“Two days, Sir?”

“You need to re-acclimate yourself, and get a physical. Dismissed, Lieutenant.” An exchange of salutes, and Meredith left the office.

Kodai’s smile fled as soon as the door closed.

Xiao gave her the bag containing her belongings and asked, “Do I need to call Security?” The grin betrayed the fact he was joking.

She gave him an obscene gesture and took the bag. “I have to get a physical scheduled, and get settled in. What shift will I be on?”

“You’ll be on the mid-shift bridge crew.” He grinned again. “Still recall where it is?” She rolled her eyes at him and left the room, headed for her quarters one deck up and on the other side of the cruiser’s centerline.

The cabin was as clean as the day she’d left it, and she spent a few minutes putting things away and taking a shower. After shouldering into a duty jumpsuit she sat down at her desk. The monitor came to life immediately, a sidebar illustrating the fact that the ship had left the station and was now returning to its patrol pattern. The Mixcoatl and her escorts were starting their own patrol, and she thought for a moment before touching the code for the infirmary to schedule a full return-to-duty physical examination.

The trip to the nearest mess hall for something to eat helped immerse her further into what were the sights, sounds and smells of home. There were a lot more menu items available as well, and the palomino mare’s stomach growled as soon as she entered. Thankfully, though, the greetings of her friends and crewmates served to drown out the sound.

She was midway through a very tasty and fresh salad when Nkosazana took a seat opposite her. The Cape hunting dog smiled at the mare as he said, “So, back among friends, huh?”

Meredith shrugged with a nonchalance she didn’t feel. “Varan’s a friend, Nik, and she might be getting involved in a war.”

Nik waved a paw. “The Empire hasn’t lasted as long as it has without being able to stomp anyone who stood in their way. You’ll see.” Meredith nodded, taking a pull at her glass of fruit juice, and the canine took a large bite of his roasted chicken. “Still,” he said with his mouth full, “you must be happy to be back.”

“I am.” She speared another forkful of salad and chewed thoughtfully.

In her quarters after her meal, the mare opened her copy of the game and studied the landscape around the ‘Hentai Emperor.’ There didn’t seem to be any way past it to get to the next level, meaning that it had to be beaten somehow. Maybe the camel might be of some assistance, she mused, and she yawned. Well, it had been a stressful day.

Anticipating that thinking of Varan would keep her up, Meredith took another shower, got a glass of warm milk and a small plate of cookies, and settled down to read one of her favorite books (Althea Richter’s Dream of the Flame) before going to bed.

She fell asleep on the couch partway through the first chapter.

“Lieutenant? Lieutenant d’Estcourt?”

Meredith slowly awakened, blinking up at the lights overhead. She squirmed and stretched – or tried to; she came fully awake when she realized that she was seated in a comfortably-padded lounge chair, and strapped to the chair at her wrists, ankles and waist. Apart from the lights directly over her, the room was almost impenetrably dark. “Wha – who - ?”

“You may call me Vicar,” the voice said. Male, not old, and she couldn’t tell from the voice or the air in the room what species he might be. She willed herself to relax as she realized what was happening.

“Good. You have decided not to waste your energy,” Vicar (was it a name, or a title?) said. “You probably knew that this would happen, didn’t you?”

She wet her lips with her tongue, glancing down and noting that she was still in her pajamas. “Yes, Sir, But – “

“Yes?”

“But I thought I’d simply be ordered to a conference room.”

The voice sounded amused. “While it may appear melodramatic, spiriting you out of your room ensures that you are unable to set up any defenses to my questions. Of course, you do not have a cybernetics connection, so I cannot simply access your brain. So, I ask questions, you answer them.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Good. Let’s begin.”