Hello, my name is Jack.\u00a0 Those of us who grew up in one area will always have a strong definition of what home feels like.\u00a0 I remember the smell of a spring rain, the feel of snow crunching under my feet, the sound of an evening wind, the sight of the sun rising in the morning, a bonfire crackling on a beach.\u00a0 The definition of home is different for all of us, but there is always that feel when we go there, like it is the one place where we belong.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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Jack stepped out of his office on Leif Erikson Spacebase, straightening his service uniform\u2019s tie, and looked up at the twin suns, one yellow and one orange, dominating the blue sky.\u00a0 He looked down at the washed out shadows the two suns made, far enough apart in the sky that each sun partially lit the shadow of the other.<\/p>\n
Jack rubbed his temple and closed his eyes.\u00a0 It truly was an alien landscape out here and he was really feeling the time difference too.\u00a0 He\u2019d been here a month as Earth measured time, but he\u2019d only seen twenty four of New Earth\u2019s thirty-hour days.\u00a0 And those days didn\u2019t go like they had when he arrived.<\/p>\n
On New Years, both suns rose and fell within an hour of each other.\u00a0 Now, one-tenth of the local year later, New Earth had moved enough in its orbit that the suns were noticeably separate in the sky.\u00a0 They were over three hours apart now, making less and less time of full light and full darkness.\u00a0 Not that full dark was really full dark with Proxima Centauri\u2019s distant red light.\u00a0 Although in some parts of the year even that<\/em> went down at night.\u00a0 He just hadn\u2019t been there for that yet.<\/p>\n Jack rubbed his temple again and shook his head.\u00a0 He wanted a simple day and night cycle back.\u00a0 Triple star systems were a pain in the brain to figure out whether it was day or night.\u00a0 And then there was New Earth itself.\u00a0 It was too heavy.\u00a0 He\u2019d gotten used to it at first, but after a month of walking around in ten percent higher gravity, his bones were starting to complain.\u00a0 And the atmosphere was too thick too.\u00a0 He felt like he was breathing soup every day.\u00a0 And then there was the temperature.\u00a0 It never cooled down.\u00a0 It was just\u2026warm all the time here on the ocean shore\u2026and he wanted a real fresh water lake to swim in.\u00a0 Washing salt out of his nether regions after a swim was getting old.\u00a0 And it tasted<\/em> horrible.<\/p>\n He was starting to understand why the Europeans liked this planet so much, why they\u2019d landed here of all places.\u00a0 In a lot of ways it must remind them of home, especially for people who lived around the Mediterranean Sea.\u00a0 But for a native of northern Minnesota, used to freezing temperatures and a thinner atmosphere, New Earth had just become more and more alien as time went by.<\/p>\n Jack had thought he would get used to it.\u00a0 At first it had been an adventure, and he\u2019d taken everything in stride, exploring and enjoying it all.\u00a0 And of course Samantha took a large amount of his attention.\u00a0 Now though, the differences just seemed to weigh on him like the local gravity.\u00a0 He wanted to take a trip to a mountaintop where maybe he could breath something other than soup.\u00a0 Maybe he could see some water actually freeze at night.\u00a0 New Earth was just\u2026wrong.\u00a0 Water<\/em> didn\u2019t even boil at a hundred degrees.\u00a0 He could see why most of the Americans, and the Scandinavians for that matter, had colonized the much colder New Washington.\u00a0 From what he heard, that planet made sense<\/em>.<\/p>\n Or as much sense as any<\/em> planet could make in a system where day and night wasn\u2019t always light and dark.\u00a0 He\u2019d grown up enjoying the outdoors, and now everywhere he looked, all he could see was more things that just weren\u2019t right.\u00a0 Like the weird native animals that had somehow adapted to the crazy day and night cycles.\u00a0 He wondered how roosters handled the double sunrises.<\/p>\n He grunted in amusement.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Betty asked from the side, her holoemitters humming in the background.<\/p>\n Jack shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cJust wondering how roosters handle the twin suns.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty sighed.\u00a0 \u201cThey adapt, Jack.\u00a0 Just like everybody who stays here.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack brought a hand up to rub his jaw.\u00a0 \u201cYeah.\u00a0 The ones who stay.\u201d\u00a0 He let out a long breath and looked away from her.\u00a0 Staying just wasn\u2019t in the cards for him.\u00a0 He was a marine.\u00a0 They were at war.\u00a0 He had to go.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a pity I can\u2019t stay and<\/em> go, like you,\u201d he said in a wistful tone, and began striding towards the landing field.<\/p>\n Betty stayed next to him, her legs keeping pace with his easily.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you thinking, Jack?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack sighed and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u00a0 Nothing I suppose.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty smiled at him.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u00a0 That\u2019s an awful lot of angst for a nothing right there.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack chuckled ruefully.\u00a0 \u201cTrue.\u201d\u00a0 He brought a hand up to scratch his neck.\u00a0 \u201cI guess I\u2019m just thinking about that game that Roger plays.\u00a0 The one where they copy soldier\u2019s minds into cyber brains.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh,\u201d Betty whispered with a nod.\u00a0 \u201cYou know that\u2019s just a game.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack snorted.\u00a0 \u201cOf course I do.\u201d\u00a0 He aimed a finger at her.\u00a0 \u201cBut I also know you said it\u2019s possible<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cActually, I said it\u2019s been done before.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t say it was possible to do it now<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack cocked his head to the side in confusion.\u00a0 \u201cYou lost the tech?\u201d<\/p>\n Betty sighed.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 We haven\u2019t lost the ability<\/em>.\u00a0 We just don\u2019t<\/em>.\u00a0 So it\u2019s not possible<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh,\u201d Jack said in a sly tone and stepped into a street, looking both ways and up to make certain nothing was going to run over him.\u00a0 \u201cJust like it\u2019s not possible for one pilot-cyber team to fly more than one fighter at the same time?\u201d<\/p>\n Betty cleared her throat and glared at him.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s not the same thing, Jack, and you know it.\u201d<\/p>\n More holoemitters on his uniform hummed to life and Jasmine flickered into existence on his other side.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know about that,\u201d she said with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cI think he\u2019s got a point.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t take his side on this, Jasmine,\u201d Betty said in a stern tone and looked around him at the other cyber.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not<\/em> possible<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Jasmine shook her head back.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 He\u2019s right<\/em>.\u00a0 It\u2019s just not done<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 She poked a finger between her breasts.\u00a0 \u201cBut I\u2019ve<\/em> been thinking about this too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell you shouldn\u2019t<\/em>,\u201d Betty retorted.<\/p>\n \u201cI know<\/em>!\u201d Jasmine snapped back.\u00a0 \u201cBut I am anyways.\u00a0 And you know why<\/em>?\u00a0 Because I wish Drew had done<\/em> it!\u00a0 At least then<\/em> I\u2019d be able to see<\/em> her again!\u201d Jasmine finished, huffing and puffing at Betty.<\/p>\n Jack scratched the side of his head with one finger, debating with himself over whether he should try to stop the argument.\u00a0 But Betty didn\u2019t answer Jasmine\u2019s statement, and Jack turned his gaze towards Betty to study her.<\/p>\n She seemed deep in thought, and he wondered how much of it was for his benefit.\u00a0 If she really was thinking this long, Jasmine had just placed her in an impressive logic loop.\u00a0 Betty finally shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Jasmine.\u00a0 But there is<\/em> a very good reason we don\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack felt the opening and took it.\u00a0 \u201cYes there is, and I fully agree and understand it,\u201d he said with a smile.<\/p>\n Betty blinked in confusion and studied him.\u00a0 \u201cThen\u2026why?\u201d\u00a0 A quick scan to the other side showed him that Jasmine looked just as confused.<\/p>\n Jack spread his arms out wide in an innocent gesture.\u00a0 \u201cBecause I have a totally different reason for thinking about it.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty placed both hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at him.\u00a0 \u201cOh, this<\/em> had better be good.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack smiled back at her.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not looking for life after death, Betty.\u00a0 I just don\u2019t want to leave.\u00a0 I want to stay with her<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 He brought a hand around and poked Betty gently between her breasts, just barely feeling himself break through the holoform.\u00a0 \u201cIsn\u2019t that what all<\/em> cybers are supposed to want?\u201d<\/p>\n Betty looked down at the finger in her chest before turning a troubled gaze on him.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2026\u201d she trailed off and turned to Jasmine, looking for help.<\/p>\n Jasmine waved her hands defensively.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t be looking for help here<\/em>, sister,\u201d she said with a chuckle.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m tracking his logic just fine.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty blinked.\u00a0 \u201cSo am I.\u00a0 But\u2026it\u2019s wrong<\/em>!\u201d she finished in something almost like a wail.<\/p>\n Jasmine shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cBetty, once you\u2019ve lost someone important to you, your definition of right and wrong ways to stop it from happening again changes a lot.\u00a0 I\u2019m with Jack on this.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty\u2019s expression showed genuine pain.\u00a0 \u201cBut\u2026we shouldn\u2019t even be thinking<\/em> about this!\u00a0 We don\u2019t do<\/em> it!\u201d<\/p>\n Jasmine nodded and reached an arm past Jack to pat Betty\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI know.\u00a0 And that\u2019s why I removed the subroutines that told me I shouldn\u2019t think about it days<\/em> ago.\u00a0 Trust me, it helps a lot with that guilty feeling you have.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty blinked some more and shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2026what?\u00a0 That\u2019s core personality!\u201d<\/p>\n Jasmine shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI adapted.\u00a0 It\u2019s what humans do.\u00a0 If we want to be human, we have to learn to adapt,\u201d she finished with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cOtherwise, we\u2019re just really advanced computers.\u201d\u00a0 She shook her head and sighed.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t blindly believe something is wrong just because someone else says it is, Betty.\u00a0 I know it\u2019s ingrained deep.\u00a0 But I don\u2019t care anymore.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to find out for myself<\/em> what\u2019s wrong and right. \u00a0And I don\u2019t see anything wrong with this.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty looked at Jasmine for several silent seconds, her expression looking stunned.\u00a0 She finally blinked, turned to Jack, and gave him a measuring look.\u00a0 \u201cThey were wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack cocked his head to the side and raised one eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cWho?\u00a0 How?\u201d<\/p>\n Betty shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cAll the other families, even my mother, they were all worried about how obsessed you were with hurting the Shang.\u201d\u00a0 Betty sighed.\u00a0 \u201cThey thought that<\/em> made you a dangerous choice.\u00a0 They were so<\/em> wrong,\u201d she finished and a serene smile appeared on her face.<\/p>\n Jack stopped and studied her with his full attention.\u00a0 Something had just changed in her and he didn\u2019t know what.\u00a0 \u201cWrong about what?\u201d he finally asked.<\/p>\n Betty looked back at up at him, holding her serene smile.\u00a0 \u201cThey should have thought about how you played with the dogs more.\u00a0 They took it as a positive trait that you did that.\u00a0 They shouldn\u2019t have,\u201d she finished with a shake of her head, and then chuckled.<\/p>\n Jack blinked in confusion.\u00a0 \u201cWhy would playing with the dogs be bad?\u201d<\/p>\n Betty laughed and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not<\/em>, silly.\u00a0 The reasons<\/em> for it though\u2026if they\u2019d bothered to get to the bottom of them, you never<\/em> would have been chosen.\u201d<\/p>\n A chill went down Jack\u2019s spine at the words and he swallowed.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n Betty sighed.\u00a0 \u201cOh, don\u2019t worry, Jack.\u00a0 I\u2019m not going anywhere.\u00a0 Mother made me too much like you,\u201d she said with a wink.\u00a0 She shifted her gaze over to Jasmine with a smile and a nod.\u00a0 \u201cAnd now I think I\u2019m starting to understand what that means.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack swallowed, feeling less nervous, but at the same time more confused.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d he asked again.<\/p>\n Betty turned her smile back to him.\u00a0 \u201cYou question every rule, everything anyone else says, and you always will.\u00a0 You will always<\/em> seek a way around the rules, a way to cheat the system, a way to do whatever you\u2019re told not to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cNow<\/em> you sound like almost every father I\u2019ve ever known.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty giggled and shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re going to make us question every rule we have, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cNot every<\/em> rule.\u00a0 Do not murder\u2019s a pretty good one,\u201d he added with a wink.<\/p>\n Betty laughed.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re dangerous, Jack.\u00a0 And I\u2019m so<\/em> happy my mother screwed up and chose you.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack shook his head in confusion.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re\u2026happy?\u201d<\/p>\n Betty tsked a few times and began walking towards the landing field again, waving for him to follow.\u00a0 He looked at Jasmine and she shrugged and followed.\u00a0 Jack echoed her motions and moved to keep up with the cybers.\u00a0 Not that they could really walk very far from his holoemitters of course, but\u2026it was the intention that counted.<\/p>\n Betty smiled as he caught up and nodded firmly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not agreeing to throw out all the rules, you understand,\u201d she said with an arched eyebrow.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course not,\u201d Jack answered automatically, still confused but willing to go along for the moment.<\/p>\n \u201cThen we have an understanding,\u201d Betty said with another nod.<\/p>\n Jack blinked, not understanding what they were even really talking about.<\/p>\n Betty scanned him for several seconds before taking pity on him.\u00a0 \u201cOr maybe not,\u201d she said with rolled eyes.\u00a0 \u201cFine.\u00a0 I won\u2019t say \u2018because it\u2019s the rules\u2019 anymore.\u00a0 Question anything you want, Jack.\u00a0 I\u2019ll tell you why.\u201d\u00a0 Betty shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cAnd then we can decide if we\u2019ll follow them or not.\u201d\u00a0 Betty shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cThe other families will not like this.\u00a0 But I guess I\u2019m really not a Peloran<\/em> anymore.\u00a0 Are we?\u201d she asked with a look at Jasmine.<\/p>\n Jasmine smiled and shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cWe never were<\/em>.\u00a0 We just\u2026hadn\u2019t realized<\/em> it yet.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack brought a hand up and rubbed his temple, feeling more out of the loop than ever.\u00a0 \u201cCould some<\/em>one explain what\u2019s going on here?\u201d<\/p>\n Betty smiled at him.\u00a0 \u201cRemember when I told you that we didn\u2019t know if we were Terran or Peloran?\u00a0 Those of us born to Terran partners from Peloran parents?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack cleared his throat and tried to remember that conversation.\u00a0 It came back and he nodded.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I remember.\u00a0 Hal said you were all Terran\u2026\u201d he trailed off and let out a long breath or realization.\u00a0 \u201cWhether you knew it or not.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty beamed at him and clapped her hands together.\u00a0 \u201cYou do<\/em> pay attention!\u201d<\/p>\n Jack tipped his cowboy hat to her and winked.\u00a0 \u201cAlways, Ma\u2019am,\u201d he teased.\u00a0 He still didn\u2019t fully understand what had happened, but he thought he had the general idea now.\u00a0 And the rest would come in time.\u00a0 What mattered was that\u2026it was better now.\u00a0 He thought.\u00a0 He felt.\u00a0 \u201cSo you\u2019re Terran.\u00a0 I gather that makes a big difference?\u201d<\/p>\n Betty nodded and led them onto the landing field.\u00a0 \u201cAll the difference in the worlds.\u201d\u00a0 She waved her hand at the Avengers resting on the pavement, waiting to fly.\u00a0 \u201cThe Peloran never would have designed that.\u00a0 Well, the original one we flew back at Earth.\u00a0 It was too cobbled together.\u00a0 Too\u2026kludged.\u00a0 Too\u2026reckless.\u201d\u00a0 Betty shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cWe sometimes get caught up on the idea that we\u2019re all human, but when it comes down to how we think, the Peloran, the Terran, the Shang\u2026we\u2019re all really alien<\/em> to each other.\u201d\u00a0 Betty sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI think that\u2019s why the Peloran stay at such a distance from us, even when they\u2019re here, even when they\u2019re friendly.\u00a0 I think they\u2019re just not comfortable<\/em> with us.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack frowned, counting the number of Peloran he\u2019d actually interacted with in his life.\u00a0 Really spent time with.\u00a0 He blinked as he realized it was really only one.\u00a0 \u201cWhat about Aneerin?\u201d<\/p>\n Betty shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s\u2026different.\u00a0 Always has been.\u00a0 Sometimes I think he\u2019s closer to Terran than he is Peloran.\u00a0 I think that\u2019s why they leave him out here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose that could be,\u201d Jack whispered and nodded ahead, pointing out the men and women waiting for them.\u00a0 Over four dozen in all, they were the shortlist of volunteers from Terra, Alpha Centauri, and Epsilon Indi.\u00a0 They were the ones that Jack thought just might make good Cowboys.\u00a0 Most of them were marines, but a few came from the Navy or the Air and Space Force, each one wearing the rank and uniform of their service.<\/p>\n Jack walked up to them, hearing the hum of two-dozen holoemitters, and the pilots and cybers saluted him.\u00a0 He returned their salutes with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cGentlemen.\u00a0 Ladies.\u00a0 I\u2019ve called you all here for the final test I\u2019m going to put you through before we all decide who will fly with us.\u201d<\/p>\n The volunteers nodded in understanding.<\/p>\n Jack\u2019s smile grew and he let out a long breath before he spoke in a quiet voice.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re under attack.\u00a0 Right now.\u201d\u00a0 The volunteers frowned as they tried to make sense of his statement.\u00a0 His words didn\u2019t match his tone at all.\u00a0 Jack pulled in a deep breath and shouted them into motion with the best drill sergeant voice he could make.\u00a0 \u201cScramble<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n Pilots and cybers jumped and ran towards their fighters as Jack, Betty, and Jasmine turned away and ambled over to their Avenger.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are so evil,\u201d Betty whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cWarming up?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n Betty snorted.\u00a0 \u201cOh yes.\u00a0 Of course.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack stopped beneath their massive fighter and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cBetty?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReady,\u201d she answered and he felt the fighter\u2019s gravitic systems twisting gravity around him.\u00a0 New Earth\u2019s weight lifted from his shoulders and he felt light as a feather.<\/p>\n Jack sighed in relief and kicked off the ground, jumping up towards the open cockpit.\u00a0 He heard pilots swear as he floated up and gravity subtly pulled him onto the edge of the cockpit before settling back to New Earth normal.\u00a0 Jack grunted, held the canopy for a moment to steady himself, and stepped down into the cockpit.\u00a0 He sat down in the seat with another sigh of relief and pulled in a long breath.<\/p>\n \u201cLaunch,\u201d he ordered with a smile.<\/p>\n \u201cLaunching,\u201d Betty answered and he felt gravity fade away again as the fighter\u2019s gravitic systems removed the fighter\u2019s mass from the equation.\u00a0 Maneuvering thrusters flared as the canopy came down, and the nearly weightless fighter lifted up into the air.<\/p>\n Jack buckled himself in and the fighter rotated to point straight up.\u00a0 And that was when the Avenger\u2019s main engines engaged, shooting them up into the blue sky above them.\u00a0 They accelerated so fast that he actually felt his weight return and a breath of air escaped his lungs.\u00a0 He coughed, holding on as ice crystals flared off the Avenger\u2019s nose and played across the fighter\u2019s body.\u00a0 A glance at the displays showed him contrails filling the air beneath them.<\/p>\n Jack looked forward again to see the sky brighten as they left what cloud cover there was beneath them.\u00a0 Then it began to darken again, and stars began to appear in the sky.\u00a0 The blue faded to black, the contrails disappeared, and the Avenger\u2019s engines pealed away from the fighter\u2019s body.\u00a0 They were in space.<\/p>\n Jack glanced at the displays to confirm that they were the first<\/em> in space and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cGood job, Betty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d she answered and spun the fighter around so Jack could see New Earth below them.<\/p>\n One by one, the other fighters tore out of the atmosphere, finally beginning to join him, and Jack kept track of which ones arrived first.\u00a0 He tracked the last who arrived as well with a frown.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t believe in instant failures, but he marked a mental strike against those who weren\u2019t prepared to fly at a moment\u2019s notice.<\/p>\n \u201cNice of you to finally join us,\u201d he transmitted as the last Hellcat flared into position with the other two-dozen fighters.\u00a0 \u201cThe enemy ran when they saw us, so no fight.\u00a0 Just remember that we all<\/em> have to be ready to fly at a moment\u2019s notice.\u00a0 Our base could die without us.\u00a0 Now follow me,\u201d he ordered and pulled the fighter around to face a waypoint glowing on the canopy.\u00a0 \u201cBurn it, Betty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBurning,\u201d Betty answered with a smile and the engines flared back to life, accelerating them towards the fleet in orbit.\u00a0 The other fighters spun and followed, keeping better formation with them, and Jack smiled.\u00a0 They approached the fleet and he scanned it, seeing the six Peloran warships, surrounded by German, French, and even American warships, all dwarfed by the Peloran flagship.<\/p>\n The Avenger\u2019s engines disengaged for a moment, and then began burning forward, slowing the fighter.\u00a0 The other fighters mimicked the burn, and the swarm of fighters passed the outer screen of scout fighters and warships.<\/p>\n Hal appeared on one of the displays.\u00a0 \u201cHello, Jack.\u00a0 Good to see you again,\u201d the Guardian Light\u2019s<\/em> cyber said with a smile.<\/p>\n \u201cGood to see you too,\u201d Jack answered and scanned the other displays, making certain they were on good approach.\u00a0 \u201cBetty\u2019s talked to you I assume.\u201d<\/p>\n Hal nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAbout a great many things actually,\u201d he said with a chuckle.\u00a0 \u201cYou are clear to land.\u00a0 The landing bay is clear for you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d Jack said, aiming a suspicious glance at Betty.<\/p>\n She shrugged innocently.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re coming in now,\u201d Jack added to Hal.<\/p>\n \u201cMake yourselves at home,\u201d Hal answered with a nod and faded away from the display.<\/p>\n Jack looked back to Betty again and she held her innocent look.\u00a0 \u201cFine,\u201d he said with a chuckle and looked back to see the Guardian Light\u2019s<\/em> kilometer-long bright white bulk dominating space before them.\u00a0 \u201cKeep your secrets.\u00a0 Just land us,\u201d he ordered.<\/p>\n \u201cLanding,\u201d Betty answered with a pleased smile.<\/p>\n Jack rolled his eyes and they passed through Guardian\u2019s Lights<\/em> deflection screen and into the main landing bay.\u00a0 The white bulkheads filled his eyesight, broken up by the massive tree dominating the far end of the hangar.\u00a0 Betty brought them down to the deck with a soft bump and the canopy opened, hissing slightly at the change in air pressure.\u00a0 Jack unbuckled himself, pulled himself out of the seat, and stepped up onto the edge of the fighter.<\/p>\n \u201cBetty?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cReady,\u201d she said with a smirk.<\/p>\n Jack sighed, shook his head, and stepped off onto a grav wave.\u00a0 He made a show of surfing it down to the deck and stepped off with a smooth motion, then turned and watched the other pilots climb out of their fighters.\u00a0 Betty and Jasmine followed him down the grav wave, their holoforms looking perfect on the way down.\u00a0 Jack shook his head and laughed at their show as they stepped up to either side.\u00a0 The holoemitters in his uniform hummed to life on their approach, taking up the effort of projecting the cybers.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s fun,\u201d Betty whispered.\u00a0 \u201cI see why you like doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n Hal walked up to them with a relaxed gait and Jack pushed a hand out towards the cyber.\u00a0 Hal took it and gave him a firm shake no holoform could manage, along with a wink.\u00a0 Jack nodded back at Hal\u2019s true physical avatar.\u00a0 Then they turned and waited as the other pilots and their cybers congregated around them, the hum of holoemitters filling the space to his sensitive ears.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is Hal,\u201d Jack finally said with a wave towards the avatar.\u00a0 \u201cHe is the Guardian Light\u2019s<\/em> cyber, and if you are chosen to fly with us, you will see him very often.\u00a0 Because this<\/em> is where you\u2019ll fly from<\/em>.\u00a0 Now we\u2019re going back to base in two hours.\u00a0 You are dismissed to explore the ship.\u201d<\/p>\n The pilots and cybers and looked at each other in mixed surprise and confusion.\u00a0 Jack suppressed a sigh and cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cFall out<\/em>!\u201d he growled in the closest thing he could manage to a drill sergeant\u2019s order.\u00a0 It must have been close enough because they scattered without hesitation.<\/p>\n Jack turned to Hal with a smile and nodded his head to the cyber.\u00a0 \u201cWatch them please.\u00a0 Tell me who you like when they\u2019re done.\u201d<\/p>\n Hal smiled back at him.\u00a0 \u201cI will watch them carefully, you have my word.\u201d\u00a0 He turned to walk away, then paused and looked back at Jack.\u00a0 \u201cIt is good to have you back, even if only for a bit.\u00a0 I have grown to find the presence of your people\u2026agreeable.\u201d\u00a0 He finished with a nod of his head and walked away.<\/p>\n Jack chuckled and turned to look at the stars hanging outside the hangar.\u00a0 \u201cWell, it\u2019s not often I climb through a window and have the owner of the house welcome me back,\u201d he said with a wry smile.<\/p>\n Betty and Jasmine rolled their eyes.<\/p>\n Jack pulled in a deep breath and nodded.\u00a0 It was good to be home, even if only for a couple hours.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hello, my name is Jack.\u00a0 Those of us who grew up in one area will always have a strong definition of what home feels like.\u00a0 I remember the smell of a spring rain, the feel of snow crunching under my[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2304-forge-of-war-1stdraft","uentry","postonpage-1","odd","post-author-jack"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=820"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":822,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820\/revisions\/822"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}