Hello, my name is Jack.\u00a0 Some things need to be done.\u00a0 Some people don\u2019t like seeing things done.\u00a0 And some people just don\u2019t like being woke up at oh dark thirty to deal with the things done.\u00a0 They tend to make certain the doer never forgets the doing, whether it was done well or not.\u00a0 I used to think that wasn\u2019t fair.\u00a0 Then I realized that was life.\u00a0 Sometimes the pooch just finds you.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Jack scanned Leif Erikson Spacebase from atop the primary watchtower.\u00a0 Sergeant Jenkins, a man who looked older than dirt and twice as mean, wore glasses that magnified everything on command, much like the canopy of Jack\u2019s fighter, and looked out through the massive clear walls, scanning the packing taking place on the landing field.\u00a0 The spacebase was old, most of its buildings made of pre-Peloran technology.\u00a0 The clear walls were simply that, some kind of old flexible plastic or glass without any of the integrated computer functions that new construction had.\u00a0 Holoemitters inside the watchtower helped some, at least pointing out anything of interest, but it wasn\u2019t the same as a proper modern watch screen.<\/p>\n
It was amazing really, that the spacebase was nearly two centuries old.\u00a0 It had been the first American base built outside the Terran system, but it was almost an afterthought in the modern American navy.\u00a0 New Washington was where the navy worked out of now, while Leif Erikson Spacebase was little more than an historical outpost with a single reserve squadron still kept active because some sponsor in the government, probably a Senator, kept funding going to it.\u00a0 Of course, whoever did that was almost certainly dead now.\u00a0 Jack wondered if the spacebase would remain open after they left.\u00a0 Probably.\u00a0 It was a time of War after all.\u00a0 Nobody wanted to close military bases during War.\u00a0 But in this last month, the base had seen more activity than it had in the last century combined.<\/p>\n
Nearly three-dozen shuttles squatted over the landing field, ramps lowered to the ground on all sides, making them look for all the worlds like giant spiders at rest.\u00a0 Crates rolled up the ramps from trucks on the ground, like they did at every other spaceport on the planet.\u00a0 Fortunes worth of food, medicines, and even weapons filled the crates, gathered from all over New Earth to support the task force of nearly fifty Western Alliance warships supporting the Peloran.<\/p>\n
Even the Peloran needed some of them, replenishing stocks of animals and plants killed during the previous battles.\u00a0 There were also spare parts for the Cowboy fighters, food for the Cowboys themselves, and so much more that the others who were joining the squadron simply assumed were needed because the regs said they were needed.\u00a0 Jack understood.\u00a0 He really did.<\/p>\n
Two months ago, he\u2019d been in the same position, believing that he really did<\/em> need to bring the supplies the regs required with him, no matter what the Peloran told him.\u00a0 Now though, he understood the reality of what it meant to be on a ship designed to fly across the known galaxy without stopping to pick up food.\u00a0 The Peloran ships grew their own food, built their own spare parts, refueled by flying into gas giants, and used asteroid belts to replenish their metal reserves.<\/p>\n The Peloran could fly forever and never stop, unless they took heavy enough damage to require them to stop and repair.\u00a0 That of course had happened in the battles over Earth and New Earth.\u00a0 Despite that, the Peloran were taking on a very small amount of food and raw materials.\u00a0 The Guardian Light<\/em>, for a kilometer-long warship, had a very small crew.\u00a0 The Light<\/em> carried hundreds of fighter pilots, but Jack had only ever seen a dozen or so crewmembers beyond Aneerin.\u00a0 The Peloran ships simply didn\u2019t need<\/em> many supplies compared to modern American warships.<\/p>\n One day, if he survived this War, he would fly a ship like that, just him and Betty.\u00a0 They would never stop flying and never slow down unless they wanted to.\u00a0 Jack smiled, enjoying the dream in his mind.\u00a0 It would be good to fly wherever he wanted, to stay away from the places he didn\u2019t<\/em> want.\u00a0 Jack blinked, shook his head, and pulled in a deep breath.\u00a0 It was time to get back to work.<\/p>\n \u201cChief, Jester here.\u00a0 I\u2019m in position.\u201d<\/p>\n A hologram of Charles flickered into existence inside the watchtower.\u00a0 \u201cGet lost on the way?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack laughed at the hologram.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Sir.\u00a0 Just took a few moments to look around up here.\u00a0 Had to get my bearings, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles nodded and looked out of the watchtower.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a good view.\u00a0 I can see needing to get our bearings straight with a view like this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles pointed his hand out.\u00a0 \u201cYou getting a visual?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack eyes followed the hand and he looked at the part of the landing field the fighters rested on.\u00a0 Avenger, Hellcats, and even some Blackhawks that should have been retired before he was born covered that end of the tarmac.\u00a0 The two on the very end, both Hellcats, were fueled up and ready to fly within a minute, the time it would take their pilots to run out of the underground ready room they were probably playing games in right now.<\/p>\n \u201cI have visual,\u201d Jack affirmed with a nod.\u00a0 \u201cSo why<\/em> do you want me up here in person again?\u201d<\/p>\n Charles gave Jack a dark chuckle in response.\u00a0 \u201cCall it punishment for making me get out of bed last night.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack rolled his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cSir, he had a gun.\u00a0 What was I supposed to do?\u201d<\/p>\n Charles grunted in annoyance.\u00a0 \u201cSomething that doesn\u2019t get us in the news, and me<\/em> woken up by a police call.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack sighed.\u00a0 \u201cSir, it is not<\/em> my fault that the local police\u2019s idea of proper response to a mugging is to hand over your wallet and then call 911.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles turned to look at Jack with a raised eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cYou and I both know you could have ended that situation without hurting anybody<\/em>, without making any<\/em> waves.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack sucked in a breath and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cNo, Sir, not in good conscience, Sir.\u00a0 He was going to hurt someone waving that gun around, sooner or later.\u00a0 He needed to be stopped, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles shook his head in disbelief.\u00a0 \u201cThis from the guy who tells all those horror stories about running from shotguns?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack snorted.\u00a0 \u201cSir, that\u2019s shotguns.\u00a0 They\u2019re a lot scarier than dinky little pistols.\u00a0 And, they were fathers.\u00a0 I never wanted to hurt the girls by hurting the fathers, so yeah, I ran.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles rolled his eyes.\u00a0 \u201cAnd next you\u2019ll tell me they kept on missing on purpose too.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack cleared his throat and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cWell, Sir.\u00a0 As to that, they just wanted me out of the house.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t want to make their little girls cry any more than I did.\u00a0 And I was smart enough to keep away from the ones crazy enough to shoot for real<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles paused for several seconds, blinking.\u00a0 \u201cI do not know if I should believe a word you just said or not,\u201d he finally said.<\/p>\n Jack\u2019s smile turned large and full of charm.\u00a0 \u201cSir, it is the requirement of an officer and a gentleman of the United States Marines to never<\/em> lie to a superior officer, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cGreat.\u00a0 When you find one of those, let me know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSir, yes, Sir!\u201d Jack answered with gusto.<\/p>\n Charles turned back to look at the landing field.\u00a0 \u201cNow shut up and watch and think about how happy I\u2019ll be the next time you think about doing something that will result in me being called in the middle of the night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSir, yes, Sir!\u201d Jack answered as he turned to follow Charles\u2019 gaze.<\/p>\n The \u201cunscheduled\u201d combat exercise proved to be every bit as impressive as the tech wizards said it was going to be.\u00a0 In the end, Jack was actually glad of the perspective he got.\u00a0 He might have been far away from the action, using glasses to zoom in to see anything, and completely lacking the full holographic displays that tracked all participants in the exercise, but he had an amazing field of vision that took in the entire spacebase in one view.<\/p>\n And the tech wizards had totally outdone themselves.\u00a0 The swarm of holographic dinosaurs that came charging towards the base from the distant trees looked so real that they actually stopped the emergency pilots in their tracks when they came out of the bunker.\u00a0 Jack watched their mouths hang open as they stared in disbelief at the unexpected assault\u2026giant lizards.<\/p>\n Jack winced as the fire breath washed across the base perimeter.\u00a0 He had to admit it looked cool, but it was too much.\u00a0 The pilots on the ground broke out of their trance and ran to their Hellcats.\u00a0 If the tech wizards had kept the dinos normal, it might have taken the pilots longer to get their heads back.\u00a0 As it was, they realized it was just another exercise, jumped in their fighters, and got into the air before the rampaging dinosaurs made it to the inner defense ring.<\/p>\n A few swift laser pulses, and a few missiles exploding in the air, sent the dinosaurs running for the trees.\u00a0 The fighters swooped down, chasing the dinosaurs until they faded into the forest.\u00a0 The surprise attack exercise by not-so-indigenous wild animals was driven off with minimal collateral damages, exactly as the regs required.<\/p>\n Jack turned to Charles with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cWell, Sir, I think they did admirably.\u201d<\/p>\n Charles nodded and brought a hand up to rub his chin.\u00a0 \u201cYes, I would agree.\u00a0 Where do you think they won?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cThe fire, Sir.\u201d\u00a0 It was an easy answer.<\/p>\n Charles nodded.\u00a0 \u201cGood eye.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI try, Sir,\u201d Jack answered with a chuckle.<\/p>\n Charles scratched his chin again.\u00a0 \u201cI think I can trust you then.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack blinked in confusion.\u00a0 \u201cSir?\u201d<\/p>\n Charles dropped his hand and slipped both behind his back as he turned to Jack, assuming the stance of a true officer.\u00a0 \u201cSergeant Jenkins is due off station soon.\u00a0 I need someone to man the tower until he comes back tomorrow morning.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack glanced over to the sergeant to see the other man as confused as him.\u00a0 \u201cUm\u2026Sir?\u201d<\/p>\n Charles gave Jack a true officer\u2019s smile, the kind of smile that made misbehaving privates run for the nearest PT run.\u00a0 \u201cYou can do that, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Jack wasn\u2019t one to run, but he really didn\u2019t like where this was going.<\/p>\n Charles waved his hand for silence.\u00a0 \u201cThank you for volunteering.\u00a0 Sergeant Jenkins appreciates it.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack looked at Jenkins again, then back to Charles.\u00a0 He opened his mouth to protest that he hadn\u2019t volunteered for anything.<\/p>\n Charles aimed a miniscule shake of his head at Jack.\u00a0 \u201cJester?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Sir?\u201d Jack answered, wisely choosing not to protest after all.<\/p>\n Charles smile turned amused again, with a slight vindictive glint.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t do anything that will wake me tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSir.\u00a0 Yes, Sir,\u201d Jack answered without hesitation.<\/p>\n Charles gave him and almost sincere smile.\u00a0 \u201cI knew I could count on you,\u201d he finished and his hologram faded out.<\/p>\n Sergeant Jenkins examined Jack for several seconds with an amused gaze before opening his mouth.\u00a0 \u201cScrewed the Major\u2019s pooch?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 But he got called to put it down.\u201d<\/p>\n Jenkins patted Jack on the shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cGood luck, kid.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack winced, not at the pat, but the reason for it.\u00a0 \u201cThanks.\u00a0 I think I\u2019m going to need it.\u201d<\/p>\n Jenkins chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cYour station, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack nodded.\u00a0 \u201cMy station.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Sir,\u201d the man finished and turned to walk onto the lift.<\/p>\n It took him away, leaving Jack alone with Betty.<\/p>\n Jack let out a long breath.\u00a0 \u201cWell.\u00a0 I guess that tells me.\u201d<\/p>\n Betty didn\u2019t answer.\u00a0 She just walked up next to him and looked out over the spacebase with a smile on her face.<\/p>\n They stood that way for a long time, watching the crawling ants below them doing their thing.\u00a0 Finally, Jack turned and moved to sit down in the chair before what controls the tower had.\u00a0 It was going to be a very long watch.<\/p>\n And it was<\/em> a very long watch.\u00a0 He scanned cameras.\u00a0 He played cards.\u00a0 He looked out on the base with his own eyes and glasses.\u00a0 He played the harmonica.\u00a0 He watched the displays to make certain no single idiot light began blinking red.\u00a0 Red was bad.\u00a0 Red meant somebody had to be called.<\/p>\n Several hours into the watch, Betty interrupted another scan of the cameras.\u00a0 \u201cYou have a call, Jack.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack blinked up from his scan, suppressed a yawn, and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBruce McEntyre.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUffda,\u201d he whispered without thinking.<\/p>\n Betty smiled.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t worry, I don\u2019t think he wants to kill you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan you keep up the scan?\u201d<\/p>\n Betty\u2019s smile grew.\u00a0 \u201cOf course, Jack.\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded and Bruce McEntyre\u2019s hologram appeared in the middle of the tower.<\/p>\n Jack came to his feet and nodded at the older man.\u00a0 \u201cHello, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr. McEntyre did not look happy.\u00a0 \u201cHello, Jack.\u00a0 We need to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack suppressed a sigh.\u00a0 That was never good.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Samantha\u2019s father just stared at him.\u00a0 \u201cAbout last night.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack did not suppress the sigh this time.\u00a0 \u201cYes, Sir.\u00a0 Look, Sir, I\u2019m not sorry for what I did.\u00a0 Though I am sorry that she had to see it like that.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr. McEntyre finally smiled.\u00a0 \u201cNo apologies necessary, Jack.\u00a0 I grew up in the hills back when we knew what do with guns.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack paused a second before taking the safest route. \u00a0\u201cYes, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Samantha\u2019s father shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cYou and I both know the world can be dangerous, Jack.\u00a0 I always wanted to save my little girl from seeing that world.\u201d\u00a0 He gave Jack a sad shrug.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry I did it too well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSir\u2026\u201d Jack pulled in a deep breath as he searched for the words.\u00a0 This really wasn\u2019t the conversation he\u2019d been expecting to have with her father.\u00a0 \u201cWould she be the Samantha we both know if you didn\u2019t<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d her father whispered and shook his head again.\u00a0 \u201cI just wish there was something I could do.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack blinked in confusion.\u00a0 \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI care about her.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack shook his head and rubbed his temple.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 Why do you feel the need to call me?\u00a0 To be honest, I\u2019ve never met a father who didn\u2019t dream<\/em> of his little girl kicking me to the curb.\u00a0 And more than one tried to help me along himself.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr. McEntyre stared at him for a long time before answering.\u00a0 \u201cI didn\u2019t know you before Yosemite, so I\u2019m not certain I can say.\u00a0 And I\u2019m not certain you\u2019d want to hear my theory.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack cocked his head in interest.\u00a0 \u201cActually, Sir, I\u2019d love<\/em> to hear your thoughts on the matter.\u201d<\/p>\n Samantha\u2019s father shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cVery well.\u201d\u00a0 He shook his head and sighed.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m going off what you\u2019ve said here.\u00a0 But if half of what you\u2019ve said about your life back then is true, you were a young man with great gifts who completely and utterly wasted them in some young adult fantasy.\u00a0 You were going nowhere, and happy to be doing it.\u00a0 No father wants his daughter mixed up with a boy who doesn\u2019t want to do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack swallowed and cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I did<\/em> ask, didn\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n Samantha\u2019s father smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYou did.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI would go back to that if I could, you know.\u00a0 In a heartbeat.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr. McEntyre\u2019s smile grew.\u00a0 \u201cI know.\u00a0 I would go back if I could too.<\/p>\n Jack studied the older man for several seconds, wondering what life the man would go back for, before nodding in agreement.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t really matter at the moment.\u00a0 It was the past.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t reclaim the past,\u201d Jack whispered.<\/p>\n Samantha\u2019s father nodded.\u00a0 \u201cThe trick is knowing when the past is really the past,\u201d he said with a sly smile, \u201cand not just a difficult present.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack frowned in thought for several seconds before nodding.\u00a0 Then he smiled as another thought came to mind.\u00a0 \u201cIsn\u2019t that how most stalker movies start, Sir?\u201d<\/p>\n Samantha\u2019s father laughed in amusement before shaking his head.\u00a0 \u201cTell you what, Jack.\u00a0 You can call me Bruce, and I\u2019ll see what I can do with Sam.\u201d<\/p>\n Jack sighed and looked away from Mr. McEntyre\u2019s holoform, taking in the preparations on the landing field.\u00a0 The launch day was classified, but the fact that they were preparing to leave was just about the worst kept secret in the entire Alpha Centauri double star system.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s not much time, Sir,\u201d he said, with half of his brain.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know if there\u2019s enough.\u201d<\/p>\n Samantha\u2019s father cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cWhat<\/em> did I tell you to call me?\u201d<\/p>\n Jack brought his attention back to the man, blinked once, and cleared his throat.\u00a0 \u201cBruce.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBetter,\u201d the man who would never<\/em> be Bruce in his mind said with a smile.\u00a0 \u201cNo promises, but I\u2019ll do what I can,\u201d he finished before his holoform cut out.<\/p>\n Jack sat back down, hard, and shook his head.\u00a0 Of all the people to be on his side, he\u2019d never expected the father.\u00a0 The universe had a truly vicious<\/em> sense of humor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hello, my name is Jack.\u00a0 Some things need to be done.\u00a0 Some people don\u2019t like seeing things done.\u00a0 And some people just don\u2019t like being woke up at oh dark thirty to deal with the things done.\u00a0 They tend to[…]↓ Read the rest of this 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