Brinus stood in the Captain’s office thirty minutes after his summons. Captain Plato was looking at Brinus with a look of concern as Brinus stared at the contract on the table. He had two paper contracts. In front of him was a pen, and A Vendalfi in a suit and tie was on his TriQuarter.
The man in the suit was a seven-foot Vendalfi male with a blue tail, navy blue fur, and light blue furry paws. He wore a black suit jacket with a gray tie, gray shirt, pants, and shiny black shoes.
Finally, the Vendalfi alien spoke after putting his TriQuarter in his pocket. “My Name is Archer. I agreed to be your manager and agent. I've got two sponsorships for you. One is for a VPN, and the other is for a tarken tea cigarette brand called Manly Unfiltered Mint Flavored Cigs.”
Brinus stood at attention. “Sir! Permission to see the cigarette contract.”
“But you don’t know how much they pay.”
Captain Plato smiled, knowing what was about to happen. He handed the cigarette contract to Brinus. Brinus smiled while looking directly at his agent, and then the contract burst into flames and incinerated.
The agent gasped in shock. “Why? That was over 120,000 credits!”
“I will not be sponsored by a cigarette company now or ever. Don’t do that again.”
“Do you want to give me a reason?”
Brinus pulled his vape device from his pocket and showed it to his agent. “I will be on his device for the rest of my life and likely will die an early death. My husband will never be smoke-free and is hooked for life. He has suffered permanent lung damage. DON’T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!!!!” He put his medical vape back into his pocket and resumed attention.
Archer took noted that his clinet to be added to the agency’s list of no-tarken tea contracts. “Does your husband have cancer?”
“Yes, he starts cancer treatments today.”
Captain Plato stood and looked outside his window with his paws behind his back. “Why did you start smoking?”
Brinus shrugged. “I did it to cope with stress before I joined the navy and enjoyed it until I joined the navy.” He reached for the VPN contract and signed it. “I see the VPN contract pays 20,000 credits for four thirty-second ads.”
“Dismissed, Midshipman Helios.”
Brinus saluted and left.
Archer laughed. “He’ll be a hoot.”
Captain Plato laughed. “You have no idea. I will have my bagman show you to your quarters.”
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Two hours later, the dojo was wall-to-wall-with mirrors and a second training room in the Back. There was a sonic shower with a bathroom. A changing room with porcelain tile, benches, and mirrors was next to the shower/bathroom. All of the floors were padded with blue pads. Brinus’s gym bag sat on a bench, his water bottle next to his bag. Due to his abilities, strength, and fighting style, Brinus received special training. He also was with three other drill instructors.
Dr. Norra was in his early sixties, physically fit, and had silver hair. He was short but powerfully built and oozed experience.
Brinus performed crescent kicks into Tor Sorra Norra’s padded hands. He had been doing them for 5 five minutes and was breathless. He was in a pair of gym shorts and the cold air of the dojo felt good against his sweaty body.
“Come on, a little more! I know you can do it! One more minute!”
Brinus was out of breath but kept going. He breathed through his nose and out of his mouth. Finally, he stopped when the timer ran out.
His coach took off his pads while Brinus caught his breath. “Nice job! I remember when you were smoking, you couldn’t even go three minutes. I think you’re ready for your first fight.”
“Dr. Calnori added nanites to my medical vape,” said Brinus after getting control of his breathing.
“Nanites take a month to build in your system. The progress is because you’re not smoking almost five packs a day. You’re what? 21? Your body is going to suffer some damage, but most of it will heal over time.”
Brinus reached into his bag for his medical vape. “I will be back in a few minutes.”
Dr. Norra frowned. “Don’t do it in the bathroom. I got complaints last time.”
Brinus walked into the back, and Norra sighed.
One of the fighting instructors asked Dr. Norra, “Do you want me to take over the drills?”
“Nah, I’ll smoke his ass in a minute.” He laughed and began packing the equipment after wiping it down with carbolic acid. “I have to admit, when he first joined, I didn’t have much hope for him.”
“Why not?”
“When’ve you known a criminal to be successful in the navy?”
They both laughed. “I’ll go check and see if he’s in the bathroom.”
Dr. Norra flashed his teeth in a screw-you smile. “You do that.”
The instructor entered the bathroom and saw vapor coming from under the door. He smiled at the thought of smoking Brinus, returned to the dojo, and nodded at Dr. Norra. It was game on.
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Captain Plato and Marci were eating lunch with Archer. On the table were garlic butter rolls, some creamy alfredo pasta, and over a dozen fruit dishes from all over what was left of Earth.
Marci put her food aside and looked at Captain Plato, “Did you hear what happened at Caston?”
“Yes, ma’am, I heard a squadron of six Freddie frigates and one battlecruiser came into the system and attacked the mining operation in the asteroid fields.”
Archer grabbed a garlic roll and candy apples. “What happened?”
Marci continued cutting her pasta. “Basically, the feds were lured into an ambush by Commodore Joe Ann with 2,000 fighter-bombers and 800 bombers. I heard it was over in ten minutes, and they surrendered after being disabled.”
Archer nodded in acknowledgment.
Captain Plato looked and put his food aside. “What is your plan for Brinus?”
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“This is his first tournament, so one expects him to win. The main thing is to get his feet wet in the professional fighting world. I have scheduled four fights. All of them are warm-up matches. He will make a total of four thousand credits from the entire tournament.”
Marci rolled her eyes and snorted. “Really? You want to humiliate my son like that? He is my property.”
Archer rolled his eyes. “Every professional fighter goes through the same thing. It gets them used to the tournament circuit before he gets his first real match.”
Captain Plato took a sip of his wine. “What is your opinion of Brinus’s fighting style?”
“To be honest, I’ve only seen holograms of it and haven’t seen it in person. The recordings I’ve seen, he seems to show potential. He is strong, fast, and powerfully built.”
Marci sighed in frustration, “...But…”
“But he is inexperienced and a heavy vaper. I understand he uses a medical vape with 50 mg of AA nicotine. It will affect his performance in high-level matches. For now, though, it is fine.”
Four footmen and two bagmen came out hold silver trays with various cakes and pies.
Captain Plato clapped his paws togeather. "Awww! The desert is here!"
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Brinus was doing pushups with one of the fight instructors sitting on top of his back. Dr. Norra screamed in his left ear so loud it was like ear assult. “This is what fucking happens when you smoke in the goddamn bathroom. No smoking in the fucking bathroom! Next time, you do sixty push-ups!”
“Sir, yes, sir!” Brinus tried to be snippy without even letting it on.
Dr. Norra slapped Brinus’s back, leaving a red handprint between his shoulder blades. “Don’t sas at me, boy! What happens when you sass?”
Brinus knew Dr. Norra wasn’t faking. He was legitimately angry that Brinus vaped in the bathrom.
After doing 50 push-ups with the instructor sitting on his back, Dr. Norra helped Brinus up. “Now run 40 laps around the mat.”
As he ran his laps, three more instructors ran with him, screaming obscenities and cuss words. Dr. Norra noticed Brinus’s mentor standing in the observation room.
The observation room had six rows of benches with stadium seating. The floor had a red carpet and 360-degree glass directly over the dojo.
He saluted Commander Tom. “Sir, we are finishing training.”
Commander Tom sighed and crossed his arms. “What did he do now?”
“He vaped in the bathroom five times against orders, sir.”
Commander Tom laughed and then said, “That’s Brinus. I wanna talk to him when you’re done smoking him. Dismissed master chief.”
“Yes, sir!”
Brinus stood at attention four minutes later in the observation room while Commander Tom inspected him.
“Midshipman Smokestack, are you ready for your first tournament?”
“Sir, yes, sir!”
“Do you want to do it?”
Brinus was ordered to do it. However, despite enjoying fighting, he was still a little resentful. He would have said yes if they had just asked him if he wanted to do it, but Brinus said nothing.
Commander Tom Slapped Brinus across the face. “I didn’t hear you, midshipman!”
Brinus continued his silence.
“I didn’t hear you!!” screamed the commander, getting into his face.
Brinus was still silent and standing at attention.
Commander Tom motioned for Dr. Norra. “Sir?”
“I want you to smoke Brinus. That’s an order.”
“Yes, sir!”
As Brinus was doing endurance drills with all three instructors screaming at him, Archer entered the observation room. Commander Tom stood and looked at the Vendalfi. “Who are you?”
“I’m Archer, Brinus’s agent. I’m here to observe his training.”
Commander Tom’s left lip curled in disgust. “Where’s your visitor’s pass?”
Archer showed his visitor’s badge.
“I have to oversee recalibration of the antimatter missiles.”
Commander Tom saluted Archer and left the lounge. Archer had the feeling that Commander Tom didn’t want to deal with corporate nonsense.
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Dr. Norra came up a few minutes later. “I remember we talked over comms. Do you have any questions about his training routine?”
“Is it possible to lower the nicotine in his vape? What is his diet like? How often does he train?”
“No, it is not possible; he is an addict for life. We have him on a three-meal-a-day, high protein, medium complex carb diet. I do think he indulges at the mess hall. His training routine is twice a day. Once a day for grappling/boxing, the second time for endurance and strength training, which we are doing now.”
The agents made some notes on his triquarter. “If nothing can be done about the smoking, then I want his nanites increased to 100 every 100 mg from 50 per 100 mg. Also, the modification I want to make to his diet is no mess hall.”
Dr Norra raised his eyebrows. “Have you met Brinus? He makes Mules look cooperative. Also, about the nanites you will need to talk to Dr. Calnori about that. She is the one managing his smoking habit.”
Archer made some more notes on his triquarter. “Where can I find this, Dr. Calnori?”
“You will need to make an appointment as she is a board-certified psychiatrist. You will also need to get permission from Brinus to discuss his medical business with her. The order will need to be signed by the chief engineer and chief medical officer since Brinus is a minor in the custody of the navy.”
“How do I get the order?”
Dr. Norra crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Really?”
“Victories mean more money for my client. Now, how do I get the order?”
Dr. Norra thought to himself, Fuck this guy! I wish I could throw his ass on the ground! He said in an elevated voice, “ You need to make an appointment with the chief engineer and chief medical officer after you get a signed order from Brinus to discuss his medical information with Dr. Calnori. The chief engineer takes months to get an appointment, and the chief medical officer is fully booked for most of the year.” He planned on filing a complaint about this agent with the company as soon as Brinus left the ship.
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Brinus was in the back of the shower room as he slipped on his wedding ring. He had on his steel-toed boots and his uniform. He looked at it in the mirror and noticed the etching he made in his machine shop. It said, Forever married in cursive. His hands had a few calluses and thick skin on the palms. Overall, they looked like a tradesman’s hands.
Archer was waiting outside as Brinus came out of the shower holding his gym bag.
“Hey, Bri, I was wondering if I could meet your wife.”
“Sure, you can have dinner with my husband.”
Archer choked on his water. “H-husband?”
“Yeah, it was in the news yesterday. The Duke of District 12 marries the first-born son of Coca Cig LLC. Why? Is there a problem?”
“No problem in the Confederacy.”
Brinus stepped out of the dojo and pulled out his medical vape. He put it in his mouth and began drawing on it. “I wonder what will happen at my first tournament?”
Brinus blew vapor over the promenade as he walked on the walkway. The time was around 3 pm CST Earth time. The ship was in orbit over the great plains of the Federal Republic of North America. The Victory coordinated military ops in the sector with at least fifteen squadron commanders. The planet Earth could be seen in the windows. Most of the forests had regenerated since there was about a quarter of the human population on the planet and since Earth was a member of the Confederacy. The North Pole was a giant forest, and Greenland was a giant boreal rainforest.
“I am signing you up to be a warm-up fighter so you can get your feet wet in the fighting world. I am going to do that a few times. Then you’ll have your first real fight at the end of this year.”
Brinus shrugged. Truthfully, slogging through undesirable work to prove himself was necessary in this society.
As they walked, they continued talking until they finally reached Brinus’s quarters. He put his key in the lock and opened the door. Simmie was in the kitchen cooking supper. It was the dish Harper made before Brinus joined the navy.
Brinus came up to his husband, Kissed him for a couple of seconds, and then slapped him on the butt. Simmie attempted to unbutton Brinus’s pants but pulled them away.
“Not tonight. We have a guest.”
Archer never had a gay fighter before. Homosexuality wasn’t common at all in the Confederacy. He would have to look up the exact stats to be sure. He wondered how to spin this without making it Brinus’s core identifying feature. Aren’t we fighting a war over this stuff? Archer thought to himself.
“Hey, Archer, I have to get packed and get dressed. Do you play games while I pack?”
“Vendalfi don’t really have a need for play like humans and catpeople. We need to talk about tomorrow’s match. What do you plan on saying to the media after your warm-up fights.”
Brinus went into his bedroom and began packing his suitcase. Archer followed him into the quarters.
“I guess we’ll see when we get there.”
“For warm-up fighting, you will be expected to make a brief statement before the fight about how grateful you are for the opportunity to fight against top-tier talent and shake their hand. You need to be grateful for being allowed to fight in this tournament.”
Brinus leaned on the counter and laughed for four seconds. However, he saw that his agent was not laughing or smiling, “Wait? You’re serious?”
“Yes. This is your first tournament. You need to make an impression and be humble. I looked at your psych profile before coming to the ship. You’re rebellious and thumb your nose at authority. We can capitalize on your badass reputation when you get more established. Your homosexuality I can work with as well. For now, you need to be humble and gracious. My goal is to make you likable so you get invited to more tournaments.”
Brinus jumped on top of the countertops. “Whatever.”
Simmie put the duck dish he had made for Brinus in the oven and stood before him. “Do you want to play a game? Your squad comes on in ten minutes.”
“I can’t because I have to pack and get down to earth. I am going to be on the surface all week. You will have to go without me.”
“Okay, sweet pea.” They both kissed for a quick second.
Brinus went into his room and started packing. Despite being a little resentful, he was nervous and excited.