Brinus was at a stadium on Saffron. Standing in the fighting ring listening to the crowd yell, “Smokestack! Smokestack! Smokestack!” over and over again. The other fighter was unconscious. The referee counted down from ten. Brinus was covered in sweat and tasted the iron of blood in his mouth. Some of his bridge dental work was loose. 9, 8, 7, Brinus was becoming more and more charged by the atmosphere and the crowd began a wave — all 200,000 people all around the stadium went into a giant wave. 6, 5, 4, he threw his arms into the air paced in a circle around the ring. Everyone erupted into an ear-splitting roar. 3, 2, 1, the crowd rushed the ring in a mass human wave, and police officers surrounded Brinus as two medics took the other fighter away on a stretcher.
He shook hands, signed autographs, and took photos with people. A timer started for a while as they set up the press conference. After finishing with the fans, he sat down with his agent, and then people began taking pictures of him.
“So, Mr. Helios, what is your opinion on your mother defecting from the Confederacy to the enemy?”
Brinus drank a sip of water and then said, “I don’t have a mother; That woman can go fuck a duck for all I care.” Brinus and the press laughed.
A clip was made and then memes rolled in.
“Mr. Helios, what are you going to smoke tonight?”
Brinus laughed and leaned into the microphone. “Oh that shit’s gross, keep it away from me.” He laughed again seeing that most of the room smoked.
Everyone was stunned into a deafening silence. After a few moments, another reporter spoke. “What are your thoughts on your promotion to acting lieutenant?”
“Wait? What?”
Everyone looked at the reporter. “According to my sources, your application for graduate school was approved last month. You were going to be notified next week and start in the fall.”
Brinus turned to his agent after turning off his mic. “What the fuck do I say?”
The agent looked at Brinus with a wide-eyed look of surprise. “You shouldn’t comment because that’s confidential information.”
Brinus turned on his mic again and leaned into it. “No comment.”
“Is it also true you’re deemed not suitable for combat roles due to chronic insubordination?”
Brinus stared at the reporter with a stoic look. “Who the fuck is your source?”
“My sources are confidential.”
Brinus looked the streamer directly in the eyes and then stated, “Then your sources are bullshit. Next question.” Brinus flicked his head at the two cops in the back. They walked up to the livestreamer and removed him from the press conference.
----------------------------------------
After the conference, he was in uniform and had two bags outside his quarters. His heart beat rapidly and his pupils were dilated. He opened the door and walked in. Immediately he saw Simmie cooking supper in the kitchen. He stopped stirring the pot and embarrassed him. Smoothing him in kisses. Brinus kissed him back and then hugged him. They held each other briefly when Tangent came into the kitchen and saw Brinus.
She dropped the tray of vegetables with a crash and ran screaming “Briiiiiinus!” She hugged his leg and started cheering. She hadn’t seen him in four months.
Brinus smiled as he embraced Simmie and Tangent. “I’m not gonna lie, I kinda missed y’all, only kinda though. I have to unpack. I wonna do some wood burning tonight.”
Brinus kissed Simmie passionately for a few moments and then went into his bedroom. He noticed it smelled like vape and it made him nauseous. He began unpacking after removing his shirt, boots, and socks and putting on his gym shorts. It felt good to be shirtless in his home.
Brinus felt a pair of hands clasp his back and he turned and saw Simmie.
“Hey sweetie!” Simmie said.
Brinus ran his finger down his bare chest, smiling. “What do ya’ need?”
“I need my vape.”
Brinus crossed his arms and frowned. “You can smoke outside. Shit makes me sick now.”
“Oh, right. Sorry.” Simmie rolled his eyes, grabbed his vape on the bedside table, and went outside but not before inhaling some and then walking through the door to exhale just on the other side of the doorframe.
Simmie comes back after a few minutes to see Brinus hanging up a no smoking sign in the kitchen.
“Seriously?” Simmie crossed his arms and scowled. “For how much you smoked?”
“Right. You can either quit smoking or vape outside.”
Simmie rolled his eyes again. “Whatever.”
Brinus went into Simmie’s face and growled, “I know you can’t quit but these are the new rules. I can put you up in a different room if you want.”
“You and Tangent are insufferable.” Simmie grabbed his vape and went outside again.
Brinus received a ping to see his academic advisor right now on his TirQuarter.
----------------------------------------
The lobby had twenty men and four women in it. All of them were in uniform. The lobby had a polished oak wood desk carved with patterns of starships and wood carvings of service members in navy trooper armor at a reception. The wood paneling on the walls was baroque style covered in gold leaf. The floor was green and white rose pattern carpet with a crystal chandelier on the ceiling.
Brinus was outside of his academic advisor’s office. The cigarettes and vapor people used made Brinus’s nose and throat burn like wood in a fireplace. His stomach also performed cartwheels as he tasted sick in the back of his throat. He thought about how obnoxious his new medicine was but how much more he wanted to quit vaping. Tigs told him he would need to take it for four more months and then he’d be free. The idea of not being a slave to anything or anyone appealed to him.
“Helios 4546 your advisor is ready to see you.”
Brinus nodded, he was glad to get out of the smoky environment as he walked into his advisor’s office. His advisor had all of the army trooper units he served under along with his rank insignia in frames on his walls.
“Hello Lieutenant Helios, I called you in after the press conference under the commandant’s orders. Your promotion to Acting Lieutenant has been confirmed. You weren’t supposed to find out about your acceptance to grad school until next week. You have top grades, you have shown behavior improvements, and you have overcome your mental illness. However, you’re still insubordinate and too aggressive. Dr. Calnori and the Chief Medical Officer have refused to sign off on you participating in combat roles but we are putting you in combat anyway. Don’t make us look bad.”
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Brinus swallowed.
“We are looking into the security breach and on behalf of the Starship Victory Naval Academy I apologize for your information leaking out.”
Brinus sat at attention looking his advisor in the eyes.
Brinus was at a stadium on Saffron. Standing in the fighting ring listening to the crowd yell, “Smokestack! Smokestack! Smokestack!” over and over again. The other fighter was unconscious. The referee counted down from ten. Brinus was covered in sweat and tasted the iron of blood in his mouth. Some of his bridge dental work was loose. 9, 8, 7, Brinus was becoming more and more charged by the atmosphere and the crowd began a wave — all 200,000 people all around the stadium went into a giant wave. 6, 5, 4, he threw his arms into the air paced in a circle around the ring. Everyone erupted into an ear-splitting roar. 3, 2, 1, the crowd began rushing the ring, and police officers surrounded Brinus as the other fighter was taken away on a stretcher by two medics.
He shook hands, signed autographs, and took photos with people. A timer started for a while as they set up the press conference. After finishing with the fans, he sat down with his agent, and then people began taking pictures of him.
“So, Mr. Helios, what is your opinion on your mother defecting from the Confederacy to the enemy?”
Brinus drank a sip of water and then said, “I don’t have a mother; That woman can go fuck a duck for all I care.” Brinus and the press laughed.
A clip was made of that scene and then memes began appearing.
“Mr. Helios, what are you going to smoke tonight?”
Brinus laughed and leaned into the microphone. “Oh that shit’s gross, keep it away from me.” He laughed again seeing that most of the room smoked.
Everyone was stunned into a deafening silence. After a few moments, another reporter spoke. “What are your thoughts on your promotion to acting lieutenant?”
“Wait? What?”
Everyone looked at the reporter. “According to my sources, your application for graduate school was approved last month. You were going to be notified next week and start in the fall.”
Brinus turned to his agent after turning off his mic. “What the fuck do I say?”
The agent looked at Brinus with a wide-eyed look of surprise. “You shouldn’t comment because that’s confidential information.”
Brinus turned on his mic again and leaned into it. “No comment.”
“Is it also true you’re deemed not suitable for combat roles due to chronic insubordination?”
Brinus stared at the reporter with a stoic look. “Who the fuck is your source?”
“My sources are confidential.”
Brinus looked the streamer directly in the eyes and then stated, “Then your sources are bullshit. Next question.” Brinus flicked his head at the two cops in the back. They walked up to the livestreamer and removed him from the press conference.
----------------------------------------
After the conference, he was in uniform and had two bags outside his quarters. His heart beat rapidly and his pupils were dilated. He opened the door and walked in. Immediately he saw Simmie cooking supper in the kitchen. He stopped stirring the pot and embarrassed him. Smoothing him in kisses. Brinus kissed him back and then hugged him. They held each other briefly when Tangent came into the kitchen and saw Brinus.
She dropped the tray of vegetables with a crash and ran screaming “Briiiiiinus!” She hugged his leg and started cheering. She hadn’t seen him in four months.
Brinus smiled as he embraced Simmie and Tangent. “I’m not gonna lie, I kinda missed y’all, only kinda though. I have to unpack. I wonna do some wood burning tonight.”
Brinus kissed Simmie passionately for a few moments and then went into his bedroom. He noticed it smelled like vape and it made him nauseous. He began unpacking after removing his shirt, boots, and socks and putting on his gym shorts. It felt good to be shirtless in his home.
Brinus felt a pair of hands clasp his back and he turned and saw Simmie.
“Hey sweetie!” Simmie said.
Brinus ran his finger down his bare chest, smiling. “What do ya’ need?”
“I need my vape.”
Brinus crossed his arms and frowned. “You can smoke outside. Shit makes me sick now.”
“Oh, right. Sorry.” Simmie rolled his eyes, grabbed his vape on the bedside table, and went outside but not before inhaling some and then walking through the door to exhale just on the other side of the doorframe.
Simmie comes back after a few minutes to see Brinus hanging up a no smoking sign in the kitchen.
“Seriously?” Simmie crossed his arms and scowled. “For how much you smoked?”
“Right. You can either quit smoking or vape outside.”
Simmie rolled his eyes again. “Whatever.”
Brinus went into Simmie’s face and growled, “I know you can’t quit but these are the new rules. I can put you up in a different room if you want.”
“You and Tangent are insufferable.” Simmie grabbed his vape and went outside again.
----------------------------------------
The lobby had twenty men and four women in it. All of them were in uniform. The lobby had a polished oak wood desk carved with patterns of starships and wood carvings of service members in navy trooper armor at a reception. The wood paneling on the walls was baroque style covered in gold leaf. The floor was green and white rose pattern carpet with a crystal chandelier on the ceiling.
Brinus was outside of his academic advisor’s office. The cigarettes and vapor people used made Brinus’s nose and throat burn like wood in a fireplace. His stomach also performed cartwheels as he tasted sick in the back of his throat. He thought about how obnoxious his new medicine was but how much more he wanted to quit vaping. Tigs told him he would need to take it for four more months and then he’d be free. The idea of not being a slave to anything or anyone appealed to him.
“Helios 4546 your advisor is ready to see you.”
Brinus nodded, he was glad to get out of the smoky environment as he walked into his advisor’s office. His advisor had all of the army trooper units he served under along with his rank insignia in frames on his walls.
“Hello Lieutenant Helios, I called you in after the press conference under the commandant’s orders. Your promotion to Acting Lieutenant has been confirmed. You weren’t supposed to find out about your acceptance to grad school until next week. You have top grades, you have shown behavior improvements, and you have overcome your mental illness. However, you’re still insubordinate and too aggressive. Dr. Calnori and the Chief Medical Officer have refused to sign off on you participating in combat roles but we are putting you in combat anyway. Don’t make us look bad.”
Brinus swallowed.
“We are looking into the security breach and on behalf of the Starship Victory Naval Academy I apologize for your information leaking out.”
Brinus sat at attention looking his advisor in the eyes. “Sir, what will happen to my husband?”
“You and him are married and a bonded pair. You will go where he goes. Also, Tangent will go with you as well as long as she is employed by the Navy as a civilian contractor.”
Brinus nodded.
His academic advisor continued, “Now we come to the matter of your graduation. I see you signed up for the fish tank. Just so you know failing the fish tank does not affect your graduation. I remember one student had a meltdown when she failed and spent three days in the medical ward. Based on your grades on your performance you seem like the type to have a reaction when you fail. Tell me, will you take it personally?”
“I’m a winner, sir.”
“So that’s a yes, I see. I am refusing your request to take the fish tank exam and I am ” The advisor put down a note on his computer terminal. “Dismissed lieutenant.”
Brinus stood and saluted his advisor.
----------------------------------------
Later that day after class Brinus sat on the couch working on a math project on his TriQuarter. The assignment was to create a new engineering Theorem for a warp core inversion. The top three Theorems would be published in a math journal.
Simmie laid on top of Brinus’s bare torso and in his lap twirling his finger on his left nipple. His head rested over Brinus’s heart, listening to the heartbeat. Brinus had his legs and feet resting on Simmie’s back.
“Thanks for the dryer sheets.”
“I felt bad fer yellin’ at ya’. Blow the mist through the dryer sheets and it makes the room smell really good.”
Tangent walked in to see Brinus and Simmie cuddling on the couch.
She put her backpack on the counter after using a step stool to reach the top and used her TriQuarter to take a picture of Brinus and Simmie. It immediately went viral.
She cleared her throat. “Hey Brinus. Have you hit 3rd base yet?”
Simmie turned and faced Tangent. “What do you know about third base?”
“I did have five kids.”
Brinus saved on his application and changed the subject. “Just because two gay men cuddle doesn’t mean they will fuck. Humans like touch and we are social creatures. Sometimes a married couple just wants to hang out.”
“I love my teddy bear but we don’t always fuck.” Simmie laughed and kissed his husband’s chest.
“You two are wild! I will leave you guys alone.”
Tangent grabbed a beer and went into the game room.
Simmie reached for his vape and dryer sheet on the table, took a puff, and blew the vapor through the sheet. “I dream about being smoke free like you. How did you quit?”
“Real rebels ain’t slaves to nothin’. I technically have four more months on my medicine. If you truly wonna quit, the Magi’ll help ya’ cuz I spoke to them yesterday.”
“Yes. I want to quit smoking.”
Brinus smiled. “I will arrange a meeting with the council.”
Simmie realized what Tangent had said. “Hol’up. 3rd base? You had Baseball on your world?”
“Yeah.” Tangent smiled. “Though, it’s played a little differently but mostly the same. We played with a ball made of chalk. The batter had to hit the ball, then run the bases. However, everyone had to try to hit the batter with their own chalk balls. If no one can, they hit home and score a point. Everyone got one ball per round to throw at the batter.”
Brinus chuckled. “So it’s as if Baseball and Dodgeball had a bastard child. Isn’t it painful?”
“Yeah.” She rolled her eyes. “But we’re harder to hit then you humans. Ya know, litter and agile. There’s no greater cheer when the batter gets nailed all the way from left field.”