Space is amazing. The views are bloody epic. But. But it’s just like an office building with a video wall! The study hall doesn’t even have a window. At least the space walks that I accept from the job board are interesting. I only get to work on thrusters, but for Universe’ sake, I’m bored out of my skull. The vast majority of systems I have to train are mundane systems or ones that I built (with a few changes). I don’t even get to live with Katie.
The first two months with my GF in space have been . . . difficult. There are limited paces to hook up and since Katie and I are more studious and diligent than average, all of the sex spots are taken. I waited six months and now I have to keep waiting, so get off my back.
Not to mention, the policy is to mix country of origin, and I get fucking Baiul in my room as well as four other girls. We have Asian, south American, Indian and Aussie in our bunk, and out HUD can translate with minimal delay, so the language barrier is not as bad as I though it would be. Speaking of languages, I look up Russian and Chinese language modules and the CIA fast-track programs are available on my HUD. Sweet. I start with Russian as Chinese is supposed to take 6+ months.
I try to convince myself that I’m not going to learn Baiul’s language because of her hot accent. She keeps cornering me and saying things in a dusky voice, and I just want to understand. Yeah, sure Penny. How’s the next space sickness eval going to go eh?
“Hey Shiny Penny” I shudder as hot breath strafes my neck.
I spin around, and briefly confirm the American uniform and vampire face before smashing my face against hers. “Hey vampire princess. I missed you.”
She awards me with a soft smile. “I miss you too.” She leans toward me again and she licks my bottom lip and pulls on it with her pointy tooth, melting me in an instant. My legs are soggy noodles when I hear a shout from down the corridor.
“Mercer! Command needs to talk to you.” There’s Chief Ragland, ruining fun forever.
I smek her quick-like and dash down the hall.
“What’s up Chief?”
“Shouldn’t be doing that in the halls, Mercer.”
“Is it that I’m gay or that I’m a woman, Chief? ‘Cause Martin has been docking with that Brazilian storekeeper and you don’t say shit.”
Chief snarls at the accusation, “Watch your tone third class, or I’ll write you up on charges.”
I look at my rank, clearly and MM2, and am reminded that he’s just an ass. “Aye Aye, Chief. Sexual orientation is still a protected class, FYI.” I don’t actually think he’s sexist, I just think he’s buddies with the Commander I shamed and wants to put me in my place. Turns out I make enemies just as fast in space as I do on the ground. I check quick with the conference scheduler and I in fact have a phone call.
I am now apparently the enlisted POC with NASA et al. Is this why Ragland is up my ass? Probably. Anyway, they want me to demo some potential programming changes to the Annihilation drive and I’m all about walking through any changes to my baby child. I thank them for the opportunity and when they push the next update, I have access to the HUD source code? My girlfriend would LOVE this access and might even write me a custom interface. Because she has nothing else to do in space school.
I was so hyped to be up here, and as thrilled as I am to be here, the politics and maneuvering are souring the experience for me. I miss the hectic time in DC when I had a week to stab my brain and a week to become infatuated with the smartest woman I’ve ever met. She’s a good lay, why wouldn’t I become attached. That and Vampire powers. Totally not in love with her.
/Martin: Merc, you coming to class, or you got an inside line?
Good guy Martin, he never expressed any hate toward me based on my behavior. Him destroying my standing in prototype probably didn’t hurt.
/Mercer: Nah, Marty, prio call I couldn’t refuse. Brt.
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No surprise, cell phones don’t work in space. Our screens and displays accept inputs from our suits, so those of us that opted for the lightweight technician gloves with integrated tech-type, we can text with minute twitches in our fingers instead of using a keyboard. I try not to both Katie with it, but I text her a couple of times a day during class. My HUD module was also upgraded to experimental contact lenses with electronic stickers on my face to link the lenses via induction to my suit. Inductive power transfer is a neat design, but I never knew such refined techniques were available for interactive vision. Two of the US officers and one of the Chiefs also had the lenses and was a part of the advanced care package that I wanted for my extra duties from the CNO and Naval reactors.
The engineering classes have been stone cold boring. Introductions to Operations in Space was a damn joke of a module and essentially just told us that inside Moon orbit, we had enviro concerns, but outside of that sphere, venting, dumping, jettisoning, etc. really didn’t matter because space is enormous. I recall the US Navy had a similar policy with the ocean and most of that debris is still weighted to the bottom of the Pacific.
Zero grav vibrations was the only highlight. The extra design considerations to accommodate the lack of dampening by gravity is a cool concept and it was good flavor to boring fluids and statics lessons.
Life in the hab ring was just like a high-tech office building. Cafeteria selections were more limited than I expected, but heat sources are highly controlled and most of our meals were glorified TV dinners that we put into an advanced microwave-style oven. The cafeteria was also VERY small and required rotating out as soon as you’d eaten or heated your meal. It was also, sadly, the majority of the time Katie and I could spend together—when our schedules matched.
“[How is your Russian coming, Mercenary?],” I laugh as Baiul has taken up calling me Merc as well, but in Russian it sounds funny.
“Not so bad. Should I be worried that you’re spying on me?”
“Always,” and she winks with those ridiculously long eyelashes. I shake my head at the implication of her spying.
“Need something Chief?” I break off another chunk of vacuum-packed pastry and eat it.
“I am hoping you would be willing to help me with extra instruction on the propulsion topics in the upcoming weeks?”
“Mm, I can do that. It’ll have to be after dinner though. Extra duties and all that.” The tall woman rocking a high pony lifted he blond eyebrow in a question. I don’t respond, but I can see that she wants to ask about the extra duties I’m glossing over.
Speaking of extra duties, from what I can tell from watching the Chinese and some of their SE Asia compatriots, they don’t spend time socializing and as far as I can tell they spend all of their spare time in their dorm rooms. They also managed to arrange all of their candidates to be in China-affiliated groups when the rest of us are intentionally mixed in nationality. Also, from what I can tell, Commander Zhao is a shoe in for Executive Officer of the Copernicus. Commander Nugget continues to barely restrain his temper and the other two officers from Spain and Japan don’t seem as technically competent.
From what I can tell, and from what I can glean from the high ranking admiral’s aides, one representative from the primary financiers (US, China, and Japan) must be included in ship’s leadership for both Copernicus and Galileo. The Commanding Officer candidates are on a different track, and have not been seen in any of my classes. Outside of those requirements, the rumor is that positions of authority will be awarded with class and on-ship training performance as a major factor. So theoretically, Baiul could end up as the Chief of the Boat even though she’s not the most senior enlisted in the program. I bet on her being engineering’s Leading Chief Petty Officer or similar. She seems a deadly mix of technically and politically competent.
/Mercer: Is Countess O’Connell available for smooches after dinner.
/O’Connell: Mm, yes, but I’ve got a backlog right now, perhaps I can fit you in tomorrow?
/Mercer: Not funny Katie. You’re not supposed to share your lips with other people.
/O’Connell: Wait, is that what girlfriend means? That I don’t get to kiss pretty Russian Engineers?
Wait. Waaaiiit.
/Mercer: Is this you jealous and possessive?! OMG <3
/O’Connell: I don’t like how she’s constantly trying to seduce you. I may not be the most socially literate, but I can tell she’s interested in you. And you share the same dorm. And you’re learning Russian.
/Mercer: Oof hon. I’m sorry that this makes you uncomfortable, but the only lips I’m interested in are yours. And I wish you and she could switch places so I can collect my tall girl snuggles.
/O’Connell: It further worries me that I know you require more physical affection than I do.
/Mercer: Oh no, have I been too much? I know you don’t like PDA, but I can’t help but touch you when I see you.
We talk about quality of attention and that Katie is worried about how the situation may not be the best for a continued relationship. When I ask her what ending a relationship like ours would benefit, she couldn’t come up with a good answer. I can’t tell where her guilt and uncertainty is coming from, but she’s experiencing it and all I can do is work with that. I suggest that we try skipping a few lunches for dorm rendezvous and she hesitantly agrees. It’s kind of a shitty feeling that I have to convince my girlfriend to have sex with me.