"What is that saying among your people, Alice Winters? You are like clockwork?" Qul'Roth asked as the human joined him in his cabin yet again.
"If I didn’t know better I’d say you’re beginning to like me, Qul'Roth. This is the fourth jump now and it's not like we have any time to talk on the bridge," Alice explained, wondering if their fourth exit from jump space would prove equally fruitless regarding the fate of the Lancer. The thought sent a sudden spike of anger through her as she sat down. "And would you change your damn view port already?!"
Qul'Roth snorted in surprise and indignation. "I do not understand what this little screen has to do with anything, Alice Winters. I have accepted that engaging in conversation with you is beneficial to the Order, in terms of acquiring a greater personal understanding of your species and hopefully in convincing you that there is merit to our way of organizing society. None of that has anything to do with my viewport," the Ghaelen insisted, fixing her with a hard look. Alice matched it.
"The black reminds me of my brother," she growled.
"You have my sympathies, but we have been over this, Alice Winters," the Ghaelen replied diplomatically with a wave of his hand, his thin fingers almost brushing against the wall next to his desk.
"So you have no desire to see anything else there yourself?" She pressed.
"The only options are from Earth. The Order mandates I learn and understand your species and planet, not appreciate it." Qul'Roth inclined his head and scratched his antlers as Alice practically jumped out of her seat and shouted at the ceiling.
"Cassia! Can you hear me?!"
'Good evening, Miss Winters. Is there something I can assist you with?' The pleasant, synthesised voice joined them in the cabin. Qul'Roth made another loud sound of displeasure, a sort of low pitched whine from somewhere the hollows of his skull.
"What is the meaning of this? The VI is in here as well?" He demanded. Alice turned to him and rested a hand on her cocked hip.
"Look Qul'Roth, I actually like you compared to the things I've heard about your species on the whole, but most of the humans on this ship think you're here to spy on us. You're being monitored, just like everyone else. This is a military vessel, after all. It’s a fact of life, at least for someone as important as you are. Now, Cassia, is there any way we can get the viewport in this cabin to look like Ghaela?"
'Processing query...that is not possible. That information is restricted.'
"Is Admiral Kaczynski available?" Alice tried, waving a dismissive hand at Qul'Roth as the Ghaelen stood to protest.
'He is on the bridge but does not appear busy. Connecting you now…'
After a moment Alice heard Natori's voice. "Hello Qul'Roth of Ghaela and Alice Winters of Earth," he said in his perpetually cheery tone.
"Not you too, Admiral!" Alice laughed. "Listen, Qul'Roth still hasn't changed his viewport, says he doesn't like the Earth views. Think you can authorize release of whatever data on Ghaela is on Cassia's hard drives?"
The cabin was silent for a long moment as Natori contemplated the most unusual request. "Cassia, can you synthesize the requested visuals? Out of respect to our honored guest I believe it prudent to keep those data banks restricted."
The admiral's words seemed to mollify Qul'Roth, who sat back on his hind legs and contented himself to throw Alice an annoyed look at she occupied his time with her silly requests. He had enjoyed her description of himself as important, though. Cassia rendered her evaluation of the situation.
'Simulations complete. Shall I make them available for all cabins, sir?'
"No, Cassia. Just the one. Alice, when you are done visiting our emissary would you please find me on the bridge? I would like to speak with you." With that order Natori disconnected and left the two of them alone. Alice looked down from the ceiling to find Qul'Roth gazing at a beautiful cityscape in his viewport. Towering structures intertwined with trees, grasses, streams, and rivers. She could see no Ghaelen, vehicles, or other specific tidbits that might provide insight into the Ghaelen way of life but the simulation seemed to prove effective enough. Alice walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder, causing Qul'Roth to recoil back onto his heels and stiffen his spine. She chuckled.
"Sorry, didn't mean to spook you. You like it?" She asked with a knowing smile. He looked away.
"It is nice enough, I suppose," he muttered. Alice frowned at him.
"Why the long face?" Qul'Roth glanced at her with narrow eyes. Alice slapped herself in the forehead. "Ok, I didn't mean your actual face, just you don't seem happy. Do you miss home?"
"I am here in service of the Order. Why would I miss it?" Qul'Roth asked dismissively.
"Oh I don't know, because unless you're an unfeeling drone, people get homesick!" Alice shot back with fire in her eyes. "Why are you so damn afraid to admit you miss home?!"
"Because that is unnecessary and would impede my ability to serve my people. It would be improper to allow myself to be occupied by such things as the beauty of my planet when I am here."
"Oh for the love of...how many Ghaelen end up so far away from their planet? So what if none of the others get like that. You're allowed to, right?!" Alice pressed. Qul'Roth let out a deep breath.
"Conversing with you is very tiring, Alice Winters. We have discussed this already."
"And if personal wants mean nothing then why did you visit the hydroponics bay between now and our last conversation?" Alice asked with the cadence of a cat cornering a canary.
"Because the Order demands I inspect this vessel and understand how our technologies are being used!" He spluttered indignantly. Alice grinned widely, baring her canines. Qul'Roth found it most unsightly.
"I counted the number of arugula plants the last time I was there. Care to tell me why one was missing?" Alice inquired casually, turning from him and returning to the duffel that she'd brought along with her that day. From it she withdrew another bundle of healthy leaves, bound at the stems with a cloth tie. Alice watched Qul'Roth's eyes as they traveled from her face to her outstretched hand. "I already asked the Admiral and he says it's fine. I won't tell you how to do your job, Qul'Roth, but consider that indulging yourself just a bit might help with your work overall."
"I accept this gift with gratitude, Alice Winters. However, you are wrong. The canticles are clear. Selfish want is the downfall of Order and the source of all conflict. Your people's history is full of the terror of the individual."
Alice said nothing as she looked the Ghaelen over, internally wishing she could dissect his brain to figure out if there was any biological basis for his species' intense collectivist behavior. She thought Gerard would be more than willing to assist her. Alice allowed the thought to pass though, turning and collecting her bag. He's much more interesting alive anyway, she joked to herself, resting her hand on the smooth surface of the bulkhead next to the cabin's door. Alice looked over her shoulder and gave her interlocutor a measured farewell. "You're welcome, Qul'Roth. And yes, my species has done terrible things for personal gain or the gain of our clan. But we have also done great things, things that stir the passions of mind and body. Perhaps we can discuss that next time we meet? I’d hoped to stay here longer, but I should probably go see what the Admiral needs with me."
"I am in agreement, for once. It would be unwise to keep your superior officer waiting. May your labors be in service of the Order, Alice Winters," Qul'Roth replied with a polite, deep bow that almost had his antlers touching his desk.
"Enjoy your viewport, Qul'Roth." Alice cast a final wave over her shoulder as the door slid shut behind her. "No wonder so many in Alpha are fascinated by those guys," she murmured. "Now then, if I recall correctly the bridge is aft of here so…this way!"
-----
A few minutes later Alice was standing before the Marine sentry outside the bridge of the Event Horizon. It felt like even after two months aboard the ship she was still seeing new faces, especially among the military. He nodded to her, his M-22 rifle held at ease.
"Hi there, I'm Alice Winters! Admiral Kaczynski requested I meet with him?"
"Yeah, you can go ahead in," he replied in a thick Scottish accent. "Say, aren't you that lass that took the piss out of Lipper a while back? Epic show that was!"
"I uh...guess so?" Alice replied softly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "He's not still mad about that, is he?"
"Lipp? Nah, that lad's best and worst trait is that bull's head of his. But every so often it's nice to bring up 'beta boy', you know? Keeps his ego from getting too big his helmet won't fit. But I'm rambling on, won't take any more of your time. Head on in."
"Yeah, thanks," Alice said politely, moving forward as the large doors parted and slid open, revealing the bridge. She thought it looked something like a mix between Houston mission control and a sports bar. Natori sat in the center, near the back wall in a slightly elevated chair with holo displays and monitors to each side, overseeing a wide arc of watch standers at their terminals where an immense number of switches, dials, and buttons made up the majority of the floor level technology.
Above them all were large displays that broadcast whatever was most important to the captain or the Admiral at the time. They were currently cycling between various security feeds of the many laboratories and hangars aboard the ship, most of which were empty given the late hour. Alice thought the silhouettes of Swordfish zero-g fighters in their docking bays made for a good screensaver. Multiple personnel turned to look at her as she entered, further indication of another dull evening in jump space. Natori stood to hail her.
"Miss Winters, a pleasure to see you. Thank you for taking the time to come this way."
"It's no problem, Admiral. An order is an order after all. Busy night?" Alice asked, looking around the room.
"Oh yes, as you can see we are occupied fighting off a whole lot of nothing here on the bridge. Cassia," he called. "Please notify me if there are any abnormal developments. Turnwell, you have the bridge."
"Aye aye, Admiral," the first mate replied, standing from his chair to salute before returning to his station. Natori glanced at Alice.
"Well then, now that my affairs are sorted, shall we?" He asked, leading the way to the doors on the other side of the bridge that led to an identical hallway to the one Alice had used to arrive. Less than a minute later they stood at the door to his personal quarters. Alice was surprised to find it was not much larger than hers, though she wasn’t surprised at how he’d furnished it. A large, modern bookshelf of curved edges and synthetic material stood against one wall, playing host to a collection of books new and old. Alice noticed what appeared to be several first editions among them, and further noted that not all were related to science or the liberal arts. There were more than a few fantasy and science fiction novels as well. Alice smiled to herself as she took in the rest of the room, finding a rug of bright colors and geometric patterns that evoked Natori’s African roots, a desk with a potted bonsai and multiple digital picture frames, and a neatly made bed. What held Alice’s attention, however, was a historical piece in a glass case that stood next to a terminal where Cassia was able to project a full sized version of herself when Natori had need of her.
“Admiral, is that…what I think it is?” Alice asked with wonder, walking up to the helmet and breastplate.
“That depends, Miss Winters. Do you think it’s the armor of one of the winged hussars?”
“Vienna or another battle?” Alice continued eagerly, taking in the ancient armor from all sides.
“Vienna indeed, Alice. Quite possibly the greatest military victory of my ancestral homeland…well one of them, at any rate. I suppose growing up in Marshall Winters’ home gives you an appreciation for these things?”
“That and having a little brother who’s obsessed with military history,” Alice confirmed, stepping back from the display and walking to a chair clearly intended for guests, situated on the ‘visitor’s side’ of the desk. “May I?”
“But of course! Do have a seat, please. May I offer you something to drink? I have water and…well, water. Don’t think we should be popping open any whiskey until we find the Lancer, hmm?” Natori asked conspiratorially with a nod at the footlocker at the foot of his bed.
“Water is fine, Admiral. There’s no need to play host on a military vessel,” Alice insisted, seating herself and accepting a clear container with a nod.
“Yes, I do suppose even for me the accommodations are a bit limiting. Ah well, I did make an effort to ensure my dwellings were not significantly in excess of anyone else’s. Sends the wrong message, don’t you think? To brass tacks then!”
“This ought to be good,” Alice said quietly, earning a smile from Kaczynski.
“There’s no need to act as though you know me so well, Alice! But seriously…you’re on a first name basis with a Ghaelen after less than two months and he allowed you to change something in his cabin? Do I understand the situation correctly?” While the question itself was phrased for levity, Natori’s tone was quite serious as he leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees. He had taken his desk chair and dragged it to the side so that the two of them could be face to face without any furniture between them. Alice nodded.
“I didn’t think that was so strange. They prattle on about the Order and whatnot but even if there is some biological basis for Ghaelen collectivism he’s still out here away from the rest of his people. That’s got to change something. Besides, he keeps opening the door for me so he can’t hate me that much, right?”
Natori leaned back and cradled his chin in consideration. “Yes…I suppose the evidence is clear that the circumstances do indeed change something. Either that or Qul’Roth is an anomalous individual to begin with. I will not give you any direct orders, Alice, but whatever compelled you to interact with him beyond a cursory introduction, please continue. One never knows when an amicable relationship with a Ghaelen could come in handy, for you personally or for all of us aboard.”
Alice gave the admiral a quick nod. “I understand, sir. My interest is purely personal. I don’t intend to pursue a doctorate based on my interactions or anything like that.”
“That’s all I can ask for, Alice. Now as long as I have you here, may I fulfill my promise to Marshall and ask how you are doing? I hear through the grapevine that you and my jumpers got acquainted?”
“I…sorry about that,” Alice said sheepishly, the forces of time leaving her less and less proud of how she’d handled Lipper’s admittedly blunt attempt at courtship.
“Oh?” Natori left it at that, seeing Alice’s face shift and fall. He allowed her to speak on her own time, watching as she collected her thoughts and made the decision to confide. Eventually she raised her head and replied to him.
“I don’t think I’m handling this well, Admiral,” she admitted softly.
“Can you elaborate on that statement for me, Alice? Cassia, please cease audio monitoring of this room.”
‘Yes sir, switching to video only for your cabin.’
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“Thank you, sir,” Alice said, rubbing an eye. “I know I probably should have spoken to somebody about this before now but…it just didn’t seem right. I didn’t want to admit it and I hate the idea of being weak. Everyone’s suffering through jump space and boredom. But…it’s my brother. I know he’s probably dead and has been for some time. I’m not sure I’m ready to come to terms with that yet. The little shred of hope that he's still alive is tearing me apart.”
Natori said nothing, unwilling to lie to Alice when his own evaluation of the situation aligned with hers. Alice continued though, deriving some comfort from his assurances of partial anonymity and finally allowing the dam to burst.
“I was so excited to be on this ship, and I still am! But it’s been almost two months. I haven’t had any real work to occupy me yet. I’m sure your other crew is feeling a bit stir crazy as well, right? Jump then rest then jump then rest again. And at the end of every warp is another comm buoy that reminds me we’re closer to finding Russell’s grave. I could have told Lipper off and left it at that. He’s a bit of a buffoon but he’s clearly proud of his rank and achievements. First class of Beta Jumpers and all, something to celebrate to be sure. He just doesn’t know how to flirt with women. Instead I mocked him in front of everyone, even using my brother’s rank to embarrass him, which was the same damn thing I got mad at him for in the first place! That makes me the bad guy!”
“I’ll be sure to add poor courtship skills to his next evaluation,” Natori cut in with a thin smile. Alice returned it but the cheer didn’t last long.
“I appreciate the attempt at humor, but I’m constantly snappy and irritated, sir. I’ve always hated what the Ghaelen made us do to the pacified worlds, but Qul’Roth didn’t make those decisions and I don’t hate his species. I lost it on him today over his viewport of all things. Hell, the first time we met he said something about Russell and I just went off. I…I gave him a whole speech about the bonds of family and friendship winning a war between us! Seriously!” Alice lamented with her hands in the air, Natori’s shocked expression as he leaned back in his chair just confirming that she was fraying.
“You…did what? Alice, I appreciate a flair for the dramatic as much as the next starship captain, but I haven’t watched anime since I was about forty.”
“I KNOW!” Alice wailed before suddenly snapping her mouth shut and staring at Kaczynski. “Wait…what did you say?”
“Nothing, nothing at all,” he replied, looking over at the plant on his desk.
“No, I’m pretty sure you said you watched anime until you were forty,” Alice repeated with a raised brow. To her surprise Natori smiled at her.
“A little tidbit about myself given as a proof of concept. Distraction works,” he replied. “Alice, I will not give you false hope regarding the Lancer. But the fact of the matter remains that we are where we are and we are traveling as fast as we can. I assure you that the jumpers and pilots are equally bored, but I will not risk spending more time in jump space than in real space. I would only do so in the event of a combat situation.”
“I understand, sir. I wasn’t asking for any special treatment,” Alice clarified. Natori sighed and gave her a compassionate look.
“Alice, you know that was not my accusation. But I would give you some advice, if you will hear it.”
“Of course, sir.”
“Burdens are easier when shared, Alice. Who you choose is entirely up to you, but I encourage you to confide in someone you can be closer to than myself. Surely you’ve met some trustworthy people aboard in your time here? For my part, I will attempt a landing at our first opportunity. The balls of rock and gas we’ve passed by so far have not been worth entering orbit for, but if the Lancer discovered anything worth peeking at I believe it would make sense for all of us to engage with it. I promise we will not loiter in any system until we find them. But as I believe I just demonstrated, distractions have their use in keeping us all well-adjusted.”
Alice nodded a few times before pinching her nose and taking a deep breath. “Yeah…yeah. That’s probably a good idea. Would you mind if I take off for now, Admiral? I appreciate your concern quite a bit, but I think I’d rather be somewhere else.”
"Of course, Alice. I did not have anything further I wished to discuss." Natori stood and walked her to the door of his cabin, bidding her farewell with as stern a look as she’d ever seen on his face. “My only order, Alice, is to visit the ship’s psychologist if your condition worsens even after exhausting the less extreme measures we have discussed. Our conversation today will, of course, be kept in confidence. But know that if you find yourself in hot water through your own fault I cannot pull you out.”
Alice saluted him, earning a surprised but pleased smile and a salute in return. “I understand, sir. Any chance I could use the gym on this side of the ship since I’m already here?”
“I believe there’s a punching bag in there, among other things. Be my guest, Alice. The trip via the pipes is quite short. Have a good evening now.”
“Same to you, Admiral.”
Natori watched as Alice walked down the hall and disappeared around a corner to head for the nearest tube station. He hung his head and breathed out through his nose, returning to his office. “Cassia?” He called out, sitting heavily in his chair and turning to gaze at his picture frames, his attention lingering on an image of his daughter.
‘Yes, Admiral Kaczynski?’
“I am authorizing surveillance of Alice Winters’ cabin on deck B-2, highest security. No one is to be able to view those logs.”
‘Yes, Admiral Kaczynski, activating audio and video surveillance,’ came Cassia’s dispassionate voice. Kaczynski pursed his lips in thought.
“I am deeply sorry, Alice, but better safe than sorry. Wonderful machines, these VI’s…but sometimes I wish they’d stop and ask me if I’m sure.”
-----
“Oh um…hi,” Alice managed, finding herself face to face with the last person she wanted to see upon entering the military fitness facility. It was a room designed to evoke the grit and toughness of a boxing gym back on Earth, all synthetic hardwood and mirrors, though with much better ventilation. To her relief, Sergeant Lipper proved leagues more professional than their first meeting, giving her a look of mild confusion as he sat upright on a simple bench made for only one exercise, the bench press. A couple of other crew were running and biking on machines, but the team of jumpers outnumbered them. All were looking at Alice, making her feel most uncomfortable and wishing she hadn’t tied her hair in a ponytail. She’d be playing with it if she could.
“Miss Winters…was the civilian gym too crowded?” Lipper eventually asked. She shook her head.
“No. I just happened to be in the area,” Alice mumbled, feeling her guts churn as he stood and walked over to her. The sleeveless shirt he sported was already damp with sweat. She began stuttering an apology but he beat her to it.
“I believe we may have gotten off on the wrong foot back in the cafeteria. I was unaware you had family in the military. This is my squad. That’s Rex on the bench,” he pointed to the jumper who’d been spotting him before waving in the direction of the cardio equipment. “That’s Natalya over there on the bike. And of course you and Private Mendes are already acquainted, yes?” Mendes gave Alice a nod from a mat where he was stretching his hamstrings. She waved.
“I’m sorry about the beta boy thing,” Alice whispered. Lipper’s brows rose on his head.
“Care to make it up to me over dinner?” He asked confidently.
“No, thank you,” Alice replied firmly, trying to keep any ill will out of her voice. Rex snorted from behind them as Lipper shrugged.
“Ah well, can’t blame a man for trying with a girl like you. If you need something just holler. Or I suppose you could talk to Cassia,” he said in a peeved tone, waving to a corner where a holographic projector displayed the VI personality.
“Why is she here?” Alice asked with genuine curiosity. Lipper shook his head.
“Hell if I know. One of the Admiral’s little jokes, I’d guess. Don’t get too close or she’ll launch into a dissertation about how weight machines are worthless and so on and so forth.” Alice looked around and confirmed that there were indeed no weight machines present in the room. A large rack of dumbbells graced one wall next to the corner with the punching bag, while the rest of the space consisted of basic squat racks and benches, as well as the cardio machines, a few jump ropes, and medicine balls. “The annoying thing about it is that she's right. Free weights are the way to go,” Lipper concluded.
“Yo Lipp, she turned you down already and I’ve still got my sets to do. Let’s go!” Rex called, causing his sergeant to roll his eyes.
“Duty calls, as they say.” As Lipper turned from Alice with a wink she recalled the marine on the bridge.
Yeah, bullheaded just about covers it but…at least the head jumper on the ship doesn’t hate me, she concluded, making her way over to a rowing machine and popping in her earbuds. After adjusting the resistance and tightening the straps over her feet she began at a leisurely pace, building up the speed and extension of her motions before she plateaued for about ten minutes. Following her warm up she stretched out her muscles while looking around the room. The differences between it and the gym at the fore of the ship were stark. She was used to the hyper-modern room full of equipment designed for a more casual user looking to retain bone and muscle mass in space; this was something else entirely. She could practically feel the testosterone seeping from the walls, but then again that was probably the point, the training of warriors. She glanced up to find Private Mendes watching her respectfully a short distance away, waiting for her. He walked over as she finished stretching her arms.
“This may be presumptuous of me but you seem a bit lost. Can I help?” He asked. Alice debated her options, eventually dropping her shoulders in a frustrated sigh.
“I honestly have no idea how this is supposed to work,” she said, looking to her right as Rex squatted an obscene amount of weight while Lipper spotted and encouraged him, slapping the soldier hard on the back after he grunted and racked the bar in triumph. “Like, how many pounds is that?”
“Somewhere around five fifty or six hundred?” Mendes guessed.
“Holy shit!” Alice yelped, covering her mouth as Rex looked over at her. “Uh…good job!” She called, shaking her head in embarrassment as he and Lipper had themselves a laugh. “So yeah, you don’t just squat six hundred pounds. There’s a secret, right?”
“Well, yes and no. No secrets, but the form itself would be unintuitive to an initiate. Care to learn?” Mendes offered, keeping his arms across his chest. Alice met his eyes and they took the measure of one another.
“For the sake of your sergeant’s ego, this isn’t a date,” she tried with what she knew was an awkward smile. Mendes returned it.
“And for the sake of my ego?” He asked with interest.
“I don’t know you well enough to say.”
“Fair enough. Just squats then today? Or would you like to learn the bench press as well?” Mendes asked politely, motioning for her to follow him. “You guys done?” He asked of Rex and Lipper.
“Damn Mendes, already?” Rex jabbed at him, punching him lightly on the arm and laughing as Lipper walked over to another rack where the bar was set higher for an overhead press.
“Sod off, Rex.”
“Man you’re no fun,” Rex declared, following Lipper and leaving the two of them to the squat rack.
“Well, at least they racked their weights,” Mendes observed, directing Alice’s attention to the now empty bar. “Right, first thing’s first. Let’s talk about posture and form. The principle of any lift is simple, you want the weight over your own center of gravity at all times and you want to safely engage as many muscle groups as possible. I’ll spare you the nitty gritty but what that all translates to is as follows.” Mendes stepped under the bar and easily stood straight with it on his shoulders. He jerked his head at Alice to encourage her to stand at his side. “First thing is your feet. Heels even with your shoulders, toes at forty five degrees. Your knees will move out over your toes, giving your body plenty of room to squat low without jamming up your organs or pinching any nerves. Believe me when I say you don’t want a few hundred pounds pressing down on your femoral nerve bundles. Keep the bar over the arch of your foot as best you can the whole way down and up. Watch my spine and hips,” he said, squatting fully once to show her the motion.
“Do your legs really need to be that wide?” Alice asked. Mendes nodded.
“Yeah. You’ll see when you get under the bar. As you hit the bottom you’ll feel it here.” Mendes returned the bar and slapped the outside of his upper leg. “That tension is what you want, helps you drive upward with your hips and your glutes. Worst thing you can do is press up with your legs.”
“Wait…what?” Alice replied in confusion, curious as to how a squat wouldn’t involve pressing with your legs. Mendes smiled at her.
“Do you really want to know?”
“Yes. I think if I’m going to get under that steel death bar I should know what I’m getting into,” Alice insisted defensively, earning a smile from her tutor.
“Alright, don’t say I didn’t warn you. But basically it’s to save your knees. As you squat down the weight is borne mainly by your quads. If you don’t get your hips low enough, your hamstrings don’t engage and the ligaments of your knee come under a lot of stress. If you focus your energy on pushing up with your legs that’s what you’ll be doing. Instead you make sure your hips get below the knee, even out that load between the hamstring and quad. The real upward drive is going to come from the hip muscles. It’s probably better if you do it for yourself. Go ahead. That bar’s only forty five pounds,” Mendes insisted, adjusting the rack so that it was at an appropriate height for Alice. As she stepped up to the bar he stood facing her on the other side. “Ready?”
“Yeah, I think so,” Alice replied hesitantly, feeling the rough metal under her fingers. “Should I have gloves or something?”
“Nah, just gonna give you blisters. Now if you can you want a narrow grip. Yeah that’s good, just to either side of that smooth section in the middle. Let’s see if you can maintain that,” Mendes said, gently adjusting her thumbs to rest over the bar instead of under. Alice felt her face flush, but his touch was gone quickly as it had come. “Alright, now come under the bar…little lower, you don’t want it resting on your cervical spine. There you go. Probably feels a bit weird, right? It works, trust me. You want that bar resting on your muscle beds and not on your bones. Now when you lift the bar off the rack you’re going to do two things. Raise your elbows and stiffen your upper body. Proud chest and stand tall, right?” Mendes watched critically as Alice did as bade, making fine adjustments here and there before stepping back and allowing her to go through the full range of motion.
“So…how was that?” She asked as she came back to a standing position, bar still on her shoulders. It was surprisingly light once she felt her hip muscles engage.
“Not bad, honestly. Two things though,” Mendes instructed. “First is don’t look up at me, focus a few feet in front of you on the ground. It’ll help you keep your spine straight. You’d be surprised how much of a difference that makes on a deadlift. Second, don’t breathe out as you come up. It seems like a good idea now, but when you get to heavier weights it becomes very important that you maintain as much rigidity in your torso as possible. Holding your breath aids in that. Try it again,” he encouraged, nodding as Alice adapted to his feedback and did another couple reps.
“Better?” She asked as she stepped forward and racked the bar, feeling a visceral sense of accomplishment at the sound of metal hitting metal.
“Better,” Mendes confirmed, heading over to the weight rack and grabbing a couple of small plates. “Each workout you always start with the empty bar. Then add weight until you feel your form is about to go. Three sets of five reps at that weight is your workout, assuming you’re aiming to build muscle mass which, in space, you probably should be. Ready to give this a shot for real?”
“Absolutely. Thank you, private. I’m sorry for taking you away from your workout,” Alice apologized, watching as the rest of his squad moved around the gym to their own rhythm.
“Who says I’m taking a break? You’ll be spotting me next,” Mendes replied, grinning at the surprise in Alice’s eyes. “It’s an important skill to learn; you’ll see.”
True to his word Mendes walked Alice through the finer points of spotting once she’d finished her own work set at eighty five pounds. She felt her ego shrink as Mendes piled a good hundred and fifty pounds onto the bar for his first warm up set. “Suddenly I don’t feel so accomplished.”
“Are you a HEL Jumper?” Mendes asked.
“No?”
“Then don’t bother comparing yourself. The next time you’re in here, get to ninety.” Alice remained silent and nodded, watching carefully as Mendes went through his own exercises. She saw he stopped well short of Rex’s weight, getting a sneaking suspicion that Mendes didn’t particularly trust her for a heavy spot. She didn’t blame him.
With little else to do, Alice took Mendes up on his offer to teach her the bench press as well, thinking her father might be more than a little impressed if she came home with that ability. As with the squat, Mendes’ explanation was thorough and instructive, showing her how to avoid wrist and shoulder injuries through proper form. After a couple sets Alice was performing well enough that Mendes struck up more casual conversation. “So you said you had a brother in Omega, right? First Lieutenant is something else. Which ship is he on?”
Alice knew Mendes only brought it up because it was a point of commonality between them. She knew she couldn’t keep it bottled up forever. But she couldn’t talk to him about it. Not there, not him, not with Lipper and the rest all watching or listening. She felt her arms shake as she pressed heavily against the weight and set it back against the rack two reps early. “Are you alright?” Mendes asked with concern as she pushed herself out from under the bar and stood up, grabbing her towel and turning for the door to the women’s locker room. “He’s…he’s on the Lancer,” she managed, feeling a constricting pain in her chest as tears welled in her eyes. “I’m sorry!” She whispered, dashing out of the gym as the room fell silent in her wake.
“You seem to have lost your partner. Need a new one? I can probably bench more than her,” Natalya said smoothly, resting a hand on Mendes’ shoulder. “Oh, do not look like that! How were you supposed to know, Mendes?”
“That…would explain a few things,” Lipper admitted with a conflicted face as Rex let out a long whistle.
“Damn, Mendes. You just fucking stepped in it, mate. You can join Lipper over here on her shit list.”
“Fuck you, Rex.”
-----
Alice slid down the tiled wall of the shower and curled her knees to her chest, sitting and crying as scalding water rained down on her. It didn’t deaden the pain at all, but it hid her tears. Her five minutes was up far too soon as the water shut itself off, leaving her a shaking mess as she finally allowed herself to grieve for her brother. The cold settled in soon after and forced her to her feet in search of a towel. “Keep it together, Alice. Please, keep it together,” she demanded of herself, drying her body as best she could before fleeing the locker room for the tube station.
‘Good evening, Alice Winters. How may I assist you today?’ Cassia’s cheery voice was the last thing Alice needed to hear at that moment.
“Just get me as close as you can to the cabin of Yvonne and Gerard Dupuis,” Alice demanded, tuning out the VI as the pod arrived just as it always did. It was the first ride she could recall that felt utterly joyless.
-----
“Well now, who might that be at this hour?” Yvonne asked her husband as a pleasant chime alerted them to the presence of someone just outside their cabin, well into the ship’s night cycle. “You didn’t invite anyone over, did you Gerard?”
“No, dear. I was planning on reviewing the data from the latest trial group,” Gerard clarified as his wife stood from the small table in the middle of the cabin’s open space to greet their visitor.
“Yes? Who is…oh la la,” Yvonne exclaimed, finding a wet-haired Alice Winters in front of her with red eyes and a slightly sweaty shirt under her Event Horizon jumpsuit. “Ma chérie, what’s all this about? Oh nevermind! Come in, Alice. Gerard! Locate the cognac if you would? It would appear the time has come for emergency measures!” The matron insisted, motherly wrapping a comforting arm around the young woman and leading her into the cabin. She steered her past the table and sat them both at the foot of the bed as Gerard finished rifling through a small cabinet and procured a bottle of amber liquid.
“Oh my. Yes you may be right, Yvonne,” Gerard agreed as he finally got a good look at Alice. The geneticist pulled up a chair and sat across from the two women at a polite distance before snapping his fingers and standing again to locate glasses. He returned with a couple of clear plastic bottles meant for all purpose use within the cabin. “It’s no snifter but I daresay it will get the job done. Yvonne?” He asked, pouring a generous helping of the liquor and handing it to his wife, who offered it in turn to Alice.
“I imagined wine,” the youngster tried, though her tone made it more than clear her head was somewhere else entirely.
“Yes, that would have been ideal,” Gerard agreed. “But given the weight limits for crew cargo and whatnot we figured it would be best to maximize the alcohol to volume ratio while still being able to enjoy ourselves. Now, shall we drink or talk my dear?”
“Or we can wait until you’re ready,” Yvonne clarified as Alice clasped her hands together in her lap. She took a heavy swallow and relished the burn. She'd never particularly enjoyed cognac.
“Maybe I should start from the beginning…"