city. Even the oceans are crisscrossed with bridges and artificial islands. But that’s only the half of it. Most of their world is hidden from the sky. It’s an old world, and they never stopped increasing their population. They’ve been restricted from colonizing other systems like all frontier worlds, but they’ve become an impressive power anyway.”
“You going to eat that orange?” I asked, unable to keep my true thoughts to myself any longer.
She tossed it to me and showed me a wry twist of her mouth.
“I have to admit, this is fresh-tasting,” I said, peeling the fruit and popping pieces of the orange into my mouth in rapid succession.
By the time she was done talking about alien tech, I was leaning back and sighing. I’d eaten half her ration and all of mine. For me, that was the very definition of satisfaction. Eating with a girl often resulted in windfalls like that, one of the reasons I did it so often.
Natasha leaned forward and whispered to me. “You want to know what I’m going to do when we get to Gelt Station?” she asked.
I narrowed my eyes. “Something that you want to whisper about?”
She shrugged. “Nothing illegal—not exactly. I want to walk the markets and find something no one has ever seen on Earth. I’m going to buy it and take it home with me when our tour is done.”
“Why?”
She made an exasperated sound. “To show it off, of course. I can tell already you’re not going to be impressed.”
“Depends on what it is,” I said. “For instance, if you can score me a tree that pours out bourbon, or…I don’t know.”
“That’s it? Your imagination ends with a daily booze producer?”
“Well, you’d have to admit that would be pretty cool in my little house.”
“What else would you like to find?”
“Uh…” I looked at her and smiled in a predatory fashion. “How about a unique alien stimulation device? Something no one on Earth has experienced.”
She looked at me in disgust and crossed her arms. “That’s not what I meant, James.”
“Training in five,” I said, getting up.
All around us, soldiers were stirring and putting on their kits. Out in the passageway she turned to the left, and I had to go to the right. Techs and Weaponeers didn’t often train together.
I reached out and caught her hand. She turned and kissed me. We traded smiles and parted company.
“Still nailing that one, huh?” Carlos asked, falling into step beside me. “Losing your touch, aren’t you? I mean, shouldn’t you be chasing some fresh tail by now?”
“She’s a good friend.”
Carlos walked backwards for a half-dozen steps, making guttural sounds. “Yeah, I can understand the attraction better as she walks away. Tasty.”
I tripped him without even breaking my stride. It wasn’t hard since he was walking backward. He sprawled , then bounced back up.
“Asshole,” he muttered.
“Have you heard anything about our unit’s assignment?”
“Not really. We’re all breaking up, I know that muc h. We’re spreading all over Gelt Station playing soldier for any tax-cheat, payroll courier, or merchant princess who wants a color guard.”
“I have to admit it does sound a little dull. But I’m looking forward to a vacation from serious combat missions. Isn’t it about time we got a cush assignment?”
“Yeah, maybe,” Carlos admitted. “We can’t always play hero on some primitive dirtball of a planet, I guess. It just seems wrong for Legion Varus, you know what I mean?”
Looking down at him, I frowned and nodded. “You’ve got a point there. As I see it, there are two possible reasons for this assignment. Either Turov just wants to put us on ice out here so we can’t embarrass her further, or…”
“Or what?”
“Or there’s more going on out there than we’ve been told about. Maybe there’s a reason why they’re retiring Germanica from this world and putting in the goon squad instead.”
“Ha! The goon squad. Yeah, that’s about
“You going to eat that orange?” I asked, unable to keep my true thoughts to myself any longer.
She tossed it to me and showed me a wry twist of her mouth.
“I have to admit, this is fresh-tasting,” I said, peeling the fruit and popping pieces of the orange into my mouth in rapid succession.
By the time she was done talking about alien tech, I was leaning back and sighing. I’d eaten half her ration and all of mine. For me, that was the very definition of satisfaction. Eating with a girl often resulted in windfalls like that, one of the reasons I did it so often.
Natasha leaned forward and whispered to me. “You want to know what I’m going to do when we get to Gelt Station?” she asked.
I narrowed my eyes. “Something that you want to whisper about?”
She shrugged. “Nothing illegal—not exactly. I want to walk the markets and find something no one has ever seen on Earth. I’m going to buy it and take it home with me when our tour is done.”
“Why?”
She made an exasperated sound. “To show it off, of course. I can tell already you’re not going to be impressed.”
“Depends on what it is,” I said. “For instance, if you can score me a tree that pours out bourbon, or…I don’t know.”
“That’s it? Your imagination ends with a daily booze producer?”
“Well, you’d have to admit that would be pretty cool in my little house.”
“What else would you like to find?”
“Uh…” I looked at her and smiled in a predatory fashion. “How about a unique alien stimulation device? Something no one on Earth has experienced.”
She looked at me in disgust and crossed her arms. “That’s not what I meant, James.”
“Training in five,” I said, getting up.
All around us, soldiers were stirring and putting on their kits. Out in the passageway she turned to the left, and I had to go to the right. Techs and Weaponeers didn’t often train together.
I reached out and caught her hand. She turned and kissed me. We traded smiles and parted company.
“Still nailing that one, huh?” Carlos asked, falling into step beside me. “Losing your touch, aren’t you? I mean, shouldn’t you be chasing some fresh tail by now?”
“She’s a good friend.”
Carlos walked backwards for a half-dozen steps, making guttural sounds. “Yeah, I can understand the attraction better as she walks away. Tasty.”
I tripped him without even breaking my stride. It wasn’t hard since he was walking backward. He sprawled , then bounced back up.
“Asshole,” he muttered.
“Have you heard anything about our unit’s assignment?”
“Not really. We’re all breaking up, I know that muc h. We’re spreading all over Gelt Station playing soldier for any tax-cheat, payroll courier, or merchant princess who wants a color guard.”
“I have to admit it does sound a little dull. But I’m looking forward to a vacation from serious combat missions. Isn’t it about time we got a cush assignment?”
“Yeah, maybe,” Carlos admitted. “We can’t always play hero on some primitive dirtball of a planet, I guess. It just seems wrong for Legion Varus, you know what I mean?”
Looking down at him, I frowned and nodded. “You’ve got a point there. As I see it, there are two possible reasons for this assignment. Either Turov just wants to put us on ice out here so we can’t embarrass her further, or…”
“Or what?”
“Or there’s more going on out there than we’ve been told about. Maybe there’s a reason why they’re retiring Germanica from this world and putting in the goon squad instead.”
“Ha! The goon squad. Yeah, that’s about
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