G-Pol Ch. 08

The next morning, they got started early as usual, even though they'd all stayed up late. After breakfast the first thing Natasha did was put through Lisa's transfer request. she sent it directly to headquarters along with Lisa's previous requests, all of them, and the receipts the other woman had been given when she'd submitted her original requests. It wasn't wise to play with another's career in that way, and they'd decided together to make a lesson of it. They'd also decided to take the wise course and let command deal with the issue. It should be enough to trigger an investigation.

Next, she contacted the local shipyard for berth space for the Czarinas modifications. These would be minimal and would take little time, as they were strictly interior and for the most part cosmetic. The most time-consuming part would be the plumbing, as two lavs were replaced by one larger more comfortable more convenient setup. The work should only take a day or two at most since most of the components were modular.

Once that was done, they could begin to move Lisa's belongings into hers and Vixi's new living space. She didn't have too much in the way of possessions. Most of the items in her apartment were included in the rent and not hers at all. What remained were her clothes and other personal items. As a spacefarer, she'd never gotten in the habit of collecting much personal property. One couldn't accumulate much on a government vessel when there wasn't room for it, and things would have to be left behind.

The needed space was readily available at the shipyard since there was little work to be had in this area of space. Most of that was usually modifications and or repairs to space yachts owned by wealthy visitors to Aphrodite. For this reason, too, the prices were reasonable and the work could begin as soon as the ship was in place.

She passed this along to Vixi and Lisa who quickly cleared out the two rooms, making them ready. Karl had already moved his belongings into the room he was now sharing with Natasha, so all the rooms on that side of the ship were now empty. The girls would move into the remaining room on the other side of Bona's. They'd decided they would stay on the ship while the work was underway to supervise and maintain their own security. There was a very dangerous man with many more working for him trying to kill several of them. Best not to give him an opportunity.

Natasha moved the ship an hour later and the work crews began immediately. They were quick and thorough, and the area to be redone was stripped to bare walls in a matter of two hours. Natasha sold the modular components to the shipyard, and put the proceeds against the cost of the work being done and the new components. All of which were in stock and available, which made quick resolution possible. By day's end the structural and plumbing work was complete, the majority of the accessories was in place and all that remained was to choose the decorative points, including primary and accent colors. The furnishings would be delivered and installed the next morning. Then all that would be left would be to move the occupants and their possessions in.

While the workers performed their duties, Natasha discussed the items she'd been thinking about the night before with her three new partners in low voices. Karl liked her ideas, and was more than ready to help in any way he could. Lisa wasn't averse to any of the ideas either, and thought they would be useful skills to have. Vixi though, was the most enthusiastic. She'd already decided on her niche. She wanted to be their medic. She was already trained in advanced first aid, only a few steps below a full paramedic, and wanted to learn more. She was also interested in law enforcement and knew quite a bit already, having gleaned what she could from her parents in their careers and their friends and associates.

She'd also not exaggerated about her prowess with weapons. Out of her purse, she produced several medals won in marksmanship contests back on Earth when she'd been younger. Surprisingly, several of these were for tactical shooting courses, with both rifles and pistols. These had been salvaged from the wreckage of her bungalow before they departed, and returned to her by a thoughtful security officer. When this could've happened, neither Karl nor Natasha could guess. They'd been among the little to survive.

A little discussion showed both the women would need fairly extensive hand to hand training to fit into the profile Natasha had in mind, and Karl thought they should take it a step farther even. Vixi was all for it, while Lisa was indifferent. She would learn it to make herself a more useful part of the team, but her true interest lay in the technical aspects of her job.

Lisa in turn had some ideas for the Czarina herself. There wasn't much that could be done about her defensive capabilities, short of major modifications anyway. she could probably increase the force shield strength somewhat. But what she really thought she could do to protect them was to install an anti-missile laser system. This would consist of two or more small laser ball turrets that would lock onto and shoot down incoming missiles. The system would be entirely automated and would be able to engage missiles, and potentially mines, up to a hundred kilometers away in space.

Both Karl and Natasha liked the sound of that. Karl offered to foot the bill for half the equipment cost and Natasha told her to go ahead and look into getting what would be needed. If it was available here, then she was to go ahead and acquire it. Lisa would be the one to do the installation work on that particular system. The work would be sensitive and proper installation would be a necessity.

Her next suggestion also met with immediate approval. She wanted to install more powerful maneuvering thrusters to increase their maneuverability. This could be vital in a number of situations, including the one Natasha had found herself in when she first arrived in this system. Natasha didn't even have to think about it, she just agreed and told Lisa to get the best she could find, no matter the cost.

Lisa's final suggestion also got immediate approval. She told Natasha she could increase her engine and gravitic drive outputs by more than twenty percent altogether, which would dramatically increase maximum speed and acceleration. This too would've helped quite a bit in the pirate encounter earlier. This with the increase in maneuverability would drastically increase their odds of escaping and surviving future encounters of the kind. The only drawback would be a slight decrease in fuel economy, but with the larger fuel capacity her parents'd had built in, the Czarina still had far greater range than most vessels of her class and size should.

Since Natasha knew a bit about the maintenance and engineering of her own ship, she would be assisting, as would Karl, who also had an excellent general knowledge of electronics and mechanics. Vixi asked if she could observe and try to learn what she could as well, so she might be able to lend a hand in the future. Lisa smiled at that and told her she'd teach her if she wanted to know more, in fact she would teach them all. This would make certain they could handle most any problems that weren't critical and could save them all in an emergency. Natasha Karl and Lisa all at least had a basic knowledge of piloting spacecraft, but Vixi knew almost nothing in that area. They decided they should all have the skills necessary for that task. To that end, Karl and Natasha would teach the other two. Lisa's knowledge would be expanded and experience added, while Vixi would be taught everything she needed from the beginning. When Bona also expressed an interest, they agreed to teach her as well.

Bona had quite a bit to contribute in her own right. As it turned out, she was a medic first class with training to treat both humans and other Killhounds. She hadn't had the needed medical equipment when Natasha had been struck down by Mallory, but she had put in a requisition for the more advanced nanomedical kit as well as the usual military issue units for her and Natasha right after that incident. She too had learned that lesson the hard way, and wouldn't risk it again. Karl's accessibility and possession of just what was needed at just the right time had been fortuitous, and that kind of fortune couldn't be relied upon. Karl seconded that assertion wholeheartedly. They would requisition another unit for Lisa and buy a high-quality commercial unit for Vixi as well to be sure they all had what was needed to save themselves.

Bona, With Karl's help would begin Vixi's further training as their medic immediately. In addition, they would purchase another of the more advanced Nanomedical and biochemical systems like the one Karl had, for use in their shipboard medical kit. They would also be sure to have a large supply of basic medical supplies and basic drugs and antibiotics as well as the various healing salves and wound treatment compounds. All of this would contribute to their multi role capability.

There were a few other such units in G-Pol, but none with the SWAT rating. Most of the others were disaster relief units that would go in to maintain order until the local law enforcement was back up to par. This unit would be the ones to handle the more dangerous elements in the criminal world. Individuals and organizations like those of Mallory and similar. Working with G-Pol as they would be, they could even draw on CAF and BE or other government troops for some operations against well defended groups. Natasha would have no trouble working with Wolfpack troopers for instance since she herself had been trained among them. But that was for the future. There was a lot to be done between now and then.

When the work was finished that evening, they moved the ship back to the g-Pol section of the station for security, then went to the grav gym for some exercise since they hadn't had the chance earlier.

Karl took them to the one he'd used most often. He was happy to find both Janice and Mike on duty, and introduced them to the others. Janice was quick to ask if Karl was headed for the bikes again. When Natasha looked questioningly at them, she smiled and quickly explained the whole thing.

Natasha immediately noticed the other woman's interest in her man and took a good look at Janice, since she was in a barely there skin-tight leotard and thong that hid absolutely nothing. She was a hundred-sixty-three centimeters, her C-cup breasts were only a little smaller than Natasha's own, with nipples standing proudly erect even through the double layer of fabric needed to support their heft. She was slimmer,but her curves were similar to Natasha's too, with a tightly mouldede waist, flaring dramatically into beautifully formed hips and a perfectly rounded backside, and her legs looked long and lean. Best of all, she was rock hard with muscle in all the right places. All in all, she was gorgeous! Natasha did wonder though why the woman wore a leotard that covered her so completely. It went from just under her jawline, all the way to her wrists and down into her ballet shoes. It was almost as if the woman were ashamed to show her skin. Though she definitely wasn't ashamed of her body in and of itself. In fact, she seemed to enjoy showing it off otherwise. She suspected the bare hint of a single layer sports bra was only there for forms sake.

Karl once again programmed the course from memory. It was actually a one-hundred-forty-two-digit code that gave the computer a set of parameters and instructions chosen from a set of preprogrammed components, that it then fit together to create the scene and the course going through it. This was a difficult program designed to put the individual to the test and provide a good workout at the same time, while being as safe as possible, being in a padded gym rather than out in the wilderness.

He went through a few warm-up exercises before beginning. Mike asked if he could try it out before Karl took his turn and Karl agreed, warning it wasn't going to be easy.

Mike found this out quickly, but did reasonably well for the first part while the others watched interested. Partway down the first slope though, he made his first and last mistake, ending the course for him. He took the helmet off and just nodded his acknowledgement. It was a tough course. He was heavily sheened in sweat from the effort. He turned the bike over to Karl and took his place to watch what happened.

Karl mounted the bike and pulled on the helmet, strapping it in place securely. Janice and Mike helped the others warm up while they watched the screen. Others were attracted by the small crowd and also came to watch. Some remembered Karl from his previous visits and talked amongst themselves. Natasha heard much of this as she warmed up, and was duly impressed.

The course took Karl twenty-five minutes, and by the time he was finished, they'd attracted quite an audience. Judging by the crowd response, it looked as if this could become a real fad here. Mike ran over to the desk and fetched a program card so they could save it for later use. Once that was done, several bikes were programmed the same way and linked. Soon races were taking place.

This greatly amused Karl, as he knew most of the contestants would never finish the course the first time through, and the real race would be to see how far one could get. As he'd told Janice, he'd taken dozens of tries to complete it the first time, and far longer to reach the point he was at now. It would probably discourage most of these. A few would stick with it though, and those who succeeded would probably soon come up with their own challenges even more extreme than this one. It might be interesting to come back at some point in the future to see how it had turned out. Perhaps he could try out some of the future challenges.

Of more immediate concern though was the beginnings of Vixi's and Lisa's martial arts training. With a nod to attract Natasha's attention, he pulled them off to one side away from the gym's other patrons. Natasha and the others followed him. "Mike? Vixi and Lisa need to begin a martial arts training regimen. Natasha and I are already fully rated and we need to get them up to snuff quick. I was wondering if you'd be interested in giving a series of private lessons?"

"I have a small gym on the Czarina so we can avoid any interruptions." Natasha offered in support of the idea, "Of course we'll be paying a bit above the going rate as well. And if you know a good place to acquire some additional exercise equipment, that would be very much appreciated too. I have some, but we're going to need more for all four of us. And Bona of course!"

Mike smiled happily as did Janice. "I have no problem with that at all. I'm already doing it for some other people. We've also got a distribution license for several brands of exercise equipment, so we can find pretty much anything you might think you need, and a few you didn't think you would. We're here tonight because I have a class in a few minutes. You can all join in if you like. Karl, you and Natasha can even help out a little with some of my more advanced students. It'll give them a taste of some other styles than my own, and a chance to experience other techniques they might run into in the real world. Just don't break any of them pleas."

They all agreed to give the regular class a try, and Karl and Natasha would help out as Mike had asked. Janice was also in this class. She'd had an aerobics class to teach earlier, and had elected to join Mike's self-defense classes shortly after they started dating. She'd found they complimented her own program nicely, and this gave her an advantage in that not only did she gain better cardiovascular results, but she also gained quite a bit in strength and muscle tone. This in turn improved her physical appearance, which in turn increased her class enrollment as others sought to improve themselves similarly.

Another advantage to their working together, was that they taught their classes on a contract basis. This of course meant they kept a larger portion of the proceeds. It also meant that the more students they brought in, the more money they made as well. Thus, increased class sizes helped them achieve their dreams much more quickly. They confided to Karl and Natasha, they eventually wanted to buy a gym of their own, and they were saving to do just that.

The class turned out to be fun for all involved, as Karl and Natasha were introduced as military trained martial artists, come to observe the class and to help out as needed. Vixi and Lisa were introduced as visiting students, also come to check out the class. Mike's style turned out to be rather free form. It was predominately in the Taekwondo style for this class. He also taught a Judo class on another night. His main focus was self-defense, rather than tournament competition. There was no competitive martial arts circuit in this region as of yet, since the population was so small.

Natasha and Karl wound up sparring with many of the more advanced students, taking care to pull their punches, especially Karl, who wasn't used to having to do so, since he never practiced this as a sport. They all used the proper safety equipment as well, and no one was hurt. The class was enlightening in many respects, and gave Karl several ideas for Vixi and Lisa's training. He would learn much more from Mike and Natasha as well. He was always up to learning new skills and techniques to add to his combat effectiveness.

The highlight of the evening for the students was a rematch between Karl and Mike, which Karl once again won handily, leaving many of the students with jaws on chests. Even more enlightening for them, was the analysis of the encounter by both fighters afterward. Making use of the gym's holo-recording and playback system, they broke the action down into manageable sections and replayed them, then demonstrated what should've been done to counter the moves used. All in all, Mike's students learned quite a bit more than they bargained for with this class. The more observant also found there was no sovereign form. For those who weren't, Mike made it a point to make this clear. Each had its own advantages and weaknesses, and it was all in how the practitioner used what he knew. It was also made clear that Karl was a professional with years of real-life field experience, and no amount of training in a gym could make up for that kind of conditioning. This was how he'd beaten their instructor.

After the class, Natasha Karl and the others were joined in the spas by Mike and Janice to further discuss the classes for the girls. It didn't take long though for the subject to drift off topic. Janice once again showed she didn't care about convention, and took the conversation into realms Karl and Mike both considered to be private. The women though, seemed to see things differently, so the two men kept their objections to themselves, deeming it the wiser course.

Before long, Janice had gotten into hers and Mike's sex life and it became clear to Karl what her objective was. He could see it in Mike's eyes as well. Apparently, the two men shared the same opinion on the matter. If the girls wanted to share, that was fine, but they weren't so sure about being shared. They had the women they wanted, and that was enough for each of them.

Lisa was the next to figure out what was going on. Janice wanted another partner, a part time one, to share hers and Mike's bed. Either a man or a woman would be welcome, but she would prefer a woman, because she wanted Mike to enjoy it too and he wouldn't touch another man. When this became clear, Natasha understood Karl's and Mike's reticence on the matter. Lisa and Vixi though had no such qualms, and encouraged Janice in her desires. Natasha dropped out of the conversation at that point, much as Karl and Mike had, moved closer to Karl leaning on him comfortably, just enjoying his presence and the hot water.