Space Relations Pt. 14

"Eat this, you locust piece of shit!" Margo shouted, followed by another slam of metal. "Come on!"

A sturdy janitor's metal bucket bounced out of the showers.

"How ya doing over there, Cappy?" Margo cried out.

"They're tearing up the stalls around me." Washington's voice came from a different direction than Margo's. "I've still got a bunch of them over here!"

"Well, I'm running out of shit to throw at them!" Margo shouted in anger.

"Where's Cruz?" Washington asked.

"I don't know, they dragged him away somewhere!" Margo called back.

There was another loud crash, followed by a woman's muffled scream.

"Willow!" Washington cried out.

"They're getting in! They're getting in!"

"Willow!" The captain repeated.

"Watch my back, Thor." Braxton took off for the showers at a run.

The combat tech ran after her. He saw the woman half slip as her boots hit the wet floor, but she was able to correct herself in time to avoid a spill. He wasn't so lucky, as his legs slid forward faster than his upper body did, resulting in him landing hard on his ass. From this vantage point, he took several things in at once.

First, there were several human bodies piled up along the far wall of the shower area, stacked up in piles three or four people high. Cummings was among these, Thor noted in horror. He dearly hoped that the man was merely unconscious.

Second, Margo had managed to hide herself in some kind of crevice that was probably a janitor's closet. The big woman was wielding some kind of metal mop at the nearest of her two attackers.

Across from the showers, and separated by a four foot metal wall, were a short series of toilet stalls. These were teeming with creatures, from the sides and across the top. In one of these stalls, Captain Washington was struggling to defend himself. At the far end of the bathrooms was what Thor took to be the door to a sauna. A threesome of monsters was battering at this entry. Willow's voice was coming from that room.

Thor got back up on his feet, as Braxton rounded the corner of the shower wall. She aimed her plasma laser at where the creatures were the thickest. Long spider legs and tapering torsos were coming apart a second later. The creatures were being severed apart as if by a surgical laser. Their fragmented ends were cauterized and bloodless, but their final cries of distress served to warn the rest of their ilk that they now had something deadly in their midst.

The aliens by the janitor's shed turned, even as Margo splashed a container of bleach at them. The aliens battering the sauna ceased their siege and saw the damage Braxton was causing among them. Together, both groups mobilized against the courageous older woman. Thor knew he and his limited solder might be the only things between Braxton and certain death.

Bravely, the Viking took the handful of steps that made him a living roadblock. He fired up his solder, the hot tip lighting up and eager to burn, while Braxton kept up her carnage going throughout the restroom stalls.

"What's happening out there?" Willow cried out, hearing the shrieks of alien agony bursting across the chamber.

It wasn't a rescue, Thor thought, not by a long shot. The handful of creatures that had been pestering Margo and Willow were trying to surround him now. Only their impressions that his weapon was as powerful as Braxton's was holding them back. The fact that he wasn't running toward them and tearing them apart, however, was not lost on the aliens. The creatures began pushing forward in alternating taunts, like a street gang would.

Braxton cried out, but Thor didn't dare look back. If he did, the monsters trying to circle around him would pounce. He observed that their legs were already drawing back like springs about to launch.

Thor heard a shout, from a stern voice out in the hall somewhere. Just as the bizarre aliens started their leap toward him, the Viking made his own leap in another direction. The aliens crashed into one another in their haste to destroy him, slipping and sliding along the wet floor. Their long legs scrambled out looking for firm footing. This gave Thor the two seconds he needed to break into a run.

That hard voice, a soldier's voice, came again from the hallway, much closer than the previous time.

"Space Corps security detail!" It announced, followed by a garble of words that was lost to Thor's ears.

The spider creatures galloped out from the showers and into the hallway after him.

"Here!" Thor cried out, as he passed door after door of apartments whose occupants were probably no longer alive. "We're over here!"

A monster crashed into the wall behind him, its outstretched and murderous legs scant inches from reaching him. The next creature that leapt at him got even closer, sweeping across Thor's legs in mid-stride and sending the muscular man down in a hard slam. He rolled close to somebody's apartment door, kicking out at the alien wildly and propelling himself several feet away thanks to the polished floors.

With his wounded shoulder threatening mutiny, Thor staggered up. Before he could activate his weapon, a one hundred pound battering ram slammed into his chest and sent him flying onto his back again. He was out of the apartment section now, in the wider hallway. His weapon was gone from his grip, his broad chest humbled and stinging like wasp stings. Thor's lungs revolted and refused to take in any air.

Other creatures landed to his left and right. The one that had knocked him over was staring down at him with its hideous black orbs. It raised half of its many limbs in order to squash out the little life that remained inside of him.

What sounded as the voice of a god, strong and angry, reached his ears.

"Keep your head down!" The voice commanded, as if Thor had the choice to do anything else.

From his position flat on his back, Thor watched as a rain of white plasma began crossing his line of sight and annihilating his otherworldly attackers. It was as beautiful as it was deadly.

A temporary crisis center was set up in the cafeteria of the Edgeworth Observation Platform, by medics from the SCS Ptolemy.

"I'm sorry." One of the doctors said to Captain Washington, when the captain had asked about the welfare of his navigator. That was all that the woman said. It was all she needed to say.

Washington scanned across the faces of his crew then. All of them were sitting battered, bruised and bloody on the various benches and chairs. Some cried right away, some tried to hold it back for a few minutes. Either due to sadness or anger, the tears eventually fought their way out regardless of their owner's wills. Three people had no tears to shed because they were still unconscious; these were Barbie, Cruz, and Mary.

Security Sergeant Bailey had asked him, "What the hell happened here?"

Washington had no answer for the man then. The captain had been tumbling the question over in his mind ever since it had been asked. He thought he knew the answer now.

Space. Space had happened.

Even though he felt numb and nauseous, the distraught captain stepped around the tables where his crew's wounds were being attended to. Washington started looking through the various cabinets. After a couple of minutes, he found a bottle of old vodka. While it wasn't what the man would have normally chosen for the purpose, he took it anyway.

Former Commander Braxton might have guessed at what he was doing. As soon as he started away from the cafeteria, the woman cradled her bandaged arm and winced, before she stood up and followed him. In silence and side by side, the two walked down the wide corridor. A few times they witnessed stretchers carrying dead men and women going in the opposite direction. Over fifty human lives, Washington reflected, had been lost in what was supposed to be a safe corner of space.

Washington and Braxton made the turn into the narrower corridor of the apartments. Briefly, the black man wondered whether the station would simply be renamed and used as it was, or whether it would be broken up into parts and used in several new space stations. That was the usual protocol when such tragedies happened.

The two walked on, still not speaking. Finally, they stepped into the comparative chaos of the showers. Several medics and their assistants pictured and tried to identify the slowly dwindling rows of stacked corpses. Washington and Braxton halted in the middle of the shower floor to watch them.

Captain Washington considered the gruesome duty of the medics, before he took in the extensive damage that had been wreaked there, both to man and property.

"Space can be a cruel bitch." Ensign Braxton said, quietly.

"Yes, she can." Washington somberly nodded. He undid the top of the vodka bottle. "My people, my ancestors, had this custom back on Earth. They would take a drink of alcohol and then pour the rest onto the ground. This was done in remembrance of their friends who had passed away."

The captain took a swig, wincing at the taste of the strong alcohol. He held the vodka out to Braxton. She joined him in the farewell drink.

"His first name was Bradley." Washington mentioned, as he took the bottle back. "Early on, my navigator told me that he didn't like his first name. We've been calling him Cummings ever since." He grinned, recalling some of the better moments he'd shared with the man. "He loved being out here, in space. He loved being out here more than he loved being back on Earth."

"I didn't know him for very long," Braxton said. "But I think he was a good man."

Although Washington felt the woman was being sincere, he thought her words sounded like plastic. Braxton still hadn't lost that hard edge to her voice. Perhaps she never would.

He shook the bottle slightly, before holding it out and allowing a thick stream to bleed out from its end. The alcohol made a splash as it hit the metal of the shower floor and started a determined stream over to the grated sink. It was such a transient gesture, Washington felt, as he knelt down on sore legs and set the bottle down on its side. The clear liquid bubbled out in a hurry to leave its confines, to add itself to the growing stream on the floor. The captain straightened up, feeling the strained muscles of his back start complaining.

He sighed. "Ensign Cummings, you will be missed."

Having nothing more to add, Washington turned and started away. After a long moment, Braxton followed him out.

Several day cycles later, the crew of the Space Relations was still docked on the SCS Ptolemy. All of them had wounds that needed nursing, some more serious than others. Eventually, the medical staff allowed Barbie and Cruz to be wheeled out of their private rooms and into a larger and empty conference room where the rest of the crew could join them.

Barbie's smile was enough to brighten up the entire room. Washington stood by her and held her hand while everyone else took a seat around them. Cruz, on the other hand, had a recovering Mary to watch over him, as well as two cute nurses who were fussing over him like warring finches. At an appropriate moment, Thor took the initiative and ushered both of the pretty ladies out.

"That was my entourage, baby." Cruz complained. "How dare you deprive a man of his flock of beauties?"

"Well, you can call them back later." Thor shrugged.

Braxton sat quietly, her seat next to the captain's spot and beside the head of the conference table. Next to her sat Willow, who was very quiet and keeping her arms crossed. Margo was the only person not seated, and also the least injured of the bunch. The ship's hefty cook stood there pensively with a glob of chewing gum tumbling around in her mouth.

"Please, Margo, have a seat." Washington stated, leaving behind Barbie's grin and hand as he vacated his chair. "I have something I'd like to say to all of you."

Margo shrugged and obeyed.

Washington glanced over at Thor. "Would you mind getting the door?"

The door was soon shut.

"Over the last couple of days, some of you have told me that you have some concerns you'd like to voice." Washington stated. "These are concerns regarding either your post on the Space Relations, or some sort of technicality that I wasn't aware of. I thought this might be a good time to bring these concerns to light. We've been cleared to leave the Ptolemy within the next day cycle or two, once Barbie and Cruz are up and about. Also, there is a very real possibility that I may no longer be able to captain the ship."

"What?" Barbie asked. "Are you kidding?"

"What are you on about?" Came from Cruz.

"I've been asked to prepare a detailed brief regarding the events that took place on the Edgeworth." Washington explained. "In my report, I will state that I neglected to leave adequate personnel on the bridge of the Space Relations. If I had followed protocol, some members of the crew would not have been attacked. These crewmembers would have sealed themselves inside the command bridge once the attacks started taking place. Undoubtedly, a distress message would have been sent out much earlier. This is a serious breach of duty and I expect to be removed from my station because of it."

"You can't say that in your report." Braxton countered.

"Why not?"

"Because it would contradict my report." The woman elaborated. "Which I've already prepared and transmitted by using my old security clearances. My report states that you did leave two personnel on board, namely Ensign Brukenfooken and myself. Thor's report also matches mine in detail. Since he lacks the correct security clearance to submit it, the report is still sitting in your personal cache along with a copy of mine."

"You shouldn't have sent your report without my permission." Washington frowned. "Cummings might be alive today if I'd followed proper procedure."

"You can't keep blaming that on yourself." Braxton said.

"The truth of it is," Thor cut in. "That if you hadn't told us to go into the pantry, we would have been out there with the rest of you guys. We would probably all be dead right now. As it happened, we might not have been on the bridge at the start, but we were still able to send that distress call within a handful of minutes of the attack anyway. And I'm sorry to say this, but I think Cummings would still be dead, even if the security people from the Ptolemy had arrived earlier than they did."

"I don't want to lie in my report." Washington admitted.

"Why not?" Thor asked. "Space Corps lied to us when they sent us out here. They told you, captain, that our mission was so vitally important. That we were going to be some kind of great ambassadors out in space. You know the real reason why our names were on your paperwork. When you went out to recruit us, you knew it was because Space Corps wanted to get rid of us. They wanted to send us so far into space that they would never have to see us again on Earth."

"What the fuck?" Margo griped.

Washington quietly lowered his head. "Who told you this?"

"Admiral Cocksander told me," Braxton admitted. "When he assigned me to your crew. He was gloating about it."

Thor pointed an accusing finger at the resident seer. "And Mary knew about it the entire time!"

"Mary!" Margo complained. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Mary shrugged. "Oh, I caught the captain wondering about it a few times, before we even left Earth. The captain thought he was some kind of big loser, and that we were all losers, because everybody that Space Corps wanted him to enlist had some big falling out with somebody high up in the administration. We were all on the Space Corps shit list, and we know we were. The captain was still willing to take a chance on us, even though he knew or at least suspected what was going on. I think that was pretty good of him. If I had to do it over, I'd still do it the same way. I'd still want to be a member of this crew, even after what happened to us here."

"Mary, how far back did you know?" Washington asked.

"I can tell you the exact moment. It was right after you came to interview me at the daycare center. When you sat down in your car and I was looking at you through the window, that's when I knew."

"Well, I for one could kiss the captain for having asked me to join up." Cruz stated. "If I happened to be a gay man that is, which I most emphatically am not. It was thanks to him that I met Mary. This woman has made a difference in my life that other men only wish they could experience. In my degreed opinion, Mary is the epitome of sexy, for now and forever more."

"You stop that." Mary blushed. "You're too banged up to do your duty with me!"

"My tongue still works."

"You're on!" Mary said. "As soon as this meeting is over!"

How those two could be thinking about sex after having been beaten up and nearly killed by rogue aliens, was well beyond Washington's rationale.

Mary caught his thoughts. "Sex heals all wounds, Captain."

"I believe the correct term is; time heals all wounds."

"Whatever. I was close."

"Mary," Braxton halted the verbal shenanigans. "Will you please tell Barbie why the Space Corps administrator asked her to return to her job on the Neptune?"

"Oh, do I have to?"

"What?" Barbie asked. "What is it?"

"They wanted you to go back to your job, because they didn't expect to see any of us ever again. We're all on the administration's bad side, but you aren't. They wanted you back. You're the only one they thought was worth salvaging."

Barbie scowled. "Those mother-fuckers!"

Several people in the room laughed, because Barbie hardly ever vented like that.

"Fuck!" Barbie blasted out.

"Don't blow a fuse, baby." Cruz cautioned her.

"They can't do that to you guys!" Barbie shouted. "They can't just flush people down the toilet like that! You're all good people!"

"It's not the first time it's happened to me." Thor admitted.

"I did plenty of flushing myself." Braxton recalled. "Barbie, if I can give you a few words of advice. I know that you're only a low level mind-reader, but you really should use your skill more often, when it might be to your advantage to do so."

Margo punched her own fist. "I say we go back to Earth and pay Admiral Cocksucker a visit!"

"There's one more thing I would like to mention." Braxton said. "Mary, would you please tell us what Willow Smith's real name is?"

Willow's face turned pale.

"Well, it's Willow Smith, isn't it?" Mary wondered.

"Braxton, do you know something we don't?" Washington asked.

"I know that this woman sitting beside me is not a Systems Analyst." Braxton revealed. "At best, she might have been studying basic Systems Analysis at one of the academies. I was hoping Mary could use her skill to shed some light on this."

Willow stood up. She looked as if the entire world had come crashing down on her. "I think I should leave."

Mary suddenly gasped. "Oh, my goodness! She's a fake!"

"Will someone please give me an explanation?" Washington demanded.

Mary looked up at the woman. "Either you tell him, Willow, or I will."

With all eyes on her, Willow gave up. "Fine. My real name is Willow Stevens, not Willow Smith."

"Wow, that's a world-shaking revelation right there." Thor rolled his eyes.

"That's why I couldn't figure it out." Mary explained. "Because the lie is so close to the truth. Tell the captain about your paperwork, Willow, you big fake!"

"I was an assistant in the administrative wing of the Academy." Willow admitted, followed by a long sigh. "I worked in a little cubicle, in a room with a hundred other assistants. I was the person who filed Lieutenant Washington's latest request to be assigned to a starship. I noticed how many times he had been turned down before, because I'm nosy and I like to read through the files sometimes. The person who kept denying the captain was Commander Parson at the Academy. I anonymously forwarded the captain's file to the person above him in the chain of command, which was Admiral Mathis. Mathis read your file and asked Parson why he'd turned you down so many times before. Parson told him he didn't like Lieutenant Washington very much. Mathis replied that he should just find a ship for him to get him out of his hair."