Dragon Team Seven Read online

  He left them, muttering about why anyone would choose the recon division.

  “Well, that wasn’t very reassuring,” Ty said.

  They were in a good-sized room, large enough to be divided into two sections. One was clearly a dining room, with long tables and benches. The other half of the room looked to be recreational. A tall woman, with angular features and neatly styled hair on top of her head that rose up like a wave, greeted them.

  “Welcome to the East Indy,” she said. “I’m Sergeant Lassider. I’ll show you to your barracks.”

  They saluted, then followed the sergeant. Nick couldn’t help but notice that she wore her fatigue blouse unbuttoned at the neck and tied up around her trim waist. The fatigues were utilitarian in nature, but the vivacious sergeant had managed to make them look much more feminine.

  “We don’t get a lot of visitors,” she said with a grin. “It’s good to see some new faces.”

  “What do you do here?” Jules asked.

  “We’re an infantry platoon,” she explained. “The East Indy—that’s our name for the ship. An homage to the West India trading company. Anyway, we’re tasked with keeping the Proxy on this ship safe when in port. It’s standard duty. We stand watch and flex our muscles occasionally when the natives get restless.”

  “Sounds pretty easy,” Kal said.

  “It isn’t difficult work, no,” she said, leading them into a small room with six tiny bunks and a single bathroom. “This is the guest quarters. You’ll have to share it, I suppose.”

  “Looks fine,” Nick said.

  “Yes,” she said, drawing the word out as her eyes flitted over them. “Well, the hardest thing about the PMC is being trapped aboard a ship for weeks and weeks at a time. You’ll find out soon enough. It makes a person long for something to distract them, even for a short time.”

  “The master sergeant ordered us to stay in the barracks,” Ember said.

  Nick could see the suspicion on his friend’s face. Ember didn’t try to mask her emotions, but neither did Sergeant Lassider, who was clearly flirting with them.

  “He didn’t say we couldn’t visit,” she almost purred.

  “We’ve had a long week,” Ember said. “I think we’ll catch up on our sleep.”

  “A couple of days in the sack never hurt anyone,” the sergeant said. She winked at Nick, whose face blushed. “If you need anything, just call. I’ll be glad to help.”

  She left the small sleeping compartment, and Kal whistled a long, low note.

  “Dang, I could get used to this,” he said.

  “Don’t be an idiot,” Ember said. “Someone like that has major issues.”

  “Why? Because she found me irresistible?” Kal argued.

  “Exactly,” Jules said.

  “I’ve never seen a woman come on to a guy that strong who wasn’t getting paid to do it,” Ty said. “Kind of gives you the creeps.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Kal said.

  “Don’t do anything foolish,” Nick said. “The last thing we need is to piss off that master sergeant.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I hear you,” Kal said. “I’m just saying, she was fine.”

  “And I’m telling you, someone like that should be on STD warning posters,” Ember said. “She’s the kind of person that will make an impression you’ll want to forget but won’t be able to.”

  “Well, it don’t matter,” Ty said. “I feel like I could sleep for the whole two days.”

  “Me too,” Jules said. “I’m beat.”

  They took turns in the tiny bathroom and then spread out on the small bunks. The beds weren’t as nice as those in the intake center, but they were still a step up from the ULU dormitory. It didn’t take long before they were all in bed. Just before falling asleep, Nick glanced at his wrist link and saw that it was 11:39 hours.

  Occasionally they heard voices outside the small room, but no one bothered them. When Nick got up, it was 19:22 hours. He got up, stretched, went to the bathroom, and then checked the door. A small window was open near the long tables, and Nick saw other marines eating. After checking to make sure his friends were all still sleeping, he slipped out and walked across to the window. It was an automated food dispenser. There were six choices. Nick picked the hamburger with vegetable chips and a grape-flavored punch.

  There were plenty of empty spaces at the tables. He found one and sat down. The hamburger was a little bland, but it was definitely made from real meat, not soy. He dressed the burger with mustard and rehydrated onions. The vegetable chips were light and crispy, with just a hint of the original flavors. He was halfway through his meal when two people sat down across from him.

  “Fresh meat,” said a man with “Hampton” printed on his fatigues and a private’s lone shoulder stripe.

  “Be nice, Hamp,” his friend said. She was a corporal with “Jones” printed on the front of her fatigues.

  Nick noticed she didn’t wear her fatigues like Sergeant Lassiter had. He brushed the salt off his fingers and extended a hand.

  “I’m Nick,” he said.

  “What division are you, recruit?” Hampton asked.

  “Recon,” Nick said.

  “Damn,” the girl said with a grin. “We have Dragons on board.”

  “Not yet,” Hampton said. “He’s got to pass the training first. My guess is he’ll be scrubbing the floors on a trade ship just like the rest of us.”

  Nick took a bite of his burger and tried not to let the newcomer’s attitude bother him.

  “Hamp, show some manners,” Jones said. “Where on Earth are you from, Nick?”

  “Seattle,” he said.

  “Oh man, I’ll bet you miss it,” she replied.

  “No, actually,” Nick said. “It’s an overcrowded slum.”

  “The entire Earth is an overcrowded slum,” Hampton said. “And it’s still better than this.”

  “What’s so bad about it?” Nick asked.

  “Nothing,” Jones said with a smile. “It can get boring sometimes, but it’s better than being shot at.”

  “You’ve seen action?” Nick asked, anxious to find out what the PMC was really like.

  “We’ve held off some angry natives who felt they were being cheated,” Hampton grumbled. “Nothing new there.”

  “Sometimes the planets where the Proxy trade feel that they aren’t being treated fairly. If that happens, we get called in. Otherwise, we’re stuck here in this tiny section of the ship. It can get claustrophobic after a while.”

  Nick was just about to ask about the Proxy on board when he saw Ember and Kal step out of the guest quarters and look around. He stood up and waved. Kal saw him first and led Ember toward him.

  “What about the Proxy?” Nick asked.

  “What about them?” Hampton replied.

  “Do you ever see them? What are they like?”

  “We don’t see them,” Jones replied. “We have no contact with them, really. I mean, Master Sergeant Baker does, but the rest of us don’t.”

  “What’s on the menu?” Kal said as he approached the table.

  “Same six crappy choices as always,” Hampton said.

  “These are my friends, Kal Phillips and Ember Gracie,” Nick said. “The hamburger is real beef.”

  “Good enough for me,” Kal said. He and Ember went to the food dispensary.

  “Ah, the joys of being a new recruit,” Jones said whimsically. “I remember how exciting real food was.”

  “I remember what it was like to have a little variety,” Hampton said. “Don’t be fooled—the PMC isn’t as great as they claim. We’re all little more than prisoners aboard this ship.”

  “What about when you’re in system?” Nick asked.

  “Then we spend every waking moment on watch or escort duty. We don’t get leave, man. You can kiss your ideas about exploring exotic space systems goodbye. This is as good as it gets,” Hampton said as he waved around the room.

  Kal and Ember returned to the table and sat on ei
ther side of Nick.

  “What about Elysium?” Nick said.

  “What about it?” Hampton asked.

  “Have you seen it?” Ember asked.

  “No,” Jones replied. “But people do rotate out of the platoon when their term of enlistment is up.”

  “Do you ever hear from them again?” Kal asked around a mouthful of hamburger.

  “No,” Hampton said. “And if they aren’t just pushed out of an airlock, I wouldn’t be surprised if Elysium turned out to be a barren wasteland.”

  “The pictures look good,” Ember said.

  “Just don’t go believing everything the Proxy tell you,” Hampton went on. “They don’t give a damn about anyone or anything but themselves.”

  He got up from the table and stalked away. Jones shook her head.

  “Don’t listen to him,” she said. “Some people get a little stir-crazy. I guess we all do at times. It comes and goes. There’s not much variety on board ship.”

  “What’s the training like?” Kal asked.

  “Infantry training is exactly what you’d expect. Lots of running and shooting,” Jones said. “We still do PT and stand watch, but it’s really just to keep us busy. We clean and stock supplies too—whatever needs to be done to keep the platoon going.”

  “Wow,” Kal said. “I was thinking this would be a dangerous job.”

  “It has its moments,” Jones said. “But mostly it’s like any other job, only we can’t escape it. Unless you’re a staff NCO, you don’t get private quarters. We live together and work together. But too much time in close quarters makes everyone testy.”

  They finished their meal, and Jones—whose first name was Emilia—showed them around the recreation side of the room. There was a training area with simulators as well as weight and cardio machines. Everyone in the platoon either had vacant looks or stared at Nick and his friends with a type of hungry desire. After the tour, Nick returned to their quarters. He took a shower in a tiny stall, then laid down. Kal stayed with Jones while Ty and Jules got something to eat, and Ember sat on the bunk next to Nick.

  “They don’t seem too happy,” she said.

  “No,” Nick replied. “It’s worrisome.”

  “Maybe recon will be different,” Ember offered.

  “I hope so.”

  “Even if it isn’t, we’re still better off than we were in the ULU. And it isn’t as dangerous as we feared.”

  “No, it doesn’t seem to be,” Nick said. “But it’s still hard to believe the Proxy would pay us to simply be on guard duty.”

  “I don't know,” she said. “A lot of people feel they get cheated. I mean, look at us. The tech from the Proxy helped at first, but it in the long run we just became too dependent on them. We couldn’t cut ties even if we wanted to.”

  “Yeah, I see that,” Nick admitted. “The miner wasn’t just angry at losing the sim dust. He called us traitors.”

  “I think a lot of people feel that way. The Proxy can’t just fly into a system that might have turned against them without some kind of security in place.”

  “One platoon of Space Marines doesn’t sound like much help,” Nick said.

  “Unless their armaments are so advanced that one platoon is an unstoppable force,” Ember said.

  “I hope that’s the case,” Nick said. “If we’re putting our necks on the line, I want to know we have the best weapons and armor.”

  “Me too,” she agreed. “And I’m not giving in to despair. As long as we’re together, we can make it through anything.”

  “That does make a difference,” Nick said. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Well,” Ember said, “it’s nice to be appreciated.”

  They sat in silence for a while after that. Nick had always felt comfortable with Ember. She had a strong will and a sharp mind that made most people keep their distance. But Nick knew she was also compassionate and loyal. Just being near her made him feel at ease, even if they were on an alien spaceship thousands of light-years from Earth. His mind had trouble fathoming the realities of his life at that moment, and things were only going to get crazier.

  Chapter 19

  The flight to the Delphi system took two days, and by that time Nick and his friends were acquainted with life on board a Proxy trade ship. The area designated for humans was small compared to the huge vessel, and the platoon of marines on board were either focused on their career or desperately seeking a diversion from the monotony of duty. Nick spent most of his free time in the training room. His friends joined him, working out and getting to know some of the other Space Marines who weren’t as cynical as those he’d first met.

  It didn’t take long before they were each propositioned by people looking to spice up their tour of duty by fraternizing with anyone willing. Being visitors, they were targeted by the Space Marines with loose morals, but they stayed together and avoided the temptations to break what had been laid out as a cardinal rule during their first week of training.

  “Man, you think that the master sergeant really doesn’t care about all his people hooking up like that?” Ty asked when they were alone in the guest quarters.

  “I don’t know,” Ember said. “But I’m glad we have a private bathroom.”

  “There’s something about the desperation of these people that makes me worry we might end up just like them,” Nick said.

  “I can’t imagine it,” Ember said. “Five years doesn’t seem too long.”

  “Five years in the same place, doing the same thing everyday,” Kal said. “I don’t know.”

  “But it isn’t like they’re doing something difficult,” Jules said. “I mean, they don’t work half as hard as we did in the ULU.”

  “Maybe that’s the problem,” Ty said. “They’ve got too much free time.”

  When the East Indy arrived in the Delphi system, Master Sergeant Baker gathered the five newcomers and escorted them off his ship. It was the only time they saw any part of the interstellar ship other than the cargo hold and the marine quarters. The passageways were tall, and the bulkheads had a flowing design that reminded Nick of caverns cut into rock by moving water.

  Master Sergeant Baker took them to a room with a large viewing window near the airlock. There were benches to sit on, but Nick and his friends went to the window and looked out at the Delphi system. There were three planets: the Delphi Triplets. One was green, a lush tropical world. Another was dull brown, full of towering mountain ranges and very little liquid water. The third world was dazzlingly blue, the exact opposite of the brown world. The entire surface of the blue planet was covered with water—a great, worldwide ocean. The only solid land was at the poles and made of frozen ice.

  “Can you believe it?” Jules said.

  “We are not in Kansas anymore,” Ty said.

  “You’ve never been to Kansas,” Kal said.

  “Neither have you,” Nick chuckled.

  “It’s a figure of speech, dude,” Ty explained.

  “Three worlds on the same orbital plane,” Ember said. “It’s amazing.”

  “What’s amazing is that anyone would volunteer for deep recon,” Master Sergeant Baker grumbled from behind them. “You do know what the Dragons do, right?”

  The group of friends turned. Master Sergeant Baker was leaning against the bulkhead studying his fingernails, as if the majesty of the Delphi system was nothing special.

  “What do you mean?” Kal asked.

  “I mean you’re going to be shipped to the worst places imaginable,” Baker went on. “You’ll face dangers you’ve never dreamed of. If you’re lucky enough to survive one assignment, you’ll just get shipped to the next. Recon has the highest casualty rate in the PMC.”

  “What’s the alternative?” Nick said. “We just spent two days with your people. They hate infantry. They hate this ship. I’ve never seen a group of people so unhappy.”

  Baker snorted in disgust. “They may hate the duty, but so what? What options did they have on Earth? At
least they’ll be alive in five years. They can make their own choices then.”

  Nick wanted to ask the pessimistic master sergeant why he had re-enlisted; Nick remembered from his enlistment training that in order to become a staff NCO, a person had to be on their second tour. It didn’t make sense to him that a person who was so obviously unhappy would re-enlist.

  “How long does recon training last?” Kal asked.

  “Eight weeks,” Ember said. “I looked into it back at the Exchange. We start on the Delphi Foundry and then have specialized training on the three worlds.”

  “If you make it that long,” Baker said. “If you’re smart, you’ll quit and join an infantry platoon.”

  “Quit?” Ty asked. “You mean we aren’t committed?”

  “We are,” Nick said. “But a person can quit recon or flunk out.”

  “That doesn’t sound so good,” Kal said.

  “How do you flunk out?” Jules asked.

  “If you can’t do what they’re training you to do, I suppose,” Nick said.

  “I think the equipment has a steep learning curve,” Ember said. “We’ll just have to work together and make sure we all get it.”

  “How quaint,” Baker said in a snide voice. “The idealism of youth is wasted on the young.”

  As soon as the trade ship docked at the huge space station called the Foundry, Master Sergeant Baker escorted Nick and the others out of the airlock and into the personnel offices. The Foundry was a huge complex, where elements from all across the galaxy were forged into the technology the Proxy depended on. Everything from the data-links every PMC marine wore on their left arm to the interstellar ships that carried the Proxy across the galaxy was built in the Foundry. It was one of three shipyards owned by the Proxy, and the Delphi Foundry was also the home of the deep recon training school. The Dragons were based in the Delphi system and shipped out to various other worlds as needed.

  “I have five,” Baker said. “Show her your data-links.”

  Nick and the others stretched out their arms and the woman in the personnel office scanned their data-links with a small device. She nodded and looked at the five friends with a smile.