Testament:- Orphanage base

Orphanage base: Pluto  

 The siren had sounded. The lights dimmed. Officially it was bedtime, so she should have been in bed. However, Kit, or first officer Katerina Donnelly, stared glumly, her head resting on her hands, out of the large oval window and into the evernight and at the semi darkness that was Orpheus base.  Orpheus was stuck on the sun side of Pluto; just upon the tip of the methane heart. 448 billion Km from the nearest federation jobsworth lackey and 476 billion miles from any kind of fun. Her wide set sea green eyes glittered with vicious contempt, while her jaw flexed in her aquiline facial features taught and wide set mouth and narrow lips tight. Her twenty-one-year-old body, toned by years of military training, and years of other people’s battles that she had no real longing for anymore, reflected blue grey in the semi darkness, that came into her quarters, from the artificial lights that encircled the base.  Her room itself was basic. One narrow stiff and though she had nothing to compare it to, uncomfortable bed, one hydro-sonic shower, one vacuum toilet. One water station, two tall grey steel locker’s, one for three sets of uniforms, polished boots, and shoes, the other for training manuals and books; one wall screen, switched on permanently. One large oval window.  In short a green grey, box room. One of many, many box room’s, stacked upon each other that stared over the training ground outside.  Slowly her face turned sour, as she rubbed a hand through her shaven and regulation haircut.  Her lips tightened and her eyes narrowed, as she watched the “grunts” some as young as she was when she first came, stagger and flounder about in their E-suits.  And, as she watched, the ghosts creeped in on her memory. Ghosts like Sergeant Driffield.  His black features and dark, angry eyes, stuck out of bulbous sockets as he bellowed at her, spittle filling his faceplate. “Come on Kat!  You stupid Pussy! Get in fucking formation!” Yes Sarge no  Sarge Fuck you up the arse Sarge!  Then there were the ghosts that mattered.  Her father his thick black, greasy, hair tousled, and welsh combed,  his stubble itchy to the touch,  while they sat and ate at the Way station. His eyes shining down at her.‘I love you mouse.’ Dad..why daddy? Why?  Then cutting tears smarted the view.  Somethings are never forgotten. Just buried…buried under training, and guns and death. She hated being at the Orphanage.  She hated it when she and Draz had started their training nine, no,  she corrected herself ten long years ago. She loathed it now. She would rather have been on Mars, pulling a hooker or two. Or playing poker with some Marisian power junky, Anything…anything  to avoid…anything to forget.
​        ‘Is there anything I can get for you Kit?’  The voice was calm gentle and genderless. Anahel, the stations AI spoke.  The room filled with the heady fragrance of Martian roses, her favourite scent
​       Kit turned away from the window and then flopped onto her bunk. A small smile curled her wide lips.
​      ‘Can you get me to Mars?
​       ‘You know that is impossible.’  More of the fragrance
​       ‘How’s Draz?
​       ‘Flight lieutenant Draz is on his way to the Orphanage.
​       ‘Draz is coming here?’  She sat up. Her eyes shone brightly
​       ‘His estimated time of-‘
​       ‘WHEN!’ she could barely contain neither  her excitement or frustration
​       ’2 hours 10 minutes and twenty five second-
​         Kit rushed to her shower. The smell of the Martian Roses became increasingly powerful; the room began to spin  ‘Might I suggest that you get some-‘

         The world went dark.

        Suddenly she was back. Back on the way station looking out of the window as she had ten years before. Only Jupiter’s fury was nowhere to be seen. Instead a spiralling mass of red blue and yellow plasma shone from the window. Slowly coming into view was the Crimson Wake. Only this time it was larger, and was connected to some metallic husk that she could only dimly see.

‘Can  you see  her?’ The voice came from behind Kit out of the perifery of ver vision. ‘Can you see how beautiful she is?’ 
​           The voice wheezed in her ear.  With a shudder she knew exactly who it was.  She span to see Weasley’s face closed pressed to her. She  screamed and tried to break free, but she couldn’t.  His eyes glowed red  and yellow with an ethereal light.   His mouth slack jaw and tooth rotten moved like a pendulum. ‘she is  so beautiful my darling.’  He wheezed. A  slimy green tentacle burst from his mouth and  tightly wrapped about her throat.
​        ‘NOOOO!’  She awoke upon her cot, riddled with sweat
​         ‘Are you alright?’ Anahel asked gently the genderless voice was comforting and at the same time off putting.
​         ‘ You, you drugged me.
​           ‘- as the AI for the Orphanage, I am entitled to take any action t-
​           ‘-That is in the benefit of both the station and its crew.’  Kit overdubbed as Anahel then continued  ‘You are required to meet with command at 07:00.’
​          ‘What’s  the time now?’
​           ’06.15’
​          Screaming Kit threw off her night clothes and dived into the sonic  shower.

              ‘I don’t know why you wan’ me to come here hun, Civilian’s aren’t allowed anywhere near-‘ Jaylee looked out of the shuttle pod window and at  rugged planetoid below. 
​             ‘-Sweetyheart it’s goin’ to be fine…’ Draz reassured her, ‘…besides I’ve a friend I want you to meet.’
​             ‘This is Orphanage base, Orphanage base, receiving your one zero two niner Shuttle pod from the Aquarius, Do you copy over?’
​             ‘Ayaah…’ Draz, chippered into his mike. ‘…This is one zero two niner shuttle from the Aquarius, flight officer first class Draz Phillamore, asking to dock with the port over.
​           ‘-Message received one zero two niner, good to see you back Draz, this place is richer for having you home.
​          ‘-Err, I need a civilian docking port, over.
​           ‘Who you brought with you Draz?
​            Draz smiled ‘My wife….Mrs Jaylee Phillamore.’
​           ‘Hey...'  the pauses were weighted. 'that’s....great news... pulling you in now to Civilian port, Bravo six four one.  Over.’
​          ‘Over and out.
​            The shuttle dipped and suddenly swerved to the left as Draz freed himself from the controls.  Slowly the oval ship slid silently into the lower atmosphere and skirted the surface of Pluto as it sped towards the Civilian domes to the east of the base.   The craft slowed down as the turquoise dome slowly uncurled, allowing the little oval ship to slide though, slowly the ship settled on the docking pad. A passanger tube extended and the there was his as the shuttle pod door uncurled  Draz felt very masculine as he took her arm and led her to the rest domes.

              Six hours later Flight Commodore Janice Thrace stared out of her oval window and stared towards the civilian domes in the middle distance, though she held her hands behind her back, she nervously flicked her piggy finger, scratching the right nail against the finger of her left hand.  Her pale blue eyes strained as she stared, her thick red hair in a tied regulation bun wavered slightly as she slowly shook her head.
​         ‘Would you like a cup of tea?’ Anahel asked gently
​         ‘No…No, I’m fine.
​          The soft sent of Jasmine filled the room. She breathed it in deep and sighed deeply
​         ‘You are concerned about the message you have received from the Janus Quadrant
​          Janice refused to be goaded into conversation. She simply stared out blinking and toying with her nail
​          ‘Worrying about it will not make the issue go away, decisive action is needed
​          ‘-Anahel, I am aware of that.
​          ‘Both parties are on their way to your office now.
​          ‘Thank you…that will be all.
​          Janice turned around and then went back to her desk, upon which were three hard copy files; one of Flight officer first class Draz Phillamore,  first officer Katerina Donnally and the third classified red  as top secret simply had the word Way  Station on the cover.