Jethro Goes to War (Wandering Engineer Jethro's tale) (12 page)

“
This is what
bothers me,” Firefly showed them a ghost image of Jethro. He
stalked the loner from behind. His clawed hand was raised to strike
before he shifted to a less lethal response. “Clearly he was
going for the kill.”

“
Just as he
should. Even if he hadn't been trained for it. He pulled it though.
Are you concerned about his killer instincts?” the Major asked,
looking over to the Avatar.

“
No, that he
had hesitation is a good thing. But there is no sign of hesitation in
his stalk at all. That means he's had some combat experience.”

“
Of course.
He's from a corridor street gang. And his father is an assassin. It
stands to reason he's been trained the same way. We'll just have to
make sure we add honor and discipline to his training to keep his
killer instincts in check.”

“
It is your
command of course Major,” Firefly responded with a nod. “I
understand two of your crop wishes flight training?”

“
Yes. Actually
four. Two more crossed my desk this morning,” The gunny
replied. “Including Hurranna,” he nodded to the lynx in
the image.

“
Well, she
can't exactly haul around a med pack or play tunnel rat in every
scenario. She doesn't have the physical build to carry the weight of
an injured team member,” he grimaced, mind boggling at the idea
of the meter tall lynx trying to carry the four meter long four or
five hundred kilogram white Liger. With implants she might be able to
handle it, but it'd be one hell of a awkward load.

“
A point she
brought up as well. She did ask if her augmentation would help in
that regard. Unfortunately it will only mitigate the problem, not
resolve it.”

“
Ah, wonder
tech not living up to spec?” the Major asked amused.

“
No sir,”
the gunny shook his head. “We're just realizing its limits.”

“
Good.”

“
What did you
have in mind for a piloting position?” Firefly asked.

“
Ordinarily
I'd say an assault or medevac shuttle slot. Or even a close support
bomber or fighter. I think it depends on her temperament.”

“
She did
reasonably well in the drop scenario. No sign of agoraphobia. Which
by the way, should have been expected since most of the people here
are from colonies. Most have never seen space beyond a few dozen
meters,” the AI avatar looked at the gunny.

“
I... learned
that the hard way,” the gunny said grimacing. He tried not to
react to the AI pointing out the obvious once again.

“
Next time ask
me. Or a med tech.”

“
I was
wondering how they got there that fast,” the Major said giving
the Avatar a look.

The Avatar shrugged.
“A missive.”

“
Glad you had
it. Next time speak up though. We need to avoid things like that when
and where ever possible.”

“
Noted.”

 ...*...*...*...*...

Sergei high fived
Valenko as they piled into the bay twenty minutes later. Valenko's
free hand was on Jethro's shoulder, slapping it. Jethro winced but
gave a tight lipped grin with his ears perked. The team was in high
spirits.

“
Damn did we
really do that?” Hurranna asked eyes wide. She twitched as the
others quieted and looked over to her.

“
What, you
think that was an out of body experience?” Jethro asked amused.

“
No but I,
mean I just realized something. Those DI's had augmentation.”

“
So?”
Sergei growled.

“
She's right.
It does make for an interesting tid bit most people overlooked. We've
all thought of augmentation as the end. The next step to godhood.
Obviously they are mortal just like the rest of us, they, hell we can
be taken down if we get overconfident,” Valenko rumbled,
rubbing his chin.

The others eyed the
squad leader. Sergei nodded slowly. “I was wondering why it
went so easy.”

“
You did have
surprise on your side,” the opposition force DI said dryly. The
recruits stiffened to attention. “At ease. Just this once,”
the DI said, shaking his head as he led the gunny and lance corporal
Brenet in.

The team fell into
parade rest, hands or hand claws behind their backs. The gunny noted
it with quiet pride.

“
You’re
good, I'll give you that. That wall trick... we didn't see it coming.
I will admit we did see you through the walls with our sensors, but I
honestly thought you were piling up to charge the front door,”
the noncom opposition leader said wryly. He'd just been handed his
head by rookies but was brutally honest about the situation. “I
will so pin your ears back next time though.”

“
Live and
learn,” the gunny said nodding. He was pretty sure Valenko
would make damn sure the sergeant never got the chance, implants or
no implants. “I was wondering where you got that idea from?”
he asked. He turned to Valenko. Valenko's eyes cut to Jethro. The
gunny's single eye turned to the stealth expert. “Care to
share?” he asked dryly.

“
Sir. I got
the idea from the family archive.”

“
The same one
you mentioned before?”

“
Sir yes sir.”

“
Good to know.
Perhaps I was hasty in judging it. Bring it by sometime. Perhaps we
can put it to use. All of you are to be commended. The Major wants a
hot wash on this exercise by nineteen hundred and then you are all
getting some rack time. No celebratory  meal tonight.”

The group looked a
little surprised at that. He snorted. “Oh five hundred tomorrow
you are all getting your implants. So get as much down time as you
can. You've got about ten to twelve days of recovery time after that.
Then a week of rehab. You're getting the full package in one shot.
Lucky you. When you’re back on your feet I'm going to run you
till you drop for being so lazy.”

“
SIR YES SIR!”
the group barked. The gunny's lip quivered in a partial smile.

“
Carry on,”
he said. He nodded to the DI opposition leader as he walked out.
Brenet gave him a look, glanced at the group then followed in his
wake.

Firefly's avatar
appeared in the bay. They came to attention once more. “Ready
for your debrief?” the AI asked, sounding amused.

“
Sir, Yes
sir!” the squad answered.

Jethro's eyelids
flickered as he heard and smelled the hospital bay around him.
Consciousness swam into being and he gradually opened his eyes. He
immediately regretted it, snapping them shut with a groan.

“
Ah, awake I
see,” the orderly said smiling. By the scent it was a human.
Female. Close to ovulation. He grimaced. “Pain?” she
asked.

“
The mother of
all hang over’s,” he croaked. He hadn't had something
this bad since he'd had that hooch and supposedly fresh catnip years
ago. “I feel like I had a double hooch weekend bender.”

“
Oh,”
she said softly. She touched a control. Coolness descended on his
senses. “Better?” she asked, trying to modulate her
voice.

“
Yes. You’re
loud though,” he grimaced.

“
That's the,
hmmm. No the sensory augmentation is offline at the moment. Doc.”
She turned to Doctor Thornby. Doctor Thornby looked up from Hurranna
and nodded. She motioned for the nurse to go to lynx.

“
How are you
feeling?” she asked, resting a hand on the edge of the bed.

“
Like crap
ma'am,” Jethro sighed. He wiggled a little. “Light and
sound sensitive, and I've got the nastiest taste in my mouth,”
he grimaced trying not to hack a cough. “What did you make
these sheets out of burlap?”

“
No... Hmmm...
You’re a panther, let’s see, neo panther. Ah, enhanced
senses, cloaking ability. Interesting. You may have some sensitivity
since your nerve endings were worked on and the surrounding tissue is
swollen. It should fade as you adapt and the swelling abates. We're
giving you some meds to help. Rest now,” she said. Her eyes
scanned the data and then she nodded. She touched a control and he
felt a cool mist then a drifting sensation.

“
Thanks
doctor,” he mumbled. His tongue came out. He heard her order
more anti inflammatory meds and a fifteen minute check on him and
then drifted back into sleep.

...*...*...*...*...

“
Is he ever
going to wake up?” Hurranna asked, sitting up in the bed. She
was sitting across from Jethro, watching him twitch.

“
Eventually,”
a familiar voice said from the other side of the curtain. She
stiffened as she recognized the voice.

“G
unny?”
she asked. She clutched her arms to her body. She wasn't sure she was
ready to go back to boot just yet. They had only awakened two days
before.

“
You were
expecting the tooth fairy?” the gunny said dryly as the curtain
was pulled back. Her eyes went wide as she noted the gunny in a
hospital gown bandaged and in bed.

“
You’re
ah...”

“
Finally
getting my replacement parts,” he admitted. His left hand
pointed to his bandaged eye and right arm. “The commander
managed to time it so your squad would be down the same time I am.”

“
Oh,”
she blinked. “Sir.”

“
Can that
crap. Sickbay is informal,” Doctor Thornby said coming around
the gunny's bed to stand between them.

“
Aye aye
commander. It's your command.”

“
You better
believe it,” Thornby growled. She gave the gunny a quelling
look.

“
You’re
a commander ma'am?” Hurranna asked surprised.

“
Naval
reserve. Lieutenant commander actually,” she admitted and then
shrugged as if it didn't mean anything. “It's more of a
headache than it's worth sometimes.”

“
Ah, yes
ma'am,” Hurranna said and then shook her head.

“
I heard
you're going for med tech or pilot training?”

Hurranna glanced at
the gunny. “Well ma'am, usually the corpsman in the squad is a
navy person so that's out. Besides, the pack load is a bit more than
my frame can handle comfortably.”

“
True,”
Thornby nodded, eying the one meter tall neo. “Lynx and
bobcat?”

“
Yes ma'am.
We've interbred so much over the centuries only a scientist could
pick out what part is which.”

“
Odd that it's
like that with you and not with the others,” the doctor mussed.
She waved her hand to the rest of the squad.

“
I think it's
because the others are genetically dominant. Like the gunny. At least
that's what the Matriarch said. I'm not sure,” Hurranna
grimaced. “Are the others going to be okay?”

“
We will be if
you keep it down,” Jethro sighed from his bed. His arm went up
to cover his eyes. Thornby went over to check him.

“
Still
sensitive?”

“
Yes. Spirit
of space yes,” he groaned, trying to keep a whine out of his
voice. The female's voices grated on his sensitive ears.

She frowned. “Your
nerve endings must... hmmm...” She pulled a scope up and jacked
into it. “Yes I see, there is still quite a bit of inflammation
despite... hmmm.”

“
I don't like
the sounds of the hmms,” Jethro growled. “Can I have some
water?”

“
Ah?”
Thornby nodded looking up to a nearby orderly. The orderly nodded and
went and got a paper cup. She came back with it and gave it to the
cat. He brought it to his mouth and then his tongue came out and
lapped the water from the cup ignoring the straw.

“
Here let me
get that,” she said, dabbing at his mouth with a washcloth.
“First time you've been ill?”

“
No, I had the
flu a few times, and feline mumps when I was eight.”

“
Mumps?”
Thornby asked.

“
Yes ma'am. I
got the injection at your clinic,” he answered, eyes still
slitted.

“
You did?
Hmmm,” she said looking at him again. She cocked her head. “I
don't remember you, but okay.” She shrugged.

“
Is he going
to be okay commander?” the gunny asked.