Earth Ship Protectress: Book Two in the Freddy Anderson Chronicles (18 page)

Gray said, “They did not limit those hand weapons.”

Little Yellows warned me, “Only look and listen.”

I answered back, “As you wish
…
at this time.”

They smiled.

Green said, “We have several of the hand weapons, thanks to the Grays. However, we cannot duplicate them at this time. We are working on it.”

Yellows asked, “Where are you testing them?”

Green said, “We tried the gunnery range in this ship. That was a mistake.”

Gray said, “I thought one of their ships blew that hole in the side of this ship.”

Green cringed. “No, it was one of my pen mates. Now we use a maximum shielded room.”

Yellows said, “We have a question.”

Green said, “Go ahead.”

“What is NASA?”

Green said, “That is one we know well. NASA is one of their entertainment groups.”

Gray asked, “That does not make sense. Why would this Black, called Susan, want to have entertainers for this scientific research?”

Green said, “Experience. This Susan needs creatures with experience. We have found many references that NASA spends a lot of time in space, and that entertainers spend a lot of time spaced out.”

Yellows said, “Oh, you may be right on this.”

Little Yellows smiled. “We think you are wrong; otherwise, why is the creature laughing so hard he has tears?”

Blue, with a half-smile and questioning tilt of his head, looked at little Yellows in surprise and said, “Green, continue.”

Chapter 23
Be Professional

W
hen we set down on the platform at home, the entire crew was waiting for us. As the commander left the shuttle, I heard the snap of attention and the lieutenant saying, “Welcome back, Captain Susan James.” She handed the newly appointed captain sealed orders in a large package.

As I departed the shuttle, I received a roaring cheer. They were happy with the first run of one of my ships, and I received handshakes and hugs from everyone. The captain was reading the orders and yelled, “Master Chief!”

She returned to the new captain and saluted with a smile. “Yes, my captain?”

“You’re out of uniform, and so is the rest of the team! Is that any way to start your limited duty officer career, Lieutenant?”

“No, ma’am!”

“I want the ranks in order—now!”

“Troops fall in.” The girls ran around like headless chickens and got into lines. The new lieutenant said, “Close interval, dress right, dress.” The girls put their right hands on their hips, with right elbows sticking out, and moved so that their elbow touched the next girl. It was all rather fascinating. When they were all lined up, the new lieutenant said, “Ready, two.” The hands and elbows snapped down in unison, like it was one sound, crisp and clear, and they faced forward.

The master chief, now lieutenant, came forward and addressed the captain, saying, “Troops standing by, ma’am.”

“Very good, Lieutenant.” She turned to the group. “First, let me congratulate you on doing a great job with the president and her visitors. What I’m about to tell you is one of the most enjoyable jobs a captain can have. Lieutenant Junior Grade Daphne Morgan, front and center. Congratulations, Lieutenant Morgan, on your promotion.” She took out a set of bars and handed them to Daphne. They saluted each other. This went on through the entire team. It seems that when I was in my workshop, they had taken some kind of proficiency tests, and every one of them had passed with flying colors. The president then pulled some strings to ensure that everyone was promoted. I had no idea that the master chief had applied for rank as an officer. I didn’t know she could. This was great, and everyone was happy. Instead of waiting for a specific period, this group was promoted immediately. Darnel, Henderson, Swanson, Donet, Peters, and McMasters received the rank of chief. I giggled, as I could just see them running around with feathers in their hair, wearing moccasins, and Henry Peters wearing a headdress and carrying a spear. Smith, Parks, and Potter made first-class petty officer, and Pendelson made second-class petty officer. The new lieutenant grumbled something about not being allowed to initiate chiefs anymore. I was puzzled about that, but I could ask later.

The captain said, “One more thing.” She gave the envelope a shake. “Everyone attached to our team for any part of last year has been awarded a navy achievement medal.”

I must give them credit. With emotions running so high, I couldn’t see how they could hold rank and not even smile. I could tell the difference between the SEALs and the two additions. Those two were smiling and fidgeting. The lieutenant saw this and went right up to them. They weren’t smiling now; they were standing stock still.

“Master Chief—oh, sorry—Lieutenant! Take over.” The captain quickly departed with a look of satisfaction on her face.

The lieutenant yelled, “Everyone, except YNC Henry Peters and PN2 Dorothy Pendelson, dismissed.”

Two of the girls, Colleen and Betsy, came over to me and led me away, saying, “You don’t want to hear this, and they don’t need the witnesses. Witnesses will only make the”—she paused—“lieutenant worse.”

“Tell me about it,” I said, while rubbing my behind. They laughed, and we crossed the first bridge toward the house. I could already hear the yelling. I felt sorry for those two. They were not used to being in such a well-disciplined unit. That really was no excuse, though, as even I knew better. I put up my shields after I heard, “How dare you embarrass me in front of the captain like that? I can see you need special training. How about you remove the water from that river, and put it in the other one? On the run. Move it!”

“What do we use, Lieutenant?”

“I didn’t give you permission to talk!” she yelled.

I knew the two were out of shape, but they were breathing heavily before they reached the first river. I looked at Betsy and said, “Please tell the lieutenant I am appalled at the condition those two are in. I would expect them to be able to run longer before being winded.”

She smiled and said, “You realize what that will do, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do. I expect to start training myself as soon as this first project is completed. I never want to be that out of shape. You cannot afford to be out of shape and be in space.”

“Good for you, Freddy. You always need to take time for exercise.”

“I expect to do just that. Besides, you girls promised to teach me self-defense.”

“That’s right, and we will, as soon as you’re ready.”

“I can defeat any one of the team right now, but I would like to be better.”

Betsy looked at me and said, “Really? Try to hit me.”

“What?”

“Try to hit me. You said you could defeat me right now, so prove it.”

I raised my hand, walked up to her, and gently slapped her. Then I went back to Colleen, and we headed back toward the house. Colleen was looking over her shoulder all the time. When we were a few feet away, I raised my hand, and let her loose.

Betsy immediately took a side step, saying, “That’s not fair.”

When she caught up, I said, “The master chief—oops, I mean, the lieutenant—says that all’s fair in hate and war. Has she ever been in love? She seems to have a bad attitude about the subject.”

“Freddy,” said Colleen, “the lieutenant is, well
…
uh
…
she doesn’t like men.” She said it like I would get really mad or something.

“I know. She’s very professional about it, but you’d think she could find someone with the same feelings that she has who might calm her down a little.”

They looked at each other and stopped. I took a step before I realized they had stopped, and I had to turn around to talk to them. They both kneeled down to my level, like they do when they want my full attention.

Colleen asked, “You don’t mind, Freddy? I mean
…
well, I thought that you would be very upset when you found out.”

“Why?”

“You’re very close to God, and I would think that he has a thing against that kind of behavior.”

“If he does, then that’s his thing.” I looked at her with a frown and said, “I was not put on this earth to judge someone else. Being gay is not for me, as I am totally heterosexual, but it is also not for me to say how someone else should live. If the lieutenant wants to be homosexual, that’s between her and God. If she wants to ask me if I think it’s proper, then I’ll tell her I don’t know. The Bible is ambiguous on the subject, and I am not a prophet. God does not give me directions on how to run others’ lives.” I leaned in and quietly said in a secretive manner, “He does give me some directions on my projects, but I hope he never wants me to tell someone she’s living her life wrong. Goodness, I’d feel so bad. I love the lieutenant, and I will support her as best as I can.” I leaned back and asked in a normal tone, “Why do people judge me on how they think I will react? It’s really not fair. I don’t do that to other people.”

Betsy reached out and pulled me to her, hugging me. “It just comes naturally for some people. You’re one of the few who has this great ability to take people as they are, and that’s very rare.”

“Well, I’m not going to change just to be like everyone else. I like the way I am, and I don’t like making anyone unhappy”—I thought for a second—“except the army generals. You know what?”

“What, dear?”

“Sometimes I’m wrong, and sometimes I’m right. I never know when I will be one or the other, and I have no idea if I’m right on this subject or not, and I don’t really care, as it doesn’t affect me or my projects. I do know that being wrong sometimes makes being right much better. It sure would be boring if I was wrong all the time or right all the time. Don’t you think?”

“Yes, I do,” Betsy agreed. She kissed me on the forehead and turned me around. We continued heading to the house.

I jumped around, yelling, “They’re here!” Then I made a turn and ran off so suddenly that both were taken by surprise. They ran after me.

I said to the little Yellows, “
I was wrong and got that Green killed.”
I turned sad, and Green had to stop.

Little Yellows said, “
Do not worry so much, creature. You do not understand what happens when we die. It is not so bad, and it was a quick d
eath.”

Blue asked Green, “Why did you stop?”

Green said, “The creature just started going into depression and was pulled out.”

Little Yellows said out loud, “He—and it is a ‘he’—is very sad that a Green died because of him.”

Green said, “A Red would be.”

Gray said, “So they have field promotions, just like we do. Interesting.”

Green looked at Gray and said, “You are an unfeeling snobtherger.”

Gray started to physically reach out, but Blue said, “Don’t start, you two. Green, continue when you can.”

Chapter 24
More to Train On

I
stopped at the four big boxes that were sitting on the dock. Lieutenant Daphne Morgan was looking at them too. She said, “They came in about two hours ago. Admiral Briggs said that you’d been waiting for them but wouldn’t tell us what they are. We scanned them, and they look like some sort of boats.”

“Commander, please unpack these, but don’t put them into the water yet. I’ll be right back. You think we can get some of the girls to help us?”

Betsy said, “I’ll get them.”

“Great.” I ran off toward the workshop. When I came back, the crates were completely removed, and my four boats were there on the skids that I had provided to the company to build them on. Behind me, on four more antigravity skids, were the parts to finish building them.

“Here you go, girls.” I smiled and left to go back to the house.

“Freddy?”

I turned around and asked, “Yes?”

“What is all this?”

By this time most of the team was out there. I answered, “Two twenty-foot antigravity short boats, one thirty-foot long boat, and one hundred foot by fifty foot cargo boat. I designed them myself. The hulls are impermeable. They run on energy packs that will allow you to run for years. They can float up to about one thousand feet above any surface, and the engines on those skids are fast enough to allow you to get from here to town in just minutes. You should have the docking stations in town by now, so you have a place to pick up equipment or just to park and visit.” I smiled a mischievous smile and said, “I don’t have time to play around putting them together now, so it’s up to you. Good luck!” I turned around, nearly bursting with laughter. They had wanted local transportation for a long time, and now they had it. The only thing was, they had to put it together. The key thing I wanted out of this was for them to see how I build things and how they can work on my equipment. I turned back to them again and said, “By the way, the tool box is in the first skid, and the instructions are with each unit.”

I turned back around and headed to the house. It was dinnertime, and I was getting hungry. As I entered, the captain said, “Have something new for the girls to work on, do you?”

“Yes, ma’am. I need them to learn to build things using my tools and working with my techniques. I figure that after four boats like those”—I crooked a thumb, pointing outside—“they should have a good handle on the basics.”

“I was wondering when you’d get around to that. Nice job,” she said.

“Captain, I need them to finish the scenarios soon. I’ll be ready to go in about two weeks. We can do a shakedown cruise around Pluto or something, but I need those crews.”

The admiral came up and said, “I have one hundred and eighty top pilots and engineers coming to the navy base tomorrow for screening. We’ll have those pilots and crews within two weeks and have them trained also. In addition, I have SEAL Team Five coming in to help guard this base while the captain and her team are guarding you out in space. I have over eight thousand volunteers from NASA wanting to work on the projects as soon as you’re ready, and I have all the required cargo ordered and lined up for delivery. The cook has twenty-five new recipes loaded into that module you gave her, including meatloaf sandwiches, which I understand is your favorite.”

“Yes!” I said with great enthusiasm. I could feel the cook’s love for my appreciation of her work. I looked at the captain and said, “Looks like you have a lot of work ahead of you, screening all those people.”

“Not really, Freddy. I’m going to screen the five psychiatrists, and they will screen the rest using your lie detectors. They will do a much better job than I ever could. Katie will talk with each one who passes the test.”

I frowned. “That will be hard on Katie. If she starts having headaches, you stop her. I don’t want her to burn out.”

She looked at me with concern and said, “Katie said she could talk to you all day and not feel tired.”

I smiled up at her and said, “She’s talking to someone who’s a telepath.” Then I said directly into the captain’s mind, “
Talking to and reading someone who is not telepathic is much harder and can really hurt
.” I said aloud, “I have more power than she does, so I can do it all day if I really need to, but I wouldn’t, as I’d develop a headache that would be a killer all night. Don’t let her work more than one hour in two. Ten minutes on and ten off would be best, with a thirty-minute break every two hours. In addition, ensure that she has plenty of nuts and some kind of carbohydrate snack on hand.”

“That’s right; I forgot.”

The admiral asked, “Nuts and carbohydrates?”

The captain said, “Freddy let us know that telepaths use up fat and carbohydrates very quickly when utilizing their abilities. It’s one of their limiting factors. Katie is going to use it up very quickly. I’ll talk to Cooky. Colleen cooked pasta for Freddy when we were moving his home, and it helped a lot.”

“Interesting! Did anyone think to tell the president so that she could pass this information on to the children she’s finding?”

I looked at the captain and she said, “I don’t think we did, but I’ll take care of it. When this project is over, I’d like to take a trip to see this school for the telepathically talented. I think Freddy can help them in a lot of ways. It won’t take long.”

Cooky came in and told us that dinner was ready. The captain sent one of the girls out to summon the rest.

Gray said, “Did you catch that? They are limited in their powers by food intake.”

Green said, “I will adjust the liquid to exclude fats and carbohydrates.”

Yellows said, “No, you won’t. If you take away his food, he will become sick and have a headache. Will you be able to pass through the headache and obtain information?”

Green said, “No. It would become very difficult.”

Blue was watching and said, “Then continue.”