Marine Cadet (The Human Legion Book 1) (7 page)

Arun decided he’d better not answer.

She narrowed her eyes. “I suppose there’s something you want to ask me?”

“Yes, ma’am. This cadet requests permission to seek medical attention.”

Rekka made a point of chewing over his request before replying. “Yes, I noticed your leg looks sore. You may get it patched after inspection.”

Not bothering to inspect Zug or Cristina, Rekka turned and walked away. When she reached the door, she looked back at the cadets. “I’m disappointed in you. You were not fit for inspection and your performance in the tunnels today has made us the laughing stock of Detroit. The handover to your veteran NCOs began this week and already you have let us down. Badly. McEwan with his lewd display worst of all. Do not expect this to be the end of the matter. There will be repercussions. Mark my words.”

After fixing them all with her baleful stare, Rekka dismissed them and stalked out.

Arun looked down at his leg. His fatigue pants were glued to his leg with sticky blood, but the blood flow had slowed or stopped.

“Hey, hero,” said Osman. “Do you want me to help you get to the medical room?”

Arun grabbed his stick and took a few test paces. “No, I’m good. Thanks, man.”

He wasn’t, but he didn’t want to get his comrades into trouble. In theory they all had until First Sleep at 25:00 hours to do what they liked – training usually – but Arun knew he was toxic right now. He wanted his buddies to keep a safe distance.

As he limped out of the dorm, he was met by a variety of reactions from his squadmates. Pity he’d expected, and the concern he saw on Springer’s face, but he also saw contempt and even anger from Brandt and Madge. He only half-cared, though. As he hobbled away to the med-center he kept thinking about what Rekka had said.

There will be repercussions.

“Rekka is purest evil,” said Arun. “Just because she got her legs blown off, she’s jealous of anyone still whole. What kind of instructor makes their cadets jump up and down on a wounded leg? Those squat jumps she made me do earlier – she could have saved us all the bother and just shot me in the leg. End result would’ve been the same.”

“Too right, man,” said Osman. “She was just worried about looking bad in front of Shlappo. And the senior instructor’s no better. She made Brandt section leader and chose Alistair LaSalle to lead the company against the Trogs. What a pair of dwonks!”

Arun, Osman and Zug were sitting around the dorm room table. Zug was listening but saying nothing, as normal.

Cristina and Madge came over to join them. “Are you badmouthing Senior Instructor Nhlappo again?” asked Cristina.

“Osman’s just speaking the truth,” replied Arun, “because this is the only place we can say it. They’re not supposed to listen in on us in the dorm room. I bet they are, though. In fact, I’m counting on it.”

Madge shook her head in exaggerated disdain, flinging her long hair out behind her. “It’s no use, Cris, he can’t help it. It’s because Instructor Rekka and Senior Instructor Nhlappo are both women.” She leaned over the table, shoving her face against Arun’s. “Admit it, you can’t handle being given orders by a woman.”

“Yes, I can.”

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of.” She settled back in her chair and grinned at Cristina. “Boys of your age are emotionally immature. It’s a proven scientific fact. You can’t think too well because you’ve only one thing on your mind.”

“Him more than most,” added Springer, joining the group.

“Hey, that’s not fair,” Arun protested.

“Isn’t it?” answered Madge. “How would you feel if I had led Delta Section instead of Brandt? Could you handle that?”

“Well, yes. Why wouldn’t I?” It was true. Madge was a natural NCO, at least when she dropped the vampish act.

“You hesitated!”

“Leave him alone,” said Osman. “I can’t believe you’re defending what Rekka did.”

“We’re not, turkey-man,” said Cristina. “Rekka was cruel tonight, but we’ve all of us had that kind of drent in the past and we don’t start crying every time an instructor says something to hurt our little-widdle feelings. At least, we women don’t.”

Springer joined in. “You know, if there’s one thing useful I’ve learned from ancient Earth history, it’s that they used to have all-male combat units. If our masters thought of the Human Marine Corps as a serious military force, rather than breeding stock, I reckon we’d have single-sex units. Anyway, lover boy here is always griping about Rekka or Nhlappo. Aren’t you, Arun?”

Arun threw his hands in the air in frustration. “Oh, come on, guys. Rekka’s given me a hard time, and Shlappo will tomorrow, or I’m a Hardit. And you,” he pointed at Springer, “are supposed to be on my side.”

Springer gave a curt laugh. “Rekka’s giving you a hard time, eh? You seem to be having a lot of those recently. When you had your hard time with that alien scribe, were you thinking of our instructor? Did you imagine Rekka’s sweet face on that Troggie body? Is that why you… oh, how did your alien friend describe it? …
activated your mating prong
?”

Cristina dug an elbow into Springer’s side. “Lighten up on him will you? Arun’s right. He’s our squad mate. We should–”

“I know. Sorry.” Springer looked serious. “I apologize for my inexcusable behavior…
Cadet Prong
.” Laughter bubbled out of her. “Sorry, Arun. Frakk it, I couldn’t resist.”

Arun replayed Sergeant Gupta’s words in his mind. He wouldn’t crumble. He would get through this. “Guys,” he pleaded, “get off my back. Please.”

Springer studied him for a while before arriving at a conclusion. “Look, I tell you what, Arun. I won’t call you Cadet Prong again if you promise not to call us ‘guys’. I can’t stand it when people talk to me as if I’m neuter, or a man. I’m a woman.”

Cristina snorted. “Speak for yourself, grandma. I’m only in class G-2.”

“Okay,” admitted Springer, “girl or woman at your discretion, and then only until we’re in graduation year. Deal?”

Springer extended her hand. Arun shook it.

“Thank goodness for that,” said Madge. “Springer’s been spouting drivel about you ever since we saw your mating prong performance. I think she’s jealous.” She winked at Arun and whispered to him loudly enough for all to hear: “You do realize she dreams about you?”

Arun laughed the same as everyone else.

But, no, he hadn’t.

After all the excitement and pain of the day, Arun decided to turn in early, drifting toward sleep as soon as he closed his eyes. On the cusp of dreams, he imagined a familiar and comforting feminine scent.

“I’m sorry about before,” said his dream girl.

He opened his eyes and discovered that, for once, reality was better than his dreams. Springer was crouching on the floor by his rack, with her hand on his shoulder. “I thought you could do with some company,” she said. “Will you let me make it up to you?”

Arun grinned. “You’re the best, Springer, but please don’t put any weight on my left leg. Did I mention? I had a Troggie claw go through earlier today.”

Cadet Phaedra Tremayne – named Springer by her friends due to her boundless optimism – grinned back and carefully clambered in beside him.

Springer was a squad mate, which meant they’d gown up together, shared the same school dorm for the past few years before making cadet, and then moving to the Charlie Company’s underground hab-disk. That made his feelings toward her somehow both complicated and simple at the same time, but always strong. She was more than the comrade he was often buddied with in combat drills. She was a good friend, and several times recently she had
kept him company
in his rack
, as she liked to call it. He tried hard not to think what that meant for their friendship.

Later, when they lay together in comfortable silence with Springer idly running her fingers through his hair, she suddenly blurted out: “I bet you’re thinking of her right now.”

“Her?”

“Yes,
her.
Xin Lee or is it Lee Xin? She can’t seem to make up her mind.”

Arun fumbled for a denial. He couldn’t find one, though, because Springer was right. He’d been drifting into a heavenly dream existence filled with Xin’s essence.

“Shhh, it’s okay,” she said. “More than okay. I think you having a crush on her is kinda cute.” She kissed him tenderly on his forehead. “I was only thinking aloud. Xin is class G-1. At the end of next year, assuming she graduates as a Marine, they’ll remove her contraceptive implant. She could have kids.
You
could have kids with her.”

“Me? But I don’t want to. I mean, I’m only 17. You and I are both only 17.”

“Yes, but you
could
. I have to wait another two years and only then if I measure up to someone else’s definition of what makes a good Marine.”

“What’s this all of a sudden about kids? Do you want to get pregnant?” Arun sat bolt upright. “Do you want
my
kids, Phaedra?”

Springer narrowed her eyes. There weren't many people she allowed to use her real name and get away without violence. “No and no. Not right now, and anyway, that’s not the point. I don’t get a choice. That’s what gets me. I have to win someone else’s approval to use my own body.” She gave her head an angry shake. “You don’t have the same implant. I guess you don’t understand it. Not being a girl.”

“We’re all slaves, Springer. We’re slave Marines. Bred to fight and die for the White Knights. Our bodies belong to them.”

“True. But sometimes I think female cadets are slightly more slaves than you are.”

He looked down at his friend who was staring wistfully up at the ceiling. She looked lost. Arun found himself echoing Sergeant Gupta’s words. “Life isn’t fair, Springer. Sometimes all you can do is suck it up and keep your head proud and high, the sign of a Marine. Wait for your luck to turn and then seize your chances with every fiber of your being.”

Springer twisted round and stared at him, astonished. Then she rolled her eyes and shrugged.

The words didn’t belong to him, and he felt an idiot to have spoken them. Arun didn’t know what else to say – he never did – so he hugged her.

At first Springer relaxed into his embrace, but then she wriggled free and slipped away out of his rack. She was fleeing, unsteady on her feet.

“Don’t go,” begged Arun. “I’m sorry for talking such stupid drent.”

“You didn’t,” she said. “I just want to be in my own bunk, is all.” She paused trying to catch her breath. Arun swung his legs out of bed.

“No!” she shouted, her back to him still. “Get back in your rack and wipe that frown off your silly face. I worked hard to replace it with a smile. Don’t you waste my efforts. There. That’s better. Goodnight…
Cadet Prong
.”

“I know you too well,” he shouted, angry because she was hiding something from him.

The unspoken rule of the dorm – and the entire hab-disk – was that you pretended not to notice when its residents moved between racks during the night. Now he sensed hidden eyes alert, their owners poised to intervene.

Springer finally turned back and looked him square in the face. Tears streamed from those eyes, but those
eye
s! They were blazing beacons of violet. The skin of her eyelids was scorching, her tears vaporizing into emotional steam. He reached for the water canister he kept beside his bed and drenched her eyes with its contents. Her eyes were shut now, the lids still steaming.

“More water!” he barked.

Someone got the hint and threw another water canister to him. Arun tipped the contents over Springer’s face, quenching the fire in her eyes.

“Thank you,” she said, blinking away the drips.

She sounded abandoned, frightened. He would never forsake her, but she was half-hidden behind a fringe of steam, and he could hardly blame her. He tried to hug her again, but again she pushed him away.

“Tell me, what’s wrong.”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t give me that. I know you too well. You had one of your visions, didn’t you?”

“It’s not a vision, Arun. I don’t
see
things. I keep telling you that. I just get a feeling. Just now I felt that you…”

“What, that Rekka would hand me my ass on a plate?”

“No, not her. I don’t know who. Really I don’t, so just drop it. Get some sleep, instead. Please, for me. You’ll need your strength.”

“Strength for what?”

“Change. Yes, that’s it. You’re going through changes. Metamorphosis. You’ll become something new. Or die trying. No – it’s gone. Whatever I thought I’d sensed… it’s gone. Arun, honestly, I probably just imagined it.”

Unconvinced, Arun framed her face with his hands. “Be fair, Springer. You can’t just dangle me by a thread and then cut the cord as if it doesn’t matter. Think! What kind of changes?”

She shook his hands away. “Leave me alone, Arun.”

Arun felt a confusing blend of emotions as he watched his friend pad away to her rack.

Then she stopped and turned around, bringing a flash of hope to his heart. “I’ll tell you one thing, Arun.” Her face creased into a frown. “At least you try to understand me. Have you noticed that since we made cadet everyone’s turning into emotionless robots?”

Had they?

“There’s not a single person in Detroit who could even attempt to understand me the way you did just now.”

“Thank you.”

She shook her head sadly. “I didn’t mean that as praise. I love you Arun, but I pity you even more.”

Yeah well, I love you too,
thought Arun.
But I wish you made sense sometimes.

Solving the mystery of Springer’s words would have to wait for another day. She’d retreated to her rack, wrapped in private thoughts.

Arun lay back down on his bed and closed his eyes, basking in the warm glow that came whenever he marveled in his good fortune at counting Springer as his buddy. Before long, though, his thoughts drifted along the passageway outside and down Helix 6 to hab-disk 7/14 where he pictured Xin asleep in her rack, the gentle ebb and flow of her breathing beckoning him.

Today Xin had acknowledged Arun’s existence. Everyone laughed at him for falling in love with a girl so far out of his league, but today she had noticed him.