The Clones of Mawcett (47 page)

Lieutenant Caffrey arrived within minutes and escorted Jenetta to the quarters assigned to her. They were nothing like her old quarters on the Prometheus, but this was just a destroyer after all, not a battleship. Her bags were delivered about an hour later as she sat on the carpeted deck of her sitting room, petting her cats and contemplating her future. The big cats purred contentedly as Jenetta stoked their heads absentmindedly.

Jenetta didn't report immediately to the Captain since she was just a passenger, not a crewmember. She was expected, and the housing officer would notify him or the XO that she was aboard. For the first time in many months, Jenetta found herself with absolutely nothing to do. Her time would be her own on the journey to Higgins, so she resolved to start working out regularly again. Where she'd once exercised two or more hours every day, her time for such activities were limited while on Dixon. She'd been lucky when she could free up an hour every few days. The four and a half-month trip would give her plenty of time to get back into shape.

Once under way, Jenetta received a message via her CT that Captain Meyers would like to see her. A lieutenant was sent to show her the way to the Captain's briefing room. She naturally left the cats in her quarters.

“Come in, Commander,” Captain Meyers said warmly as the door of the office opened to admit her. “Welcome aboard the Havana. Coffee?”

“I never refuse a good cup of coffee, Captain,” she said smiling.

“I only guarantee that it's hot,” Captain Meyers said, returning her smile. “You'll have to be the judge of whether or not it's good.”

Jenetta prepared a mug and raised it to her lips. Breathing in the aroma before taking a sip, she closed her eyes and tipped the mug back slightly. Like any good beverage connoisseur, she allowed the black liquid to roll around in her mouth as she savored the taste. Satisfied, she swallowed and smiled. “It's good, Captain.”

 “I like it but one never knows if it's good, or if you've simply become accustomed to it over the years.” The captain chuckled at his own remark.

Jenetta had put Captain Meyers age at 50'ish when they met for dinner two nights earlier, and the date on his Space Command ring confirmed that he'd graduated from NHSA in 2239. He was a couple of inches shorter than herself, and probably about fifty pounds heavier, but not egregiously out of shape. He had a pleasant face and a calm demeanor.

“Commander, we just received a message for you from Dixon. It was forwarded to us by Captain Desmond, who apparently received it in error because it was addressed to the Dixon SCB Commanding Officer.”

Captain Meyers turned his com screen around so that Jenetta could see the message. The face of Captain Richard Dommler appeared on the screen. "Commander, Captain Carlton Desmond will be arriving shortly to assume command of the Dixon Space Command Base. You're to proceed to Higgins Space Command Base at Vinnia on the GSC destroyer Havana. Report to Headquarters upon your arrival here.

“Captain Richard Dommler, message complete.”

“Well, it's nice to see they at least tried to alert me to Captain Desmond's arrival. I guess you made the trip a little faster than expected, sir.”

Captain Meyers leaned back in his chair. “I think that somebody just fouled up. You should have been notified months ago so you could have prepared for the transition of command. Any idea where you'll be posted next?”

“No idea at all, sir. I just hope it's a ship this time.”

“You shouldn't have any trouble getting a berth on any ship in the fleet. Who wouldn't want Commander Jenetta Carver on their senior staff?”

“I'm not so sure about that; I might be a little too well known. Some captains may not want me on their staff out of anxiety that my shadow is too large. At least Captain Gavin was beyond that. His own reputation and seniority ensured that no one would overshadow him. I've also heard that some senior officers in Space Command believe me to be a loose cannon, and may fear that I'll endanger their crew.”

“Loose cannon? Piffle! I'm sure that most captains would be happy to have you. I'd take you in a heartbeat if I had an open post.”

“Thank you, Captain,” Jenetta said, smiling. “I appreciate that.”

“I, uh, understand that you brought two rather large pets aboard with you?”

“Yes sir. I have two cats.”

“Cats? I was given to understand they were as large as Mountain Lions, and black as space.”

“They're Taurentlus-Thur Jumakas.”

“Jumakas? Ah, yes, the two animals that saved you from the assassin earlier this month. Do they present a danger?”

“To anyone contemplating an attack on my person, they should be considered deadly. Otherwise, they're just as tame as pussycats, and almost as playful. They're extremely intelligent, and sometimes I swear that they can actually read my mind. They're incapable of speech, but they always seem to understand what I tell them, and they manage to make their needs, questions, and moods known to me through their limited vocal abilities.”

“If an animal is intelligent enough, it finds a way to communicate with its master. Will they stay in your quarters or should we find a place in a hold?”

“They'll stay in my quarters if I tell them to, even if the door was left wide open during my absence. I take them with me when I exercise though. They need to run also.”

“Of course. While you're on board you have the complete run of the ship, Commander, but please leave the cats in your quarters except when exercising them. And I give you a standing invitation to drop in on me anytime.”

 “Thank you, Captain. I'll take you up on that.”

Jenetta spent the next hour talking with the Captain and then returned to her quarters. After changing her clothes, she walked to the ship's gym with the cats and punished the punching bag until her wrists ached. The large cats sat and watched the large brown bag intently, as if ready to pounce on it at the first sign that it was preparing to oppose Jenetta's assault. Then Jenetta walked to a storage bay that was used for a running track and jogged for the better part of an hour. The big cats loped alongside her, as always.

Jenetta quickly fell into a daily routine aboard the ship, exercising in the morning before breakfast and then working in her quarters for much of the rest of the day. She busied herself organizing all her notes from conversations that she'd had while on the space station, with the hope that something would point to Raider operations and the possible location of Christa. She also practiced her Dakis by having the shipboard computer's audio interface speak to her only in the Nordakian language.

Visiting the Captain every couple of days provided a little variety in the daily routine, and they ate dinner together almost every evening. Both had become accustomed to the loneliness of command and it was nice to have a kindred spirit aboard. Captain Meyers learned early on to have enough food for four brought to his quarters when Jenetta would be joining him for the meal. Her appetite had waned slightly on Dixon, but now that she was spending so much time in the gym, it had come roaring back and she needed at least thrice the normal portion amount of someone her size.

After four and a half months of travel, the Havana docked at Higgins. Jenetta left her packed bags inside the door of her quarters so they could be taken to the BOQ later in the day, then went to say goodbye to Captain Meyers and thank him for the ride and his hospitality.

Jenetta had sent notification of her imminent arrival to her sister, and Eliza was waiting on the platform when Jenetta emerged from the docking tunnel with the cats. As they hugged tightly, the big cats sniffed Eliza. They seemed confused to find the same basic scent as Jenetta, but they accepted it and relaxed their vigilance due to the warm embrace.

“So these are the Jumakas. They're absolutely beautiful.”

“Yes, this is Cayla, and this is Tayna. Cayla, Tayna, this is my sister, Eliza.” The big cats each made a deep throated mewling sound at the mention of her name. Jenetta knew it to be a form of greeting. “They say hello, and seem to have accepted you already.”

“Hello Cayla, hello Tayna,” Eliza said as she stooped to pet the large cats. Looking up at Jenetta, she said, “We probably smell alike to them.” Straightening back up, Eliza said, “Sis, you look wonderful, and it's so great to see you again. You look as fit as we've ever been.”

Jenetta smiled. “You too. Lots of time in the gym I'd guess?”

“What else is there to do? A year and half, and still the Galactic Alliance Council hasn't made a decision about my citizenship. I can't leave the station because I can't enter any world without a passport.”

“I know; it's ridiculous. I've been thinking about it, and I believe it's about time that we did something about it. I don't like to play power games but the Council has had long enough to take action. Our fame should be worth something.”

“You can't get involved! It'll damage your career in Space Command.”

“Career? I've been marooned inside a rocky asteroid for the past year, and I had to find out from a lieutenant at a dinner party that my post on the Prometheus was permanently assigned to someone else. The first I knew I was being relieved at Dixon was when the new base commander arrived in my office and showed me his orders to take command of the base. I was on the Havana, on my way here, before Space Command finally bothered to send me new orders. Lately, it hasn't seemed like much of a career to risk.”

“You're just tired and a little cranky after the long trip. You'll feel better after you get situated. Are you staying at the BOQ, or on the ship?”

“The BOQ; I was only a passenger on the ship. I have to check in, and then we can go do something together.”

The cats took up positions on the outside of the two women, allowing them to walk together as they proceeded to the Headquarters section. Everyone they passed gave them a very wide berth. Unlike at Dixon SCB, where everyone had grown accustomed to seeing Jenetta walking with her cats, here they only saw two ferocious looking animals without tethers.

There weren't any orders waiting for Jenetta, so after making arrangements for quarters in the BOQ, Jenetta and Eliza walked to the shopping concourse. For the next few hours, they perused the merchandise in the shops. People already familiar with Jenetta may not have been aware that she'd been promoted to Commander a year earlier and she received quite a few double takes, but it was the two cats that drew the most attention. A Marine security patrol discretely followed them around in case the animals caused a problem, but they never approached Jenetta. Jarheads don't tell senior SC officers that they can't walk with their pets, as long as the pets behave; especially when that senior officer is Commander Jenetta Carver. The presence of the two cats ensured that neither Jenetta nor Eliza was jostled out of the way by other shoppers.

At dinnertime, Jenetta fed her cats and left them in her quarters while she and Eliza went to the officer's mess. After each woman filled her two trays to overflowing from the mess hall's freshly prepared offerings, they found an empty table where they could enjoy their meal.

“So what can we do to establish my citizenship?” Eliza asked.

“I thought you didn't want me to get involved?” Jenetta said, smiling coyly.

“Stop it. Just tell me what you were thinking.”

“Okay, sorry. I don't really have any specific plan. It's just that over the past year I've learned how big our reputation is. I've met people from dozens of different worlds all over Galactic Alliance space, and most of them already knew of me, even if they didn't recognize our altered facial appearance. With that kind of fame we must have some kind of leverage. If I went to the press and started an appeal on behalf of you, Christa, and the other clones, we might be able to whip up enough interest to get this finally resolved. Right now, the issue has all but disappeared from the public view, and once an issue disappears from public discussion, politicians lose interest. We have to get it center stage again, or you might never get your citizenship. Worse, someone might decide that you're not a real person, and therefore eligible for medical research or something. Since you can't travel without a passport, I'm sure the other clones are all still on Higgins as well.”