The Khruellian Encounter by C. J. Klinger

Author:C. J. Klinger [Klinger, C. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-05-08T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 36

Aboard Islandia II

Samantha McKinnah, the CSF Ambassador to Earth and her aides, took up all the guest wardrooms aboard Islandia II. Annika shared a wardroom with Lt. Burns. She teased Jon about bunking with him during the trip to Earth, but, as much as he would have enjoyed it, it was against regulations.

“What, no “orbital notch’ on your gun?” she said seriously, enjoying the look of embarrassment on his face.

He grinned at her and said in his most officious tone, “Regretfully no, Ma’am, not on my ship. It would be bad for morale if the crew knew their captain was rutting away while they were required to live like hermits.”

She got the last shot in. “Well, just wait until you’re a guest on my ship, buddy. You will be expected to perform.”

Samantha joined them in the officer’s mess and said, “What are you two negotiating about?”

“Sex,” Annika said, with an impish grin on her face. “I want the Group Captain to make love to me in space, but he’s expressing reservations.”

The ambassador didn’t bat an eyelash at Annika’s brashness. “Ah yes, the ‘orbital club,’” she said with a certain amount of wistfulness. “Don’t worry girl, he’ll come around. He’s a McKinnah male, and if nothing else, they enjoy a challenge.”

Lt. Burns stuck her head in the door and broke up the party. “We’re ready when you are, Sir.”

“I’ll join you on the bridge,” Jon said, glad to get away from the situation.

“Coward,” Anita muttered as he walked by. She winked at Samantha and decided to join her husband on the bridge.

Seated in the command chair, Jon completed his visual inspection of the crew and checked his display board. All the lights were green. “Take her up, Lieutenant,” he ordered and watched as the screens shifted in motion. He never got tired of seeing the land falling away and the sky turning darker as his ship climbed toward the space boundary. Islandia II, like all modern CSF spaceships, did not have portals to look out. Instead, high-resolution screens, arrayed in a three-hundred-sixty-degree arc around the command center gave them an unobstructed view of all the area around them. On command, the screens could be changed to display the scenes in ultraviolet, motion only or a wide variety of other resolutions to assist the captain in making his battle decision. On takeoffs and landings, Jon always had the displays on high-resolution color.

All thoughts of their recent repartee about sex were gone as Annika watched Jon command his ship. As soon as they returned from earth, she would journey to Fairworld with her crew to get the CSF Sparta ready for duty. She admired Jon’s command style and knew she would copy a few of his methods. From the reports she had read about the raid on the planet Khruel, she also knew he was very collected under fire. Aside from being her husband, she decided he was a good role model,.

The jump went without a hitch and Space Station Alpha with the blue-green ball of earth in the background appeared in the monitors.

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