The Battle For Europa (Space Corps Chronicles, #1) by David Donaghe

Author:David Donaghe
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Hard Science Fiction, Space Ships, Outer Space
Publisher: David Donaghe
Published: 2020-12-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

Alonzo Garcia stumbled up the docking tube to board the Port Royal and rubbed his throbbing forehead. He felt hungover from the partying they did burning up their two-day pass before shipping out. His mind drifted back to an incident on the first night after their AIT training. David insisted on going to the red light district in one of the more seedy sections of the colony. They stopped in at an establishment known as Dolly’s Droids.

After sampling the pleasures of life-like female androids, they sat down at a table to have a beer. Two naval officers entered the bar. One of them was a friendly-looking middle-aged man with sandy blond hair. He wore captain’s bars. They stopped by their table. His fellow officer, an older man with a more serious bearing, wore the rank insignia of a first officer. Conversation buzzed through the bar room.

“Can I buy you, gentlemen, a drink?” the captain asked.

David smiled. “I make it a habit to never turn down free beer.”

The captain motioned to one of the server droids and ordered a pitcher of beer. “Did you gentlemen just get out of basic?”

“Yes sir. We finished up our Advanced Infantry Training and we’re enjoying some of this fine android flesh before we have to ship out,” David said.

The captain laughed. “You can hardly tell them from real women. What ship are you gentlemen shipping out on?”

Louis Martin motioned to Alonzo. “My mate here and I are, assigned to the Port Royal when we burn up this two-day pass.” The captain nodded and looked at David.

“Paul and I are going to Mars as peacekeepers. We’re shipping out on the CEU-Pathfinder.” The balding first officer looked at the timepiece embedded in his wrist. He seemed anxious to be on his way, but the captain ignored him.

“Be careful when you get on the ground on Mars. Those miners are a rough lot. They’re also having trouble with insurgents.”

“We will sir. Thank you for your concern,” Paul said.

“I won’t keep you, gentlemen. Good luck,” the captain said.

“You too sir. Thank you for the beer,” David said. Later that evening Alonzo found out that the young captain they had talked to was the captain of the Port Royal.

Alonzo wiped the sweat from his brow. “That’s fucking great. My captain probably thinks I’m a lush and a pervert who likes banging androids,” Alonzo said to himself.

“Had a little bit too much to drink, did we?” the young ensign said fanning the air in front of his face when Alonzo arrived at the ship.

Alonzo smiled. “You could say that.”

“Please scan your wrist across my scan pad.” Alonzo looked up at the young naval officer standing in front of the boarding hatch of the Port Royal. He ran his wrist across the scanner. The scanner read the information from Alonzo’s biochip embedded in his wrist. “Welcome aboard, Mr. Garcia. I am Ensign Palmer. Fleet Marines HQ is on E deck. The Fleet Marine berthing areas are of levels E-3 through E-5. Find a bunk, store your gear, and report to your HQ.

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