Respite - Part 4

“In theory, we could replicate the Martian Dome right here. It was a whole lot more complicated to do on Mars with the hostile atmosphere and all. Here, we just have thin air. Yeah definitely, it's infinitely more friendly here.”

Sergeant Marcus Landrey realized that Lieutenant John Harrow tended to go on. The lieutenant had been talking since they started walking, and that was almost half an hour ago. He wasn't sure if it was excitement, a nervous tic or that was just how he was. The only time Harrow paused was when he stopped to take soil samples, but that didn't take more than a minute. As soon as the samples were secure, the talking started again. Landrey suspected that at times, Harrow didn't even care if anyone was listening.

“The air here is just a little thin, it's like high altitude, we just need a little oxygen, just a little help, a little boost if you will, and we'd be fine. Plus with the Dome, we'll be using T'aal technology so we'll acclimate in record time. I think it should take less than five years, probably less if we're can get the ball rolling immediately. We can have a temporary settlement set up in months. Just months!”

Landrey tapped the side of his helmet and lowered the comm volume. It wasn't his place to tell someone who outranked him to stop talking, but the incessant chatter was starting to annoy the young trooper.

They had only a few minutes to survey the place, take a few samples and then head back to the barge, in fact, when Landrey checked his chronometer, they had to start their walk soon. Landrey saw a rock hill not far away and headed towards it. When he got closer to the elevation he estimated that the rock pile couldn't be more than fifteen feet high. He immediately started climbing it. He partly wanted to get to higher ground to see more of the terrain, also he wanted some distance between him and the lieutenant. The rocky pile was easy enough to scale and with a few quick moves Landrey managed to pull himself up to the top. The view there wasn't all that different; a flat plain with a few scrubs and a lot of little else as far as the eye can see. He aimed his onyx and captured some images. Landrey took a few steps back and tried to take a more panoramic shot of the terrain. The horizon in the distance looked stunning with small peaks spanning the edge that separated the sky and the flat land below.

A soft crackling sound came from behind him, but before his well-trained reflexes could kick in Landrey felt a sharp pain on his leg. He dropped to the ground instinctively cradling his foot. He must have screamed because the next thing he saw was Harrow pushing himself up and over the ledge huffing and puffing.

“Are you alright? What the hell happened?”

“I'm fine, something stung me.”

“Where?”

“On my leg.”

“I meant where's whatever it was that stung you.”

“Over there by the scrubs.”

Harrow helped Landrey to his feet and they moved a few feet away from the scrubs. After setting the young down again Harrow walked back to the bushes and pointed his rifle at it scanning at the same time with his onyx.

“I don't detect anything.”

“Shit, it went through my boot, my suit is compromised!”

“Calm down sergeant.” Harrow parted the small twigs carefully with his rifle, his finger on the trigger.

“What are you doing?” Landrey held up his weapon.

“I want to see what it was that bit you.”

“Stung damn it, stung!”

“You're quite a baby for a hardcore trooper you know that?”

Harrow couldn't see anything that resembled a lifeform in the small bush. There were some red pods no bigger than his thumb on the lower branches and that was it. Harrow felt a little silly poking at a small bush. Then the pods moved. He quickly jumped back, his rifle trained on the vegetation.

“Shit! What was that?”

“What? What do you see?”

“This plant moves, but it's not registering on the onyx,” Harrow walked back to where Landrey was sitting. “This has to be a lifeform unlike anything we know. You see, the basic principles of life, even plant life, even the ones from T'aal, are more or less the same in terms of their make-up, there has to be a source of - ”

“Oh shut up, shut up, let's just get the hell out of here!”

“Is that insubordination I hear trooper?”

“Sir, sorry sir!”

“Fine, let's go. Can you walk?”

“Yes sir. I think so sir.”

Harrow grinned when Landrey wasn't looking. It was so easy to mess with these trooper types. “After you sergeant.”

…

Private Colin Newport's scream was so loud that Lieutenant junior grade Christian Kenner was worried that other people might hear them. He didn't want the rumors, it was bad enough that Lieutenant Colfax was being talked about shipwide.

The trooper leapt out of bed and stood in the darken corners of the room gingerly rubbing his butt. When that failed to ease the cramp on his lower body he started to pace the room, shaking out his legs and attempted some squats. He cursed profusely under his breath nodding his head as he punctuated the profanity.

“Hey man,” said Christian, a little dumbfounded. “I'm sorry. Didn't mean to hurt you. Are you okay?”

Colin didn't answer. He leaned against the wall with his chin on his chest.

“I don't remember you reacting this way when we were kids, I mean, the times we tried it, you seemed to be, you know, going in full force.”

“That's cause we were kids cuz,” Colin said in a half groan.

“That was just five years ago.”

“That was a lifetime ago...” chuckled Newport fighting off the tears but couldn't quite control the spittle that escaped his lips when he spoke. “Shit, this hurts...”

“Well, you shouldn't have just sat on my cock,” Christian tried to lighten the mood. “Come on, let's go to the mess hall, I'll get you a drink.”

Christian got up and searched for his uniform. He found it on the far side of the room, when he looked around he saw that his boots were flung on top of his cabinet. He tried to suppress a smile. They were pretty hot and heavy when they stumbled into his quarters. Colin had brought up their childhood experiments during dinner and the conversation turned intense when they recalled the details of the youthful antics.

After the Blackout their families had moved away from the city and started a farm in a rural town. Their mothers became known in the little village as the Teacher Sisters and soon Christian and Colin were home-schooled with some of the neighborhood kids. Since then, they practically grew up together and were close until their career paths separated them. Christian had signed up to be a cadet and after he left, Colin who was a few years younger joined Ground Command. The night before Christian had to leave the two boys expressed their affections for each other in the only way they knew how. Since that night, the cousins had been apart until Colin Newport was posted to Starlight.

Colin walked back to the bed and sat down. He played with the edges of the blanket and watched Christian dress. Memories of Christian leaving came back to him. Colin remembered sitting, just as he was now, five years ago watching Christian pack on the eve of his reporting to the academy. He recalled how heartbroken he was the night after. Colin had kept a shirt of his and he wore it every night to bed, praying that the smell wouldn't fade away. But after a while it did.

“No,” Colin stood up and held Christian close to him. When they kissed, it felt familiar, it felt just like before. Deeper than before. Colin grabbed the crumpled uniform from Christian's hands and tossed them aside. They held each other tight and for a while, it was almost like they were lost in a dance.

They fell into bed.

Colin wrapped his legs around Christian's waist and his hands cupped his cousin's face. Their lips were pressed together, parting only to allow in a tongue. Their kiss didn't break, not when Christian parted Colin's legs, and not when Colin felt Christian's penis enter him. This time around, it didn't hurt.