Alien Outpost - Chapter One

I walked along umbilical connection that spanned between the orbiting space station above my home planet and the CTV Arthur. Right out of boot camp and into the fryer I thought. I looked out into space and then back at Talon Prime. I didn’t want to leave. I was promised two weeks of leave after schooling but I wasn’t going to get it. Damn the military. Why the hell did I trust them? I refocused my eyes to my reflection in the glass. I adjusted my black jumpsuit and combed my long black hair out of my eyes. It was obvious to everyone that came near me that I was probably a computer technician. They didn’t have to see the tag. I knew that looking different will probably get me into a lot of trouble but I was never a fan of buzz cuts. Besides myself, the only persons that didn’t have military haircuts were the women.
Sighing, I took my eyes away from the window and headed towards the forward airlock of the ship. The carpet stopped and the metal deck plating began as I stepped from the umbilical to the ship. A guard stood ready with an automatic rifle here. I pulled my necklace off and handed it to the uniformed guard. He used the ID chip that dangled off of the string and inserted it into his hand held computer. He handed it back to me and let me through. Ships like the CTV Arthur were being built every day. Pirate vessels were seizing all they could from outposts and vanishing into space before anyone could respond. The only way to counter the actions of these fast bandits were to increase Police presence in the area.
I had no idea where I was after a few wrong turns down the ships corridors. I consulted my own palm computer to find out where I was and where I needed to be. After running down a few decks I found myself in the mess hall. I looked around and could see that I was one of the first ones there. In the corner was a girl. She seemed to be twenty five, to twenty eight years old. She had spiked blonde hair, dark black eyes, pale skin, and wore a blue jump suit. I walked over to her and held out my hand.
“Hi, I’m Jake Reeve,” I said. She just stood there looking in the same direction that she was before. I waved my hand in front of her and laughed a little. “Helloooo? Daydreaming?” She still didn’t respond to me at all. I looked her over. She stood there with her hands at her sides, not even moving to breathe. I looked down at her hand and noticed something I recognized. It was a manufacturers code stamped the skin near the palm of her hand. I sighed and looked at her again. “Well, where is everyone else?”
I sat down on one of the mess hall seats just behind the thing that I thought was a human being and waited on someone else to enter. Soon after I sat down, the door opened and three soldiers in green jump suits walked in laughing. One male, one female. The corporal looked to be of American descent, and the private looked as if she were Japanese. I didn’t bother to stand up as they walked over. The private walked over to me and smiled.
“You must be the computer tech,” she said.
“Yeah, Private Jake Reeve.” I motioned to shake her hand and she accepted it with a smile. The corporal shook my hand as well.
“I’m Corporal Curt West, this is Private Hira Aki. I’m freshly assigned and of course, she’s one of our FNG’s like yourself. We were just talking about a rumor that’s been going around,” West said.
I shook my head, “Don’t know..”
“The rumor has it that pirates have attacked one of our chemical research facilities. I think its where we’re going to be sent in,” Hira said.
“I haven’t been keeping up with current events lately. Too many personal problems,” I said. It wasn’t far from the truth. This Hira was a really cute Japanese girl. If thing’s don’t work out with my girlfriend back home, maybe she would stay with me. I looked up at her and she looked back at me.
“Ahh.. Don’t worry. The military always does this to relationships. I’m sure you’ll be fine. I’ve been with my boyfriend for years and we find a way to work through it.” Hira gave me a playful punch on the arm. I didn’t know what it all meant but now I felt guilty for thinking such thoughts. Maybe Kara will hang on for just a little longer. The automatic door to the mess hall opened again and a group of people walked through. Six soldiers in black jump suits strolled in and formed a circle.
“Looks like we weren’t sent the memo,” I said.
“Good morning ladies, gentlemen, and computer,” the commander said with a Russian accent. “I’m commander Yuri Ambrose. Please... Gather round’, and I shall tell you who we will kill today,” Yuri said. Everyone in the room emitted a low laugh. I myself couldn’t help but smile. I had expected an uptight asshole but this man seems alright.
“What about her?” one of the privates asked as he pointed to the blonde girl.
“You, in the back,” Yuri said. I pointed at myself to make sure he was talking with me.
“You’re the one with the single room am I right?” Yuri asked. I shook my head.
“Yes sir,” I said.
“Well, you should be the one to activate the android. You don’t have a problem with having a career long partner do you?”
“I’ve heard about them. I’ve never used one,” I said.
“Hey, she’s a girl. Just think of the possibilities of turning her on,” another woman said. A loud following of laughter ensued. My god, I feel like I’m in middle school again. I walked over to her and examined her.
“How to you turn it on?”
“There’s a switch in the back,” Yuri said.
“How do I get to the switch?”
“Take it to your quarters, you can brief her afterwards. Just gather around. This is important,” The female Sargent said. I could hear the group whispering now. Oh fucking great. What a wonderful start I thought. I am the computer tech.. I should have known something would happen to make me the laughing stock. I walked away from the android girl and stood next to Hira. At least she welcomed me with a smile. I’m sure most everyone else was alright with my presence. I have been surprised many times in the past. I watched as the Russian accented commander spoke.
“At o eight thirty Thursday, we received a distress signal from Outpost Eight. The facility spans from beneath the surface, to a sky-lift in geosynchronous orbit. With any luck we will utilize the survivors to assist us in our search and rescue efforts. We believe that a well armed group of pirate raiders are in place and we may expect a glorious fire fight. Those of you looking for action may have gotten what you’ve wished for. However, I must let you know that I am a very nice man till you decide to piss me off. I wish I had time to brief you on myself and the officers among you that have served with me for quite some time, but I don’t. Therefore, I must tell you the basic rules of my command. If you follow my rules, you will not piss me off. If you don’t follow them, you shall suffer the consequences. I will not tell you what those consequences are because I’m sure you will find out soon enough. Until then, we need to introduce each other. Or rather, I shall introduce you as I call upon you to stand right here in order,” Yuri said as he pointed in front of him. Yuri started calling off a list.
“Lieutenant Alfred Rito.”
I watched as an older man whom was standing closely to him stepped around and stood in front of him. He had greying hair, blue eyes, and was unusually muscular for a middle aged man. He stood at attention without saying a word.
“Sargent Lila Chambers,” Yuri called.
A tall blonde whom looked to be in her mid to late thirties stepped out of the circle and snapped to attention. I noticed that Yuri and Lila didn’t give each other a nod the way he gave Lieutenant Rito. I wouldn’t jump to conclusions just yet.
“Corporal Curt West.”
West patted me on the shoulder before stepping out of the circle. My god, It seems I’ve made a friend. I smiled back at him before he snapped to attention. The circle was getting thinner. It was now just Hira, and four others.
“Corporal Amid Kimiel.”
A very tall and fit muscular man stepped out. The young soldier had short hair, dark eyes, dark skin, and a calm stride. He stepped up to the line and snapped to attention so quickly that his shoes made a snapping sound.
“I don’t think we want to fuck with him,” Hira whispered in my ears. I smiled a little. I was really starting to like this girl. Its too bad she had a boyfriend back home.
“He seems like he was cut for this kind of job,” I whispered back to her.
“I hear he’s an okay guy once you drink with him,” Hira said.
“We’ll find out,” I said.
“Private First Class Kiril Primin,” Commander Yuri Ambrose called out. I watched as the shortest guy in the room strolled to the line in his baggy clothes. He donned a backpack that looked heavier than he was. He snapped to attention.
“Kiril,” the commander started. “I’ve heard about you. I’m very proud to have you on our team. If you choose to transfer, I shall put in the last letter of commendation you will need as long as you provide the same effort you’ve shown for Admiral Torres.”
“I love what I do sir. You don’t even have to ask this of me,” Kiril said with a smirk and a hissing voice. I stood there and wondered just what it was that he does. Yet another person I’ll have to avoid until its safe I bet. Yuri looked around after looking at the list. His eyes rested on me.
“Private Reeve, your android is designated AR-15. Give her a name as soon as you can.”
“I will sir,” I said.
“Make sure to read the manual before activating her. Specifically chapters one through four. You need to do this tonight. She is your permanent companion.”
I told him I would make sure to do so. No one snickered this time but it was probably because most everyone was right in front of their superior officer. At this point I was hoped that he would go ahead and call me out. I was the newest Private onboard so most likely I’ll be called last. I wanted to get this over with. Hira looked up at me. She wanted to know what I was thinking and I didn’t know what to think anyway. Sarcastically, I thought to myself how wonderful its going to be to let my girlfriend know that there is another girl in my life. How am I supposed to convey this to her? I wondered.
“Private Doug Burke,” Yuri called.
Doug was probably the youngest man onboard save for myself. He had a few stains on his jump suit but he didn’t seem to care. He casually walked over and took his place. His shaggy brown hair was borderline regulation. Yuri didn’t seem to care.
“Private Hira Aki,” Yuri called. I looked at her. She didn’t bother to glance back. She smiled and took her place in line. It was just me now.
“Come on in Private Jake Reeve. I welcome you all to the crew. I’m assigning your quarters as so,” Yuri Started. “Lieutenant Rito, You will be bunkmates with Sargent Lila Chambers. Corporal Curt West will be bunkmates with Corporal Amid Kimiel. Private First Class Kiril Primin will be bunking with Private Doug Burke.. There is one other available bunk on this ship so please forgive me but I have done this for a reason. Private Hira Aki, Private Jake Reeve, and the AK-47 android shall share quarters 4-1 and 4-2 together. This is the same room.”
I looked over to Hira and she did the same. We both looked like we had been shot. Before we could say anything, Yuri continued.
“I’m well aware that in today’s modern Marine Corps, women are allowed to fuck the men and visa versa. However, I have been ordered to make it difficult. I highly doubt Lila is going to bang Alfred,” Yuri paused to allow the laughter pass. Alfred turned red but nevertheless, he laughed along with everyone. Yuri continued. “Now Hira and Jake.. Ooohh. See, they look like a cute couple already don’t they? Just wait until he turns the android on. That machine’s going to be stuck to you like white on rice so you’d better expect a threesome, otherwise you poor youngsters aren’t going to get any satisfaction.”
Hira raised her eyebrows and I had no idea what I looked like. All I know is that noone was standing at attention anymore and we provided the entertainment. Small room or not, I was ready to start moving in and I’m sure Hira felt exactly the same. Yuri dismissed us all. West was the only one to walk over to Hira and I.
“You’re a lucky man.. What’s your name again?” West asked.
“Jake,” I said.
“Sorry about that. I’m never good with names. Sorry about the joke.”
“Its not a joke if it happens,” Hira said with a snicker. I had to look over to make sure she was joking. There are certain smiles people used to convey what’s real or not. I just had to be sure. As cute as Hira was, I wasn’t going to do a thing until my girlfriend back home actually dumps me. I’m hoping she doesn’t because I would love her forever. I wondered what she was up to. There was a time when I knew that she looked up into the sky and wondered where I was and what I was doing as well. Now I doubt she give me much thought. Goodness, I got to get her out of my head.
“How are we going to get it to our quarters?” I asked.
“For a computer tech, you sure don’t know much about androids Jake,” Hira said. She walked over to the android and picked her up. “She only weighs about fifty pounds. All light weight material.” Hira looked to Curt and asked him to get her bag while she and I helped the machine to our quarters. There were several people onboard that I haven’t met yet. I noticed several crew members wandering back and fourth. Our little Marine group seemed to be the driving force of the ship. We had our own crew to take us where we wanted. It would be nice if I could just ask them to take me back to Kara. I smiled at the thought. Corporal West laid the android down on one of the bunks and hugged Hira goodbye.
Our quarters were larger than I expected. The door closed and a soft dim light bathed the entire compartment. I was very surprised. Hira and I didn’t say anything for a while. There was a small division between the two bunks. There was a single bathroom at one end beyond the furthest bunk, complete with a sink, and a toilet. Hira jumped up and down and squealed. I laughed at her reaction but completely understood.
“Amazing,” I agreed with her.
“Which bunk to you two want?”
I choked a little, “Um.. Wait, you two are girls. I can’t sleep with her!”
“If I were single I’d sleep with you but I’m not,” Hira said.
“Yeah, but I’m not single either,” I sighed.
“She can stay standing. She’s not human you know.”
“I know,” I looked down at her. “Its just.. Look at her. She looks so human. Her dirty blonde, brown spiked hair. Her eyes..” I looked up at Hira. “We already stopped calling her an it and began calling it a her on the way over here. I have to choose a name for her before I turn her on.”
Hira smiled at me, “You’re alright Jake.” Hira winked at me. The door opened for her as she stepped out. I smiled back at her even though the door had already closed. Then I looked down at my personal computer that I pulled out of my shirt pocket. It only took me a few minutes to read it. I was just finishing up the fourth chapter of the AR-15's manual when something caught my eye.
The Model AR-15 android will respond to your orders, and yours alone. Once you’ve completed your tour of duty with the company or military outfit, and your android is still intact. It will continue to serve noone but you. I sighed. I sat down on the bunk that Corporal West had laid her on and unzipped the top half of her flight suit. I noticed that she looked real even under her clothing. I shook my head as I reached under her thin teeshirt to feel for this switch the manual had told me about. After a minute of feeling around her back, I found the indent I was looking for. It was a small soft spot near her spine. I pressed it and looked at her face. Her open eyes blinked and she looked at me.
“AR-15 designated android. Are you my programmer?”
“Yes.”
“Please designate a name for me.”
“Jenny,” I said.
“Hello, my name is Jenny. What is your full name?” She had a very soft voice. She sounded just like a human being. She sat up next to me as I zipped her blue jump suit up.
“My name is Jake Reeve.”
“What is our current relationship? Please designate as Co-Worker, Friend, or Lover.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Our relationship is subject to change at any time. If you wish, designate me as a Co-Worker, Friend, or both co-worker and friend until you become more comfortable with me.”
“Co-Worker and Friend,” I said.
Jenny looked at me and smiled. I smiled back at her. I still had no idea what to think of it or her.
“Please be patient, may I ask more questions?”
I smiled and nodded, “Yes.”
“Where am I?”
“You are aboard a spaceship called the CTV Arthur.”
“What is this place?” She asked.
“These are our quarters,” I said. “You, me, and a girl named Hira live here.”
“I understand. Thank you Jake.”
“So um.. What do you want to do?”
“I want to please you,” Jenny said. I opened my mouth wide and looked at her.
“Whoa, wait.. You are just my friend.”
Jenny looked at me as if she did not understand a word I was saying. Normally I am a very nice guy but she certainly didn’t act the way the directions on my portable computer said she would.
“How much did you cost again?”
“My retail price is twenty-four million dollars. I am not re-sellable. My programming is non-re-writable and I am assigned to you for the remainder of your life. At the end of your career, or service period I will still function for you. I have been programmed to evolve as we gain experience with each other. I constantly learn from you.”
“Whoa Jenny.. Slow down. I’m not going to sell you.”
“You cannot,” Jenny quickly responded.
“I know.. I just thought you were worried.”
“I am not worried,” she responded.
“Well good!” I bit. I’m having a fucking argument with a robot. She looked at me and spoke again.
“You are upset. I am sorry. Would you like to talk about anything?”
“Would you understand if I told you why I am upset?”
“I cannot predict what I may or may not accurately understand but I will collate my best.”
“I guess that will have to do,” I took another deep breath and looked at her. “I have just been going through a rough time in my life. I am far from a person that I love but I’m not sure if she loves me anymore. There isn’t much I can do about it. When she finds out that I am going to be sleeping with two girls, she’s going to kill me for sure.”
“Time has changed since you finished your turn in conversation. Are you going through a better time now? I do not think it would be wise for you to see her again if she has plans to murder you.”
I looked at her and laughed. The more I noticed that she did not understand, the more I laughed. I leaned back and pressed my face into a pillow. It was the best laugh I’ve had in a while. She tapped me on the shoulder.
“This is laughter? How have I amused you?”
“Ahh. My god,” I let out another laugh. “You are asking me so many questions.. I can’t.. Ha ha.. Sorry..” I was starting to wonder if I would ever calm down enough to begin explaining things to her. “Okay.. You are asking so many questions, I don’t know where to begin.”
“To begin what?” Jenny said.
“I need to start answering your questions.”
“I receive a positive feeling knowing that you concider my questions as such a concern.. What is this feeling?”
“I think you are glad, or you are happy.” I watched as Jenny nodded. Alright. Your first questions.. Okay. When I meant that I was going through a bad time.. It means I havn’t been very happy lately. It gives me feelings of sadness to know how far away I am from a person that I love. When I said that she was going to kill me when she finds out who I am with; that is called figure of speech. It may be hard for you to understand this at first but I’m sure you will figure it out. She would never try to kill me. Sometimes people will say things and not mean it. They might make a problem sound a lot bigger than it really is to get attention I guess.
“Okay,” Jenny said.
“And you wanted to know why I laughed?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Its because you perceived my exaggeration as truth when anyone else would have quickly understood this to be what it really was.”
“Just an exaggeration?”
“Exactly!” I watched as Jenny smiled a little. We continued getting to know each other back and fourth for several hours before the automatic door opened for Hira’s access card.
“Hello!” Hira said.
“Hello Hira. I am Jenny,” the android said.
“Jenny!” Hira looked at her and than at me. “What a pretty name.”
By the time Hira entered the room, we had discussed so many aspects of our language, Jenny actually caught onto the phrase pretty name and didn’t need to ask to understand. I was very happy with her now. Hira would have no idea how hard of a start this had to be. I wasn’t too concerned with Jenny sleeping with me anymore. We moved to the bunk near the shower room because Hira wanted the bunk closest to the door. I was happy to get some sleep.