Celestial Fire

I awoke to the sound of a soft alarm coming from someplace unknown. I slowly sat up in my pod, to find Aurora nowhere to be found. “Beep beep beep….. 0700…… Beep beep beep 0700…” continued to assault my head. Until I noticed a small communications panel on the wall, glowing softly on the other side of the room.

Lumbering to stand up, I made my way to the panel and dismissed the alarm. Then attempting a full body stretch, I reached toward the ceiling, causing several vertebrae to align back in place. Resulting in sweet gratification. That’s when it fully hit me……. Aurora and I, had spent most the night locked in passionate Sex. Violating about a dozen alliance regulations, while going at it. “Shit!” I thought….. “If someone heard, or finds out, we’ll get more than just a stern talking too”. I couldn’t believe it happened, it just did, and she was beyond amazing.”

Flashes raced through my head of the prior night, and I struggled to focus on our mission. It was time to return to the objective….. Discovering what was off about the outpost, and reporting back to command. With that in mind, I grabbed a towel, wrapped in around my waste, and headed for the quantum shower.

Walking quietly through the our living area, I made my way to the bathing room. A small room with a very outpost driven feel. A small shower and washing station, complemented the latrine. Overall very standard for this type of station. I quickly got undressed and hopped in the shower, taping the control panel under the quantum facet. A timer illuminated, indicated I had seven minutes to enjoy the cleanse. Satisfying hot steam was released from the facet. Full of quantum particles, this combination was euphoric on the body. Not only that, the technology had mad it possible for soldiers to go a week without cleansing themselves without determinant. Nor body odor.

I finished my cleanse quickly, relieved myself, and finished washing up in the small wash. Before I knew it I was standing in our common area, fully dressed in a clean uniform ready to go. That’s when I noticed a small note sitting by a single access key. “Hey Orion, I didn’t want to wake you. I had trouble sleeping, after well… You know.. So I got up earlier to check out the gym. I’ll meet you at 0830 in the Public Sector for some chow, before we meet the commander. P.S. Don’t get lost Orion, this place has a lot to geek out on.” The note concluded with “~ Aurora…….”

I glanced at my access key, and briefly picked it up. “Paring complete Lieutenant Evans….. You now are synced with the station’s access system.” A monotone voice erupted from the key, before the silence returned to the room.

With that, I noted the time displayed on the panel in the common area. 0740. “Well, better get moving!” I thought. I turned and headed out of our living quarters, moving back into the corridors of the habitation wing. This time around, they were more active. Outpost Personnel traveled the corridors, some walking in pairs while heading to their destinations. Others walked alone in silent reflection. From what I noticed, most of the personnel were crewmen, ensigns and lieutenants, with the occasional squadron captain… Like Jax.

Squad Captains, were a completely different branch of personnel altogether. They were strictly in charge of fleet assets assigned to a station. And they had their own ranking system, and uniform colors separate from the main Alliance military branch. I hadn’t payed too much attention to Jax’s attire on our trip to the outpost. But typically, they wore silver and black uniforms, with small gold rank markings on the collar. The base rank was a Captain. It then progressed upward to Squad Captain, then Battalion Captain or a Special Operations Captain… Which was the black ops of the fleet. You then become an Alliance Admiral if you lasted long enough. Don’t even get me started on that rank, It has it’s own progression system. But if you you get to Admiral, you usually spend most your time at Alliance HQ.

For the rest of us grunts, we follow a ranking system that goes like this. Crew Man, Ensign, Lieutenant, Special Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander, Commander…. Then finally Captain before you enter an Alliance Intelligence role. Which is similar to an Admiral path in the fleet.

Uniforms here are purely silver. But dependent of area of expertise ranking insignia color are different and located on the collar . White for command, Red for Security, Green for Engineering, Blue for Medical or Scientific.

The only additional path left, is the Special Operations path…….. Everyone starts out as a Lieutenant, then it’s a slow progression to Special Lieutenant, then Spec. Captain. Finally you become a specialist, and I’ll leave it there for now.

Aurora and I, are Special Operations Lieutenants. Although our uniforms are a midnight blue with white ranks, we are still grunts. The Alliance has a rather odd way of ranking. Everyone in the lower ranks always wonders who has command authority. In this case, it’s rather simple. Command is based on assignment. Meaning who ever commands the location, is in charge, regardless of branch. However, within ones own branch, rank progression is obvious.

I approached the end of the corridor, once again noting the security droid standing in the waiting area of the habitation wing. I walked by, without issue and entered the lift system. Here was the moment of truth, I found the Public Sector on the holographic panel and quickly selected it. The lift door closed and hummed to life once again. “Sweet!” I thought, “My Key Works.” It wasn’t long before the lift came to a halt, the doors opened, and I was greeted with a massive court yard of sorts.

Dozens of people, both outpost personnel and others just passing through the outpost. Made their way around a small central garden. Places to eat, drink, and just relax lined the areas around the garden. Hell, there was even a place to meditate. As well as, a place to observe the stars outside the station.

This was what the Alliance was all about before the war.. Coming together and expressing the simpler things in life. It was truly a sight to see. I didn’t get far, making my way to a small cafe when I felt a tap on my back. I spun around expecting the see Aurora, but was greeted by Ryn in her neat and trim uniform.

“Lieutenant Evans…….. It’s an impressive sight here isn’t it?” Ryn smiled wide at me, dropping her official demeanor. I smiled back. “It sure is, it’s good to see something like this. Especially with this damn War.” Ryn nodded and made a friendly gesture. Pointing at a small table near by for us to sit at. I nodded in agreement and followed her, sitting down surprised at how comfortable the chair was.

Ryn looked at me, her face becoming more serious again. There was something about it, something troubling, and I knew something was bothering her. “Zach..” She started. “Something isn’t right here. There’s rumors going around the water cooler, among the lower ranked security personnel that odd experiments are going on.”

“Does this have anything to do about, people seeing black eyed beings?” I asked softly. Ryn’s face dropped. “That’s only part of it… Zach do you remember some of the artifacts we found in Orion?” At this point my face dropped. How could I forget. When I first arrived in Orion, Ryn was one of the specialists that escorted a scientific contingent to an abandoned research site. Located on a desolate moon, on the outskirts of the core Orion system. What we had found there, were old research that hinted that at one point. Advanced genetic research went on at the site. Dark research, trying to create living weapons.

“Ryn… I don’t think I could ever forget that site.” Ryn nodded in agreement. ” Zach, some of the rumors are, that the Alliance is continuing that research here.” I couldn’t believe it, and I almost lost my cool. “Ryn! That isn’t possible! The Alliance forbid anyone from taking anything from that site. Hell, they would have went as far, to banish use from the Alliance, if we even thought of going down that path.”

“I know Zach!” Ryn quietly shot back. “I would of dismissed the rumors, but shortly after they started, the commander brought on board all these security droids. Additionally, the research area has been locked down.”

That’s when it hit me, I never noticed a research area on the lift display. “Research Area?” I asked. “I didn’t see it on the lifts navigational panel.” Ryn frowned deeply…. “It’s used to be listed, about a month ago they took the section offline. Now only a handful of personnel have access to the area.” At this point, Ryn look deeply disturbed.

Before I attempted to comfort her, I felt another hand on my shoulder. This time I turned around to see Aurora had come up behind us as we were talking.

“Lieutenant, you make excellent timing. I’m impressed”. Aurora pointed to a time keeping panel located above the central garden. “0829.40”. “Damn I do…” I thought, while smiling wide at her. Aurora looked great in her uniform, and I struggled to contain what was going on down below my belt. She must have noticed, because she cracked a smile, before pulling up a seat and joining Ryn and I.

“What’cha guys talking about?” Aruroa asked playfully. Ryn quickly smiled, her growing worry no longer present. “I was asking Zach, what he thought about the garden.” Aurora glanced at me, I could tell she didn’t buy it, but she played along. “Oh it’s very refreshing, it’s been some time since either of us have seen anything like it.” I nodded in completed agreement. “Yes, it’s been months if not longer. This conflict has kept us from Nova for too long.” Ryn’s eyes softened. “I haven’t seen Nova myself in years. Too much time spent running Ops for the Alliance.” That’s when Aurora went there.

“Ryn, you were in Orion too right?” Ryn looked uncomfortable, but answered her question. “Yes, Zach and I were in one of the early groups that went to explore the region. Though, I was a much different person then. Younger, and to obsessed with Spec Ops.”

Aurora smiled. “Yes, but the Alliance is lucky to have you two back.” “Thanks to that.” Ryn laughed, and glanced at the time. “Hey, I’ve been on duty all night, I’m beat. Let’s all catch up more, once you complete you’re briefing with the commander.”

“That sounds like a plan” I said . Aurora smiled, showing she was in agreement with me. With that, Ryn tossed a note on the table. “That’s my ID, you can contact me with that using the communications function on any panel”. “We’ll contact you later today, so we can continue catching up.” I responded calmly. With that Ryn got up and headed towards the lift.

That left Aurora sitting alone, staring at one another. “So Zach, about the Sex….” When she mentioned it, I couldn’t believe it. If someone heard, we could get in trouble. “Aurora…. I loved it, but is this the time, you know what will happen if anyone in the Alliance finds out…”

Aurora sat up, and put on her formal demeanor….. “Lieutenant Evans….. I loved it too, and wanted to know……. Will you consider, breaking protocol, and consider making us a formal thing.. In secrete of course?”

It didn’t take me more than a second to respond…… “Yes! I don’t know how to explain it. It just felt so right with you. Lieutenant Michaels…. consider me yours.” Aurora smiled wide. “And Me yours Zach.” “Now let’s get to that briefing, and start trying to figure out what’s going on here”. With that we got up and made our way to the lift….. Side by side……..