2. Company

2. Company

            Mercedes walked down the busy hall full of tired, shocked soldiers who had been awoken from warm beds.

This was a space launch base: soldiers here were technicians, machinists, human calculators. Every aspect of their soldiering had to be precise; whether pilot or engineer everyone had some job that culminated into one goal: getting space planes ready for just such an occasion as this one.

“War?” Thought Mercedes as she jostled past irked people, “I don’t even know what’s happened. I can’t think about it now…”

She moved towards the hangar that she had left merely minutes before.
            “Ginger!”

She stopped, hearing her name called by a familiar voice. Pushing his way through the bustling people was Orbital Lieutenant Mark Harrison, a clean cut man who walked with confidence & smiled, but now looked like he’d seen something haunted.
            “Mark.”
            “Don’t you know what all this is about, Ginger?”

“I don’t know, Mark, I really don’t.”

“It’s got everyone in a mess, including me.” He stated, looking about quickly.

“Let’s not think about it now. We have to get to our planes. C’mon.”

As they moved on,

“Ginger, why’ve you been sneaking out at night?”
            “How do you know about that?”

“I’ve heard you take off in your plane at night. Don’t think you can fool me!” He laughed.

“Tch.” She scoffed. “You’re hearing things.”
            “Nah, I’m not. I can hear your plane anywhere.”

“Anyway, do you have to bring this up now?”
            “Yeah. I may not get another chance.”

The two compatriots reached the doors to the hangar and Mercedes pushed them open.

“Gotta protect my own.” Mark said.

“So you say. You just like poking at me. How’d you make it through flight school?” She asked, smiling.
            “I’m smooth, that’s how.”
            “Right. Smooth. You have to get over yourself.”

As Mark laughed, the two of them swept into the 40 foot high space plane hangar. Pilots scurried about, preparing for their takeoff into an unknown war.

“This is killing me. We need to hurry.”

“Don’t state the obvious, Mark. It makes you sound scared.”

Towards the takeoff door they walked, quietly, as the hangar echoed the voices of other pilots’ speech, the clang of metal, and the noise that accompanies a hangar preparing for war.

They approached Mercedes space plane. Another woman ran up to them, quickly and with a shout of joy said,

“Ah! You’re here! Were…going to war. Do you know why?”

“No…” Mercedes sighed.

“Oh…” Orbital Lieutenant Lettie Little was a short woman, with dark hair, pale skin & a high voice.

“I wish Colonel would come out and brief us! Oh!” She stopped herself, changing subjects suddenly. “Ginger, where did you fly?”

“What? How did you figure that out?”

“Your space plane is in a different place than when I left earlier today.”

“See? I told you that you weren’t foolin nobody.” Mark said shortly, trying not to laugh.

“…wow. I can’t hide anything…” Mercedes grumbled.

“Don’t worry about it too much, Ginger. Your face gave you away too.” Lettie said, giggling

“She’s right. Yo face twitches when you lie.”

“So my face is a book then?” Mercedes dripped sarcasm.

“Yeah. A really interesting one, actually; A dime novel.” Lettie quipped
            “Nah. More like a comic book.” Mark snickered on.

“Very funny.” Mercedes retorted. “You both better watch your space planes from now on.”

“You won’t do anything. You’re too nice.” Mark said.

“What? How can I-“

“Hey! Eddie!” Lettie interrupted Mercedes.

She shouted at a man who was climbing into his space plane quietly. He hadn’t said a word on his arrival.

Lettie walked over to the space plane in which he sat.

“Didn’t I tell you to say something when you got here?”

            Eddie looked out on Lettie, a slight smile painting his lips. He had tan skin and well balanced, calm facial features. He had managed to walk up near his comerades and climb into his ship, avoiding notice.
            “You’ve got a really bad habit of just being quiet when you come to your space plane.” Lettie chided.
            “I know that.” Ed said, shortly, pressing buttons on his plane’s cosole.

            “You should break it, dude! You’re a likeable guy!” Mercedes chimed in.

            “I’m trying.”

            “Try harder. We like you, you know.”

            “Sure…”

            Things grew silent for a moment.

            “Why are we going to war, Eddie? Do you know what’s happened?”

            Ed thought for a moment.

            “Only one reason. We have to serve our country and the crown.”
            “Doing what, though?”

            “That I don’t know.”

            “As always, Ed, you sound like you might just have the answer we want, then you hang us out to dry.”

            “Gee. I’m sorry I’m not in the know.”

            “You’re such a killjoy, Ed. I was messing with you.”
            Lettie burst in,

            “Oh! Did you get-“ She stopped, looked at Mark standing a ways off speaking to someone, continued quieter, “Did you get our dear comedian his birthday present?”

Eddie smiled and pulled from his space plane a small package, handing it to Lettie.

“He’ll love it.” He smiled.

“What is it?” She asked.

“Just wait and see.”

“You always come through, Ed. My Ed!” She squealed.

“Yeah…”

“Mark! Come over here.” She shouted at him.

Mark came over to the group,

“What’s up? Everybody here?”

“Here, Mark. Happy birthday.”

“Who’s this from?”

“All of us!”

“Thanks! Ya’ll are the best!”

“Open it.” Said Ed
Mark gazed at the box, began to rip the paper…

 

“Pilots!”

The time had come. Each pilot stood attentive to the Orbital commander, their briefing at hand.

 

The commanding officer stood before them, dressed in his black space mesh.

“To your positions, orbitals.”

Each pilot went to their ship, facing him. Mark had dropped his present, and the Officer now picked it up.

“Ah, A birthday celebration, Orbitals?” He said, gazing at the brightly wrapped present. “I’ll be keeping this for the time being, Mr. Harrison, as a motivation to get you back alive.”

“Sir, permission to speak?”

“Speak, Lieutenant.”

“We’re called here for a reason. Is it w-“

"War? Yes." He smiled, winking at William. "Exciting, isn't it?"