The Hades Connection

by Gabriel S. Timar

Chapter 24

part 2 of 2

The Board of Directors of the International Space Agency was still in session and discussing a few urgent problems when we crashed the meeting. I detected a genuinely warm welcome. They immediately seated us at the head of the table. Actually, Prince Henry declared my seat the head of the round table. He knew I had an important announcement to make; without my asking, he gave me the floor.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” I began, “it is my pleasure to introduce Lieutenant Commander Teri Garfield, our temporary representative on your planet. She is here to make sure that the work on the thrusters will start and progress according to our agreement.”

Garfield looked very impressive in her dress uniform. She was tall, stood erect, and her hazel eyes matched her tanned skin. She created the impression of an athlete. There was a modest applause, but Sheila seemed to be overwhelmed with joy.

“I’m glad to see, Captain, that in your space fleet the plum assignments are distributed evenly between the sexes,” she said. “I’m sure I’ll be able to work with Commander Garfield.”

The others were quiet, thinking Teri would be a pushover, but they were gravely mistaken. She delivered a short, well rehearsed speech.

“It is an honor to have the responsibility for coordination of our joint efforts to save this world,” she began. “It is your future as well as mine. I am ordered to make sure you keep your word. Therefore, Captain von Vardy has given me a number of weapons systems to protect the project and myself. I have powerful laser cannons at my disposal. I can hit any target on the face of the planet with pinpoint accuracy. I will give you a demonstration if you wish.

“In addition, I have a number of nuclear warheads, which I can fire at will. I must warn you that all my weapons will fire automatically upon my death. I have wired the control transmitter to my body, and my heartbeat keeps the weapons from firing. I suggest you tell this to all potential terrorists or maniacs opposing our project. We can put up with civilized disagreement, but we will not tolerate sabotage or terrorism. I hope I have made myself clear and that there will be no problems.”

She sat down giving them a long piercing look. Shivers ran down my back, Teri was playing her role perfectly. Although she had lied about the weapons hook-up under control of her heartbeat, her statement had the desired effect; Teri was definitely scary. The thought crossed my mind that she was utterly ruthless and would kill a few million people, if she had to.

Before the terrestrials had a chance to say anything, I stood up and started to tone down Teri’s speech. It was better if I were the good guy and my deputy the bad one. After all, they would have to deal with her; I would not be around to intervene in case they upset Teri or forced her into doing something drastic.

With all the speeches satisfactorily concluded, I told them that next day I would visit Washington, Ottawa, and Moscow to introduce my deputy to the head honchos. I decided to spend the night in the Pointe instead of the “Baby” because my back hurt from the uncomfortable bed in the captain’s quarters. I thought it had to be quite an ordeal to travel long distances on such tiny vessels. Those old astronauts were a hardy bunch...

I took a luxurious hot shower and decided to watch the Miami-Buffalo football game. It was ages since I had seen a good one. However, somebody knocked on my door.

As I am perhaps the most suspicious character this side of the Milky Way, I grabbed my laser gun and approached the door.

“Who is it?” I cried.

“Lieutenant Commander Garfield requests permission to speak to the Captain,” came a familiar voice from the outside.

I relaxed and opened the door: “Come in, Teri,” I said. “You are a fleet officer now, you don’t have to be so formal. Sit down and have a drink if you wish. I was going to watch the football game. Why don’t you join me?”

“I saw it earlier, sir,” she replied. “It wasn’t a very good game. The Bills fumbled three times in the first quarter.”

Nevertheless, she sat down on one of the comfortable chairs. She had just come from the pool and was wearing a white robe and a pair of slippers.

“What can I do for you?” I asked.

“I’ve a problem with regulation 145 sir,” Teri declared. “I don’t know who I am permitted to fraternize with. Would you kindly enlighten me?”

Von Vardy’s memory immediately switched on, and the details of regulation 145 turned up in my memory banks. It was a set of rules governing the social life of an officer on a mission or on detached duty. Mentally I went through the rules and ended up smiling at the youngster.

“I wouldn’t worry about it too much,” I said. “You can make friends with Mike Horn and Ms. Forrest.”

“That would not be enough,” she replied. “I’m not made of chrome vanadium steel, like Mr. Fedorov. I value and enjoy my sexuality. Sometimes I need men to comfort and entertain me. The regulations say that any kind of liaison must be approved by the commanding officer, like the one you okayed for me with Bill Scranton.”

“What do you expect me to do?” I queried. “I will not be here to examine your potential partners. Even if I were, I’m not sure there would be anybody worthy of you.”

“How about yourself?” she interrupted.

I was lost for words.

“I would like to try that,” she continued. “The regs do not forbid fraternization with one’s commanding officer.”

“Well,” I groaned, “it would not be proper. After all, I just gave you a field promotion. Someone might think that you are just returning the favor.”

“I’m not wearing my rank insignia,” Teri smiled, “and if you took your clothes off, the captain’s stripes would not be tattooed on your arms, I’m sure of that.”

It had been a long time since I was seduced in such a direct manner. Anyway, as she said, the rank insignia was not tattooed on von Vardy’s arms, and Teri did not have any military markings on her superb body either.

Her style of lovemaking was unforgettable and unique, to say the least. She was the first woman who treated me as an equal and demanded that I treated her likewise. I got the feeling that this was the way feminists made love, but I could not be sure because I never had the pleasure of seducing one. Maybe it would be a worthwhile research project sometime in the not too distant future.

She left at three o’clock in the morning in rather good spirits. At the door, she stopped to give me a parting kiss that would have awakened the dead and remarked, “Don’t worry, Captain, in the morning when we put our uniforms on, this encounter will be forgotten.”

She could forget it, but as far as I was concerned, the details were indelibly etched into my mind. If I were a young, eligible fleet officer, I would fall desperately in love with Teri Garfield. It was fortunate that I wasn’t. In fact, I was having a severe identity crisis again; I was constantly wondering what and who I was?

* * *

Fedorov took us to Washington, Moscow, and Ottawa to introduce my temporary replacement to the terrestrial leaders. Teri made a favorable impression on all of them.

After thorough consideration, she decided to stay in Ottawa and set up her office in the guest wing of the Prime Minister’s residence. As far as her housing was concerned, Teri was easy to get along with; she had a bed moved into a little storage room next to her office.

Before we left, I gave her formal permission to maintain social ties with whomever she wanted. She gave me a long look and thanked me without any reference to the events of last night. True to her word, she forgot it all, but I did not. It would have pleased my king-size ego if she had remembered.

After I’d parked Garfield in Ottawa, we returned to Phoenix just to say farewell to Mike and Esther. After all, if Garfield failed in any way, they would be my second line of defense.

It was after dark when I arrived at the Pointe. I found them in their room getting dressed for dinner. I learned that they had gotten married the day before in Vegas. They said it was the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to them. I had seen too many happily married people a day after their wedding and too many not so happy couples a year later in divorce court. I did not get excited about their matrimony.

Since he was my friend, I explained to Mike how his wife acquired her present body, and how she came to this particular planet. I told them I was going to persuade the real Ann Forrest to accept the artificial body initially prepared to house the soul of Esther Jackson. In case she did not buy the plan, I might have to take Esther’s body back.

“You’re the best negotiator I’ve ever seen,” Mike remarked. “I’m sure she’ll see the benefits of remaining in the Jackson body. It’s much more durable and far better proportioned.”

Esther kicked him on the shins hard under the table.

“Don’t forget, Mike,” she hissed, “I have the legs of a field goal kicker, and I can use them.”

“Then, I may assume,” I said, “that you wouldn’t object if I appeared with Ann to switch the bodies, would you?”

“I’d fight you tooth and nail,” Esther announced.

“Why?”

“With this second-class body I can give Mike a son,” she explained. “I couldn’t do it with the super-duper streamlined equipment I was issued on Mammon.”

I envied her. Unlike me, she had developed an emotional commitment to something or somebody. She was lucky to have a second chance. Somehow, I was beginning to have my doubts that I would ever see Mike and Esther in a divorce court.

“Just one more thing, guys,” I said. “When you see this body again, it will not be me. I have to give it back to its rightful owner, Captain Rudolf von Vardy. He may not remember everything that transpired, but could have some trace memories. I think he is a decent fellow, so please treat him well and help him along his way. If you could fix him up with a nice sentimental woman, I would be grateful. He may have some memories about Teri, but she is not the right one for him. Captain Rudolf is an incurable romantic.”

We said farewell. I gave them a password to recognize my messenger or me, got into my spaceship, strapped into the passenger’s seat and signaled Fedorov, “Take us to the Nimrod, skipper.”

To be continued...

to Challenge 360...