Part 6
Six days have elapsed. Dr. Walcott and Dr. Sar are making their way closer and closer to earth while eradicating alien forces en route. They are making amazing headway against the enemy – destroying hundreds of ships at a time while taking almost no damage themselves. But there were still many thousands left to fight – and it was tedious work. But they would persevere – and do whatever it took to save Earth – and humanity. Fight on!
While the assault continued on alien forces, the IPV Waxer has been slowly limping back to base. The bridge crew are going over a new ship design Dr. Waxer put together, and adding their input. Steve knew his staff had many useful ideas, and he wanted to implement as many improvements as he could. Any advantage he could gain over the enemy would put humanity one step closer to ending this insane debacle.
In the captain's quarters, Steve and Rei are in bed, taking a break from many rounds of lovemaking.
"Wow...! That was amazing." Rei panted.
"Yeah! It was awesome to work out all that sexual tension." said Steve, who was out of breath.
Rei blushed and smiled. "Sometimes I thought we'd never get together. You're always so buried in your work."
"Ha ha! Yeah, I tend to really get into it. Guess I really got used to working like that."
"What drives you to work so hard, Steve?"
"Well, it used to be some kind of escape, I guess. But not so much anymore."
"An escape? From anything in particular?" asked Rei.
"Well... bad feelings from long ago."
Rei paused. "Bad feelings?"
"Um... yeah."
Rei was concerned. "What happened, Steve? What could possibly make you want to escape...?
Steve sighed. "It was... heartbreak. Like I'd never felt before. I doubt you'd want to know..."
She squeezed his hand. "I'd like to know more, Steve. If you're okay talking about it..."
Steve pondered for a moment.
"Alright. I guess it won't hurt..."
He took a deep breath and continued. "I fell deeply in love with someone. Well, obviously, heh. We connected in a way I'd never experienced with anyone else before. It was scary, but amazing! I had never really believed in the concept of soul mates, but she made me, ahh... reconsider that position."
"Oh, wow..."
"Then she broke my heart... multiple times. She... was just acting like she was interested - stringing me along. I don't know, maybe she really did like me at first but changed her mind? I couldn't tell. I was either too stupid or too blinded by my feelings to see that. So when the truth hit me, I was emotionally... destroyed. I... I... I was such a fool."
"Wow..."
"At the time, I was working in R&D of advanced materials for refitting some of the older orbital elevators. But after that experience, I just had to get away somehow. I left my R&D position and took the first lab opening I could find, half way across the world."
"That's... terrible. I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Steve."
He embraced her. "Thanks, Rei. But that was... long ago. Funny thing is, the next lab opening I jumped on just happened to be the Ion Drive Research Project. And I thought that it was perfect for me. If I could help complete that drive technology, I could travel so far and deep away into space that I might totally forget..."
"What? Wow, so that's how you got involved with this project. I'd always assumed you started it with Dr. Walcott and Dr. Sar..."
"Ha ha! I'm honored you think so highly of me. But no, I started out at the bottom."
"How did you end up leading it?"
"Anytime we ran into a significant technological roadblock or setback, I was able to come up with a solution. That's how I rose through the ranks so quickly."
"That's very impressive, Steve."
"Thanks, Rei. I was driven. But I couldn't have done it myself. The team took good care of me. But they all eventually went on to other projects, so I called on Adrian and Robert to join me in their stead. Added their project to mine. They helped me to achieve even greater advances. Their project, advanced shield technology, turned out to be a key component. Saved us many years of research. I helped them out a bit as well."
"How did you meet Adrian and Robert?" asked Rei.
"We all met in middle school. I lost touch with Robert after we graduated, but stayed in touch with Adrian. I got to know his family well. I actually became part of his family, kind of. Which was great, because my own family wasn't very, um, family like."
"Mmm."
Rei leaned over and kissed him.
"So, why didn't you ever make a move on me, Steve?"
"Well, I had kind of given up on anything romantic..."
"You had given up? Because of her? I find that hard to believe. I've seen you in the gym; you keep yourself in great shape! And I saw you checking me out in the gym too, looking at my butt!"
"Oh, no! Ha ha, I didn't think you noticed!" Steve blushed.
"Oh, I noticed. But I liked your attention. I was looking at your butt too! I wanted you to see me peeking, to let you to know that I was interested."
"Wow. I kind of noticed, but I had no idea! That went right over my head."
"Maybe I should have been a little more direct with you..." Rei smiled slyly. She reached over and grabbed his backside.
Steve smiled. "Well, my original motivation for keeping in shape was to get attention from women. But now I just do it for myself, so I can look the way I want to look."
"You do it for yourself? That's very... sexy..." She kissed him deeply. Then they embraced each other tightly and resumed their lovemaking.
The next day, Dr. Waxer met with his crew and finalized the plans for the rebuilt starship. Improvements include six (yes, six!) main cannons, six shield batteries, eighteen independent power generators, and a new highly reinforced armored hull. The IPV Waxer, Mark II! Almost an entirely new vessel. But time was of the essence. Plans were laid out to start the repairs almost immediately upon return to the base. And for now, Steve and his crew rested.
~~~~
Ensign Alexander Allbrad was on watch at the asteroid base when a sensor alert went off.
"What? An unidentified spacecraft?"
He checked the visual...
"What the... it looks like.. it can't be! It's the Waxer! It's a huge wreck, but that has to be it!"
He sounded the alert to receive the heavily damaged Waxer. Personnel assumed their relevant stations The asteroid base's huge hangar doors opened, and the vessel slowly entered. An atmosphere containment force field kept the hangar pressurized while allowing vessels to traverse. Docking clamps extended and secured the vessel, and its engines powered down. As the hangar doors closed, a gangway extended to the ship's only remaining airlock.
Alexander Allbrad approached the airlock. A security team stood by, just in case. The airlock opened...
Dr. Waxer emerged.
"Ensign Allbrad, permission to come aboard." asked Dr. Waxer.
"Permission granted, sir! Welcome back, sir!"
"It's good to be back."
"We thought you were dead..."
"If it wasn't for Kagami's quick thinking, we would have been. We owe her our lives."
Rei blushed at Dr. Waxer's remark.
After Dr. Waxer was apprised of new developments, he briefed everyone who was manning the asteroid base, which included his crew and some crewmembers from the Walcott and Sar.
"To rebuild the Waxer and to build some new vessels, we'll need much more resources than we have at this facility. There should be two small survey vessels here, we'll need to upgrade their engines and shields so they can recover the debris at our battle site..."
"Already done, sir." said Alexander. "We've also completed the shielding system for this base and a full complement of defenses, including a main cannon."
"Huh? Oh. Well, excellent work, ensign! Put them to work immediately. You will put together two teams to begin salvage operations."
"I already have salvage teams selected. I'll have them start right away, sir."
"You're quite a stickler for preparedness, huh?" Dr. Waxer smiled.
"I thought we'd need the resources from the debris field just in case..."
"I like your initiative, Ensign Allbrad. Hmm.. You know, I have another project I'd like you to work on. We'll speak after this meeting - Lieutenant Allbrad."
"Yes sir, I'm happy to be of help – wha..?" Alexander almost didn't realize that he'd just been promoted.
"Thank you sir!"
They continued discussing their plans to rebuild the Waxer. After the meeting ended, everyone went to work at their newly assigned tasks.
"How may I be of help, sir?" Alexander asked.
"That'll be enough of those 'sirs', lieutenant. You don't have to be so formal all the time."
"Yes sir! Sorry, I mean, Doctor..."
"Steve will be fine. In my spare time on the trip back, I came up with many new ideas. Take a look at these prototype plans."
He handed a datapad to Lieutenant Allbrad.
"Hmmm.. Wha... What!" Alexander's eyes opened wide "These are designs for -"
Steve cut him off. "Quiet! It's top secret – I don't even know if it will work as expected. It might just blow up in our faces. But we must try. Put together a team to work on this quietly. If it works the way I hope, it will afford us a huge advantage in this war. We still don't know the enemy's full strength, but they already have a good idea about ours. I want to surprise them."
"I'll start right away." said the lieutenant.
To be continued...
