Starcross

Chapter Seven Part ll

Minot Air Force Base

Minot, North Dakota

            The night was cool out here in the small town near the Air Base that Ann Harrison flew out of. A cloudless night filled with stars that shone through despite the light pollution which made it all the more romantic since the dashing flight controller 1st Lieutenant Mike Butts held his arm around her shoulders.

            When they had returned from their mission to level the Druidth colony they had painted a bomb decal on the side of Rosie, their plane, to signify a successful mission. It was then that she decided that she had had enough of waiting around and seeing if he would take the hint; one day she walked right up to him in the officer’s lounge and asked him out. Mike had mumbled through a yes and that night they went out on the town and had a great time.

            “So you know the story behind the term ‘Crapper’, right?” He asked as they walked down the sidewalk, illuminated by the shop lights spilling out through large solid glass windows.

            “You do know that this isn’t proper date talk.”

            “Yeah,” He shrugged. “But if we were proper then you wouldn’t have asked me out and we wouldn’t be here now, would we?”

            She thought silently for a moment and then added, “True. So tell me, where did the word come from?”

            “Well, it was during World War One when the American GI’s had went over to England before going onto Europe-“

            “Sweetie, England is considered part of Europe,”  Ann cut in.

            “Smartass,” Mike muttered under his breath. “Anyway, whenever they used the bathroom they would see these toilets with the word ‘crapper’ on them, which was the company that made them. And voila¸ crapper.”

            “Mmmm,” She hummed. “I do love how you pick the strangest things to talk about.”

            Instead of a reply, Mike just pulled her in closer and warmed her bare shoulders with his arm. Despite being the middle of Summer, the night was cool and crisp although something not so unusual for being so far up north. In all honesty Ann didn’t mind being stationed up here since the Summers were so cool, but the very wet Spring and Artic Winter made her think twice every time.

            “So you have a performance review coming up, which might lead to a promotion…” Mike said.

            “Yeah, I know. But I don’t really care.”

            “Oh? Why not?”

            Ann shrugged again. “I don’t really need one, I’m flying and that’s all I care about. If I was promoted then I would just have more paperwork to do which would cut into my flight time.”

            “Yeah,” Mike added. “And you look so hot in that flight suit of yours.”

            Laughing, she punched him in the arm and drifted away from him only to be pulled in again by his jacketed arm. A gentle whiff of his cologne, a smooth scent with hints of the ocean after a storm, brushed past her nose and she leaned closer to him so that she could smell more of him.

            “So how do you like the new radar they installed?” Ann asked trying to keep him talking.

            She felt him shrug and he sighed. “Maybe if they actually taught us how to use them then we would be able to do our jobs. But the truth is I don’t think even they know how to use the damn things.” After the Five Day War DARPA had moved in a used Druidth technology to manufacture advanced radar systems and sweet talked the DOD into installing them in every remaining airbase saying that they were more powerful and advanced than anything any other country had; and since everyone was watching everyone else for signs of war, more advanced radars were the perfect thing.

            “What’s actually wrong with them?”

            “Well since the Human components need more power the end up frying the lower pull Druidth parts. And if it’s not that then it’s got so many buttons and switches that we end up hitting the wrong thing and screwing the whole system up!” He threw up his left hand, not wanting to let go of Sadie.

            She giggled and leaned up to kiss his cheek. “Aww… poor baby…”

            “Yeah, yeah. I thought we weren’t gonna’ talk about work tonight?”

            “Meh,” She shrugged and kept walking in step with him.