Space Chronicles The Beginning

Chapter 18

When I was young?—Ah, woeful when!

Ah! For the change ‘twixt Now and Then!

This breathing house not built with hands,

This body that does me grievous wrong,

            - Samuel Taylor Coleridge -

Lia and Uma stood proud in their new white uniforms—white jackets over short blue skirts—as General Wilson pinned Purple Hearts and Distinguished Service Crosses on them. He also awarded Karl and Anna Distinguished Service Crosses. The rest of the crew and Space Port personnel, including Arthur, clapped but Marty and Angie were the first to greet them with hugs.

Uma was ecstatic. “I’m not even a soldier and I’ve gotten all these medals.”

“You deserve them,” Marty said. “I’ve been in action with a lot of guys, and you are a more courageous warrior than most of them.”

“I am glad that you were with me, Martin. You are my hero.” She kissed him, much to Angie's amusement.

Angie teased him. "I think that Uma likes you."

"Yeah, and what does she think of your little exhibitions?"

Angie grinned. "She doesn't care. She likes you."

"You're crazy."

"Crazy like a fox."

"Amen to that."

She laughed.

"What's so funny?" George asked.

"It's an inside joke, George," Marty said.

When General Wilson approached, everybody snapped to attention.

He smiled. "At ease." He looked at Marty and Angie. "You two have advanced our knowledge of how to fight these aliens beyond our expectations. We want you to train our younger pilots in the art of space combat."

"I never dreamed that I would be engaged in space combat," Marty said. "Angie and I are making it up as we go along. There's no manual, no procedure or protocol for fighting aliens. All we can tell them is what we've found to work."

"That's exactly what we want," Wilson said.

Marty saluted. "Well then, we'll do it."

"Thank you."

After Wilson marched away, Angie looked at Marty. "Let's take a walk."

"Yes, Commander."

They went down to the bio-med labs on Deck 3. There they found Beverly Weiss, a Nobel winning biologist with the Fielding Institute, a prestigious, cutting edge medical research facility.

Beverly was a petite blond with average looks and a friendly smile. She was soft spoken, unusual for someone of her professional stature. "I'm very pleased to meet you two. You've become legends around here."

"I feel old enough to be a legend," Marty said, smiling and shaking her hand. "But, Angie here is too young looking for that."

Angie flashed a teasing smile at him before shaking the woman's hand. "How is the baby?"

"Babies," Beverly said, her eyes radiating drama. "As in seven babies."

Marty and Angie exchanged surprised looks.

"They sent a ship out to that planet with the alien vines and found six more gourds."

"Only six? There were thousands of them," Angie said.