Command module 'Sentinel' lifted out of the water under the body of the
Sikorsky super lifter and Jack Swigert, Michael Partenza and Schtopaugh
Strelnikov waited calmly until they felt the ship hit the deck of the
U.S.S. Enterprise. (CVN-65) A hand thumped the portal on the main hatch
and Michael gave the unseen figure the high sign. The hatch opened and a
pair of hands lifted the sample cases out of the capsule first. The two
pairs of hands reached in and helped Jack Swigert out of the ship and to
his feet. Schtopaugh joined him and Michael, as always was the last out.
It was her ship and she preferred it that way.
This time Michael reported that she had been in direct contact with a
Raianna and that some of it's genetic material had been fired at her In
the form of masturbatory ejaculate.
Michael willingly stripped in the medical bay specially prepared for the
procedure and allowed them to scrub her all over inspect her examine her
for possible contaminates and otherwise, make sure that she was not
infected, or otherwise endangered. It was during this stem-to-stern
complete physical that she heard the Ship's doctor tell her,
"Captain, are you aware that you're pregnant?"
"I'm what?"
"Captain you're pregnant, and you're a few weeks along. Haven't you been
keeping track of your menstrual cycles?
"Well I wondered why I had not had another one yet, and I was going to
ask someone about it. I guess now I don't have to."
The female Lt. Commander told Michael,
"No, Ma'am, now you don't. The records say you're not married and I have
to tell you that right now the navy does not look positively on unwed
mothers, in its Officer class."
"Well, I am engaged, to the father of the child as a matter of fact."
"Are you sure he's the father of your child, Captain?"
"Yes, Lt. Commander, he's the only man I have ever had sex with."
The Doctor brightened and told Michael,
"Well, then Captain that puts quite a different face on things. As long
as the wedding happens in the next three months, everything should be
fine. Of course, as of now I am removing you from the flight operations
list for the duration of your pregnancy."
Michael's shoulders slumped and she looked crestfallen. It made perfect
sense and Michael knew it, but it was still a blow. No more flying, no
more missions, no more big shot Naval Aviator, not for at least the next
nine or ten months and probably even longer. Then, it hit Michael. She
was going to have a baby. Michael Partenza was going to give birth.
These were the thoughts that filled her mind as she got off the exam
table and dressed. When she walked out of the med bay in short sleeve
tans with a skirt and hose and low-heeled brown shoes, Michael wandered
over to her cabin, then she walked past it and knocked on Schtopaugh's
cabin.
He opened the hatch and said,
"Ah, Misha, how was the big exam, everything come out O.K., no nasty
alien bugaboos?"
"Yeah, no, I'm fine, ...Schtopaugh, I'm pregnant...I'm gonna have a baby."
The big man picked Michael up in his arms and swung her around in his
cabin,
"WONDERFUL! My treasure is making a little treasure for us both. Misha
this is grand news!"
Michael sat down and seemed, not sad, but distant as if she was in a
world of her own. As indeed she was. A baby. A little human being that
would come out of her body. It would grow in her and make her belly big
and then it would come out of her in screaming mind bending pain, and
then it would depend on her for food, for protection, for knowledge for
everything. Michael Partenza looked at Schtopaugh and told him,
"I'm going to have a baby, Schtopaugh; I don't have the slightest idea
what to do about that."
Schtopaugh wrapped his arms around Michael and told her,
"No, WE ARE going to have a baby and I will do everything I can to help
you and we'll marry and then the three of us we'll be a family. Don't
worry, just eat right, do what the doctors tell you, and make sure you
and the Baby are strong."
"Yeah, I guess I'm not dealing with anything every other first time
mother has not dealt with. I just never thought this would happen to
me."
"Well not to rub it in Dear one, but the way we've been fucking like
weasels this was kind of inevitable."
Michael thought about that, and laughed somewhat self reprovingly,
"Yeah,...yeah, I guess you kind of have a point there." Then Michael stood
up and told Schtopaugh,
"So, I'm off the flight roster, and I'm probably out of the astronaut
program, but with everything being the way it is I am hardly out of the
navy. With what I know and have personally experienced, they still need
me for Project Rampart."
Schtopaugh was relieved that this news was not or did not seem to be
depressing or dismaying Michael. Schtopaugh knew that Michael was a
Naval Aviator. To have to cease flying was a near death sentence, and to
be removed from the astronaut program was nearly as bad. Even so,
Michael seemed to be taking it, if not with cries of great joy, then at
least with a level of good cheer.
"Exactly Michael and you're not going to be pregnant forever, are you?"
"No, no I'm not. Then too, according to the doctor my latest trip into
space hasn't hurt the kid any."
"That's right, kids are tough, and your kid is going to come out of
there, probably flying an F-4 and calling all the other newborn's
pussies."
Michael laughed at that and told Schtopaugh,
"I would not be surprised. SO what do you figure, it'll be, a boy or a
girl?"
"With you, it doesn't matter, either one will probably rip holes in the
sky."
Michael laughed and said,
"Thank you, Schtopaugh, that makes me feel a lot better."
When the Carrier reached San Francisco, Michael, Schtopaugh and the
other members of project Rampart debarked and went to McChord A.F.B. and
flew, not to Kirtland Air Force base, but to Andrews Air Force Base.
Michael was ordered to present herself for decoration by President Ford
as a recognized American Hero. It would be a private ceremony in the
Roosevelt room of the White House, but Michael would receive the
Congressional Medal of Honor for 'action in the field, of courage and
intrepidity without regard for her own safety against enemies of the
United States and in service of Americanism and American citizens'
Joe realized that the citation referred to the action in Mare
Procellarum rescuing Joe Bradley and destroying the Zulu Romeo base. She
did not know that it was also for facing off against the Raianna
representative and showing the 'intestinal fortitude' that caused an
alien enemy battle fleet to retreat from Earth's back yard, if not from
the Solar System. No one but the President, his National security
advisor and the Chief of the C.I.A. knew that the award was also for
going to the moon aboard Apollo 18. She faced the enemy, killing two of
their number, grappling with a third, and then enduring her
transformation and, not only NOT breaking, but bouncing back in fine
style and costing the enemy a ship, a base and untold numbers of
themselves.
The Lear jet in Air Force colors touched down at Andrews A.F.B. and
Michael and Schtopaugh debarked. The other members of Rampart went to
K.A.F.B. to resume work and process the Intel from Apollo 20, but
Michael was ordered to report to her Commander in chief for decoration
and so she would do so, in good order.
It was a cold day on October 21st, 1974. Michael was bundled up in her
black and white cover, her black jacket and skirt and her trench coat.
Schtopaugh also insisted she wear a scarf.
"Schtopaugh I'm going to D.C. not the north pole."
"Be silent Yankee dog, you are now a proletariat of two and I don't want
my daughter-"
"Son"
"Getting frost bitten."
As they walked from the jet to the waiting car, Michael told him, "I
don't think embryos can catch frostbite, you Russki worrywart."
"Aaahhh, what do you know, you're not a Doctor, you kill aliens for a
living."
The two of them only had an overnight bag each and would be staying the
night at the Raffles in Georgetown. The ceremony would be the next day
at 0900.
Checking in and riding to the room in the elevator was torture for
Michael. Ever since landing at Andrews, Michael had been at a level of
sexual ardor high enough to risk indecent exposure. Schtopaugh's
unwavering support and cheerful optimism had caused her to want him, as
had his emphasis on her status as an aviator and not a 'Mommy'. The
bellman at the Raffles led them to their room and obligingly showed the
two of them how to work curtains, light switches and TV sets, just as if
the two of them had dropped in from the middle ages.
"And we have our honor bar and of course the Raffles kitchen will be
pleased to make you anything you might like, day or night, Captain,
and,...uh,...sir."
The poor kid looked at Schtopaugh's shoulder boards and had no idea what
two sky blue lines and two gold stars meant and did not wish to demote
the man unwittingly, doing so might hurt the tip. Michael hurriedly took
a bill out of her purse and shoved it into the boy's hand telling him,
"Yeah, great, super, thanks, Kiddo, That's great"
As she all but pushed him, out the door and slammed it behind him,
locking it just to be sure. On the other side of the door, the kid
looked down at the 20-dollar bill in his hand. He decided that even if
these two wanted hookers and blow he was their boy.
Michael started at a walk but finished at a running leap as she hit
Schtopaugh knocking him to the surface of the bed and pulling her delta
tie-piece from her collar. Then she shrugged out of her jacket letting
it fall to the floor and started pulling at Schtopaugh's tie and jacket.
Schtopaugh, never a slow lad by any means immediately started helping
her undress him and did his best to unburden her of her inconvenient
textile encumbrances. Michael threw off her Bra, pulled up her slip, and
pushed her panties to her knees, kicking them off one leg in the last
motion. By now, she knew Schtopaugh liked the hose and garter belt to
stay on so she left them there. Then having gotten him down to his
boxers she reached in and took hold of his cock stroking it to make sure
it was hard and ready.
Michael moved upward so that her hips were parallel to Schtopaugh's then
she took his penis and moved herself down onto it carefully keeping it
lined up with her vagina. Being on the bottom was strange for
Schtopaugh, but when his hardness entered Michael's hot flexible
welcoming wetness, he stopped caring. Michael leaned over and rubber her
breasts on Schtopaugh's chest hair as she moved up and down on his erect
penis.
"Mmmmmm, Yeah, yeah, yeah, Oh, yeah, fuck, fuck, fuck, Yeah Oooohhh"
Schtopaugh leaned up and kissed her, probing her mouth with his tongue
and Michael let his tongue in sliding her own together with his. He
thrust upward into her as she moved over him and they both moaned into
each other's mouths and they moved together. Michael felt her orgasm
getting close and moved up and down on him faster to bring it on.
Schtopaugh had to use his iron control but successfully put off his own
orgasm as Michael's first shook her and she broke from his mouth to
scream
"EEEEEEEEYYYYEEEAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH"
Michael kept moving up and down over him griping his head and running
her hands in his hair as she had another,
"AAAHHHHHHAAAAA GAAAHHHDDDDD "
After that, she looked into Schtopaugh's eyes and almost growled.
"Cum for me, cum in me, do it!"
Schtopaugh thrust faster and harder clutching Michael's hips with both
hands and let himself climax. As he did, Michael felt his cock twitch
and spasm and that caused her to have her third orgasm,
"OOOOHHHHHHHHH, FFFUUUCCCCKKKKKKK GGGAAAAAHHHHDDDDD"
Schtopaugh yelled out "AAAAAAAHHHHHH" as Michael's vagina practically
squeezed his sperm out of him.
Michael collapsed on Schtopaugh and shook as she came down from her
third and strongest orgasm. Then she hugged him and told him,
"I love that, I love you."
Michael kissed him again this time gently and crawled off him moaning a
little as his softening cock came out of her.
Michael stood up carefully and somewhat unsteadily, her slip was now
bunched up around her waist and rather than straighten it she pushed it
down and off, of her hips leaving it on the floor as she went, not to
the bathroom, but to the honor bar, opening the space refrigerator, and
exclaiming
"Awright, Snickers."
She stood there and unwrapped the bar, closing the fridge, and eating it
nearly nude, Except for her garter belt and hose. Schtopaugh looked at
her as she did and asked her,
"Is it weird that I think it's hot when you eat in the near nude?"
Michael answered around a mouthful of chocolate, peanuts caramel, and
nougat,
Yes, it is, but then I knew you were a pervert when you first banged a
chick that used to be a guy."
Michael turned on the TV and used the remote to flip channels until she
found the recognizable sight of Jean Stapleton and Carroll O'Conner
doing a piano duet in a middle class living room.
"Oooh, I like this show, Archie is a hoot.
Schtopaugh asked,
"What is this?"
"Just watch. It's good and with everything happening the way it has been
I miss some good simple domestic stupidity and comically over the top
bigotry."
Schtopaugh had never seen this before and was curious and so he sat with
Michael the two of them naked or nearly so, on the room's sofa. Michael
finished her candy and Schtopaugh asked her who this man was and why he
was like that. Michael Stivic living with him and his daughter and wife
was not strange to Schtopaugh as in the U.S.S.R. it would have been
strange if they did NOT when they were first married. During the show
Michael took off her nylons and garter belt and left them on the coffee
table in front of the couch.
Michael finally asked Schtopaugh,
"So what's the story, did you find out where you're stationed?"
"Da, I am posted with the Bilateral Allied coalition at Project Rampart,
Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. That is my post for the foreseeable
future."
Michael hugged him and responded,
"Fuckin' 'A'!"
Then she stood and said,
"That candy bar reminded me that humans need food, want room service?"
"Can we afford that and the room and how much was that candy?"
"Fuck it, Man this is on President Ford's dime, I'm a gawd dayum
Amurrukarn HE-RO. For as long as I'm in town it's nothin' but steak and
trimmin's baby and you should see the trimmin's.
"O.K., then if you say so, I want an American steak, the best one they
have baked potato and green bea- NO! Corn, corn on the cob with butter."
"You got it, as for me, I'm having surf and turf."
"Water and grass?"
"Steak and lobster"
"Oh, give me some of that too."
"Roger that, my love two orders of Surf and turf, coming up."
"I love living like a capitalist boss, if they hadn't called the cold
war on account of aliens I would have had to defect."
After Michael ordered the food, she walked back to the couch and fell on
it as if she were a teenager in a beanbag chair. She asked Schtopaugh
warmly and curiously,
"So, Rocket-man, after we eat, do you want to go for another trip around
the moon?"
"Do I,... HELL yes!"
"Kewl."
Michael and Schtopaugh donned hotel bathrobes and waited for the meal to
arrive. Michael felt the material of the robe next to her skin and
rubbed the collar on her face and chin saying,
"You know what, I'm stealing one of these, you should too, aren't these
things great?"
"Yeah, they don't feel terrible; I think I might get sticky fingers and
practice my own hooliganism on the way out as well."
"Stealing from the hotel is an American tradition."
When the food arrived it was brought by the same blonde tow headed
Bellman as before. Schtopaugh left him with a ten-dollar bill and bid
him get the hell out. The bellman walked down the hall seriously asking
himself if he could obtain the services of a prostitute or a quantity of
cocaine if a guest asked for it.
Michael remembering Schtopaugh's confession of being aroused by the
sight of her eating in the nude dropped her robe to the floor.
Schtopaugh saw that and quirked a small grin as he dropped his robe as
well. The two of them tore into their meals without preamble and when
the food had been consumed; Michael crawled onto the bed in the bedroom
of their suite and wiggled her rump at Schtopaugh.
"You know what this means, don't you, when an animal in heat shows you
her rump?"
"And you ought to know what's going to happen to you when you wave your
bare ass at a hairy savage beast."
"Oh, fuck yes!"
After the hour and one half rest and the protein and carbohydrate heavy
meal, Schtopaugh's penis was once again hard and he moved toward Michael
and got onto the bed behind Michael He reached his thumbs in and parted
her vulva when Michael, not quite understanding why, told him,
"The ass."
"What?"
"The ass, Schtopaugh fuck me in my ass I want you to do it."
"My treasure, are you sure?"
"YES!"
"But why, dear one?"
"I don't KNOW, but I need you to do it, now stick your cock in my ass
and FUCK ME!"
"You are my Captain, my love."
With that, Schtopaugh pushed his blood-engorged penis into Michael's
rectum. He moved slowly and carefully not wanting to hurt her. Even at
that, she began to whimper as his cock filled her rectum, she whimpered
not in pain but in pleasure and confusion. Michael could not believe
that this felt good. Then as Schtopaugh reached his limit and his balls
contacted Michael's butt cheeks, Michael told him,
Now fuck me, do it, in and out hard, and fast do it, please!"
Schtopaugh slowly started moving his cock thrusting it in and out trying
to be as gentle as he could. Michael started crying, not in agony, but
in frustration and shouted at him through grunting sobs,
"No, damn it FUCK ME, God damn you, Fuck me like a whore!"
Schtopaugh answered her,
"Yes, Dear one," and he started thrusting in and out fast and hard. Then
Michael started moaning,
"Oooohhhh, yeah, yes, yes, YES! OOOHHH GODDD, why does this feel GOOD?
Why does this feel so damned GOOOOODDDDDD!!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
Michael put one hand on the headboard to support her weight and put the
other hand between her legs to frig herself. The combination of
sensation gave her the quickest and most immediate orgasm she had yet
felt. Schtopaugh's cock thrusting in and out of her ass, his testicles
repeatedly hitting her butt cheeks and her own hand frigging her pussy,
combined with her breasts moving back and forth with the rhythm of
Schtopaugh's thrusts as he held her hips and fucked her as if they were
two animals.
Michael climaxed hard twice before Schtopaugh catapulted his seed, such
as it was after their earlier fun into her backside. When they finished
Schtopaugh pulled his softening cock out of her and they both fell on
the bed together. When Michael could think again and showed signs of
awareness of her surroundings, Schtopaugh asked her.
"Why dear one, why did you want me to do that?"
Michael tried to think and then told him,
"I, I think I wanted to give myself to you, to submit myself to you. I,
I guess I wanted to show you that I trust and love you completely and
utterly. That I know you will never hurt me, and so I can be totally at
your mercy."
Schtopaugh stroked the side of her face telling her,
"My sweet one, you ARE mine, but I am also yours and your slightest
desire is my command. If you want me to sodomize you I will, but know
that it is only because it is your will that I do so."
The two lovers lay that way, caressing each other in love and adoration.
Then Michael told Schtopaugh, "come on, let's hit the shower, you need
to clean my shit off your dick."
Schtopaugh and Michael walked into the bathroom, Michael needing a
little help after being rump screwed by Schtopaugh albeit at her
vehement command. The shower was just a shower, but both people washed
each other gently before finishing up and adjourning to bed. Before they
fell asleep, they told each other,
"I love you Michael."
"I love you Schtopaugh."
The next morning their wake up call came at 0700 and Schtopaugh answered
it. He told the desk clerk that he acknowledged the call and was up.
Then when he hung up the phone, he nudged Michael who was snuggled in
under his arm in a most adorable fashion.
"Misha, Misha, it's time to get up. It's morning, time for breakfast and
my morning blow job."
Schtopaugh said that last to see if she was tracking but Michael said,
"Mm, Kay."
And crawled down between his legs, taking his flaccid penis in her
mouth and licking it to life, before she started sucking and licking it
in earnest. Schtopaugh could not believe it, it had been a joke, but
before he could protest his penis throbbed and twitched and ejected a
frankly pathetic amount of thin watery semen into Michael's mouth.
Michael crawled out of bed and walked toward the bathroom with an impish
look on her face. As Michael commenced a sink/washcloth bath, she told
Schtopaugh, "You really ought not to say things like that when you're in
bed with someone like me, we Navy people are hard core."
"You are, aren't you, my Dear one." Michael then took a check up shave
of her legs and underarms and Schtopaugh shaved his face with the safety
razor provided by the hotel. As the two brushed teeth and dressed and
otherwise got ready for the day, Schtopaugh ordered breakfast sandwiches
and coffee, hot and strong. Michael donned fresh underthings and a clean
white uniform blouse. She had to transfer her shoulder boards and other
heraldry from the dirty shirt to the new shirt. Schtopaugh had to do the
same with his things.
The two Astronauts left the room having packed their bags and proceeded
downstairs to the car. They would be going from the ceremony to the Air
Force Base and then straight back to Kirtland. Both of them had things
to do.
The car took them to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C. at 0830
on October the 22nd 1974. Michael was once more bundled up against the
autumn chill by Schtopaugh's orders and the two were conducted by a
White House aide into the Roosevelt room. The youngish African American
man asked them,
"Can I get you anything, coffee, water, soda;" Michael told him "I would
like a 7-up if you have it, thank you."
"I will have a root beer please?"
"Right away, the President will be with you in a short while."
The young man who's name was Robert, brought them their sodas each one
was in a chilled glass with the extra still in the can on the tray. and
once more reminded them the President would come in a short time.
Michael tasted her 7-up and made a slight face. Schtopaugh asked her,
"Is there something wrong with it?"
"No, no, it's just, well, I thought it would taste,...I don't know,...more
like the White House."
"Misha, you are a VERY strange woman, do you know this?"
"Yes, Schtopaugh my sweet, I know that I am a very strange woman."
Several men in dark suits entered the room and were followed by an older
balding man with a kind fatherly face and a distinctive pin on his
lapel. When this man entered, Michael snapped immediately to attention
and stared straight ahead. The man said,
"At ease, Captain Partenza, it's all right. Believe me, this is my honor
to be decorating a certified American hero." Michael shifted to the
relaxed 'at ease' position feet held slightly apart hands together
behind her back.
The White House photographer walked in and Partenza came to attention
again as President Gerald R. Ford reached over to the open box in the
hands of a male U.S.Navy Lt.
"Captain Michael Partenza, for actions above and beyond the call of duty
in defense of your comrades and in service to the United States, without
regard to your own personal safety; it is my pleasure and my honor to
present you with the Congressional medal of Honor and to certify you as
an American hero. I would like it understood Captain that you ARE a
hero, deserving of that appellation. All this medal can do is allow us
to show you in our own poor way, that your nation is grateful for what
you have done."
The 38th President of the United States of America picked up the silken
ribbon and lifted it over the head of Captain Michael Partenza. The
somewhat heavy medal dangling from the fabric for a moment as the ribbon
was pinned in place at the back of Michael's neck. When the medal rested
in it's place over Michael's uniform delta tie. Michael Partenza was
stunned. This was unreal, no surreal this happened to other people,
different people, people in history books or movies, not to her. The
ceremony ended, Michael, and Schtopaugh left the room after the
President did and went to the car. The moment was bizarrely
anticlimactic, but somehow fitting for Michael as she walked with
Schtopaugh to the car. Michael had in her purse the leather covered
velvet lined box for her Medal of Honor. In addition to the space for
the ribbon and pendant medal, it also held the mini medal that would
adorn her citation rack and the micro pin that would go on any clothing
item she cared to wear it on.
Michael Partenza thought about the usual candidates for this kind of
thing. Most of them ended up dead and their awards given posthumously.
The small minority of remainders wound up terribly wounded with lifetime
crippling wounds. Over the entire history of the Medal only a select few
percentage wise received their medals when they were able bodied and
alive. This was a casualty of the kind of dangerous high-risk low
survival behavior that EARNED the Medal.
Then Michael thought about herself, HERself. A woman named Michael
Partenza who until only a few months ago had been a MAN named Michael
Partenza. If THAT did not qualify as a grievous combat wound suffered in
the line of duty, Michael was damned if she knew what would. Michael sat
in the flight chair in the cabin of the jet and absently fiddled with a
button on her uniform tunic. There was someone in there now. It would be
tiny and probably not even self-aware yet, but nevertheless Michael
could legitimately hang an 'Occupied' sign on her lower torso. That
weirded her out on a whole 'nother level. Michael knew now with a sharp
shock that she would HAVE to take care of herself now. It was no longer
just about her. She was suddenly glad to have been removed from active
flight status and the astronaut program, there was no reason at all to
expose 'little nameless' to that kind of silly-assed risk taking.
Michael also resolved to lay off the booze. She already did not smoke
and read that whatever the mom ate or drank the kid ate and drank. It
would be the height of the absurd to drink while she was pregnant and
then tell the child later that they should not drink.
Schtopaugh put a hand on her forearm and that snapped her out of her
reverie. Schtopaugh told her,
"You were really off in outer space there, Ruble for your thoughts?"
"I was thinking about the kid. I'm quitting drinking and I'm glad they
grounded me. In addition, I'm glad I never really got into smoking.
Whatever I eat or drink, the kid eats or drinks, so I need to bear that
in mind from now on."
"So, was that all?"
"No, Schtopaugh, I was thinking 'Michael' is a pretty silly name for a
woman. I don't care if that TV actor lady DOES have it as her name."
"SO what do you want to call yourself?"
"Well, what's wrong with 'Michelle?"
"Nothing at all, my love, nothing at all in the world."
"Captain Michelle Partenza, hell that's probably the way all the
paperwork reads anyhow."
When the Lear jet touched down at Kirtland A.F.B. Michelle learned that
'Michelle Gabrielle Partenza' had been her legal name since she first
returned to Earth after Apollo 18. If that was so, she wondered, why had
President Ford addressed her, as 'Michael' the answer was that he knew,
about everything. Torgeson the filthy peep show pervert told her as much
did he not? Well a day then, that was settled.
After Michael put her bag in the new Quarters in Officer's country, she
met Joe or rather Joanne getting his things settled in. Most of the
clothing the Air Force bought him was pretty dowdy and would look pretty
anachronistic at school In the fall. Joe did not know to complain, as he
had no idea what was in style. Joe learned of Michelle's pregnancy and
his response was succinct,
"Fuck a duck!" Then he shook his head and told Michelle,
"You're really goin' all in, aren't you, Captain?"
"Yeah, I guess, so. Listen that reminds me, the navy says the pregnancy
is legit as long as I'm married before I really start showing, so that
brings me to the next question,"
"Yeah, whatta ya want?"
"I want you to be my maid of honor." Joe's response was to be expected
all things considered,
"NO! FUCKING! WAY!
"Joe Damn it come on, Man, why the hell not?"
"Why not, oh, gee, let me see, because you're marrying a Russki, because
I would have to wear a dress, because I would have to wear a REALLY
STUPID LOOKING DRESS, and oh yeah, because you let a fucking Russki
knock you up and now you're the prize horse at a bang-tail wedding!"
Joe instantly regretted his words as he looked at the expression of
profound and deep hurt on Michelle's face. Michelle just looked at him
and went upstairs. Schtopaugh, heard the exchange and looked at Joe
telling him,
"I don't know who the hell you think you are, but let me tell you
something, little Mister. That woman is upstairs now probably crying her
eyes out after what you said to her. If it wasn't for her, do you know
where you are? I tell you where, dead in a nuclear slag hole on the
fucking moon. She was the one who wanted to go in and look around, all I
wanted to do was leave the present and get the fuck out of there. Then
she found you, and risked her ass trying to get you out. You're alive
because of her. That is the real deal, little mister Joe Bradley who
thinks he is too good for everything. By the way, if you ever, and I
mean EVER make her cry like that again or say anything so hurtful to her
again, I will personally beat you within an inch of your life for it and
your cunt and tits will not even slow me down, because as you have just
shown, you are NO lady."
Then Lt. Colonel Schtopaugh Strelnikov went upstairs to comfort Michelle
and make sure she was all right. As the Big Russian went upstairs, he
left a thick cloud of disdain in his wake, and Joe felt like a prize
bastard, check that, a prize bitch. He asked himself,
(Why did I say that? Why did I come off to her as if I was her father
confessor passing judgment on her? If there was one woman no one had any
right sitting in judgment over, it was the woman upstairs.)
As Joe sat on the living room couch feeling low, Michelle was upstairs
with Schtopaugh hugging her and telling her,
"It is all right, treasure, she did not mean those things, she is just
going through the same thing you did before you met me." Michelle wiped
her tears and blew her nose, answering,
"Yeah, only for him it's worse, because he lost his wife and a good
family and a good solid life. I know that, it just hurt that's all, I
realize she didn't mean those things, but even if someone slaps you by
accident, the slap still stings."
"Yes, it does doesn't it? I think perhaps it's time we had a family
meeting, even if we're a mighty bizarre family."
"Yeah, I think that would be a good idea."
Michelle and Schtopaugh walked downstairs and Michelle told Joe,
"O.K., Kiddo, the three of us are going to have a talk."
Joe sat on the couch and looked concerned, but said only,
"Yes, Ma'am." Michelle sat in the leather captain's chair and Schtopaugh
took the lazy boy on the other side of the end table next to Michelle's
seat. Michelle opened with,
"Joe, Schtopaugh, and I love each other, more than anything, and we're
getting married in two months before I start getting big. I arraigned
for you to live with us because I think you need someone to look after
you who has been through this. I wanted you to be my maid of honor
because I like you a lot, enough to want you to be a part of our lives,
even a part of my child's life."
"Mike I know, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it I can't even believe I said
it."
"You were upset and scared, I understand, but that outburst is not going
to happen again, O.K.? I won't have it, Schtopaugh won't have it, and
frankly there is no reason in the world why we should have to."
"Absolutely, Mike, I agree." Schtopaugh told Joe,
"Now, you're showing sense, Iosef, I'm glad to see it, good man."
Michelle told Joe, "Now, you'll be going to the University of New Mexico
this fall as a late term student, but that's just to get some College
Level Entrance Preparation courses out of the way. You won't start your
real school year until next fall. You'll live here with us as a
dependent. The Air Force will list you as my Sister's kid that we're
hosting while she goes to college."
"DO you have a sister?"
"No, Joe, but then no one outside this house needs to know that."
"So where's the money going to come from?"
"That's the good news, Young miss Bradford; the U.S. Air Force is
picking this up as a line item in Project Rampart's mammoth budget.
Tuition, schoolbooks, campus food, the whole bit, we're even providing a
car so you can drive from here to the campus."
"I can't live on campus?"
"Joe, you can't even live NEAR campus, the Air Force is scared to death
of you getting into trouble screwing around living in some co-ed dorm."
"Aw, come on, Mike I'm a 45 year old man I'm too old for that kind of
nonsense,..."
"No, YOU come on, you're now a 22 year old woman with hormones crackling
and popping like firecrackers neither you nor we can predict WHAT you're
going to do, trust me I know, do you REALLY believe I could have
predicted meeting a Russian pilot and then starting a sexual
relationship with him and then falling in love with him? Hell no."
"O.K., fair enough." Joe sighed and told Michelle, O.K., I'll be your
maid of honor, Mike, but one condition, I get to have dress approval."
Michelle smiled widely as she answered happily,
"DONE."
The next morning after sorting out their living arraignments after the
wedding, Michelle and Schtopaugh were in a special briefing room in one
of the lower levels of the complex under Hanger Alpha 01. Michelle was
using a projection screen with a telescoping pointer and pointing at the
large still picture of the Raianna fleet.
"As you can see here the enemy has a total of thirty-six of these large
rectangle shaped vessels. They appear to be of uniform shape, but most
likely that is just to facilitate their travel faster than light. Our
spectrographic and metallurgical scanner has determined that their ships
are composed largely of an alloy we have never seen before.
Nevertheless, we have scanned it and determined that their hulls will be
vulnerable to a nuclear initiation at close range."
General Mason Ballard raised a hand and asked,
How likely is it that the enemy will mount an immediate offensive
against us, Captain?"
"Right now, it isn't. Their next move is going to be waiting for our
next move. They want US to come to them and possibly apologize for
offending their delicate sensibilities, that and they're still worried
about our potential for nuclear warfare against them. They don't know
how many devices we have, but they DO know we have the ability to deploy
them in space."
Admiral Elmo Zumwalt of the U.S. Navy spoke up then and asked,
"DO we have the realistic ability to defend ourselves against these
creatures, Captain?"
Michelle brightened and told her same service superior confidently,
"Yes, sir, we most certainly do. Right now, we can deploy a series of
sensor guided nuclear mines just beyond lunar orbit. This will create a
potential killing ground that will decimate their fleet at worst and at
the very least atrit their fleet by one third, even if they pull back,
after initial force contact. It is my suggestion as well as the
suggestion of Dr. Forrester that we begin deploying these mines as soon
as technically possible."
U.S.Army General Creighton W. Abrams asked with some trepidation,
"Captain, what are our chances of fighting these things on the ground,
if it comes to that?"
"General Abrams, sir we simply cannot allow the situation to reach that
point. We cannot even allow these creatures to get as close as Earth's
orbit. Sir, it is imperative that we keep them at arm's length or
farther. At that distance, we can deploy force and fight them, but we
HAVE to keep them OUTSIDE of translunar space.
Air Force General and chief of staff Curtis LeMay asked,
"What if they try an end run around this field of yours, such as a
course that brings them in from the other side of the sun?"
"Yes, sir, we've thought of that. Sir we have taken notice of the fact
that they have not activated their F.T.L. drive since arriving in system
and they move at solar speeds only a little faster than we ourselves are
capable of. General, Sir, if they do attempt an end run we'll see it in
plenty of time and have the ability to deploy a wider mine field."
General LeMay pressed Michelle, "And what if they DO activate their
F.T.L. in our system?"
"Sir given the wake of Cherenkov radiation that is the fallout from
their main drive and their arrival not near Earth, but at the very edge
of our star system, we do not think they can. Dr. Lucas Forrester will
tell you more."
A man in a stereotypical lab coat and glasses with longer than normal
hair and a scraggly beard indicative of long hours In the lab and too
little time for hygiene or grooming stood up,
Dr, Forrester told them. "Data we have gathered from the Beta flight,
and Soyuz-Salyut sensors indicate that proximity inside our solar
heliopause prevents their F.T.L. drive from activating. It just won't
kick in at all unless they are far enough out to make our sun's gravity
and radiation a negligible factor."
An older jowly man in glasses with a pronounced receding hairline and a
considerable European accent asked,
"Captain Partenza, what is your personal appraisal of the enemy
psychology."
"Well, sir, they're arrogant, body proud, decadent almost to a fault and
highly reliant on the perceived infallibility of their technology, all
the same they have an almost religious superstition against nuclear
weaponry. If I had to guess I would suppose that at some point in their
past their race waged a nuclear war against themselves. It would explain
much about them and their biology and behavior. Sometime, possibly
thousands of years ago, I and several others of our specialists believe
their race fought a limited nuclear conflict on their home world,
limited enough for them to survive it, but devastating enough to alter
their biology. For more I present Dr. Felicia Gains of the Rand
Corporation."
An older blonde woman who looked a lot more like a 1940's movie star
than a scientist stood and told the men,
"We believe that explains their current hermaphroditic biology. At some
point in their past their population of males versus females became so
unbalanced that we believe they deliberately altered their own biology
to combine the two genders in one. If humans for example, were to have
waged a limited nuclear war, it is very possible that the damage from
even a limited nuclear exchange, of oh, perhaps ten to twelve devices,
per each side could be enough long term to threaten the life cycle of
the species, and make such a change needful. Gentlemen we have analyzed
the technology of both the Zulu Romeos and the probable technology of
the Raianna, and we believe a great deal of it is biological and or
genetic in nature."
General Abrams turned to General LeMay and told him in an aside,
"Well, I just lost faith in a 'winnable' nuclear war."
LeMay nodded in somber agreement.
Director Kissinger asked as he polished his glasses,
"Captain from a sheer pragmatic view of Galactic Realpolitik, what are
our chances?"
"Slim, very slim, but a great deal better than they could be. The
Raianna do not WANT to decimate us. They have, or seem to have a racial
self-image that requires them to be their definition of 'the good guys'.
That means that a serious armed push will be their last resort. I think
their next move will be another invitation to speak with us. Possibly on
the far side of the moon again, this time with more than one of their
people."
"What will this meeting be like?"
"Well, if they follow pattern they will be naked. They'll try to give us
the soft voiced 'guidance councilor' treatment again and they may again
indulge in,...self gratification in front of our representatives. I
believe our Reps should be clothed, if not fully suited up. That will
show them that we are not interested in conforming to THEIR notions of
behavior. That should serve to let them know that we have no
compunctions about using the nuclear option if we're pushed."
A civilian official Michelle did not know, stood and asked her,
"Captain what is the likelihood of an armed conflict between these 'Ray-
Anna' people and the people of the United States?"
"Well, sirs, first, please allow me to correct you. If there is a war,
and let me emphasize that at this point it is a very big 'if', it will
not be a matter of the Raianna attacking any one nation. They will be
coming for us all and as one noteworthy American once wisely noted, if
we do not hang together, we will surely hang separately. Secondly, sir,
they are not here to attack us. That is not their central purpose, they
are here to frighten us and intimidate us into compliance with their
desires and commands. They will try to coerce, cajole, or convince and
if after an extended period of time, that fails they will try to move
into low Earth orbit and turn this planet into a dead rock. That is why
we cannot allow them to get even as close as lunar orbit." General LeMay
asked,
"Captain what about the Zulu Romeos, these grey aliens. Where have they
gone or are they still here keeping it undercover?"
All evidence indicates that they initiated a major pullout after we
eliminated their lunar base, and that the Raianna chased them out for
good when they arrived. At this point the Z.R.'s are not a factor, but
that does not mean they won't be In the future."
The last question came from a woman named Geraldine Ferraro, regarding
the possible bombardment of Earth by the Raianna
"Captain I thought they wanted to be the good guys and avoid our
destruction."
"Yes, Ma'am, well, I am sure that if they feel we warrant it that they
will have their sad faces on while they're burning this planet to a
cinder, such is the hypocrisy of the powerful."
General Ballard closed the meeting with,
"Thank you, Captain Partenza, Dr. Forrester, Dr. Gains, you have given
us a very great deal to think about. I believe we'll let you all return
to your very important jobs and we'll tend to ours."
Admiral Zumwalt walked over to Captain Partenza and as he did, she
snapped to attention and saluted him, telling him,
"Yes, sir, what can I do for you?"
Zumwalt returned the salute and told her,
"At ease, Captain, I have read the material on you and what you endured
and even now I find it hard to credit. Not that it happened but that you
survived and thrived since. How have you been doing it?"
"Sir, this uniform has been my strongest ally, that and my friends, my
place in the navy and knowing my country is behind me."
"You were in the class of '61, weren't you?"
"Yes, sir."
"I thought so; you're the same Partenza the North Vietnamese were
calling 'the Blood kite'.
"Yes, sir,-"Michelle smiled as if she were a vixen," that was me, I
guess they did not like me very much".
"Well, Captain I hope you're not planning on leaving the navy anytime
soon, because we were not planning on letting you go. I should not think
you'd be waiting very long for your first set of gold shoulder boards. I
understand you'll be marrying in two months, Captain."
"Yes sir, to Lt. Colonel Strelnikov of the Red Air Force. Why do you
ask?"
"Captain, forgive me if this is out of line, but I understand you do not
have any real family, not that could be cleared to know about you now."
"No, sir, I don't. Sir why are you asking me this?"
"Captain I am asking this because I was wondering if I may have the
honor of giving away the bride."
Partenza again had trouble seeing as she choked up and told the Admiral,
"Sir, of course, I would like that very much."
"Thank you, Carry on, Captain."
Captain Michelle Partenza snapped to attention and saluted and answered,
"Yes, SIR!"
Michelle went to have a conference with another new team of Project
rampart's staff. This team was led by Miss Karen Powers. Miss Powers
held a doctorate in journalism and media and her and her team were
efforting what happens WHEN not if the Raianna fleet came to the
attention of the general public on Earth.
"Miss Powers, give it to me straight, how long have we got until we have
to tell people?"
"The fortyish red headed green eyed veteran of the Civil rights movement
and the Anti war movement looked up at Captain Partenza and told her
arching an Eyebrow,
"What time is it now?"
"As funny as that is, Miss Powers,.."
"I know, I know, forgive me, Captain, right now, it's dicey, maybe a few
months, maybe a few weeks depending on how many deep distance 'eyes' are
pointed at the Jovian system. The more countries you can get on this the
better. I know you guys are talking to the Brits and the Chinese, but
you need to talk to a lot more. Despite that, we have the wild catters
and the academics with their private and university telescopes."
She stopped and thought for a second shaking her head at herself,
"I cannot believe I am saying this, but you need to rev up the F.B.I.
and the N.S.A. and any other secret police you people have. They need to
get a handle on this and prevent a widespread panic. As it is, I
strongly suggest you tell people BEFORE they find out second hand or
worse first hand."
"Tell me about damage control what if they do hear about it."
"Well, there you hit lucky, you haven't actually lied about it, you just
haven't said much of anything at all and in this case silence is golden
but there are a lot of Rags and woo-woo newsletters connecting the dots
on the increase in space shots and the hugging and kissing we're doing
with the Soviet Union."
"Your recommendation?"
"Tell, Britain, Tell Japan, Tell NATO and SEATO then tell China. After
that, tell the public. My little school newspaper here will package it
for you and make it sound all pretty."
"Thank you, Miss Powers; I'll give your recommendation to General
Ballard." Michelle started to walk away and Karen Powers put a hand on
her forearm and asked,
"Hey, listen, I was going to go out after we break, would you like to
come with me, and shoot the shit!"
"Miss Powers,-"
"Please, call me Karen-"
"Then in that case, make it Michelle."
Michelle thought about it, and realized that it would be good to have
another female friend with whom she could shoot the bullshit.
"You know what, sure, why not, catch me at my office on the Admin
level."
"You bet, Michelle."
Michelle returned to her office and told the Chief Petty officer on the
desk outside,
I need a line to my quarters, as soon as possible, thank you." the
former member of the WAVES nodded and said
"Yes, Ma'am." Michelle went in her office to do the worst part of her
job, Paperwork. Michelle fobbed as much of it as she could off onto the
kindly long-suffering 48-year-old woman outside, but some of this was
simply beyond CPO Chandler's clearance.
Michelle's desk phone rang and she answered it, saying,
"Captain Partenza" CPO Chandler responded,
"Your call, Ma'am,"
"Thank you Chief Petty Officer," The voice was Joe asking,
"What's up, Mike?"
"You're on your own for supper tonight, there's some cash in the cookie
jar for pizza, or take out Chinese if you want it I'm going to a bull
session with some of the project people."
"O.K. Mike, but,...I got a notice that they're going to bury 'Joe Bradley'
next week in Hawaii, and,....I,...Mike,..."
"You want to go don't you?"
"Yeah, I want to say goodbye, I know I can't talk to anyone, but, I
just, I just, Mike, I need to be there. I can't start a new life until I
say goodbye to the old one."
"Joe I completely understand, I'll see what I can fix up, O.K?"
"O.K., also is it gonna be a total calamity if I go out and see what
cookin' around here?"
Michelle chuckled and said, "There's some mad money in the stash box on
my bedstand in my room, just keep it on the base, O.K., Kid?"
"You got it, Mike....bye."
The rest of the afternoon passed in pleasant but uneventful work as
Michelle realized it was actually nice to go through the mundane
administrative tasks of the project it was a bit like occupational
therapy for her redeveloping identity. General Mason (Fatassed
disgusting peeping tom pervert) Ballard was the commanding Officer of
Project rampart, but as it developed Captain Michelle Partenza RAN
project Rampart from her rather spacious office thirty feet below the
surface of Kirtland Air Force Base. Everything went through her,
engineering and science reports from Dr. Forrester, Alien biology and
psychology data from Dr. Gains, Media analysis and disclosure estimates
from Miss Powers, Captain Partenza examined it all and collated it into
a single whole. The total picture that developed was one that showed
things were dark, but not dismal, serious, but not fatal. Last, but not
least were the intelligence and clandestine reports from Vernest (Sleazy
pornography peddling sicko) Torgeson.
When Michelle finally left for the day, it was 18:00 hours (Six P.M.)
Chief petty officer Chandler saw her leaving and made to close it down
herself, as Michelle walked out, CPO Chandler handed her a slip of paper
telling her,
"From Media director Powers, Ma'am."
Michelle took it answering,
"Thank you, Chief petty officer, that will be all you're dismissed."
Michelle read the note, it said,
Leisure Bowl (Address) 1800 hours.
Michelle drove to the address and entered the bowling alley and did not
have to look far to find Karen Powers sitting at a score table with two
of her people. Michelle walked over and said curiously, raising an
eyebrow,
"Seriously, bowling?"
Chuck Tanner, Karen's TV genius answered,
"So what, you were expecting incense and weed in some poetry cave?"
"Fair enough."
Michelle draped her coat over a chair and went to rent some shoes. When
she came back, she sat down next to Karen and told her,
"Seriously, thank you for inviting me out here, I need to relax."
"So do we, and I LOVE the cathartic pseudo violence of bowling."
Brenda Wisnewski (Print and radio) added,
"That and we can speak freely in our little cone of silence generated by
the ambient noise."
By the time the four of them were three frames in, Michelle was losing
pretty badly. She sat and marked up another dismal score and told Karen,
"You know I USED to be better at this."
"Back when you had more upper body strength?"
"What, how did you know about that?"
Chuck told her, "At the project, EVERYBODY knows about you, and Captain,
my Captain; my hat is off, because that bullshit would'a killed my ass,
my dick, and I are just too good a friends to survive a breakup like
that."
The three of them were drinking various brands of bottled beer, but
Karen bought Michelle a bottle of Dr. Pepper. Michelle picked it up and
said, "Schtopaugh"
Chuck answered again, "Yeah, he heard you were comin' out with us and
told us, no booze, no smokes no stupid shit. And man, that Russian is
one scary son of a bitch when he wants to be." Michelle rose to take
another turn when Karen told her,
"Just remember what you were taught when you first started bowling and
also, don't try so hard, just have fun."
Michelle nodded and hurled the ball taking out four pins; the second
ball took out the other six. Brenda, said, "See, there it is."
Karen asked Michelle, "so seriously, you and Strelnikov, huhn?"
"Yep."
"Wow. On reflection I cannot think of a better metaphor for what's
happening between the two powers, than the two of you. So, I gotta ask,
how is he?"
"How is he what?" Michelle asked, then the penny dropped and Michelle
blushed fiercely"
"He's,...great,...he's,... it feels really good."
Brenda told her,
"With THAT face he's gotta be damned near lethal in the sack."
Michelle remembered the night at the Raffles and shook her head to clear
it from the memories of what they did and how good it felt.
"Yeah,..Yeah, it's a pretty good time."
Then she looked at Karen and Brenda and said, "so don't you cows even
think about it. He's mine." Then Chuck told her, "I don't know, maybe he
could use a break from you hens and he'd give me a try."
That was when Michelle realized Chuck was gay and, instead of reacting
negatively, told him, "Hey, Buddy, I am as close to fucking a guy as
he'll ever get, so before you make a move, you just ask yourself how
fast I can separate you from your very best friend."
Chuck took on a look of reasonable fear and answered, "Ma'am yes Ma'am."
The evening wore on with nursed drinks, junk food, frames of bowling and
conversation, at one point Michelle was holding forth regarding the crew
of the Starship Enterprise,
"Ok, don't get me wrong, I LOVE the show, but from a strict standpoint
of verisimilitude there is no way, NO WAY a real functional professional
navy, especially a space navy tolerates ANY of that horseshit on that
ship. The three senior officers are constantly away from their posts
exposing themselves to needless danger, the Master of the vessel is a
wildly unprofessional sex maniac, and the fatality rate among the crew
would be grounds enough to warrant an investigation. There's no way the
Navy would stand for that on a Patrol Boat Riverene commanded by a Chief
Petty officer, let alone a capital ship commanded by an Officer grade
six , like Jimmy 'The T is for testosterone' Kirk.. Not to mention the
borderline retarded chief engineer who cannot seem to be able to play
with legoes without it turning into a major crisis."
The conversation turned to what led them to the Project and Karen said,
"Michelle I am telling you, If you had told me five years ago that I
would be here, working for you and advocating the SUPPRESION of the
media for any reason, let alone working for, and cheering on the old
Military industrial complex, I would have laughed in your face."
"No shit?"
"No Shit."
Chuck piped up,
"As it is the Vietnam War is over, we've made peace with the Russians,
we're getting into space big time, and the U.S. Military is getting
really into women's rights. I mean shit, aint they gonna leave us
nothing to bitch about?"
Michelle offered,
"Gay rights?"
"THANK YOU! For a second I thought I'd have to get a real job."
"Then Michelle looked at her watch, a slim band of gold adorned by a
silver and white timepiece that Michelle had to look closely at."
"Oh, Shit, I gotta get home, guys, see you back at the Science Fiction
Super base, tomorrow."
They took the hint and wrapped it up as well, intending to make it an
early night so that they could get back to saving the world the next
day.
Michelle drove home and pulled into the driveway well after 21:00 hours
and when she walked in realized the house was dark. No one was here.
Where was Joe? Michelle told him to stay on the base and Michelle
realized that with the Recreation center, the base theater, and the
Mini-mall that there WERE things to do that would occupy Joe for most of
the evening, but not past 23:00. At the latest, the movie at the theater
ended around that time, so Michelle elected to wait up, and not call the
Air Police until after 0000.
Michelle undressed, took a shower, and donned a knee length light blue
silk nightie and a darker pink rope and sat up to wait for Joe to get
home. As she waited, she read the Newspaper that had been delivered to
the house early that morning. The Albuquerque Journal's headline was,
"SENATE HEARING TODAY TO INVESTIGATE MILITARY SPENDING."
That made sense, with peace breaking out as if it were a case of the
measles the Congress would of course have questions about the current
size of the military. There would probably be some shifting around and
reprioritizing, but no real downgrading.
"APOLLO 20 BRINGS BACK ROCKS FROM FAR SIDE OF MOON."
Again that was what the public had been told so that was what the news
was about. No surprise there.
"ARVN FORCES LOSE GROUND IN SOUTH VIETNAM."
Michelle read that and learned that with no more support from the U.S.
the Saigon government was losing the war. The surprise was that after
the U.S.S.R. pulled their support from NORTH Vietnam, that faction was
STILL winning. Most likely, they would capture Saigon in a year or less.
The answer was obvious, the Hanoi government enjoyed popular support,
the Saigon government did not.
That seemed to be the case with several other former proxy wars in Latin
America as well. In most cases even though both sides stopped supporting
the left and right factions in central America, the left leaning
factions were winning because the right leaning factions were pricks
that no one liked. In the Middle East, both the U.S. and the Soviet
Union were telling the Shah of Iran to institute popular reforms. The
union of Oil Producing and Exporting Countries ended it's boycott of
exports to the west on the not so friendly word of the Soviet Union who
promised to devalue middle east oil by selling oil from the Urals and
the Caucuses to the U.S. at cost, in support of the new alliance.
In sports News, Muhammad Ali would fight George Foreman in a match to be
held in Zaire at the end of the mont. Howard Cosell called it "The
rumble in the Jungle" In local news the hot topic was the expansion of
Kirtland A.F.B. the expansion of White Sands missile range and the
expansion of Cannon Air Force Base. The Paper and the Mayor touted it as
good news for jobs in the city of Albuquerque.
At 0005 the lock on the front door turned and Joe came into the living
room. He saw the light was on and saw Michelle sitting up with a copy of
Navy Times. When Michelle saw Joe, she asked him,
"And where the hell have you been?"
"Oh, hey, uh, we just went to a movie downtown."
"Hey yourself, who the hell is 'we'?
"Airman Johansen and I."
Michelle stood up and asked
"And who the hell is this guy?"
"SHE is an Airman I met at the Rec center on base. We played pool for a
while and shot the breeze. All she knows is that I'm your niece staying
with you while I go to school, that's all she knows."
"I am responsible for you, the Military made me responsible for you, do
you know the levels of shit I would be in if something happened to you,
why do you think I told you to stay on Base?"
"Well Becky, I mean Airman Johansen,,," Michelle interrupted,
"No, you meant Becky"
"Yes, I did, Becky didn't want to see "Soylent Green' again and neither
did I so she took me to this film at a theater called Don Panchos. The
movie was called "Emmanuelle."
"O.K., well you came home safe and sound, so obviously Becky looked out
for you. Was the movie good?"
Joe thought about the softcore erotic film that he saw and the way it
made him feel, specifically how horny it made him. He was going to have
to go upstairs and frig himself just to get to sleep.
"Yeah, it was good, now can I go to bed?"
"Yes, just let me know next time, O.K.?"
"Yeah, I'm sorry I scared you."
"S'ok. Joe,.. I'm not trying to be your mother, or tell you what to do,
It's just that right now, after everything, I feel closer to you than I
do to anyone. Even Schtopaugh. I love him, but he can never understand
what I feel sometimes. Not the way you can."
Joe wanted to say so many things then, but he could not, not yet.
Something inside him would not let him open up just yet. Instead, he
told Michelle. I know, I feel the same way. See you in the morning?"
"Sure, kid, goodnight.
Joe drove to UNM to register for classes and pay his tuition and
Michelle left early for work at the project. Michelle saw Schtopaugh
talking to a female Russian officer and walking closer realized it was
Colonel Tereshkova. Michelle approached and said,
"Lt. Colonel Strelnikov, Colonel Tereshkova, good morning, are you both
well?"
"We are, Captain Partenza, I am pleased to see you again after out
mission to the Moon. Michelle planted a kiss on Schtopaugh and told him,
"Hey, Sugar." Colonel Tereshkova, smiled at them and remarked,
"Comrade Junior Colonel Strelnikov tells me that there is more to report
than just a good alliance."
Michelle blushed and said,
"Yes, we're getting married and then I'll be having one of those very
healthy premature babies you sometimes hear about."
Tereshkova smiled and hugged Michelle telling her, "My congratulations
to you both. I am so pleased for you."
"Thank you, so on another subject, not that I'm not happy to see you
again, but, more Soviet Personnel?
"Of course, you should see, Commander Allan Bean and his crowd of
Americans in Star City. This alliance is bigger than the Bolshoi, even
bigger than in the Great Patriotic war."
Michelle answered,
"Well you would not be here at all if General Ballard didn't know about
you, so I just need to read the latest personnel dispatches, and get you
into the files."
Tereshkova snorted and responded,
"Hearing that, I start thinking I am back in the Rodina, I see you at
the next Allied war council Captain."
"See, you there, Colonel, I need to have a word with our boy here."
Strelnikov looked concerned and asked,
"Misha what is happening?"
"What's happening is that we have a wedding to plan As Soon As Fucking
Possible my fine hero of the proletariat. Invitations need to go out and
arraignments need to be made and you need to bring over anyone you want
to attend, especially any family you might have, like, oh say, The
people's hero's mommy."
Strelnikov actually looked concerned, no he looked terrified at that
thought and Michelle had to tell him,
"You're the dumb fuck that proposed to me, don't PUSS OUT ON ME NOW!"
"No, No, I will put in the requests for my family to attrend, this will
mean telling my government of our nuptuals, witch means telling your
government as well, I think they will want to make something of this."
"Your side, maybe, my side, I doubt it.Even so we need to set up the
hall, and get all the other ducks in a row. Joe is my maid of honor, who
are you going to get for your best man?"
"I was going to ask Ron Evans he's a good guy, we're really bonding over
you oknow everything."
"Yeah, Ron's a pal We go back, he's a good call for your best man."
"Da."
"O.K. so we'll need to buy our rings, and you need a dress uniform do
you own one or just your class "A"s?
"What about you, are you wearing your white uniform or are you going to
wear a dress?"
Shit I don't know that had not even occurred to me, you think I ought to
wear a wedding dress?"
Schtopaugh patted Michelle's belly and told her,
"If this one is a girl, you'll be able to pass it on to her when she is
old enough."
"Well, then I'll need to pick something that will be in style in 2005."
"SO you do it, you wear a dress?"
"Yeah, Yeah you know what I think I will. It'll keep everybody happy and
make for a nice traditional affaire and I KNOW my people would like
that."
"Da, my treasure. That and you will be an absolute vision in a wedding
dress."
"Well, the dress will be new, I have a pair of white hose I can wear, so
they'll be old, and I'll ask Tereshkova for one of her garter belts so
that will be borrowed, and I have a pair of sky blue heels for the
ceremony."
Schtopaugh was perplexed and he asked,
"What is the big fuss, why do you have to borrow the Colonel's
underclothes?"
"It's tradition, the bride has to wear something old, something new,
something borrowed and something blue."
"Are you kidding the way it's going my balls are going to be blue."
"Bitch, bitch, bitch, it's only been three days, if you have to jerk off
that's what I'll have to do."
"Why?"
"Because we