The Recruitment: Rise of the Free Fleet (18 page)

Everything was bigger, with enough room to fit two, even three Mechas, at a squeeze, abreast. On the training structure it had been just big enough for a single Mecha, probably in case we tried to fight our officers. I grinned as I saw the looks of rust, scratches, and signs of life. Finally something I could understand and at least looked human, instead of the perfect walls and doors that looked as if they were part of the wall.

Again I looked at everyone following me. They looked to me, their eyes asking for me to tell them what to do.

“Alright everyone grab quarters and get used to it. Just relax for now. Get to know the area. You, find me the mess and tell the rest of three armouries people. Take people as needed.” I picked out a random person who nodded their head, grabbing three others as they ran away from the armouries, their heads on a swivel as they looked for my mess.

I walked up to the first room that I saw waving the door open as I walked in. The first thing I did was code the door to my DNA. Yasu did the same as she came in and I finally looked around the room.

The pod was rectangular one end being made into a head. The left side having two lockers with battle suits and a view screen and right side with a bed identical to the one I had slept on last night extending from it. In the lockers was also a data pad. I picked it up, my sleep training and know-how coming in use as I pinged the tag I’d placed on my armour. I let my breath out in a rush as I found it in the armoury I’d just walked through. I wandered out of the door now queued to my DNA and my IFF chip. The armoury was likely programmed it seemed as I walked in working on the data pad.

I scanned the room finding mine the only one in a work dock with someone next to it, bent over in a box of parts.

“Who is it?” An annoyed, yet familiar tone said.

“Shrift!?” Sure enough the Kuruvians head bopped out of the box a smile on his face as he saw me.

“Oh, James I thought I’d see you around, though I wasn’t sure looking at the state of your armour. I hear those marriage fights can become brutal.”

“That they can be,” I said still feeling my unhealed stomach. “How’s my Mecha?” I said moving on as I looked over his handiwork.

“Broken to all hell, it’s going to take me a few cycles to fix it!” He said frustrated, turning on the Mecha armour which was already being torn apart, a nerve port relay in his hand.

“Need a hand?” I asked as he shoved the unit into its place, running a start–up text.

“What, don’t want to be staying with your lady love tonight?” his tone dry.

“Well you’ve seen what she can do to a man when she’s being… passionate shall we say.” I said equally as dry.

Shrift gave a clicking laugh. “You may hide in my cave if you wish. It’s warm and I have cookies!” He said excitedly bringing forth both human and Kuruvian equivalents on a plate.

“Me hiding? No, just seeking wise refuge and council.” I winked, biting into the warm cookie.

“Wise indeed. I have after all seen what state your Mecha’s are in. Well let’s get rid of these armour plates. Your helmet, visor and the swivel bearings are shot. Your left arm will have to be replaced. Some of the lower back nerve ports will need to be replaced as well.” He rattled off the list of repairs as I mentally figured out the parts to use.

“Is there some kind of better medical systems we can add?”

A shine came to Shrift’s eye. “Well there is this new drug called H17E23. It’s a nanite, biological hybrid first aid drug to keep you humans alive. Though it is rare and production is limited, I’ve been able to persuade some manufacturers on the ship to keep us supplied with it.”

“Never heard of it.”

“It’s also known as hell fire.” He quirked his head to the side with a Kuruvian grin.

“Ah yes, never mind, I know it quite well.” I said with a pained look as I scratched my head.

“Thought you might. A new introduction system is needed; all of the other species take it orally. Humans with their outer blood stream can take it through the blood stream to get it to the area of injury faster.”

“Add an automatic injecting system that goes into the major arteries of the human body?” I said, beginning to think on the problem.

“Why not manual? Be safer if there is a misfire.” Shrift asked.

“With an auto injector we can have the same system but instead of having to inject it yourself the system will take over and do it for you. Be easier in battle, or if say you don’t have a hand to inject it.” I replied.

“This is why I am happy to be here with you, so many new ideas! Yes, yes let’s begin, from the bottom up as you humans say?” His manipulators moving in excitement.

“Indeed. Might as well do it on my battle suit and modify it for my… wife’s.” I said as if I had a bad taste in my mouth, Shrift staring at me oddly.

”I thought I was going to be single for the rest of my life.” I said in answer to his gaze.

“We should also work on connecting the battle suit to the mecha if it’s holding extra supplies of the hell fire. How long do you think it would take to modify everyone’s suit when we’re done with the prototypes?”

“Not too long, though Kuruvians don’t know much about clothing we just make them large so as to fit. If we want ones with needles over the veins we’re going to need to get better which might take some time.”

“There might be some humans that know their way around clothes.” I interjected.
 
I hope Rick has an idea to get the humans organized.
 
I thought before I noticed some force pushing me back as I gave Shrift a questioning look.

“We’re underway, seems all of the ships have been loaded.” Shrift said to my confused expression.

“Salchar sir!” The woman I’d sent to go and find the mess said breathlessly as she entered the armoury.

“Yes?”

“I found the messes there are three of them. Henry also told me to tell you that there are thirty two hundred Mechas on-board, bringing us to eighteen platoons and a hundred and eighty squads.”

“Thank you. Get three others to tell everyone to find out the location of their Mecha and familiarize themselves with its location, also the messes. Are there any training facilities?”

“Training occurs in the shuttle bay.” Shrift supplied, I nodded my thanks before turning back to the woman.

“Alright, thank you.” I gave her a lazy two finger salute, like I had given my squad; She quickly returned it as she left. I turned back to the Mecha. Shrift gave me his data pad which showed the schematic for the stand alone injector.

“Instead of having these channels, we should make self-containing packs so that if one’s broken another will fire and hopefully cover the area. It’ll be slower but still effective. It will also store more of the drug for us. We should add an external activator so that if it doesn’t fire and the person’s got the ability they can still fire the drug.” Shrift said, adding to our brainstorm.

“All good points. I think we’re going to have to work on the programming of when the drug will fire into an injured persons system.” I said as I gnawed my lip in thought.

“Why?”

“The drug is extremely painful, caused by the entire musculature of the person contracting as the drug tries to reach as much of the human system. It feels as if your body is trying to pull itself apart.”

“How long does it last?”

“It puts them out of combat for a half minute in most cases.”

“Ah indeed.” He said not fully understanding my vision of troops dropping to the ground, combat ineffective because they’d cut their arm on some loose padding.

“I think then that it should only be used if the person will die immediately or they’re in a situation where using it won’t be a possible factor in them dying because they’re so distracted.”

“A valid point, I can see what you’re saying. I think however we should start getting a blueprint together.”

“Of course.”

Shrift and I worked, people came by the armouries, nodding to me as they caught my eye. I don’t know how long it took for everyone to go through the armouries and find out where their exact Mecha was, located down to rack and associated number. I felt like someone had added to my instruction but seeing the added effect of them knowing
 
exactly
 
where their Mecha was I was fine with the additional order.

However it bore later thought as I’d need to find out who was adding to my orders and see what their angle was.

Somehow my brain turned to Rick as I remembered the thing he’d transferred to my pad. I pulled it out and opened its tab.

Hello, Rick?
 
I wrote as I put it back in my pouch, waiting for a reply. I got one a few minutes later.

What’s up boss?
 
He asked.

We need to come up with a way to organize all of these people.

I had an idea for that.
 
He paused before a download appeared.

There was a table of organization with my name at the top without a tittle then branching off boxes which were empty. There was a side bar with forums, jobs and training.

I was wondering when you would ask.

Walk me through it
.

So everyone makes a profile filling out these fields. Then those people that have been squad leaders, leaders of teams and such put that in here. Then you choose who is best for what positions.

Why me?

Because you are the boss.
 
He replied as I shook my head at the pad, changing back to the page with the table of organization and pointed below my name.

Remember when I asked if you wanted to be a Sub-Commander, I wasn’t joking.
 
I grinned.

I was hoping you’d forget.
 
My grin grew as I continued on.

Now Training?

You’ll see there’s a tab. We can make a schedule so that no one starts degrading. Plus we can start moving onto developing other skills, or more advanced stuff. Most don’t know how to handle a weapon, or how to position themselves in a firefight. They know the overall tactics of fighting in space, and how to take an entrenched position. Yet there’s no focus on how to think for themselves. We’re small which means we need to know everything. Look at Canada.

Makes sense to me. You figure out who gets what positions. I saw Henry getting on a shuttle bound for the Golden Refuge so I’ll rope him into doing training.

Henry?

The leader of the first group we fought.

Ah yes, the Marine.

Indeed. I’ll get someone to track him down. As for jobs well Shrift and I have a doozy.
 
I wrote down a basic outline for someone to make an auto injector battle suit.

Now get that thing out to everyone. Enforced three days rest however. Everyone needs some time to decompress. Could you make a forum where people could just talk? Maybe make clubs and that?

Yeah, it’d take a bit of work.

Well you do have that jobs tab.

Now go and get everyone registered on the thing. And enjoy walking around and looking out at space.

Sounds like a plan to me.

The next few people that entered the armoury I explained the new data pad tabs and uploaded it to them as they passed it off to everyone, quickly connecting the ship as Rick organized them by teams into squads, platoons and companies.