Across Our Stars: Victor Read online

  How terrible. God, no wonder he looks so distant sometimes. “He doesn’t look old enough to have had a wife, let alone a child.” Zoe tucked the new knowledge away in the back of her mind. Trevor belonged to a small group of men who hadn’t laid on the corny pick-up lines the moment she stepped on board. Doctor del Toro was another.

  “Anyway. Word is that he doesn’t date. Doesn’t sleep around.”

  Zoe didn’t blame him. “Well, to each their own. I’m not looking myself.”

  “But the jackasses like Daniels are always willing. I think that one must be sweet on you, love. He reminds me of a wee boy sticking gum in a girl’s hair, only he has a fondness for wrecking your cybernetics instead.”

  “Ugh, don’t even say that. Besides, doesn’t seem too smart to hurt a girl and send her to the sexy doctor for fixing.” As if I’d ever give that asshole a chance, Zoe fumed. But she had to admit, the fallout from Daniels’ rough manner was almost worth it. Doctor del Toro’s friendly demeanor and killer good looks weren’t bad company.

  Saskia laughed and ruffled Zoe’s hair, spiking the short black strands. “Next time, kick him in the balls.”

  “That’s funny. Someone else suggested the same thing…”

  “Take their advice, trust me. Catch you later.”

  Saskia jogged off down the passageway and Zoe returned to her room, already planning for her rematch.

  Chapter 6

  Victor casually observed the endless sea of moving bodies awaiting their chance to exit the Jemison. Liberty days were a rare but pleasant breath of fresh air, enjoyed by all sailors granted a couple days respite from their duties aboard the ship. A fraction of their eligible sailors needed to stop by medical for a booster on their nanite vaccinations due to frequent changes in immunization requirements.

  Everyone in the department planned to enjoy some downtime. Except for Victor. He preferred to remain on board, toiling in medical while the rest of his fellow crewmen enjoyed quality time away from the stress of deployment. Occasionally, he went out for a few hours to visit a market where he restocked his preferred sweets.

  “You plan to come along on your first liberty with the Jemison? After that business on the Loki 4 lunar colony, you certainly deserve it.”

  Groaning, he turned to face his oldest military pal. Ethan grinned pleasantly at him. “Try it some other time, Bishop. I don’t want to go.”

  “Oh, come on. How will I draw the ladies without my best wingman?”

  “You can drink yourself into a pit of despair without me present. You’ve always been a magnet for all the pretty birds eager to find a sugar daddy. Unbeknownst to them, you’re as cheap as it gets.”

  “When’s the last time you slept with a woman and relieved all that stress, huh? You need to get back in the game. Don’t let that one lousy bint ruin your fun.”

  “It’s not Hannah,” Victor said quietly. He fiddled with the hemmed edge of his green scrubs and refused to make eye contact. “Listen, I don’t need to get laid; I don’t want to get laid, and you can stop projecting your preferences on me. I’m perfectly fine.”

  Ethan’s features softened. He sighed and raised one hand to rest against his friend’s shoulder so that Victor couldn’t miss his apologetic features. “I know what it is, Victor. And I’m sorry. I was only taking your best interests into consideration, mate. I am asking you to enjoy freedom from your responsibilities for a while, all right? CO’s orders. I don’t care if you spend it drinking, not-shagging, or reading in a cafe. Just get out of here.”

  The crude words had the desired effect: Like the Grinch, Victor’s heart swelled with warmth and made his chest feel three sizes too small. Ethan had always been a good friend. The best friend he could ask for despite the decade gap in their ages and differing authority aboard the ship. Victor had looked up to Ethan ever since he’d first met him as a nineteen year old nobody aboard the Armstrong. He still remembered Ethan’s words too that day, the day Victor finally summoned the nerve to ask him why he cared about a scrawny, underfed kid like him.

  “You remind me of my brother,” Ethan had said. “He ran away to find a job on another planet when I left for the Navy. Fell out of touch with the rest of us. So I guess I always hoped that someone out there was looking after him like this.”

  Victor hoped so, too. Sometimes, it was difficult to believe they were serving aboard the same vessel again for the second time.

  “All right. You win this time. I need a few to get out of my scrubs.”

  “Don’t be late!” Ethan called behind him.

  “Wouldn’t dream of making you wait, sexy.” Victor rolled his eyes and pushed his way through the thinning medical bay crowd.

  ***

  The flashing lights and pulsing beat provided the perfect atmosphere for the crowd down on the dance floor. Victor sat at a table on the balcony overlooking the writhing mass of half-naked youngsters shimmying to the hypnotic noise. He shook his head and quietly nursed his drink.

  Techno clubs and loud bars weren’t his usual scene, but Ethan appeared to be enjoying himself. The commanding officer was occupied with a woman on each side of his body, swaying in close proximity. Ethan had tried to coax Victor down with promises of setting him up with the violet-haired dancer. Victor politely declined.

  “Evening, Commander,” a familiar, male voice spoke up behind him.

  Victor twisted around to face the friendly face of Trevor Lockhart. The younger man smiled and dipped his head respectfully.

  “Chief Lockhart, are your migraines any better?”

  “Aye, sir. Whatever you did fixed me right as rain again.”

  According to Trevor Lockhart’s medical profile, he had an identical twin brother with equally formidable psychic abilities. Unfortunately, Hamish went MIA five years ago during a top secret mission and was presumed dead.

  “I’m glad. I know I’m a cyberware doc, but I’ve learned some tricks for people with your predisposition toward them. Feel free to come in anytime your usual pain relief isn’t cutting the mustard.” Psychics like Trevor faced terrible headaches after excessive use of their abilities, a trade off balanced only by their brains’ uncanny ability to regenerate cells and form new pathways.

  “Appreciate it. You here by yourself? Looking rather bored, if I might say so. Bars are supposed to be fun.”

  “I haven’t been out for drinks with this guy in years,” Victor confessed, shaking his head.

  “Was that the CO I saw you come in with? Looks like he’s living it up.” Trevor peeked down to the dancers.

  Victor laughed and nodded. “He’s as much of a ladies man as ever.”

  “I think he’s having enough fun for both of us.”

  “You’re young, mate. Why aren’t you dancing along with them?”

  Trevor shook his head. “You’re not much older than I am, si–”

  “We can leave the sir and title on the ship, Trevor. Please. I’m just Victor right now. A sad man drinking all by my lonesome because my friend intends to abandon me to shag two naked ladies.”

  “Well, in that case…” Trevor dropped into the seat opposite his fellow marine and grinned. “I’m not much of a dancer and it’s nice to get away from the ship’s two drink limit sometimes.”

  Victor raised his glass in a silent toast. “I don’t mind dancing,” he told Trevor. “Just not this sort of stuff.”

  “I had no idea the CO had moves like that.” Trevor peered down and snickered. “Wow.”

  Victor and Trevor spent most of the night tossing back drinks while pretending they had enough sobriety to play bar games. What they lacked in dexterity they made up for with their drunken mirth.

  “Aw, don’t tell me you’re too much of a big girl’s blouse to play Guess That Drink. C’mon.”

  “No, I’m too smart to play it,” Victor replied.

  Trevor laughed and clinked his glass to Victor’s. “Fair enough. I’ll wait ‘till you’re drunk then ask again.”

  He’ll be wait
ing awhile.

  Raucous laughter interrupted Victor’s musings. A group gathered around a holographic games table made more noise than the pounding music. Daniels and Etherington were among the revelers.

  “So I have to ask, and if you don’t want to say anything I’ll understand, but what’s the bloody deal with Commander Daniels?”

  “Don’t get me started on that rotten bastard,” Trevor muttered. “If you’re not in a skirt or some bloke who hefts around heavy things, Daniels won’t give you a second look.”

  “Ah.” Should have known as much. “I’ve had some run-ins with him.”

  “The man knows his job. That much I can say positively about him, but he’s… brutal in his methods.”

  Victor made a noncommittal grunt and finished his drink. His pulse pounded in his head in time with the music.

  “You enjoy the rest of your time off, Trevor. Gonna head back to the ship.”

  “G’night, Victor. Nice hanging with you.”

  “You, too.”

  Chapter 7

  Like most ships, the Jemison followed Universal Standard Time, which was a 24 hour day set to their original world’s 365 day year. The United Empire hadn’t yet discovered the perfect duplicate of Old Earth’s cycle and orbit patterns, but its calendar was a popular tool used across the galaxy in every star system. At 3 AM, Victor had nothing better to do than to dominate the crew lounge. He slouched on the sofa in front of a Holotube airing a sappy show from the early 2300s.

  Older historical pieces had always been his preferred entertainment when it came to watching movies, but his true love, and what he appreciated most, was classical period pieces from the 20th century. He loved them. He especially had a rabid lust for watching the science fiction films prior to 2100 and comparing their vision of the future to modern reality.

  He also had a lust for Creme Cakes, which he stored by the crateload in his room. A half dozen of the snacks piled on his lap while a giant tumbler of his favorite earl grey cooled beside him. The wee hours of the morning became a delicious reverie of bad acting, terrible movie effects, and deep-fried bread products. He’d hit the gym the next night to make up for the perfect storm of calories.

  “Tea and cake at 0300. And here I thought I was a bad sleeper.”

  Victor nearly spilled tea all over his sweatshirt. His eyes darted toward the familiar voice and adjusted to the dim interior lighting. Recognition slowly dawned in his fuzzy brain. The girl who saved his ass on Loki 4’s moon barely a couple weeks after he repaired her arm in the lab. The same girl whose damaged modulator led him to pull Commander Daniels aside for a polite talk about disrespecting the cyberware of the crewmembers. Under different circumstances, had Daniels been an enlisted man or an officer below his rank, Victor would have read him the riot act.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you, Doc. Sir.”

  “It’s fine. You caught me deep in thought.”

  I’ve had too much to drink for this. Shit. What’s her name? Victor wondered. A little concentration made her name swim to the front of his inebriated mind. Raines. Zoe Raines.

  “Well don’t mind me. Figured being bored here was better than being bored in my bunk. Least I can watch the sunrise.” She gestured to the large viewport and settled in the seat beside him. “Guess I’m not the only one with the idea, except you came prepared.”

  “Would you like one?” Victor extended one of the treats toward her.

  “Thanks. Er…” She claimed it while eyeing his pile of wrappers. “You know, for a doctor chastising us to take care of ourselves, this doesn’t look like a very healthy meal. Sweet tooth, huh?”

  “Are you implying I’m not in shape?” The incredulous tone of his voice accompanied a raised brow.

  “Sweats really aren’t the most flattering,” she quipped back while unwrapping her treat.

  Victor frowned at the younger woman and vainly adjusted his sweatshirt above his abs. “Nope. Looks fine to me. I can refer you to the eye specialist if you want.”

  Why did it thrill him that she’d peeked over, albeit briefly to inspect the chiseled lines wrought by his hard work? “They’re just fine, thanks.” Her carefully measured tone deflated his mood a little, too bland for him to easily determine whether she referred to her vision or his physique. “I’m surprised to see anyone awake, really. So are you an early bird sort then?”

  “I don’t sleep for long usually, but the truth this evening is that I haven’t been to bed yet at all.” Usually, he dozed on and off very lightly through the night, never slumbering for longer than four hours. Sometimes he stole a brief catnap in the middle of the day if and when drowsiness reared its ugly head.

  “Fun night out, huh?” Her expression brightened with perceived interest.

  “I was kidnapped and dragged away on liberty against my will by the CO,” he grumbled. He hoped Ethan was in a ditch puking his guts out and that the trashy bimbos cuddling up to his side robbed him down to his last quid.

  “Ah, I see.” Zoe chuckled softly. “So… kidnapped. You don’t look too worse for wear.”

  “I have an unusually strong drinking constitution.”

  “Lucky you. All those pretty drinks they make knock me on my ass.”

  Victor waggled a finger at his companion. “Just like you knocked me on my ass.”

  Matching dimples emerged in Zoe’s cheeks with her broad grin. “It was that or let that warg skewer you. You didn’t complain at the time. Though you did look a bit dazzled afterward.”

  “You definitely hit as hard as the hangover I’m probably going to have when morning comes.”

  “So if you were out, dastardly shanghaied, why aren’t you passed out in bed like a good escapee?” Zoe propped her chin on her upraised knees and regarded him with open and friendly amusement.

  Victor rolled his eyes. “You make it sound like so much fun.”

  “Going out with friends is supposed to be, and you’re avoiding the question.”

  Victor chuckled. “I couldn’t sleep after I returned, so I decided to entertain myself with a good movie on the Holovision screen here. Normally, I volunteer to stay aboard and wait in medical for you lot to come spilling in.”

  “Liberty port’s not so bad though, right? A few drunks. Couple busted lips maybe?”

  “Oh yeah. Someone is bound to return with a broken nose or a couple of loose screws,” he agreed easily. He sipped his tea and stole a glance at the woman sharing his company. Zoe. It was a pretty name for a pretty young woman, of course, but he abruptly ceased the appreciative glance in favor of turning his attention back to the holographic display. It was a good movie, even if it wasn’t formatted for 4D viewing.

  For a while, the comfortable silence had no interruptions save the rustling noise of pastry wrappers as Victor shared his snacks.

  “How’s the arm, by the way? I should have asked before our mission.”

  “It’s been good, thanks. The tenderness went away a couple days after you mauled me, and everything appears to be in working order. See?” Zoe held out her right hand and wriggled her fingers for his inspection. Victor set the tumbler aside to run his fingers along her limb for a quick assessment. Nothing at the shoulder felt out of place and the joint smoothly rotated with guidance. She had a wonderful piece of technology; the RX-700 served as the preferred series for the Royal Guard, so the military tended to spare no expense for soldiers wounded on the battlefield.

  Zoe sported the latest model, rated highly for its near perfect ability to mimic human tissue. Comfortable, natural warmth radiated from her flesh. Even the fine hairs reacted beneath his explorative touch. If not for his experience, Victor would never guess it wasn’t her natural-born arm.

  “Yeah, seems good again. I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but I had words with Commander Daniels about his training methods. If you can avoid him in the ring, it’s for your best interest.” During his time as a soldier, Victor had met a lot of officers high on their own power trips. Greyson Dan
iels didn’t impress him in the least. “I don’t think I’m on his Christmas list anymore.”

  Zoe eyed him dubiously. “Sorta hard to avoid the person who’s teaching you. That’d be like telling me to avoid you if my arm malfunctions.”

  I could probably give her the same training in the ring. Daniels and I are both qualified in combat technique. “Heh. Well, you could, technically.” Victor realized that he still hadn’t released her arm or taken his hand from her shoulder, so he quickly dropped both hands and turned to face the movie.

  “Avoid you?” Zoe drew her arm back and clasped her hands loosely in her lap. “You’re the reason I chose this assignment.”

  Victor choked on his tea. “Me?”

  “Well, not you exactly.” Hints of color flushed into her cheeks. “I just mean that they said one of the Navy’s leading cyberneticists would be aboard, so that swayed my decision when I was offered the assignment.”

  “Yeah. I graduated top of the training class when they sent a bunch of us off to get our certification. I guess cybernetics kind of resonates with me. I intend to finish out my career here until I’m as ancient as Oshiro since I’ve known the CO since enlistment.”

  Alcohol loosened his tongue. A night of drinking reduced some men into bumbling, staggering idiots. It merely turned Victor into a friendly chatterbox who didn’t realize when to shut up. Zoe didn’t complain.

  “So you didn’t start out an officer. That’s actually sort of nice. Respectable. You must have enlisted young though if you went on to school and became a doctor.”

  “You could say that. I enlisted at 16, but I’m probably older than I look to you.”

  And I don’t regret a day of it since then. It got me off the streets after I ran away. Got me a home, Victor thought to himself. A real home with people who cared about me. It’s good to see Yuki again after all this time. He gazed through the window to pick up the first rose pink shades of color spreading like coral fingers against the midnight skies.

  “Pretty, isn’t it?” Victor asked, smoothly directing the topic away from himself.