Rocket Fox: Part Four
Sleep. It was the perfect escape. The only problem was sometimes the dreams evoked images that plagued the waking world. Senia’s dreams, filled with loneliness, a great expanse, nothingness. Not what she had wanted when she began to embark on her dream of becoming a pilot with the Royal Vulpine Air Corps. There was another sensation as well, it felt more real. In her dream, she kept repeating over and over again to some disembodied voice calling out to her to stop it.
“Thtop it,” she mumbled as she clutched the covers of her quilted bedding closer. “Tickleth. Thtop…” She half opened her eyes as she slowly crept back into the waking world from her restless sleep. Something was tickling her nose. She blinked again, trying hard to focus, and finally saw a feather. Sighing audibly, she rolled over on her back, knowing full well who it was. “Jadda, pleathe thtop that.”
Jadda giggled as she pulled the feather away. “At least your up, sleepy head,” she teases as she sat on the edge of the bed. “It’s 0700 hours. You slept in.” Jadda Hawkspur, a former cadet classmate of Senia’s. The two were close friends, and it was not uncommon for Jadda to break into Senia’s room in the wee hours of the morning to wake her up.
“I thet my alarm for eight,” Senia replied as she wiped the sleep from her eyes and pushed herself up to a seated position. “And jutht what are you doing on bathe? Didn’t break in, did you?”
“No,” Jadda replied with a wide grin. “The guards let me in when I informed them I wanted to see you off today.” She looked about the small room, spartan in it’s design, built for cadet officers. “Your room, however, I did break into. Didn’t have much of a choice though, you sleep like the dead.”
Senia grumbled and pulled herself out of bed, clutching her nightgown close as she reached for her bathrobe. “Well, however you got in, I’m glad you’re here. I leave tomorrow for my athignment.”
“Off to join the 76th, perhaps?” Jadda said with a smile and leaned forward. She sighed as she saw the look on Senia’s face, knowing that she did not get the posting she wished for. “I’ve got a feeling that you received bad news.”
“Main Authority,” Senia replied as she rummaged around in her small cupboard, retrieving a small teapot and two cups. “I am to join the Huntthman tomorrow, and they will tranthport me to PauTheta II colony,” she explained as she prepared a small pot of tea. “And before you athk, why,” she said as she motioned to her mouth. “They thaid my lithp might be conthidered a handicap not recommended for full pilot thervithe.”
Jadda could only blink and stare at Senia as she listened to the explanation. She mulled this information over in her mind as she took the tea Senia handed to her and sat down at a small table. “That’s absolutely ridiculous,” she finally said.
“Trutht me, I’ve heard that quite a few timeth.”
“Well, there has to be something you could do,” Jadda said as she tried to find a plan to rectify this error.
“If I recall,” Senia said as she interrupted Jadda from hatching some grand scheme. “I tried to get you reinthtated after you were thrown out of the academy, but you forbid me from doing tho.”
“I think punching our Drill Sargent put a crimp into your plan,” Jadda remind her.
Senia opened her mouth to try and rebuke Jadda, but found there was no statement she could make. She finally chuckled and took a sip of her tea. “He did detherve it, you know,” she said with a laugh. “After all, he wath alwayth picking you out of the crowd. I know he had a prejudithe becauthe you were from the northern provintheth, but I could never find proof. He would have been thrown out had I found anything.”
Jadda nodded with a small smile. “I know. You and Clarfax and Hardy. You guys all tried to find something. Even Philly was helping out.” She shrugged her shoulders lightly and admitted defeat with a smile. “Well, at least I might be able to see you more often.”
“You will?” Senia asked as she sipped her tea. “You didn’t get a job at the colony, did you?”
“No,” Jadda replied as she shook her head. “I will be heading into space, though. I sent a wave about a week after my hearing. I contacted the Sifter. I’ll be joining her in less than a week from now.”
“The Thifter,” Senia replied with some shock. “That’th a Jackai ship. Thalvage operation, ath I recall.”
“Red Streak is a Jayna tribe Jackai,” Jadda informed her. “She’s not Hyna tribe, and has no connection to those pirates that roam the space lanes.” While Jackai were considered barbaric cousins to the Lupine at best, the Jayna tribe was much more civilized. But thanks to similarities in appearance, even Jayna tribe members received a lot of prejudice from the other races in the Lupine Star System. “I’ll be the Sifter’s helm officer, and help with any tactical operations. Captain Red Streak has seen my performance record from the Academy.”
The conversation was interrupted as a quick rapping came to Senia’s door, followed immediately by a frantic voice calling out. It was Philburt.
“Senia. It’s me, Philburt,” he cried out, then opened the door and walked right in. “Thank goodness you’re still here.”
“Philly!” Senia said as she stood up. “I’m in my nightgown.” Philburt began stammering slightly as he looked back and forth between Senia and Jadda. “Well clothe the door and turn around.” Philburt finally was able to do as he was asked, staring at the door as Senia snuck behind a dressing divider. “Well, there obviouthly thome emergenthy. What ith it?”
“They just got word this morning. They’re meeting a high orbital transport ship and departing in fifteen minutes,” he said still catching his breath. He looked back to Jadda for a moment, and whispered to her. “Did you break into the base again?”
“No, they let me in,” Jadda replied with a chuckle as she sipped her tea. “Concentrate, Philly. Who just got word?”
“Clarfax and Hardy did. At 0530 hours this morning,” he clarified, then whispered again to Jadda. “You didn’t break into Senia’s room, did you?”
“Guilty, yes,” Jadda confirmed.
“What about Clarfax and Hardy?” Senia called out as she straightened her casual uniform.
“They got word from a General Matilda Gerring,” Philburt said. “You know, from Vulpine Authority, Port Omega in high orbit over Vulpinia.” He looked around a bit and asked in a quiet voice. “Can I turn around now?”
“General Gerring,” Senia said as she walked out from behind the divider. “She doethn’t have any jurithdiction over air cadetth.” She finished buttoning her jacket and finally answered Philburt. “It’th fine, Philly. You can turn around.”
“I don’t know,” Philburt said as he faced Senia and Jadda. “But mother got home late yesterday afternoon, almost evening. She was wearing her old service uniform and said something about just returning from an appointment with the General.”
Senia looked to Jadda, then back to Philburt. “Your mother and Natalie flew together in the 103rd, didn’t they?” Philburt nodded quickly in reply. “Think, Philly. Did Natalie thay anything after I left yethterday afternoon?”
“Well,” Philburt replied as he took a deep breath. “The conversation turned to the new cadets, they asked a few questions of us, and…” He stopped for a moment then smiled. “Wait! Mrs. Bascombe did say something along the lines of ‘that’ll never do’ or something to that effect.”
Senia took a deep breath. With Philburt’s information, she had a pretty good idea just what Natalie Bascombe and Rita Collinsworth both had done.
