FREE STORIES 2012(16)
But there in front of everyone after going down the line for the ten or so men in front of me, the ship’s doc gets to me and starts with his first question: “Ensign, have you had any of the symptoms yet?” And, well, all I could do was tell him that I didn’t know. He acted completely baffled and tried asking the question a couple of different ways, and finally, I just gave up. Please don’t tell the Moms. I just explained to some thirty crewmen of the good ship Manasseh that I was having my period. Yes, of course, I was experiencing severe abdominal and upper leg pain, often referred to as cramps. And, well yes, I had had some diarrhea recently which wasn’t normally part of my period, so I might have that bug, but really, I had no idea because those pains were probably completely blocked out by my monthly. It sounded entirely like he was asking if my stubbed toe hurt when I’d walked into his sick bay with a broken arm. I must have over done it, because the poor doc was speechless. He gave me the medication regime, just in case. As you might imagine, that story made it through the crew like wildfire. My division has been laughing about it. That part is mortifying, but they are also calling me tough and sort of bragging on me. Men can be so odd. Oh, and the doc put in the order for the menstrual control nanites I had asked for when I first reported. I know that old nanites do stick around for quite a while but you have to refresh the count with infusions twice a year or so. The GSN doesn’t normally stock nanites for menstruation, apparently. The ship’s doc stopped by the other day to let me know that he would have them in a couple days on the courier ship with the backup parts for the customizers, and that the ship would maintain a stock of them from now on.
Yours,
Cecelie
* * *
[Reposted to Tester’s Blessings on the GSN private forum.]
[February 1922]
Suleia,
I put in the request to take three days off back home in Grayson like the Moms have been asking. It got approved for two months from now. Do you want to invite over those girls you said were interested in the Navy? I could spend an hour or two and answer questions. I imagine they’d really have no idea what to ask about really. I wouldn’t want them to know about the stuff I’ve been telling you. Even if they did join, every ship is different, and I wouldn’t want them to expect that every ensign gets a chief like mine.
Yours,
Cecelie
* * *
[Posted to Tester’s Blessings on the GSN private forum.]
[February 1922]
Hey all of you friends, former friends, and weirdoes who somehow got the password,
You want in, this is how it is going to be. You have to delete all the Cecelie messages, all backups, reformat the drives, and swear by something really impressive to pretend you never read a word, or I’m not giving you an invite. I mean it.
-Suleia
* * *
[Private secured communication, not reposted.]
[March 1922]
Suleia,
I know you must have heard about Blackbird. If you could find a casualty list and send it, well, it wouldn’t be good, but it would help to know. Claire knew a whole lot of those people. I knew some too, but Claire is just sort of scary comatose. She isn’t even caring if anyone sees her red eyed. Are there many lists of who was off the station and still around? Does anyone know who did it? I want to tell her that we at least know who we are fighting.
-Cecelie
* * *
[Private secured communication, not reposted.]
[March 1922]
Suleia,
I found the casualty lists. Don’t worry about it.
-Cecelie
* * *
[Private secured communication, not reposted.]
[April 1922]
Suleia,
The schedule changed. I won’t be visiting. I still can’t believe what happened to Blackbird. We’ve got new orders. We are doing some kind of escort duty on a high value passenger transfer. Things are not looking good. I still have no idea what happened. I don’t think anyone has any idea. Please make sure the family has full food stores laid up and a good stock of masks and protective gear in case the domes fail. I don’t think you should apply for Saganami Island. I need someone back there making sure the family is okay, and I know I can count on you to take things seriously.
Ever yours,
Cecelie
* * *
[Posted to Tester’s Blessings on the GSN private forum.]
[April 1922]
Friends,
Cecelie will not be visiting after all. I hope everyone stays safe.
If you lost anyone on Blackbird, my deepest condolences.
Please check on your family’s emergency supplies. Tester’s blessing to us all.
-Suleia
Like Ghost Cat and a Dragon’s Dog
by Dave Freer
“Arf.”
That means “hello, get lost, I have a flea, there’s a werewolf getting quite close”, and at least a hundred other things. Dog is an expressive language. That’s one of the problems with human speech. So confusing to have different barks for every single thing—except where you have the same bark for the same thing and no different inflexion. And then different barks mean different things in different places. Can’t you humans settle on a common language? I have no trouble understanding foreign dogs.