Chapter 21

"These are some of the factors that are hard to compensate for in live fire." Bill had the equation with all three hundred and eighteen variables shown on the wall. At their individual stations, he could see the students staring at the detailed display. Each student experimented with training simulations by manipulating the variables, watching the effects as they changed the parameters. "During an actual engagement, as each ship moves it distorts surrounding space. These distortions and the effective range of our particle and rail gun weapons make long range gunnery problematic."

Bill ran a very loose classroom, raising hands was not necessary. "Mr. Jenkins," One of the students who didn't live in his household, Amy Turner called for his attention. He made eye contact with the girl. "Can't the AI calculate all that?"

Bill chuckled. "If nothing moved during the battle, yes. As each ship moves, both friend and foe, those parameters must change. At the ranges we are working, these parameters change constantly," Bill moved his hands spasmodically. "Even as you fire at that ship the solution the AI predicted is different."

"I see," came her reply.

"By tomorrow at the eleven turn, you will need to have three questions to be sent to the gunnery range. One must be in reference to maximum range or optimum range. One must be in reference to effects of ship movement on fire. The last is open ended in reference to naval combat." Some of the students knew they were destined to be concubines. He turned and looked at one, the topless Danna McLeod. "We need to avoid questions about the effects of recoil on reproduction."

"Those rifles they carry looked big." Danna feigned concern. "I thought it might hurt my future Marine."

"I think his private parts have more to fear from you." Bill quipped back. Several class members started laughing. Danna joined in.

"I need more practice." Danna shook her head to emphasize the statement.

"Not during class time." Bill rolled up eyes using levity to refocus the group. "We'll break for lunch now." He looked up at the clock. "At twelfth bell, I repeat at twelfth bell, you need to be in the First Station Simulator."

The class exited in small clumps. Danna lingered by the door. "Dewey, I need to ask a question related to school."

The school AI responded. "As long as this question does not violate school research parameters, you may ask."

Danna turned toward the door. "Is it wrong to engage in oral sex with a teacher?"

"During class time it would interfere with your education. After contact-time, you have the right to engage in such activity with anyone wearing a yellow, green, or orange collar. Sponsors have no collar."

Bill stayed on the far side of the classroom. Danna wanted him to overhear the conversation.

"I know that I won't be a sponsor." She didn't sound disappointed. Danna sounded content. "I don't have any real talents."

"Preliminary estimates based on observations and reactions to sleep studies confirm your suspicions." Danna seemed to stand up straighter. She bounced a bit on her toes sneaking a peek at Bill. "Concubine Survival Skills is an all day elective on Fridays. This includes concepts and activities based on the highly successful Borneo-Johnson Seminars."

"Why do I still need all this training if I am going to be a concubine?"

"Danna, to best serve your future sponsor, having an understanding of his or her service obligations will assist you in maintaining a productive relationship. Some concubines have assignments on the colony or the active duty station."

Danna pondered the statement momentarily. "You're saying that being a good concubine is more than just being a sex toy?"

"In simplistic terms, yes," concluded the AI Dewey.

Danna stepped into the hallway. Bill sent a sub-vocal message to Dewey to have a salad waiting at the cafeteria for him.

"Bill Jenkins," Hobson rarely called him sub-vocally at school. "I have two messages for you."

"Go ahead Hobson."

"Peter Elway, the boss at the sheep ranch wants to speak with you." Hobson paused waiting for a response.

"Is he free now?" Elway's brood had seven dependents at the school. "Second message please, Hobson."

"Danna has asked for after hour tutoring times."

"I'll see her at lunch." Bill knew that the boys in class praised his girls' cock-sucking prowess. The girls blamed him and Ray-ray for being such great teachers. Bill believed it was Salome's coaching.

"Peter is available. He asked for a private video link."

"On screen then," Bill sat down. He heard the door to the room close, ensuring privacy.

The face of a strong looking Native American greeted Bill. He half expected to hear him say 'How.' as a pleasantry.

"Hey, I'm Peter Elway out at the sheep ranch." The man seemed nervous and a bit concerned.

"Hello, I'm Bill Jenkins, head education guru." Bill put an air of openness trying to put Peter at ease.

"I need to speak to you about one of your dependents." Bill expected the worst. Ted had grumbled about mucking stalls. "My man Barry informed me that your boy Louis asked to suck his dick." The voice sounded apologetic.

Bill handled the information bluntly. "Did Barry refuse?"

Peter's lip quivered. "He did."

"Did Louis force himself on Barry?"

His head shook 'no' before he answered. "No, he did not." Tilting his head, Peter stared a moment. "You are aware he asks to do so?"

Flashing a grin, Bill added, "He is quite good."

"You don't mind that he does this?" The shock on his face grew.

"Louis is bisexual. He has body image issues. This Barry handles himself confidently?"

"Barry is very self-assured." The man's body language showed he believed this. "I reviewed the playback in the shower. It clearly shows Barry never touched any of the kids." A split screen came up. Louis walked over to a hairy muscled man who was rinsing his hair. They talked for a few moments, and then the man then walked away quickly.

"Is Barry in your office?"

"He is outside."

"Could I speak to him?"

Peter moved away from the screen. Twenty seconds later, the imaged showed both men. Bill called sub-vocally for Louis to come to his classroom.

"Bill, this is Barry, Barry, Bill." Pete made the introductions.

"Jake and I did make fun of the boy last week," Barry admitted. "I didn't think, I mean, I didn't want to suggest anything." Bill's first impression of Barry was favorable. Louis walked into the room, coming to a stop next to Bill.

Bill asked for the view to zoom out to include the boy at his side. "Louis is here with me."

"Hi," Louis waved at the two men. Barry sat up straighter in his chair.

"Barry, Louis is over thirteen. The boy likes to suck cock. As a matter of fact, he is quite good." Louis beamed under the praise. "Louis, why did you want to suck Barry's cock?" Louis looked at Barry. Bill thought the man looked intimidated.

"Well, he's got an uncut dick," Louis volunteered. Barry blushed.

Bill trolled for more. "Is that all?"

"Well, his balls are bigger than Ray-rays," Louis held up imaginary grapefruit, "and the hair is everywhere. He looked so sexy all soaped up." Peter placed his hand over his mouth to hide his reaction.

Bill decided to add a little oxygen to the fire. "Barry, would you like him to suck you off?"

Barry looked at the screen. "I, I, don't know."

"Why don't we just get this over with," Bill turned to Louis. "Head down to the school nexus, jump out to the ranch and take a load from Barry." Louis tore out of the room. Bill authorized the transport sub-vocally.

"Barry, this doesn't mean you're gay. My woman Leslie has suspected Louis was bi for years. She taught his older brothers. Every male in that family is a late bloomer." Bill could see he lost both men. "Barry, Louis wants to grow up and look like you."

Barry got a shocked look on his face. "This is the body Shelly picked for me." He tugged at his collar. "Can't he get modified when he is of age?"

"That's possible. Louis, I think, is drawn also by the way you act and handle yourself. That isn't provided by the nanites."

Barry's chest puffed up a bit. "I should check with Shelly."

"Barry, you should turn Louis loose on that Shelly of yours. He is bi, and the boy is a damn good fluffer."

The Swarm destroyers maneuvered to keep their silhouettes at a minimum. The African Class Destroyer Nefertiti moved to intercept, accompanied by her sister ship the Nefertari. The enemy had a greater range on their main weapons. The Nefertiti shuddered as she deflected the energy from herself.

"Evasive maneuver kilo, kilo, five, niner on my mark. Repeat Evasive maneuver kilo, kilo, five, niner on my mark!" The captain warned her crew. Seconds passed the gun deck shuddered again. "Mark! Execute!" Inertia overcame the artificial gravity. The gunnery crew fought against the sudden shifts in direction.

"Maximum range in eighteen seconds," informed the ship's AI.

"Verify your fire control is green," Ruby called to the rest of her gunnery crew.

"Magnetics and cooling green," answered Amy.

Bert added, "Crystals are green."

Ruby looked into the targeting scanner. The venti destroyer danced in the imager.

"Five seconds to maximum range." The passage of time slowed, having the AI call times provided stability.

The captain's voice came over the speakers. "The Nefertari is coming onto the apex of her maneuver. Fire to shift the lead target starboard and positive zee."

"Confirmed," Ruby acknowledged the order. Her fingers changed the targeting parameters. The imager targeted an area just below the lead destroyer. Ruby activated the fire controls. The five disruptors fired. One second later the Nefertari fired a rotating salvo.

To avoid Ruby's attack, the lead ship maneuvered violently. Initially safe, the result brought her port side into the Nefertari's strafing fire. The fifth bolt struck the venti, overloading her shielding. The next three bolts opened her enough to weaken the superstructure containing her sublight engines. Once free, they spiraled, exhausting their limited fuel. The remaining two enemy destroyers turned and ran, blinking into lightspeed as quickly as possible.

The members of the Ruby's team cheered. Working in tandem with her sister ship, they executed the maneuver used by the CSS Gabon and the CSS Ghana.

The back wall lifted away. Mr. Jenkins stood clapping, flanked by the members of the class. "Congrats, Gamma Team," their teacher beamed with pride, next to him stood Commander Holloman. A crooked smile hinted at her mood.

Dewey chimed in with the results. "Your reactions and score place you in the ninety-sixth percentile for this simulation." That brought another set of cheers.

Joyce Jenkins hummed the tune of a song, not remembering the words. Tying knots in a repetitive pattern caused the braid to wind to the left. Every few minutes, she checked the length. Changing the way she overlaid the strands caused the braid to straighten. A large blue glass bead was slid into place, matching the ones in the other four braids.

Now that her arthritis was a distant memory, Martha Rey worked on tying a wall hanging. Tying the delicate threads into the complex pattern without trifocals proved to be another boon. The best part of medical modifications came from the baby she carried. Avery, her oldest boy had turned fourteen and was in route to his posting. Mike turned thirteen and longed to follow his brother. Her husband had A-positive blood while she was A-negative. Mike was her first child with A-positive. The next four pregnancies had ended in miscarriages. The little girl she carried was safe from the antibodies in her blood.

"Joyce," she liked her boss. "How do I seat the twine to encase the bottom rod?"

Joyce walked over. "Let's see," she looked at the wall hanging. Her head nodded softly as her smile grew. "This is lovely." Joyce hugged Martha. "Use an over the bar loop like this." Joyce wound the thread over a metal tube twice then tied a hidden knot. "Did you see that?"

"Yes." Martha watched her back the knot out.

"This looks good." Joyce suddenly opened her eyes wide. "Gotta potty," she rushed to the back of the room toward the restroom.

Martha tried not to giggle. She wanted to avoid having to chase after Joyce. Somehow, the girl had grown on her. At first, Joyce's soft drawl had pushed Martha into suspicion. In her experience, people with such a manner of speaking were hiding something or wanted something. Joyce stood as an anomaly -- she was open and honest. The chocolate hunk that often walked them to the nexus for the trip home looked tasty. It felt strange confronting her past prejudices. It made her giggle. Martha bolted for the potty, glad the studio had two restrooms.