“Your friend is doing pretty good,” whispered Raddy Volcane to Janessa.
Raddy decided what the hell life was short and all that crap he might as well take a shot at the red head. Janessa did not like the way Raddy Volcane smiled at her. It seemed insincere. He smiled like an animal stalking prey not a man who was in a good mood. Janessa saw something behind Raddy Volcane’s eyes that made her sure he was untrustworthy. She trusted his skill as a pilot and a soldier but as a man she wanted to keep far away from him. She did not answer Raddy’s comment because she truly did not want to talk to him.
“I feel like we should get to know each other better,” said Raddy, “all of us since we are squad mates. I hope you don’t feel any special need to keep up with us, you know since we’re super soldiers. If you ever feel any pressure, like someone is expecting too much of you, I just want you to know you can always talk to me.”
“What are you doing?” asked Janessa.
“I’m just trying to be your friend,” said Raddy.
“No you’re not,” she replied, “you have some stupid idea in your head that I might be willing to sleep with you. Women may have thrown themselves at you on Earth because the government built you up as some kind of celebrity to gain support but they won’t here. The women on this ship are here to fight just like you and they all have a little thing called self respect. So don’t for a second start thinking I might be interested or that anyone else is. I’ll work with you because we are on the prime squad together. But when we are not in our fighters or training, stay the hell away from me.”
Janessa moved to the other side of the sparring mat to get away from Raddy. Raddy Volcane knew what it was to get angry. Only one woman had ever made him feel this way before and he did not like to be reminded of her. As he saw that red head move to get away from him he thought he was going to explode. But he held it back. He buried it the same way he used to. There were a great many things coming back in this brief moment that he had thought were gone.
Ryoko Jeagan was enjoying herself. She enjoyed being the commander of prime squad and she enjoyed the adoration of the other women on the ship. But as she was fighting Junitha Findragon is was the first time on the mission so far that she found herself truly having fun. This fight was a challenge. Ryoko had done wilderness survival training and randomized obstacle courses that pushed her to her limit. But in one on one fighting she had never had an equal. For the first time she was in a fight she was not sure if she would win and she loved it and she wanted more. Then it was over. The soldier in her saw an opening and she took it and a moment later Ryoko had Junitha pinned to the ground. Even in defeat Junitha seemed to be having a good time. Ryoko liked to win but something about this victory felt wrong. It was like at the last moment something changed in the way Junitha was fighting. It did not feel like she had really earned this victory. Still when Felina came over with the camera again Ryoko smiled and said it was good to work with such brave and skilled men and women.
Junitha went to Janessa and said, “I got in a fight, an awesome fight. I need a drink of water.”
Ryoko saw Junitha pass Janessa on her way to the watering unit. Ryoko turned the training mat over to Raddy so he could do his own presentation. Ryoko walked towards Janessa. Ryoko knew more about fear and keeping secrets than anyone realized. But she knew none of these people saw that in her. She knew what they saw. They saw Ryoko Jeagan the super soldier, idol to millions. Because she knew no one noticed her anxiety she was able to overcome it.
“Pilot Janessa Kepshawn how are you?” said Ryoko with a smile.
Janessa was not in the mood for this. On top of Duron and Kerrigan and Zai and now Raddy trying to make a move on her Janessa was fed up and did not want to have to deal with this bitch right now.
“The fitness attire looks good on you,” Ryoko added.
And now she had to remind Janessa that she had dressed up like everyone else. And what for? Why was she even here doing this? Why was she on display like a piece of meat for the camera? Oh yeah because the squad commander had ordered everyone to do it.
“Did you need something commander?” said Janessa.
“No need to be formal here Janessa,” said Ryoko, “This is all just eye candy for the documentary anyway. The viewing public loves to see young people in tight fitting little outfits. It’s not like the body is anything to be ashamed of.”
“Eye candy?” said Janessa, “I thought we were fighting a war not marketing a product.”
“Thanks to the Solar Fleet we will win this war,” said Ryoko, “and once the war is over the crew of this ship will return to the Earth and we will be a unifying force for the world. It helps when public figures are nice to look at. Speaking of figures I never realized how nice yours was. And put that with your face, you are very beautiful you know, if not for your parents reputation no one would even suspect that you were a natural.”
The thought never entered Ryoko’s mind that Janessa might take that as an insult. No matter what Ryoko’s intentions were Janessa perceived it as an attempt to offend. All Janessa heard was Ryoko saying between the lines ‘I am better than you and I know it’ even with her smile.
“Well I guess its too bad I had to grow up with real parents instead of having my DNA turned into soup by doctors before I was born,” said Janessa with every ounce of scorn she was feeling.
Ryoko was shocked. She was just trying to be friendly with what she thought was a nice girl and now she was being all bitchy for some reason.
“Do you have some sort of problem Janessa?” said Ryoko.
“Being an enhancile does not make you a better than anyone else,” said Janessa, “it just means you didn’t have to earn your skills.”
“Whether you hipper friends like it or not, enhanciles are the future of humanity.”
“If they can still call themselves human in the next ten years.”
“If being a natural is so great how come there are not more on the crew of this ship? Can you tell me that?”
“There are plenty of naturals that could take you down.”
Neither Ryoko nor Janessa noticed that there were a lot of people paying attention to their argument including Raddy who had delayed his own presentation to listen in.
“And I suppose you think you are up to that challenge?” asked Ryoko, “Do you think you have what it takes?”
“Let’s find out,” said Janessa.
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