OrbForce: A Sci-Fi Lesbian Romance Page 4

  “I appreciate you staying,” she said, “Sometimes it feels weird when the crews leave. I really feel like I am surrounded by a stadium full of people when I do these press conferences, even the recorded ones. Is that weird?”

  “No,” I said. It really did make complete sense to me.

  “I am glad that we can be friends.” She looked at me for a reaction.

  “Me too,” I said. I was careful not to react with what I was truly thinking. I actually wasn’t sure what we were other than superior and subordinate, but now she was calling me her friend, which felt nice.

  “Maybe if we had met some other time in our life,” her voice trailed.

  “Maybe what?” I asked.

  “Maybe things would be different for us.” She looked at me again for a response.

  “Different, how?” I asked.

  “Maybe we would be more than friends.” She touched my hand.

  The words almost stung and her touch felt like fire on my skin. I couldn’t speak as I focused on breathing. My insides were throbbing with an ache for her and a sadness, too.

  “So it’s not just me?” I smiled, attempting to lighten up the mood.

  “No, it’s not. I am attracted to you too Z. It’s just the timing,” she said.

  “Is wrong, I know,” I said finishing her sentence as she squeezed my hand.

  I took the last sip of my drink and placed my cup down on the table in front of us. The tension between us was building and I knew if I didn’t leave soon my heart was going to cause me to weep.

  “I better get going,” I said.

  “Stay a while longer?” She grabbed my hand again and pulled me back down to the couch.

  “Commander… I mean Ruth, this is difficult for me,” I said.

  Ruth kissed me softly and I pulled my head back and looked at her. Her eyes locked with mine and I kissed her in return. I pushed my weight against her forcing her against the couch. Her tongue danced with mine as I lay down on top of her and felt the heat of our bodies collide. My heart was pounding in my chest and I was afraid if I stopped kissing her it would be over. My mind was racing with the words that the timing was all-wrong and I finally forced myself to come up for air.

  “I’m sorry Ruth. I should really go. This just won’t end well and we both know it.” I said.

  “Z,” tears were welling up in her eyes.

  “Don’t,” I said as I wiped a tear from her cheek. “I’m okay. Promise.” I smiled and stood up.

  “Just stay. I don’t want you to go. Not yet. Just stay here with me for a while longer,” she said.

  “I don’t know what it is about you, but I can’t say no,” I said.

  She hugged me tight and I wanted to feel her lips on mine again. My body ached with desire for her and I collapsed in her embrace. She sobbed softly on my shoulder and I begged her to tell me what was wrong, but she insisted she was just caught up in the moment. Something told me there was more to her tears than she was letting on, but I wanted to hold her and she was letting me so I stopped pushing for answers. We lay down together in silence until we fell asleep wrapped up in one another’s arms. Maybe it was the warmth of her body, the privacy of not being watched in some room with a wall full of video monitors, or just sheer exhaustion, but I slept more soundly than I had in a very long time lying next to her.

  In the morning I felt her lips gently press against mine and heard her whisper very softly that she was sorry. She thought I was sleeping and so I didn’t let on otherwise, but I wanted to know what she was apologizing for. Was she sorry that she asked me to stay? Was she sorry for kissing me? Was she sorry that the timing wasn’t right for us? I know I was. I felt comfortable with her even when I knew she was holding something back from me. I felt safe with her despite her reluctance to tell me what was really bothering her. After she sat up and started to move about, I opened my eyes and said good morning. I apologized for falling asleep and crashing in her suite all night. She refused to hear an apology and appreciated my company.

  “Look, Ruth, we only have a couple more days and our mission will be over and our time working together will be done. Maybe we can catch up from time to time after I leave OrbForce,” I said.

  “Yeah,” she said. “That will be nice,” her voice trailed.

  “Or not,” I said. “I know you will be busy. I get it. No worries.”

  “No, it’s not that. I just think you will be too busy. I am sure you will have a ton of offers,” she said.

  “But not on OrbForce,” I said.

  There was silence, which was deafening. It was clear she hadn’t even considered finding somewhere else for me on OrbForce as Maria and I had discussed. The reality of it stung my insides. I had devoted my life to my work on OrbForce and was willingly going to give it all up in the name of peace and would get nothing in return.

  She didn’t respond to my comment and I started to feel agitated and rejected.

  “I better go,” I said.

  “We’ll meet later to review the media coverage,” she said.

  “Of course. Send me a meeting request and I will be here,” I said as I gathered my things to leave. Tension was starting to fill my body and I was hurt by the fact that I wasn’t a factor in the future of OrbForce.

  “Z,” she reached for me. “Wait.”

  Our eyes locked.

  “Would you consider staying on with OrbForce even if not as Ambassador?” she asked.

  “This has been my life since I turned 18. I know no other way,” I said.

  “I’ll see what I can do.” She smiled.

  I forced a smile in return feeling even more irritated. Why would she even ask me that? I think if she knew me at all, it would be evident that I would want to stay with OrbForce and if anyone could make that happen it would be the most powerful position in the entire force, her, the Commander.

  “Great,” I said as I continued making my way and not revealing the tension that was seizing my body.

  “Bye Z.”

  “See you later,” I said.

  I walked back to my suite feeling jilted. I forced myself to consider my loyalty and the part of me that took my original oath for OrbForce quickly took control of my thoughts and gave me perspective. When I signed up years ago, I knew that I was devoting myself to something bigger than me. I knew that I wanted to make a difference and I had. There was no room for egos on OrbForce and this was a key moment in my career to remember that. I knew that I had a job to finish out and from there I would decide what I wanted to do next.

  Her lack of consideration prior to our conversation this morning was weighing on me. The Commander was most definitely keeping something from me and I could not understand what or why. She was under no obligation to share classified information with me regardless of whether or not it involved me, but I felt like something was heavy on her mind and in her heart and whatever it was, it definitely involved me. Maybe the realization that I would be gone soon was just a lot for her to process. She had to feel the same connection I was feeling. Two people don’t spend the night so comfortably while physically intertwined without there being mutual chemistry.

  The Commander must feel lonely at times. Her history was empty of any partner or spouse and as humans, we crave contact with one another. That is what separates us from the Ulumese. I convinced myself that her emotional reveal the night before was a result of her loneliness. But my mind wondered about the secrets she was keeping.

  After breakfast I saw from my suite that the media was feeding into the story that Earth as we knew it was crumbling under the thumb of Ulum since Vokbar’s assassination. I knew the media was easily manipulated these days, but I never imagined they would so easily bite into this story. The days of journalism no longer existed. News media was basically public relations and spinning stories to sell advertisers. OrbForce had some of the brightest marketing talents in uniform and they knew exactly how to pull the media strings. They were careful to keep Commander Callow as the hopeful savior s
ince her reputation in the eyes of Earthlings was important. The way it all played out was better than any Hollywood script.

  Ruth and I caught up later in the day and she too was impressed with the media coverage. I would follow up with General A001 later that evening to continue the sell and see where she was on getting everyone to agree to sit at a table with me to discuss what we could offer for peace. Ruth was confident in her plans but was reluctant to discuss what would happen while I was meeting with Ulum leaders. I knew the basics, but she wasn’t offering up too many details.

  The idea was that while I met with leadership pretending that Earth was weakened by Vokbar’s death, OrbForce would be striking in the most violent areas of Ulum and destroy all weaponry bases before the meeting ended. Communication bases would be eliminated first, which was going to make things slightly difficult for me to leave, but my pilot would have contact with OrbForce flight control, so I was feeling confident that I could get out of Ulum safely as long as no one at the table found out what was happening while we were speaking. I knew the strike would be quick and I was fairly certain that some new weaponry would be utilized. I wanted to ask about it, but it was more important that I focus on what my role was to be in all of this. I felt that her reluctance to go over my exit details was curious, but she also had a lot to consider during the strike. All personal ties aside, there were many OrbForce soldiers whose lives would be hanging in the balance of this mission and it was entirely plausible that not all would make it back safely so I am sure that was weighing on her.

  Ruth and I reviewed all the media coverage from news sites to gossip columns and found a few reports that needed to be reviewed by marketing. Otherwise things were going along as planned. Ruth was curious about how I would continue with A001.

  “Does the new intelligence on A001 affect how you feel when you speak to her now?” she asked.

  “I would be lying if I said no,” I said.

  “Do you feel like you can still do this?” she asked.

  “Of course, I don’t mean it affects me negatively. I just mean I think about it. I was looking for signs on our last video chat. She just…well A001 is interesting.”

  “How do you mean?” Ruth asked.

  “I just think she or he or whatever is more evolved than most Ulum. The Ulumese do not understand human emotions, but A001 seems to have either studied it or allowed herself to be open to it.” I said.

  “Interesting. I can have intelligence look into whether or not she has studied it and if so what,” Ruth said.

  “I don’t think it is necessary for my benefit or for this mission. At this point we are so close to completing what we set out to do, I don’t think it matters,” I said.

  Ruth’s face lost expression. Something I had said jolted her somehow. Again, I mentioned the end of the mission and it seems to have affected her negatively. She should be excited to complete her first big operation as Commander. She was going to be a hero; this would be one for the history books.

  “Why the long face?” I pushed.

  Ruth smiled and ignored my question.

  “I think I will have intelligence dig into it just for future knowledge. It never hurts to know as much as possible,” she said.

  I nodded in agreement. Our work for the morning was wrapping up and I asked the Commander if she needed anything else. She paused for a moment and stared at me with a hesitant grin.

  “No, Z, you are dismissed,” she said. “But of course you are also welcome to stay for lunch. I am having mine delivered. I can add anything you want to the order from the kitchen.”

  I thanked the Commander for the offer and decided I should probably head back to my own suite. It was hard to be close to her and not want for more. I knew that it was not going to be, but it was going to take me a bit of time to get over my physical desires for her. The heart wants what the heart wants. She tried convincing me to stay but I think she could feel the ache in my eyes and backed off quickly.

  As I headed down the hall I received a red alert notification on my comtal from A001. I raced back to my suite and sent over an immediate video conference request. The General was quick to accept and appear on screen. She was visibly upset and I did my best to ease her conscious. She notified me that there were concerns among her fellow Ulum leaders that my request for a table meeting was a set-up. She pointed out video and photo footage of the Commander’s swearing in and the cheering from OrbForce soldiers. She played sound bites of the Commander declaring contempt for Ulum and vowing to avenge the death of Vokbar. My mind raced as I tried to figure out how Ulum obtained any of that coverage. I urged her to listen to me and then I told her the following story.

  “Shortly after that swearing in on International news here on Earth I met the Commander for the first time. I can assure you, and this stays between you and me, that our new Commander, hasn’t the first clue as to how to defeat you. She confided in me and has entrusted me to negotiate a final agreement of peace with you. Yes, she looks pretty on the camera and you know Earthlings love a pretty face, but beyond that she has confided that even OrbForce IE (Intelligence Elite) is unable to piece together a strategy that would allow Earth to control Ulum. We are done fighting. The nation’s leaders chose her specifically because they know Earthlings will be able to accept this from her because she is aesthetically pleasing and looks good on camera.”

  A001 listened intently and agreed with me that Commander Callow had the celebrity thing going for her. Ulum had long believed Earthlings to be shallow, vulnerable, and easily manipulated life forms. A001 bought my story without question. I pointed out the negative news stories that had flooded media since then and A001 revealed that those stories were the only reason certain Ulum leaders were still agreeing to sit at the table with me and negotiate. She confided that my safety had been threatened by at least one Ulum leader, but she was able to negotiate for my safety during the meeting. I thanked her for her honesty and for her concern over my well-being. I knew that it was probably met with much opposition by her fellow Ulum. She confirmed that all Ulum leaders had agreed to the summit and I explained that I would be bringing documents to seal the meeting and deliver everything I had promised. She was pleased with my consideration of Ulum. She asked if I would be staying after the meeting and I explained that it would probably be best if I returned to OrbForce to deliver the treaty and get them to our judicial board to be recorded and implemented as soon as possible. She agreed that timing was important and we could meet less formally after things settled.

  We wrapped up our video call and I was feeling confident that I had persuaded A001 to believe me. As soon as our call disconnected the Commander was breaching the entrance to my suite. I joked about her never knocking but she was in no mood for jokes. She quickly reminded me that it was imperative I manage my relationship with A001 and ensure that this mission goes through. I assured the Commander that I had it under control.

  “Did you not see the end of our conversation?” I asked.

  “Yes, but Z, this has to stay on track. We must have all Ulum leaders at that table with you. If just one decides not to attend, this mission is over before it even starts,” she said.

  “Yes I know. I understand fully,” I said.

  I started wondering if she was irritated that I was portraying her poorly to A001. No sooner did this thought cross my mind, when she asked me about my pretty face comment. I smiled at the Commander and reminded her that I had made no secret of the fact that I thought she had a pretty face. Ruth realized I had taken the opportunity to flirt and she blushed in return before excusing herself to return to her lunch.

  As the Commander left, I received another notice on my watch that I had received a message from Abby. The message was short and sweet.

  Hey it’s Abby. Just thinking about you. Don’t forget about me next time you come back down to Earth.

  I decided to send a quick response.

  You have made it impossible to forget you now. I will be in touch soon.
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  I lay back on my couch and thought about Abby. She was just what I would need when this mission was over and my life would be a blank slate. She was fun, sexy, and more importantly didn’t care at all about my work as Ambassador.

  I wondered if the Commander had seen my message exchange. I know she was having me closely monitored, surely to make sure I didn’t screw up her first big mission. The plan revolved around me and she couldn’t take any chances on me making a mistake. In the middle of my daydream I actually fell asleep. I awoke startled by a dream but struggled to remember the details. I had been in some sort of dangerous situation and my life was in peril. I was sure the anxiety of my future was now finding its way into my REM cycle. As I sat up and tried to shake the dream off, I realized my comtal was flashing with a request from the Commander.

  I hurried to her office to finalize our plans. Her demeanor was becoming less confident and more anxious and gloomy. She reviewed everything with me down to how I would engage with each of the Ulum leadership but again did not discuss my exit strategy.

  “As far as exit strategy, I know communication will be blown, but my pilot will still have contact with OrbForce Base, correct?” I asked.

  She seemed surprised by my question. “Uhm…yes,” she said.

  “I just want to be clear on how I will be able to get out of Ulum airspace before they realize what has happened,” I said.

  “The timing will be difficult,” she said.

  “Well, that doesn’t sound reassuring,” I said.

  “You will know when to go,” she said.

  I took a moment to process her suggestion. She was planning every detail of this mission, but was leaving this part up to my instincts? Either she really trusted me or had some other plan she wasn’t sharing.

  “You trust my instincts?” I asked.

  “You know these aliens better than anyone. You will know when to leave. You will have plenty of time,” she said.

  “Well I was hoping you could give me a calculation on time as far as when the final target will be hit so I can plan accordingly,” I said.