chp 2c

Grabbing their bags, the three boys followed their professor into the hallway and down the stairs. As they entered the basement, they couldn’t help but notice that a number of young people were there too. Most were students like themselves and all of them were seniors.

A few transports were already there with engines running, the noise reverberating in the cavernous basement parking area. Almost all the lecturers who taught them were there too.

Dr Tony led them to a transport and had them board it. Their bags were stashed in the back together with the other occupants’ belongings. Dr Tony went to the front of the transport to speak to someone. Probably his officer, Raymond thought. The three of them had taken seats with the door behind them as the rest of the transport was full. They watched as Dr Tony talked animatedly with the person in the shadows, with the occasional jab of the thumb in their direction.

A sudden whiff of perfume distracted the three boys momentarily as did the sound of giggling. But before they could turn, two female figures seated themselves on the bench facing theirs. “Hello boys. Are you lost?” One of them said. “Hi Shirley,” Raymond replied evenly, “we’re just doing our part.” The two girls grinned. “Of course, that’s so patriotic. However, I bet you’re just looking for some action,” Shirley bantered. “Oh stop blushing Shaun!” said the other girl.
“I’m not blushing!” Shaun said, a little too loudly.
“Alright! Take it easy cowboy. You know Jeanne was just teasing you,” Shirley said.

Shirley and Jeanne were twins who were rather popular with the boys in the school. Not that they were easy or put out, but they were pretty and fun to hang out with. There were prettier girls who had been around the block but not these two. Still, they had no lack of suitors. The fact that they were eighteen and thus two years older than the three boys did not stop them from making friends with the trio.

Dr Tony sat down next to the girls and said to the boys, “Ok. When we arrive at our sector, you will follow me. We’ll get you fitted out with weapons, ammunition and armour.”
“Wow, Dr T. They’re going into combat?” Jeanne asked.
“No more than you and I will be involved,” came the reply.
“Without training?” Shirley queried.
“What does it matter? If the defences fail, everyone will have to fight for their lives,” Dr Tony replied, “assuming, of course, that the alarm is real. This could really just be a very severe storm. The only attack happened a thousand years ago!”

Whatever the case, the three boys were just glad to be part of the action. Even if it meant that there was nothing to shoot at. The doors closed and the transport moved out. The noise of the engines was reduced to little more than a hum. The boys were trying not to let their excitement show too much. Though the jury was still out on whether it was because they were on an adventure or in the presence of two pretty girls.

“Why are you going? Are you trained in combat too?” Raymond asked the girls. But he was looking at Shirley. She was the more athletic of the twins, and she filled out her uniform quite nicely. Jeanne was on the slim side though she still had curves.

“Not quite,” Shirley replied, “but we are trained medics. So we’re more a support than frontline warriors.”
“What does that badge mean?” Clement asked, pointing to… and then suddenly withdrawing his hand self-consciously. Shaun rolled his eyes.
Shirley did not laugh at Clement’s embarrassment, instead she said, “That means I do know how to fire a sidearm well enough.”
“Cooooooool,” Raymond cut in.
“Yeah. Well, we shoot pretty well too. At least, I know I do, played with my gun all the time back home,” Clement said.
Shaun slapped his hand to his forehead and said, “Can we talk about something else?” Jeanne laughed and said, “Hey, we’re talking about firing guns here, so stop with the weird thinking! We know you farm boys must have handled some kind of weapon before. Otherwise Dr T wouldn’t have let you come along.”

The boys looked at Dr Tony. He shrugged. Then the transport arrived at its destination.

The transports emptied of passengers and a crowd formed in the open space. “We part here boys,” Jeanne said, “Try not to lose your heads.”
“We’re cool,” Raymond replied.
“She means it literally bro,” Shaun said.
“Shaun’s right. If it really is the space cannibals that are attacking, they like chopping off heads for decoration of their ships’ hulls,” Shirley added.
“You be careful too,” Shaun said, not quite looking at the girls.
“Yeah, you too.”

Then they parted company.