This work is fiction. The work has no relationship with any person existing at any time anywhere whether real or imaginary or copy written. Everything in this work is mea culpa.
This work is the property of Kerrik Wolf (saethwyr@ (SPAM) hotmail.com). Please remove (SPAM) to contact me.
You should not read this work if you are under the age of legal consent wherever you reside. This work may or may not contain any and/or all of the following: death, dismemberment, violent acts, implied sex, explicit sex, violent sex, rape, cannibalism, blasphemy (depending on your religion), BDSM, torture, mimes, and just about anything unwholesome that you could consider.
The pokegirl universe was first documented by Metroanime and to him all of us who reside or visit there owe a debt of thanks.
Feedback is encouraged. I enjoy hearing from people. Positive feedback will be appreciated, cherished and flaunted in front of people. Negative feedback will be appreciated, cherished and listened to, that I might continue to grow. Flames will give me a good laugh. Feedback may be delivered to: saethwyr@ (SPAM) hotmail.com. Please remove (SPAM) to contact me.
Chapter 1
“Good morning. How are you feeling?”
Poppet gave him a glare. “I was wondering when you would turn up again. What did you do with your harem?”
Kerrik blinked. “I’m well. I don’t think I have much to complain about. Thanks for asking.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You didn’t answer my question.”
He cocked his head as a patient look appeared on his face. “I don’t have a harem. If you’re talking about the pokegirls Faelan and Shikarou got for me to study, they’re dead.” He gave her a level look. “And before you become even more indignant, I don’t really care. I did what was necessary to learn. You’ve done the same thing.” She froze. “Or do you expect me not to know that you sacrificed dozens of humans in your fruitless search to cure Jamie’s cancer or prolong his life?” He smiled gently. “I don’t fault what you did; after all, you were trying to save the life of your first husband and true love. That’s why I wanted those pokegirls. I wanted to test them and see if I could help with the problems that my grandchildren here are going to have.”
“Oh.”
“Exactly.” He nodded and touched her arm. His eyes widened slightly and then a smile flickered on his lips for an instant.
Poppet wrapped her hands around her belly protectively as she suddenly looked very worried. “What is it?”
“You can relax,” he said soothingly. “Everything is fine; I just got a surprise when I scanned you.”
She didn’t look calmed. “What was the surprise?”
“You’re carrying twin boys. You’re going to need more room in the nursery.”
“Twins? Are you sure?” She gave him a cautious look and took a deep breath. “They’re not Shikarou’s. They’re from Jamie’s genetic material.”
Kerrik nodded. “Your husband told me about what you did. He understands. If you care, I understand as well. They’ll be his sons and my grandsons and I won’t love them any less than any of the others. I promise you that.”
Poppet gave him a rueful smile. “My husband certainly seems to be trying to give you lots of grandkids.”
“I think he has help.” Kerrik smiled back. “Last I checked, he was missing some necessary plumbing to able to do everything himself. You, Helen, Kasumi and Candace all have a share of the blame in what’s happened. Eventually, so will the others.”
The Unicorn blinked and started laughing. “You are absolutely right and I’m glad he is missing those parts.”
“Somehow I thought that might be the case. Have you started having cravings?”
She made a face. “No, and I didn’t really have any cravings when I was pregnant before. Right now I just want to have Shikarou all to myself, something that happens to be completely impossible.”
“Considering the size of your family, that one does sound difficult.” His ears moved restlessly for a second. “You might want to consider that since this is your first non-parthenogenic birth, there might be some profound differences between this pregnancy and your previous one. There may well be cravings or other things. Besides, every pregnancy is different.”
Poppet nodded her understanding. “I will. Did you find anything?”
He frowned at the sudden change of topic. “Pardon?”
“You said you were trying to help our children when you killed those pokegirls. Did you find anything that might help them?”
“I discovered that Sukebe was pretty smart, but he was either in a hurry or not quite as good as everyone says. A lot of his work was brilliant, but rushed. A lot of the problems that pokegirls have are due to his cobbling together your genetics.” His eyes grew distant. “Not all of their issues, by any means, but a good deal of them are. A lot of what is going on is part of their design, but many of the things that he probably thought minor at the time have turned out to be rather important. ”
She raised an eyebrow. “How would you have done it?”
He shrugged. “I wasn’t there and I have no idea what the situation was at the time. However, to undo his work, it would probably be easier to build properly designed pokegirls from scratch and insert them into the breeding population instead of trying to repair what’s going on here.” He gave her a wry look. “Considering that if I did, I’d have to eliminate all of you and convince my sons to accept the new designs, it’s a concept not worth pursuing. Still, I’ve made some progress.”
“What progress?”
He rubbed his chin. “I can and will make it so the children born here will not go through threshold if they are human. And I’ve figured out how to grant Nanu’s wish.”
“She has a wish?”
“She was a Bunnygirl who evolved to Moonbunny and finally to Mini-Top. She asked me to make sure that none of her daughters would be Bunnygirls. I’ve figured out how to make sure that all of her pokegirl children will be Moonbunnys or Mini-Tops.” He smiled slightly. “She doesn’t seem to like Bunnygirls very much, but I’ve noticed she has a serious aversion to stupidity. I can agree with that.”
“That will make her happy.” Poppet looked thoughtful. “I’ve got a wish. Can you help me with mine?”
Kerrik gave her a curious look. “Well, daughter, tell me about it and let’s see what I can do.”
***
Selene’s hologram stood in the middle of the room and watched the children playing. There were five of them in the room, three boys, one girl and a Milktit kit. One of boys and the girl both had wolf ears and rudimentary claws. The AI closely monitored all of them, watching the interactions of the assembled three and four year olds as well as sampling their thoughts through their twees. Satisfied with what she found she clapped her hands gently together one time. “Children.”
Five heads swiveled to look at her as all activity ceased. A human used to Terran preadolescents would have been stunned. “Yes, Miss Selene?” It was one of the human boys.
“It’s time for lessons. Chairs, please.” The children put their toys away and quickly settled into comfortable looking chairs. They became motionless as Selene used the twees to take temporary control of their voluntary nervous system and used it to put them to sleep.
Using the transmitters built into the headrest of each of the chairs, Selene began filling their minds with knowledge. All of the children would receive standard educations for survival in this world and, as they aged, they would be given supplemental information pertaining to whatever interests they decided they wished to pursue.
The Milktit was a special case and her initial education would far outstrip that of the other children. Shikarou had proven unwilling to release his pokekit children into the normal program of life available for a pokegirl and Kerrik had made the arrangements for her to be fostered to a family in the Tirsuli Confederation when she came of age. Therefore she had to be schooled in the customs and technology available there, in addition to what was necessary to survive here.
After an hour, she concluded the current series of uploads and woke them, restoring full control of their bodies as consciousness returned. The wall behind her flickered and changed to a display of equations and a series of questions. “Now we must test your ability to use what I’ve given you. Jamie, come to the board and solve this equation.” One of the test questions flashed blue as the young boy eagerly moved forward.
***
The young man leaned against the fence and watched the kattle as they ate. He glanced up as he was joined by his father. “Sometimes I think they are far more intelligent than everyone thinks, especially when you consider how often they escape.”
His father chuckled. “You are not alone in that thought. I’ve even had Stardust examine their minds to see what their intelligence level is. She say’s they’re smarter than the sheep they were engineered from, but not as smart as we are.” He shrugged. “I’d probably put them in the same range as a raven. They’re certainly as annoying.” He rubbed his arm. “You leave in a couple of days. How are you doing?”
“I’m ok. Mother is the one who’s going insane.”
“She’s more than slightly worried about the vocation you’ve chosen. You are her first son and the product of a union she’s been dreaming about for a very long time. Your sire was her first love. She loves me, but your first love is something you never forget.”
“Is that why she named me Jamie?”
Shikarou nodded. “We agreed that it was a good name and I think you’ve done it proud.”
“Was his middle name Graeme?” Jamie gave him a curious look.
“No, I got to pick your brother’s name. As long as the first twin was named Jamie, she was happy.” His ears flicked. “I should note that she has never stinted on loving either of you.”
Jamie gave him a smile. “I know that neither of you have. Why did you let her have us?”
“Because I love Poppet and she wanted to have you. We’ll have children together later on.” Shikarou reached down and scratched the nose of a curious kattle. “While she’s happy to have had the extra two years with you, she’s not pleased with where you’re going.”
Jamie shrugged. “I’m not like the others, you know, regenerative and prickly. This is a good way for me to get started.”
Shikarou gave him a curious look. “Prickly?”
Jamie grinned. “I thought you knew we called the sidhe and kami kids that. They’re all claws and fangs.”
“No, I didn’t.” His father shook his head. “I offered to make you like them.”
“And I’m very grateful for that, father, but I want to live life as me first.” He picked idly at the top of the fence. “Mother has explained that she went to a lot of trouble to make sure that we had normal childhoods and Graeme and I decided we should try to live as us before allowing anyone to change what we are.” He worked a bit of stone free and clenched his fist around it. “Does that sound weird?”
“It sounds mature.” Shikarou patted him on the shoulder. “Son, I’m proud of the choices you and Graeme made. Your mother is too, she’s just worried you’ll disappear like the fog if she lets you off the island. She managed to survive Graeme becoming a Tamer two years ago and she’ll survive this. I’m not sure that becoming a Reclaimer is any less risky than being a Tamer, but I’m sure that in ten years or so you’ll be able to compare notes with your brother and tell me.”
Jamie tossed the rock idly from hand to hand. “I thought about becoming a Tamer like Graeme did and doing that for two years, but then I decided that would be the wrong decision even though I passed the test. I’ve never been interested in battling for salvage and doing it for two years wouldn’t be fun.” He gave his father a pensive look. “Do you think this is a good idea?”
“I think a reserve commission in the BLSF will open a lot of doors for you, Jamie. Doors that even your mother’s influence couldn’t open. Besides, I served in the militia when I was younger and I turned out reasonably well.” He looked out over the pasture. “I’m not sure about letting them give you a starter pokegirl, but that’s your choice. You might do better if we’d given you one two years ago. I did manage to get your grandfather to agree to give you a six month supply of pills but that’s all.”
Jamie nodded. “That would be my fault. I told him that I didn’t want any more than that. I’ll need to deal with my problems on my own unless he can solve them before I start having children. I’ll need the experience for them.” He flipped the rock away. “Devon, Tobias and Graeme can deal with it and so can I.”
Shikarou chuckled. “Do they still call you gramps?”
“Technically, it’s true. I am the son of Jamie Harris which makes me some kind of great granduncle of theirs.”
Shikarou grabbed his hand tightly. “You are my son. You may have been sired by Jamie Harris’ seed, but you are my son.”
Jamie squeezed back. “I love you too.”
Shikarou glanced at him. “Do you know where you’re going yet?”
“Camp McDermott. It’s in England, north of Plymouth and somewhere inside what used to be Dartmoor National Park.”
“I’ve been to Plymouth. Pythia can give you a lift to there but you’ll have to make your own way from after that.”
Jamie nodded. “I’d already spoken to her and she’s happy to take me. There’s a supply flight that goes up to the base regularly and I’ll be getting there the day before it leaves. If I can’t use that, then there’s a shuttle bus that’ll be leaving Plymouth before the class mans up.” He sighed and changed the subject. “When is the party?”
“Tomorrow. Helen’s pulling out all the stops and I think your mother is actually baking something.”
Jamie blinked and gave him a suddenly wary look. “Do I have to pretend that whatever mother makes is good? You know it never is.”
“If you want to break your mother’s heart just before you leave, you go right ahead. I’m sure she’ll get over it eventually.”
***
The aircar settled to a landing and the cargo hatch sprang open with a hiss of hydraulics. Jamie stepped out and stretched in the early morning light. A moment later the driver joined him, pausing only to light his cigarette. “Here you are, Jamie. Welcome to Camp McDermott.”
“Paul, I want to thank you for the lift. Otherwise, I would have had to wait another four days for transport.”
Paul shrugged. “I had a full load but your mass didn’t put me overweight. Here comes your welcoming committee.” He nodded in the direction of the warehouse at a uniformed young man who was walking briskly in their direction. “That’ll be Corporal Duneen.”
The corporal nodded to the pilot. “Morning, Mulligan.” He turned his attention to Jamie. “Who are you?” He didn’t sound happy.
“Corporal, my name is Jamie Wolf and I’ll be in the recruit class manning up in four days.”
Duneen grimaced. “One of the overachievers, huh? The sergeant is on leave for two more days and he’s going to love to see you here early.” A smile flickered around his lips. “But you’re here and I can’t run you off again.” He nodded towards a building with a large sign that said “Processing”. “You can check in there, just follow the instructions on the wall. Everything is automated so it should be hard for you to screw up. Don’t try to prove me wrong.”
“No, corporal, I won’t.” Jamie picked up his backpack and ran in the direction of the processing building.
Duneen watched him go. “Well, Mulligan, he’s the first of our early birds. What’s your opinion?”
Paul glanced at him. “Corporal, he rode in the copilot’s seat so I got to observe him the whole flight. He was alert but not nervous. Most of them are as nervous as a girl who just realized she’s thresholding, but not him. He even grabbed a nap for part of the flight.”
“Some of these kids get paramilitary training before they come here. Maybe he’s one of them. They’re usually in for some shocks when they get here.” Duneen shook his head. “I’ll get a detail to start unloading. You got another cig, private?”
“Always, corporal.”
***
Jamie slipped into the processing building and looked around. There was an unoccupied desk that held a terminal and thermal printer. Next to the desk was a piece of electronics that stretched from floor to ceiling. It had some kind of hopper built into the front and looked like a computer mixed with a vending machine.
There was a poster on the wall next to the desk. It read:
STOP AT THE YELLOW LINE.
PROCEED ONLY WHEN INSTRUCTED.
WAIT.
PLUG POKEDEX INTO REGISTRATION COMPUTER ONLY WHEN INSTRUCTED.
FOLLOW THE MENU PROMPTS.
WAIT.
FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS.
Jamie looked down and snickered as he stopped at the yellow line that was painted across the floor. He peered around the empty room and grinned. “Recruit Wolf, proceed.”
He took a long step up to the computer and looked around again. “Somehow I expect it’ll be louder when the sergeant is here.”
He dropped his bag on the floor and rummaged around in it before finding his pokedex. He touched the power button and frowned when the display lit up. A pulsing icon caught his eye. “Hmm. I need to charge the batteries. I guess leaving it turned off for a year isn’t good for it. No, stop that.” He punched at a button as the pokedex tried to auto-update. “It’ll take more power than you have available. Let me get this done and you plugged in to a power supply first.”
You are not talking to me, I presume.
Jamie shook his head. “No, I’m not.”
Vocalizing all the time while talking to me will get you stared at.
“Yeah, it’s a curse I’ll have to just live with.” He checked the computer over. “I see it’s so old it doesn’t have a wireless link.” Jamie pushed open a cover on his pokedex and pulled out a tiny retractable cable that was ended by a standard plug. He plugged it into the computer. The display lit up. “What is this computer? I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
His twee hesitated for a moment, which meant that it was narrowing down a piece of information before replying. This is a database and short ranged transference system. The computer portion accesses your records while the transporter fetches you a pokeball from a storage device that has to be somewhere within a kilometer. It’s a holdover from when Camp McDermott was large enough to have six classes of recruits running at any one time. There were several processing buildings and this allowed them to have only one storage unit to maintain. It’s redundant, now that the camp only has one class at a time, but the military has never replaced it.
The terminal on the desk made a soft chime. Sure enough, his Tamer id appeared on the terminal on the desk. His chocolate hair was longer now but the wind burned skin and pale blue eyes were still the same. He idly read his Tamer entry as the printer began to warm up.
Name: Wolf, Jamie Harris
Age: 17
Residence: Caomh Sith, Blue Continent
Region: Scotland
Status: Active
Rank: 15
Security Clearance: Epsilon
Licenses
Tamer Y
Master Tamer Y
Researcher N
Watcher N
Breeder N
Active Harem
Species Name
None
Badges: None
It’ll look better in a year or two.
“I don’t care. I’ll only be getting the pokegirls I need before becoming a Tradesman. It’ll never look like Graeme’s entry and that’s fine by me.” He frowned. “Why is there only one class at a time now?”
The Blue League Security Force raised their entrance standards high enough to restrict the number of potential recruits. Too many were washing out during training.
“That makes sense.”
Jamie jumped when there was a loud bonging noise and, with a rattle, a pokeball dropped into the hopper. A sign on the computer flashed “TAKE POKEBALL” three times.
“I guess that’s my starter pokegirl.” He checked his pokedex display to see if his record had updated and found that the machine had shut down when the batteries died. “Great. Well, I’ll scan it later.” He tucked the pokeball into his pocket and jumped again when a bell sounded as the printer extruded a slip of paper. “They’re really into noises here, aren’t they?”
He read the paper. “I’m supposed to be in barracks G-2, room 4 and bunk gamma.” A quick look around the room showed no map. “Hmm. This could pose a difficulty.”
I have a map of the camp. Once outside, turn left and then proceed sixty meters. Barracks G-2 will be on your left.
“Thank you very much.” Jamie grabbed his pack and headed through the door where he promptly broke into a run.
***
“WHO THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU IN MY BARRACKS?”
Jamie had been sitting on his bunk and contemplating his new pokeball when the bellow jerked him upright. He bounced to his feet and moved to the end of his bed.
The room was set up for four person occupancy. There were single beds set to each side of the entrance with two lockers in front of each set. A single window let the bright afternoon sun stream into the warm room. There were ten rooms and he’d seen a communal bathroom when he’d entered the barracks.
The pokegirl glaring at him stood well over two meters tall and her muscles made her corporal’s uniform bulge. She had grey skin and short cropped black hair peeked from beneath her fatigue cap. Jamie recognized her immediately as an Amachoke. A nametag on her uniform read Hines.
“Corporal Hines, I’m supposed to be here.” He thrust out the processing paperwork.
Her eyes narrowed. “There’s no bleeding way, kid.” She snatched the papers from him and scanned them quickly. “You’re Jamie Wolf? Give me your pokedex.”
Jamie almost lost a finger when she grabbed it. She ignored his yelp and plugged it into a device that hung from her belt.
That’s an interesting workaround to your DNA lockout. I wonder if your enhanced security systems will defeat it.
When the Amachoke eyes started blazing and jerked up to glare at him Jamie winced. She thrust the dex at him with a growl. “Unlock this fucking thing right now before I break you in half.”
Jamie quickly entered a passcode and handed it back. Hines scrolled through several screens and looked up at him again. He was surprised to see the twinkle of suppressed humor. “Well, Wolf, there seems to be a problem. The Blue League Security Force has, in its infinite wisdom, decided that you’re a girl. Since I know the Force can’t make a mistake, we’ll just have to correct this oversight on your part.”
Jamie turned white and she barked a laugh. “Relax. I’ll have Sergeant Shepherd fix this when he comes back.” She handed him back his pokedex and his paperwork. “Until then, you’ll stay here. Oh, and Wolf, you’d better disable that extra security. It’s not allowed here and it’ll get you into more trouble than you’ll care for.”
I’ve already changed the protocols for the duration of your stay in this wonderful place. Their software will activate your pokedex like they expect it to.
“Yes, corporal. Um, corporal, there’s another problem. I’ll need to trade my pokegirl for something else.”
Her humor vanished. “Wolf, the BLSF went to a lot of trouble to set you up with that pokegirl and you’ll just have to deal with her, whether you like the type or not.” She turned on her heel and strode towards the door.
Jamie hesitated for a heartbeat. “She’s a Psi-Dyke,” he blurted. “I know the Force doesn’t make mistakes, but what do I do with her?”
Hines stumbled in mid-step and turned around. “Bloody hell.” She shook her head. “Wolf, you aren’t even in the ranks yet and already you’re causing me problems.” She cocked her head thoughtfully. “Crap. The sergeant and the lieutenant are out. I’ll have to take you to see the captain.” She pierced him with another glare. “You will be on your best behavior. You embarrass me in front of him and you will regret it.”
“I’ll be careful not to do that, corporal.”
She gave him an odd look. “Who coached you?”
“My uncle did, corporal.”
She nodded. “Keep what he told you in mind, but you’d better listen to your instructors first.” She unclipped a com unit from her belt and activated it, turning away from him for privacy. Jamie’s hearing was far better than she knew, however and he eavesdropped shamelessly.
“Jeremy, I’ve got a male recruit in my barracks. His name is Jamie and apparently they thought he was a girl.” She paused to listen to the reply, which he couldn’t quite make out. “Yes, sir, I’m sure the sarge can fix his barracks assignment, but he’s been given a Psi-Dyke and I doubt she’s been vetted for male tolerance, much less tested for hetero.” Another pause while she listened. “I don’t think it’ll wait for the LT or the sarge. He needs to start taming his pokegirl so they can bond.” Another pause. “I don’t want to talk to the captain.” A much shorter pause. “Yes, sir. If you insist, I’ll take it to the captain. Bye.” She hung up the com and turned around. “Come along, Wolf.”
“Yes, corporal.”
They headed for the center of the camp and stopped outside an office. “Remember what I said, Wolf,” she muttered as she opened the door.
An Ingénue smiled at her. “Good afternoon, corporal. How may I help you?”
Hines scowled. “Lance Corporal Hines. I need to see the captain.”
“Just a moment, corporal.” The Ingénue picked up a phone and pushed a button. “Sir, there’s a Corporal Hines here who says she needs to see you.” She nodded once and looked up. “Who’s your Tamer, corporal?”
“Corporal Jeremy Smith.”
The Ingénue nodded. “Corporal Smith, sir. Yes, sir, I’ll send her right in.” She hung up the phone. “The captain will see you now.”
Captain Stephen Butler was a spare man in his mid thirties with a thinning patch of sandy colored hair. He was also well aware that he was doing a job that once would have been carried out by a colonel or perhaps even a brigadier. He knew it was an important post, the training of future soldiers, but he hungered for the rank he thought should still be in charge and that he knew he deserved.
He steepled his fingers as Hines and Jamie entered the room. “Corporal, what appears to be the problem?”
Hines came to attention and Jamie quickly followed suit. “Sir, Recruit Wolf has been given a Psi-Dyke.”
Captain Butler nodded. “Five percent of Psi-Dykes can tolerate men, corporal. What’s the problem?”
“Sir, the paperwork lists Wolf as a female. He’s even been put in the G barracks. It’s unlikely his pokegirl was vetted for male tolerance.”
Butler’s jaw dropped but he recovered almost instantly. “I see. Recruit Wolf, are you female?”
“Nossir.”
“Are you confused about your sexuality and so you told a lie on the application and said you were female?”
“Nossir.”
“What do you think might have happened?”
“I don’t know, sir. The paperwork I sent in said I was male.”
“Corporal, give me his pokedex.”
Hines held out her hand without looking and Jamie put his dex in it. She advanced and offered the pokedex to the captain, who plugged it into his computer terminal. “Hmm, the copies made of your entry paperwork say you’re male.” He changed screens on his terminal. “All of our pokegirls are allocated and we can’t get any new ones for at least two weeks. Indeed, corporal, we have a problem. The question is how do we solve it?”
Jamie cleared his throat. “Permission to speak, sir?”
Captain Butler looked up. “Speak, recruit.”
“Sir, if I may be allowed to contact my family, they should be able to provide me with a suitable trade before we man up.”
The captain’s gaze sharpened. “Military pokegirls are chosen for specific reasons, recruit. The requirements are very strict.”
“Yessir. My mother has supplied trained pokegirls to the military for years, sir. She’ll know what the requirements are.”
The captain gave him a look of disbelief. “And why do you think that she would be,” he’d been changing screens again and broke off suddenly. He stared at the terminal for a moment and then looked up at Jamie as he picked up his com. “Recruit, come here and call her.”
Hines stared at him in shock but recovered quickly.
Jamie dialed his mother’s number. A woman appeared on the com unit’s screen. “Yes? Hello, Jamie.”
“Good afternoon, Selene. I need to speak to mother. It’s urgent.”
Selene smiled. “I’ll get her. It should be a moment.” The screen went into a hold pattern and soft music played.
Less than ten seconds elapsed before Poppet appeared. She glanced around briefly, taking in Jamie and Captain Butler. “Good afternoon, Captain Butler. Is there some way I can help you with something?” Her tone was cool, but Jamie knew that’s how she always sounded when talking to someone who wasn’t family.
Butler smiled and tried to ignore the fact that somehow she knew his name. “I certainly hope so. There appears to have been a mix-up and your son has been listed as female. We’ll deal with that, but he’s been issued a Psi-Dyke and I don’t have any spares. Recruit Wolf thought you might be able to help.”
Poppet smiled. “Captain, I don’t work at the Conservatory any more, but as you know, I still consult for them. In this case, I can say that the Conservatory would be willing to assist. Did you have anything in mind or shall I just follow normal procedure and give you the first available pokegirl?”
Butler pursed his lips. “Would you say that Recruit Wolf is experienced with pokegirls?”
An elegant eyebrow went up. “I would say that is a true statement, captain. What did you have in mind?”
“I thought that you might make sure to provide Recruit Wolf with a pokegirl that should be, ah, challenging in such a way as to ensure that it’s obvious that the rumors that will start over this are completely unfounded. You know as well as I do that word of what happened here will get out. It always does.”
Poppet’s expression went from cool to icy. “I take it if you don’t think this pokegirl is suitably challenging then such rumors will paint me and my son in a poor light, is that it, captain?” She nodded once. “I think I can make sure that such a rumor would be discredited before it gained any momentum. You’ll have delivery within two hours. Is that all, captain?”
Her voice had remained even throughout the discussion but Jamie knew she was unhappy. He wondered briefly who that would prove bad for, him or the captain. Then he remembered that any fallout didn’t have to necessarily be limited to one person.
“Thank you. I’ll have Corporal Hines waiting for your courier.”
“Very well, captain. Good day.” The screen went blank.
Captain Butler nodded to Hines. “That will be all, Corporal Hines. Dismissed.”
“Yes, sir.”
Hines led Jamie outside. “Give me your pokegirl.” She shook her head as he handed the pokeball to her. “What do I do with you for the next two days?”
Jamie shrugged. “Put me to work, corporal.”
She gave him an amused look. “Very well. I don’t suppose you know anything about fixing air conditioning?”
When he’d decided to become a Reclaimer, Jamie had undergone extensive training under Selene’s harsh tutelage. It had included a comprehensive program in repairing anything that might break while in the field. “Corporal, I can take a look at it.”
***
You have a message from your mother.
Jamie finished tightening a screw. “I’m kind of busy at the moment.”
You should be done. Try cutting on the power again.
“Just a minute,” Jamie muttered as he checked everything one final time. “Now, I’ll turn on the power.” He closed the breaker and the air conditioner started up. “Ok, now to wait.”
You have a message from your mother.
“Fine.” Jamie grabbed his pokedex and settled down next to the laboring air conditioner. After finding a ladder and getting onto the roof, he’d determined that the thermal overloads on it had gotten old and wouldn’t let the contacts close. Finding new overloads had been the real problem and Hines had finally told him to scavenge some from an abandoned barracks. He’d swiped all the overloads from three different units before he’d found a good one. The corporal was going to order some new ones and have the ones he’d taken replaced.
He keyed up the message and his mother’s face appeared. “Jamie,” she began with a smile, “you haven’t been gone a day and you’ve already managed to get into trouble. I think that’s a record, even for this family. I won’t tell Graeme, he’ll be determined to do better than you and I really don’t want to see what he could do if he set his mind to being troublesome.”
She became more serious. “Captain Butler tied my hands. I had the perfect pokegirl in mind for you, but she’s no longer an option thanks to his interference. Still, while the one I’m giving you will be difficult, I’m sure you can handle her. Your trainer blood gift should help out a lot, but it’s a good thing you’ll have a couple of days to get to know her before boot camp officially starts. Her breed often has certain loyalty issues, but rest assured that Circe and Stardust have made sure she’s free of them.”
“Hopefully, Captain Butler won’t hold my help against you, but be alert just the same. Sometimes people hate help more than anything else and he’s got you at hand to punish for any transgressions on my part.”
“Pythia is waiting with your new pokegirl, and once I know that you’ve read this message, I’ll send her on her way.”
I have sent an acknowledgment to Poppet.
Poppet blew him a kiss. “I know you’ll do well, and even though I wish you were still at home, I am proud of you and the choices you are making. Be well and remember that I love you with all my heart.”
“Poppet clear.” The recording ended with the logo of Caomh Sith, a crossed katana and claidheamh mòr.
Jamie put his pokedex on his belt with a thoughtful look. “That was nice and vague. I wonder what kind of pokegirl I’m getting.”
If your mother says she’s going to be difficult then, no matter the kind, you’ll be getting a handful.
“Your grasp of the obvious is frightening.” He frowned as he heard the sounds of someone coming up the ladder.
Corporal Hines gave him a brief glare as she climbed onto the roof. “My office is starting to cool down, or is that just my imagination?” She looked at the rumbling air conditioner and smiled broadly. “Outstanding, Wolf.”
“Thank you, corporal.” Jamie froze as a sonic boom lifted dust from the bare ground around the camp and a blue streak shot in a circle around the perimeter.
He grunted as he was knocked prone by a powerful blow. “It’s a feral. Don’t move, Wolf.”
Jamie fought to suck air into his lungs. “It’s not a feral. That’s Pythia, a member of my dad’s harem. She’s probably delivering my new pokegirl.”
Hines absently reached down and jerked him to his feet as Pythia slowed and turned in their direction. “Pythia, huh? What kind of pokegirl is she? I’ve never seen one like her before.”
“Corporal, she’s a Dire Wolf and, since there are only five of them, it’s not surprising that you’ve never seen one before.”
Pythia slowed to a hover in front of them. “He’s right, Corporal Hines.”
The Amachoke’s eyes narrowed. “Stay out of my head.”
The Dire Wolf shrugged. “Sorry, it helps to prevent misunderstandings. I believe I’m supposed to deliver a pokegirl to you.” She held out a pokeball. “And in return you have one for me.”
Hines pulled the Psi-Dyke’s pokeball from a cargo pocket in her pants. “Here.” The pokeball floated from her hand and was replaced by the one Pythia had been holding.
Pythia cocked her head. “May I deliver a message from one of his mothers?”
Hines gave her a puzzled look. “He’s technically not a recruit yet, so sure.”
The Dire Wolf landed in front of Jamie. “I have a message from Nanu.” She suddenly smacked Jamie on top of the head hard enough to drive him to his knees. “She sends her love and says to stay out of trouble from now on.” Pythia pulled him back to his feet and licked his nose. “Please try.”
Jamie spat blood from where he’d bitten his tongue when she hit him. “I’ll see what I can do.”
He felt a familiar touch in his mind. Poppet intends to sell the Psi-Dyke and put any profit into your account. Don’t be surprised, but Dorothea will make sure she does not add anything extra, since you don’t want outside help. “I’ll pass the message along.” She winked and shot upwards until she was a hundred meters up. Air cracked as she suddenly accelerated past the mach barrier and raced away to the north and Caomh Sith.
Hines looked into his eyes. “Is all of your family that hard on you?”
“More or less. They forget sometimes that I’m not indestructible. It has made me tough.”
“I’ll bet,” she murmured. Then she snapped back to awareness. “Give me your dex.”
Jamie gave her a puzzled look and passed it over. Awareness dawned when she used it to scan the pokeball she was holding. She blinked and shook her head. “You’ll need to use the taming room that’s in the barracks where you’re staying.” She handed the pokeball and the pokedex back to him. “Chow is at 1730. The chow hall is over there.” She pointed at a large building. “It ends at 1830, so don’t be late.”
“Yes, corporal.”
There was an odd silence in his head for a second as his twee accessed the pokedex. Poppet was right. You’ll need as much time as you can get with your new pokegirl. She’s given you a Youma.
***
As the Youma stood facing him it was clear that she definitely wasn’t anything to write home about. She was maybe 130 centimeters tall and slender, with just a faint hint of swelling along the line of her body to indicate where her hips were. Her chest was completely flat and when the fact that her nipples were the same ruddy sandstone color as the rest of her scaled skin was combined with the fact that she was completely hairless, it appeared she was almost neuter. A double line of spikes started on the crown of her head and continued down her spine to the tip of her thick tail. Only her jade green eyes broke the monotony of her color and they were completely green, with no visible white or pupil. Clear nictitating membranes swept sideways over them as he watched. It was a bit unnerving that he couldn’t tell where she was looking.
Her head lowered slightly and she hissed loudly.
Jamie grinned. “My name is Jamie and I’m going to be your Tamer.”
The hissing stopped. “You lie.” Her voice was low and raspy with an irritating sibilant deep in her throat.
“Yes, I do,” he admitted cheerfully, “frequently, in fact. However, I’m not lying now.”
She didn’t seem to look around the room and her expression didn’t change but there was a note of surprise in her voice when she spoke again. “This is a taming room.”
Jamie fought not to move as she was suddenly in motion, with none of the visual markers that told his mind that she was going to move. Something that had evolved millions of years ago in early human development screamed a warning to flee. He crushed it ruthlessly.
She was directly in front of him when she stopped just as abruptly. Her head lifted to meet his gaze squarely and he was distinctly aware that while he was a good fifty centimeters taller than she was, if it came down to an issue between them, she could tear him in half as easily as he’d rip a sheet of paper in two. And that was if she was only as strong as an average Youma, which was unlikely if he’d guessed right about her elemental typing.
They stood that way as the seconds trickled by until she took a mincing step backwards and spun, the tip of her tail clearing his ankles by less than a centimeter. She shifted her feet to widen her stance, arched her back slightly and lifted her tail to the side. “Prove it.”
Jamie blinked at the double row of needle tipped spines and began figuring out how he could accomplish the task at hand.
They never made it to the mess hall for dinner.
***
Hines ran a hand through her hair and regarded the Youma without enthusiasm. “What did you name her?”
“Her name is Ginevra.”
The Youma twisted around to face them. In the morning sun, her scales flashed in tiny sparkles as if mica were embedded in them. “My name is too pretty for me.” There was a faint note of complaint in her voice.
Jamie folded his arms. “I gave you that name and I am not going to change it.” He winced slightly as a scab on his chest tore. He’d managed to avoid serious injury, but he’d been scratched up fairly extensively during the process of bonding Ginevra to him.
He could live with that, but the fact that she apparently took no pleasure from sex could prove problematic later on when his supply of pills ran out. Still, having a pokegirl meant that he could stretch them further and, eventually, he’d have other pokegirls to help. He did hope, however, that her attitudes would change when she evolved and he resolved to help her to do so as soon as possible.
Hines’ voice shook him from his reverie. “I know that Youma are elementally varied. What is her type?”
“She’s a magic and rock type. It’s unusual, but that could prove useful in the long run.”
Hines peered doubtfully at the motionless pokegirl. “Is she breathing?”
Jamie nodded. “She is, but it’s very slow. She looks completely motionless, doesn’t she?” He frowned suddenly. “You’re going to ride me harder than everyone else to prove that you are completely impartial after I’m formally a recruit, aren’t you?”
The Amachoke shook her head. “You won’t be in my barracks after we get things straightened out, but if you were,” a sudden grin appeared, “I wouldn’t be harder on you than everyone, just harder on you than most.” The grin vanished. “I’m hardest on the ones that prove difficult to train, and you don’t seem like you’ll be that way.” She gave him an odd look. “I think you’re just having this conversation with me to get out of working today.” Her face smoothed out. “I want you and your pet to start in the entrance and mop and wax the entire building before lunch. You’re taking up space in my barracks and it’s time you started paying some rent.”
“Yes, corporal. Ginevra, let’s go.” He paused. “Corporal, could you show me where the cleaning supplies are?”
Hines looked thoughtful for a second. “I suppose I could do you that much of a favor.”
***
Jamie’s muscles strained as he lifted the rock and twisted. Ginevra plucked it from his grasp almost effortlessly and loaded it onto the lorry. While he had several times the strength of a normal human, his Youma made him look weak by comparison. Two days before, a feral had torn her way into one of the empty buildings on the other side of the camp and significant structural damage had occurred while the camp’s personnel had subdued her. After lunch, Jamie and Ginevra had been put to work loading rubble while Hines patrolled the area. Jamie had been able to meet the Amachoke's Tamer, Corporal Smith, a no-nonsense man in his late twenties. Smith was already deeply into his drill instructor persona and was coldly distant to the very existence of the future recruit as he ordered Hines to order Jamie on this make-work assignment.
At least Jamie presumed it was part of the man’s persona. It could just be that he was always like that.
He picked up a small chunk of rock and offered it to Ginevra. “What about this one?”
The Youma took it and sniffed it before giving it an experimental lick. She stuck out her tongue and rubbed her arm against it to scrub off the taste. “No.” Jamie had noticed that another thing that wouldn’t endear Ginevra to a normal Tamer was her complete indifference to things she thought unimportant, like calling him sir or master. Considering where he grew up, it didn’t bother him, but he needed to work with her on it, if only for appearances sake.
The rock joined the others on the lorry as he looked around. Since they were moving a lot of different types of construction materials, Jamie had taken this as an opportunity to conduct an experiment in what Ginevra might like to eat. Since she was a rock type, he’d elected to have her taste various types of stone as they came across them. So far she’d rejected them all. The only thing they’d found she liked was a wasp after it took a dislike to him and he’d crushed it. He’d also found that she liked to suck the sweat out of his handkerchief.
Youma typically fed off of the life energy of those around them or their Tamer, if part of a harem. It could be that’s all Ginevra needed. However, somehow, he doubted it would be that easy.
“The lorry is full.” Ginevra’s words dragged him back to the present. “You said the springs would be flat against the body when that happened.”
“Are you sure it’s full?”
“Yes.” The Youma braced herself and lifted the back of the lorry’s bed a couple of centimeters before releasing it. The bed slammed down on the frame with a crash that frightened birds out of the nearby trees. “See.”
Jamie sighed. “Next time, a simple, ‘I looked and the lorry’s body is riding flush against the frame’ would work just fine.”
She swiveled to look at him. “Why?”
“If something you do breaks someone else’s property, I’ll have to reimburse them for the damages. If I don’t have enough money, I may have to sell a pokegirl to pay for it.”
She cocked her head. “I am your only pokegirl. You would have to sell me. I will be more careful in the future.”
“You’d damn well better be.” Hines glared at both of them. “You break my lorry and I’m going to be pissed.”
“Sorry, corporal.” Jamie managed to sound very contrite.
The Amachoke frowned briefly and then grinned. “Get into the truck and I’ll drive you to where you can unload it next.”
Jamie climbed into the cab while Ginevra hopped onto the pile of rubble. Hines frowned at him as she checked the mirror. “Your pet needs to get in here.”
“Corporal, if you’re going to keep referring to her as my pet, I’m very glad I’ll be moving to another barracks when the recruit class forms.” He changed subjects as the Amachoke’s eyes narrowed. “Her spines will tear up the seating, so, unless you want me to put her into her pokeball, I’d suggest she stay in the bed.”
“A word to the wise, Wolf. Don’t be a nail or your instructors will make your life hell.” She smiled grimly. “And no matter what barracks you are in, I will still be an instructor of yours.”
Jamie nodded. “Sorry, corporal. It’s just that she’s not a pet, and I don’t like calling any pokegirl that. She’s a combat pokegirl and, frankly, I’m looking forward to the opportunity to train her.”
“Recruit training must be supervised by instructors, Wolf. Don’t forget that.”
“I won’t, corporal.”
They drove across the length of the camp and stopped at a rubbish dump. “All the trash goes in the fill pit over there.” She pointed to show him where she was talking about. “I’ll be back in two hours to see what progress you’ve made. Don’t break my lorry.” She hopped out of the cab and strode away. “If a feral attacks, just scream.”
Jamie examined the area carefully and then looked at Ginevra. “Feel up to a workout?”
She jumped to the ground and became motionless again. “Yes.”
“Good.” Quickly, he explained what he wanted done.
A short time later, he was in the cab of the lorry. He leaned out the window. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
Jamie released the parking brake. “Begin.” Ginevra carefully lifted the front of the lorry and moved sideways, turning the vehicle. Jamie twisted to look down the back of the truck, watching the bed line up with the fill pit. “Stop. Now move straight back.” The lorry slowly moved towards the pit until the tail of the bed moved over the edge. “Stop.” He applied the parking brake once more as Ginevra carefully lowered the front end.
He grabbed a steel rod from some nearby rubbish and climbed onto the bed. Hooking his arm through the open window of the cab he called out. “All right, lift.”
Ginevra picked up the front end of the lorry again until she was holding it over her head with her arms fully extended. She became motionless again. Rubble shifted on the lorry and some slid into the pit. Jamie busied himself loosening the rest of it and rolling it off the bed. The work went quickly and soon he was done. “All right, put it down.” Carefully, she lowered the lorry back onto its tires.
He checked her over quickly. “Everything seems ok. Are you tired?”
“No.”
“I don’t want to start the lorry’s engine, Hines might hear it. Can you pull it back to where it was? Wait!” The last was as she grabbed the front end and started to pull it forward. “Let me release the brake first. It’ll be easier.”
She stopped pulling. “Yes. What are we going to do when the truck is back to where it belongs?”
“We’ve got almost an hour and a half, we’re going to train. You need to get much more powerful.”
A tiny hint of excitement crept into her voice. “Excellent.”
***
Hines crept up to the lorry and looked it over carefully. The bed was empty and even looked like it had been swept, although she noticed there was no debris around the vehicle. “Where are they?” She headed around the lorry and her eyes narrowed when she saw Ginevra loft a rock into the air and then use rock throw to hit it with a second one. “I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU RECRUITS ARE NOT TO CONDUCT UNSUPERVISED TRAINING!” She blinked and her mouth set when Ginevra spun to face her and the Youma moved to put herself between the corporal and Jamie.
“You did, corporal. I’m not a recruit yet.”
Hines took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You are not to do any training in the area of this camp unless you are under the supervision of an instructor. Is that clear?”
Jamie nodded. “Crystal, corporal.”
“Good. How long as the lorry been empty?”
“About an hour, corporal.”
She grimaced. “You should have called me.”
Jamie started to speak and shut his mouth abruptly. When Hines gave him a curious look, he smiled apologetically. “Anything I could say at this point makes me sound like that nail you mentioned earlier.”
Hines let out a startled chuckle. “At least you’re honest.” She checked her watch. “It’s too late for you to get another load, so we’ll head back and you can clean up for chow.”
“Yes, corporal.”
***
The sound of crickets filled the evening air and the first fireflies had begun signaling the coming night. One second the arrival field just outside of the camp was empty and the next two figures stood in it. The taller one began trudging towards an office as the shorter one disappeared, only to appear again a handful of seconds later with several bags. These arced away from the figure and hovered obediently behind her as she trotted after her master.
Staff Sergeant Conrad Shepherd waved his Espea into the office as he flipped on the light. “Terry, put our things away,” he muttered as he dropped into the chair behind his desk.
“Yes, sergeant.” The bags followed the Espea through the door to their private quarters.
Shepherd keyed his computer live. “Let’s see what life threatening emergencies cropped up during my leave.”
He was reading through his email when someone knocked on his door. He scowled briefly until Terry appeared with a cup of coffee. He winked at her and she winked back before disappearing again. “Enter.”
Corporals Smith and Hines came in. Shepherd leaned back in his chair. “Smitty, sit.” He glanced at Hines as she went to parade rest next to the chair; her Tamer sank into the proffered chair. “Liz.”
Smith smiled. “How was Belfast, sergeant?”
Shepherd grinned. “Outstanding. Now, what couldn’t wait until the morning meeting?”
Smith gestured at his pokegirl. “Elizabeth has a problem.”
“I presume this is in addition to having you as a Tamer. What is it, Liz?”
Hines straightened her shoulders. The informality that happened between a pokegirl and a member of the BLSF was entirely one way and she was all too aware of that fact. “Sergeant, one of the early arrivals is in my barracks and shouldn’t be there. Recruit Wolf,” she added as Shepherd reached for his mouse.
He pulled up the appropriate files. “Everything seems in order, Liz. What’s wrong with Ms. Wolf?”
Hines took deep breath. “Sergeant, the problem is he isn’t a girl. Jamie Wolf is a male. We’ve already take care of his pokegirl issue, although I had to involve the captain to do it. I wouldn’t have gone to him, but you were not here and Corporal Smith suggested it.”
“What was this pokegirl issue?”
“He’d been issued a Psi-Dyke from the female stores.”
Shepherd didn’t look happy, but he shrugged. “I’m not sure I agree with Smitty’s decision, but it’s done. What does he have now?”
“A Youma was delivered for him. She’s a creepy one, too.”
Shepherd checked his files. “That’ll work. Nobody is supposed to have any Celestials in this class. How many early birds do we have?”
“Duneen said there were four. All but Wolf are in his barracks. Central said the others are assembled and will ship on schedule from Plymouth, so we shouldn’t get any more.” Smith rubbed his thigh. The damage he’d suffered from a raid on a criminal base a year ago had been healed, but it still hurt sometimes. He’d been told it was all psychosomatic, but it still hurt. “That’s about average for a class.”
Shepherd nodded, still looking at his terminal screen. “That accounts for everyone.” He scowled. “We’re full, Liz. I don’t have a place for him until someone quits.”
There really was only one response to a statement like that and it was a BLSF maxim. “Yes sergeant. I’ll make do.”
“What do you think of him?”
“He’s intelligent and self motivated. He’s also a rules lawyer, although once you lay down the law he seems to follow it.” She frowned. “If he keeps his nose clean, I’ll consider him for one of the recruit staff positions.”
“You’ll need to keep a close eye on him. In a female barracks, there’s the capacity for all sorts of trouble for our young recruit coronet to get into.”
Hines bit down her first response, which was along the lines of a sarcastic “really?” Then the rest of the sentence sank in. “He’s going to be a bloody officer?”
Shepherd nodded as he picked up his coffee. “That’s right. If he can cut it, he’ll be an officer. Until then, he’s just another recruit.” He smiled slightly. “Now if there are no other problems, then tomorrow afternoon our babies will arrive and they’ll have to be processed. We’ll have a meeting tomorrow at 0700 with everyone. The LT will be back by then and we’ll hammer out anything else that needs any last minute work.” He frowned slightly. “Speaking of work, what’s the status of the air conditioning in G2?”
Hines smiled. “It is running smoothly, sarge.”
“I’m glad maintenance came through for once.”
“Sarge, maintenance never showed. Wolf fixed it.”
Shepherd’s head swiveled to lock his eyes on her. “Why was a prospective recruit working on my buildings?”
“I was making do, sarge. Wolf said he might be able to fix it and it turned out that he was right. He also said it was going to be a common problem considering the age of the camp. I’ve sent in a requisition for parts to keep them running.”
Sergeant Shepherd still didn’t look happy. “He’s a civilian. Don’t do that again.”
Hines drew herself up to attention. “I won’t, sergeant.”
Shepherd smiled slightly. “Of course, starting tomorrow he’s one of us, even if he’s just a larva. Feel free to put him to work, as long as it doesn’t interfere with his normal duties.”
***
“Corporal, what am I doing today?” Jamie gave Hines a curious look. “I know the rest of the recruits will be arriving today.”
The Amachoke rubbed her chin. “I’ll be busy with getting the other recruits settled in. Can you drive the lorry yourself?”
Jamie nodded. “I can. We’ll be moving rubble again, is that it?”
“That mess still needs to be cleaned up and we’re too short handed to take care of it right now. Hopefully, it’ll keep you out of trouble.” She frowned. “Keep a wary eye out for ferals. Our patrols haven’t seen many, which can mean that we’ve done a good job of running them off.”
Jamie gave her a serious look. “It could also mean that there’s a really nasty one out there that’s done it for you.” He smiled when she gave him a slightly surprised stare. “My nephew, Tobias, does a lot of threat assessment as part of his job and he’s been teaching me what to expect when things don’t look quite right.”
“What does your nephew do?”
“He’s about thirteen years older than I am and is the deputy head of security at a pokegirl ranch in Scotland.”
Hines nodded. Family groups were convoluted enough that situations like that weren’t all that unusual anymore. “Then you and your pokegirl get to the motor pool. The lorry is the same one we used yesterday.”
Jamie nodded. “Number thirty two, it is.” He glanced at his Youma, who was standing motionless as usual. “Ginevra.”
“One other thing, Wolf. When you come back, the barracks will be restricted to humans only. We don’t want the recruits using their pokegirls against each other.”
“I understand, corporal. Ginevra will go into her pokeball before I go into the barracks.”
“Good. Tomorrow morning, you will be a full recruit. Don’t screw up anything today.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it, corporal.” He gave her a cheerful grin.
“Wolf, for some reason that does not make me feel any better about you being off alone.”
“I won’t be alone, corporal. I’ll have Ginevra.”
“Somehow, I’m not sure that’s better.”
***
Jamie paused in the door way as the three young women inside his room turned to stare at him. He gave a mental shrug and headed for his bed, pulling up short when he realized that someone else’s bags were on the mattress.
“Who the hell are you?” This was from the biggest girl. She was his height, a good 190 centimeters, and much broader than he was. Little of it appeared to be fat. She moved to stand next to his bunk. “Well?”
“I’m Jamie Wolf and your stuff is on my bed. Who are you?” He kept his voice calm and even.
“Monica Chambers, and it’s not your bed anymore.” She pointed to the bed farthest from the door. “I put your stuff there. So, what’s a boy doing in our room?”
“That you’ll have to take up with Corporal Hines, and that’s my bed. I was there first and you are not moving me.”
The woman blinked and slowly smiled. “Oh, sorry. Why don’t you move my things for me?”
“My pleasure.” Jamie glanced at the worried looking faces on the other two girls as he headed for the bed.
He had a good idea of what to expect and, therefore, when Monica wrapped a muscular arm around his throat, he was ready. He raked a boot down her instep and drove his elbow into her solar plexus. She wheezed and her grip loosened. Jamie whirled and drove his knee into her groin. With a strangled noise, she dropped to the floor.
Jamie gathered up her things and moved them to the last bed, returning with his sparse collection of possessions. Then he turned and looked down at Monica before offering her his hand. “Let me help you up.”
“You bastard,” she gasped, clutching her groin.
“True enough, my sire and mother weren’t married.” He leaned down and grasped her wrist, pulling her easily to her feet. “You tried to be the boss and it didn’t work out. I can’t fault the attempt. It’s your execution that needed work.”
Surprise crossed her face and vanished when Hines stepped into the doorway. “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?” She looked at the red mark on Jamie’s throat and her mouth thinned. “What happened to you, Wolf? Recruits will not fight, is that understood? I’ll tear a bloody strip off anyone caught fighting in my barracks.”
“Corporal,” Jamie replied evenly, “we weren’t fighting. I fell.”
Monica’s eyes went wide as Hines looked him over carefully. “You fell? Is that what happened?” She looked around the room. “Well, girls? Russell, what happened?”
The petite blonde looked worried. “He, um, fell.”
“AT ALL TIMES YOU WILL USE MY RANK WHEN YOU ADDRESS ME, IS THAT UNDERSTOOD RECRUIT RUSSELL?” Hines’ bellow shook the room.
“Yes, ma’am, I mean corporal,” Russell finally stammered out.
“Chambers, what happened here?”
“Corporal Hines, Wolf fell.”
Hines glanced at the room’s final inhabitant. “Doyle, is that what you say, too?”
“Yes, corporal.”
Hines looked at each of them in turn. “Wolf, you need to be less clumsy. If you fall again, I’ll give everyone here an hour’s extra duty.” Her gaze swept the room once more. “Recruit Wolf is here because the boy’s barracks is full. Once some room opens up, he’ll be moving there. You will not tame with him, just with your pokegirls. Remember that.” She spun on her heel and left.
Monica gave him a suspicious look. “Why did you do that? You could have gotten me into a lot of trouble if you’d told the truth.”
Jamie settled on his bed. “We’re going to have personality conflicts. Those are none of her business unless someone gets hurt. We all want to be here and we’ll be expected to work together. I think that making you hate me on the first day is counterproductive to that goal.”
Monica rubbed her groin. “I’m not sure nobody got hurt. You’re quick.”
“I’ve had some hand to hand combat experience with my sibs. If you’re interested, I can help when we go through that training.” He smiled at the other two. “That goes for everyone in this room.”
Doyle frowned. She had faintly blue hair that suggested she’d just narrowly avoided threshold. “What about them?” A hand waved to encompass the rest of the barracks. “We’re four to a room because we’re supposed to be a squad and help each other.”
“I know. I’ll help them only if we’re not involved in some squad level competition and nobody here needs help. We come first.”
Chambers frowned. “If you’re that helpful, maybe we’ll keep you.”
“Gee, thanks.” The three women chuckled at him and started unpacking.
***
Name: Wolf, Jamie Harris
Age: 17
Residence: Caomh Sith, Blue Continent
Region: Scotland
Status: Active
Rank: 15
Security Clearance: Epsilon
Licenses
Tamer Y
Master Tamer Y
Researcher N
Watcher N
Breeder N
Active Harem
Species Name
Youma Ginevra
Badges: None