Chapter 1

“This is our base of operations until the ground base is complete. After we get our temporary HAB environment set up, we can build outward from there, the sooner we finish, the sooner we get to move in and stretch out in our own spacious lunar quarters. Better get comfy, we’re this tight for at least the next month as construction continues.” Their Chief Commander, Warren Quincy, addressed his crew in the lunar orbital station they would be living on until the new dark-side moon base was completed and opened for habitation and operation.

The crew sat side by side in the benches of an assembly room that doubled as their cafeteria during meal times as they listened to his arrival address. The station was locked in a tethered synchronous orbit above where the moon base was being constructed. They could easily travel back and forth to their work areas on the surface using an open equipment elevator that rode a track between the tether lines. The elevators would enter the station through an airlock into a large cargo staging area kept at zero gravity. Beyond the cargo area of the station, was a spinning ring that supplied one half of Earth’s gravity to give them a little ease of motion and comfort in the areas they did most of their living and planning when they weren’t on the moon’s surface working. This conference area was ¼ of their ring.

“Sleeping assignments and work schedules have been sent to your computers already, check in with everything, I expect no issues. You have today and tomorrow to get settled in as we receive the rest of our equipment. Memorize your schedule and don’t miss anything, please. I would like to move through this smoothly and get ourselves ahead of schedule if possible.” Everyone occupied the same space and operated on the same schedule, sleeping and waking in a large bunk room. Only chiefs got more private arrangements, but they only shared a separate chief’s room. 

“I call top bunk.” Darek whispered to Phil at his side. Phil silently cursed. “I was JUST about to say dibs.” “HA” Darek let out too loudly.

“Everything okay, Mr. Grant?” Commander Quincy stared at the darker and slightly thinner of the duo. Darek snapped back, brown eyes wide at being caught. He kept his black hair trimmed tight up the sides with a little length up top. He blushed through his mocha color and Phil smiled at his embarrassment. They were both fit and had excellent posture, but Darek’s frame was thinner and longer looking than Phil’s. Phil wasn’t pale, but could use a tan, and had dense sandy brown hair. It was trimmed and shaped as best as it could be, but typically there was some patch making its own decisions.

“Yes sir, sorry. I had something stuck in my throat.” He coughed into his hand as if clearing the rest out and glanced around to find everyone else looking at him. Adrienne shook her head at them with a smile from her spot a row ahead on the right. Her thick golden-brown hair swayed and a dark amber pair of eyes playfully scolded. Phil remembered the feeling of his breath being pulled out of him the first time they met. Fraternizing was strictly prohibited within the organization, so he tried his best to keep his distance, holding her strictly at a friend’s length. He looked, but stopped his mind whenever it wandered. Though it always seemed to wander.

After a pause and stare just long enough to make sure everyone could see Darek’s dark tan blush, the commander continued. “Well then, as I was about to say; You have one hour to settle and report to the main cargo bay where we will begin our first space-based team training exercise. You will receive further details upon arrival. Dismissed.” Phil and Darek, seated to the side nearest the door, had positioned themselves to be among the first out so they could get the best bunks.

***

“Still mine!” Darek yelled as he shot his bag at the top bunk from halfway across the room. It landed but flew right over the other side, Phil had already pushed passed him and ran at the bunks. “HA! SWING AND A MISS, I’M CLAIMING IT!” He leaped for the top, and still un-accustomed to the half-gravity, overshot, launching himself straight into the ceiling with a large thud, bouncing back down into the bunk on top of his bag.

“You two are worse than school children.” Adrienne said jokingly as she sauntered toward Phil, who was rubbing out his head. Darek recovered his bag from three bunks away.

“Adrienne..  this is where we sleep for the next month… this is serious.” Darek replied sarcastically, as if it were obvious how important she should think it is.

“Why does it matter, anyway? Just switch every now and then, no?” Adrienne said, the corner of her mouth raising as she glanced toward the bunk.

“No way, I’m not sleeping where he’s slept for a whole week if all we get is dry showers. Plus, he’s gonna get it all farty; Nuh uh.” Darek talked back at her quickly as everyone else settled in.

“Darek, please, you’re worse than I am.” Phil joked, looking over the edge of his bunk at Darek. Adrienne tapped the name plates at the foot of the bunk that neither of them noticed. A sassy smile spread across her face as Phil leaned over to lookton. “YES!! HA!” he exclaimed as he shot a celebratory fist to the air. A loud thud banged, muted by the composite materials he mashed his hand into - the same ceiling he just recovered his head from. “Top is labeled mine. Ha.” He grunted through the pain as he shook it out. Adrienne lowered herself into the bottom of the bunk she was assigned to. Phil slowed his breathing to enjoy the remnant of her perfume on the air. That smell made him feel right at home, sweet and crisp, fruity, but not overdone. He forgot the pain in his hand as he breathed in the last of it, picturing sunlight flowing through her hair, making the golds brighter and the browns deeper. He could feel the warmth in him as the smell faded. Snapping back, he cursed his mind for its wandering again, No, bad Phil! he scolded internally and shook it out of his head before sitting up.

“Well, four bunks better be enough space between us that I don’t have to smell anything. Keep your assy gassy over there, boys.”

***

The crew, now bunked up, was returning to the assembly room as a new face approached and passed toward the front of the room. Darek turned to read his illuminated name badge “P. Antees.” When he saw it, he turned back quick to Phil, his mouth pinched and eyes wide, restraining a chuckle. He subtly tried to gesture at the new arrival but couldn’t say anything because he was so close. Phil turned to look. He saw the man; a few inches shy of his own height with tightly buzzed fair-colored hair, a blend of blonde and gray, thick gray eyebrows, and a wide jaw. His most striking feature though was his walk, along with the thickness of his legs. His gait seemed effortlessly robotic, a strong, fluid march, carried out by two incredibly solid legs. It was almost as if someone had attached the lower body of a larger man to the top that they were now looking at. Phil’s mind wandered briefly at the possibility until Darek’s friendly nudge brought him to attention again. He returned Darek’s silent signal with a look that said, I have no idea what you’re trying to say, but I totally get that it’s going to be funny, and we need to keep it quiet.

“Hi everyone, I’m Polk Antees, Chief engineer of the Drop base. That means I know how everything works from top to bottom in our new base.” He continued to address the crew that had now fully arrived before him.

“Today will be our first space-based training exercise here. You will need to suit up and interact with the elevators, and the partially constructed pieces of the surface base itself. We have arranged everything for this challenge hoping it will get you acquainted with your new home– maps and diagrams don’t always do a place justice.”

“You will be divided into teams of five and run a relay race to complete a series of tasks one by one. Each member of the team will finish their task by delivering a physical piece or instructions to the next member of their team so the relay may continue on. All players start from here in the orbital base and will exit only when they are up. This is an all-day training exercise and will require you to put all of your skills to the test. The first team to finish will be the victor, and as such, will get first in line at meals for the first week of our stay.” Nods and comments of approval interrupted. With a raised quieting hand, the commander continued. “I don’t think I need to remind you that this is extraordinarily dangerous, regardless of what safety precautions we take. Please treat it as such and watch for everything. Report any issues immediately. I will now divide the teams and explain the first task.”

Once out of earshot, Phil asked what had been on his mind since Darek’s strange signal. “Dude, what did I miss? I couldn’t listen to a word he was actually saying because I was trying to figure out what you were signaling me for. You looked like you were biting your tongue not laughing the whole time.”

“Did you not see his name badge?” Darek said with incredulity in his voice. Phil and Darek were masters of jokes, and from his tone, this was an obvious one.

“Yeah, ‘P. Antees,’ what’s your point?” Phil said, still confused.

“Dude… say it out loud as one word.”

“PEE-ANTEES... why is that funny?” Phil said as Darek slapped his forehead. 

“Dude…. PANTIES… HIS NAME BADGE SAYS PANTIES IF YOU READ IT LIKE A WORD AND HIS LEGS ARE TREMENDOUS.” Darek shook his head as Phil saw the humor. 

“Oh shit, man, why did you tell me that!? He’s a chief! I can’t unknow that! I was wondering about his legs too, I thought it was just me, they’re so solid!” They both laughed and decided he was now to be referred to as Chief Panties ever onward.

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