Alpha One - Chris Burton [22]
Carla told both Jake and Steve how she found her sister, but she didn’t exactly bubble over with enthusiasm. Perhaps their first meeting for years was a little touchy. Jake decided he would not put any pressure on Carla and, ultimately, it was good if she and Steve remained close.
He then moved briefly to Joanna. She opened a comm link with Jake early on Saturday evening. She took her first jump ship operational role and was on standby on Alpha Six (Jupiter station) to fly Rapier 6 sorties into deep space. She didn’t mention it, but given her location, she would probably be on Sentinel reconnaissance sorties. After their relationship ended, Jake and Joanna moved on and, following some early cross words and some occasional embarrassing exchanges, they both calmed down and were friends once more. The physical relationship was gone, but they were still close, having lived with each other for two years.
Ironic, she should call a few hours after Maria and I got together again, he thought. Just like last time. He decided he would contact Joanna more regularly, but it did concern him that she was so close to the potential Sentinel front line.
On Steve, he came to terms with Steve’s ridiculous actions on the jump ship, and hopefully Steve realized he was being supportive. Steve got away with his actions, not least because the Academy offered students a moratorium on prior disciplinary issues at the start of the final year. He was allowed to recommence his jump ship training and, it seemed likely, an offered sponsorship for Top Gun. The fact Steve was ‘loved up’ again, or that Carla was more receptive to him, meant he was unlikely to go off the rails again, right? The fact he walked a type rope anyway would probably help Steve stick to the line from now on. Steve was jealous with the friendship between Jake and Carla, especially after he returned from his summer-long sabbatical to find them as friendly as ever, but the events of the last few weeks cured any ill feeling. Jake decided he would stick by his friend and support him, right up to when he competed against him in the Top Gun competition.
Finally Jake turned his attention to his parents. He had not been home for over two months and, while he spoke to them regularly on the comm link, the conversations were frequently brief and a little terse. Jake missed his parents and the family dog, Barrat, a great deal, and perhaps it was time he returned home for the weekend. He decided he would speak to his parents this evening and arrange a date to return home.
After the physical tests, Jake moved on the OT clinic, where his body was subjected to a complete imaging scan. This scan looked for signs of disease, infection, muscular distress, brain dysfunction, fracture, and every other type of physical abnormality in current medical practice, including signs of both physical and mental fatigue and stress. The whole process was painless and took less than five minutes. This was followed by the usual blood and urine samples.
The results of all the OT tests were available immediately. Jake scored ninety-eight percent, which was pretty much his median score, and it had all been relatively painless and straightforward and a good chance for Jake to take some time out.
He left the OT clinic and headed for class. He was looking forward to the next class, having missed the otherwise compulsory Parade Ground session, which he disliked immensely.
Jake arrived at the Advanced Stellar Navigation class with a few minutes to spare and went over to Carla and a group of students gathered round a message board. The commotion related to the publishing of the Academy’s official Top Gun sponsorship list. This list of students would represent the college at the Top Gun competition. Jake and Steve’s names were both on it.
Jake, Carla and their fellow students then entered the classroom and took their seats at their workstations and