I spent the weekend with Givens, watching cartoons and shining boots in the day room. Ashley handed guard duty off to the Raiders, and took the weekend to visit with some family. The Raiders took the opportunity to be generally helpful while I made a mess with the shoe polish. I also learned how to iron the uniforms, but cleaning them with magic seemed a better option than learning how the washing machine worked. This place was so backwards about some things.

  Monday I talked to Mia again.

  “Did you read the contract?” she asked.

  “Yes. Seems OK. I sign and give to HQ section?”

  “Yes. Once you do that they will send it through their computer system and Great Lakes will get the start date and security set up. They will let you know the travel details after that.”

  “I take regular people airplane?”

  “Yes, that wasn’t something the Navy would bend on, since the time in the airport is part of the training process. Ashley will be with you, and there will likely be additional security.”

  “Understood.”

  “The important part is that once you reach the training area, Ashley will not be able to talk to you except in the course of her duties and she won’t be with you in the barracks. The Marines will patrol the grounds and guard the training areas, but also can’t talk to you.”

  “But Ashley have space people communicator. If magic available, enemy not keep if take or kill. It be alright.”

  “We haven’t included the aliens in our negotiations, but I believe they will be paying close attention. Can’t talk to them either.”

  “Will keep spirit of agreement even if letter lacking. Ashley talk to them if talk needed.”

  “Be ready though. After seeing the video of you using magic, the Navy will likely move very fast to get you locked in.”

  “I would too. At home am very good but far from best. Here I good as whole team.”

  “Also, drop the speech impediments when you arrive. You are right that it is endearing, but you aren't there to be cute.”

  “Aww, you think I’m cute? Now I want to send you some pictures of me in some of the outfits that Amanda wants to dress me in!”

  “Get off my phone!”

  “Yes Mistress.” I hung up. That would give her something to think about.

  I looked at the contract again. Kos-Api wem Wammat. It was really happening. I put it aside and went back to shining my shoes. The claws made it hard, but if I wrapped my fingers well enough I could do it. I had to be perfect. I could not fail myself in this endeavor.

  Monday morning Ashley was back, so after breakfast we took the signed contract to Battalion HQ. The Major in charge of the section took it himself and went back to make phone calls. Ashley called her boss to start planning security for the trip and the training. I studied the manual some more, and practiced what I could. At lunchtime Ashley broke from her phone calls and took me to eat.

  “I showed my bosses the video of you wrecking the Artillery Range. They are assigning two more Agents to you starting at boot camp. We will be working shifts so we can stay rested. Since they will be joining us at Great Lakes, you probably won’t get the chance to talk to them until graduation.”

  “You not rested now?”

  “I do alright, but you are not as active now as you will be in boot camp. That program is designed to keep normal people tired. Also, here I have the Marines to spot me. They will almost certainly be at Great Lakes, but they are going to have to stay out of sight unless there is an alarm.”

  “Thank other agents for me.”

  “So what do you still have to do to get ready?”

  “Gave Michaels card number. He shop for aid bag for me to take as per contract.”

  “So the only things you will have in storage are your armor vest, aid bag, panic button, alien communicator, and initial issue uniforms?”

  “Plus spares and hearing protection helmet Raiders make with goggles since equipment on range not fit. Also, I not have Space People communicator during training. May not take anything out of inventory after arrive unless RTI order so or emergency. Give to you now.”

  I handed Ashley Tempo’s box.

  “Tempo, if Secret Service call you, bring best tool.”

  “If you mean the most ornate staff,” said the box. “easily done.”

  “OK. Sounds like you are nearly there.” Ashley mused aloud. “What will you do now?”

  “Read more blue book and learn how do clothes machines.”

  “That’s right, I have never seen you do laundry. What’s up with that.” Ashley asked.

  “Use magic keep self and clothes clean. Not have tools in training, so not worth risk of use mana incorrectly. Must learn do non-magic way.”

  “We share a bathroom. I know you bathe. You take forever.”

  “Take bath for hot soak. Already clean. Not get much hot water in forest.”

  “You little hedonist. You keep me waiting forever.”

  “You know door no locked.”

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “I am not going to go pee while you are in the tub, apparently just hanging out.” Ashley complained.

  “Suit self. Miss out on best view.” I teased.

  “Well you only get to take showers in training. No baths.” Ashley retorted.

  “Bleh. Only fun part of shower is close time.”

  “Ha! None of that either in training.”

  “Gah. Too late quit?”

  “Are you serious?”

  “No. Silly. Will be combat medic. No close time for long while price pay.”

  “Do you want to go over that now?”

  “OK. What need?”

  “Do you have laundry detergent?”

  “Have no soap.”

  “No soap of any kind?”

  “See you bottles in bath, not want use because smell.”

  “What’s wrong with your nose, my shampoo smells like oranges. It smells great.”

  “No, bottles have smell. Smell give position to beasts. Must have no smell so beasts no find.”

  “You are probably going to have to bend on that during training. There are no beasts so you should be fine.”

  “We go shop for soaps first then.” I proposed.

  “You won’t get to use your preferred brand during training, but I will hang onto them for you until I can give them back.” Ashley agreed.

  A quick drive to the exchange later and we were examining colorful plastic bottles of clothes soap. Laundry detergent was simple enough. I picked one that had no dyes and no odor. The shampoos, conditioners, body washes and moisturizers were a lot harder. We actually left the post exchange so we could go to a higher quality venue. Again a whole wall of plastic bottles.

  “Repair damage hair? Prevent skin damage? I magic. As long as I drink correct water, hair and skin no damage.”

  “And I love that for you when I am not seething in an envious rage, but you should at least know what this stuff does.”

  So I read labels. Split ends and sun damage and volume and regeneration and dandruff and grow faster and stop heat damage. Blegh.

  “Feel like want wash hair in blood of slain soap people.” I complained.

  “Here, you like this one, right?” Ashley asked helpfully. I smelled it.

  “Don’t know what is, but smell OK.”

  “It’s a plant named lavender. Fairly generic as far as personal hygiene product smells go.”

  “It fine. Buy this one.”

  “You should get this one and this one too. And this one over here will make your skin feel better.”

  “Know you enough to tell you not try make Murenyan courtesan, but getting cross signal.”

  “No, no. You do this for you. It’s all about how it makes you feel.”

  “You show me how use all?”

  “Sure, as long as you are not naked. Now we need to find a stylist who won’t sell pictures of you to trashy publications.”

  Again the box chirped, this time in Ashley’s pocket.

  “Yes… Tempo, was it?” Ashley greeted the box as she pulled it out of her pocket.

  “We have some people in the Hive who have experience with that. We are moving them from the fleet to the space station tomorrow.”

  “You not do that just for me?”

  “No. As different organizations claim space up here and move personnel accordingly, we need to provide services to accommodate them. A number of our tradespeople are going to be living full time at the station at least in the short term.”

  “OK. Will talk to you about it again when they moved in.”

  We made our purchases and headed back to the barracks.

  “I put on swim outfit from Navy, you no like normal under clothes.”

  “It’s because you can see through them if you sweat or get wet.” complained Ashley.

  I changed quickly and met with Ashley at the tub.

  “OK, with as dense as your hair is, which I am very much not alluding to it being fur…”started Ashley.

  “Know how was made to be, not sensitive about.” I reassured her. “Actually made top hair grow long same time remove rest.”

  “So use very small amounts of the product in multiple applications so you can effectively rinse it all out each time.” Ashley tipped me over and wet my head, and I poured a tiny amount of the gel in my hand.

  “When you lather it in, it isn’t going to lather properly with that small an amount. So the second or third time you do it then it will foam up more effectively.” She rinsed my head and I did it again.

  “Yes, can feel difference. Still harder with claws.”

  “Now the shampoo strips the skin oils out of the hair. The conditioner softens it back up again.” I mixed it in.

  “Leave it for two to five minutes. It is different for everyone and you will have to experiment.”

  I looked at my watch and then rinsed my head. Ashley wrapped my head in a towel as I put on a robe.

  “Now let’s take a look at laundry. Bring your detergent and we can start washing your Navy issue uniforms.”

  We moved over to the laundry room.

  “The machine works by rubbing the clothes against each other. Don’t put too much in the machine at once so they can agitate.”

  We got it started and it made the expected noises.

  “And now we wait. We don’t have to wait in here with it, but keep track of the time since leaving your clothes in the machines is just rude.”

  “We go dinner now?”

  “You have only 40 minutes until you need to move your clothes, so you might want to order something.”

  “Only food close is pizza. Ask Givens bring food from dining place instead.” I pulled out my telephone and sent a message to Givens. He replied that he was already at the food place and would bring some back.

  “How are you two doing since you broke him?”

  "More careful. Last partner was also augment. Can be more forceful. Givens fun, but Earth humans fragile.”

  “How many of the people in your world are enhanced like you are?”

  “Beasts common. All military have little mana reinforcement. Champions have more. Free swords more or less. Veterans also more or less. So maybe… one in twenty?”

  “That seems like a really high percentage.”

  “Nations much military. Patrol roads and garrison towns. Beast show in populated place rare, but even with patrols slip net very easy.”

  “Still, one in twenty.”

  “Nations use Auxiliary to increase numbers. No pay if not on sanction job.”

  Givens came in with some foam boxes. Opening mine, I saw that it was several cheese burgers without buns and a plastic fork.

  “See! Givens give me cheese burger!”

  “That because you give him orgasms and alien super computers. All I get from you is brattiness and the opportunity to get shot.” she retorted.

  “You not feel appreciated? Givens need give you orgasms too? You not take when I offer.”

  I smiled innocently as Ashley choked on her food. Givens just stared at the wall with a haunted look on his face.