Star Trek: Bendross

Episode 19 - Life goes on

 

(Spring, 2083)

By

Jay P. Hailey

And

The Bendross Players

 

Excursion Team number Two was now several weeks into their one-year duty shift.

Joe Little was one of Alicia Bendross’ two hulking bodyguards. Six feet four inches, solid muscle. Hamilton thought he’d been a football player before getting into the street business.

Little was wearing the generic brown beta-cloth ship’s jump suit and work boots. Little had a rich chocolate complexion. If he’d been connected well enough he could have gone somewhere with the Crips, or the Bloods. But they were very exclusive clubs these days. Ashby was still startled to hear the west side beach bum accent come out of Joe Little’s mouth the few times he said anything.

Little still wore his regulation shades and a frightening hand canon slung in a complex but well used shoulder rig. He looked like he was still on the street in LA, looking for the next well armed wannabe or Paparazzi.

Little eyed Ashby as the pilot turned hacker grabbed a cup of coffee.

"Can I ask you a question?" Ashby began.

"No." Little said.

"Why does Alicia need a body guard here in space ten light years from nowhere?" Ashby asked.

"Because she does." Little said.

"Why are you here? Don’t you guys usually work for cash on the barrel head?" Ashby said.

"I been paid, Dude."

Ashby’s expression was eloquent "What possible good in money to you now? When we get there you’re still twenty years from the point and click and the FedEx guy arriving on the doorstep."

Joe just looked at him. "You don’t understand, and it’s not my job to explain it to you."

"Look, we’re going to be living in the same small town soon. You’re going to keep up that stone cold act for the rest of your life? You have to be Alicia’s body guard, I guess, but that doesn’t make me your enemy." Ashby said.

Little snorted. "Can you look me in the eye and tell me that you’re not a short step away from shooting Miss Bendross in the ass?"

Hamilton shrugged helplessly. He was caught.

"’Cause I’ll tell you what, I am." Little snarled. "I have never seen a single individual as spoiled and as clueless as she is. I’ve seen some stone cold bitches in my time but she makes ‘em all look like amateurs."

Hamilton burst out laughing, taken by surprise.

"I’m serious! You try doing a professional job with little miss Thang sayin’ ‘ya think I’m, like, pretty’ or "get me this an’ that’." Little said.

Hamilton had tears in his eyes and was doubled over.

"Man! You get to go do yer job and get away from her. My job is just to stand there and, like, keep a straight face and not slap her an’ shit."

Ashby managed to straighten up enough To say "My condolences."

"So don’t let me hear you talkin’ about how bad you have it, and don’t think I’m not watching you. With an attitude like that there’s no way she’s going to make it without someone trying to kill her." Joe said.

Hamilton held up his hands. "I’ll let someone else have the pleasure thank you."

Joe just shook his head at Ashby.

"Where’d you serve?" Ashby asked. It was a reasonably safe question to ask.

Joe shrugged. "I joined up with Mayhew’s Vipers in ’61. Did three tours in Eastern Europe."

Ashby whistled. "That’s tough. Eastern Europe?"

Joe nodded "Balgoria or some place like that. There was some crazy shit happening there."

"I was Air force. I flew for a while out of Italy." Ashby said.

"I know. Miss Thang has files on all of you. Me and Jack studied ‘em. We know you better than you think." Joe said.

"I seem to be running into that a lot." Hamilton sighed.

"Don’t let it go to your head. You’re basically a side issue." Joe said.

"Well thanks." Ashby said. "Who’s on the front burner?"

"Figure it out, Dude. Figure it out."

Ashby and Joe got along a little better after that.

-*-

Rudy walked into the Wardroom and stopped. The lights were low and there was a movie playing. Rudy stopped and looked. No, it was an ancient video program called "Bonanza". Basic Cowboys and Indians stuff from the heyday of the 20th century.

On the couch against the far wall Martin and Michelle were sitting comfortably, watching.

Rudy figured that they’d be in a quarters instead, except that the quarters on the Bendross III were closets with bunks in them. If someone wanted to socialize they either hand to lay on top of each other, or lie in separate bunks and watch the tiny video screens set into the over head on the same channel.

Rudy didn’t figure that Michelle and Martin were to the point of lying on top of each other, yet. However, they were past the point of separately watching the same show and comparing notes later.

Rudy turned and left. Not only were hetero mating rituals the last thing he wanted to watch, but he had to restrain a slight pang of jealousy.

Martin was definitely straight, but Rudy thought he was cute anyway.

 

Disclaimer: Paramount owns all things Trek. I claim original characters and situations in this story for me.