Brinus was making a wood-burning logo for his office. He applied the tung oil finish shirtless and wore a respirator. The burning was on a tree log he bought at a woodworking shop on the promenade. The tung oil had a strong chemical odor that permeated throughout the quarters. Simmie barged into the room, his steel-toed boots banged on the white marble floors.
Simmie rolled his eyes and snapped, “I’ve been trying to contact you for two hours! Two. Fucking. Hours!!”
Brinus snorted and his nostrils flared as he yelled in disgust, “What the fuck Simmie?! I disabled my coms fer a fuckin’ reason!”
“The admiral wants you to go to the robotics lab and print a 3D titanium human skeleton right now! No questions asked!”
Brinus closed his eyes, prayed for patience from the temple spirits, and then opened them again. “Give me an hour. I’ll get ready.”
“You’re lucky I’m on duty or I would make you pay,” Simmie said in a teasing laugh, moving closer and kissing Brinus’s bare chest.
“No. I should’ve been more professional,” laughed Brinus again as Simmie smothered Brinus’s chest and nipples in kisses. Brinus shuddered as Simmie's teeth grazed his left nipple.
“I love ya’ but I gotta get ready.” Brinus moaned, moving closer to Simmie for better access.
Simmie moved down his abs while kissing and sucking on them.
Brinus moaned after Simmie put his hand in Brinus’s gym shorts twirling his finger on his sweet spot.
“I know what you really want. Will you take it?” Growled Simmie in Brinus’s ear.
Brinus closed his eyes and smiled, taking Simmie to his bedroom.
Thirty minutes later Admiral Nelson kept checking the time on his TriQuarter. Nelson thought.
He pinged Simmie.
Simmie was on Facetime in bed with Brinus. They were both putting on their uniforms with smiles on their faces. “Care to explain?” asked Admiral Nelson carefully, keeping his expression neutral.
Simmie Blushed as he buttoned his uniform shirt. “Sir, I didn’t mean to Facetime.”
Nelson rolled his eyes and sneered. “Obviously.” His whiskers twitched and his tail swished side to side rapidly. “Why are you in Brinus’s quarters getting dressed?”
“Sir, with respect…” started Brinus but the admiral cut him off.
“I don’t want to hear your excuses!” yelled the admiral. “Get to your commanding officer. Simmie you’re the project manager!”
A few minutes later, Brinus loaded a cylinder of titanium-cobalt powder into the metal 3D printer and selected the human skeleton setting. The first two bones he printed were the atlas and axis vertebrae. Then afterward, he spent a few hours printing each cervical bone followed by each skull bone. Next, he welded half of the skull bones assembling the skull one bone at a time with the help of a tech. Next, he put the artificial brain into the skull and used Welder’s Cement to bind the rest of it. Welder’s cement was a glue that melted two metal ends together without welding when working with delicate equipment, but it wasn’t as strong as a traditional weld. Building the skull was long and took a full 24 hours.
Most of the next day was spent assembling the spinal cord, feet, and hands. He assembled the spinal column with the aid of two robotics techs. He then smelted and made a fiber optic cable with room temperature superconductor and put it into the spinal column. With the help of the techs, he threaded the spinal nerves through the proper holes in the vertebrae. He needed a motor tech to help him with the next part.
“Petty Officer Magnus! Get your ass over here! Now!”
Petty Officer Magnus ran across the workshop and saluted him. “Sir, what do you need, sir?”
Brinus Turned and faced Magnus, he bellowed, “You're a servo motor and motor function tech correct?!”
“Sir, yes, sir.”
Brinus paused after he looked into Harper’s eyes.
He tilted his head and crossed his arms. “Have we met somewhere petty officer?”
Harper decided to lie remembering what the Magi said, “No, sir. Maybe you have me confused with someone else. Sir! Permission to smoke, sir?!” He really just wanted to leave and not have his first real love recognize him in the workshop.
“Take seven minutes and then we need to attach the joints.”
After seven minutes, Harper came back smelling like a Tarken Tea cigarette. The smell made Brinus’s stomach churn, but he said nothing. Almost immediately, as they began attaching servo motors to the joints, Brinus noticed an atmosphere between them, making it awkward to work.
Each servo motor had to be screwed into the bone. It was a long, tedious, process. Harper needed to smoke several more times over the next few hours which disrupted the workflow; as they screwed the individual foot and hand bones, Brinus struck up a conversation about where he was from and what he did before the Navy. By the time they finished, the skeleton took 48 hours.
Simmie entered the workshop. He saw Brinus loading the skeleton with the help of Harper onto the transporter.
“Brinus hon, you need to go to bed.”
“After I write up the report.”
Simmie rolled his eyes and snapped, “Sweetie, do I need to make it an order”
Brinus kept it professional but smiled, “You’re my love bunny but you won’t make me go home.”
Simmie smiled, running his finger down Brinus's chest. “Sweet pea. You have been up for 48 hours. I will have your master chief fill out your paperwork.”
Brinus pulled Simmie in closer and kissed him on the lips for a moment. “I wonna do it myself.”
Suddenly, the playful atmosphere between Brinus and Simmie turned serious. “I gave you an order hon. Don’t make me get Commander Theodore,” stated Simmie firmly.
Brinus kissed Simmie again in front of his workers and then said, “I love it when you're assertive. I will see ya tomorrow.” He tapped his husband on the cheek and walked away.
Harper watched, and he was glad to see Brinus had moved on. Even though Brinus didn’t recognize him, he looked happy with that lieutenant.
Harper tapped a crewman on the shoulder. “Who is that lieutenant? And why is Lieutenant Helios so familiar with him?”
“Oh! That’s his husband, sir. They’re a bit handsy, but you’ll get used to it.”
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“I’m glad he’s happy.”
The crewman began hammering a white-hot titanium rod into an armor plate. “Yes, sir. I wish I loved my girlfriend as much as they love each other.”
“Maybe you will one day?” Harper laughed awkwardly, slapping his crewmate on the shoulder.
At the end of the week, Brinus left his last class — advanced wetware computing — after completing his unit test. As he exited the classroom, he put a piece of orange cream caffeine gum into his mouth to deal with a nicotine craving.
Brinus felt someone tap him on the shoulder. It was a human officer who looked exactly like Akmal’s avatar but who looked like he was in his early 20s. They stared at each other for a moment. Akmal’s uniform was the standard military uniform, but instead of the normal rank insignia, the rank ribbon was yellow for engineering with a computer.
“Can I help you?” asked Brinus. He wasn’t sure if this person was Akmal Enlance or just a doppelganger.
Akmal hugged him and then kissed him on the lips.
Brinus pushed him off and screamed, “What the fuck Akmal!? You don’t just kiss people in the hallway!”
Akmal was pushed onto the floor as he was still getting used to walking and was taken off guard by Brinus’s strength. “I see you and Simmie kiss and cuddle all the time through the cameras.”
Akmal watched the entire crew when he was in the ship. He noticed that some of the crew were affectionate, some were just friendly, and some would badmouth each other to other people.
Brinus helped Akmal up, and they began walking. “He’s my fucking husband! Ever heard of consent? There's somethin' called boundaries!”
Akmal attempted to hold Brinus’s hand, but he slapped it away. He laughed and shook his head. “We really need to work on your social skills.”
A professor came out of her office and approached the two young men. “Is everything okay? I saw this officer kiss you, and you knocked him to the ground. Do you need me to get security?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, ma’am. He’s just learning.”
The professor scoffed and rolled her eyes.
Akmal and Brinus began walking down the hallway as Brinus explained how some humans had romantic relations and some, like them, were friends. He also explained how friends don’t have sex or kiss, but they do hang out and do fun activities together.
Akmal stumbled and tripped over his feet, and Brinus helped him up. “Ya’ okay?”
“Yeah, I am getting used to this new body. I never thought a human body would be this difficult to walk in. The coordination, the stride. Walking with a heavy skeleton. It takes a lot of effort.”
Akmal and Brinus came onto the promenade. It bustled with activity as people hurried about to do their shopping. People ate meals and drank in sidewalk cafes. A man jugged fire torches near two cops, and a woman played Nutcracker on a flute with her instrument case at her feet. The air was thick with the smell of street food and cigarette smoke.
Akmal noticed how many people lit sticks on fire and inhaled smoke into their bodies. “What are those people doing?”
“What do you mean? The couple sitting at the table sharing a dessert? That would be an example of a romantic relationship.”
“No, I mean the people lighting the sticks on fire and inhaling the fumes?”
“Oh! You don’t wonna touch that shit. It took me three years to quit, and I almost couldn’t. Don’t do it.”
“But why?”
Brinus sighed and rolled his eyes. “Those things will kill you. Don’t do it. Trust me. You’ll regret it.”
Akmal made a mental note to try those sticks at the first opportunity. He grabbed Brinus’s arm and pulled him to a card table in an abandoned alleyway between two buildings. “Ohh, look! Cards!”
Brinus snorte,d and his nostrils flared. “That’s three-card monte. I’m not playing this shit.”
The card master flashed his yellow teeth. “You don’t want to try your luck?”
“Come on Akmal. We need to go.”
Akmal put one hundred credits onto the table. The man shuffled his cards and showed a black seven of clubs. “Oh, too bad. Wonna make another bet?”
Brinus grabbed the man’s wrist and forced his sleeve down, showing a red ace of spades.
“You cheated!” shouted Akmal in surprise.
Brinus growled in the face of the scammer while holding the man’s wrist, “I want all of the money you scammed from everyone, or I will turn you over to that police officer over there.”
“I will report you to your commanding officer if you don’t let me go.”
Brinus laughed and grasped the man’s wrist even tighter. “You're committing a felony under Section 12 of the Financial Crimes Act. Give me your money now, or I will call the police.”
The man handed over 10,000 credit chips and ran, leaving his station.
“We need to go. They usually work with organizations.”
Brinus grabbed Akmal’s wrist and hurried out of the alleyway.
Akmal saw a vape store as they walked by.
“Can we go in there?”
“No.”
“Why?”
Brinus rolled his eyes again and snorted, “How old are you? You’re actin’ like a child.”
“I am 21.”
“Do I need to hold your hand and hover over you like a toddler?” asked Brinus, giving his screw-you smile.
Akmal glared at him as they walked through the promenade, and Brinus guided Akmal to the clothing shop.
He laughed and then pointed at the shop next to the vape store. “We need to get you some clothes for when you’re off duty.”
Akmal tilted his head and smiled. “What do you wear? I’ve never seen you leave your quarters when off-duty.”
They walked in, and the clerk greeted them after a bell chimed as Brinus began counting the money in the bag he’d stolen from the scammer.
“You don’t look into the quarters?” asked Brinus as he pulled a 100-credit chip out and put it in his pocket.
Akmal shuddered as he looked at some of the clothing options. “That would be wrong. I know how you humans value privacy.”
“I wear a pair of gym shorts and nothin’ else.”
Akmal picked out a red short-sleeved shirt with the logo of a famous Netuber.
Brinus shook his head and crossed his arms. “You may not want to wear that.”
Akmal tilted his head. “Why not? I like the logo, and I like the shade of red.”
“That Netuber was caught soliciting minors. He is facing criminal charges involving twenty kids.”
Akmal looked disgusted and put the shirt back. Then he noticed the sign that said, Clearance 99% off until all items sold.
“What about this one?” Brinus held up a shirt of a gaming Netuber with a different logo but similar in style.
Akmal nodded and grabbed the shirt. “Sure.”
“You look like a medium. Try it on and get some shorts.”
Akmal grabbed some shorts similar to Brinus's and went into the changing rooms.
After picking up some clothes, Brinus and Akmal made their way to his quarters.
Akmal’s stomach rumbled. “What is this sensation?”
“What do you mean?”
“My head hurts, and I feel like I want to sleep. My stomach feels weird, and it’s rumbling.”
Brinus laughed as he entered his quarters with their shopping. Akmal and Brinus both removed their shoes, shirts, and pants and put on gym shorts.
“It smells different in here than the rest of the ship. Why?”
“Because we don’t smoke or vape anymore. That’s also Tangent cooking a mean stir fry.” He slapped Akmal on his bare shoulder and threw him a smile.
“Let’s eat! I’m hungry! Can we have some beer with it, too?”
“Sure.”
Brinus and Akmal went into the kitchen to see Tangent serving supper to Admiral Nelson and Captain Plato.
Brinus sat at the table. “What do you nee,d sir?” he asked the admiral.
Captain Plato leaned forward and took a large serving of the stir fry. “Akmal and the AIs like him are being given a rank, rations, and AI rights. He will be living with you during the day. At night, he will work the night shift in tactical.”
“He is like a child. What will happen when I have a 24-hour shift at the workshop, or who will babysit him during a combat situation?”
Admiral Nelson stood and handed Brinus a plate of fried vegetables and space chicken. “You will be watching Akmal. I'm sorry, but I am cutting your shifts to 12 hours. Also, you’re being taken off combat duty and listed as a parent.”
Brinus sat across from the captain. “What about school? Vaccines? After-school clubs? Who will homeschool him? Am I his parent?”
“That is up to you. You are developing this AI.” Admiral Nelson looked at Akmal as he grabbed a beer from the fridge. “Akmal has the body of a 21-year-old but needs to be developed mentally. Need I remind you that his brain is the fish tank and is a part of the ship?”
“How many AIs are there?”
“About 500 total. we’re giving them avatars now.”
Akmal opened the beer, and Brinus waved his hand. The beer exploded, sending glass everywhere. Brinus then flicked his wrist, and the shards and liquid vaporized.
“Hey, I was going to drink that!”
Brinus flicked his wrist, and the refrigerator door slammed shut. “Not in my quarters, you won’t.”
Akmal rolled his eyes and grabbed a soda from the fountain. He also slipped six credit chips into his pocket when no one was looking… except for Brinus.
“Akmal, what did you put in your pockets?” asked Brinus, raising an eyebrow.
“Nothing!” yelled Akmal.
“I think we'll leave the kids alone.” Admiral Nelson and Captain Plato left the quarters.
“Akmal! empty your pockets.”
“No.”
“Empty them. Give me the six credits you stole to buy cigarettes and a lighter.” Brinus offered out his hand.
Tangent put her paws on Brinus’s hips. “Let me handle this. Why did you take the money?”
“I wanted to get some chips and a soda from the snack machine down the hall.”
The only machine down the hall was the cigarette machine. Tangent had a huge smile on her face as she said, “Sure, hon, go right ahead. Make sure to put on your uniform.”
Akmal put on his uniform and went outside. Brinus glared at Tangent. “What the fuck?!”
Tangent gave a huge mischievous grin, “Who do you think designed his positronic brain and sequenced his DNA?”
A realization dawned on Brinus. She did something to his DNA to make him revolted by smoking.
They both laughed for a moment. “Sometimes, you’re such a devil.” Brinus quipped.
Thirty minutes later, Akmal still wasn’t back. Tangent drank a cup of coffee, and Brinus watched a streamer on the holoprojector. Finally, he pressed the off button.
“Computer, pull up Akmal’s genetic sequence, Woodstack 4546.”
“Access denied; classified.”
Tangent rolled her eyes and shouted, “Computer, pull up Akmal’s genetic sequence, Tangent 8061.”
A projection of Akmal’s genetic structure appeared. Brinus studied the code for a moment and then pointed at a gene. “You see this? It’s the same one I have. It’s common in people with addictive personalities. It affects motivation and dopamine release, but it makes things like smoking, alcohol, and screen time more pleasurable.”
“Is that why you're able to work 48 hours and not feel tired?” Tangent asked.
Brinus nodded. Putting his hands on his hips, he sighed. “You gave Akmal an addictive personality.”
“I thought the genetic sequence was for making someone have an allergic reaction to substances.”
Brinus rolled his eyes and snapped, “That’s why you consult a geneticist for these types of projects.” He turned off the holoprojector and pinched the bridge of his nose, “He’s a smoker fer life now. I only quit cuz I was so hard-headed and had access to meds most people don’t.”
Akmal came back an hour later. He seemed jittery and had a tremor. He smelled like a cigarette but tried to cover it up with body spray.
He came up to Brinus and slapped him on his shoulder after getting into his night clothes. “So when do I get my room?”
“We can go furniture shopping now if you want. We both need to get ready.”
Akmal grinned and laughed, “Those chips from the machine were delicious.”
Brinus stood and flicked his head. “Whatever. I’ll get ready; give me thirty minutes. Make sure to put on your uniform, and we will pick out the furniture fer your room.”
Would you want a playlist at the end of the novel based on Brinus's music choices?
