Version Zero
an excerpt

“Lieutenant Fria told me to make sure you report to the bridge, Captain Vance,” the man said, making a gesture to summon over some privates.

“You can kindly inform Lieutenant Fria that I’ll get to the bridge when I--” Eric started.

The man glanced over Eric’s shoulder and the blond’s smile fixed in place. Without even turning around, he knew that at least two of Sarai Fria’s security force had shuffled into place behind him. That knowledge was just confirmed when he heard Jenna give a little squeak and felt her shuffle closer to him. Lieutenant Fria’s men were well-trained to be intimidating, as a defense mechanism. You had to puff yourself up if you worked for Sarai, Eric thought, gritting his teeth. If you didn’t, your psyche would have time to realize how much scarier Sarai was than you or anyone you’d ever known.

“Lieutenant Fria wished us to remind you that you needed on the bridge, Captain Vance,” one of the security men said. Eric didn’t recognize his voice, but it must’ve been one of the bigger ones, judging from how close Jenna sidled up to him.

He reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath. Okay. Sarai was just one woman. He even outranked her!

“Why,” he said, slowly turning to face the security boys -- ooh, there were four of them, Sarai could not be happy -- and making sure they saw how annoyed he was. “Why,” he repeated, “am I needed on the bridge?”

And in unison, all four of them replied: “Because you are the captain, Captain Vance!”

“I can see you’re all deep thinkers,” he muttered under his breath, crossing his arms over his chest. He noticed Jenna turned away and that she started to smile just before she did, which annoyed him. He glowered at the four security men, who were all leveling heavy stares directly at his jugular. He glanced at the -- conveniently still open -- door of the cargo bay, and mentally calculated the distance between it and himself.

The number wasn’t one he liked.

Blue eyes wandered back over to the security force. A look at Jenna revealed she was hugging that little… it must have been a tablet computer… against her chest, and working hard to make sure her eyes never rested on any of the navy blue jacketed security officers. No help would be forthcoming from her.

Gritting his teeth, he tried once more: “I’m working with our new crew member--” he said.

“Lieutenant Fria wished us to remind you that Creighton University has sufficiently trained Private Benöis and there is no need for you to accompany her on her assignment,” the four men chorused.

Eric glared.

“Sir,” the smallest of them added.