Star date on star base (ep. 5)

The hall is freezing cold, inappropriate for boxers & Tshirt. But the command deck feels like a sauna. I have better orientation now. 

I see the camera bubble in the far right-hand corner. In the adjacent corner are two sexy men in white track pants & tanks. Barefoot. Wearing goggles. 

They appear to be gaming as they face a sensor panel. The game sounds are as loud as the bowling alley video was.

I don't see the captain anywhere. I scan the deck 360. I don't see him.

Lieutenant motions that I follow him to the conference table near the big screen. We sit down in chairs so we face away from the camera.

Lieutenant hands me a micro smart screen. I look down at a photo of Jacob beside a photo of the captain. I quickly look closer. They each have stats & zooms.

Shocked I am! I look up at the lieutenant but don't say anything. How easy was that? Search Jacob in high school yearbooks & match the captain's description.

I look back down. I tap Jacob to full screen. Now I have a picture of him. You can't bring anything through hyper sleep.

I make eye contact with Lieutenant. My surprise turns to a smile. I say, "Thank you. Can I keep this microscreen?"

Lieutenant says, "Yes. It's yours. Standard issue. Captain knows all about Jacob. 

"He couldn't see the clues in all those high school pictures that you two were secret lovers. Until I pointed it out."

I look down & tap slideshow. The pictures of us together start at the final dance. They seem to go forever.

We're always shaking hands. Rough housing. Standing a little too close together. Walking a little too slow.

Damn! They even have video. I guess there's no way I can pretend to be straight anymore. I look back at those two handsome crew members gaming.

They suddenly shout. Sounds of explosions. They give each other a high-five & a chest bump. They re-focus on the game. Their hands operate invisible controls. Their bodies keep touching side-by-side as they encounter the next challenge.

I think to myself. That's so hot. They must be a gay couple on the down low. Is everybody gay on this  damn star base? Where's everybody else?

Lieutenant leans over & says:

"They're cute as fuck, aren't they? They're straight. They can have sex with you. But it's platonic.

"Like if your hands got blown off & your buddy gives you a hand-job. It's not romantic. They might have sex with each other way out here. But it's camaraderie sex. Buddy sex.

"So if you hook up with them, don't fall in love. Straight guys will break your heart. He's thinking about how a girl feels when you fuck him.  

"He doesn't feel romantic about you like you don't feel romance about girls. It's just how it is. You can watch the video of them playing this match later when you're on deck duty alone & masturbate.

"That's John & William.

"To stay sane out here, you must focus your heart on the man of your dreams. Jacob. He's not just a dream. He's real. He's waiting for you back home. 

"You should send him streams of your love like a brother. He'll know your brotherly love is really romantic love.

"Call it a Bro-Mance!" 

I look back to Lieutenant. My eyes widen & relax as if to give a sigh. I look forward scanning in direction of the personal quarters.

No sign of Captain Chris. I didn't want to say anything. Lieutenant said the captain already knows about me & Jacob. What does he know? That my captain resembles my hometown boyfriend? So what?

Lieutenant puts on a control glove. The sounds of gaming become muffled. The big screen displays a schematic of the star base. Lieutenant points. On screen an arrow points with the caption COMMAND DECK.

We've been waiting forever it seems. I ask Lieutenant. "Sir. Where's the captain?"

He responds, "Probably on the toilet. Couple weeks ago a freighter came through & left a ton of traditional food. Literally a ton. Captain's clogged up with meat & starch."

I ask, "Why is he so skinny?"

Lieutenant: "Because outer space is arctic cold. You ever know anyone spend a tour in Antarctica? They return emaciated. They eat 5,000 calories a day. It all goes to body heat.

"That's why the command deck feels like a sauna. 95 Fahrenheit only. When you go out to make a repair, you'll feel how bitter cold space can be.

"You want to eat some of that with me in the galley after captain's briefing?" I say, "Okay."

As Lieutenant wiggles his fingers, the big screen displays the dossier of William. Then John. Then me. Then the lieutenant. Finally the captain.

Lieutenant says, "All of this is in your micro screen."

Then Jacob's military photo appears. Then Jacob & the captain side by side. Then me & Jacob. Our closeups side by side. Lieutenant smiles brightly.

Captain Chris enters from the hallway of personal quarters. The screen returns to a schematic. The gaming sounds stop.

Everybody stands up. John & William discard the goggles. They hustle to the conference table as the captain approaches the head position.

The formal briefing is about to begin.

Episode 6