Protocol 1337 by D. Henbane

by apologizing. Or maybe he was surprised that I actually wanted to hear what he had to say. Either way, I felt that tomorrow would be a radical change from today’s tone. I might have even misjudged him as well. Maybe I didn’t even give him a chance like so many people before me. Is it possible that I just rat holed him into a stereotype nerd? At that moment, I vowed to myself I must help this man learn to relax.
    “Thank you... Since you never introduced yourself I would assume it is alright to call you Haus. That is how the army boys address each other, is it not, supplementing the surname as the first name? See you in the morning Haus, and have a good night's rest.” Cox says.
    “Yeah, that’s how it works. Anyway, I gotta run and see you in the morning.” I scramble back above ground, and then realize I don’t know where I am supposed to go. Luckily, my little friend in the blue skirt is still around.
    “I got caught up in the all the excitement today, and I don’t know what area my quarters are assigned to.” I am failing at my act of being a soldier and luckily she doesn’t catch on. I seriously need to learn my lingo if I can pull this off.
    “You mean your bunk. It is 44d and located at the west end near the mess hall. This might help you, it is a map of the area. I will mark your bunk for you and a few areas to help you find your way.” She doodles on the paper for a bit and hands it back to me. I take the time to look at her desk placard for her name.
    “Thank you so much, Shirley, you have been more than helpful. I owe you big time for this. I love your perfume, it smells divine and fits your personality perfectly.” I add in my best gay guy voice for bonus points. Personally, I think her perfume is way too strong and smells like burning tires in a salvage yard.
    I follow my new map and soon I am in open territory. It's starting to get dark outside. I see a group of people talking. I decide now is a good time to try to over-hear any gossip I might receive. In the distance, I see a woman shouting at a group of young men. She paces back and forth, chastising them for some unknown discretion. She leans forward into the face of one, and then uses her boot to force his face into the mud.
    “Poor bastards... Talk about bad luck, eh?” One man exclaims.
    “I know! The bitch is gonna kill those poor fools.” The other comments.
    “What's going on, boys?” I ask.
    “Those boys were talking about how hot Commander Trixie is. About the time Murphey called her a cougar, Trixie walked out from the shitter. Guess she overheard the whole thing.”
    “Guess I will watch my mouth around here.” I reply. I continue on to my bunk. I can hear a female voice behind me still screaming as I walk away. It's a one room log cabin but at least it has a double bed. There is nothing for furniture in it just a few shelves, a closet, and a well-worn rug. I kick off my boots and fall asleep. Around three, I wake up and step outside. As expected, there isn’t a soul around and now is the perfect time to update Reese.
    I find a dark secluded spot and do a quick walk around to make sure I am not within earshot of anyone. I press the call button on my Dlink watch. Reese is my only contact so it automatically connects. After a few short beeps, the small green hologram appears in the air. I can see Reese had been sleeping, and I am not all that excited to see him in his bed. He doesn’t seem too upset to be woken up in the middle of the night.
    “I was beginning to feel like a one night stand, Agent Haus, sitting around waiting for you to call. I gave up and went to bed. What news do you have for me?” Reese sleepily replies.
    “Very good day, SIR, and sorry for the late call. I didn’t find myself in a secure situation to call you so for future contact, it will most likely be late. To make a long story short, the military purchased a meteorite believing it to be an ancient nuclear power source, but that is not the case