Free The Infinity Brigade #1 Stone Cold by Andrew Beery Page A

that assessment.
    What none of us had realized was tampering with the programming of a computer system was a violation of JJ’s terms of parole. It turns out my friend Hammond was an accomplished pusher of bits and bytes. Sadly, he was just a little less skillful at covering his tracks.
    Ramirez was our next ensign. He lasted a bit longer but making a pass, polite though it was, at the Commandant’s eldest daughter wasn’t the wisest career move. It was nice to have company on all of my crap details. It was also nice to see the people I had promoted first had been given a chance at further leadership. I suspected their misadventures might have been an attempt on their part to stand in solidarity with me.
    Needless to say, I was surprised when Senior Drill Sergeant Harris called me to his office one evening after our final 10K run. The man had not spoken to me in the entire three weeks since the incident with Sam McDullis.
    The Senior Drill’s office was located on the upper floor of the main training building. This same building housed four training platoons and therefore had office space for four Senior Drill Sergeants. Sergeant Harris’s office had a wide, expansive reinforced window that afforded an excellent view of the training yard. Beyond the yard I could just make out the edge of the dome that protected New Parris Island from the hard vacuum of space. When I arrived his administrative assistant ushered me into his office.
    “Recruit Stone reporting as ordered Senior Drill Sergeant,” I said as I came to attention in front of his desk. The sergeant was reading something on a tablet.
    “At ease recruit,” Harris said. “I have a number of items to discuss with you.”
    I separated my feet by about a foot and a half and grasped by wrist behind my back.
    Senior Drill Sergeant Harris finished reading the tablet he was holding. Nodding to himself he picked up a stylus off his desk and signed whatever it was he was reading. He put the tablet down and looked at me.
    “I seem to be having a problem keeping your platoon’s ensign slot filled. Any ideas as to why that might be recruit?”
    “Senior Drill, this recruit has no idea why this might be so.”
    “Go ahead and guess. I’d be curious as to your thoughts on the issue.”
    “Senior Drill, the failure of your recruits to fulfill the role of ensign is undoubtedly due to the poor quality of the recruits in question… to include myself Drill Sergeant.”
    Harris laughed. “That is most assuredly true Recruit Stone. That said, I think there is more to it than that. I suspect there is some type of misguided loyalty at work here.”
    I sighed. “I suspect the Senior Drill is correct… but I assure the Drill Sergeant it is nothing I have asked for,” I added.
    “Son, you are a born leader. You go out of your way to take care of your people. They see that in you. Don’t ever apologize for your God-given gifts. That still presents me with a problem. I’m promoting you to the platoon Acting Sergeant. Who would you suggest I promote to Ensign?”
    Without hesitation I responded, “Gretchen Highmark would be an excellent candidate Senior Drill Sergeant!”
    “An interesting choice Acting Sergeant Stone. May I ask why she has your recommendation?”
    “Several reasons Senior Drill. First, although she is small, she does not know the meaning of the word ‘quit.’ Second, when we were on our first lunar bivouac she is the one who suggested our ultimate solution. She thinks well on her feet.”
    “Very well Acting Sergeant. I accept your recommendation.” He opened up a drawer in his desk and pulled out two armbands with the ranks of sergeant and ensign on them. He tossed them both to me.
    “Thank you Drill Sergeant.”
    “Don’t thank me yet. Serving as second in command under an officer who may very well be inferior in every way that matters will be a real test of character for you. It’s also a skill you will need to perfect.”
    He paused to look at