Having lost their sole prisoner, the crew of the Detention Unit was being utilized in a compartmental search of the ship. Nation had readily volunteered himself and Hillier to
check the Alternate Gender Housing Area, where resided all commissioned and noncommissioned female crewers, as well a few of Space Fleet's more confusing alien personnel. Both privates now sat outside the
wing's rec. room, drawing deeply on their nic-sticks and hoping to get a glimpse, human or not.
"Man", Hillier said irritably, tossing his half-used, nicotine inducer onto the deck, "this sucks!"
Nation simply smiled, leaning back against the door frame as he sat with his legs jutting out into the hallway. "Sure does, Bra", he agreed, though he was obviously enjoying himself, "sittin'
around checkin' out the babes. It's a virtual suck-o-rama."
Hillier ignored him. "We should be yanking these doors open, storming into the rooms, tossing everything around..."
"Looking through their underwear", Nation chimed in.
Hillier glowered at him. "We wouldn't even be here if you'd have kept a better eye on the prisoner."
"No need to thank me, Bra", Nation said, taking another drag on his stick, "just doing my part."
Hillier began pacing, mumbling, and tossing his hands in the air. He turned back, glaring at his partner. "We're never going to find anything here, anyway! Why don't we go back to the brig
and report." He rubbed his hands together and smiled. "Then maybe we'll get a real assignment."
Nation took one last draw, flicked the remnants down the hall, and slowly got up. "Alright, Bra, but you need to learn how to relax is we're going to hang out together."
Hillier opened his mouth to reply, but stopped as a low rumbling sound came to his ears. Nation heard it too, and turned his head, looking down the corridor from where it seemed to originate. As it
grew louder, he and Hillier inched forward, toward an intersection twenty feet away.
"Something's coming", Nation whispered excitedly, "from down there." He pointed left, indicating the unseen corridor leading in their direction.
Hillier nodded soberly, grabbing his splazer from its holster, and pressing himself against the adjacent wall. "I'm going in", he said dramatically over the growing din, "cover me."
Nation looked at him strangely. "With what?"
It was then that Hillier noticed his counterpart without a weapon. "You're an idiot", he observed miserably.
"Well, you're a...uh", he attempted to counter, "...a bigger idiot."
But Hillier had already rounded the corner, and didn't hear the witty retort. Nation waited tensely as the rumbling grew to a thunderous level. He was slightly startled to see Hillier come back around
the corner in a full run.
"Hey, I was just kidding about that last remark, man...", Nation stammered, backing away from the oncoming enlisted man.
Hillier passed him without a word, leaving the somewhat confused private even more so. It didn't last long, as Nation turned back to see the oncoming onslaught round the corner. Nation pressed himself
to the wall as nude, recently showered women bounded past, their shrieks filling the air and adding to his magic moment. They kept sweeping past and, though he tried, Nation could not keep count. His
gaze swept down the hallway, and he saw Hillier go down in the virtual stampede of naked flesh, flailing and cursing under their feet. The women began escaping into numerous compartments, and as quickly as
it had begun, the relative calm was replaced, and the corridor was empty, but for him and his sorely injured companion.
Nation shook his head in wonder. "That was sweet", he breathed reverently as he made his way to where Hillier groaned in pain.
