I could see Anne fidget in the armour. “Be on your best behaviour,” I warned her. “This is a military base.” “Yeah, I know,” she hissed. “I’ve been spying on it since you started visiting.” : Maybe don’t say things like that out loud : chill out. I’m just sweaty in this armour and it’s making me uncomfortable. : just be professional. I’m introducing you to these guys for the first time : we want them to take you seriously : and why wouldn’t they? I’m an ultra like you. Honestly you worry too much I stepped up to the gate guard. “Belessar, with a party of one.” The sentry came to attention. “Go right ahead, sir. They’re expecting you.” We strolled onto the base. Tucker and Acosta were waiting to meet us, in shiny uniforms. “Good morning, Belessar,” Tucker greeted me. “And your mysterious companion?” “Her name’s Nanocloud,” I replied. “Ah, Nanocloud,” Mario Acosta bowed low. “It’s a pleasure to meet such a beautiful lady.” Anne giggled. “I’m wearing full body armor from head to toe, silly.” “But even the armour has a beauty all its own. And I’m sure you’re beautiful underneath too.” “That’s enough, Mario,” I growled. “She’s my sister. And off limits to you.” “If you say so,” smirked Mario. : spoilsport. He’s cute : also twenty-seven and has two girlfriends that i know of : yeah okay, point taken Tucker was watching the whole exchange with a slightly bemused look. He turned to me. “Belessar, the Major asked us to arrange a special seat for you in front when Lieutenant Doyle goes to accept the unit citation. You may also get called to the dais.” I frowned. “I hope I don’t have to give a speech.” “No, only colonels and generals give speeches at these things. You just have to go up and shake his hand. At least that’s what we were told. You okay with that?” He looked me up and down. “Your suit seems pretty shiny.” “Reapplied the stealth paint last night.” “Stealth paint makes it shiny?” “The paint takes a couple of days to set,” I grumbled. “Until then it tends to be a bit…. reflective.” “I suppose even high-tech armour has its bugs. The General arrives in an hour, you have plenty of time to get settled in by then.” The actual ceremony was mercifully brief. Lieutenant Doyle and the platoon did a sort of march, saluted the General - who saluted back - and then Doyle went up on the dias and accepted a certificate from the General, along with a photograph. The General made a brief speech about the platoon’s actions in New York. Towards the end of the speech, I had a surprise. “And in furtherance,” the General said, “it is necessary to recognize the contributions of a member who is not of the military, but who has contributed significantly to our efforts in the protection of our nation and the people of the world. I call upon Mr. Belessar to join us on stage for a brief moment.” : did you expect this? : not a clue I rapidly got up and did an approximation of a march up to the stage. Through the corner of my eye, I could see a pained expression on Tucker’s face. Gods, my marching must be awful. The General didn’t bat an eyelid. Instead, as I came up in front of him, he shook my hand. Well. He probably didn’t want to suffer through my idea of a salute. “Mr. Belessar,” General Xavier said, “you have rendered great service to this nation through your participation in New York. You have also rendered further service during the last few weeks, by using your powers to help over five thousand of our wounded soldiers, sailors and airmen recover from injuries and illnesses. For this, it is my pleasure to award you the Civilian Award for Humanitarian Service.” Oh. I stood still, a little stunned, as the General pinned a medal on my armor. Or tried to. Nanofibre weave can’t be pierced by a metal pin… I sighed internally. “General, sir… perhaps in a box.” The General didn’t miss a beat. Instead he placed the medal in a box and handed it to me. “Wear it with pride, Belessar.” “Thank you, sir.” I thought of saluting for a moment - then the General shook my hand again. Afterwards, Major Fraser took me to see the General. The man looked every inch a military commander. “It’s a pleasure to meet you in person, Belessar.” “Likewise, General.” “I wanted to thank you for your actions over the last few weeks.” “I’m glad to help. And, er… thank you for the award?” The General smiled warmly. “You deserve it. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs himself said that few have helped as many of our soldiers, individually, as you have.” “Anyone with the power would have, I’m sure.” “Having power is one thing; using it wisely is another. I would say that you’ve shown great wisdom and maturity, Belessar.” “Thank you, sir.” I could feel myself blush a little. “We hope you’ll continue to help us in defending Earth.” “Of course.” “I understand you also offered to supply weapons to U.S. Army personnel that might help them be more effective.” I winced. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overstep.” “I understand. You did what you felt was right; it’s not your fault that the military operates in a certain way, of which you would probably not have been briefed. Would I be correct in assuming that you have some ability to replicate the things you analyze? And then dissolve?” “A little,” I said. “It’s complicated. The more advanced a technology, the more samples of it I need to study before I can make a duplicate.” “Reverse engineering, then?” “That’s what I call it. Unfortunately, there are limits to how many items I can make - and also how fast I can make them.” “So your ability would be best suited for a very small number of highly advanced tools, instead of weapons that need to be mass-produced.” I frowned. “I … hadn’t thought of it that way.” “Not many would. But I have some very sharp minds on my staff, and they suggested that having you as a glorified armory might not be the best use of your skills. What if we were to suggest a specific device or tool to you, and give you samples of the damaged version? Would you be able to create a working model?” “I could try, General.” “Excellent. That would make a real difference to the defence of our planet, Mr. Belessar. Thank you.” NEW QUEST ALERT: REVERSE ENGINEER MYSTERIOUS DEVICES FOR THE GENERAL. REWARDS: ????, INCREASED RELATIONSHIP WITH U.S. ARMY, INCREASED RELATIONSHIP WITH STRATOSPHERIC GUARD, INCREASED RELATIONSHIP WITH U.S. GOVERNMENT.