pool. Kira suddenly found herself forgotten, standing alone while the rest frolicked in the water. It was obvious that this group was going to do their own thing whether she was there or not.
Salas was enjoying himself with a dolphin in each hand, being dragged happily along the surface. Another person was flipping fish to the other dolphins from a bucket. Kira turned to leave, content to return the next morning during working hours, but considered the words of her commanding officer Admiral Kaneshiro: He will test you, toy with you and try to anger you. . .You might even have to pass some kind of character examination before he lets you in the door. . .But if you stand strong and earn his trust, you may just get him to open up just enough.
“Hey Joe!” called one of the swimmers. “Looks like the stranger’s got some guts!” Salas turned his head to see Kira, standing at the edge of the pool, completely naked. She put her hands out to the side and pirouetted around in a slow circle, giving them an ample view of her own taut physique. She faced forward again and placed her hands on her hips.
“Well, what do you know,” said one of the men. “Natural blondes still exist!”
She looked directly at Salas.
“Do I meet your approval?” Salas smiled and waved her in.
After two hours of swimming with the dolphins and enjoying several tropical cocktails prepared by one of the colleagues, Kira was feeling not only a little drunk, but unusually comfortable with the entire group. She was invited to join their in-depth conversations about climate change, astronomy and scientific research. This was not a group of Friday night partiers drinking on the beach; she was conversing with scientists who stood stark naked with Blue Hawaii’s in their hands, discussing the Sun’s increasing ultra violet emissions, the Earth’s four previous extinctions; and the proposed topics for the upcoming G8 Environmental Summit in Vienna.
Their intellectual levels blew her mind. Their vernacular alone made her feel inferior, making her wonder again why she was chosen to come here. She had only started her Master’s program last semester, so she felt way out of her comfort zone. As the group exited the pool to prepare the food and barbecue, she decided to give her somewhat limited intellect a break and relax on a lounge chair. As she looked up at the incomprehensible mass of brilliant stars, another lounge chair plopped next to hers. It was Salas. He kicked back with a beer in his hand.
“Dr. Salas.”
“Call me Joe. Why aren’t you with the others?”
She laughed embarrassingly and cocked her head.
“Let’s just say I’m well below their intellectual pay grade.” Salas laughed and looked at them.
“They can be geeks at times, but they’re all great people; all passionate.” He inhaled the fresh air laced with the sweet scent of Jasmine and Plumeria. “All in love with the ocean.” She turned on her side to face him and again beheld his naked masculinity. His eyes were now turned up to the stars in awe. She broke her gaze to look at them, as well.
“They’re so beautiful.”
“Yes, they are. I love it out here. It allows me to think.”
“About what?”
“About how small we are in the universe. And. . .” he trailed off and took a swig from his beer.
“And?”
“And how pathetically underdeveloped and savage our civilization must look to other intelligent life.”
She took a long sip of her cocktail from her straw.
“You believe in that? Intelligent life?”
“You don’t?” he asked abruptly, as if the question hit a nerve. “You think in all the billions of years of celestial existence; of all the billions of stars, planets and galaxies out there; this is the best the universe can produce? A planet divided and ruled by the greed and prejudice of the rich?”
“You’ve mentioned that in your books and articles, how you hate the rich.”
“I don’t hate them; I despise them.”
“You despise them?”
“I despise those who have so much wealth, yet do nothing to help the impoverished or the weak. I despise those who actively seek to destroy average citizens in order to expand their own wealth. I especially despise politicians who stroke the cocks of Wall Street bankers, billionaires, and corporate CEOs to get their financial backing.” He looked at her sternly. “That’s what you fight for, Lieutenant.” He shook his head. “That’s what you represent when you wear that uniform—a nation built on greed and paybacks lead by a Congress who don’t give a shit about the country.”
“That’s not what I fight for,” Kira answered defensively. Salas lifted his eyebrows incredulously.
“Oh yeah? So, tell me why you wear the uniform.”
“Because I couldn’t have finished college any other way. ROTC was the only way I could afford it. Plus—”
“And you know why that is, don’t you?” he intercepted. “Because educational benefits, scholarships and grants were cut by state governors looking to give themselves and the rich more tax cuts. They first started firing teachers, then raised tuition by as much as 35 percent, then the banks raised interest rates on student loans, making it almost impossible for students to attend college, let alone finish it with massive debt. And who made all this possible? Those wealthy governors who don’t give a shit about students, teachers or the working class. Do you know why, Kira? Because education is dangerous to them. People who think, who question, who reason—they will always be dangerous to them. Did you vote in the last election?”
“No. I couldn’t because of ID issues.” He laughed at her answer.
“ID issues! It’s called voter suppression. It’s a tactic to keep minorities, the elderly and students from voting. It’s all crap! The rich own the White House, the Congress, and yes, Lieutenant, the Defense Department.”
She studied his face as he looked away in disgust. Anger and frustration pumped through his veins. But despite his rant, there was something he wasn’t telling her. She stood and walked over to the cooler, retrieved two beers.
“I appreciate your passion,” she said, handing him a bottle. She now sat on the edge of the chair, facing him. “I now understand your disdain for the wealthy and our government, but can you tell me why you despise the Navy so much?”
He winced and closed his eyes, cursing himself for walking into this conversation. She sensed a deep-rooted agony in him, something that was much deeper than the legendary epic battles over naval science. He took a swig and looked at the stars again. He shook his head.
“You don’t want to go there, Kira.”
“You know, I didn’t join the Navy just to finish my degree. I did it to protect the nation, and I’m proud to wear the uniform,” she defended. “I’m proud of the honor, the traditions and the community. I’m especially proud of my field and the people I work for.” He didn’t respond. “Dr. Salas, you may be justified and proud of having the worst reputation
