CHAPTER 6: ARRIVAL AT THE MOON BASE EDEN

MOON BASE EDEN

MARE ORIENTALE BASIN

WESTERN FRINGE OF THE LIGHT SIDE ON THE MOON

Formed in the moons infancy, the Mare Orientale was formed by the impact of a massive meteor. In satellite images and from the surface of earth it looked like a giant bullseye with three distinct rings. Built in the upper center of the inner ring was EDEN.

Fully six square miles, the sprawling base was home to nearly eight thousand men, women and children; Scientists, teachers, researchers all of them occupied positions on EDEN, which they now called home. Martin was always in awe on the approach to EDEN. Hed seen it several dozens times before, but it never ceased to inspire him to look upon what man could accomplish. He could see the transport tunnels with the tram trains as they raced at over two hundred miles an hour between the huge sections of the base.

EDEN was split into half a dozen clusters of domes and buildings, built in a pseudo circular pattern. Almost everyone worked in the huge center clusters which housed almost all of the research companies and their labs as well as the assorted foreign government embassies and compounds. The living clusters were nearly as large, and the furthest from the center as to provide some semblance of normalcy. The other four clusters housed the other needs of the city sized base to include schools, stores, restaurants and all the necessities of normal life.

Martin was in command of not only his sixty-four member SEAL Team, but also EDENs internal security force of ninety three men and women. Martin watched as Ben brought RAPTOR TWO in low over the docking cluster. He could make out three of EDENs remaining fourteen RAPTOR's on their respective landing pads. Further out on the docking ring were the two of the massive Mark Nine personnel transports. Each was capable of moving nearly 2000 men and women at a time off EDEN in case of emergency. Another four similar craft were on 24 hour standby at the base in Utah.

Ben brought his ship in and spilled power just as he was touching down. Everyone on board felt the landing gear set onto the docking pad and the engines begin powering down. Ben turned to his panel and hit a switch.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to welcome you to EDEN. Please allow the medical personnel to move the injured off before you begin to disembark. Everyone will need to file through Decontamination, so there is really no reason to rush. I do apologize for the rough few minutes we had, but thank you for flying RAPTOR air. As I stated when we departed earth, any and all complaints should be directed to Commander Martin Hunter. And thank you again for flying RAPTOR Air."

Martin shook his head as he got to his feet and looked at Ben. "I can always count on you Ben". He said.

Ben and Tina chuckled as they continued their post flight shutdown of all systems. Martin grabbed his shoulder bag and made his way aft of the cockpit. He could see the men and women filing orderly out of the two entrances and into separate decontamination centers. There was one for civilians and one for military personnel. Martin didn't hurry as he filed off the jumpship and soon he entered the brightly lit and large decon room. The military personnel had begun to line up in rows as Martin entered. Anja waited by the door and came up to him immediately.

"Was it necessary to separate me from Kevin?" She asked. Her tone was more respectful, but Martin could detect the anger in her words.

"I don't make the regulations Commander. All military personnel are to go through a separate decon unit." Martin explained.

"May I ask why?"

Martin looked at her. Her green eyes were bright and ever so beautiful. "You'll find out soon enough.

Martin brushed past her and moved to the front of the room where he set his bag on a conveyor belt. He turned to the gathered men and women, "If I could have your attention please." He waited until the voices quieted and all eyes turned to him." The decon room holds twenty at a time. You will go through from lowest rank to highest since most of you are techs and you need to report to your stations immediately. Once inside the room, please remove all your clothing and pass them through the individual containment cylinders. Your clothes will be decontaminated and you can retrieve them upon exiting the chamber. What this chamber does is remove any bacteria that any of us might have brought from earth. The process is quick, and quite painless, but you will get a quick shower and blow dry. All those above the rank of Lieutenant will go though the chamber last with me. Please place all your bags and other equipment onto the belt here and you can pick them up on the other side. The first twenty may proceed into the chamber."

Martin turned and went to the wall panel as the first twenty personnel made their way into the room." Raptor Three, you copy?"

"Affirmative Two Actual," The voice answered immediately.

The chief sent ahead some tag requests. "Has that been accomplished?"

"Tags are in place and singing Skipper. Welcome back". The voice replied."I want someone monitoring our birds 24/7 Three."

"Already dialed in Skipper," The answer came.

Martin saw Anja come up next to him out of the corner of his eye. He didn't look at her and continued to talk. Very well; keep me apprised of the situation and advised if needed, Two Actual out. He turned to Anja. What is it now Commander?

I wasn't aware of the decontamination procedures. She spoke.

"Standard procedure for all flights arriving from earth Anja, He told her. "That is in the packets passed out to all personnel. Perhaps you should read more than the first page. Martin answered.

The females are not separated from the men? She asked.

Martin shook his head. That would require too much time and effort on my part. Besides, we've been an integrated military for near a hundred years now. No one is going to care what you or I look like. They are too tired.

"That still does not address the need to have separated decon units for men and women. You need"

Martin held out the electronic pad to her." Here."

Anja took the pad. "Whats this for?"

"File your recommendations and I'll run them past the Admiral. Other than that you are shit out of luck. This procedure is approved, and of the thousands of women that have passed through this chamber you are the first to have made an issue of it". Martin shook his head and brushed past her. He stopped a few feet away and turned back. "And Commander…?"

Anja turned to look at him, her eyes flashing with anger, "Yes, sir!" She snapped, contempt dripping from her words.

"Make sure the recommendation is in the proper format. "Martin turned away and moved up next to where the Master Chief stood a very large grin on his face.

"Asshole" , Anja muttered under her breath.

"That he is". The female voice behind her said softly. Anja turned quickly to face the young blond woman. Her hair was short and she wore the uniform of one of Martins SEALs with the rank of Lieutenant Commander." But he's the asshole that you want backing you up when your sorry ass is hanging out in the fire. Remember that. You might need it someday. And while you may think you are all that honey, Ive seen and had better than you."

Anja blushed red as the young woman pushed past her and headed for the decon room already pulling her fatigue shirt off.

Anja Peterson was used to being among people who considered her to be a cut above the rest because of her beauty and position. When they looked at her, they saw a confident woman with the looks to make men melt, and the intelligence to get things done. She did not get that sense from the men and women present in the decon room, standing among them completely naked, her body exposed for nine pairs of eyes to see, not one of them looked in her direction even briefly. They chatted amongst themselves as if she didn't even exist. Anja knew she was beautiful, and she kept her figure in excellent shape with martial arts and regular workouts. Her breasts were high and firm and easily a 36C cup, topped by quarter sized nipples that were upturned and looking for attention. Her abdomen was flat and lean, with some muscle definition showing. Her hips were slim and accented what many called her best feature, which was her tight firm ass. Her abdomen sloped down to the small landing strip of soft red hair she had above the entrance to her center. Her thighs were muscular to a degree and fit perfectly on her long legs. Some had referred to her as a Greek Goddess when it came to her looks and body, and she had used that to her advantage over the years. Among these five men and three women, she actually felt inferior.

The young blond woman that had commented to her had a body hardened by battle and constant action. Her breasts were also quite firm, though not as large, with strong thighs and legs. Though she was obviously a natural blond, there was no hair between her thighs, and none anywhere else on her body except for her head. Looking at the others in the room, all genomes, they shared the same trait as her. She had been surprised at first that Martin had no pubic hair, but quickly grew accustom to it, and now she realized it must have been the same for all the genomes. The other two women, a short brunette and very tall black woman, it was the same, muscular firm bodies, but the only hair was on their heads. The men, to include Martin and the enormous Master Chief that was always at his side it seemed, were all heavily muscled, but not in any overdone way. They all looked in the epitome of physical condition. She noticed scars on all of the men and women present, and even a very large scar along Martins lower back that had not been there during their night together.

There was no sexual innuendos made among the men and women, and not one of them even glanced at her. These men and women were hard professionals, and they held too much respect for each other to behave in that manner. Were there relationships among the genomes? She was certain of that. Men and women, even genetically enhanced men and women still had the same urges. Yet these men and women would not openly show it to anyone they considered an outsider.

And Anja was very much an outsider, even though she wore the same Navy SEAL trident on her breast. Anja had killed before, but it had always been deliberate and planned out. She had never seen combat in the same way as the men and women in this room, and for that she was not considered an equal to them.

For the first time in the four months since she discovered she had this mission, she began to doubt her ability to pull off what the senator wanted from her.