Page 3 of Breedable Boys from Outer Space
Colonel Davies shook his head. “No, lieutenant. My orders were clear. Gay men only—of any rank under my command—and single.”
A moment of silence.
Colonel Davies cleared his throat. “You will all depart at oh-five-hundred. A vehicle will take you to the air base. They didn’t indicate how long you would be there, so pack for three days away. Further orders will be given as needed once you reach D.C. Any questions?”
“No, sir,” I replied in chorus with the others.
He stared at us for several seconds, then nodded. “Dismissed.”
Chapter 2
Even in the pre-dawn light, it was clear that whatever was going on was bigger than I’d thought. Several dozen people mingled on the tarmac as our vehicle approached, wearing uniforms from every branch of the armed forces.
A man from the Coast Guard approached as we got out of the vehicle. “Do you know what’s going on?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No. All we were told is that we’re headed to D.C. because we’re single and gay.”
He frowned. “That’s what I was told too. Everybody else has the same story.”
“Apparently we don’t ‘need to know’ until we get there,” Edwards stated.
A lieutenant—whose name I hadn’t caught—snorted. “You can say that again.”
A few more vehicles arrived, then we were all ordered to stand clear as a transport plane taxied toward us.
We loaded in, and I saw that there were already several other soldiers inside.
We’d just taken off when somebody at the front called for attention.
“We’ve got one more stop to pick up more men,” the man declared. “Then we’ll proceed to D.C. Once we arrive, you’ll be taken directly to an undisclosed location for the briefing.”
We acknowledged the information, then I settled in for the flight.
People chattered around me, but I tuned them out rather than engage in speculation. Instead, I focused on what I would need to do when I returned to base: one vehicle needed a transmission fluid flush, another new brakes. There would likely be several other tasks ready upon my return as well.
It wasn’t glamorous work, but being a mechanic was what I wanted to do. I’d been tinkering with and fixing cars since I was little, and it was a skill I could use in the Army as well as any other place. I could put in my years and have plenty of experience when I decided to leave the service.
By the time we landed in D.C., I had made a list in my head of the various vehicles that were due for regular maintenance, and which could be put off to allow me to catch up.
Busses were lined up as we exited the plane, far more than needed for just us. I spotted another transport touch down, and it started to sink in how many people had been summoned.
Why only gay men?
I followed Edwards onto the nearest bus, noticing his scowl.
“You ok?” I asked, sitting next to him.
“Did you see how many busses were out there?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“There were enough to carry around six hundred men, and the ground crews said that we weren’t the first to arrive.”
“Really?”
His scowl deepened. “Whatever this is, it’s a big fucking deal for being need-to-know.”
“They pulled it together fast, too,” I mused. “All branches with no notice?”
