Trog of The Space Patrol!

A prequel to 'The Mongoring of Earth!'

    

"Mmm, Suck-Headed Pallomium Dogs!" They were making Dallow Trog's mouth

water. So much better than the non-suck variety! he thought to himself. He    

took them out of the frying pan, smothered them in whoola sauce, and attacked

his plate with a vengeance. He ignored the accusing dead eyes staring back at him from the plate, and gulped until there was nothing but an empty plate staring back at him. He needed to hurry, as he didn't want to be late for his first day as a newly-minted lieutenant in The Porkovian Space Patrol. He had already showered, and put on his uniform with the new triangles sewed onto the sleeve, and shut the door behind him. He headed for the Gravitron Station, and boarded once he arrived. He settled in to the first empty seat he found, laid his head back, and closed his eyes. He'd nap on the thirty-five minute ride into Blaskergad. The thousand-mile trip seemed to get shorter every year. It used to take well over an hour, but with all the improvements made to Gravitron technology, it was a lot quicker now.

"Hey, mister, whatcha are you doing?"

Dallow started and slammed his eyes open from his sound sleep. He glanced around in confusion, and briefly wondered where he was, before remembering.

"Wwhhaatt? I'm sorry, were you talking to me?" 

"I said, whatcha doing?" said the about eight year old boy looking at him.

Trying to sleep, you little taka! he felt like answering, but replied only, "Oh, nothing."

"I'm on my way to the big city with my parents."

Wow, good for you! he thought, "Oh, I hope you have fun."

"I've never taken a Gravatron ride!"

Whoopty-fricking-do!  "Oh yeah? Pretty fast, isn't she?"

"Yeah! I like to go fast!"

Then get away from me quick! "Then you came to the righ--"

"Junior, are you bothering the lieutenant?"

Trog swiveled his head around,

A man, obviously the kid's father, was coming up the aisle.

"Naw, he likes me, don'tcha mister?"

Oh, yeah! Not the word I'd use, but... "Oh, I was just telling--err--I never caught your name, kid?"

"Bilderdash Kravenor," the kid answered.

"Ah, I was telling Bilderdash here that this Gravatron sure goes fast!"

"Yeah, Dad!"

"Oh, well, as long as he wasn't bothering you."

"Oh no, I needed to wake up anyway," he replied without thinking.

"So, Bilderdash, you were bothering this poor man! How many times do I have to tell you? I'll deal with your crek later."

"No, Dad, I wasn't doing anything!" and with those words, the glowering father started towards the boy with his hand raised, and the kid took off running, screaming, "No, Dad, don't spank me again--I wasn't doing anything wrong!"

Dallow tried to remedy the situation, "Sir, he wasn't bother--"

Mr. Kravenor whirled around, and angrily spat, "Then why did you say he woke you up? He either did, or he didn't. Which is it?"

Oh, no--"He didn't really wake me up, not really."

"Are you telling me you're a liar?"

Great!  "Ah, no, not at all. Yes, I had been napping, but I was already awake when your boy started talking to me," he lied.

The angry-looking father eyed him suspiciously, and replied, "Yeah, whatever," and stomped back up the aisle. Man!

******

Trog arrived at Porkovian Space Patrol headquarters a little freaked out by the

encounter with the angry guy on the Gravitron, and briefly wondered about the kid. With a father like that, it had to be rough. He couldn't imagine having to grow up under those circumstances. His own father had been cool! Oh well, better shake it off, he needed to be completely focused on being a lieutenant. He knocked on Captain Laruvian's door, and, after hearing, "Come!" he walked in."

"Ah, you must be Lieutenant Trog, welcome!"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Well, let's get you settled before we throw you into the fire. If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your locker, and you can drop off your civvies."

"Yes, Sir.."

They walked down the hallway, and passed an open door.

"This is where you'll receive your training."

There were guys in protective suits being shoved into a roaring blaze. Behind them, a guy was yelling, "This, gentleman, is what it's going to be like in battle, so get used to it--you'll need to keep your head."

Trog was taken aback, "I though you were just using that as a way of describing all my new responsibilities."

"Nope--we believe in actual courage in the fire."

They continued down the hallway, until they came to the locker room. There was one other guy at his locker, and as he turned, Captain Laruvian made the introductions, "This is another new Lieutenant, Balibar Kravenor--This is Lieutenant Trog, Kravenor."

Oh boy, was he a relative of the dick on the train? Probably, because the dick had known he was a lieutenant. Great!