Archie walked Alistair through the lower decks of the HMS Britannia. Checking the time on his fob watch, he jangled, having taken to again wearing his dog tags; the three photos had been framed and were now beside his bed in their new quarters. Both Archie and Alistair had done a lot of explaining and listening and promised each other there would be no more secrets; Archie seemed revitalised and relieved, the burden of secrecy removed from his weary frame.
Alistair was getting used to life aboard the HMS Britannia and he followed his grandfather, floating along on a brand new Red Special - a thank you gift from the Tommies - with Balderick perched upon the kicktail. Of course, school would begin soon and all those nerve-wracking things like starting at a new school, meeting new teachers and making new friends were upon him. Somehow, Alistair rationalised he would be fine.
Archie coughed.
"So lad, why didn't you ever tell me you enjoyed classical music?"
Alistair didn't have an answer, finding it odd, and slightly annoying, the old man liked the same music that he did.
"When I was your age, I thought I knew everything too," Archie admitted as Alistair skidded to a halt, hovering over his position. "It's taken me a lifetime to realise my father and grand-father were just the same. Your dad was no different."
"Oh don't worry pop, if there's something you've forgotten, then Delilah's filled me in."
"Really?" Archie replied with a smug chuckle. "Delilah told you everything?"
Alistair looked at Balderick and then back at his grandfather and nodded.
"Yeah."
"Did she tell you all about the other Lion's Guards?"
"Not quite," Alistair confessed.
"What about the Ghost Station Network? Surely she told you about them? Yes, yes...though I suppose if Delilah told you everything, I'm guessing she told you all about my Blitz Cloudskimmer?"
"Ummm..." Alistair said. "What's a Blitz Cloudskimmer?"
Archie held up his library card.
"The Information Society? Oh...it's of no importance. Something that exciting, surely Delilah would mention that?"
"Maybe she forgot?"
"Maybe. Did Delilah also neglect to tell you about where I was stationed during the Water Wars? Or how my old mate and I found the Army of Ice? Do you know anything about the Panda Warriors?"
Archie didn't let up.
"Or Vienna?"
"Vienna?" Alistair responded. "No, that means nothing to me."
"I guess you got the abridged version then," Archie said, leaning in and whispering in the boy's ear. "Because I never told Delilah everything."
Alistair felt about two inches tall.
"Pop, you know for someone who supposedly worked behind a desk during the Civil War, you seem to have an awful lot of secrets."
Archie clicked his tongue.
"Lad, you don't know pineapples from pineapple juice."
Alistair remained steadfastly dumfounded.
"Oh well, since you seem to know everything, I guess there's no need for me to tell you anything," Archie sighed as he slapped his hand on a button and the doorway fizzed open. "Yes, the Knights of the Round Table can wait for another day, my once and future king."
"Wait a second..." Alistair appealed but it was too late.
"Some handy words of advice, Alistair: be prepared. But you should already know all about that!"
Archie politely waved his hand, ushering Alistair in to the Drill Room where a butch man stood before him with arms crossed over a chest full of campaign badges, casually tapping the toe of his thick soled, black boot. Alistair gulped and didn't like the disdainful glint in the tutor's eye.
"Good luck," Archie offered, closing the door.
The tutor depixalated then reappeared behind Alistair, spooking both the boy and Balderick. The raven squawked and launched up, flying around the room in panicked figures of 8. This new drill instructor placed his hand in the small of Alistair's back and pitched him over on to his bum then swatted away a dive-bombing Balderick.
"Oh for Gawd's sake," the computer tutor grumbled. "You have the reflexes of a slug. Have you been trained by an old man?"
Alistair pushed himself up, jumping to his feet and shot the new trainer a dirty look.
"The Brigadier V2.0 trained me," Alistair retaliated.
"Ah yes, I should have known, a geriatric V2.0 program," the drill instructor sighed nostalgically before he chortled, scratching his knobby chin. "You'll find that there have been many advances since that relic drilled recruits on the basics."
"That relic saved my life," Alistair half-snarled defensively.
"Is that so? I didn't even think they'd saved his domain!"
"Why you..." Alistair spat.
"Silence," the program ordered, clicking his fingers and Alistair came to attention. "I am the Brigadier V7.0. You'll notice a lot of changes," the program boasted.
"However, the one thing that hasn't changed," the training program mentioned, as he flipped Alistair base over apex, "is my ability to kick your arse."
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