The Lost Star's Sea

by C. Litka

  03

  All was not smooth sailing, however.

  With the exception of Scholar PinTin and his two students, who had cabins in the ship proper, the other expedition personnel had their own quarters in #3 hold. The hold was well lit by thick glass skylights set in the upper deck and ventilators channeled fresh air down into the hold, so it could be made into a fairly cozy space. In weightless conditions you can get by building rather scantily. Quarters for the expedition consisted of 18 large, prefab boxes, that were stacked three high along two sides of the hold which left a large, open center space as a commons area. The six lower units were used as utility, sanitary, and storage rooms, while the 12 above were crew cabins reached by light ladders. ValDare and DeRaze had their suite of cabins and offices in the hold, and the photographer had an editing room. The center common room was set up as a lounge, with chairs and tables for meals and cards. While the expedition crew generally took their main meal in the ship's mess room, they had brought along a food supply of their own to supplement shipboard fare. (ValDare, as the son of one of the line's directors, was likely familiar with shipboard fare.) The expedition supplies also included alcoholic beverages, which are not available aboard the ship proper. The expedition crew invited off duty crew members to use the expedition's spacious commons room - for company and extra hands for the round after round of card games that occupied their free time. The two crews got along quite well, though Hissi refused to play cards with the dragon hunters or visit their quarters.

  My first engineer, DosKe, had become a regular visitor to their quarters for their card games and generous supply of drink. As long as he showed up for his watch sober or even hungover, I decided to turn a blind eye to his unauthorized drinking. It's not like I could dismiss him anytime soon, so I'd have to pretty much bear it, and him, as well. However, a dozen rounds after the Halfway Islands, he turned up stumbling drunk for his watch - I decided that I could no longer ignore it. I ordered him back to his cabin, stood his watch, and when relieved by BayLi, I took myself to their quarters to have a talk with ValDare and DeRaze.

  I dropped down along the long ladder to the hold's deck.

  'Hello, Chief!' exclaimed ValDare looking up from an easy chair in the small lounge area. 'What brings you to our luxurious quarters. You're a rather rare visitor.'

  'Putting your launches together again has kept me rather busy. I'm here now to make a request.'

  'I promise we'll steer clear of giant dragons,' laughed ValDare.

  'Good. I also want DeRaze's promise as well. But that's not why I'm here.'

  'Fire away, then.'

  'DosKe turned up too drunk to stand his watch. I'm afraid that I can't tolerate that, as I'm sure you can understand. I can't send him ashore at the next port - not any time soon, anyway, so I'm stuck with him. I need him sober, and so I'd appreciate it if you and your crew do not supply him with any more drink. None at all. Not here or anywhere on board. You're likely the only source of liquor on board - with enough to spare to get DosKe drunk - so if he shows up drunk again I'll know who to blame.'

  'Ah, yes, Chief. I believe he may have overdone it a little the last time he was down here. Usually he's pretty careful...'

  'It was a lot. And I don't care to take chances. I don't want a drunk running my engines. And I don't believe he's to be trusted not to get drunk again. So he's cut off. I'm going to make your quarters off limits to him, and I want you to know that. He's not to be hanging out down here, liquor or no liquor. He's no longer a member of this club. And if he makes a fuss, call me. Do we have an understanding?'

  'Captain's orders?'

  'Right now it's just between you and me. I'd rather keep this in-house. But if I find him drunk again, I'll take the matter up with the Captain. And if you or your crew are not to be trusted to follow the ship's rules, I'd have a talk with the Captain about your liquor privileges as well.'

  'That's being rather harsh, Chief. We're passengers, not crew, you know.'

  'Sorry, I don't appreciate standing double watches. As for being passengers, you know as well as I do that passengers and crew don't mix socially aboard ship. I don't think you'd want to be confined to these quarters. This is a rather small ship to make that distinction, but I'll not have my engine room - or any other shipboard function compromised by unauthorized drinking.'

  'Are you making the rules, Chief?'

  'I'm enforcing the rules for my crew. I suspect that your cousin would be equally displeased to find any of her deck crew drunk on duty as well. If you want, however, we can take the matter to the Captain.'

  He dismissed that with a wave. 'Point taken.'

  'Right. I'm going to be talking to DosKe shortly and hopefully he'll stay clear of you on his own. But if not, just tell me and I'll deal with him.'

  'Whatever you say, Chief. We were just being social. It is rather boring being trapped on this little ship, round after round. It's just a way of passing the time.'

  'Aye, I understand. But I'd advise you to be very careful. I don't know who else may be abusing your hospitality, but I doubt that the Captain misses much, if anything.'

  'Right you are, Chief. We'll be more careful going forward. Thanks for not bringing Tara into this. We do want to keep everything pleasant...'

  I nodded and turned to go, catching a smirk of DeRaze's face that he didn't bother to hide. I didn't like him much, so that changed nothing.

  I had a talk with a hungover DosKe, informing him that ValDare's quarters were now off limits and if I found him there again, drunk or not, I'd take the matter to the captain. He was sullen and unresponsive. But then, he was always sullen and unresponsive even when not hungover.

  He stayed sober, sullen and mostly unresponsive the rest of the voyage.

  Chapter 28 The Shadow Sea