Pursue the Past: Samair in Argos: Book 1

by Michael Kotcher

  "Well, you and I will be spending a great deal of time together."

  [I would like that.]

  She chuckled. "Yes, so would I." She considered. "As you continue to progress, I'm going to start increasing your crew interactions. You'll be observing them through me for a while, but eventually, and probably soon, I'll start introducing you to people."

  [What will they think?]

  Tamara bobbed her head to one side, but a small smile still touched her lips. "To be honest, I'm not certain. I think I few, like Ka'Xarian, would be willing to meet you right now. But I think I need to give you a bit longer to grow before I truly introduce you to him. But I think he might be the most receptive. I'll trickle in more people and then eventually, everyone."

  [I find this to be a pleasing conversation. I look forward to working with these people.]

  "That's excellent. We're going to move a bit slowly at first. While you might be able to adapt to these people quickly, they've probably not seen anyone like you before. It may take them longer to adjust."

  [I understand. My processing capacity is quite low. I am only able to slowly grow and adapt with the space available.]

  "We're working on that, but I have to inform you there are other, higher, priorities at the moment then upgrading and increasing the ship's computer processing ability. It is something that will be addressed, but there are only so many workers and resources and we have to prioritize."

  [Of course. That makes sense. Thank you for the warning.]

  Tamara smiled. "You're my friend, my creation. I didn't want you to think that I didn't care."

  [You brought me into existence, Tamara. Why would I think that?]

  She snorted. "I guess I'm used to a more... organic way of thinking. Some of us are grateful for being brought into the world, but aren't necessarily happy about choices that others made concerning our own fates."

  [I will think on this.]

  "Please do so. If you have any questions, store them until we're alone together like this, okay? As I said, for now you're only going to be an observer, but I want to answer your questions if I can."

  [Thank you. I will.]

  The hatch alert chimed. She cleared the program from her datapad's screen, though it continued running on the ship's computer. "Yes?" The hatch opened and the Captain stepped inside, closing it again behind him. "And the Captain enters my cabin. Should I be pleased, or does this portend doom?"

  "So ominous," he commented dryly.

  She nodded. "Unexpected arrivals by command personnel usually are, in my experience. So how can I help you today, Captain?"

  He walked around her and sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his dark-skinned hands together. "What happened with Quesh?"

  His statement was so bold and brutally direct that she started, as though he had slapped her. "We got into an argument that got out of control. It was over an offhand comment I made that had no insult intended, he took it the wrong way and I escalated. I'm sorry. I'll stay out of his way for a while."

  The commander of the Grania Estelle sighed heavily. "Normally I would agree that is the best course of action, but I'm afraid it's one we can't entertain at the moment. We've got some unexpected arrivals in-system and we can't hang around here for weeks waiting for you both to cool off over the incident."

  She straightened, setting the datapad down on the small table. "What kind of unexpected visitors?"

  He shrugged. "All the new sensors are telling us is that it's a pair of hyper footprints, heading in this direction. They're moving at a decent clip, but not at a pursuit or intercept speed. I think either they don't care about us, or haven't seen us yet. Those new gravitic and neutrino sensors are really quite excellent."

  Tamara smiled. "Well, I didn't want a repeat of what happened last time. Though to be fair, having amazing sensors last time wouldn't have helped. We got hit just as we dropped out of hyperspace."

  "True. But, the Chief tells me that in the time we've got, the hyperdrive can get back on line, though it's going to be bare minimum. Red level two."

  Tamara winced, but nodded. "That's about a week's amount of work right there."

  "That's all the time we have really. We need to be up and out of here and at the hyper limit in a week. I'm having Taja working on getting more stores because we're going to be in hyper for a long time, and I'm also going to speak with Consul Farris about hiring a few people."

  She nodded again. "How many people? I assume not enough to fill all the holes in the watch sections?"

  He shook his head. "Most of the people down on Instow have never been on ships and have only a passing familiarity with engineering practices. A great number of them are farmers and fishermen. Great for one of our purposes, but lousy for crewing the ship. Still, we need warm bodies and if they're interesting in hiring on, I'm hoping we can train them up a bit. Make proper spacers out of them."

  She eyed him. "It's not as easy as that you know. Some of the engineering 'practices' as you put them take a fair amount of training and study. On the job stuff is fine for some of the easier things and we can work on safety procedures, but working on more complex systems like shields and hyperdrives takes specialized training, and lots of knowledge and understanding of complex mathematics."

  He nodded in agreement. "I know, but I think, and Quesh agrees, that if we can lighten the burden on some of the more routine things that would open up the better trained crew to tackle the bigger problems."

  "You have a point there. How many are you thinking?" she asked again.

  "Probably an even fifteen. Two for bridge crew and deck, two for cargo, and the rest for engineering. Eleven new faces and newbies is a lot, I know, but we need the bodies."

  "I wish you weren't right about that, but you are. With all the work we've been doing with upgrades and damage repair the tech crews are dead on their feet."

  "Which brings me back to the main reason I came in here," the Captain said, his tone growing more serious. It wasn't as though his tone was jocular before. "I know you and Quesh have been having issues. I know the blowup in the Engine Room was probably just blowing off stress and it got out of hand. But that has to stop. I need him, Moxie. He's my Chief Engineer and he's very good at his job." He held up a hand to forestall a comment from her. "And that's just it. He is the Chief. You've been a tremendous asset to my ship and operations here, and I thank you for all you've done. But I need you too. You've got that specialized training and access you spoke about earlier. You know tricks and techniques that Quesh doesn't. So what I'm saying is, you two need to work it out and get my ship back in order. I don't care if you don't like each other, you will work together and you will get the drives up and running. Don't bring me personal problems between the two of you. Work them out. You and him. I've spoken to him too, so don't feel singled out." He stood. "That's all I had to say."

  She gaped at him, then closed her jaw with a click. "And if I decide I can't?" She knew she could try, though there were a lot of ruffled feathers.

  He smiled at her, that same uncaring, dangerous smile she'd seen once before. "You will." It wasn't a statement of encouragement. It wasn't said in a tone that implied confidence. It was a pair of words strung together in a command tone, one that demanded respect and obedience. Without another word, he strode to the hatch and opened it. Looking back at her, because she had turned to follow, he gestured that she should leave her cabin.

  Tamara went straight to replicator one. Checking the parts list already in progress, she saw that in another hour the last part on the hyperdrive list would be completed. A quick check of her datapad indicated that at this time, Grania Estelle had only two functioning shield generator nodes and no more had so far been replicated. Installing and calibrating the hyperdrive, even for bare minimum operation would be a bitch, she knew, but the shield nodes were important, critical, for faster than light travel. She updated the list to include parts for two more nodes, which would be finished with just enough time to get them installed a
nd integrated with the others.

  With a sigh, she left Replicator One and walked to the engineering spaces. Upon entering, she could see the Chief directing a group of his exhausted looking techs in getting the hyperdrive computer programs ready to accept the new parts. The hyperdrive had been gutted days before, so it was really just a job of getting the new drive installed and then linked into the ship's computers, but that was a big job in itself. After a second of her standing in the hatchway, one of the techs gestured and the Chief turned to her. He scowled, but quickly covered it with a blank mask.

  "Finish this subroutine," he told the tech and then walked over to her. "Ms. Samair. Good to see you. I saw the replicator build routines were updated with shield node parts."

  "Yes, Chief," she said, her voice just as stiff as his. "It's going to be tight, but I think we can get two more nodes operational before we jump."

  He nodded. "Good. I'll have Ka'Xarian and his team work on the shields while you and I tackle the hyperdrive."

  It was her turn to nod. "Sounds good, Chief. Where do you need me to start?"

  "Get with your team. Mairi said they're ready. You’re going to be in the crew with me working on installation, so we’re going to start at the most internal point and build outward. Oh, and the Captain said something about hiring on new crew."

  "He mentioned it to me as well. Eleven or so. Probably without a whole lot of experience." Tamara tried to keep the resignation out of her voice.

  "Very little worse than a cocky kid who thinks he knows one end of a spanner from the other," the Chief commiserated, in what was probably the first joke they'd shared since they'd entered the Instow system.

  Her own granite facade cracked too, and a tiny smile curled the edge of her lips. "Between you, Ka'Xarian and, if you'll have me, me, I think we can get them into shape in short order."

  Quesh nodded, his expression lightening a few shades. "Yes, Samair, I believe we can."

  Captain Eamonn stood in the Agron Town Center, which was a large, enclosed building the people of Agron used for large events, gatherings, religious services, and for any reason to get together in big groups. He had petitioned the consul to be able to hire people, though he'd kept his number to fifteen and the consul had agreed. They'd posted the employment opportunities sign there and within a few hours, more than two hundred people had applied.

  He was in the process of winnowing out the candidates. Three had a decent background in fixing things, which he immediately snapped up. One had some experience in the trading side, Taja recommended that he be hired. One other was a small craft pilot, though she had only flown aircars and the like. Since the ship's primary shuttle pilot had been killed when the boat bay was depressurized in the initial attack, the Captain was happy to get her. The others were eager, but had very little experience and none of it in space.

  He brought them all together, standing in a long line in the room, staring forward. In a moment of brilliance, the Captain had invited Corajen to be part of the hiring process, she had gone through all of their files and looked each one over as he interviewed them. This was a nerve wracking experience for most of them, as the lupusan turned up her intimidation factor. A few of the prospective candidates excused themselves and dropped out of the running as soon as they saw her. The Captain didn't mind. He needed people that could deal with working with her and others. The deep dark was a dangerous place, as recent events underscored. He wasn't looking to hire on warriors and the like, but he wanted crew with a little steel in their spines.

  Now, he stood before them, his security officer radiating pure menace behind him. "You fifteen have been chosen to join the crew of the Grania Estelle. I'm glad to have you. Now, please understand this." At this, his own voice dropped a few degrees of temperature, and all the newbies felt a bit of a chill. "You've signed the Articles. You are crew. The deep dark is no picnic, as you'll find out as you speak to the rest of the crew. The Grania Estelle isn't a pleasure yacht, she's a bulk cargo hauler. She's also seen some better days, underscored by the damage we took in fighting pirates in this very system only a few weeks past. You all are going to be worked and worked hard. I have no room for layabouts or slackers in my crew."

  "A lot of you think you have a great deal of skill. That's good. I like confidence in my crew. Understand this. Every single one of you is going to be treated as though you are the greenest newbie imaginable until my section leaders decide you do in fact, know anything. Initiative is good and encouraged. You, however, will check with your division leaders before you try anything. I don't want any serious problems, because we're going to be shipping out by the end of the day."

  He paused, looking over the now slightly less confident crop of spacers. For they were spacers now. Corajen began to stalk up and down the line, walking behind them all and more than a few got very nervous as she did. No one broke, no one ran. He nodded in satisfaction. "As you all know, the young lady walking behind you is Corajen, my chief of security. She is a lupusan and she is very good at her job. There is one thing that all of you need to understand and on this I will not waver. The Grania Estelle is equipped with two industrial replicators, both of which are seeing heavy use. Not a single one of you will touch those devices for any reason. I don't care what you think you know. I don't care what Chief Trrgoth thinks of you, though I can guarantee he isn't going to be terribly impressed. I don't care how smart you think you are in working computers and engineering equipment. No unauthorized access to those machines is allowed. It is incredibly easy to break them and they are critical to ship's function. So if the replicators have any issues, and I find out it was any of you, Corajen here is going to be paying you a visit." On cue, she growled, causing them all to jump. She winked to the Captain where they couldn't see.

  He nodded. The captain's gaze went down the line of his new crew, making sure that he took in each face, knowing that all of them were looking at him with nervous intensity. "Now, you follow the rules, you work hard, and we will get along fine. The crew shares have been dropping in recent months due to declining conditions aboard the ship. However, I think that things are changing now and all of you will be a part of that. So, collect your gear and get on the shuttle. We're heading up to the ship in fifteen minutes." With that, he gave them all one more nod and then walked out, heading for the landing pad, putting on a breather mask as he did so since the landing area wasn't enclosed.

  "Well, what are you all standing around for?" Corajen barked. "Move!" Everyone jumped in fright at her sudden exclamation and they, very quickly, moved.

  Tamara faced her team still consisting of Mairi, Pip, Rory and now three new people, Paidric Rafferty, Igraine Lora and Victor Standing. The four of them had brought the new, scared looking Instows over with them before getting ready to work on the hyperdrive. Tamara wanted to make a quick evaluation before they dug in, and she knew this would have to be fast. The clock was ticking and those ships weren’t slowing their approach any. Only a few days before they got here.

  “I’m Tamara Samair and Chief Trrgoth says you’re going to be working with us. I’m in charge of this particular team, and these three have worked with me for a little while, so if you have questions, ask. I want you to ask questions. But, I also expect you to be able to learn and apply the information you get because we have a lot of important work to get done and not a lot of time to do it in. So, as I said, ask your questions. We’re going to have a bit of an awkward transitional period while you get used to things aboard ship, and I can’t help that. We’re short on crew and everyone must pull their weight. I would rather you bother me over what turns out to be nothing than not ask and have it turn out to be something. Everyone understand?” The three looked like deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming ground car. “All right, everyone is going to work in pairs. Mairi, you and Igraine, Rory, you and Paidric and Pip…”

  “That leaves me and Victor,” he said with a nod to the new guy. Victor nodded back, trying to keep his face expressionless. He was
only partially successful.

  “Right. Now, let’s get moving.” She gathered up her tools, as did the others, and they moved toward the hover pallets.

  The installation went as fast as possible, but both Tamara and Quesh chafed at the speed. The new ones were being used mostly for fetch and carry duties, as well as helping to lift things and hold them in place while the more experienced would bolt or weld them in place. There wasn’t much time or inclination for talk, as components were wheeled from the replicator bays down to the engineering spaces, hauled off the hover pallets and hooked up. Then it was hours of connections, wires, cables and plugs. Then back to the replicator for more components and the cycles would repeat.

  After eight straight hours of work, Tamara called for a break. They tromped back down to the mess hall and all of them collapsed into chairs around one of the long tables. Igraine and Mairi lay their heads down on the table and within a few moments, Tamara could swear that they were asleep. The others had varying degrees of weariness, but all of them had satisfied looks on their faces.

  Cookie bustled up with a tray of coffee mugs, a smile on his face. “I think you all could use some of this,” he said knowingly, setting the tray down on the table.

  Tamara snatched one of the mugs and brought it up to her face, breathing in the aroma and the steam. “Cookie, you are a god. You know that, right?”

  The man just laughed. “No, I just have a feeling for what my customers want. And what I’m thinking is that you all could use some chow and a long sleep.” Taking the now empty tray, Cookie headed back for the kitchen.

  “We could,” Pip chimed in, sipping his own mug. “But I’m sure the boss here,” he jerked a thumb at Tamara, “will have us back in the salt mines in only a few hours.”

  “Not entirely by choice, Pip,” she said with a smile. “Besides, the work has to get done. We can’t stick around this system forever.”

  “Not with those ships coming this way, we can’t,” Rory said in agreement.