by Nate Johnson
God, how he hated being stuck here waiting. Way too much brass, too many people running around wasting their lives on unimportant things. Planet side was great, but he preferred the brothels and bars of downtown, at least there they were honest about the screwing they were going to give you.
A person broke from the crowd and headed his way. Uh-oh. The Captain was pissed. Erik could see it in his walk across the tarmac. That infamous scowl burned at full strength.
Ship’s coxswain and unofficial bodyguard, Erik Tanner, lowered his head and tried not to smile, relieved to know that scowl wasn’t directed at him.
Slamming his gloves into his hand, the senior military officer looked like he wanted to launch somebody into the sun.
“Get the XO on the line,” he barked at Tanner.
Erik jumped up the stairs into the shuttle and began flipping switches and turning dials to bring up the Intrepid. The Captain could have done it with his personal communicator, but the shuttle’s comms were better.
“Intrepid, this is Intrepid One. Capt’n requests to speak to Commander Tompkins,” the young coxswain said into the console.
“Intrepid One, this is Intrepid. Roger. He’s right here,” the distant watch stander said, as he stepped out of the way for the XO to move onto the screen.
Erik got up and let Captain Freeborn get into the pilot's seat. He looks like he wants to strangle someone, the coxswain thought. Tanner desperately wanted to hang out and listen in, but this probably was one of those times when discretion was the better part of valor, he decided.
Turning, to leave his Commanding Officer some privacy, he started for the exit, but the Captain held his arm and shook his head, indicating he should stay.
“No need, the whole crew is going to know in a minute.”
“Captain?” Commander Tompkins said.
“It’s true Tom, they were serious,” Captain Freeborn said through gritted teeth. “We are now official babysitters. Please have the crew start making preparations. We’ll be another couple of hours, then bring ‘em up.”
The XO’s jaw dropped before he could catch himself. “Yes, Sir,” the second in command said shaking his head in disbelief. “Did they say why?”
The Captain chuckled and said, “Admiral Harris was not in the mood to explain himself. I do believe that he expects us to follow orders, just as he is.”
The XO gasped, everyone knew that only two men could give orders to Admiral Harris. Either Duke Lexington, the Minister of Defense, or the Emperor, himself. Captain Freeborn nodded at the XO’s shocked face and said, “That’s right, and I happen to know that Lexington is on the other side of the Galaxy.”
The XO came to attention, his face a little paler than normal.
“Yes, Sir, we will make all of the necessary preparations. I assume that extra rations will be coming up?”
“Yes, and you’re going to have to find some place to stow it all. Good luck,” the Captain said to the stunned officer.
“Okay, I’ll let you go for now, you’ve got enough to keep you busy. Intrepid One, OUT,” Captain Freeborn said, then reached over and pulled the connection.
He turned to Petty Officer Tanner and shook his head, then laughed at the young man’s shocked expression.
“Not much we can do about it, Tanner. Orders are orders,” he said, looking up at the overhead, as if trying to fathom the idiocy of senior officers. “Go ahead and refigure the trip back for an additional fifteen passengers. I’ve got some errands to run and will return with our young guests in about an hour.
“Yes, Sir,” the young petty officer said, swallowing at the thought of what the Captain had just told the XO. What kind of idiot would do this to a starship, in fact, the best starship? It didn’t make any sense.
Captain Freeborn walked back towards the terminal without another word, leaving Tanner to take care of things.
He started working the computer to adjust times and weights, and wondered if they’d be bringing their bags, or if that stuff would be coming up later. Deciding it was better to be safe, than sorry, he punched in the numbers for every possible scenario he could think of.
Making another sweep of the gig, he made sure everything was in place and ready. A sense of pride washed over him, as he placed each seat belt in place. The ships gig, or shuttle, was his responsibility. He was young to be assigned such an important job, but hell, he’d earned it. It didn’t hurt that he’d been working for the Captain since he jumped out of boot camp.
First four years on the ISS Svenson off of New Terra, then for two years on the Intrepid. Wetting his finger, he rubbed at a spot on one of the rear seats.
A feeling of intense satisfaction coursed through his bones. It was a long way from the fields of New Kansas. He almost had to pinch himself to believe it was true.
You had to love the Imperial Navy. Where else could a twenty-three-year-old farmer, who barely graduated high school, be given the responsibility of piloting a multi-million credit spacecraft? In fact, they paid him. Laughing to himself, and shaking his head at life in general, he gave the craft one last look and sighed in approval.
If a man could love a cold hard machine, Erik loved his shuttle.
Like all of the crew, he had a lot of different jobs. Lead deck hand, Nr. 1 fireman during GQ, and senior watch stander for the 3rd watch. But, coxswain had to be the best. Granted, the computer did all the work, but still, he had to be ready to take over if necessary.
Climbing down the stairs, he placed himself at parade rest. Folding his hands behind his back and setting his feet apart, he stood at the entryway and waited.
After a short period, the far terminal door opened, and Captain Freeborn stepped out and held it open. A gaggle of people exited and started towards the shuttle. The group was made up of three adults and twelve teenagers, all of them dressed in orange temp suits.
“Civilians,” Tanner cursed under his breath.
Their eyes shined with anticipation, whispering behind their hands, they jumped around like a group of Valdorian flounders.
They were all in the seventeen to twenty-year-old range. High school seniors to college freshmen type. Young, perky, and privileged, the kind of kids who probably expected to be waited on hand and foot.
Suppressing a shudder, he came to attention and saluted the Captain, his eyebrows rising in question. Were they really going on a glorified field trip?
The Captain smiled, then turned and addressed the group.
“This is Petty Officer Tanner and our shuttle pilot, please listen to him.” Then, turning back towards the junior enlisted man, the Captain raised his eyebrow and said, “Tanner?” failing to hide a smile at his subordinate’s displeasure.
The Petty Officer’s stomach rolled over, as he realized that he and the rest of the crew were going to be locked up in an iron tube with these idiots for the next six months.
The group was made up of six boys, six girls, two male teachers, and one female teacher. Boy, was this going to be different. It was bad enough having civilians aboard, but women! He had to fight to stop his eyes from rolling back into his head, already imagining the problems they were going to cause.
Erik looked out over the crowd.
“If you’ll step aboard, take a seat, we will get you situated.” He stood at the bottom of the stairs as each passenger walked pass. Eyeing them and mentally adding up their weight. Satisfied that one of his projections would be usable for the trip.
A young brunette, prettier than a New Kansas kitten, took her first step onto the stairs. A breath of wind brought him a brief scent of her tantalizing perfume, and his knees almost buckled.
It reminded him of the high meadows in the Blue Mountains on a spring day. Pure, innocent, and full of potential. He had to swallow to regain his composure.
The Captain cocked an eyebrow, as if to say, ‘don’t even think about it, spaceman.' Erik chuckled to himself and shook his head. This was going to be a long trip.
When they were all aboard,
he bound up the stairs and stepped into his shuttle. The passengers were milling about looking for seats. How hard could it be? There were thirty-six chairs. To top it off, some idiot was sitting in the first chair of the first row.
Looking down at the young man, Erik bent over and whispered, “That’s the Captain's seat. You need to move.”
The young boy looked at him like he was speaking some unknown language, something without nouns and verbs.
“Now!” Erik barked, and the kid cringed like he’d been shot. He looked like a tall skinny rabbit ready to jump out of his own skin.
The boy leaped up, scooted over one seat, then looked back at the Petty Officer, silently asking if this was okay.
Erik nodded in approval, then turned to watch the rest of them get seated. Once they had finally settled in, he ran them through the safety procedures, making sure they could locate their oxygen hookups, having them test their soft globes, etc.
God, I’ve become a glorified flight attendant, he thought to himself. Once complete, he walked down the aisle and made sure everyone was strapped in.
“The barf bags are in the pocket in front of your chair. It’s tradition that everyone cleans up their own puke. I don’t open the door to let you out until everything is squared away,” he said, scowling at them all to make sure they got the message.
Seeing that they were as ready as they were going to get, he stepped to the door and nodded to his commanding officer. It was another one of those silly traditions; the Captain didn’t get onto the shuttle until everyone was settled in.
Captain Freeborn ducked his head through the door and sat in his seat, while Erik pulled the door shut, slamming the handle into the lock, and made his way to the pilot’s seat.
A gasp went up from someone in the back.
“Aren’t you going to pilot the vessel, Captain?” For some reason, Erik was sure it was the pretty brunette.
The Captain laughed, as he buckled his belt, “I’m not qualified, Miss Johnson.”
“But Captain, isn’t he a little young?” the older male teacher asked.
Erik had to hide the shock he felt. The Captain had answered the first question, a surprise in and of itself. But, to be questioned on the same subject a second time was unthinkable. It was like saying you didn’t trust him or something.
“I assure you, that while Tanner may appear few in years, he is more than ancient when it comes to experience. Besides, it’s not like this is a starship,” the Captain said, then pulled out his data device and started on his reports.
Erik ignored the comments from the back and finished making preparations.
The takeoff and trip were uneventful. It was almost like he knew what he was doing or something. A few sick passengers, but not many. He did notice that the brunette wasn’t one of the sick ones, making him smile inside. Yep, most definitely, a long trip.
.o0o.
Miss. Nora Johnson stared out the portal at the starship hanging in darkness. Her home for the next six months. One step closer to breaking away, she thought. While it was doubtful her father would even notice she was gone. Eventually, he would find out. By then, it would be too late. Besides, they’d never think to look for her on a starship bound for an exploratory mission. Not Miss Nora, never Miss Nora. A lifetime of good grades and following their silly rule would make this their last consideration.
She squiggled back and forth in her seat with excitement; it was hard to believe this wasn’t all some kind of dream.
The sparkling ship glistened with the reflected sunlight. It was surprisingly small. A long metal tube hanging in space. She knew all the details and dimensions. A hundred and eighty feet long, forty-two feet wide. Three decks separated into Operations, Living, and Engineering.
She’d studied every book she could find, once she figured out how to get included in the trip. Her hands instinctively loosened her straps so she could get a better look. The weightlessness didn’t bother her. The inability to get a better look was frustrating the hell out of her, though.
A section of the distant ship slowly turned black exposing the docking bay. The shuttle twisted, confirming her observation and she lost sight of her new home.
Within minutes the shuttle passed through the opening, and she felt gravity slowly return. The vessel gently settled, and the curved wall behind them closed up. Their trip to the stars was about to begin, she squeezed down hard to stop a girlish squeal from spilling out.
That Petty Officer Tanner jumped out of his seat and scrutinized the passenger area. He probably thinks we’re a bunch of idiots, she thought. God, I hate arrogant know it alls, even if they are hotter than a man should be allowed to be. His short rusty brown hair and gray eyes were disconcerting. His nose looked like it had been broken years before, and the small scar on his chin added to the mystery.
Didn’t he know they could fix those things now? But, it was the tattoo that made the back of her head tingle. Some kind of strange bird, running down his neck from just behind his left ear to under his collar. Her hand drifted to the back of her head and rubbed at the feint tingle there.
While he looked only a few years older than her peers, the way he stood, the way he talked, it was nothing like the boys she knew.
She stood up, anxious to explore her new home, and was surprised when the other kids didn’t move out of the way. They don’t know who you are, Nora, she said to herself and settled back down to wait her turn.
Shaking her thoughts away, she glanced back at the pilot to find him looking at her, and quickly shifted her eyes to look back out the window at the docking bay. It was going to be a long trip.
Chapter Two
Erik looked out over his crewmates as they gathered on the recreation deck. Twenty-four men, everyone from seventeen-year-old cook’s helper, Billy Catherson, to the fifty-year-old Engineering Officer, Ian Clark. The entire crew was here, waiting...
“Attention on Deck!” the XO barked, as the Captain walked into the room, followed by the dumpy older teacher. Every man jumped to attention. Backs ramrod straight and arms braced against their sides.
“At ease, take your seats,” the Captain said, as he made his way to the front of the crowd.
Turning, he looked them over and then said, “As you know, we have fifteen civilians onboard.” The Captain nodded at the dumpy guy next to him. “Professor Breat, two other teachers, and twelve students. The Imperial Navy staff has decided to conduct an experiment. These students are the best and brightest young people in the empire and will someday move up into leadership roles in business and government, both Imperial and local. They are our future, and the Navy wants them to have a good impression of what we do and how we operate.”
The Captain paused for a moment letting his words sink in, his eyes narrowing to pierce any resistance.
“As such, you will treat them with respect. They are not crew, but they are not passengers, either. They will be taking classes and working with Professor Breat and his staff to finish their freshman college courses over these six months. But mostly, they will be observing us and learning about the Navy.”
Erik could feel the tension in the room rise a notch or two. They were serious; it wasn’t going to be a weeklong familiarization tour, but a full-blown mission. Crap, what were they thinking?
The Captain looked out over the crowd. “As a reminder, all civilians are off limits!”
Someone groaned in the back, and everyone laughed. Even the Captain smiled, but then his face got very stern as he said. “Just so we are clear on this. If I find out that any of my men is involved with a student, and you know what I mean by involved, male or female, I will keelhaul them and then park them on the first asteroid I can find until their bones turn to dust. Are we clear on this?” he asked looking each man in the eye.
Everybody nodded, each person knew that an Imperial Captain was God on his ship, especially once they jumped into new space. It was one of the last jobs in the galaxy that wasn’t micromanaged from some higher hea
dquarters. He could do pretty much whatever he thought necessary to accomplish his mission.
Giving everybody one last look, “This isn’t the love boat, and I’m not returning these girls to their parents pregnant and alone.” Seeing everyone nod affirmatively he turned to the man next to him. “Do you have anything to add Professor,” he asked.
“A… No… I … a ... think that covers everything, Captain,” Professor Breat said, looking like a Pekinese puppy meeting its first German shepherd.
“Okay, then. XO make ready to get underway, I want to leave orbit within the hour, our first jump tomorrow morning, and to be at our starting point within a week.”
Turning back to the crew he said, “Gentleman, I know we have the best crew ever assembled. We have spent the last two years picking and shaping this team for this mission. We are going to set a record for the most space explored within our allotted six months. I am sure that if we do what I know, we can do, we’ll find something. Let’s pray it is worth it. Dismissed.”
“Attention on Deck,” the XO barked.
Once the Captain had left the Rec Deck, the XO placed everyone at ease and instructed his officers to meet him in the wardroom in fifteen minutes. By unspoken agreement, the enlisted crew remained on the recreational deck until the officers and Chief Bowman had left. Erik plopped onto a couch and listened in on the conversations around him.
“Off Limits, damn that’s not fair,” Jimmy Donaldson was saying to his fellow engineers.
“I don’t know why you’re so worried Jimmy, you never stood a chance anyway,” Big Tom Weaver said with a laugh. Jimmy punched him in the shoulder then joined them in the communal laugh. Jimmy Donaldson looked like a cross between a Greek God and a choir boy. All blond, buffed and ready for bed. Women had a habit of stepping on each other trying to get to him.
As Erik listened to them and the others bitch and complain, he smiled to himself. A bitching Spacer was a happy Spacer. You didn’t start worrying until they stopped bitching.
Shaking his head, he stood up to leave. They were all professionals, and there wouldn’t be any problems. Hell, if the Captain really planned to push things, they’d all be busier than Valdorian chipmunks on vacation, and wouldn’t have any time for fraternization.