"Cargo Chief, how long will it take you to move these damn container out and dump them on the Tarmac of the pit. I don't care how you do it, just do it. Now."
"Ah Captain, I heard that most of them are welded to the steel rails. Getting them down is going to be a hell of a job. Could take days if not a week and then we would probably destroy the rails doing it."
"So! The damn cargo lifter is junk anyway. We were planning on using a wheeled container mover anyway. Supply is looking for a cheap used loader now. Until then you can just put the rolling stock we have scheduled to ship on this deck as planned. Which reminds me. How the hell are they using an overhead container tractor that is supposed to be beyond repairing and was written off as junk years ago? Don't tell me they stole one from one of the other holds."
"Ah.” Looking back up at the loader. "No. we over hauled them all over a year ago and painted them. This one is still in its original colors not to mention half the damn thing looks like someone clobbered a bunch of parts on it just to get it going."
It did not take long for the Party to get going with the flood of people coming out of the elevator adding to the crowd already present. People leaning over the rail four stories above thanking her every few seconds finally made her realize that if she did not at least make the trip to inspect the town; the people would not put up with her tearing it down. It was looking more and more like she would have a riot on her hands unless she was very careful.
Turning as another container was added she started to have the Sgt. at Arms stop the addition of anymore but then decided one more to teardown would not make any difference. Riding up was slow but not bad and once up, the Captain was practically mobbed as people greeted her and tried to show her what they and Mark Collins had done. The pride was catching as more people showed up by the minute to walk the grates of Tramp Town with her. Though a couple of boys in the first container thought it should be named Collins Town to the disgusted objections of the gal with them. A girl called Jolleen if she remembered right and before she could remember why she remembered her name she was pulled away.
Before the Captain finally made it back to the lift basket, it was getting towered dinner time and the party had developed into a fully blown ship's shindig. But then the ship did not need much of an excuse to throw a party when everyone knew everyone and each day was mostly the same. She watched a deck plate as it was slowly winched down passed the grated deck down toward a roped off area on the holds main deck next to the ship's hull. A wide ladder was being readied to be raised up through the newly cut hole to the deck above from the edge of the grates next to the basket lift. A work crew welding mounts and rails preparing the ladder and grated deck to mount it to.
Shaking her head she could not believe how fast everything about the damn little town was developing. She knew the incredible amount of planning and coordination it took to create something as complicated as this town was developing into and it was more than a dozen people could do in a week, hell in a month, as smoothly as it had gone up, let alone a snot nosed kid. But then everyone had known about having to get rid of the containers for months even if it had looked like no one was taking the orders seriously until she put her foot down and got nasty about it a week ago. “No this had to have taken months of planning but by who? Not the kid Collins. No.” She said to both Chiefs shaking her head.
The Chief Master at Arms turned to the Captain. “Sorry Captain but it was Collins that was running the show when I caught up to him for not answering a ships summons. Which would explain why he ignored the summons. And remember when the Greedly, Termite and Thompsons families went on that vacation to the Aligainies six months ago. Aaa, I am sorry, I meant to say Union Workers Convention, paid for by the Union that only the Greely’s and Creeton’s were invited to. Anyway and somehow wound up dumped at a Religious wilderness farm retreat with armed guards. Enrolled in a 6 month program of meditation and abstinence treatment program for extreme violent behavior while working some kind of farm with their bare hands and only horse carts for transportation, with not even hot water. Having to produce and cook their own food or they did not eat. The families separated into different camps for the men, women and children. Without even a phone to the outside universe. It was luck that I was able to find the shuttle they left the port in or we would never have found them. As it was it made us a week late leaving that system.” The Chief smiled. “Yap damn lucky. But if I had known where they had been dumped, I would have used my head I wouldn’t have looked so hard. They have been even worse since they came back.” Shaking his head. “Anyway Captain, it took a hell of a lot of planning and work to get them dumped there and my prime suspect was and is Mr. Mark Collins.”
The Captain looked at the Chief with a puzzled questioning expression.
“Sorry Captain but he had been pulling these pranks on the people that have been going out of their way to terrorize him for years. Getting more sophisticated each time. He has never hurt anyone or put anyone in any real danger except himself but just about anything bad that has happened to the people terrorizing him has been mostly his fault though I have never been able to prove it. Well that is since he locked Chet Greedly’s gang in that tank overnight some ten years ago. No, I would be surprised if I find anyone down here that knew anything about doing this before today. But then Mark seems to be damn good at planning things far enough in advance to avoid problems and make them work without leaving a trail.”
With the ladder still being worked on they rode the lift basket back down. She had to smile, for she could not do anything else in front of everyone as she thought about what the Chief had said while still trying to figure out what to do about Tramp Town. Though the ship was in the process of speaking favorably about it and she just had to make the best of it. For now. Finally away from the crowd for a few seconds. “Chief, I want an engineer to check out these grates within the hour. Hell, get the whole structural engineering department up here checking the whole damn town. I know there is a lot of people up there already but I want you to start limiting the number to what is up there now until the Ships Chief Hull Engineer inspects and makes a ruling. That means the party is going to have to flow out onto the hold deck. Randy; get some scoops up here immediately and clear this half of the hold for the party. Shove it all over along to the sides of the main hatch but leave an isle big enough for a truck.” Tapping her phone she continued. “Galley; we have a party developing down in A-hold. I want the food kept down on the deck until the engineers clear ah. Tramp Town for occupancy.”
“Yes Captain we have serving tables and rats headed that way already. How much room do you think we have Sir for eating tables and will there be entertainment and room for dancing?”
The Captain had to smile as she saw musicians and clowns already walking out of the elevator as the first of the scoop shovels landed on the holds open platform hatch. The sun going down in the back ground beyond the hatch. It seems her department heads were well ahead of her. "Yes the clowns have arrived.” And then she noticed the crane running along its overhead rails with a box cradled in the lowered position pushing garbage, already clearing space from around the containers, though it could not reach very far under them but was working to push the trash into several big piles to clear space. “Well at least it is not adding more containers" Captain Cook said to herself and then to the Chief cook. "Yes I think you will have half a hold to work with Charley.”
The Chief Sgt. at Arms stepped out of the basket. “Captain if you will excuse me I have a party to secure before it gets out of hand. Well; at least any farther out of hand.”
“Ah Chief; just where is Mark Collins at the moment. I think I need to talk to him before something else gets out of hand.”
“The last time I saw him he was asleep in the corner of the elevator outside the Sickbay this morning.” As he realized that he had not seen Mark Collins role away on the gurney as there were too damn many medical staff in the way to see anything. “Then the medical staff to
ok over.” Making a quick call he found out that Mark was still in sick bay and turned to the Captain. “How the hell does someone do all of this from the damn sick bay.”
“That is called damn good planning and Command without the authority. Thank you Chief.” The Captain turned to the cargo master but he was half way across the hold telling the scoop shovels what he wanted done. With the elevator dumping a load of people onto the deck every 5 to 10 seconds depending on how long it took each car to unload, the Captain spent a lot of time saying hello to the passengers and crew headed for the party as she was trying to get into the elevator. But each time she spent so much time being polite as people kept insisting on talking to her, that the hatch kept closing only to immediately open again with the next car full of people before she could get in. And with every car load of people she greeted, she legitimized the party and Tramp Town just a little bit more, making it that much more difficult to: no impossible to reprimand its creator; Mark Collins without drastic action. Especially with her standing acting as an official greater for Tramp Town whether she wanted to or not as she waited to get onto the damn elevator.
Finding herself getting a little more pissed by the second as more people showed up and the little number in the corner of the control screen next to the elevator hatch showed the number of elevators headed for that deck continued growing. She decided that drastic action was probably what she needed to do. Finely making it into the elevator as tables of food rats came off with the stewards too busy to talk. The Captain slipped in and started calling officers to make arrangements to take care of Mark Collins as soon as possible. Once and for all. Kicking herself for taking it for granted all these years that he was a simple retard with glasses and using that as an excuse for going out of her way to ignore him simply to keep him from reminding her about who his real parents were. Suddenly wishing she knew at least something about the boy that was suddenly turning out to be such a big influence on ships operations. A boy that was anything but dumb.
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Mark sat up and stretched swinging his legs off the bed as every muscle and joint protested. With the draft down his back he realized he was wearing a medical gown with no back. Trying to look around while only seeing blobs made it hard to figure out where he was. “What the hell.” He suddenly realized that he was in the sick bay in a medical bed which explained the medical gown and he could not remember getting there. Looking around his fuzzy world for his glasses he slipped off the bed and started feeling across the counters and through lockers and drawers. Until he heard someone giggling behind him. With his butt up in the air trying to feel inside a bottom drawer he turned his head to look over his shoulder along his back and saw a blob behind his cold butt. The giggle told him it had to be female. He suddenly whipped around pulling the gown closed behind himself.
“Do you know you have a cute bare butt? Not to mention that big thing dangling between your legs.”
He realized who it was but was still mad about not finding his glasses. Not to mention a little embarrassed. “I could say the same about your melons down in the hold.” He retorted while feeling around the counter until he realized how she had said what she had said and her tone was more than just friendly not at all criticizing.. Licking his lips and swallowing. “I bet you wiggle your beautiful butt better than I can and it definitely looks a hell of a lot sexier than mine, but can you help me find my glasses please.”
“Now that depends on who is looking and whose butt they are looking at. You better get back into bed before the doctor sees you.”
“Hey I feel fine. I was just a little tired. Been a busy day. And what happened to me? The last thing I remember is getting in the elevator with the Chief Sgt. at Arms”
“Yes I have heard. Seems like half the ship is down celebrating your busy day. As far as what happened to you. I gave you a shot down in L hold to knock you out when you kept twisting around. Remember? But you did not go out. Adrenalin probably. Anyway the drugs finely caught up with you. That is why the Doctor had half the ship including the marines out looking for you as soon as he found out how much I had given you. The last place you needed to be was climbing around 40 feet above the deck of a hold. But I am told your Tramp town is the hot spot to go now.”
“Hua? What are you talking about? What time is it anyway?” Diane pointed at the clock on the bulkhead behind him. Following the oblong blob as it pointed at the blob on the wall and shrugging. “Sorry I can’t see a thing. I hope it is dinner time, I am starving to death since I missed lunch.”
“Yes it is dinner time. Now lay back down while I take your readings and we will see about getting you out of here. Ok?” Taking Mark’s shoulders in her hands she gave him a gentle push guiding him back into the bed and then again to lay him down, lifting his legs around onto the bed as he lay back. Cradling his head as she placed it on the pillow. "You just lay there for a minute and relax until the monitors settle down.” She laid her hand on Mark’s chest as she stared at the monitors as they came back to life. They finally settle down as Doctor Wells walked in. Diane backed up jerking her hands away from Mark's head and chest she had been rubbing. As the Doctor studied the readings on the screen above the medical bed she turned and picked up Marks glasses off a shelf next to the bed within easy reach and carefully slipped them over his face then she cradled his cheeks in her hands for several seconds making sure they were on right and then lingering as she stroked his cheeks and starred into his eyes frozen in place. "Godstar you are so handsome with your glasses on. I could just…" She suddenly jumped back as if a spider had bitten her as the Doctor coughed.
Doctor Wells smiled. “Now my boy you seem to check out amazingly well for some one that has almost been crushed and then dropped off of a 4th story deck. But we will have you out of here in no time so you can attend the party down in Tramp Town.”
“What the heck is Tramp Town?”
Diane turned around and flicked on the wall screen to show shots of a hold full of people and tables lined up below cargo boxes hanging from the ceiling. The scene kept changing to show different aspects of walk ways between rows of cargo box fronts filled with people eating, shopping and dancing. In all he could count at least a couple dozen boxes with walk ways leading off to more. “Where the hell is that at? The garbage by the main cargo hatch in some of the video clips says it is A-hold but there is no way they could have that many boxes hung up there with all that decking hung that fast. Hell there weren’t that many boxes in the hold to begin with. But then it looks like the layout plan I drew up.” Then he saw a pair of workers walk by with a long section of grating and beams. Taking their time to dance and chat with the people they passed. In no hurry at all but still working. “Ok Doctor Wells, I have to see this. When can I get out of here?” Turning to Diane he asked. “Have you been down there yet? What is it like?”
“No I have been working. It‘s my shift. Someone had to stay and take care of you and miss the fun.”
“The truth son is she traded shifts with the guy on duty at the pain of mayhem if he didn’t trade. Didn’t even give him a chance to say yes as she through a deal he could not refuse, she was in such a hurry to stay when he would have gladly given the shift to her for nothing. And it only cost her 4 extra night shifts. She is going to be a busy little girl the next few weeks so you better take advantage of her while you can.” Turning away from the computer screen the Doctor looked at Mark. “Now son you seem to have a lot of bruising where the harness dug into your inner thighs, and arm pits. Next time tighten the harness up and you won’t have these problems. Where the tool belt held you also has badly bruised ribs and the harness did not help that either. Try not to do anything that would aggravate your ribs for a while and if they are still sore tomorrow, a couple more hours of growth light should fix them right up. All I can say is, don’t dance too much tonight and get to bed at a descent hour and alone. You two need to get to know each other a bit more anyway before you head down that r
oad. Now get out of here the both of you.” And walked out mumbling. “Just what we need. More babies. I swear this is the most fertile ship I have ever heard of. I have to talk to the Captain about expanding the maternity ward weather she likes it or not.”
As Mark sat up touching his glasses just as reassurance. Dian stepped forward concerned. “Are you feeling faint?” Taking one too many steps in her rush and falling against him between his legs. Mark simply raised one arm and let the other fall around her. After looking into her eyes for a few seconds as she pressed her breasts into him he leaned forward and kissed her. Suddenly feeling very brave. The fact that she leaned in with him still half way there helped. The mint not quit hiding the oddness of her breath but as he felt her body pressed against his body threw the thin gown that was already starting to slide off his shoulder; it did not matter as they kissed. It took them a good half hour to get them both dressed again after she closed the door for quite a few long private minutes to Mark astonished surprise. But finely feeling on cloud 9 they walked out of Sickbay, giggling with arms around each other into the waiting hands of the Chief Master at Arms complete with a detail of Ship’s Patrolmen that did not look happy at being late for dinner.
“Mr. Collins. You are ordered to report to the Ward room for an immediate Captains Bored and Mast. Ms. you can go to dinner or join the party please.” Mark about fainted. His mouth dropping open as they pried him out of her arms and led him away. Looking at Diane over his shoulder as he was dragged away he wondered if for some reason she was under 18 and he was being charged with rape. A Captains Bored and Mast was reserved for the worst scumbag criminals with charges approaching murder or worse.
He did not notice as Diane fallowed behind the troop to the elevator or see her take the next car up to the officer’s deck following them. The elevator hatch opened just in time for her to watch him disappear into the Ward room which was off limits to passengers but no one said anything as she sat outside the hatch in the reception lobby, busy calling anyone she could think of trying to find out what was going on.
Tramp Wars: The Enemy Page 32