Captain Cook walked over to Mark. Not hearing what was said but knowing that Mark had slapped the Ensign. “Wipe that fucking smile off your face Commander. I have put up with a lot from you Commander because you are a natural and got things done but you stepped over the line when you struck the Ensign. Why did you turn so stupid? I cannot believe you would strike a mortally wounded ship mate let alone an officer that went through what you both did. I guess it was just too much for you as well. But at least it will make relieving you from command of Engine room 3 tomorrow during your Court-martial that much easier. Only now I will have to bust you down to civilian and give you brig time for hitting an officer. Chief Sgt at Arms: arrest this Ensign and confine him to his cabin.”
Captain Summers stood there obviously shocked only seeing the slap as well.
“Just one minute Captain.” Doctor Wells lowered his voice as he dragged Captain Cook away from Dian‘s Stretcher as he looked over his shoulder at the smiling and joking Dian and then away again, just happening to stop next to Captain Summers. “Commander Collins was trying a bit of psychology on the Ensign. He tried. No. He hypnotized Dian into believing that he was the one that pushed the button to fire the missiles and killed those boats and their crews that had her so upset. As the English Doctor has said, could have eventually lead her to commit suicide off a ramp or out a lock. If not that, then spending the rest of her life to filled with remorse thinking she murdered people to ever do anything but sweep decks. It can be very dangerous in the long run when the memories start to resurface if no one is there to catch her, but it will help her recover in the short term. I and everyone else on this ship must keep reinforcing the belief Mark planted, that he killed those people and have the ships psychologists, his mother to start with, keep a close eye on her for quite a while."
Looking back at Dian smiling as she talked to one of the doctors about the operation she had just undergone, he shook his head as he turned back to the Captain. "Anyway; slapping her was a quick way to knock her out of her hypnotic trance. And according to one popular theory backed by several studies. Using the sudden abrupt real pain to get her entire mind including her deep subconscious, immediate and full attention to believe she is innocent and reinforce her desire to believe and accept the planted memory as real.” He whispered out of ear shot from Dian. “It is a long shot but then she at least is saying she believes he pushed the button for now and make it easier to accept the fact if she does eventually remember the truth by being able to turn the hate for herself toward Mark.” Looking at the skeptical Captain Cook. "She is my patient and I approve of Marks therapy though I am going to have to have a talk with him about not trying it ever again as well as (I am sure), his mother will." The Doctor returned to his patient leaving both Captains open mouthed.
Captain Cook walked over to Mark, waving the Chief at Arms away as she approached. Then whispering so Dain could not possibly hear. “You are starting to scare me Commander Collins. Now you are a doctor of psychology. Hypnotizing patients as well.”
Doctor Wells bent down to check Dian. “Well young lady let's get you down to Sickbay where your parents are waiting for you. You are very lucky that Commander Collins fired those missiles to kill those bad guys trying to kill you. So try not to be too hard on him.” Standing up he squeezed her hand. “Now hold on, we are going to take you for a roller coaster ride on this newfangled gurney. Try not to fall off ok?”
Dian wiggled her head back and forth rocking the floating gurney a little as it seemed to drift and started giggling. "This is fun Doctor. Can we try going down a ladder with it?" Dian smiled as the gurney slid towered the hatch. "I think I am ready for the course’s final tests Doctor. I spent most of the day studying after the Chief kicked me out of the Engine Room though I have been ready for a year. I just did not want to become an Officer. Do you think I can take the first of them tomorrow in sick bay since I am going to be stuck in bed for a few days?"
Turning away from the stretcher as it disappeared out the hatch Captain Cook changed the subject. “Mr. Collins, since I brought it up. You will report to the council chambers tomorrow at Ten hundred to face a court-martial board as to your fitness to command engine room 3. Your temporary rank of Commander is disgusting. The fact you deserted your post and left the Star Queen without permission when the ship needed you to finish an upgrade you started to the engines makes me wonder if you are even fit to be an officer.”
Mark looked at the Captain in shock for a few seconds then quickly recovered. “Sorry Captain but the Chief kicked me out of the Engine room saying he could not believe I had anything to do with the successful upgrade and then told me to take care of the auction problem and to get my ass the hell off his Engineering deck. I deserted nothing and followed the Chief’s orders with gusto to the letter. I also had permission to leave the Ship and Port after duty hours and was told to have dinner out.”
Captain Summers suddenly realized that the roomers they had been hearing from the crew around the pit and during the recent gas murder investigation was turning out to be true. At least the friction between Mark, the Engineering Chief and his appointment as Engine Room Commander. Could the rumors about him being responsible for successfully upgrading the ships engine to put out the greatly increased thrust they had recorded during the tested the night before be true as well?”
Captain Cook frowned. “Well we are still going to court-martial you tomorrow. The lawyers have come up with something to charge you with to get you out of the engine room. I cannot have a damn Boot ensign in command of one of my Engine Rooms even if the Admiral appointed you.
Captain Summers frowned. After seeing the lock full of 20 year old corpses and now with the ship’s Captain’s fitness to Command coming into question she was having second thoughts about giving the Star Queen any help at all. But then the more she saw of the boy Collins the more impressed she was. Putting her faith into the boy which her plan had originally called for anyway was looking more plausible. Though now this bit about a court-martial and why was he only an Ensign in the first place as competent as he was demonstrating to be. No he needed to be in a more responsible position than a simple ensign or even Engine Room Commander. Especially if the English Military through the boy was going to have any control over the tactical use of any weapons she did manage to get them.
Captain Summers was trying to understood what was going on and had to shake her head as she turned around in disgust to look at the fighter. Not being able to stand looking at the Star Queen’s Captain and such blatant railroading politics. Looking at the Fighter and all the repairs it needed she suddenly realized that she was just given a chance she had to take. The Admiral refused to allow her to give the Tramp ship any more weapons at the moment but he had said nothing about repairing what they already had.
Captain Cook. It is a shame you are busting Mr. Collins possible out of your officer corps after what I have heard has been an exceedingly fine carrier in the short time I have known about him. I was going to order enough repair parts sent down to repair the fighter several times over since I thought Commander Collins was obviously commanding your fighter section. But now that I know he is not and may even be court-martialed, I am going to have to cancel that order and instead confiscate the wreckage since you have no qualified pilots to fly it and start a review as to your ships weapons fitness to even obtain an Out Back Transit Permit.” Taking a deep breath as she looked at Captain Cook’s face turn white and her mouth drop open before her face turned back to stone. “I had been hoping to reinforce your little single fighter squadron in time. To bad.” Turning away she started walking away. She knew the Tramp’s pair of twin 5 inch 38 gun turrets was on the borderline of weapons requirements but the ship’s Captain did not know that and she was willing to use that fact to her benefit.
Mark shook his head not really listening as he stood in shock thinking about being court-martialed. “Captain. I have had enough and give up. I’ll resigned from the engine room like you asked an
d apply for the truck...…”
Captain Cook smiled as Mark talked. Interrupting him. “That’s it Mr. Collins. If you will resign as Engine Room 3’s Commander, you can have Command of our little fighter section. You have definitely earned a promotion to Lieutenant Junior Grade that fits a fighter pilot billet perfectly. And we can forget about any court martial son.” Taking a couple of steps she slapped Mark on the back.
The Star Queen’s Executive Officer turned to the Captain. “Sir. You have got to be kidding?”
“No not at all. It will take 6 months for him to rebuild that damn fighter and I can’t see any way for him to get into trouble flying it around the ship once in a while. Besides it just my impress someone and make it easier to get better paying cargo.”
“That is more like it Captain Cook.” Captain Summers walked up beside the Captain and Mark as she pulled her PDA out of one of her uniform’s cargo pockets. Typing on it for a few seconds her smile turned to astonishment as she bit her lower lip and suddenly inhaled deeply. Glancing at the English Fighter Wing Captain and then back down at her PDA, she turned to Captain Cook. “Aaa. Captain Meyers will make sure you get everything you need for your fighter as soon as Commander Collins is officially confirmed as the Star Queens Fighter Division Commander with a promotion to an appropriate rank corresponding to his accomplishments and command duties. I don’t know why you put Ensign Collins in Command of one of your Engine Rooms then turned around with all this prejudice against him after he has accomplished so much in such a short time but the English Navy will not put up with such obvious corruption Captain Cook.”
Captain Cooks face turned Red. “Not any of your concern or need to know more, but only as a courtesy. But Mr. Collins was made an Ensign against his will as a disciplinary measure and then a Computer AI error or mistake was made putting him in charge of the Engine Room during this most critical of upgrades and we were only rectifying that gross mistake.”
After what I have heard and seen Captain Cook, there was no mistake. Mr. Collins is responsible for your first successful engine upgrade. Not to mention what our engine certification inspectors believe is a major advance in Engine technology. That is if it turns out not to be simply a matter of flushing massive amounts of fuel down the engine core during that one test. So why do you keep insisting on biting off your own nose. It sounds like to me that he had good reason not to want to become one of your ship’s Officers to begin with. It is a shame that you keep reinforcing that belief. Careful you don’t wind up with your ship impounded as unfit to fly, sold to pay your fines and bills and your crew dumped into one of the Tramp Refugee Camps already packed with impounded Tramp ship crews. One thing we do have a lot of are left over Prisoner of War Camps.”
Watching Captain Cook’s face turn white she knew she had him. She couldn’t get the ship any additional help but the fighter section under the boy’s control, who she could easily and unofficially contact and influence, would have to be enough. Turning to Mark. “That is if Mr. Collins wants to take Command of your fighter Division?” The problem was that a single fighter was almost worthless against a good sized ship and did little to insure cargo was delivered across a planet or keep the ship from being taken by a mob in port. It was better than nothing but not much. It also was a big red flag advertising to pirates and pore starving planets that knew about it, that the ship was rich. Even though it wasn’t.
Mark’s mouth had dropped open as soon as the Captain had assigned him to command the ships Fighter Division. He had already resigned the night before when he had left the engine room with the old lady to go to the auction and even talked to one of the duty truck officer’s about transferring with the hope as an ensign he would still be allowed to fly one of the trucks. Now to have the opportunity of commanding a fighter Division even if it was only one fighter. Hell he was ecstatic at the opportunity to simply be assigned to fly the fighter let alone Command the Division, but he knew better than to tell the Captain that.
Fighting the erg to jump and cheer for joy, the perceived months of hypnoses training he had had as an MPR Commander kicked in. “Well Captain. If it is for the good of the ship I will transfer to the Fighter Division. If that is what Captain Cook is sure she wants.”
“I want to stop hearing your name every time I turn around.” Captain Cook demanded then smiled. “I expect to see your resignation on my desk first thing tomorrow. As for Fighter Division Commander Lieutenant Junior Grade Collins, I am going to be watching everything you do and if you even fart without orders I am going to make you wish you were never born. Is that clear Mr. Collins. Now it is late and I am calling it a night, so make sure our new fighter is chained down, our guests go home and a quarterdeck guard is posted while that hatch is open and then hit your rack yourself. You have a lot to do tomorrow. Dismissed.”
Turning to Captain Summers. “Thank you Captain.” Turning to leave Captain Cook noticed the open hatch across the passageway to number 1 lock and the junk shuttle. “Oh and Mr. Collins. You were so good at the auction, you can sell off the junk boat in Lock One while you are getting rid of those cars you purchased.” She suddenly realized that the last thing she needed was Mr. Collins profiting and having additional credits to go along with what they had gotten refunded back into his account for the Chiefs Implants. Especially after everything that has happened. His inflated ego would be even harder to get under control. And then a solution hit her, one she had used several times before on young upstarts.
“Mr. Collins, you will take your bank account and all your profits from the auction including the sale of the left over cars since you did not get them completely honestly and use all the credits to purchase trade goods for the ships pit fairs or to sell in the systems we will be visiting. You may include the credits you get for number One shuttle as well.” The Captain had to chuckle at that. Who would want to buy a shot up junk shuttle, but it would be a great lesson when the Collins boy failed. Besides the worthless junk he would buy for the pit fairs and not being able to sell the hulk other than for scrap, she would be able to use to cut him down a notch or two. Reminding him each time she needed a lever to cut him down to size.”
Looking back at the hatch to the other lock. She started kicking herself mentally for holding on to the hulk of number 1 shuttle for so many years when 100+ tons could have made a big difference over the 21 years she had been Captain. Looking around lock #3 and shaking her head. "Yes I should have done this as well 20 years ago."
"Captain!" Mark suddenly said stopping her in the hatch. "Why? What happened here sir? Why were these people slaughtered and by who and why did you not burry them 20 years ago?" It was a mouth full but he had to blurt it out before he lost his nerve. Half afraid of losing the one job he just realized he wanted more than anything.
The Captain looked at Mark shaking her head sadly closing her eyes for a second. "Yes Commander. That is a good question. A question that deserves an answer when you have the maturity to understand it. You just worry about selling those damn cars, getting a good price for that shuttle and making repairs to our new fighter. Oh and of course I expect you to make a killing on the goods you purchase for the outback since your father was the best Chief Tradesman the ship ever had." Then left the lock. Suddenly shocked that she had actually called the boy Commander knowing he deserved the rank, now that she had been able to get him to resign. Knowing now that he had actually earned the damn rank even if she still had to be stubborn and make him work his way up one step at a time the proper and traditionally accepted way in order to mold him into an officer she could trust with the safety of the ship and family. She hurried out the hatch and down the passageway with two hundred ghosts chasing behind her. Knowing she was damned well not going to add to them. The problem was he was reminding her more and more of his biological father who he was growing into the spitting image of. Everything from his walk to his talk and choices of words and phrases even though he had never met his biological father or even knew he existed.
; Chapter--- 32 The Forever Watch
Mark stared at the open hatch as a few English Doctors and officers followed the Star Queens contingent headed for the sickbay while most of the rest headed for the medical APC's now sitting down the center of the lock as the first one by the hatch lifted off to leave. Shocked, Mark finely turned and starred down the mostly empty lock trying to figure out what Captain Cook was talking about but finely decided that it would have to wait. He had a bigger worry at the moment. “What am I supposed to do? Hold another auction with only one nights notice….. Ya sure why not.” he said sarcastically answering his own question. Then he turned to the crewmen standing around watching the proceedings. “I need you gentlemen to chain down our new fighter if you would please. You will find...”
“Yes Commander we know where the chains and binders are sir. Is this really ours sir?” The crewmen turned to look at the half destroyed fighter in the corner of the lock in aw with wide smiles. Seeing what it would again be. “Hell I am putting in for pilot training tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow! I’m doing it tonight as soon as I get back to my cabin.” said another with agreement from all of them.
Mark knew it would be around the whole ship by the time he got off the boat deck.
Captain Meyers walked up to Mark shaking his head. “What time do you want me here tomorrow Commander. In spite of what your Captain thinks, we will have your fighter looking like new in a couple of days and we can start your flight training. By what I have seen it should not take more than a couple of days for us to get you up to speed and the support equipment installed and then I should have a few surprises for you.”
Tramp Wars: The Enemy Page 92