by Chris Hechtl
He couldn't understand the pirates. To go to the trouble of dedicating a ship to...that. He'd heard of crap like that; of course, there were dozens of crappy horror flicks in the archives. Stuff about haunted ships and psychos terrorizing a ship or station, turning it into a sadist's playground. Well, here they had the real thing on their hands.
Oasis had once been a rich person’s playground. Oh, there were casinos, and even a small theme park, pools, and other things, but everything was...corrupted. Tainted by the bastards. The prize crew was already muttering about the ship being cursed and haunted by the ghosts of the people that had suffered incredibly cruelty there. And of course, those that had died. Even the kiddy area...he winced. He so did not want to know what had gone on there. There were reports of kids still coming out of there. He was pretty sure their childhood was forever gone.
He needed to get his people back. Right now he had squads securing the ships while penny packets secured important locations or guarded prisoners in the brigs or infirmaries. He was now contemplating using more mechs, something he and Major Forth had been reluctant to follow. When he got back to Pyrax he'd have to seriously look into it. Mechs would help them with their manning problem.
---( | ) --- ( | )---
Once the Marines had boarded and secured each of the ships, things began to wind down. Damage control parties finished the initial work on Bounty and Firefly. Doctor Standish released Lieutenant Commander McGuyver and his chief engineer Lieutenant Commander Sindri. The admiral tapped McGuyver to take command of Bounty while he involved himself in the overall repair effort.
Commander Sindri headed to the Corvette Echo with a small work crew and brought her in for repair with the help of the shuttle that transported them. Captain Mayweather was a bit put out over the diversion, but grudgingly agreed it was appropriate to salvage the vessel.
“He has his pick of all the vessels here and he picks the smallest?”
“Not quite the smallest, there are a couple gunships I believe, Captain, Terran HKs from the look of them. Most are scrap however. The frigates are not much better off. I believe, however, his reasoning is sound; Echo was recently rebuilt by Commander Sindri and the Admiral up to spec. Getting her back underway shouldn't be too hard if her battle damage isn't extensive,” Firefly responded.
“Yes, but losing a shuttle for...” the Captain frowned and checked her HUD. Firefly put up the numbers for her helpfully. “Is that...seventynine hours? Are they serious?”
“It is a shuttle, Captain. Moving an Apollo class corvette. Yes. The numbers are accurate. From the report the Apollo had numerous hull breaches and her fuel cells were drained. Her reactor and drive are down. They are using an emergency generator to power her life support and other basic systems.”
“Understood. So I'll get my shuttle back in no more than eighty hours?” the Captain demanded.
“Barring any unforeseen problems, yes. But,” the AI couldn't help but add as the Captain's scowl deepened, “the boat bay has put in a note that the shuttle will need to be inspected and possibly overhauled before being returned to service,” the AI said.
“Oh that's just...peachy,” Renee replied in disgust, shaking her head. “Wear and tear I'm assuming?”
“And the long flight yes. Pushing a mass she wasn't designed for as well.”
“Great. What else?”
“Well, Admiral Irons has moved his flag to the Battlecruiser.”
Renee frowned at that. She'd half expected it. The BC was a mess; her drive and most of her systems were scrap. But her hull was largely intact, despite the battle damage. What the admiral had done he could undo, she thought. He had certainly proved over the years he was highly capable of that at any rate.
“Work crews are to be dispatched to the other ships of the fleet once the Maine's survey is complete. Her initial mapping is underway right now. I will say the engineers will have their work cut out for them.”
“The Maine?”
“The Battlecruiser. Her original designation was the Maine. She was built in the Terran Yards in the Sol system. Admiral Irons insisted she be restored to her former honor and glory.”
“Good. How did they know it was the Maine? The computers”
“No, apparently a tech found the original builder's plaque buried somewhere. Most likely tucked in a bulkhead or something.”
“Okay, so, that's going on. What about the fleet?”
“We have prize crews on most of the ships,” Firefly reported. “Bounty does as well. Most of the concern is for the warships and the ships with the largest refugee population. Doctor Standish and Doctor Glenn are quite busy right now.”
“I'll bet. I noticed we were running a bit light. Are you okay?” Renee asked, voicing her concern.
“I must admit I'm a bit concerned myself. I can handle some chores on my own but not a lot. Commander Sprite sent me a firmware update, but I have yet to take the downtime to implement it.”
“You may want to do that then. Update?”
“More upgrades. I'm, I guess you could say evolving.”
“I see. Puberty?” Renee asked, smiling slightly.
“Perish the thought,” the AI replied dryly.
“Just couldn't help but ask,” Renee replied with a smirk. “We're getting back on schedule. Which reminds me, memo the department heads, I want the morning briefings to resume tomorrow. We'll have the usual coffee and danishes.”
The AI nodded. “Aye aye, Captain. Though, I must warn you, right now Chief Chowler is on the Maine lending a hand there. And most of the assistants are off on other ships.”
Renee closed her eyes for a moment and then sighed. “We will be getting him back I hope?”
“Sometime within the next shift unless he gets himself tied up in the project. He's helping with the detailed survey of main engineering.”
“Lovely. I'm guessing they will need our replicators?”
“Until the replicators on the Carnegie and the Maine can be sorted out, most likely. Bounty has a few as well.”
“Good. See if you can slip in some of the priorities we've needed but haven't had the keys to do.”
“I think the Admiral intends to get everyone ship shape ,ma'am. In good time.”
“Time, yes, that is something we may or may not have,” the Captain said, sitting in her chair. “We have a date to return, remember?”
“Yes. We have eight more days here before we need to return. Twelve if we push it. I hope we don't.”
“Understood. We'll need to, I don't know, remind someone. Commander Sprite if the Admiral is busy. I think it's okay if we push it though, I'm pretty sure Commander Logan will understand,” she said distracted.
“Understood, ma'am, and yes, I suppose he would.”
“So...”
“So...?” The AI echoed and then frowned. “I'm getting a message from Commander Sprite. The Admiral has tasked all AIs to investigate and catalog the computer databases. We're to replicate computer storage and then copy the files before we begin computer repairs. He wants them for the intelligence value. If I wasn't busy before...well, there goes my free time.”
“I see,” Renee said, sitting in her chair. She leaned forward. “I'll see about getting you some downtime. I'll go to the Admiral if I have to. It will keep for now though?”
“Oh yes. And this project...it is quite fascinating,” the AI said, sounding distracted.
“Right,” Renee drawled. She shook her head. Shelby was off in engineering, most likely covering for her Chief engineer. She looked around the bridge. Janice was due in.. she looked at the clock. In an hour. She made a note to make the rounds on the ship once Janice had the bridge watch.
Chapter 14
Once the fleet settled down, the 492 prisoners were sorted out, scanned, and brigged. Another 125 were in the infirmary of Firefly. Since there had been so many slaves who needed critical medical attention, Captain Mayweather had passed down orders that they received priority. The Horathians would be stabil
ized but would not be put into stasis unless they were of some intelligence value. They could live or die on their own.
Doctor Standish had briefly protested that order, but then had been swamped by additional cases as more and more shuttle loads of former slaves came on board. After a while he stopped protesting.
Once the wounded Horathians were stabilized, those who were lightly wounded were brigged. The Marines were careful to separate the wolves from the sheep. The enlisted went into the largest brigs; the officers and noncoms were segregated in other quarters under guard. Whenever there was room, a group of one to two were moved from their vessels under heavy Marine guard. The converted cruise liner Oasis of Space XCIV was set up as a prison ship. “I know you don't like it but hear me out. The ship was converted into some sort of entertainment ship for the Horathians, which means she had brigs. Dungeons really,” Admiral Irons said, laying out his plan in the daily conference.
“But, sir, she's got extensive facilities on board. Some of which we can use in therapy.”
“Do you honestly think it is a good idea to keep some of the people on board? Some we found in the holds, dungeons, and even chained in some of the bedrooms? I think a fresh change of scenery is in order,” Major Pendeckle said.
“That's right. The ship does have an infirmary, I will admit that, but it is a small one. They weren't really interested in keeping their prisoners happy or alive. At least not for long unless their suffering was for entertainment value,” Ian McGuyver growled. Renee liked him; he had a good head on his shoulders. She appreciated his slight accent. It was odd, almost lilting in a way.
The senior staff argued over the idea for a few minutes. The medics stood firm; they wanted the ship as a hospital ship.
“This isn't a democracy people. I have my reasons for wanting things the way I want them. Discussion is closed. The prisoners are already in transit. The dungeons on the Oasis are already rigged as prison cells that will make things much easier for our intelligence people.”
“Sir, we're not going to put the computers there too are we?”
“I don't see why not,” Sprite interjected.
“I do. If the ship was lost for some reason we'd have all our eggs in one basket. No, we'll keep a copy there, either an extract or something else. We'll distribute encrypted copies with Firefly and the other ships. I don't want anything going wrong there.”
“Aye aye, Sir,” Firefly responded, making a note. “So, you have plans for our refugee population?”
“They are civilians now, sir,” Ian reminded him. There was an uncomfortable silence over the net. All knew how thin and hard pressed the teams were on each of the ships.
“I know that,” Admiral Irons replied quietly, breaking the taboo. “Those who wish to volunteer, and I know there have been quite a few, have been put to work once they passed a physical. We'll work it out,” he said.
“Sir, about the Oasis; I strongly urge you to change your mind. She's the best for the refugees. Once we restore her, she'd go a long ways to keeping them comfortable,” Doctor Standish said stubbornly. He was tired, and he knew he was being a bit pig headed over the subject. But he couldn't let it go. He kept picturing in his mind's eye his patients resting in the whirlpools and by the pool. Or finally catching a break and actually having fun. Many had suffered enough and desperately needed some down time.
“No,” the Admiral replied patiently but firmly. “We're only restoring the basic functions on each ship. Just enough to make them hyperworthy. After that, well, focus will be on the warships first to protect the other ships. We'll go on from there later. We're not going to waste time on frills right now doctor, I'm sorry. That is the way it is.”
“I see.”
“Besides, the Horathians should appreciate the amenities there. The ones they seem to enjoy the most I think, though we won't be as barbaric as them and actually use them.” He ignored the growl of wordless protest a few of his officers voiced. Renee felt a little appalled by that. Were they savages? She knew some had suffered greatly at the hands of the pirates...but were they going to sink to their level?
“No, we're not. It will give them plenty of time to think about them and regret any participation they had there,” the Admiral said. “And dwelling on it, and wondering when we'll start using them should make them...interested in talking. A little oh, psychological prodding should help.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well, it occurred to me that some of the pirates recorded their...adventures. These will of course be used in their trials,” Sprite said, smoothly taking over the conversation. “I suppose we, or I should say, the intelligence officers could, I don't know, replay select portions at appropriate times and let their imaginations help fill in the blanks? Like, oh, audio bits. Things to get them motivated in talking.”
Ian snorted. After a moment he chuckled. “I like it. It's not as good as actually putting the bastards through it, but just letting them sweat should be fun. And who knows, we may get something useful out of it.”
“And maybe one or two will drop from a heart attack,” Chief Chowler growled.
“Maybe,” the doctor said, now sounding concerned.
“We'll have to see. I think, after what they did, a little soul searching would be good for them. Don't you?” The Admiral asked. “And they do say, confession is good for the soul.” That earned a chuckle.
The staff meetings were held virtually, since each of the senior officers had duties on their own ships and couldn't burn the time in transit daily. The ships staffs were shorthanded across the board, and there was a great deal of concern over that.
Six hours after the battle, the Admiral had gone over the various ships and had designated those for salvage. The easiest were the ships that were little more than wreckage after the battle. Those ships were gone over by a special engineering detail, a team of personnel from both engineering and the intelligence services. Ensign Esh'z worked with his opposite number in naval intelligence to secure the computers and anything of potential intelligence value. Once they were finished engineers went through the ship, ripping out anything of value for the repair of the other ships, and then the ship was sent on the Carnegie.
The factory ship Carnegie was a beehive of activity. Not only were wrecked ships stacking up around her, but work crews of volunteers and naval personnel were in and all over the ship, making whatever repairs they could while keeping the molecular furnaces filled with material.
Working around the ship was dangerous, as it was in just about every ship in the fleet. The medics were kept busy dealing with injuries. Several people were critically injured in work accidents, and one person was killed when their suit breached. By the time help arrived and the woman had been recovered and brought in, too much time had passed and she was declared brain dead. Her body was passed on to the morgue.
Eighty hours after reaching and recovering Echo, Commander Sindri returned her to Maine. The little corvette was battered, but Sindri reported her functional. Admiral Irons authorized the change of command, as well as passing command of Bounty formally to Commander McGuyver. Echo took station near Carnegie, and her crew went to work dividing their time between their own ship's repairs and the salvage operations.
The reefer ship Gypsy Rose was used to hold those in stasis. A shuttle moved the stasis pods when it was available. A volunteer crew manned her. She was one of the few ships in the fleet that didn't need major repair or overhaul. She like Minerva Alabama had been restored in Pyrax. Minerva had been in the pirates’ hands longer, so she had a bit more to put right, but both ships were functional.
There was some debate on sending the ships off to Pyrax as each came online. Admiral Irons and Captain Mayweather nixed the idea. They wanted each crew to be given time to work up, to retrain, and most of all, to heal physically and mentally. Some of the ships would lack medical personnel when they moved out, it was best to utilize their two doctors to the fullest before they went into hyper.
&n
bsp; ---( | ) --- ( | )---
Jethro's squad bounced around, drawing prisoner escort duty several times before they were informed they were slated for the liner with half of the Marines under Valenko's command. Some of the former slaves had to be watched carefully; two had committed suicide after being freed. One had beaten herself unconscious before a medic had arrived to sedate her. Another had clawed at a Marine, out of her mind in fear and roiling emotions, not ready to accept her new found freedom.
Oddly Jethro, the Neos and aliens were major factors in convincing some of the doubters that they really were rescued. Seeing one in armor, carrying a weapon convinced those who had problems with the scenario that it wasn't a sick trick. Jethro had found himself being hugged or petted by several people. The girls and kids he didn't mind. But a few of the guys who had sobbed and blown their noses in his fur had him wanting to snarl and climb the walls.
Half his squad were humans. Anderson, Clarke, Niven, Weber, Stasheff, Asimov, were stock humans, all had trained under Jethro during his tenure as a DI. All six humans kept their distance from the refugees at first, allowing Jethro or one of the others to make contact. Honor Weber, their navy medic seemed to be resigned to her secondary role. As Neo canines Jerry Lee and Rigs didn't mind the attention, though most didn't cuddle up to the coyote Rigs.
Lance corporal Trina got some attention, but one look at her flattened ears and bared teeth made most people back off. The neofeline didn't like being touched either.
Her counterpart Lance corporal Za'vex was new to the squad. He didn't mind the attention, but he had a quiet no nonsense approach to things.