by J. P. Larson
“I could use more help. The computer isn’t very good about answering my questions.”
“Anyone on the bridge would be happy to help you, Alicia. Talk to Janice if you want to set up periodic tutoring sessions.” He paused. “Or talk to Jeff. I think he probably knows this stuff better than he lets on.”
“Thanks, Alex.”
“Okay,” Pamela said. “We can all chat later.” She looked around. “Jimbo, would you run the show today?”
“Me? I couldn’t do that, Captain. I’m the big, silent type.” This was greeted by general laughter, but Pamela just gave him a fierce glare, so he finally got up and walked to the front of the room. Pamela took the seat he vacated.
Jimbo looked nervous. “We’re supposed to do something entertaining. Tell a story, sing or play a song, or tell a few jokes. Can I start, Captain?” Pamela nodded. “I thought I would tell about when I first met the Commander, would that be okay?”
Alex buried his head.
“Oh,” said Pamela. “I think that would be a lovely story we’re all just dying to hear, Jimbo. Please, take your time and include plenty of details.” Alex groaned.
“… so I’m still sitting there, wondering if I can find -- never mind. So I’m drinking a beer, and I hear this ruckus from the back room…
“… the Commander has got his back to the wall, but there must be ten guys in front of him, most of them holding knives. There are several bodies on the floor, some of ‘em groaning. Well, this is a Navy training center town, and I’m about to start my training, and I figure this guy in uniform must be an instructor. Good person to be friends with…
“… so we spent the rest of the night drinking, and he asked me if I knew what I wanted to do in the Navy, then told me about what he was doing. I’ve never looked back.”
There was a huge round of applause, and Jimbo blushed. Alex looked around. “Now you know that Pamela isn’t the only person who has saved my life twice. I’m real good at getting into trouble.”
Jimbo ran through everyone in the room, picking them randomly. Jeff told jokes for several minutes that had everyone in stitches. Mary played her guitar. Several people told stories. Alicia read a poem she had written.
“Your turn, Dan,” Jimbo said.
“I see you have your violin,” Pamela said. “Thank you for bringing it. Everyone will appreciate your concerts.”
“Gina asked me if I was going to get it, and I told her yes. So then she asked if we could go together. Is that okay, Captain?” Pamela nodded, so Dan and Gina got up and moved to the front of the room.
“We haven’t exactly practiced this together,” Dan said. “Gina and I talked about songs I knew, and she gave me some music. I’ve played this before, so it just took a little practice to get ready.”
“Dan, don’t be startled when I start singing. Just play, okay?” Gina smiled at him.
“I’ve played for singers before, Gina. I’ll be fine.”
Dan removed his violin from the case, checked the bow, then checked the tuning. He looked at Gina, and she smiled. Dan started playing a haunting melody in a minor key. Gina came in on the fourth measure. The words were in a language no one knew, but her voice was clear, and the emotion obvious. She sang of life, and of love, and of loss. When they were done, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.
The violin fell silent, and Gina noticed her audience, tears running down several cheeks. They stared at her for a several heartbeats, then started applauding. She smiled, then turned and hugged Dan. “Thank you,” she whispered in his ear.
The applause died down, and Gina tried to head for her chair, but Pamela stopped her. “Gina, why would it normally take an order for you to sing? You must have studied for years. Aren’t you proud?”
Gina looked at the floor. “They kicked me out, Captain.”
“For heaven’s sake, why?”
“For kicking the stuffing out of one of the professor’s sons. He didn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”
“Will you sing another song, Gina. You don’t have to, but maybe you can do something happy?”
Gina looked up, then looked at Dan. “Can you play a jig? I can improvise.”
“I can manage that,” he told her. “I’ll just put away my violin here,” he said, putting it the case, “and pull out my fiddle.” He pulled the violin back out.
Dan began playing, and Gina improvised around him. Jeff looked at the players, then looked across the table to Alicia. She was tapping her foot. He got up, grabbed her hand, and pulled her into an impromptu dance, using the small space that was available. Everyone else clapped in time to the music, and the song ended far too quickly.
Gina refused to sing again, but agreed to join in at the impromptu sessions that sprang up every few days. The melt down continued and was quickly over.
Pamela began the wrap up. “Okay, we get to Heaven’s Gate in a week. We won’t melt down again this week, but I expect to hear music in this ship. Next melt down is leaving the Gate. I’ve put some hard work into this one, and I hope everyone will take this seriously and have fun at it. I want everyone to learn a skill from someone else. I’ve picked the skill I want each of you to learn, but I haven’t told you who is going to teach you. You have to figure that out without telling anyone what skill you’re trying to learn. For instance, if your skill is using a weapon you’ve never heard of before, you might want to ask around and see what sort of weapons everyone else has until you find someone who mentions the one you’re supposed to learn about.
“You’ll have to provide evidence you’ve learned the skill. You don’t have to be very good at it, but do your best. Note that we’ve all been getting along well, so I specifically have not matched across worlds. Janice might have to learn her skill from Alex, or maybe from Spades.
“Please, people, don’t cheat on this one, and have fun.”
Pamela handed a slip of paper to each of her crew. “Now, back to work!”
* * *
The rest of the trip to Heaven’s Gate was uneventful, not counting the crowds that gathered in the galley for music every evening. Pamela noticed that second shift wasn’t getting to participate, so she organized relief shifts composed of herself, Alex and Janice to give everyone a chance to join in on the fun. A ship in hyperspace pretty much runs itself, making it easy for one or two people to watch over things.
Miscalculation
“Helm, green, Captain,” said Gina’s assured voice. She was at the helm alone. Linda was in her cabin.
“Navigation, confused, Captain. Security is back up to his old tricks.”
“No getting singed, Captain,” Alex assured her. “I just want to make sure we get a good look at home before we arrive. Sort of a bird’s eye view.”
“Any problem with that, Spades?”
“No, Captain. He gets us there.”
Pamela sighed. “Humor him, then, Spades.”
“Course locked and ready. Navigation green.”
“Communications green,” said Mary. “Station says we can hyper any time, no need to warn them.”
“Security green.”
“Systems green.”
“Any time, Gina. Let’s go home.”
The ship hypered. Systems were green.
“Captain, a word in your cabin?” Alex asked her.
Pamela looked at him with a funny expression, but nodded. “Keep an eye on things, people, and let me know if anything funny happens. I hope this is quick, Alex.”
“Yes, Captain.” He led the way, but let her open the door and followed her into her cabin. Arriving, he sat down while Pamela paced.
“Pamela, if we’re going to have trouble, it’ll be on this leg.” She looked at him, but didn’t say anything. “I want to disrupt your personnel handling.”
“Spit it out, Alex.”
“I want Gina back on security. I want Mary back on the helm. I want you and Janice both doing scans, as much as you can without frying yourselves.”
Pamela thoug
ht about it, then got on the intercom. “Linda, are you awake? Can you relieve Gina?”
“Yes, Captain. I’m on my way.”
“Gina, Mary, in my cabin once Linda gets there.”
Pamela paced while Alex quietly watched her. There was a knock. Gina and Mary entered the room.
“Sit down,” Pamela told them. “Alex is being paranoid again.”
Gina looked at Mary. “He wants you back on helm and me back on security.”
“Okay,” said Mary.
“You’re okay with this, Mary?” Pamela asked her, surprised.
“Anthony did a good job teaching me. I don’t know everything about communications, but he says I’m fine all by myself. There’s nothing to do there until we get home, and I’m kind of studied out.” She paused. “And frankly, if we have any trouble, I would rather have Gina on security and me on helm, too.”
“Gina?”
“Alex and Mary summed it up exactly. Captain, I can do helm for the easy stuff, but I’m real good at security. Put me back there, just for now. Have Mary or Linda at helm when we run into trouble.”
“All right. Effective immediately. I’ll warn Janice. Mary, you have a shift to finish. Relieve Linda.”
“Yes, Captain. But can I say something first? Just to you?”
“Alex and Gina, get out of here.” The got up and left.
“Captain, when we get back home?” Pamela nodded. “Please don’t replace me.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’m sure. They still shock me, but I’m not afraid of them anymore.”
“They still shock me, too, Mary. Good to have you with us.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
* * *
As the Grey Ghost hurtled towards Dawson’s Star, she was watched.
* * *
“Melt down, people,” Pamela announced. “Let’s go see what everyone has learned.”
The bridge crew did their normal preparation for melt down, and everyone started to shuffle out. Alex continued to watch the scanners, intent on his screens.
Pamela stepped up to him. “Melt down, Alex,” she told him.
Alex glanced at her, then returned his eyes to the screens. “Skip me this time, Pamela.”
“You didn’t learn your skill? Surely you’re not afraid of a little embarrassment.”
“Hmm?” Alex was playing with the screens.
“Alex!”
“What? Oh. Of course I did. I already knew what finger picking was, and I’ve seen Mary with her guitar, so it was easy.” He returned his eyes to the boards. “I’m worried, Pamela.”
“Alex, melt down is not optional. Set your alarms and let’s go.”
Alex looked at her, then back to the boards. “Pamela, if we have trouble, it’s going to happen on this leg.”
“Look at me, Mr. Grey,” she said quietly. Alex looked up, startled. “I said, ‘melt down is not optional’. You will set your alarms and you will join us. Is that clear?”
Alex regarded her for a moment. “Yes, Captain, it is.” He turned to his boards and keyed the alarms, then looked back at her. He opened and closed his mouth several times, then set his teeth and turned on his heels without another word.
“Alex.” He stopped, but didn’t turn around. Pamela addressed his back. “What’s going to happen to morale if the security officer starts skipping mandatory meetings to hover over the threat board?”
“What’s going to happen if we get jumped while I’m showing everyone I can torture a guitar?”
“Turn around and look at me.” Alex slowly turned in her direction. “Do you really think we’re going to have a problem today?”
He thought about it. “No. The boards are completely clear. Not even a whisper. I think the trouble is going to come sometime in the last half of the trip. But what if I’m wrong?”
“You’re never wrong, Alex. Let’s go.” She followed him to the galley. “Smile. We were not fighting. Everything is just fine. And don’t play with your comm equipment.”
“All right, Pamela.”
Melt down started out fine. Mary showed a disarm that Jimbo had taught her. “It won’t work on someone Jimbo’s size,” she explained. “Anthony, would you attack me with this carrot?” Everyone laughed, they applauded when Mary took the carrot away from Anthony, and they laughed again when she started eating it.
A few people later, Alex demonstrated he could indeed torture Mary’s guitar, but he made noise that was recognizably a song. “I guess I show my new skill and embarrass myself at the same time,” he announced, but smiled.
The momentum changed when it was Alicia’s turn. She had been slinking lower and lower in her chair as the melt down wore on.
“I can’t,” she said.
“Alicia, you didn’t find out who was supposed to teach you your skill?”
“It’s not that I didn’t try. I talked to everyone!” She looked around. “Most of them twice. No one admitted knowing anything about it.” She slumped into her chair again. “Someone is being mean,” she said quietly.
Pamela looked at her for a moment. “Raise your hand if you think Alicia’s been fishing around you for a skill.” Most of the people in the room raised their hands. “Okay, that’s not helpful. Raise your hand if she hasn’t.”
One hand went up.
“I talked to you, Alex!” she said. “I talked to you three times. Linda and Kari showed everyone the gifts you gave them, so I asked if you made them. Then when I talked to them, both Jimbo and Gina suggested if I wanted to ask questions about carving, I should talk to you, so I did. Then, after I ran through everyone else a second time, I talked to you a third time when you were helping me with my math.”
Alex looked at her. “I remember you asking about the carvings. We were talking about how well the engines were handling the stress I had been putting them through. You asked if I made the figurines. I didn’t, and that’s what I told you.” He paused. “The second time, in the galley?” She nodded. “You asked who did make them. I told you it was someone back home. You pressed, so I told you a friend of the family. You pressed some more, and I told you I understood the concepts, but couldn’t explain them.” He glared at Pamela for a moment. “And the last time, you flat out asked me if I could teach you to make figurines like that. I can’t, Alicia. Pamela knows that. My father gives me a little lesson every time I’m home. He made the ones I gave Linda and Kari, not me. Mine, well, you kind of get a feeling from them, but you don’t get lost in them like you do with Dad’s.”
He turned to Pamela. “I can’t believe you told her to learn how to make those. I told you it would take me ten years of hard study before I would be able to. You thought I could teach it in a few hours?”
He turned back to Alicia. “I’m sorry, Alicia. It never occurred to me that’s what you were after. I’ll take your story for you. I do all sorts of embarrassing things I can tell about.”
“Alex, I was just supposed to carve an animal, like a horse or teddy bear. I didn’t know it was that hard.”
Alex looked at his wife. “I’m sorry, Pamela.”
“It’s okay, Alex.”
“Alicia, I do good teddy bears. I can teach you, but first I’ll tell your embarrassing story.”
Alicia looked at him and smiled. “I’m just so relieved. I thought someone was being mean and wouldn’t help me. But you can’t tell my story. It was my responsibility, and you didn’t ruin it on purpose. Besides, this time I don’t mind.”
“You’re sure?”
“She smiled. Everyone remembers what I said last time? About how I’ve never been kissed?” They all nodded. “It’s not true anymore! I won’t say with who, or where it was, except that it was while we were on Random Walk.”
Alex sent to Pamela.
“Alicia!” said Mary. “You have to tell us more than that. Was it nice? Was it just once? Did you, um, do anything else?”
“No, we didn’t do anything else! I wouldn’t take advantage of a boy like that.” The Walkers smiled at this last comment. “It was one kiss, and it was very nice. He was very sweet and not at all forward. We were talking, and he kind of looked at me, and I could tell he wanted me to kiss him. So I asked him if I could. He was a little surprised, but said yes. So I did.”
“Are you going to see him again?” Linda asked.
“Maybe. We talked about it. Obviously, there are a few difficulties…”
Melt down continued, with Alex frequently checking his comm gear for a status from his threat board.
Eventually, everyone else demonstrated their new skill, and Pamela wrapped up. “Sorry, people, but this is the last melt down before we get home. But before we do get home, if you think you might not be shipping out on the next run, please let me know so I have time to talk you into staying.” Everyone laughed, and Pamela declared them melted.
Alex practically ran back to the bridge. Well, limped quickly. Pamela stayed behind to talk to anyone who had something to say to her, arriving fifteen minutes later. The rest of the bridge crew was at the posts by then.
“Status?”
“Helm green,” said Mary.
“Navigation green,” said Dan.
“There’s no one on comm,” Alex pointed out. “Security green. I just talked to Alicia -- she’s green, but I asked her to poke her nose around to see how she felt.”
“Felt, Alex?”
“Gut reaction.”