13 Degrees of Separation

by Hechtl, Chris

  “Six days you said? Two to button up?”

  “Two before we get the hull buttoned up, another 3 to sort out anything and run tests and install minor bits. They gave us an extra day in case we run into anything we haven't seen yet. I don't know if we'll need it, but then again you never know.”

  “Ah. Good.”

  “We may have some more room, life support is almost nominal. They even gave us a duct bot to clean the ducts with the elves,” Peter said with a shrug. “And yes, before you ask I think they finally clobbered that funk in the aft head on deck 2. Mildew on the outside of the duct. The elves missed it because they were in the ducts, not in the walls.”

  “I see.”

  “Well, if it doesn't stink, I'm happy,” Rodrick replied.

  “How's Rose?”

  “Recovering sir,” Rodrick replied with a nod. “She opted for more advanced implants. I'm thinking about getting the basics myself, the ident implant is very cheap.”

  “Interesting,” the Captain mused.

  “Very cheap. Pretty noninvasive for the chip.”

  “I'll think about it. You said more room Peter?” he asked, turning back to the chief engineer.

  Peter sighed, sitting back. “I'm losing one, possibly two engineering ratings. I've heard talk of one or two more here and they're willing to join the Navy or go to college.”

  “Including Jane,” Wendy winced.

  Pete gave her a sympathetic look. “Well, if she does and they do she'll have friends and family there to keep an eye on her,” he said softly. She frowned and then wiped hair out of her eyes, not acknowledging that.

  The Captain looked at her briefly and then nodded. “Well, we don't want to lose crew, but far be it from me to stand in anyone's way who wants to better themselves. Anything else?”

  “Not just yet. Everyone's been good on leave, no problems reported. No one brigged, no one disappeared. Everyone makes their regular check ins.”

  “Good to hear,” the Captain replied, wondering what was wrong with his people. There was usually one or two in the group that had to get into some sort of mischief. “Fine then. I'll go walk about and poke around and make a nuisance of myself. Pete you can join me or catch up on some much needed sleep.”

  “Sleep,” the tired engineer replied, rubbing at his face. “Sleep and food,” he said, stomach growling. The Captain chuckled as the crew got up. “I'm looking forward to trying the food replicator in the galley.”

  “They fixed it?!” Wendy asked, grabbing his arm. Peter nodded, smiling.

  “Yes indeedy, they did. Apparently it was a minor fix. A series of clogs, hard water scaling and some nasty stuff that grew. That was the source of the smell in the galley.”

  “Ah,” she nodded as they walked out.

  Peter snapped his fingers and turned to the Veraxin. “Oh! That reminds me! We'll need food containers and food substrate for the replicator,” he said.

  “I'll look into it. If any are available,” the Veraxin said showing wry amusement.

  “They sell the barrels cheap. I'll give you the specs.”

  “They make them?”

  “Now they do,” the chief engineer replied with a grin. “They make a lot of stuff here now. Want to try something? I heard it's not as good as Cookie, but it's different,” he said.

  “I think, maybe I'll try it. If only to see what all the fuss is about,” the Veraxin replied with a chitter.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Knuyuk turned up a few contracts and even bought some electronics to sell in other markets. But they were still running light. He put a call in to the Commander's office.

  “Yes Mr., um, Knuyuk? Of the Mariah's Mischief?”

  “Yes sir, I believe we have room available on the ship. Two hundred fifty one cubic feet of space.”

  “Do you have room for passengers as well?” the Commander asked, knitting his flexible digits together in front of his camera.

  “I should delegate this, or have Doctor Thornby's office handle it, but she's in the middle of her inoculation plan so I'll lend a hand. two hundred fifty one cubic feet of space you said? Any restrictions on size or mass?”

  The Veraxin sent him the file. The Commander looked it over briefly. “Shouldn't be a problem anyway, from what I understand it's all medical supplies. Some electronics, but they will be powered down so they won't interfere with ship's systems.”

  “Yes sir,” the Veraxin replied. He hadn't considered that potential problem.

  “I'm going over some of your stops. You mentioned Antigua.”

  “Yes sir.

  “So you aren't headed back there? We were hoping to send some follow up materials to Agnosta.”

  “I'm afraid nod. The Captain is firm on our next destination.”

  “Ah,” Logan replied with an understanding nod. “Seti Alpha 4 it is then. That's fine.”

  “The nature of these medical supplies. I am assuming they are um... how do I put this delicately...”

  “Medical equipment, some pharmaceuticals. I don't have the complete list. I believe the doctor is trying to institute a sector wide medical checkup program and an inoculation program. Beyond that you'd need to speak to her or the passengers you might have as well.”

  “Passengers?”

  “Medics. Medical staff I mean. I don't know the number or species.”

  “Okay. We would need that information.”

  “Of course,” Logan replied.

  “It would be good to have additional qualified medics on board. We have one medic but he is only trained to a nurse level I believe?”

  Logan nodded. “Understandable. And I bet he learned a lot of things on the job. Basic trauma medicine, Pyrax and only a few other worlds have any sort of formal educational systems. I think they won't mind training your medic, comparing notes, whatever,” Logan replied with a shrug. “If only to keep busy and to keep in practice,” he replied.

  “We tried to get some of these repairs and supplies from Prime but the council...” The Veraxin chittered in annoyance. “I cannot believe a full fledged factory station could be so... and after the admiral's generous help in salvaging it.”

  “You mentioned that before. We have a partial report from the admiral. My staff is still digesting it. I have the bullet points from the admiral.”

  “Yes,” the Veraxin sighed. “Such shameful things to do to the admiral, forcing him out of the system. Not like Pyrax, but still...” he shrugged his true arms in a first level gesture of dismay and ingratitude. “He did everything to get that massive place functioning again. 400 kilometers in diameter... another man would spend a life time trying to achieve what he did in a month,” the Veraxin said.

  Logan frowned. “That's a large station.”

  “Prime is the jewel of the system. One of several built before the Xeno war. A factory city.”

  That had Logan's undivided attention. “A factory city you said?”

  “Yes. But the ruling cyber council and the people on the planet are fools. When the admiral tried to get them to invest in the Navy and in their own defense they flat out refused and ran him out of the system.”

  “That's not right,” Logan said, scowling. “I'm surprised the admiral left.”

  “I was too, but then I thought about it. If they refuse, and since they are on the front to the pirates... it is only a matter of time before they're invaded.”

  “And he didn't want to watch it all come crumbling down and feel helpless. I see,” Logan said frowning as he held up a hand. “One moment Mr. Knuyuk, let me make a call.” He cocked his head as he tapped his implants and put a call out.

  The video changed to a party line as each of the other officers came online. They nodded politely to the Commander and the civilian.

  “Now, Mr. Knuyuk, can you go over Antigua prime again?” Logan asked.

  “Certainly,” the Veraxin chittered, showing uncertainty. “We were only in the system briefly, and weren't present for her return to the living. But fr
om what we were told....”

  He went on to describe the admiral's salvaging of the station, brokering deals with Kiev 221, Lieandra, and other ships, and how he, with the excess crew from the ships had resurrected the station and even moved it back into the inner system. When the officers didn't interrupt the Veraxin went on the describe the station in what detail he could recall, then the political situation.

  “I do not understand this pacifist thing that was mentioned. Why would someone wish to be helpless before an enemy? Such is very confusing.”

  “Yes. Yes it is.”

  “They, most of the cybers I mean, are ancient. They are from before the Xeno war, they survived the attack on the system, pirates... you would think they would have learned from such experiences. At least wanted some protection.”

  “Yes,” Logan sighed. “This puts the admiral's orders in a better light. Now I understand. Prime is an El Dorado. A civilian one.”

  The intelligence officer nodded. “I was working on a report for you sir.”

  “I figured as much,” Logan replied. “The problem is these idiots don't know they're on the front lines. Antigua itself is protected by planetary defense weapons, I think...” he frowned, trying to remember.

  “Yes sir it is,” the intelligence officer replied. “But only on part of the planet. We unfortunately do not have solid detail there however.”

  “Get a courier prepped now. I want a courier and a frigate on standby. I'll record orders in a moment. But get them moving on refueling and taking on stores.”

  Doctor Thornby's eyes went wide. “Sir are you thinking about what I think you're thinking about?” she asked. “Horatio...”

  “I've got an order here from the admiral to send a ship by Antigua to keep an eye on things. Now I understand why he wanted us to do so. I was a bit leery about it too, I don't want to draw down our defenses here, but I'm fairly certain we can take on anything up to a squadron of cruisers now.”

  “But still...”

  “Right now their ass is hanging in the wind. Now, they may be nudists and like the draft, but other asses are hanging along right beside them. Women, kids, the like. They didn't have a say in the situation. These people are standing on their principles and leaving a lot of people dangerously exposed. I'm not going to allow that.”

  “Besides, it's an El Dorado,” the intel officer said nodding. “Between the two of us we could really make an impact in re-establishing civilization here and elsewhere,” he said.

  Logan nodded. “Exactly. Even more than our efforts in Agnosta, Gaston, and Seti Alpha 4. With Antigua we'd exponentially increase our efforts.”

  “I see,” Thornby replied with a slow nod.

  The Veraxin turned to see Peter Banning and the Captain enter. They both nodded. “Evening folks,” Peter said with a jaunty nod. “What'd we miss?”

  “Commander, we've got a dispatch boat at the Agnosta point on standby. We can get a frigate out in... two hours,” the ops officer said, ignoring the intruding civilians.

  “I'll have orders in a moment,” Logan said grimly.

  “What'd we say?” the Captain asked, looking at the Veraxin.

  “If you know about this station it's only a matter of time before the pirates do," Logan explained.

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah, that station is sitting there bare ass,” Peter said taking a seat next to the Veraxin. “I heard Irons beat feet out of there.”

  The military officers stiffened. He shrugged. “No offense,” the Captain said. “He was smart to get out of there while he could. He picked up a sweet ship too, we couldn't keep up.”

  That got a small smile from Logan. “That figures. He's probably souped it up quite a bit,” he said.

  “Probably,” Thornby replied with an enigmatic smile of her own.

  “He's named it the Phoenix. A dispatch boat, the DB-1701E. We've got some idea of what he did in Triang, Antigua, and Gaston. I'm guessing he passed Centennial by like we did. Place is a ghost town now. Fracken pirates cratered it.”

  That made all the military officers scowl blackly. “I hope you do something about them... soon.”

  “Oh we will, you can count on it. Maybe not soon, but eventually there will be reckoning. Of that you have my word,” Logan replied grimly.

  The Captain nodded. “Good.”

  Taking turns with his other 3 officers, the Captain relayed second and third hand accounts of admiral Irons activities in Triang, Antigua and Gaston. Logan nodded politely, listening.

  When they were finished the chief engineer also relayed indifferent news of the Yard Dogs project. “We were actually curious to see if they were getting anywhere.”

  “Weren't when we left,” Knuyuk said with a click of his mandibles.

  “True. Maybe you've got competition now,” the Captain said with a shrug.

  “With that girl working for them? Very possible,” Peter replied. “She's a damn sharp cookie. I wish I could have hung onto her, she kept the boys in line by not taking any guff and by getting the job done.”

  “Ah, that she did,” Knuyuk replied with a first degree of agreement motion of his true hands. “Though her mother was a liability.”

  “You didn't worry about taking her credits though,” Peter accused. The Veraxin chattered in humor. Peter shrugged. What was done was done. Yes they'd soaked the girl for all her hard work, possibly why she left the ship, but he could see why also in that Antigua prime was full of promise.

  “Yard dogs?”

  “Yard dogs inc. Apparently Admiral Irons set them up just before he skedaddled out of the system in that ship of his, or so we were told. Gave control of the entire project to a pair of former military sleepers who are now cybers helping to run the station. The Warners.”

  Logan nodded.

  “Anyway, this lass we had, picked her up in Senka. She had an asteroid tug and was looking to come here but well, we diverted when we heard about Antigua.”

  “Understandable,” the Commander replied with another nod.

  “Right, well, she had to unload her ship. She found out the hard way about all their fees and such. Got a job with the Yard Dogs because they were the only ones that'd hire her. They hadn't started much yet but with her to give them a push...” he shrugged.

  “That's actually the only way we heard about them. We were interested when we heard, I mean who wouldn't be? A shipyard?” the Veraxin chattered, waving a true hand to indicate the Navy yard.

  Logan nodded. “And they were working on it?”

  “Starting to do so when we left,” the Captain admitted.

  “They had a lot of the pieces but lacked someone like Mairi Jersey to put them together.”

  “Mairi?” Logan asked. “Excuse me?”

  “The young woman we mentioned. Kid really, tiny little thing. Sixteen if she's a day. Expressive eyes. Smart cookie like I said, initiative, good hard worker. She doesn't give in easy, has a stiff backbone.”

  “To go along with that hard head. I heard she stood up to Toodles a time or two,” Knuyuk said with a chatter.”

  Peter snorted. “True. All the lost boys stood up and took notice when she grabbed him by the balls and told him to be polite. They gave her a wide berth after that.”

  “A lady after my own heart, much like my daughter Shelby,” Logan replied with a chuckle.

  “Yes sir,” Peter said nodding. “I think I remember her vaguely. We were here what? Twenty years ago?”

  “Something like that,” the Captain said with a nod. She was a toddler I think.”

  Logan blinked. “I'd forgotten you'd been here before,” he murmured.

  “Is she running Anvil's engineering department now?”

  “No, she's an officer. Executive officer on a warship,” Logan replied with a smile. “I can't go into details, but I am proud of her.”

  “Ah,” the Captain replied with a nod.

  “So, this Antigua prime, do you have the records of it? Imagery? Any details...”

 
; “I'll have the information for you on the shipment and personnel going to Seti next shift. Any limit on numbers?” Thornby interjected. Logan frowned. “Sorry Horatio, I've got to go. I just need a quick and dirty answer.”

  “251 cubic feet of space. We have two cabins. If they're friendly we could squeeze up to 8 people but they would have to hot bunk. I'm not sure what they would do in the off time.”

  “That's interesting. I'll get back to you on an exact number. Let me see how much stuff we can turn over to make up that cubage. I want to max it if at all possible.”

  “Don't go pulling packing material again Doc, breakage is a bitch,” the intel officer said to Thornby. She nodded, sobered.

  “Yes, I understand. It does the recipients no good if it's all damaged or destroyed in transit. We've learned from that, I assure you.”

  “Thanks doc,” the intel officer said as the doctor signed off. “Now, about Prime...”

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Jane and Wendy had it out after Jane's latest and very unauthorized return to Anvil. Wendy met her at the lock, seething. Her little brother was there talking with his niece, he caught his sister's look and beat feet out of the area.

  Jane looked at her mother and sighed. She really was a miniature version of her mother, Wendy thought, the whole, I wish you grow up and have a daughter that's just like you curse rang through her head. She couldn't help it, she had to smile a little as her daughter got up on her high horse and started to lay out her case for staying.

  That threw Jane off of course, the last thing she'd expected to see was her mother smile a little. Wendy pointed out that she was young. There wouldn't be many to support her, and the ship wouldn't be coming back for another decade.

  Jane in exasperation pointed out Mairi Jersey as an example. “Look mom, I didn't really get along with her, despite trying. She was a nice girl. But one thing I did pick up on is that she had started flying her tug when she was 12. She was supporting herself and her mother, and providing a service for her colony before puberty. If she can do it I can too.” Her mother blinked at her. “Hey, wasn't it you that said a Darling can do anything they put their mind to?”

  I just, I... I don't want to see you hurt.”