Wandering Engineer 6: Pirates Bane

by Chris Hechtl

  “We'll talk,” Sprite said from the overhead. The Admiral felt a tug on his right arm. He allowed the AI to raise it palm up. A third hologram appeared, this one of Sprite. “The ship's population is currently two hundred and sixty five people. Of those ten are still on the lists as injured. Half have expressed an interest in signing on as of a minute ago.”

  “Not a bad bit of recruiting,” Hoshi replied. She didn't sound at all thrilled about the idea however.

  “We didn't do it. We just put the option out there,” the AI responded hotly. Hoshi waved her fingers in an accepted motion.

  “Moving on, department status?” The Admiral said as he turned to Sisko. “Life support?”

  “Nominal now that we've gotten proper parts Admiral,” the young man said, straightening in his seat. “We have enough for everyone on board. We are a bit short on some things, but waste is now under control. We're at fifty six percent efficiency. I expect Raul and I should bump that up to sixty by tomorrow once we return the port side to active.”

  Irons nodded. He turned to Kinja.

  The woman cleared her throat and set her coffee down. She looked at Sindri, but the smaller man just waved for her to go ahead. “Reactor is steady. Replicator use and Phoenix has kept us above the minimal draw. We've installed, or should I say, re-installed the backup reactor into Phoenix, and with the AI's help we've rebooted it and gotten it functional. The ship no longer requires power from us for its basic functions, but still needs a supplement for the replicators.”

  “Understood. Repairs?”

  Sindri grimaced, picking up the report. “Still working on the basics. How far are we going to take this?”

  “As far as we can with what we've got.”

  “That's not much further,” Sprite, said. “Mister Takagi reported he's getting low on consumables and materials for the replicators.”

  “Ugh,” Kinja replied. “So, what do we do? Tear out systems and then wait for them to be rebuilt? That's not safe. What if the Horathian's show up?”

  There was a murmur around the room. The general consensus was that no one really liked that idea.

  “Unfortunately there is only four sources of material in the system. Le More and Deianira are salvageable. The other two, Anderson and Jaw-te are scrap,” Sprite said, sounding apologetic.

  “Definitely Anderson. I screwed her hyperdrive up. She's dead,” Sindri rumbled.

  “Not necessarily,” Irons replied. They turned to him. He smiled slightly. “I can remake just about everything, as some of you have realized,” he said. A few blinked at him in confusion. “Everything from a bolt to a hyperdrive. Or an entire ship or shipyard,” the Admiral said.

  “Um... the keys...” Sisko said, looking confused.

  “He's got the keys,” Kinja said. She looked at the Admiral. “My guess is all of them,” she said.

  The Admiral nodded but speared Sisko with a look. “And that does NOT go out in your paper. Ever,” he said coldly.

  Sisko gulped and then nodded, eyes wide.

  “No wonder they wanted you alive,” McGuyver said softly. The Admiral's eyes cut to him. After a moment he nodded.

  “This does not leave this compartment. I am a master key. I can recruit people and give them keys, including medical officers,” the Admiral said, nodding to the Doctor. Doctor Glenn looked a lot better, though tired. “But the recruits have to pass the exams and ethical tests. For the medics, it can get intense. Fortunately everyone on Epsilon passed,” he said.

  “Epsilon Triangula... I think Commander Sprite mentioned you jumped from there? Irina asked, blinking. “Is that even possible?”

  “Quite a lot is possible,” the Admiral replied, glad they were moving away from the topic of him and the keys. “Unfortunately, after the Xeno war people's thoughts of what is possible shrank to what was necessary to survive. I think we need to get people to think beyond that now.”

  “But... without... wait, he said keys...” Sisko rambled, eyes moving fast. He slowly frowned and then his eyes widened. He looked up and stared at the Admiral. “You are the key to everything!” he said. “An El Dorado!”

  “Yes,” Irons replied simply. That got the compartment talking. He waited it out, sitting back. He heard a noise and noted a crewman opening a door behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see an older gentlemen enter, put a steaming cup of coffee down in front of him, and then retreat. The hatch shut quietly.

  The Admiral picked the cup up and took a sip. When he set the cup down everyone had settled down once more. He nodded.

  “Glad we're on the same page. I've been going around to other systems, tossing seeds. Trying to kick start growth and a renewal of civilization. A renewed interest beyond survival. In some places it's taken well, in others...” he shrugged.

  “What he means is it has gone in ways he didn't expect, or politics became involved,” Sprite responded. “Corrupt politics in the case of Pyrax. Which is one of the reasons we are here,” she said.

  “Oh.”

  “Right, so yes, I can make things. We're moving past that. With sufficient materials, we could rebuild all four ships. But we lack that material. So, I'm proposing that we sacrifice Anderson and Jaw-te. They are stripped down already; we can just make it official and recycle them completely. With the materials from those two we can fully restore Bounty, Phoenix, Deianira, and Le More.”

  There were looks around the room. Slowly a silent consensus was reached and the crew nodded. “What about those who don't want to be in the military?” Hoshi asked.

  “For those who do not want to sign on, they can man the two freighters,” the Admiral replied. Hoshi nodded. There was something there the Admiral realized, a sense of relief.

  “Unfortunately, we don't have a safe place for them to go just yet.”

  “Um...” Sisko frowned. “Not following.”

  “According to our intelligence,” Sprite said, as her image winked out to be replaced with a jump map. It focused on Beta 100 omega. “We are here. The pirates have a small task force taking and occupying Hidoshi's World.” She highlighted the cul-de-sac system that linked to Beta 100. “And there is a pirate fleet of unknown size here,” she indicated Beta 101a1, south of them. "And another one, somewhere here,” she said, circling Kathy's World and Protodon. Numbers and tentative ID's were ghosted in.

  “So, what you are saying is we're trapped. Trapped between two, no three forces,” Ian said.

  “Sizable forces for the first two. I am confident we can easily take the corvettes that went to Hidoshi's World,” the Admiral replied.

  Ian nodded. “Do we have time to salvage the other ships sir?” Ian asked. That was one of the biggest topics of the current round of scuttlebutt according to Sprite's morning report. He understood it, they had a lot of warm bodies in a small ship built for a crew of one hundred and twenty. The Horathians had used stern discipline and hadn't cared about the issues with the crew. He did.

  “Can't run, can't hide. So, we have to fight,” Sindri rumbled. The others looked at him. He stroked his beard. “You mean to make munitions with some of the salvage?” he asked, turning to the Admiral. Irons nodded. “Thought so. And bring this ship and the others up to new. Better if we have time right?” Sindri asked, still stroking his beard. Irons nodded again. “Aye, it's possible. But then what?” He asked, raising a bushy eyebrow. All eyes in the compartment turned to the Admiral.

  “What I'd like to do is hit them in succession. Take the corvettes by pretending to be a Horathian,” the Admiral said. Slow smiles of understanding and wicked intent answered him. He returned the smile with his own. “From there we'll re-assess the situation. One potential plan is to jump into Beta 101a1 and have Bounty and the corvettes cover the freighters as we all make a run for the Pyrax jump point.”

  “That's sketchy Admiral,” Hoshi said. “We don't know where they are positioned. They could be on the Pyrax jump point. And taking an untrained crew into combat? Against a fleet?” she slowly shook her head.r />
  “Yes, which is what I thought. And unfortunately, we'd have no way of knowing until we entered the system.”

  “Can we bluff or get sneaky?” Ian asked.

  “Possible, but unlikely.”

  “The other option is to hide in Hidoshi's World, but I'm betting the Horathians will eventually miss Bounty and send someone to look.”

  “There is a scheduled resupply convoy,” Sprite said. They looked at the Admiral's hand. “It isn't supposed to arrive for another five weeks however.”

  “Nice to know we have a time table to be here or gone,” Nata'roka said. “I suppose you'll need my services?”

  “Possibly. There are two other options,” the Admiral said. They looked at him again. “One is to try to slip past Cartwright. Either by jumping to Kathy's World and then to Beta 452c if he's there or beyond. But if we did that we'd run out of fuel in Agnosta or Briev. And don't get me started on Briev.”

  “And if we were chased we'd be screwed,” Kinja said shaking her head. “The other option?” she asked.

  “The other one is hard. We could abandon the other ships and try a long jump to another system such as Pyrax.”

  “What you did Admiral?” Nata'roka asked. “I'm surprised you attempted it.

  “I may not have the genes, but I do have the balls,” the Admiral replied. That got a laugh. He took a sip of coffee as they settled back down. “Or I was just nuts. I regret it now, believe me. But doing it with more hands would make it easier.”

  “Many hands make light work,” Irina murmured. The Admiral nodded.

  “Do we have to decide now?” Hoshi asked.

  “By no means. Right now, we need to be on the same page. Mister Sisko's paper helps, but sometimes it's best to talk about it in person,” the Admiral said. “Some people absorb information better that way,” he said.

  “And it's nice to hear how things are going in other departments,” Sprite said dryly.

  “True,” the Admiral said. “Changing the subject, the crew...” he turned to the Doctor. “In general, health wise?”

  “Getting better. Still some issues, but we're getting a handle on them. Thank you for the support.”

  “Okay, and OPS...” Irons turned to Hoshi. She responded positively. He went around the room, drawing each person out before the meeting ended.

  Chapter 16

  The next morning Sprite reported excited people mobbing his cabin or clustered in the MPR. “What are they waiting for?” the Admiral asked. A brief concern of a second mutiny flashed in his mind before he disregarded it. It wasn't that it wasn't likely; it was that Bounty or Sprite would have picked up on such things sooner.

  “The oath Admiral. They want in,” Sprite replied, all smiles.

  “How many?” he asked.

  “Right now? One hundred twenty nine and counting.”

  “Okay,” he said slowly. “I thought you said half of the crew? That's one hundred and thirty two by my math Commander.”

  “No, make that one thirty one. Two.”

  The Admiral smiled, feeling a bit of vindication and elation. “A bit much to do in a small compartment. We'll do it in two groups, officers and enlisted. I want to hit the ground running with this Commander. That means we'll need military ident implant nanites, along with uniforms, training materials, the works.”

  “Understood Admiral. I've anticipated part of that. I can't do much about the nanites, but the other things are in the works. They should be ready shortly.”

  “Understood. What about scuttlebutt? Any issues?”

  “There was some minor grief over the idea of sacrificing Anderson and Jaw-te, mostly from their former crew. But they understand the ships are dead. They also know they were picked over; some of them did the picking. No issues.”

  “Okay,” the Admiral said. “Ideas for the swearing in?”

  “Admiral, to do this right we should do a ceremony. The largest spaces that aren't filled are the mess, MPR, and boat bay. My suggestion is the boat bay,” she said.

  The Admiral frowned in thought. Sprite was right. The MPR and mess could handle about fifty people in a tight squeeze. The boat bay could handle about a hundred, but the space craft inside... he frowned and then shrugged. They could always deploy the shuttle craft, he thought.

  “All right, boat bay. We'll have to clear the decks. Work on that as well. We can send the shuttles to the Le More to do a survey. How is Phoenix? Can Phoenix move out under her own power now?”

  “Reserve power. But the ship requires fuel.”

  “Get Takagi to move some fuel over to her. I'll try to drop by and do a once over. Have any officers not on shift and that are awake report to the wardroom for swearing in after lunch.”

  “Understood Admiral. But to make this cohesive they should do it together,” Sprite said. “And Miss Hoshi has expressed disinterest in signing on. From what she has said, I deduce she is bucking for a Captain's position on one of the freighters,” the AI informed him.

  “Understood. Military careers aren't for everyone,” the Admiral replied with a shrug. “And those ships will need good crew and officers. But she's a little premature. We haven't gotten them online yet.”

  “Yet. They've had a taste of what you are capable of now Admiral. They expect more,” Sprite said with a laugh.

  “Wonderful,” the Admiral sighed.

  “The good news is, they aren't wallowing in self pity, and they expect to be there, doing the work right alongside you sir,” Sprite said.

  “Good. Let's get too it then.”

  <----*----*----*---->

  Sprite noted the traffic on the sites she had set up with a fond feeling. It was exhilarating, noting the hits and repeat hits. People were discussing the options and going over it. She felt a ping, a tug on her consciousness. She moved to the location. Enric was there with several people.

  “Um, Commander, do you have a moment?” the young man asked.

  “Yes,” Sprite replied. “A moment that is. “I take it you have questions not in the FAQ?”

  “Some,” Enric replied, squirming. He looked at Yosef Behr. The black haired engineer just shrugged at his discomfort. No help there. “I was wondering about you for instance. How do you, I mean, where are you in the manning chart? Command chain I mean.”

  “I'm there. I serve as the Admiral's Chief of staff and intermediary. I can fill in for various positions when necessary.”

  “Oh.”

  “Do you get paid?” Yosef asked.

  “Of course!” Sprite said. “Is this what that is about?” she asked. “I am a person. I get paid. All AI do.” They blinked at her in confusion. “But what do we spend our money on?” she asked, with a smile on her virtual face. The men nodded.

  “Well, I was investing my credits in war bonds during the war. Right now my pay is being deferred. Trust me, I am keeping track of it. The Admiral set up an accounting system in Pyrax and Antigua for AI. I think it needs to be updated for hazard pay though,” she said, chuckling.

  All the men chuckled.

  “So, combat pay...”

  “There are a lot of perks to being in the military. But with it comes a great deal of responsibility.”

  “And discipline,” Yosef said.

  “That comes with being in space. On a ship or on a station, you have to follow orders,” Sprite reminded them. They nodded.

  “AI have a contract just like you would have. Mine is a half-century, though it can be shortened if the Admiral and I part company. Not that I see that happening anytime soon.”

  “I see.”

  “AI want what organics want, a place to live, in our case a computer system with plenty of processors and memory. Plus a power supply, net access, and something to do. We don't like just sitting idle for long.”

  “Oh.”

  “Can you get killed?”

  “Of course!” Sprite replied with a laugh. “In many ways, just like you. I try not to dwell on it. Again, it's part of being in space. You either acce
pt it or you don't belong here,” she said. They nodded. “But, and here is the kicker, at least now you get the chance to shoot back!” she said.

  That made the men smile and nod grimly.

  “True,” Enric murmured. “I'm all for that after what we've been through,” he said.

  “Good. The Admiral is right, he pointed out a famous saying, mangled, but still true. It is remarkable what you learn in captivity. You get to the point where you realize; all they can do is kill you. When you get there you lose your fear, or learn to control it. It becomes a distant thing. Men can do incredible things, sometimes crazy and stupid things, but incredible acts of heroism and bravery then.”

  The men nodded again, now thoughtful.

  “Think about it,” Sprite said. “And think about this. Evil spreads when good men do nothing. You have a chance here to do something. Not just for yourselves, but for others who are as helpless as you. Fellow spacers and kids. People on planets. Human, alien, and AI.”

  “Here also you have a chance to do something about the miasma, the lack of civilization in the galaxy. To rebuild it, to restore order, to return to the golden age of the Federation.”

  The men looked at each other. Sprite felt another tug as more people started to ask questions. “I've got to go. Do think about it carefully,” she urged, replacing her image with the flag of the Federation. She thought it was a nice touch.

  <----*----*----*---->

  After lunch in the mess the Admiral made his way to the wardroom. Jake Sisko passed him in a rush. The young man nodded in passing but kept going. The Admiral realized it was in a different direction than the one he was going in. He frowned slightly, but then shrugged. He had to let them make up their own minds in their own time, he reminded himself.

  He arrived at the wardroom hatch and paused. There were a dozen people inside. He adjusted himself and then opened the door. He smiled politely when he noticed Ian there in uniform. Ian moved aside slightly. The Admiral nodded to Irina beyond Ian, and then Sindri. All of them were in uniform he noted.