by Britt Ringel
He easily maneuvered the ship along the route. At VEALS, he terminated his connection with Approach and contacted Svea Tower, the controllers responsible for traffic arriving and departing the actual station. Before Zanshin reached the middle marker, he had received clearance to dock at Bay Sixteen as scheduled.
The only tense moment of the approach was when the Appiation brig named Lathi ominously broke her moorings and made way toward Zanshin. Lochlain debated whether to alert Brooke but decided to see if Lathi actually hailed them. His consternation passed when the 4,400-tonne warship slipped silently to Zanshin’s starboard. As she sailed by, Lochlain flickered Zanshin’s exterior lights in a silent salute to the lethal ship.
Lochlain wiped the sweat away from his eyes twenty minutes later. The ship had safely moored to the orbital and he felt like he could breathe again. He made his announcement, purely out of habit, to the empty compartment. “We’re docked. The smart lines are secured and holding firm to the bay’s bollards.”
Declaration made, he eased back into his chair and smiled. They had committed the perfect, albeit minor, crime in sailing to the orbital. He ran his hands along the curved frame of the captain’s station and sighed contentedly. He was rapidly falling in love with the bridge. “And I’m the captain,” he proclaimed proudly to the empty compartment. He looked at the vacant navigator and sensor stations. A playful mood took hold over him. “Captain Lochlain, they’re beginning their attack runs! What are your orders?”
He lowered his voice and allowed a steely resolve to creep into his words. “Fire the ‘thermic’ cannon,” he ordered dramatically.
“Aye, aye, sir!” Mercer answered enthusiastically from the bridge’s open portal. She raced toward the navigator’s panel and began a frantic search. After only seconds, she turned to face Lochlain with a look of pure terror. “Wait, Captain, we’re only a cargo ship! We don’t have a thermic cannon!” Her fright collapsed into a fit of laughter.
Lochlain felt intense heat in his cheeks and struggled to meet her cheerful gaze. “Oh, shut up. Tell me you weren’t doing something similar in Engineering.” He looked back to his panel and announced, “We’re secured to the orbital.”
“Yeah,” Mercer confirmed while attempting to stifle her laughter. She beamed at him. “I switched over to berthing mode and transferred to shore power.”
Lochlain lifted himself from his chair. “I’m going forward and mating the orbital’s docking tube with the airlock.”
“Sounds sexy.”
“Pervert,” his reply echoed as he left the compartment.
Lochlain descended the central stairwell to the main deck. He turned right and walked down the corridor past the mess, entertainment lounge and medical bay before hopping up a short, four-step stairway to begin the long, cramped trek down the ship. Ninety-six meters later, he stepped down another four-step stairway, walked past four lockers stowing commercial pressure suits with Extravehicular Maneuvering Units, or EMUs, and entered the cargo master’s room. There was a small workbench in a corner of the compartment and, opposite that, a workstation that controlled each of Zanshin’s eleven empty cargo hardpoints. Each position glowed a lethargic, dim orange on the panel, indicating unoccupied mounts.
The controls for Zanshin’s sole airlock were to the console’s right. He contacted Svea Docking and waited patiently for them to transfer control of Bay Sixteen’s docking tube to him. Once acquisition was confirmed, he activated the forward camera and portal sensors and connected the docking ring to the exterior of Zanshin’s airlock. Lochlain cycled the airlock twice to ensure a secure connection before unlocking the interior door. A quick glance at the panel’s chronometer told him it was 08:05.
“Hard dock,” Lochlain announced over the 1-MC. He opened the interior airlock doors and his ears popped as pressure equalized with the orbital. The freighter had come to rest just eleven meters from the massive commercial station. Consequently, the docking tube had only extended to roughly one-eighth of its total length.
“Mercer?” Lochlain called out again over the main channel.
Her voice sounded from the cargo master’s panel. “What?”
“I was hoping to buy some things on the orbital.” He looked down at his clothes. “I only have this one suit. Plus, we really should replenish the ship. Some fresh food would be nice.”
“Okay,” Brooke replied. “Go shopping.”
“We could use someone at the watchman’s station in the docking bay,” he reminded her.
“Can’t we just lock the ship? I have too much work to be sitting on my butt for hours on end.” Such duties usually fell to the deck crew, not engineers. When Lochlain met her comment with a stony silence, she sighed over the comm channel. “Fine, I’ll stand watch but you need to be back before our crew arrives. Someone’s going to have to show them around.”
“I’m just going to buy a few shipsuits and then I’ll put in a requisition for a week’s provisions,” Lochlain promised. “I’ll be right back.”
Chapter 9
The provisions arrived at Zanshin before Lochlain. Brooke had busied herself by reviewing the maintenance manuals for the Toland drives on her datapad when a delivery drone glided into the bay and gently lowered a large collection of tightly wrapped packages near the watchman’s station. Her eyes closed reflexively against the glare of the drone’s flickering strobe light as her picture was recorded and an automated voice announced, “Here is your delivery from Lycil Provisioners and Repair. Your balance is… zero. Please swipe your datapad across my front panel to accept delivery.”
Brooke complied and the drone’s four arms released their grip around the bundle.
“Thank you for shopping with Lycil Provisioners and Repair. A customer survey has been flashed to your datapad. Completing the survey makes you eligible to win a week’s worth of free provisions.” The drone lifted centimeters off the deck, rotated precisely in place and glided out of the compartment.
Brooke reached into a cargo pocket to retrieve her multi-tool. She was cutting through the thick wrapping around the delivery when three people entered the bay toting large bags. Among them, she immediately recognized the student she had talked to from Ambridge’s office. She gracefully shook her head to help her hair flow around her face.
“Wyatt Huseman?” she asked with a faux uncertainty.
Huseman’s face may have flickered a hint of confusion but he quickly brushed it off and moved to Brooke with his hand outstretched. “Yes, I’m Wyatt. Are you one of the deck hands?”
Brooke stood up from the packages while answering, “I’m Mercer Brooke, Chief Engineer. With a condensed crew, Zanshin shares a lot of duties.”
Huseman gestured behind him at his two companions. “This is Elease Lingenfelter and Li Qiang, ma’am.”
Brooke laughed out loud at the formality as she waved to each of them. “We’re very casual here, Wyatt. You guys can call me Mercer.” She paused in consideration and then added, “But you did the right thing. When you come on to a new ship, it’s always a good idea to go formal at first.” She looked down at the delivery. “Here’s our food for the week. With you three here, we can get this stowed in the storeroom and the mess.” She looked back to the students. “Who wants to stand watch?”
Each student’s expression flashed quickly with trepidation. Finally, Lingenfelter raised a delicate hand. Her pale skin and light blonde hair were immediate telltales of Svean ancestry. “I’ve never done it before but I volunteer.”
Brooke stared directly at the young woman and instructed with a serious tone, “It’s very complicated. You sit behind this desk and try to stay awake.” She flashed white teeth behind a smile. “We’ll go over a watchman’s full duties during the week but for now, just sit here and don’t let anyone but Captain Lochlain on the ship. If you run into trouble, ping me on my datapad.” She undocked the thin instrument from its port. “My contact information is still in the panel. Just dock yours and you’ll be all set, Elease.” She pulled two
boxes from the bundle on the deck and hefted them. “Wyatt, Li, why don’t you take your bags first and then we’ll start making a dent in these provisions.”
* * *
The trio had stowed nearly all of the food stocks before Lochlain appeared in the bay. He was carrying a newly purchased travel bag.
“It’s about time,” Brooke grumbled as she lifted the final pair of boxes from the scattered wrappings. “Reece, I’m giving the students the three quarters opposite the captain’s cabin. I’ll take the converted quarters in the forward spine.”
Lochlain nodded his response and smiled charmingly toward the watchman’s station. “And you are?”
The young woman blushed slightly as she stood. “I’m Elease Lingenfelter, Captain. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Lochlain coquettishly took her hand and replied, “It’s only ‘Captain’ when I’m on the bridge. We’re a private freighter, not a corporate warship.”
“Yeah, we don’t even have a thermic cannon,” Brooke snickered quietly from the airlock. “Still, we are the stuff of legend. Hey, Admiral Wallace, you want to stand watch while I show Elease her quarters?”
Lochlain rolled his eyes but grinned at Brooke. “I am your humble servant.” He took his place behind the console. “Where are the other two?”
“They’re already inside, unboxing our food in the ship’s mess.” Brooke stepped through the open threshold of the docking tube and waited for Lingenfelter.
“Good,” he replied and immediately vacated the watchman’s station. “I want to cast off as soon as possible.”
Lingenfelter was herded down the docking tube, Brooke in the lead and Lochlain trailing. Once the three were aboard Zanshin, Lochlain veered from the end of the line to secure the airlock. “I’ll disconnect the tube, Mercer, and meet everyone in the mess.”
“Aye, aye, Capitan,” Brooke answered, already inside Zanshin’s long corridor.
Brooke and Lingenfelter walked in silence for the first eighty meters. When they passed the ship’s hold and converted living quarters, Brooke tilted her head to the left and stated, “Those are my quarters. You three are amidship, one deck down.” She cast a quick gesture to her right. “That’s one of the ship’s internal holds although right now it’s home for the ASA’s automation equipment. Certified officers only in that room, Elease,” she cautioned. Lochlain had placed the empty compartment on lockout earlier that morning.
Lingenfelter gauged the remaining distance to the center of the ship. “Your quarters seem so far from the common areas.”
Brooke smirked. “I spend most of my nights in the captain’s cabin.”
“Oh,” Lingenfelter replied. Her lips curled into a knowing grin.
Brooke returned her smile with a sly one of her own. “I know. How scandalous,” she added in a teasing voice.
The pair arrived at Zanshin’s common areas and took the only portal on the starboard side of the ship to enter the mess. Huseman and Qiang were busy stocking cabinets. The mess itself was a large compartment with not only a round table that easily fit four chairs but also an island and several counters equipped with cooking devices skirting the food preparation portion of the room. As was the case with the captain’s quarters, located directly under the mess, the outer wall housed a large, curved viewport. The present vista offered a small glimpse of the grandeur of space and the majority of the bulk freighter docked next to them at Bay Seventeen.
Brooke dropped her two boxes onto a counter. “Okay, guys, El Capitan has boarded the ship. He wants to get underway as soon as possible so after he gives you a quick greeting, each of you will be taking your duty positions.”
“Mercer, where is everybody?” Qiang asked from behind the island. “I haven’t seen any crewmembers but you.”
“We’re it,” Lochlain announced grandly as he strode into the room. “Thanks to the magic of automation, Zanshin is one of the ASA’s first, active classroom ships to be permitted to sail with mostly a student crew.”
All three students peered skeptically at him. He had seen such disbelieving looks many times in his life.
Giving a confident nod to bolster his lie, he explained, “We just checked out four days ago and all Zanshin requires is one certified license on the bridge and one in the engineering compartment.” He smiled warmly. “What this means is that the three of you will actually be working behind the control panels of the ship. You’ll be getting real work experience rather than just standing behind someone and watching them do it.”
Lingenfelter gulped noticeably. “What if we crash the ship?”
Lochlain tapped his chest and chuckled. “I have override controls at my station and the newly installed automated sensors will be monitoring your every move. In fact, I’ll be basically following those systems’ reports when deciding on your efficiency ratings for the trip.”
Huseman and Qiang seemed to relax but Lingenfelter still looked doubtful.
“Didn’t you wonder why there are only three people in your class now?” Lochlain pressed. “And why you have exactly two deck officers and one engineer? After Evora dropped out, this class was specifically tailored for Zanshin’s unique requirements.” He cast his final lie to ease their discomfort. “You three are part of a new pioneer program that’s going to make you the most envied graduates in the entire school. Companies are going to be knocking on your doors, looking to hire you.”
The easy promise erased any remaining doubt. Lochlain turned toward the exit and said, “Mercer, take your snipe and get to Engineering. Start the embarking protocol as soon as you can.” He waved toward the other two gawking students. “Elease and Li, let’s get up to the bridge and christen your careers.”
The crew of Zanshin broke up, three heading for the stairwell, the final two beginning the long, 96-meter walk toward the aft of the ship.
As Lochlain climbed the stairs, Elease asked, “Captain?”
“Reece,” Lochlain corrected. “We’re not on the bridge yet.”
“Reece, what station do you want me to take? Both Li and I want to be navigators.”
“You’re both deck officers first,” Lochlain explained as he reached the top deck. “You need basic competency not only in navigation and helmsmanship but also sensors and communications. We’ll post you at Navigation until we’ve docked in Ancera. Then, you’ll switch with Li on the return trip back to Svea. That way, each of you will see both panels. In tunnel space, you guys will be sitting in the captain’s chair, just monitoring everything anyway.” He gave them both a sideways glance as they crossed the chartroom. “Is that fair?”
“Yes, sir,” they echoed.
The group entered the bridge and took their positions. Lochlain consulted his panel but knew it would be several more minutes before Engineering was ready to cast off. “Li, you’ll be handling the communications. Normally, you’d just run mundane comms through your headset but let’s play it over the speakers for now. Practice what you’re going to say with me first before you actually transmit. I’ve already pre-filed our sailing plan.”
“Yes, Captain,” Qiang answered quickly as he adjusted his chair to Lingenfelter’s right. “We’ve all performed simulated shipping runs but please don’t let me screw anything up, okay?”
Lochlain smiled to himself. “Elease, start plotting a course for the Ancera tunnel point based on what I filed. Svea Departure will most likely clear us a direct approach to the main sailing lane.” He eased back into his chair and watched the students begin their tasks.
Before long, Brooke notified Lochlain that Zanshin was ready to break her moorings. Both students remained silent, hard at work at their individual duties. The bridge was too quiet. Lochlain snapped his fingers to gain attention then pointed between his new deck officers. “Both of you need to communicate with each other. You’re a team. Elease, are you ready to cast off?”
She double-checked her panel and answered nervously, “I think so.”
“Then tell your comms officer that so he ca
n get you permission.”
“Okay. Uh, Comms, I’m ready to cast off.”
Qiang turned in his chair to face Lochlain and rehearsed, “Svea Docking, this is CSV Zanshin requesting permission to break our moors. Pre-filed to Ancera tunnel point?” He looked questioningly at the captain.
“CSV Zanshin moored to Docking Bay Sixteen,” Lochlain amended. “Be sure to tell them your position so they don’t have to hunt for you.”
Qiang repeated the amended statement over the communications frequency.
The station’s reply was professional and curt. “Zanshin, Svea Docking, permission granted. Contact Svea Tower after you have cast off.”
Lochlain waited patiently. The students looked at each other, hesitating. “So what’s next? You almost seem like you’re not first years,” Lochlain prodded with an amused tone. Playing the salty ship captain was fun.
“Uh,” Qiang temporized, “I tell Nav that she can cast off?”
“Exactly.”
“Elease, you can cast off.”
“Acknowledged,” Lingenfelter stated. Her hands moved slowly but methodically over her controls. She broke the spring lines first, followed by the stronger smart lines at the bow and stern of the ship. “We are unmoored,” Lingenfelter announced with a slight grin. She added with a growing confidence, “Li, can you get me permission to pull the ship out of the slip?”
“Svea Tower, this is Zanshin, unmoored at Docking Bay Sixteen and requesting permission to make way for the Ancera tunnel point?”
Lochlain assented and the request was dispatched to a Svean controller.