"Yes Commander. You do have a point and I apologize but I do want to make a point I hope you take to heart. From now on, no planet you go to or ship you meat is going to be civilized no matter how nice and trusting it looks. Even if you know them. Just a few days ago we had a Tramp Ship return after it answered a call for help from a ship they thought they knew. Only when they were within a few miles of it and could see that it wasn't the ship they thought it was; it was too late. They did a lot of damage to the pirate ship and managed to escape but took a lot of damage as well and when they landed and the air got at a fire in one of their damaged holds that had sat smoldering in vacuum. The ship's upper half was destroyed with only the engine ering compartments room and a few crew surviving in the lower birthing decks between hold s surviving half . About a thousand lived out of some 4 thousand. "
Mark turned and took a quick look at the Captain. "Ya I saw that Tramp land and burn.” Mark swallowed. “Saw most of the crew trying to escape like ants burning at a beach barbecue. It even blew up a couple of the fire trucks trying to save the crew. Where did that attack happen?"
"They were stopping by a mining planetoid to drop off some mining equipment only a couple of light years from here on their way to one of the Russian worlds when they answered the distress call. They supposedly used all the proper English signals and signs but we don't know for sure since we have no survivors from the Command crew."
"Damn! I saw some running from the bow and hoped that some of them escaped." Mark brought the boat down to a thousand feet as he crossed the outer fence of the base and headed f or outside the warehouse and headed for the open doors at the far end . "I saw a Galaxy Express ship shot full of torpedo holes and a knocked out turret s surrounded by 3 inch gun hits, not far from the Star Queen. Any idea what happened there Captain? It looked like it let a pirate ship get to close as well. Those 5 inch 63cal guns should have kept any pirate far enough away not to get hit that bad with torpedoes or 3 inch guns to knock out half its turrets. "
"Shit!.. Commander…It was the Galaxy Express ship that got ambushed answering the call for help and not the Tramp. I was hoping that making it more personal would make a better impression on you. The Tramp was simply not able to evade it's pursuer as it cut across the asteroid ring around our gas giant, though it managed to repel the boarders after it was caught but then the pirate ship left a few parting torpedoes that hit. It was just entering the system taking a short cut headed through our asteroid rings when it was ambushed. It was given a cursory inspection before it was cleared and then told to land in the emergency cripple pit where we have firefighting, rescue and repair equipment ready just to be on the safe side before allowing a damaged ship to move to one of the cargo pits. The report states that a small plasma ball from a torpedo warhead was buried under cargo unnoticed and missed by the orbital guard ’s inspection. The warhead finally detonated and caught the surrounding cargo on fire when air flooded into the hold in the upper atmosphere fanning the resulting fire to quickly spread. The fire suppression system having been damaged in the Pirate attack , could not put out the fire.”
“Ya I seem to notice a lot of damaged ships in port. Your ring pirates must be busy guys. You guys are worried about the Outback and you can’t even protect ships in your home system?”
“Half the ships that come back from the Outback are damaged and this is the first port with a decent repair yard left after the war destroyed most of them across the outer realm Tramp. The Navy used battle station bases to follow the fleet instead of repairing the ship repair facilities in each star system as we advanced. It was cheaper and we did not have to worry about having to destroy perfectly good stations and Airdocks to keep them from falling into enemy hands when we lost systems and had to retreat . Which we did quite a lot of for the first 5 years of the war. ”
“Well I guess having a Space Dock monopoly is a big money maker for the planet so why worry about damaged Tramp ships and their crews getting repairs when a few lives could be saved. I bet you guys had a big old time knocking repair docks out during the war. But then that is how you win wars.”
Captain Summers leaned forward. “My family was killed on one of the orbital repair sats at the beginning of the war Commander. By a Russian raiding squadron. We are rebuilding the Dockyards as fast as we can with new ones coming on line every month. But England is still the cheapest place to get major repairs done and quite a few try to make it here if they can and are already headed this way.”
"Shit Captain Summers. I did not know. I just took it for granted that… Sorry for your loss…"
“That is ok Mr. Collins you could not know. And just so you do know. All damaged ships are offered docks free of charge at the station to make repairs before landing but many like the one you watched destroy itself, choose not to as a waste of time. Got to get that damn cargo delivered as fast as possible you know.” The Captain said sarcastically. Then taking a breath. “You can back it into set it down on the marked landing dock outside the warehouse just to round out your training for this flight. It looks like we are going to need to do more training.”
"Ah that is nice of you Captain , but I have things I need to do yet and just don't have the time. But thank you."
"Did I say anything about you Mr. Collins? Believe it or not we are a big navy and quite a bit of training goes on around here that does not concern you. We have a bunch of pilots returning to duty that need the orbit air time."
Mark banked the boat looping around to come back towered the ground control plot line reaching out from the docks lining the side of the warehouse in his helmet and noticed a grav truck. No, an APCC sliding up beside the warehouse across the docks he was supposed to land at . Applying a considerable amount of power to pause in midair, Mark gave the APCC plenty of room and time to pass as Tom’s name appeared over the APCC ’s icon in his glasses . “That’s Tom? What is he doing in an APCC? ” Mark asked but did not get an answer .
Mark Then continued as soon as the truck was clear. As he finished his orbited back around to start his approach again to turn to land , Mark he had to pass over the top of what he suddenly realized were the Star Queen's fan trucks lined up in a row. Stopping the big boat in midair again as another APCC approached, he started looking around and saw about a dozen twelve other APCC’s randomly flying around that end of the base . With his attention outside the boat, Mark did not notice an icon in the corner of his console sh owing the transport shuttles big stern ramp opening . As he studied the approaching APCC trying to decide if it was going to be a hazard if he continued his approach , m the names of the Star Queen’s ships fan truck drivers appeared over the APCC’s m . “Captain Summers! What the hell is going on? Why are my ships fan trucks parked here with the drivers in those APCC’s?”
“We arrested them grounding the trucks as unsafe as you instructed. The drivers are learning how to drive the APCC’s you ordered . Your mechanic has finished his training and has his license to fly them. He will meet you as soon as we land. That is if you ever land this thing, or are we just going to sit up here the rest of the afternoon sightseeing and meditating the questions of the universe? Or maybe you want to know what color my car is.”
Mark added thrust and headed for the marked loading dock slot between a couple of the dozen transport boats identical to the one he was flying already sitting with their stern carg o hatches tails against the warehouse docks. Suddenly wondering if he could even get the transport boat backed in between them as narrow as the slip looked.
Shaking his head Mark tried to figure out if he even wanted to attempt backing the big transport boat into the dock as he watched a large group of some 50 smaller APC’s fly over the top of the transport shuttle boat in perfect line box formation s . The large formation swoop ed around and and c a o me in to land in front of next to the row of Star Queen Fan trucks without a single one of them spreading out or missing a beat as they landed still in perfect formation. Marks eyes drifted to the equally large group of people
that started coming from a nearby building l abelled , S imcenter . Shaking his head Mark He r r ecognized most of the 50 odd group of men and women now walking toward the land ed line of APC’s headed for the APC's as the copilots and mechanics and deck hands crewing the fan trucks to help un load or load them as they ran around the port and city picking up cargo . “ What the hell. ” Mark shook his head at the APC’s in front of the Star Queens crewmen. “ They are were all getting lessons in flying the grave APC’s? You certainly are serious about this aren’t you Captain. I hope you are going to provide maintenance training as well."
Still shaking his head, Mark turned his attention back to the job as he realized that the docking slot was quickly approaching and still looked way to o damn small. Finally figuring that he might as well give it a try. After all he had already made a fool of himself a dozen time that day so he might as well as do it again and see how big a crease he could put down the side of the transport shuttle. Bringing the ass of the boat around Mark decided that he best treat it like just one of the damn fan truck s landing at a crowded dock like he had done a hundred times before. Then clearing everything else out of his mind , Mark carefully brought the transport to a stop above the slip and a few feet from the dock.
"No Commander; our APC's never break down or require work of any kind and bounce when inept drivers hit things. ” Captain Summers decided that was a good time to distract Mark. “ What you need is to worry about is getting your Captain to accept all the shit you are buying. I am still trying to figure out what you plan on doing with half of it. But as long as you get your butt out into the Outback as the Admiral has ordered, I really don’t give a flying fuck. I have another transport with a navy crew I am training that should last longer. "
As the Captain continued badgering Mark. Mark slowly settled the boat down onto the landing pad with only a foot clearance between the transport shuttle boats on both sides. Placing the landing gear onto the marked landing spots , Mark then eased the boat's stern back against the dock until it was against the bumpers on the face of the dock and then locked it down against the ground cutting the power. Taking a deep breath Mark started going down the shutdown check list. “Transport docked and locked Captain.” Mark looked up and realized that the transport boat he had piloted was a good 150 feet shorter than the transports on both sides of him. Shaking his head Mark went back to the check list.
Mark finished the check list and then turned around to face Captain Summers. "Well Captain. If I am to follow the Admirals orders and save your planet ’ s butt. I need my AI to talk to your AI and that means I have to talk to your AI Controller.”
The Admiral stiffened as he glanced around out of the corner of his eyes at Mark.
Captain Summer turned red. “What! So you can kill him too! Not on my watch you aren’t.”
“Do you want this to work or not Captain? Listen, I know you don’t approve of how we handled our AI but he has been a part of our ships family since we bought the Star Queen. I cannot remember him missing a single gathering or ships party in my life time. He even managed to come to most of my birthday parties if it was on the ship . The ship ’ s father and confidant and well, the thought that anyone could even think of doing him harm is beyond my thinking. But obviously I and everyone else was wrong. And if you’re going to get mad at us for not selling him to buy another ship; well it would be like selling your grandfather for a car Captain. It is just not even thinkable let alone done. As for wasting him on just navigation, trade routes and personnel assignments, that was his choice. Nothing, well , almost nothing, was stripped out of that ship without the Admiral’s approval and in many cases request ed by him as old and out of date as most of our equipment was and as he has said many times. “Busy hands are happy hands.” So just pull your little rocket ship out of your butt Captain.”
Taking a deep breath as her face turned red, the Captain glared at Mark. “Your APCC is waiting for you on the cargo deck Mr. Collins. Take it and get off my boat!” She said coldly. The old Admiral with too many stars started chuckling as he turned his back to the affair.
Mark stood up and headed for the hatch and then stopped half way through it, turning back towered the Captain. “Just what is your problem Captain? You’re the one that started all this so please tell me.”
Standing up she turned red and took a deep breath. “You take your little fucking girlfriend on a joy ride to the station and then fly right into a trap that any first year plebe could see a half continent away. You take off the fratricide shrouds from your Airtrucks, can't even bother to maintain your life boats, you leave over a hundred corpses in a lock for 20 years and a 100 gross ton shuttle hulk in another, stack half a hundred containers on the ceiling of a hold so you can PARTY and your crew seems to fuck every time they take their clothes off until you're tripping over babies when you can't carry enough weight to pay your bills and then you have the balls to tell me you Deep Back Space Hicks don’t even have protection of any kind to guard the most valuable asset on your fucking ship.”
The Captain shook with rage as drool dripped from the corner of her mouth. “Turning the Fate of the trillions in the English State Empire over to you people is just like a man stuffing credits up a hooker's butt while he fucks her hoping she falls in love with him. It feels good but a waste of money.” Turning around to briefly star e a hole through the back of the Admiral busy at the Sensor station for a couple of seconds before turning back around. “But if Command thinks that is a good idea, then I will do my best to follow those orders but don’t expect me to like it. ”
Turning to look out the ports at the mass of APC’s taking of f in as many directions barely missing ea ch other in one big cluster fuck, she shook her head in disgust as she continued . “ In fact now that Admiral Edwards is off planet base headed for the shipyard sats , leaving me as head of the program. You can just forget about getting anything else from us at all if I have anything to say about it. As soon as your crews finish training, I will arrange transport back to your ship for you and them and hopefully I can talk some sense into Admiral Ridgeway and keep you from getting anything more from us than the bombers you already have in your fucking dirty little hands. Now take your crazy perverted little AI that is in love with you and thinks she can fuck you some day and get off my Boat!” The bridge crew continued to shut down their control consoles trying to ignore the outburst.
The too many starred admiral turned to look at her out of the corner of his eyes frowning bu t he did not interfere . He was not in the habit of dressing down subordinat es in public. Besides he could hardly believe the change that had come over the Captain thes e last few days that did not match anything in her profile. It was almost as if… The Admiral suppressed a smile and turned a stern face to see what Mark’s reaction was going to be if any.
Mark turned to leave through the hatch and stopped. His heart beating out his chest as a thousand thoughts flashed through his mind and suddenly his father's voice at the dinner table suddenly demanded attention. "When a subordinate drops a wall in the way of a done deal; it is a waste of time trying to argue with them and making them mad will only make it harder to go around them. If you can’t immediately take them directly to the authority that you made the deal with, it is best to agree and acknowledge the wall politely; then go around the wall when they aren't looking as if the deal was sealed and still in force."
"Captain Summers. Why wait? Call the Admiral and let's go see what he says. You might as well as convince him now to change his mind as later." One of the C ommanders aptain’s trying to keep from laughing chortled , excused himself as he pushed past Mark through the hatch and down the passageway. Letting out a chuckle that turned into a laugh as soon as he thought he was far enough down the passageway.
The Captain turned and looked at the Admiral with his back still toward them (having turned his head back away as soon as she started to turn her head toward him), before turning back to face Mark. "Go screw yourself Tramp. I will talk to the
Admiral when I am ready. Now get your butt off my boat. You can wait for the bus over by your damn junk trucks until your pilots are done training on the APCC’s you will never get if I have any say in the matter. Oh and just in case you get any idea’s, I am putting guards around your illegal trucks we impounded. I am not going to risk you them flying those pieces of junk across my planet to fall on some unsuspecting civilian’s head ."
Mark started to steam and then smiled. She reminded him of all the people that took it for granted that just because he was a little different and had to wear glasses , that he was stupid. Though in this case that all Tramps were stupid. "Tell you what Captain, these Deep B ack Space Hicks in spite of all our flaws, are going to save your English Empire and your butt." Smiling, Mark left the bridge. Then sobering after only a few steps, Mark new he had promised something his ass could not deliver. She just made him so fricking mad. The Captain had sent him out to sell a bunch of old aircars and now the ship didn’t even have its Airtrucks anymore. And he had a promise he did not have a clue how to keep.
The Captain turned to meet the Admiral ’s gaze and winked with a smile flashing briefly across her face.
Chapter 12: The Cavern Priestess
Chapter 140
Mark walked from the bridge retracing his steps across the top of the hold stopping in what looked like a wardroom a galley and grabbing a soda and sandwich out of the crews chow machine that he gulped down. Then dropped down 4 flights of ladders in the same a trunk between the outer and inner hulls he had come up in . On the Cargo deck he stepped through the hatch into the 300 foot long hold. A steady stream of crewmen headed down the hold for the huge open hatch into the warehouse. The hatch he had embarrassed himself so much trying to dock to , clearly marked at the far end. But he had mastered it.
Trampship Wars 2 Page 33