END of LINE: Humanities Last Stand - part 3

by John Short

  Back on the main level, he prepared a fresh bowl of milk for Talga and set it outside the backdoor. He went upstairs and tried to relax as his mind worked on the files he'd copied to take with him in the morning. He worked late into the night before uploading everything to the company servers and finally laying down to catch a few hours sleep.

  He woke up hungry again! He didn't bother dressing after his shower this morning. Instead he went straight to the kitchen and prepared his breakfast, and then he opened the first of several more files to be worked on before leaving Haven. It was hard for him to concentrate on any of his work with visions of Satrina invading his mind every second. When the time came for him to leave, he changed into his dress uniform, complete with his medals, sash and sword, before picking up his travel bag, and locking up the house. With everything as secure as he could make it, he went out to his 2 seater hover craft, fired up the motors, and took off for the spaceport to catch a shuttle up to the orbiting station and from there board the Pluto when she arrived.

  Claudia had agreed to come up to the house to give Talga fresh milk. He'd given her an expense account to draw from to purchase the milk. Talga already knew Claudia, so she was the most logical person to make sure the massive cat was taken care of properly. He only had to stop at the diner and let her know that he'd be leaving sooner than expected.

  Jon watched through the stations viewing port as the Pluto slowly maneuvered into position for the connection to be made with the space station. She was a full half hour earlier than he'd been told she would be. Wrenches again Jon figured. At this rate, the oldest FTL ship in his small fleet would be setting records that even the newest Security Force ships could not match. As soon as the hatches opened, Jon walked over to the ship and up to the command center looking for the Captain.

  “Hello Captain Claudi.” Jon greeted the Commander with an outstretched hand. “How have things been now that we got some housecleaning done back at corporate?”

  “Like night and day sir. Our ship is running like a dream, no more shakes and rattles when we slam her into and out of the slipways. Saves us a pile of time on approach and exits. Our cargoes always come out right which keeps the customers happy, we've even managed to twist a few more cycles out of the old gal's lifters to make our runs faster thanks to getting loaded and unloaded quicker..”

  “Has Wrenches upgraded all the ships?” Jon asked.

  “No sir. So far its just been this one. She says that she doesn't want to tamper with the others until she can take the time to test fly them herself. She says every ship has its own personality. I never heard of a ship with a personality before, but if she keeps making me look as good as she has, I won't argue with her.” the Captain told him with a huge grin. "Hiring her was the best thing to happen for this ship in a very long time."

  “What cabin have you assigned me to Captain? I understand you have been booked for over a month on a Royal commission.” Jon figured maybe he could get some info on who had booked the flight without sounding too interested if he just asked the right questions.

  “Yes sir. The Regent set up the run last month, before we picked you up at Lex Station. We're supposed to be transporting some of the Royals. I had to give one of them your stateroom. Sorry. I put you in berth ten. That's down the port side. Its a private berth in the command crew area, though nothing as fancy as the stateroom.”

  “That's fine Captain. Remember where I'm heading. Chances are I'll be living in a dust filled tent with twenty other males and females, all of them needing baths for the next six months anyway. Then on to at least two more cycles of pilot details in those tin can Peacekeeper ships. May as well get used to living in small spaces again.” Jon shook the Captain's hand before leaving the bridge and heading off to find his berth. Walking along the port side corridor Jon heard a commotion coming from in front of him, so he quickened his pace. There is only one blind curve on this style of ship and that was where the pressurized corridor branched off to travel along the two sides of the ship near the command center.

  Coming around one such corner Jon saw Phillmma confronting two Lexonian Royal Guards leading the Crown Princess in her Royal scarlet gown followed by two more of the Royal Guards. The two guards in front of the group had their spears lowered and pointed at Phillmma's midsection while, to her credit, Phillie stood her ground refusing to let them pass.

  “Get out of the way female” the guard demanded “or you shall feel the tip of my spear!”

  “Oh yeah shithead, try it and you'll feel the toe of my boot!” Phillie shouted back at the male. “I told you that you're forbidden from being in this part of the ship. Now head back to the passenger berths. NOW!”

  “Her Grace does not sleep in mere crews quarters. She is the Crown Princess of the...”

  “Yeah, yeah. I already heard all that stuff the first time you tried it. No one has quarters this far forward except the bridge crew. You have the corporate stateroom for your Princess and you assholes have berths on either side of her. Now move it!”

  “Perhaps I can help?” Jon suggested having walked up behind Phillie. However the belligerent guard was having none of that.

  “How dare you come here and intrude?” he demanded. “Bow before the Princess you low life space pirate or I shall stab my spear straight through you.”

  That was it. “Wrenches, get behind me, NOW!” Jon commanded and Phillie moved quickly to let him pass. Jon grabbed the lout's spear and broke it off at the head, then he bent the blade into a “U” shape before throwing it to the floor. He reached out and grabbed the insolent male by the throat and slammed him into the other guard who was just now reacting to everything and both males fell to the floor in a heap. Looking past Satrina to the remaining guards Jon simply raised one finger and pointed as he told them “DO NOT!” and they stepped back, lowering their spears.

  Having defused the situation, Jon turned to Rina and with a respectful bow said. “My apologies Your Highness. The crewman is correct. No one is allowed up here except the bridge crew. Your stateroom is quiet nice. I used it myself on my way home from Peacekeeper training. I'm sure you'll find it to be far below the standards you are used to, but far above those of a mere berth. It should serve you well for the short time you'll be onboard my ship.” Jon calmly explained. “Whoever booked your passage last month should have known that this is a working cargo vessel, not the Royal Yacht.

  “This ship is yours?” Satrina asked. “Wait. Someone booked this trip last month?”

  “Yes ma'am. This ship was issued a reservation in your name last month. As for ownership, this one and two more like her, plus several system only FTL shuttles all belong to BBITCo. I own BBITCo. So I indeed own this ship, such as it is. I was just on the command center's bridge checking our status with the Captain. He tells me we will have a safe voyage.” Jon winked at Rina and she gave him one of her sly smiles. Phillmma did not miss a thing that was going on between them. The body language, their combined scents, even their attempts to act like this was their first meeting all clicked into place in Wrenches mind. This was the female that Phillie had sensed on him when she had first met Jon Connell. The Princess had chosen Jon and he had accepted her claim! Well, good for them both. Now she just had to pray harder for both of them, but at least her prayers could be directed at a real couple and not at an imagined pairing. Jon was talking again.

  “Wrenches here is the best Flight Engineer in the galaxy. She has forgotten more about these old ships than their builders ever knew. I have complete faith in her abilities to keep the ship flying. Also, I'm sure she will be happy to escort you to your quarters.” Looking back at Phillie Jon asked, “Right Wrenches?”

  “Sure thing Sweet Cheeks.” Lets see how he handles this one. His Princess better learn that the male has a temper right away or there is going to be some major issues down the road.

  “DARN YOU PHILLMMA! You're going to get someone killed if you don't stop calling me that name!” Jon scolded her.

  “You'd
never hurt the , QUOTE, best flight engineer in the galaxy, UNQUOTE, now would you boss?” Wrenches innocently asked.

  “No Phillie, I'd never hurt you, but once other people decide it would be funny to call me that I'm liable to throw someone out of an air lock along the slip!” Jon told her. It was bad enough that Jon had to show force in front of Rina, but now to have this Sweet Cheeks name tossed out into the mess!

  “Oh relax boss. I only call you that because I can smell that sweet essence all over you.” Looking directly at Satrina, Phillmma continued, “Remember, I told you that my race can sense when a female has marked a male, I told you the day we met that I could smell another female's mark on you. From your smell now, you've been more than just marked. You've been claimed, but good. All I can say about that is females all across the galaxy are weeping right now because you're off the market.” Both Jon's and Satrina's faces turned a deep crimson as each suddenly knew that at least as far as Phillmma was concerned, their secret had been exposed. “You ask me, its about time she finally made her claim. I was almost ready to claim you for myself.” Phillie smiled as she saw the faces of the two people blush with surprise that she would know about the two of them. “Your stateroom is this way Your Highness. If you'll follow me? Its right along here just a little ways.”

  “Thank you Wrenches,” Satrina told the small furry female that had just been brave enough to stand up to her guard's weapons. Together they chatted mindlessly as Phillie lead the Princess and her four guards along the corridors to the only stateroom onboard.

  “Here we are Your Highness.” Phillie said as she opened the hatch to the stateroom and stepped inside. Calmly waiting, Phillie closed the hatch after the Princess had entered and before the guards could enter, “Females only” she told the two males who nodded their understanding and took positions beside the hatch. “OK Princess lets you and me get to know each other. First, it’s about time you claimed that male! What were you thinking when you marked him but didn't place your claim?”

  “Phillie, I never marked him until this past week at his house. There was never a time before then for me to do anything.”

  “You're telling me this is the first time you've given him of your essence? There must have been something. These things don't just happen by themselves.”

  “I met him one time before, but I never kissed him then, he came to the introduction line at the Reunification Day ceremony, when he was introduced and my eyes first saw him I knew he was to be my mate, but I couldn't mark him. Phillie we were in a public place filled with high-ranking officials! I may want to be just a female, but ... wait, he briefly took my hand and kissed it. Phillie, Jon kissed my hand. He marked me! I never kissed him before this past week.” Rina told her truthfully lifting the hand that Jon had kissed at the reception.

  Sensing Jon's unique flavors on the Princess' hand Phillie exclaimed, “I've never heard of it happening that way before. It must be strong between you two. I sensed your essence on him the first day I met him on Lexon II Station where he hired me, but that was way before you two got together last week on Haven. Somehow your scent must have transferred from your hand to his lips.” Phillie considered not telling the Princess about the secret panel in the cleansing chamber, but then decided to show her anyway. “So, let me tell you what I can, us females have to stick together, right? Anyway, Jon, besides being built like a mountain, is a great male. He gave me back something I love and for that I will always be in his debt. If he likes you, he will move planets to help you anyway he can, but if you break his trust, just once, he'll never forget it. Be careful with his heart, its been hurt so much that he keeps it locked up behind huge stone walls. If that male loves you, then he loves you with all of his being and will give you his entire world as your plaything. All he asks is that you love him back. Now, let me show you something.” Phillie led Satrina into the cleansing chamber. Then she opened the closet and removed the shelves. Pressing on a hidden panel in the wall she told Satrina, “This panel opens into Jon's berth. He doesn't know that its here. Its too small to do him any good anyway, but someone say the size of a Lexie Princess could fit through here easily. Then that person would find themselves in Jon's quarters needing an explanation as to how they ended up in his private relief chamber and what they were planning to do there. Do you think you could come up with something?”

  “I could probably think of a couple of things.” Satrina told the engineer with a huge grin on her face.

  “Remember what I said. Jon is at a turning point right now. He can either find happiness, joy, and great purpose in his life, or he can fall into the darkness of utter despair. Take care of him Princess. He'll need you to be strong for him because I fear that he cannot continue alone as he has in the past. His loneliness may end up being the cause of his death. I don't know how much more loss he can take before it may push him over the edge. If that happens, all of our prayers will not bring him back. He carries many burdens and a dark secret that only he knows. Good thing he has such strong, broad shoulders. Did you see what he did to those guards?”

  “How could I not see it?” Satrina replied. “That was the second time I've seen him deal with males who insulted a female he cares about. Thank you Wrenches. I'll help my giant anyway that I can.”

  “Really? He did that before? Imagine what he'll do for someone he really loves as in a mate! They'll need a search party to find enough pieces for a burial! Well then Missy” Phillie said in a cheerful voice, “I've got a ship to baby sit through another slip. See you when we're through.” Then she was gone and on her way back to the Engineering section. She stopped when her COM badge called to her. “Wrenches, Connell here.”

  “This is Wrenches. What's wrong boss?”

  “Can you meet me in the cargo bay please.”

  “Be right there. Just leaving Her Royal Hindass now.” That ought to get Jon's juices flowing. This trip just might turn out to be good for some fun stuff. Laughing to herself, she picked up her pace and actually trotted to the cargo bay. She didn't want to keep Jon waiting longer than necessary.

  There was something wrong about this trip. Of that Jon was sure. Rina's reaction to his comment about when the trip had been booked told him that she didn't know that it had been booked at all. This trip was as big of a surprise to her as having her on it was to him. Royalty did not travel on cargo ships! He had stopped the luggage from being sent up to the passenger area and now waited with several crewmen for Wrenches to get there.

  “Hey boss!” Phillie called as she came upon the tightly gathered group of ship's males. “What's up?”

  “Phillie, I hate to have to ask you this, but you and Hilidia the only other females onboard. Hilidia is busy on the bridge getting the ship ready to enter the slip. Put that wonderful Engineering brain of yours to work and think about this with me. In the known history of FTL travel, has any member of the Royals ever traveled on a cargo vessel?” Jon asked.

  “Before the Nova that wiped out the Lexon system, yes but only across their own system. After,.... No.” she carefully replied.

  “Yet here we are with the Crown Princess onboard for a trip that was booked last month without her knowledge.” Jon announced the obvious. “This isn't even a top of the line freight hauler. Still they book this particular boat not one of bright shiny new TransCo. ships. This ship is past due for retirement. It’s only because of the great work you've been doing that this pile of scrap metal and rivets is still flying. Yet this is the one they picked.”

  “Maybe they just wanted to make sure she got home safe. And don't insult my ship, Boss.” Phillie said.

  “Or maybe they didn't want her to get home at all!” crewman Bob spoke up.

  “That's what has me concerned folks.” Jon told them all. “What if something was smuggled onboard to foul the slip-drives after we were too far out for rescue? The Crown Princess would disappear, never to be heard from again. The new owner of some small insignificant transport company would disappear along with her and th
at company would go out of the FTL business from all the bad publicity. Everybody knows we went against the guilds when we hired our three Flight Engineers. All of which are doing a great job I've been told by their Captains. Thanks Phillie. You did good selecting those folks even if one of them isn't completely a person.

  Here is what I would like to do. I've had the Captain move the ship out away from the regular traffic lanes so we won't get in anyone's way. Captain Claudi has been told the system controllers that we are having a problem with our FTL drives and expects to have them fixed soon. We're too far out for them to get to us quickly and no one seems all that upset that we have the Princess. I don't think flight control even knows she is onboard. She came on by shuttle, not through the station itself. There is no station record of her even being on the boat.

  I want to inspect everything the Princess and her guards brought up with them. Then I want a total sweep of our outer hulls. I need the guard’s stuff inspected so that no guard can hide something while we're inspecting another guard's stuff. That means their stuff stays here, until we finish our inspection. In fact, bring down one guard at a time; have him point out his luggage and watch while you inspect it in front of him. Then let him carry his own stuff to his berth. As I told someone recently, we're a working cargo vessel, not some pleasure yacht. You can tell them all that if you need to. Every person here signed on to haul freight, not kiss the Royal's Asses. As for the Princess, Phillie that's where I need you. As the another female on the ship, I need you to go with the guys when they take her stuff up and inspect everything with a fine touch in front of her. Plus she has already met you. Show her as much respect as you can without bowing down like her personal servant. You are not her servant. If she needed one of those she should have brought one with her. That's another question. Why didn't she bring any of her servants? Phillie see if you can find out.