Destiny's Choice (The Wandering Engineer)

by Hechtl, Chris

  He smiled. She'd been a little too busy in the net, puttering around and listening in on the crew to pay attention to his plans. Of course if she bothered to take his past actions in picking up the asteroids into account then the answer was rather obvious. His smile had a little hint of malice in pulling one over on her. “I'm going to replicate a replicator. That way he can't tell me the ones the ship has are too busy. Then I'm going to pump out as many parts as I can with it.”

  “Oh.” She paused for a moment. She realized now what he had been doing and why he was a little malicious in his explaining the obvious. Touche' she thought. “But he'll end up with the damn thing in the end.”

  “Not if I send it down to the planet before we leave,” Irons said with a smile.

  “Oh, I like it! He'll hate it, which is why I love it even more! I'll settle his hash later.”

  “Better.”

  “He's still a jerk.”

  “That he is, that he is,” Irons sighed.

  Over the course of the next week he used the replicator to make parts he needed for his shuttle, as well as parts for the ship and for the Agnostans' needs. He built them several small hydrogen generators, solar panels, small computers, radios, food replicators, emergency rations, blankets, water purifiers, emergency shelters, textile extruders, and medical equipment.

  He taught them how to make wind or water electric generators out of vehicle alternators. The captain gave them copies of the maps of the planet and system, a library database, as well as communications arrays for them to tap the satellite network. When they heard about the long winter and lack of food the purser grudgingly turned over additional crates of replicated survival rations.

  “It's like pulling a tooth out of a saber lion. While the lion is still alive and kicking,” one delegate muttered.

  “Don't look a gift horse or in this case a miser in the mouth. All pursers are misers, it's their job to be conservative with the ship's resources. Understandable from his and the ship's viewpoint, but we're here to serve a purpose. And he's, well...”

  “Getting in the way,” Irons said.

  “Right,” Sprite said sounding exasperated.

  “Which is why I've been running off ration packs for the past hour while I can. But I'm out of organic material so I'm going to have to stop. But if you can send some organic material up from the planet, I can make more.”

  “Really?” the delegate asked, surprised. He rubbed his tummy. He wasn't looking forward to a lean winter. It was bad enough being light for him, but seeing his kid starve...

  “Sure thing. Just get me material I can work with. I'll have Sprite give you a list. Or better yet, I'll make a replicator that makes ration packs and let you do it on your end.”

  Jim stared at him. The Admiral was incredible. George had been right on the credit with his description. He felt a little small and petty next to him. To easily do the things he did without any request for compensation? He for one wasn't sure he could do it. Of course he had a family to feed... he shook the thought off when he realized he'd been wool gathering too long. “Actually, that sounds fine, just fine. If we can find power for it.”

  “On that end I've sent down some generators and other things. Let me know if you can't get access to some and I'll make one just for you.”

  “You're all right Admiral,” the man patted his shoulder awkwardly. “No matter what they say about you, you're a good guy.”

  Oblivious for the moment to the remark, Irons rolled on, in full brainstorming mode. “Also, if you can think of it, anything general purpose you need for the farms to keep them going. Maybe even expand them a bit to make up for lost time?”

  “I, um... I'll talk to Chumly and George and get back to you on that.”

  “Okay you do that.”

  Irons looked around, not sure why he was there. Oh he knew why he had been invited, but not why he had accepted. The reception was in full swing, occupying the large recreation room and adjoining compartments. He shook his head.

  There were about thirty five people in the room, all tastefully dressed. The staff were hovering as unobtrusively as they could in the background. They were dressed in the white formal uniforms of professional servers. Good. The captain was on the ball with that.

  The room lighting was dimmed slightly, the better to give it some atmosphere. Lilting orchestral pieces were playing softly in the background. The music was just low enough to allow conversation but just loud enough to make it feel like a party and to cover up conversations happening across the compartment.

  He had a question about the play choice. Oh he didn't mind, but something patriotic would have been a better choice over classical pieces. Okay, the 1812 Overture was patriotic, but a little fast for this crowd.

  Red, white and blue bunting was on one wall with a banner proclaiming the success of the treaty. That was good. He was glad it had been signed. Having a blow out party afterward to help cement the new relationship was proper.

  He hadn't been invited by the Pyraxians of course. They were sulking a bit, smarting over his intervention. Well, that was too bad. The captain was here, and no he hadn't invited the Admiral either. He was pretty sure captain Ferguson was still trying to stay neutral in the conflict going on. He was a good captain, but sometimes you didn't have a choice but to choose a side.

  No, his invitation had came from the Agnostans. He'd accepted it because it had been a heartfelt one, and it helped smooth things over with them, ease them into the treaty.

  That was his real reason for being there. What he did he did out of a sense of duty, not for thanks. It was nice to be appreciated though. At least by some people. He looked over to Mayfair.

  The woman had done herself up well, he thought. She had a glimmering purple gown on that left one shoulder exposed. She had a gold necklace on and lots of gold bracelets. They glittered and sparkled in the light as she moved. Her complexion didn't really compliment the purple though, it was most likely because she had over done it on the make up. Far to much red in the rouge, and too much purple in the eye make up. She looked a little like a cheap hooker come to think of it.

  Willis on the other hand... his eyes roved past her, taking her presence in but not seemingly lingering for long. She was a looker and knew how to show her wares. She had a white glimmering gown similar to her bosses, but daringly cut so her ample decolletage was showing. Her makeup was flawless, as was her complexion. Her hair was done up in a professional looking bun, elegant with a white clip holding it up. Somehow she'd gotten a fur stole from ground side. It wrapped around her shoulders and arms. He'd heard a few compliments from the Agnostans. The woman was smart to wear something from the planet. It went a long way with some. Good for her.

  “Admiral, I'd like to thank you again for the satellites,” George Custard said behind him. He turned smiling politely. George and his fellow Agnostans were dressed in their Sunday best. They seemed somewhat dour compared to the glittering Pyraxians though.

  “No thanks necessary, I was just doing my duty,” he said saluting them with his wineglass.

  “You have no idea how much that has helped,” Jim said exuberantly, shaking his head.

  “Oh I think he does,” George said nodding to Irons. He was a wise man, he had the largest library on the planet. It was one of the reasons he was on this delegation. He spent his winters bottled up against the snow outside, tucked in his chair and reading book after book. Apparently none of the Pyraxians had figured out just how well read he was.

  He wondered if the Admiral knew. Probably. From his look he was a well versed man himself, one who was good at reading people. He hoped the man would continue what he was doing. It was certainly making an impact.

  “We managed to get the crops in on the main continent because of you. Just beat the heavy storms coming in. Blasted weather! All the rocks mucked it up!” Jim said. “You saved a lot of lives right there,” he said.

  Chumly nodded. Irons cocked his head. Chumly and Jim looked a bit like M
ister Custard in dress but not in size and appearance. Jim was long and dour, clean face without a mustache or beard but with long brown sideburns. He had gray hair under his hat.

  Chumly was a big broad man, with a not so serious, slightly goofy expression. He seemed overwhelmed by everything, really out of his element. Irons wasn't sure if it was an act or not. “You saved the east coastal towns too. Don't forget that,” he said. The others nodded, cold sober. “That satellite network warned us of the tropical storm coming up from the south. It gave us time to prepare and evacuate. I heard it's touching down now. We'll know more later but I know the early warning saved a lot of lives,” he said.

  “Well isn't this charming,” Mayfair said off to his left. He'd seen her approach on his HUD and was actively hoping someone would head the woman off. She'd undermined herself a lot trying to do her job. He'd wondered if that had been her purpose all along.

  First moving the meetings to the ship. That had disgruntled the Agnostans by refusing their home spun hospitality. You don't slap someone in the face like that. The thinly veiled attempt to salvage it by showing them the ship backfired as well, it showed just how uppity the Pyraxians were. He wondered if Mayfair saw that or not. Probably not. She could be as dumb as a post sometimes.

  “It is a nice evening,” Irons said, smiling. Miss Willis smiled invitingly, coming over to lean next to him. He got the heady scent of perfume... wow. She had just enough on to make sure everyone noticed, but not quite enough to completely offend. Well, not the males anyway. From Mayfair's look she seemed jealous.

  “I'd like to thank you for the hospitality,” Mr. Custard said but then turned. “Or should I say your's captain?” he asked, smiling politely and tipping his hat.

  Irons nodded politely with the others as the captain came closer. The captain was in his formal uniform, white slacks, shirt, jacket, and cover. He had the cover tucked under one arm. The cover and his uniform were trimmed with gold braid. He had the ship's name and crest on one shoulder. One star on his lapel indicated his first hyper command. There were of course no medals or ribbons. He did look sharp though, better than the others. The gloves looked uncomfortable though.

  Irons read his expression in an instant. The captain looked slightly put out. He looked like a man determined to defuse a bomb but wary of setting it off. “Thank you. It was my pleasure,” he said.

  “I've sent up some proper tipple for you folks for what you did and what the Admiral here did,” Jim said smiling to Irons. “Some of it's from my personal stores so enjoy.”

  “I will indeed,” the Admiral said with a polite smile.

  One of the minor delegates decided to show off some hologram of the planet. Intrigued Jim and the others took their leave with a nod and wandered off to mingle and gawk. Irons smiled watching them go. His cheeks were starting to bother him with all this smiling.

  “What the hell are you doing here Irons?” Mayfair hissed, coming closer. “What are you trying to play at? First you hijack my mission, then you... you...”

  Irons turned to her but the captain held up a restraining hand. “Had the Admiral not intervened your mission would have been a failure before it even began. Or had you forgotten that?” he asked quietly.

  “Actually, that was commander Sprite's intervention,” Irons said, turning. Sprite's avatar was nearby. She excused herself from the flock of admirers around her and quickly came over. She smiled at them politely.

  Mayfair and Willis looked at her with misgivings written all over their faces. Irons snorted softly. He looked over to captain Ferguson. The captain was amused by the intervention.

  “Hiding behind your subordinates?” Mayfair accused.

  “No, actually giving credit where credit where credit is due,” he replied quietly. “Of course you know nothing about that.” He turned and bowed slightly to Sprite. She had attended in an undress uniform like he had. It wasn't quite the formal dress uniform, but it wasn't their usual work day uniform either. It sort of bridged the gap between the over dressed Pyraxians and the under dressed homey Agnostans.

  Her face flushed as her temper soared. She'd thought she'd marginalized him by telling her version of the events in Pyrax to the Agnostans. That had backfired as well. She seethed. “You've been undermining me from day one,” she snarled between gritted teeth. “The government will hear about this...”

  “Which part? You spreading rather vicious untrue rumors about me? That backfired by the way,” Irons replied. “The truth is always better than fiction. You undermined yourself by lying and then getting caught lying.” He took a sip of his drink. “I have no sympathy for you. None at all. You did it to yourself and you know it.”

  She gritted her teeth. She really hadn't anticipated his video and she admitted that had been remarkably stupid of her. Willis had warned her and she hadn't listened. “That may be true but you have no business in these affairs. You are supposed to...”

  “What?” Irons asked, smiling politely, ignoring her rising voice. It wasn't quite shrill yet but it was getting close. The captain winced, looking around. A nearby steward was looking decidedly nervous.

  “I have decades of experience in diplomatic affairs. And may I point out I didn't initiate contact with the Agnostans, they came to me. I'm not sure if it was to see what was true or not.” He shrugged. “I do know that they weren't happy that you moved the meeting to the ship and spurned their hospitality. A first year diplomat would have easily picked that up.”

  She grimaced. She had hated the planet, the air, the wide open areas. The dirt... goddess of space, the filthy dirt! The wretched wooden chairs... Willis had thought them quaint, she'd seen them for what they were, the poor trappings of dirt side hicks. She'd moved them to the ship for her own comfort and sanity.

  She tried hard not to snarl. He was so smug, so self righteous it made her want to scream. “You were supposed to stay quiet...” Her hands writhed as she fumed, mangling the linen napkin in one hand. If she could she would have clawed him. She seemed on the edge of self control.

  “Since when does he have to do that?” the captain asked, looking at her. “He is a free man. We do have the Constitution in place. He can do and say as he pleases.”

  Irons chuckled, taking some of the heat off the captain before Mayfair could blow. “I never promised anyone I would stay quiet. I left, yes. I didn't say I'd stay gone. Or that I'd just run and hide,” Irons said.

  “I think you'll find the people behind the Admiral's exile will be out of office when you get back,” Sprite said sounding decidedly smug.

  Willis looked wary. Mayfair smug. She finally knew the AI had overstepped herself. “I don't think so.”

  “Oh I do,” Sprite said, smiling evilly. “Terrorist acts? Against a Federation officer? That is a Federal crime.”

  Mayfair smiled smugly. “They are members of the government. There was nothing criminal about their actions. They are immune.”

  “Maybe in local courts,” Sprite replied laughing. It wasn't a particularly nice laugh Irons thought. Of course he was thinking rather nasty thoughts himself at the same time. “In Federal court? That's an entirely different field. By targeting an officer of the Federation they elevated it to a Federal crime. Making criminal threats against innocent civilians? And of course it's all on video...” she smiled. “I believe Firefly and Commander Logan will have taken them into custody by now.”

  Mayfair blanched, pale now. So pale her make up stood out making her look like a clown. She turned to Willis who cocked an eyebrow and then nodded. “I thought you knew,” she murmured.

  “It seems your political patrons are going to be in a great deal of hot water. Terrorism has a mandatory mind wipe or death penalty attached to it,” the captain said, twisting the knife a little. “Right Admiral?” he asked, turning to Irons. Irons nodded.

  Mayfair made a quiet excuse and then retreated. Willis sighed, shaking her head as her boss left the room. When one of the others came over she made a polite statement that Mayfa
ir had a headache and needed to go lie down. That seemed to smooth things over.

  “She asked for it,” Sprite said. Irons snorted softly.

  “I'm bored,” he sighed, sitting back, watching the display count down. He really should be finding something else, anything else to do right now, but damn it, he needed a break. Even he needed down time.

  He glanced at the clock on his HUD. Time was running away from him. They only had a short period before the ship left orbit and went on it's merry way now that most of the passengers had debarked and the cargo had been off loaded.

  He tried to think of something, anything constructive to do, but gave in after a while. To hell with it, it's time to see a little of the planet they are trying so hard to save. He snagged a tablet off a cluttered work station, propped his feet up on another stool, sat back and turned it on and linked in to the satellite system. Time to veg a little. To look for the sake of looking and admiring.

  He didn't bother looking at the growing capital around the space port. Now that they had some modern equipment the natives were rebuilding their civilization. It would only have one city until they were certain that it was safe. He'd have to shoot Logan orders to get a frigate out here ASAP. He scanned outward, idly playing with the view.

  Irons was amused to note the polar regions of the planet were populated by animals from the resurrection project. It seemed they were given a second chance. He was glad they hadn't died out.

  He idly zoomed in and watched a herd of woolly mammoth trekking across the tundra, groups of other animals followed behind, including some sort of elk with giant antlers. Downwind of them a pack of giant cat creatures also followed.

  “Life finds a way,” he breathed, smiling. It was amazing that life existed at all on this little dirtball. It was a terraformed world. It had been opened for limited agricultural and scientific colonization only a decade before the Xeno war. It was amazing that the planet's fragile artificial biosphere had held out over the past seven centuries. The planet looked like it was in a mini ice age, but the animals down there, they were thriving in such a world.