Talus
Page 9
Nata slowly released the breath that she’d been holding. She’d hoped for full reinstatement, but feared that she would be dismissed from the fleet. Her greatest wish was to see Ude again. Now, there was every chance that would happen.
“I thank the admirals for giving me another opportunity to prove my worth to the fleet,” Nata said. She thought to add that she considered herself a valuable pilot, but under the circumstances, it didn’t seem appropriate. Instead, she let her single remark stand.
“Don’t waste this chance, Lieutenant,” Ellie warned. “Dismissed.”
When the lieutenants exited the hastily assembled meeting room, Hector approached the admirals. “That was well done,” he said, gazing across the array of human faces. “I attempted to anticipate the direction of your deliberations, the information you’d consider, and how you would balance the various elements of this event. I must express my disappointment that I was continually in error.”
“Humans, Hector. We’re messy,” Ellie replied, which caused both SADEs to blast the room with their sounds of humor.
In turn, the admirals laughed in a tremendous exhalation of relief. A sticky situation had been successfully resolved. Nata was at the center of so many aspects of Omnian life. For the fleet, for Alex, for the wild ones, and for the Dischnya, it was imperative that she be given every opportunity to find her way.
“What made you grin, Admiral, when I mentioned the conversation with Nyslara?” Alphons inquired.
“I knew that we would need to inform the chain of command of the panel’s decision,” Ellie explained, “and I realized that Petite would be handed a possibly disgruntled Nata. That’s not something you should do to any captain, much less one with a stellar reputation. Then I recalled a crew member who’d been assigned to the Intrepid.”
Alphons laughed heartily, and Ellie grinned in reply.
“Educate me,” Adrianna urged.
“Two New Terrans came to us more than a decade ago as a pair. It seems they knew one another from TSF service,” Ellie explained. “When Petite made captain and received the Intrepid, as it came off the line, she chose many of the senior individuals who would serve aboard her Trident. The first transfer on the list was her friend, Crew Chief Thomas ‘Teddy’ Lassiter.”
“Don’t let the nickname Teddy fool you,” Alphons said, continuing to laugh. “He rivals Alex in stature, but he’s probably not as hard. Nonetheless, no one calls him Teddy but the captain and a few close friends.”
“Teddy is a tough taskmaster,” Ellie continued. “I’ll suggest to Petite that she place Nata under Teddy’s tender loving care.”
“She’ll either thrive or mutiny,” Adrianna remarked. “The choice will be hers.”
10: Under Sail
Neffess and Nata stood in front of Captain Draken’s desk aboard the Intrepid. They’d been standing at attention for several minutes, while the captain worked at her monitor.
Not long ago, Nata might have retorted to her friend, but too many things had been done in her favor by too many people. It had humbled her. Although, it was a question as to how long those feelings would last.
Nata sent, which Neffess was happy to hear.
A thought occurred to Nata that the individuals who had come to her aid were admirers of Alex Racine, the man she had consistently despised. While she’d been incarcerated in the Sawa nest storeroom, she’d had plenty of time to think.
One of the reasons that she chose to land on Sawa was to poke a figurative finger in Alex Racine’s eye. When she was pulled through the hatch, panic had seized her. For a brief moment, she blamed Alex. If she hadn’t hated him so much, she wouldn’t have been tempted to land.
While seated on the storeroom rug, Nata had considered her circumstances. She knew the decision to land had been hers alone, regardless of the motivation. Neffess had urged her not to land, and she ignored her. She’d even been so thankless as to intimate that Neffess lacked the courage to follow her. Yet, it was her friend who had stood in front of the admirals and artfully defended her.
For the sake of her friend and those who rescued her, Nata vowed that she would accept and excel at whatever duty Captain Draken decreed. However, after they reached the Talus system, it would be a different matter.
Nearly a half hour after the lieutenants entered Petite’s quarters, she finished her work, closed her links, and shut down the monitor. “At ease,” she said quietly. Then she coolly regarded Nata.
Time stretched on, while Petite continued to regard the lieutenant. She waited for the young woman to break and open her mouth. When Nata didn’t, she relented.
“The review board has seen fit to give you another chance, Lieutenant Nata,” Petite said. “I’m not going to inject my opinion into whether I agree with the decision. You’re assigned to this ship, and I expect exemplary service from you. Not good or great but exceptional service. Are we clear?”
Nata replied sharply, “Yes, Captain.” Neffess had urged her to keep her answers short and respectful. She was unnerved that the captain didn’t use her immense stature or deep voice to intimidate her. The captain’s quiet tones were more disconcerting.
The lieutenants heard the hiss of the salon door slide open. Despite the temptation to turn around, they kept their eyes straight forward.
“Lieutenants, you’ve had a brief opportunity to meet Crew Chief Thomas ‘Teddy’ Lassiter, who you will never address as Teddy. You don’t deserve that honor,” Petite said.
Something bothered Nata, and she linked to Neffess.
Teddy stood slightly forward of Nata and at a right angle to her.
Nata could feel the crew chief’s hot breath on her face. He wasn’t much taller than her, but she could feel the heat radiating from his massive body.
“Is this the errant pilot, who doesn’t know when to ask permission to deviate from a directive, Captain?” Teddy growled.
“I’m afraid it is, Crew Chief Lassiter,” Petite replied. “The admirals saw fit to return her to our care.”
“A shame about that,” Teddy replied. “An exit from an airlock would have solved everyone’s problem.”
Nata couldn’t help herself. She turned her head to stare coldly at the crew chief.
“Stare all you want, Lieutenant,” Teddy said, a dark grin on his face. “It won’t do you any good.”
“Permission to speak?” Nata said, addressing Petite.
“I’m all ears, Lieutenant,” Petite replied.
“I’m confused by the presence of Lieutenant Neffess,” Nata said, stating the problem as succinctly as she could.
“I’m surprised, Lieutenant,” Petite said, resting her chin on her curled fingers, while she braced her elbows on the desk. “I expected a foolish mouthing, but that’s actually an intelligent utterance. Maybe there’s hope for you yet.”
“Lieutenant Neffess,” Teddy said, answering Nata, “is here because she’s a better friend than you deserve, Lieutenant. She’s requested to serve whatever duty you’re assigned.”
Teddy saw the twitch of Nata’s body language that indicated she didn’t know what her friend had chosen to do, and a flash of sympathy briefly swept through him. Once, he had a good friend like that, but he’d lost him.
“My decision has been made,” Petite said. “Both of you will serve under the chief’s tutelage for the duration of the sailing time to the Talus system. Afterward, Lieutenant Neffess, you will resume flight status, regardless of the outcome for Lie
utenant Nata. And you, Lieutenant Nata, will face the review board for final judgment, when the admirals find time for you. You have much to prove to all of us. Good fortune.”
Teddy commanded the lieutenants to attention. They saluted the captain, and he ordered them out of the cabin. In the corridor, he stopped and faced the pair. “The two of you have third watch. You’ll report to me in the starboard bay. You’ll maintain your privileges and cabins, as befitting your ranks. However, if I need you, you’ll attend me with the alacrity you’d pay a captain’s order. Am I understood?”
“Yes, Chief,” the pair echoed.
“Good. See you at twenty-eight hours,” Teddy said and marched away.
“What are you doing?” Nata hissed, rounding on Neffess. She’d waited until Teddy was out of sight and hearing.
“Keeping you from detonating,” Neffess retorted. The tip of her muzzle was centimeters from Nata’s nose, and she’d elevated on her legs. To make her intentions clear, her tail stood rigid behind her, and the tip twitched in anger.
Nata drew breath to fire back, but something caused her to desist. She deflated. “It’s not fair to you,” she managed to object.
Neffess folded her arms around Nata. “Stupid pup,” she whispered in Nata’s ear, and then she added a wash with a wet tongue.
“Ick,” Nata said, pushing her friend away. “You know I hate that.”
Neffess chortled. “I’m toughening you up. I think our time with Teddy is going to be miserable. Let’s hope it’s educational.”
Neffess was right on both counts. Third watch started at twenty-eight hours and ran until first watch relieved them at eight hours.
Teddy was the crew chief of first watch, which meant the lieutenants expected him to introduce them to a crew member, who handled the bay’s third watch, and depart.
Neffess and Nata arrived a quarter hour early. That was only because Neffess hauled Nata out of her bunk, shoved her into the refresher, and chided her to get dressed. She sympathized with Nata’s lethargy. It had been an exhausting two days for her friend, but duty called.
Teddy’s coveralls were crisp, as if this wasn’t his second duty rotation of the day.
“Evening, Lieutenants,” Teddy said cheerfully. “I’m going to teach you about the systems that keep our ships in fighting order. During the flight to Toral, you’ll learn to maintain these systems yourself. Understand this. Designs, even SADE designs, exist in a virtual world. When those ideas leave their digital world, they often need a little encouragement to deal with reality. You’ll learn the difference between a manual’s specifications and Crew Chief Lassiter’s preferred adjustments. Now, shall we begin?”
To the lieutenants’ surprise, Teddy never left their sides. He was inexhaustible, working through break periods and the mid-watch meal.
At the end of third watch, Teddy, who looked as crisp and energetic as when he met Neffess and Nata, wished them a good morning and exited the bay.
Neffess and Nata sought a dining room, ate quickly, and ran for their cabin. They were asleep within minutes.
Around the start of second watch, the pair woke, dressed, and headed for a dining room.
“I think last night was an act,” Nata announced between mouthfuls of her meal.
Neffess paused, a piece of food between her fingers and halfway to her mouth. “You always think someone has an ulterior motive,” she said. “Not everyone is out to get you or treat you unfairly. Maybe the chief wants us to learn what he’s teaching.”
“And not everyone is as altruistic as you make them out to be,” Nata retorted. “I bet you the chief doesn’t stay with us this evening.”
“I bet you he does,” Neffess shot back.
“What are you placing on the table?” asked Nata, a gleam in her eye.
“If the chief remains with us tonight, you end your negative attitude about him and this assignment,” Neffess proposed. “Furthermore, you strap in and learn what he’s teaching us.”
“Fine,” Nata replied. “Do you know what I want?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Neffess said offhand. “You can ask for whatever you want. You’re going to lose.”
At the beginning of third watch, Teddy greeted the lieutenants and picked up where he left off the night before.
To Nata’s chagrin, the chief was with them every minute of the watch except for the short refresher breaks they were allowed.
Under Teddy’s tutelage, the lieutenants learned how to take the controllers through their system checks. These weren’t the operations that pilots learned. They were the more detailed processes that the crews performed. It never occurred to the lieutenants that there existed a controller program that scanned for hull integrity before a pilot could lift the ship.
In addition, Neffess and Nata performed helmet checks and ship lift equilibrium checks. Within the bay, they examined grav sleds, palettes, airlock routines, and seals.
Environment suits were checked for readiness. Then they were donned, and bay doors were operated. They were to respond smoothly and seal completely. Air pressure systems were expected to operate at specified rates and psi.
When the routines were completed on the starboard bay, Teddy and the lieutenants moved to the port bay.
As the lieutenants became more proficient at their duties and completed the work on both bays within third watch, they added the emergency routines to their list of jobs.
After nearly three months, the fleet crossed the wall. They were two-thirds of the way to the Talus system.
At the start of the next third watch, Teddy met Neffess and Nata in the corridor outside the bay.
“This evening, Lieutenants, we start with environment suits,” Teddy said. “Get dressed.”
During academy training, the cadets had walked through a Trident under construction on the Sardi-Tallen Orbital Platform. The class had accessed a hatch clearly marked for chiefs and their crews only.
The instructor had said, “Officers have no business proceeding through these hatches. The tour through here is to give you an appreciation of the weaponry that your ship operates.”
Now, Neffess and Nata eyed the sign in red on the reinforced hatch. It clearly stated that only approved individuals were allowed beyond this point, and that didn’t include officers.
Teddy chuckled. “You’re officers in insignias only on my watch,” he said. “At this moment, you’re journey crew members.”
Teddy and the lieutenants slipped through the connecting tunnel to the beam hull. Although the outward hulls were significantly larger than the central hull, its entire volume was packed with the beam weapon’s components and gravitational collection systems.
For this particular watch, and many afterward in the outboard hulls, Teddy instructed Neffess and Nata to keep their hands at their sides. “Don’t touch anything. Not even to steady yourself to make your way past a piece of equipment,” he cautioned repeatedly.
Neffess and Nata never did perform any maintenance on the beam weaponry. They did observe Teddy running checks on the power crystal banks, the focusing lenses, and the triggering circuitry.
Frequently, they would exit a beam hull, comm the third watch officer, and request a test firing. Then Teddy would examine the results.
After the first time the beam had been fired, during the next meal, Nata asked, “Did you notice the deference the third watch officer paid to Teddy?”
“Shows you a smart officer knows the importance of a competent crew chief,” Neffess replied. “Have you ever noticed Teddy’s lips when he’s checking the beam weaponry components?”
“I think he’s talking to the equipment,” Nata said, smirking. “Probably asking them to behave.”
“Makes you wonder about our travelers’ beam weaponry,” Neffess replied seriously.
That response sobered Nata. She’d accepted the quality of her ship’s operations as her due for achieving pilot status. However, the work they’d been doing had taught her that the efforts of many people
kept her ship flight ready.
Weeks away from arriving at the fleet’s target system, Talus, Teddy didn’t show for third watch.
“The chief says you’re qualified to run the checks on the bays,” said the senior crew member who met them. “Get started. We break at three hours for a meal.” Then he walked away.
Neffess shrugged and then began the familiar routine. After a moment’s hesitation, Nata followed. As was their habit, they worked through mealtime.
After the shift, a crew member asked them, “Pardon me, Lieutenants, but don’t you eat?”
“You follow Chief Lassiter and you get used to not taking a break,” Neffess replied.
“Tough man, the chief,” the crew member acknowledged. “We’re fortunate to have him. Rumors are that the admirals want him at the academy training future crew chiefs, but he won’t go. Don’t get it myself. It’d be safer, and he’d make a lot more credits.”
During that watch, while the lieutenants worked alone, Teddy had stretched out gratefully on his bed. As the nanites comforted him, he groaned in pleasure. The double shifts had taken their toll, but he’d decided that the lieutenants deserved his attention.
In the morning, Teddy met with Petite to deliver his summary.
“Morning, Teddy,” Petite greeted her friend and old TSF comrade.
“Morning, Captain,” Teddy replied. He clapped his powerful hands together and rubbed them in anticipation. The captain’s table was full of his favorite morning meal choices.
“Rest well?” Petite asked.
“You can hand the next upstart and her friend to someone else, Captain,” Teddy said, as he sat down and poured himself a large mug of hot thé.
“I didn’t expect you to manage their training by yourself,” Petite replied.
“Didn’t seem right to hand them off,” Teddy replied. “Thought I couldn’t do any less than Neffess. She believes in her friend. Who else do we know who would volunteer for third watch inspection duty to keep her friend company?”
“So, how are they doing?” Petite asked. She’d expected regular reports, but Teddy had been silent about their progress the entire time.