First Recruits

by Marilyn Foxworthy

  Bailey said, “Yeah. What she said.”

  I said, “First, we register them. Ee can do that, can’t she? If we take them back to the ship? And will they all fit on Eevona for a few days, even if we are cramped for space?”

  Bailey said, “I think we have to play it by ear. It’s going to be rough for the first few days.”

  Allie said, “No it won’t. I’m going to help, like I told you. You’ll see. I have a plan.”

  Bailey said, “We were going to buy more mules, but we don’t have enough money left now.”

  Allie said, “And you need to make it so that the crew gets to live in the cargo bay. Not the storage bays, the big cargo space. It will all be fine. Bailey, you know how to do it, right?”

  Bailey said, “Yeah. But it would take a while to do the planning and get some modifications made. It isn’t a lot of work, we just have to make sure that the bay can be pressurized and heated and that we have an internal access door. A crew could do it in a few hours once the design is done. Can we stay here for a few days? Find quarters on the station?”

  Allie said, “We don’t have to. We can leave today, you’ll see. I’m helping. Ee will tell you all about it.”

  Bailey and I had no idea what Allie was talking about and both of us seemed worried about the logistics and practicalities of what we had done.

  As we entered the hangar where the shuttle was parked, Allie rushed forward to four large crates sitting beside our transport vessel. She waved everyone to stand close and then she pointed to the crates.

  She said loudly, “OK. These two crates have uniforms for taller girls and those two for smaller girls. Take one of each. There is a work uniform and a leisure uniform for each of you. A few of you help hand them out.”

  I said, “Allie, where did these come from?”

  Allie said, “I order them and had them delivered.”

  I said, “How?”

  She said, “Um, I suppose I went to a store and had them make them and bring them here.”

  I said, “Wait. When?”

  She said, “When what? I had them delivered a few minutes ago.”

  I said, “But when did you order them? You’ve been with me the whole time.”

  She said, “Oh. Because I didn’t know about it this morning before lunch and how could they make all of them in time for being here right now? Yeah, I thought about that for a long time and then I decided that I can do that later.”

  Bailey said, “Do what?”

  Allie said, “We can order them later and make sure they get here now when we need them.”

  I was close enough to the shuttle to hear Eevona say, “Captain, the modifications for the cargo bay are almost completed. The workers are finishing up now. I didn’t expect this, but they had a work order authorized by Bailey, so I let them go ahead. The food and supplies and six mules are being loaded now. And a lot of blankets and inflatable bedding. What’s going on?”

  I said, “I don’t know exactly. But we have company. Bailey, take this call and explain it to Ee using your high-speed comms.”

  Allie said, “I’ll do it,” and the buzzing started and then stopped a few seconds later.

  Eevona said, “I see. It’s all we could do, isn’t it? I like it. And brilliant job on the supplies by the way.”

  Allie said, “Thank you.”

  Bailey said, “Allie, how did you do this?”

  Allie said, “OK. I just thought, hey, we need stuff. We need it now. But we don’t have time now so let’s do it later when we aren’t in a hurry. So, I’ll do all of this later before we get here and it will all be ready to go.”

  Bailey said, “Allie, do you mean that later we will travel back in time and do all of this before we get here?”

  Allie said, “It seemed like the best way. And now it’s all here and we can leave now.”

  Bailey said, “Sweetie, it doesn’t work that way.”

  Allie said, “I worried about that at first too. Would it work if it wasn’t about sex because time travel is about sex but then I realized that we can do that later, too.”

  Bailey said, “No, I mean we can’t just decide we need something and have it appear by planning to go back and do it before we get here after the fact.”

  Allie said, “Well I didn’t know that, did I? OK, everybody, put all your uniforms back and we’ll start over and do it Bailey’s way because the way that I did it can’t work.”

  I laughed and said, “Bailey, I think she wins this one.”

  Bailey said, “It doesn’t work like that.”

  I said, “OK. But like Allie told you, she didn’t know that. So she did it anyway. Now that she knows, maybe she won’t do it anymore.”

  Allie smiled and said, “I would probably forget that I can’t do it and I’d make a mistake and do it again if I really had to. Like I did this time. Bailey, I don’t think you are seeing what I’m seeing.”

  I said, “Bailey, I agree with you. It doesn’t work that way, but then again, I do see four crates full of uniforms and Ee says that the work on the cargo bay is complete, so I think we better stop trying to explain it.”

  Allie said, “It isn’t hard. It’s just like what you did when you went and told Jimmy to rescue us, except that I did it the other way around. Sort of. But it’s really the same. You’re the one who told me how to do it. What I don’t know yet is how to get 400 Units to Eevona without taking all day.”

  Bailey sighed in exasperation and said, “We’ll use the troop transport that you and I will order…later. Will that work for you?”

  Allie said, “What troop transport?”

  Bailey pointed to a large transport shuttle just now sliding into the hanger and said, “That one. I’ll go order it later, when we have more time. But hey, let’s don’t make a habit of this. I think it could be dangerous somehow. At least to our brains. Really, make this a last resort, not standard operating procedure.”

  Allie said, “You started it.”

  Bailey said, “It made more sense when I did it.”

  Allie said, “Because you wanted to have sex. But it still works.”

  Chapter 24 - Intake

  The Units, I hated calling them that, but for now it was what they were, anyway, we got everyone onto the transport and Michelle accompanied them while Bailey, Allie, and I rode in our own shuttle. The trip back to Eevona was short. Maybe fifteen minutes. I didn’t have a watch. At least I was wearing pants.

  I wasn’t really annoyed at anything, but I was feeling tense. This was good, but it wasn’t relaxing. In fact, I might have been more tense at this moment than at any time since climbing aboard this magical mystery tour. There were far more unknowns. About 400 of them. And all of the logistics and upcoming interactions, negotiations, and assignments.

  On the way over, we explained to Ee what had happened and what was going on. I apologized for not talking it over with her first. This impacted her, maybe more than the rest of us. And I apologized for the modifications that Allie and Bailey had ordered without Ee’s consent. And then I apologized for not including her in the planning that Bailey had done for a battle hull. Apparently it wasn’t as big a deal to Ee as I had been afraid that it might be, and while she agreed that she would like to be included in discussions that impacted her this way, she didn’t hold it against any of us. She reminded me that she could have refused the supplies and modifications if she’d wanted to, and could even now refuse to let the Units on board. She had agreed to what was done when she authorized it. She trusted us the way that we trusted her. Eevona’s biggest concern about the plan was food and hygiene. We were set up for an occupancy of up to twenty people. This was twenty times that. And right now there was no opportunity to expand our facilities.

  Our money was running out and we didn’t expect more until our first salvage pieces arrived at the shipyard. We couldn’t all go stay in a hotel for the next few months. No, there would be a line for the bathrooms and dining rooms for a while. Allie had ordered food supplies
, but no one had considered our water supply. We could handle water for all of us, but only for about two weeks at a time. I wondered if that made our whole plan unworkable. How would we be able to leave the workforce in the debris field without a water source? Hauling tankers would be possible but expensive. Bailey thought that based on the size of the debris field that we could probably find plenty in the salvage ships or floating frozen in the field itself. I guess that made sense. But until we found that we could handle it, we’d have to be careful. Food would have to be brought in by freight ships.

  We watched as the transport docked alongside Eevona and a connecting walkway was attached to let the Units and Michelle cross over to the ship. The shuttle docked in its normal spot.

  As we exited the shuttle through the medical bay, I said, “You guys, we have a lot of work to do. Everyone stay together on what needs to be done. We will go get started right away.”

  The cargo area wasn’t huge. Maybe the size of a small warehouse. Maybe 3000 square feet. We really needed bunk beds if we were going to live here. We’d have several of the crew, the ones that I deemed to be officers and supervisors, move into quarters in the living areas of Eevona.

  Looking out at my new empire, I said, “Ee, start a scan of their implants. I want to know who is who and what they are trained for and who they are registered to. If you find problems , let me know.”

  Ee said, “If we stay near the station, I might be able to request records of past employment and any evaluations that were done.”

  I said, “Do it. OK, anybody have any ideas?”

  Allie said, “Just tell them their story.”

  Bailey said, “She’s absolutely right. You are the captain. They need a captain. They need a home.”

  Michelle nodded her head and said, “There are combat units here. Get the registrations done as soon as possible. Ee should find them and have them come forward and we need an oath from them first. Maybe we should put on hard suits, or at least arm ourselves.”

  I said, “Michelle, are you really afraid that we might have to fight them?”

  She said, “No. But it’s my training. I can’t help but plan for contingencies. If things get out of hand, if we have hard suits, we can have Ee open the exterior door and space them. If we get blown out, she picks us up later. Or, we shoot the ones that we need to. None of them are armed. I know it’s extreme, but it is prudent to be cautious.”

  I said, “How about this? We stand near the door and have them sit a few feet away. If something starts, you get us through the door and we seal it until we come up with a different plan.”

  Michelle frowned and stared at the 400 gray bodies and said, “OK. We can do that. Captain in front, me at his left, Bailey and Allie behind. Until we establish an order. At my signal, everyone inside and Ee locks the door.”

  I said, “Michelle, I appreciate that. Thank you. Anyone else? No? OK, here goes. Stop me if I go off the rails.”

  Eevona said, “I love this language! Go off the rails. I love it.”

  I stepped forward a few feet and the girls took the positions that Michelle had assigned. I wasn’t really worried, but I did appreciate that Michelle was so diligent.

  I smiled and said loudly, “Welcome to Eevona. First, I know that this is all new, and it’s going to be a bit cramped for a little while, but I think we can make it all work if we want to. If anyone wants to leave, I’ll understand and you will be taken back to the station right away. We’ve already described the kind of work that we have for all of us and I really do want you to be comfortable and safe. We are going to be a kind of family and just what kind is up to us. Does anyone want off? No one? I’m a little surprised. I thought that some of you might want to change your minds.

  At times you will hear me talk to someone called Ee. That’s the ship. She is different than ships you might have known before. More like a person than a normal ship. She has started scanning your ID and she will help us move forward. The first thing that she’s going to do is call out a few names. We want to talk to you first. When she calls your ID, stand up and come here so that we can talk and settle some things.

  So that you know what’s happening, you are all special. Here, you are all persons, not Units. Eevona Space Command doesn’t have Units and Persons. Just persons. By accepting a registration with us, you accept and receive citizenship. It isn’t the same as galactic citizenship, and in order to make us able to coexist with them, we do this registration so that everyone knows where you belong, regardless of their laws about how they see you. I see you as persons and none of us care if others think of you differently. You are what you and I say that you are.

  The way that we handle this legally is that I claim that you were all salvageable and I have salvaged you the way that I would a derelict ship or a Unit that was acquired because their partner was lost before delivery. I know that isn’t what you might expect, but it works. And they don’t question it. You get a registration with me as the partner and to them you were legally salvaged. That’s why we won’t be staying here. It is legal but marginally and we don’t want anyone coming back to ask questions.

  Everyone still good? OK. Ee, call out the names of the women that Michelle wants us to talk to first. And all of you, listen to the way I say that. Women. Not Units. When you get registered, you become persons. Citizens of Eevona. Citizens with rights, but also responsibilities. You take on the role of providing for the common good of all of us. That means loyalty at a level that you might not be used to. We are loyal to each other because we care about each other.

  Do you trust me yet? Do something for me. If you have been living as a chameleon, stand up and let me see you. I know this is something that you would never do, but you have to have someone to trust. Trust me.”

  A woman stood up, then a few more, and then another dozen.

  I said, “Good. Now, listen. From now on, these others standing up with you are your sisters, not your competition. These sisters know what you’ve been through. From now on, you will comfort each other, not fear that you will be found out. I insist on it. Go ahead and sit down. Sit down together if you can. Ee, call out some ID designations. As your ID is called, please come forward.”

  Ee called out eight IDs and the women stood up. I motioned them forward and smiled at them.

  I said, “Ee, did you find anyone with no ID or no background? Call them too.”

  Ee called out one more and she stood up and came forward.

  I addressed her first.

  I said, “My ship says that you are missing some normal information about your training. That’s OK. No one is in trouble. I just want to know. Are you part of my crew?”

  The woman said, “If you’ll have me, Captain.”

  Then she said something to Michelle using the high-speed comms but it sounded different than I was used to.

  Michelle’s eyes went wide and she said hurriedly, “Captain. She’s um, special. Accept her.”

  I said, “That’s good enough for me.”

  The woman said, “Give me a name.”

  I didn’t even think about it; I was startled but said, “You are Mercy. In my native language it means something. We can discuss it later.”

  The woman nodded.

  I said, “Mercy, do you accept me as your registered partner and are you willing to commit your loyalty to me and to the Eevona and to my officers?”

  She said, “More than you can understand.”

  I looked askance at her response but Michelle nodded at me and I continued.

  I said, “Ee, set her registration.”

  Immediately, Michelle said, “Mercy. Stand beside the captain on his right.”

  Again I was surprised but didn’t say anything.

  Then I addressed the other eight, saying, “You were combat units. Are you ready to take an oath of loyalty?”

  The eight of them knelt and waited. Apparently that was a thing. Michelle, as commander of my bodyguard, told Ee to register them. Then Michelle told them t
o all stand to her left.

  After that, we dealt with 129 engineers, four concubines, 207 mechanics, and 58 general laborers and hospitality workers. There were 417 in total.

  Allie said, “Good. Now I know how many uniforms I had to buy. I bought the right number, but now I know what that was. 417.”

  I hadn’t noticed before that four non-gray Units had been part of our entourage. These four were all the smaller size but had hair and breasts bigger than the A-cup of the rest of them. Their skin tones were all shades of either pink or copper. I wondered what we would do with them. I wasn’t sure how they would fit with all of this. I wasn’t counting on Units with a care-taking and sexual nature. I could give them assignments for care-taking, but not sex. Oh, and then I laughed to myself and decided that there was no way anyway. These were proportioned for normal-sized citizens, not for me. I was a bit big for these. It took the pressure off since I didn’t have to worry about it.

  I conferred with the others and Mercy was included this time at Michelle’s insistence. When I had a plan agreed to, I spoke again.

  I said, “Now, I want to form eight companies of about 52 persons. Each company will consist of a combat specialist who will act in a leadership role. You will be responsible for the safety and well being of your company. You will be part of the officers and bring any concerns to the first mate. You should choose up to three assistants to help you, according to how you think things will work best. I need a chief engineer and fifteen assistant engineers in each company. The chief engineer will handle work assignments for the projects we take on. The chief engineers will also be officers and attend meetings with the executive staff. Each company should have roughly 25 mechanics and seven laborers. Laborers report to the combat leader. Mechanics report to the chief engineer.