The Destroyers Captain’s mouth started opening and closing without saying anything as he started turning red.
Jack leaned across the big desk putting his knuckles on the glass surface with his nose only inches from the Commanders. “Of course if you do not like these terms Commander, we can go straight to a Captains Competency board. I am sure my Chief engineer is pissed off enough at you by now to make sure you never step foot on a ship again as even an Ensign.” Jack smiled at him and turned, stepping to the hatch glancing at his wrist comm. “I am a busy man Commander, if I don’t see you on The Game in 10 minutes I will call that Board and my marines to have you delivered in chains and if you do not average 14 hours a day on The Game every day while locked to my ship, The Game will call the Board and the marines for me automatically. You’re not going to have time to harass this ship’s crew anymore Commander if you want to stay in Command. That includes after you leave my little hellhole, you will be required to spend 6 hours a day in The Game until it decides you are fit to Command. You can’t out run a competency board Commander if The Game decides to call one.” Jack studied the Commander for a few seconds. “Smile Commander, I just insured you will even Command a Battleship one day and may even get a star. That is if you don’t crap out before we reach the Hulk base. You aren’t lazy Commander, just stupid but that is fixable with training.”
Jack left the cabin and headed off the ship. Meeting his Engineering Chief at the lock as he was giving the Lieutenant arriving from the Red Pepper’s maintenance crew instructions. Then they headed for the next ship on Jacks list were he found basically the same thing.
The lock at the fifth ship the next day was empty. No Quarterdeck officer or rating in sight. On the way back to the engine rooms they passed several half-dressed ratings that squeezed past them without hardly noticing the two officers let alone saluting them. One was busy on her phone gossiping. Neither engine room had a sole in them with a deck that had not been swept in what looked like a few weeks and trash half hidden in the corners and around equipment. Tools lay where they had last been used. A piece of equipment off to the side was half torn apart with a couple of spare parts boxes next to it and an open tool box on the other side. A quick examination of the injectors at the head of the engine found several running hot and a few burnt nozzles lying next to the engine haphazardly on the deck that should have been changed long before they were.
Stepping into Engineering’s Main Control Room between the engines with large windows overlooking each of them and the main Fusion Generator room aft between the engines, Jack found a First class rating engrossed in a disposable magazine screen of Playboy, reading and chuckling at the joke pages with the naked voluptuous pinup coyly starring out of the main screen of engineering. His legs propped up on the central Control Console.
Jack walked across from the open hatch that was supposed to be shut at all times while underway without the rating seeming to notice as he kept chuckling. Stopping several steps from the rating Jack “Coughed,” to get the ratings attention only to have him finish the joke he was reading and chuckling again before looking up and saying with a smile. “How can I help you aaa Captain?” Glancing at the Engineering Chief. “Commander?” Without taking his feet off the console or looking the least bit worried about what he had been doing.
Jack did his best not to look as mad as he felt as he smiled back. “Where is your Engineering Chief, Engine man Boggs? Get him for me please.”
Looking around toward the offices along the back side of the control room the First Class smiled. “Looks like he is out for the moments Sir. Probably up getting lunch or something. He should be back in a little while. An hour at most I would suppose but maybe not. Hard telling Sir.” Then went back to reading his magazine. “You should read the latest issue’s Joke pages Sir. They are hilarious.” Holding the screen up for Jack to see the page and noticing the date at the bottom of the screen. “Well, the latest issue we have even if it is a few months old. Wouldn’t be surprised if you have already read them Sir. What did you think about the one…?”
Jack reached down as he stepped forward grabbing the First Class by the collar and dragging him up out of the Chair and onto his feet placing his nose an inch from the man’s nose as the magazine screen went flying across the deck. “You will stand and come to attention when a superior officer inters the compartment First Class Boggs or you will be Spaceman Boggs by the end of the day. Now I have given you an order to find your Engineering Officer for me to talk to and you will comply with that order immediately or you will be looking at my Brigg, first Class Boggs. I will ignore your outright disrespect for me and my Chief Engineer as well your dereliction of duty and flouting of navel regulations for reading none military publications while on watch for the moment but don’t push your luck. Now find your Engineering Chief and tell him I want to see him immediately. Then do the same for your Captain.” Taking a breath as he stared into the man’s eyes from only inches away. “Do you understand my orders First Class Boggs?”
“Ya, ye, yes Sir.” The man stammered.
Jack let him go and stepped back as the First Class pounded the Comm screen on the console yelling for the Engineering Chief.
A lieutenant came rushing in a few minutes later buttoning up his blouse as he ran.
Coming to attention in front of Jack the lieutenant saluted and said. “Lieutenant Quincy reporting as ordered Captain. How can I help you?”
“You can start by telling me why your engines are only producing half their rated thrust while eating twice their rated mass?”
“Aaa Sir. The engines need tuning and the burned injector nozzles replaced sir.”
Jack smiled. “Good, it is not because you don’t know what is wrong. So tell me why you have not tuned your engines and replaced the burnt nozzles?”
“It is on our maintenance schedule Captain. We will replace a few of the burnt nozzles next week and do the tune up starting the week after that on the Port Engine.”
“Just the Port engine? Why are you not changing your nozzles today Lieutenant?”
“That is just what they are scheduled at sir.” Hitting the control screen and replacing the pinup doll with the maintenance schedule screen. “Chill Captain Sir, we will get to them as the schedule dictates.”
“Mr. Quincy.” Jack forced himself to keep calm. “By the time you get around to addressing the problems with your engines you will be lucky to be producing a quarter of your rated thrust even if you could stuff anymore mass down your engines’ throats. Not to mention that I need your engines running at their rated thrust now not next month. Now go get your men and get to work changing nozzles and tuning up your engines before I court-martial you for dereliction of duty.” Jack knew that he actually did not have a leg to stand on ordering another Captain’s crew around but he could not wait for channels when he would fix that now. Turning to the First Class. “You get me your Captain Yet?”
“Yes sir. He suggests you come to his cabin if you want to talk to him. Otherwise get off his ship.”
Jack left the Main Engineering Control seething. Heading forward he approached the ship’s mess deck and started smelling food. A dozen different tantalizing smells wafting down the passageway from the galley ahead.
Stepping through the hatch Jack came to a shocking stop beside a desert counter filled with a half dozen different hot pies, donates, pastries and an ice-cream machine to one side. Every few seconds someone with a loaded tray of food would walk past him from the serving counter. The sight and smell of Barbecued Chicken still sizzling on the platter made his stomach turn as his head swam. He reached out to steady himself on the dessert counter.
A woman said, “Excuse me Captain”, as she reached around him to grab a plate of hot able pie off the counter shelf from under the warming lamps, dropped a blob of soft ice-cream on the top of it and walked back to her table not giving Jack a second look.
Jack looked down at the plate of brownies sitting next to his hand and withou
t thinking he reached over and grabbed one and stuffed a big bight in his mouth and closed his eyes as he chewed. It seemed like he had not tasted anything so delicious in decades. Before he knew it, the brownie was gone and his hand fell on a banana hanging on the rack next to the brownies. He had not seen a fresh banana in 6 months let alone eaten one and before he knew it he had taken a bight of it as he closed his eyes again in bliss as he chewed and swallowed. Taking another bight without thinking his stomach rumbled as he inhaled half the banana. Then suddenly the sight of the woman’s body sitting in the morgue that had been so hungry she had stolen some alien food that poisoned her the day before, flashed in front of him and he suddenly was disgusted with himself. The Doctor pumping her stomach too late to get all the poisons out of her system in time. Not having a clue what was in the food that was poisoning her did not help.
Jack turned toward the food waste bins next to the scullery at the exit to the mess deck to throw the offending half eaten banana and peel away in disgust, the bins half full of good food brought Jack up short as he watched several crewmen in a row scraping the food from platters that were still half full of food into the garbage before slipping the trays through the slot to be washed.
Jack tossed the half-eaten banana into the trash in shock and then walked through the middle of the mess compartment as the shear waste started pissing him off. Suddenly the fact that the crew could not even offer the simplest of courtesies due a Captain as he passed them bothered him for the first time. Exiting through the forward hatch Jack walked along the crews’ mess waiting line for the serving counter. One or two acknowledged him with a smile and a node but most ignored him as they talked amongst themselves. Most complaining about the food, to spicy or not spicy enough, the potatoes a little lumpy or the salad was a little wilted. One crewman complained the cottage cheese tasted funny the night before while another crewman was wanting to get a petition going to get Chocolate chip Pineapple Swirl Cheesecake ice-cream served. The last crewman that just joined the line complained that it was steak and lobster night for dinner later as Jack stepped through the hatch into the ladder trunk up to Officers Country and the Captain’s cabin just aft of the bridge.
Jack stopped outside the Captain’s cabin’s hatch and forced himself not to pound on it. Taking a breath Jack knocked and then went in without waiting though he heard, “Enter.” As he opened the hatch.
Jack stopped in the open hatch to see a conference table full of food with the much overweight Captain with several chins at the far end in the middle of taking a bight out of a huge drum stick as juices dripped down his cheek onto the bib napkin. The man took up most of the end of the table in is over sized chair. Four hundred pounds at least popped into his head at the sight of the fat the uniform did not hide.
Then a second later Jack realized that he knew that Captain. His father had dealt with him many times as the two Tramp family transports had met over the years. His father called him Captain Slime bucket when he talked about him back on the Turner Joy. Said he would screw his own daughter out of her last dime and not think twice about it. Jack could not remember the exact details but his father had always gotten pissed after each time he had to deal with the man. Jack did remember very well how the captain’s family ship seemed to be broke all the time yet the Captain seemed to gain weight each time he saw him and this time was no exception. Trying to figure out how the Captain had gotten a commission in the Navy and a combat ship the Captain raised his arm up motioning to the empty seat at the opposite end of the table.
“Come in Captain and join my merry band for lunch. I hear your ship is running a little low on supplies so dig in and enjoy yourself before you go.”
Jack stepped forward grabbing onto the back of the chair without sitting down as he forced a smile. “Why thank you Captain Tweed. But I would hate to deprive your crew of any of your supplies. No sense in everyone starving.”
The officers around the table started laughing as they looked at each other sharing a secret as Captain Tweed spoke. “No need to worry about that Captain, we have plenty. Sit and enjoy the best food in the fleet.”
Jack suddenly remembered why the Turner Joy had even dealt with Captain Tweed’s ship. Tramps always traded cargo and contracts around when they met. Sending the partial loads on ships that did not need to make detours to make the deliveries. Cutting down costs for all the ships concerned. The problem was that Captain Tweed’s Tramp ship always threw banquets for the Tramp ships around them when at the ports. The fact that after the banquet and plenty of liquor, most the ships left with lowball contracts (receiving far below the going segment rate) if not free, that many times included taking cargo far out of the ships original scheduled systems on their course. With Captain Tweed’s ship coming off much the better in most of the exchanges leaving with the best paying cargo aboard most of the time on short hauls to the best planets. Jack seemed to remember Captain Tweed using the excuse that his engines were worn out to talk ships into taking loads they normally would not even touch while the Captain made off with at least one or two of the Trampship’s high paying short haul cargos.
Suddenly Jack understood why the Captain was in no hurry to keep his engines well maintained. Betting to himself that Captain Tweed missed out on a lot of patrol assignments because of it. Fact is his ship was the first to get attached to the Battleship with the Destroyer low on reaction mass. Jack had originally took it for granted that the DD had used its fuel patrolling but now that he knew its Captain he doubted that.
“Yes I can see you have the best food in the fleet. So maybe you would not mind sharing some of that with my crews on the ships and stations since you have plenty. Something besides emergency bars and pills would do wonders for my crews moral.”
Captain Tweed started coughing as something went down the wrong tube. The rest of his officers looked at Jack in shock that he would even suggest any such thing.
It took Captain Tween a couple of minutes to recover as several senior officers jumped up and started pounding his back as he bent over to the side to clear his lungs before he finally looked up at Jack and smiled as he took another deep breath. “Well now Captain Turner. I see you take after your father in more ways than just looks. He always has a way of getting to the point looking after not only his ship’s best interests but sticking his nose into other ships businesses. But tell you what, I think we can afford to give away a couple grates of MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat).” His officers started laughing again. After they had calmed down the Captain continued. “Maybe even a few more depending on what you have to trade.”
“Trade Captain Tweed? We are not Tramps any longer. My crew is getting real tired of Emergency bars and pills with us down to one MRE a day. Even a few items of real food to add to them would go a long way to increasing my crews moral until we finally get a shipment in from The Rock.”
“Ooh. Yes. I hear you even lost another crewman yesterday. Now that is just down right sad Captain but that is your problem. Take the crates of MRE’s for yourself Captain and see what you can come up with to trade if you are so worried about your crew.” Tweed took another bight of chicken. “Oha and I wouldn’t bet on a transport making it here anytime soon. The Damn Rock is scared to death of your alien zoo. Why do you think we were sent here in the first place? It wasn’t to take on the spider ships in spite of what that damn Commodore is trying to turn our mission into. We are here to guard your sorry ass and keep any of your pets from leaving and getting away.” The Captain smiled at Jack. “Now get off my ship before I have you thrown off. You can pick up your crates of MRE’s this afternoon when you come back with a list of trade goods. I hear these aliens have a lot of high tech equipment that should bring a good profit even if I wasn’t getting it for free.” That started the officers laughing uncontrollably as Jack tried his best to control himself.
Jack found himself thanking his brother for teaching him not to react to keep from getting beaten even worse by his much bigger older brother as he smiled.
“I am sure you will appreciate what I have in store for you Captain Tweed.”
“You do that boy and just for your information. I hear you have a few marines. Try taking my supplies and you won’t find anything. I am not stupid boy. I have supplies scattered all over this squadron. Don’t come back unless you are prepared to trade big time with at least a thousand tons of high tech for maybe a hundred tons of basic food if I like what you are offering. Just remember I have the food and you have a starving crew.” The Captain chuckled. “I have your Balls in my hand boy and don’t forget that. Piss me off and you will suck my dick before you get any food.”
Jack looked down at the banquet laid out between them as he smiled back. “At least you haven’t changed Captain Tweed. You did try to feed me before you screwed me up my butt. When would you like me to return with the list?”
“Oh I am in no hurry boy. Come by for dinner and we can discuss your list with some steaks and lobsters and fine wine while we talk.” Smiling from ear to ear. “Just like old times my boy.”
“Yes. Just like old times Captain.” Jack smiled back at Captain Tweed. “Oh, By the way, I have an engineering crew headed for your engine spaces to tune up your engines since your crew is so shorthanded. I need every pound of thrust every Destroyer is capable of producing if this Damn Battleship is going to make it to the Hulkstation before X-mus. Don’t get in their way Captain or you won’t have to worry about trading food or getting something besides Energy bars in one of my cells.”
The Captain blustered for a few seconds then stated. “Well don’t expect me to feed them. They aren’t welcome on my mess decks and I will post guards to keep them off.”
Jack turned around and left shutting the hatch behind him and leaning against it with his head against the cool metal for a few seconds with his eyes closed trying to calm down. In his self-imposed darkness he started seeing the electrical lines running along the overhead toward the bridge that was just forward of the Captain’s State room. Jack realizing that the captain had added the conference room to his already large cabin as his mind flashed on his original plans he had produced in The Game. More and more of the surrounding ship started appearing as his eyes got use to the dark of his closed eyes but even then the light seeping through his closed lids made it hard to get any details or distance. Jack realized that the bridge only feet away was darkened as it should be while under way. The fact that there was only one crewman on the bridge was disturbing but then the ship was locked to the Battle ship. As Jack took another breath he realized that the crewman was asleep with his feet up on the console and his chin on his chest. His breathing slow and regular.
Battleship Destroyer 2 (Battleship Destoryer) Page 22
