But then even with the damage, it was still cheaper than being taken and the deluge of 5 inch shells (almost 300 fired before the pirate was out of range) hitting the pirate ship knocking out a couple of their engines; promised that their attack cost the pirates a lot more than it did the Star Queen.
Then memories came flooding back about a time when they still only had the 5 inch 21caliber short barreled open hull guns with only small thin shields for protecting the gun crews. The guns had been knocked out and the ship had been boarded briefly by several pirate assault boats trying to seize the ship in preparation for docking their 600 foot long pirate ship. He had been only 4 at the time, his father carrying him when he could not keep up as they ran to the shelter of the inner hull. Not really understanding the laser fire and distant booms that echoed through the ship each time the deck shook creating terror in everyone's faces, the terror was catching even though he had not known exactly what was going on. His father talked about the pirate docking and cutting holes in the hull and boarding the ship as marines with laser riffles ran the other way or sat up firing positions at choke points by cutting firing slits in bulkheads facing down long straight passageways to the outer hulls.
They had finally driven off the pirates killing all those that had boarded the Star Queen before they could do much damage or take slaves. While firing several of the close range Mk.16 torpedo's into the pirates hull at point blank range and then repairing several of the 5 inch guns and partially crewing them again to send their shells at point blank range into the pirate ship, taking out the pirates remaining turrets as well as their last boat that forced them to finely run. Abandoning their boarding parties. Though Mark did not learn about all the details of the attack until he was much older.
The mass funeral for the gun crews and marines days after the battle still haunted him as the fleet of caskets were launched into deep, cold, lonely space and later the hushed talk around some of the kids in school who had lost a parent or even both. He knew several kids that had been orphaned that day and he felt so sorry for them even though they were adopted into good families. They were still somehow different. Pitied.
Then his and the ships excitement years later as the big heavy armored 5 inch 38cal (what they thought of as long ranged back then), manually loaded gun turrets were installed when he was 10. Then years later he had spent an hour a day for a year training on the gun turrets in school. A chill suddenly ran down his back at the thought of being in one of those crowded turrets if a shell hit and penetrated it. Not a pretty thought even if he had been told that the heavy armor on the old heavy cruiser turrets would shrug off a 3 inch shell easily and possibly even a 5 inch shell if it hit in the right spot or was from one of the shorter ranged low velocity 21 or 17caliber guns. He really did not want to be in one to find out for sure.
Shaking his whole body he looked away across the pits and his eyes settled on a Galactic X cargo ship with modern 5inch 54 caliber auto firing gun turrets. Now that was what they needed. The 5inch 54 had almost twice the range and rate of fire of their old manual 5 inch 38s of the Star Queen allowing it would knock out the 3inch 70 caliber gun most pirates preferred while still well out of the 3inch gun’s range. Another advantage Mark liked was that the 5-54 only needed one gunner and a gun tech in each turret. But their 5-38s with their armored turret was adequate for the Star Queens needs even if the 3-70s had a slight rang advantage over the Queen. No the Queen could get by as long as the Pirates did not get their hands on 5-54s themselves or even that new 3inch 102 caliber extremely long ranged gun he had heard something about the year before while reading an article on the English/Russian Crossing War, but that was unlikely. The English military did not give good guns away to pirates. He ignored the holes blasted in the side of the Galactic X ship thinking at a glance they were simply strangely placed open hatches. Nor notice the fact that one of those 5inch 54 gun turrets was pointing of to one side at a strange angle with a black rimmed gaping hole in the side of it or the many 3 foot diameter blackened 3inch shell hits on the hull around it.
Glancing back at the bus Mark frowned. "Now that they were safe from pirates; the ship had a bigger problem. A problem that was killing the ship more certainly than pirates and the reason they were headed into the Outback to begin with.
With the girls in their diapers and back inside the truck and Chet’s buddies dragging out knew pants from their bags then carefully climbing back into the truck, Mark listened to the roar of the Fantruck trying to take off again with a grinding screech as the driver, Chet’s Father, tried rocking and turning the truck with the fans well in the red trying to get it released. As the hold grew silent again only to have Chet’s Father start screaming at the truck as he started checking it over, the kids on the bus continued shouting names and comments out the hatch at him as the teacher found out that the bus driver was not in the cockpit and proceeded to tell everyone about how disgusting it was to keep her waiting and how the filthy retard with glasses was not coming with them to the Zoo. And the Tramp ship in the distance continued to burn and fall apart into scrap metal. The fires refusing to be put out. Even with the wind blowing away from the Queen he still could smell the death of the dying ship laying in the pit collapsing in on itself.
Turning away from the dying ship after yet another flaming figure ran from it only to drop into a lump half way to the berm before one of the APC’s could get to it, another blast of names and crude jokes about Mark echoed from the bus. Mark started daydreamed of looking normal without the glasses and even having the super powers the Maintenance Chief had with his implants. Being able to see microcircuits without aids or x-ray an engine parts without having to set up a bunch of equipment and even reading a book or manual’s fine print while standing at the table without having to bend over. Then the time he was standing beside the Chief next to the ship on some out of the way planet as he identified a space ship they saw in orbit as the one they were waiting for. Then the time he was able to identify a crewman miles away while they were standing on the truck ramp. Telling the Captain to wait to lift the ship. Then being able to see in the dark when no one else could see. Mark kept going down the list of things he had seen and heard the Chief do that was amazing. The Chief was his Hero even if the Chief ignored him most of the time.
He was finding himself getting excited again at the prospect of getting his eyes cut out for the bionics. Ignoring the fact that he could die or go blind when the nerve endings degenerated over time even if the implants worked, if the operation was successful, if he lived. Not caring that many recipients' wore eye patches over one eye when that eye failed for any of the above reasons over time. Odds only the blind, military or the very desperate could accept. Though he was hearing about improvements all the time.
-----------------------------
Mark's friend Tom walked out of the old cargo hold turned into a car parking garage and unwanted equipment but not quit junk, storage dump deck and outright junk hold. His ears sticking out too far with his bright red hair and freckles had earned him almost as much attention and abuse as Mark but no one had ever called him stupid or dumb let alone assumed it. Luckily for Mark; most of his immediate class mates and teachers had long ago accepted him as normal though quirky, allowing him to keep most of his sanity in spite of the persecution from a large number of crewmen across the rest of the ship who simply saw him occasionally in the background. His mother being a respected psychologist went a long way to help as well.
Walking up to Mark still crouching on one knee on the deck, an arm across his bent leg, starring off into the distance with a strange look on his face. Tom said. “Well dirt bag, you ready to get out of the sun or what this planet calls a sun or are you just going to sit there until you get ran over or the kids get tired and jump off the platform trying to fly to the Zoo themselves?” Tom followed his friends gaze and the column of smoke for a second before turning back to the bus, more than ready to go.
The Tricked out bright red airtruck with
its fans on idle lift, slid out of the Cargo hatch, nosed up to Tom and Mark and stopped. Chet stuck his head out of the driver's side window. "Hey! You stupid morons! Get out of the middle of the ramp before I throw your worthless idiot assess off of it."
"Oh I see you got all your tie downs removed finely.” Mark smiled as he turned to Chet. His mind still on the burning hulk being torn apart in front of him. “Sounds pretty moronic to me to forget the middle one and run your fans up deep into the red how many times? Ah let me think a... What? Fifteen times? Really. Talking about stupid. You sure you want to even fly that piece of junk after over speeding and stalling and ruining the fans. They could fall off at any time.” Mark smiled at Chet’s red turning face. Hoping he was able to plant seeds into the minds of Chet’s passengers. “I would pay attention to any vibrations you start feeling from the fans. Could be good indications of them starting to disintegrate and if you are up a few thousand feet… Well... Are you carrying parachutes? No?” Mark spotted the dirt on Chet’s nose, chin and down the front of what had been a clean shirt. “Actually STUPID is forgetting you put a tie down cable in the middle of the truck between the fans and then crawling under to take it off and not simply hitting your lift hook release. Though why you would put the tie down in the middle of your truck is beyond me unless you were worried about it getting stolen. But then you would know all about steeling things not welded to the deck. Maybe you should run back into your Mini max and let the fire sprinklers clean you off again. Though most people would use their showers. Strange Family you have their Chet. Not everyone uses communal showers in their living room during a party.” Mark commenting on one of his pranks the year before.
"What! How did you?" He started to climb out of the truck swinging the door open only to be jerked back inside the truck by the big boobed girl sitting next to him.
"Hey, you can get that ass hole later after our vacation. Let's go. Now!"
The airtruck turned to slide across in front of the bus toward the side of the ramp and stopped. Its fans idling down again as Chet stuck his head out of the side window slapping the side hatch with his hand to get Marks attention before pointing at Mark. "I am going to kill you when I get back retard. You better jump ship before we return if you don’t want me to break every bone in your body." Snarling. He sounded just a little bit more pissed than normal.
Mark smiled. “And here I though you wanted to throw me off the platform. Make up your mind Bozo.”
The hatch opened and then slammed closed again as Chet was again dragged back into his seat before the airtruck slid out past them to crank up its fans to a roar and slid up over the rail and off the side of the ramp and away from the ship. Luggage bulging out of the rear bed with a net over it and skies clamped to racks over the extended four door bubble crewcab. Mark could hear the imbalanced fans as they disappeared in the distance. He suspected his little jab about the fans would have them landing way short of their vacation paradise and spending a lot of time and credits to fix the non-problem. At least he hopped so.
Tom swallowed as he turned back to Mark. "I heard them talking before they saw me. Luckily I was already past them and only had to listen to a few stupid names though they didn’t try very hard." said Tom as he tried to smile. "Between all the cursing about a tie down cable, I heard they are headed for a ski resort for a few days. And something about having to sell the airtruck. Did you see that blond in the front seat? Talking about a knock out." Tom watched the red airtruck disappear around a ship and then looked back at Mark. "Are you sure they forgot to take off a tie down cable in the middle between the airtruck's fans. That would be a stupid place to put one…. Oh… That is why Chet is going to kill you. How did you manage that and when?"
Mark stood up trying to compose his face as he wished he had kept his mouth shut but it felt so good at the time. It looked like he could look forward to getting beat up; again. But then smiled. It was worth it. And just maybe gluing his glasses on would work. He would have to spend some time in the Gym practicing over the next few days. No! He didn’t need to glue his glasses on. He would have his new Implants by then and then he would show them a thing or two. "Ya tell you later. I have a few pictures to show you later as well." He glanced at Tom as his smile turned to a frown, then pointed at the column of smoke and grimaced. "That was a ship a half hour ago. I watched it land." Taking a deep breath. "Do you remember the Wayfarer and the Bobbsy twins and Will and…?"
"What? Oh ya and the prize battles and shoot offs with the short barreled 5inch hull guns. We slaughtered the targets with their own guns. Them thinking they had an easy mark as soon as they saw your glasses. How much was the bet we won from them thanks to you. What ever it bought us that fucking monster screen.” Tom chuckled. “You seemed to know what the targets were going to do before they did. Taught them to assume you were stupid." Tom's smile vanished as he looked hard at the wreckage at the bottom of the smoke and said tight lipped. "Don't tell me that was their ship! What are all those specks scattered around the pit?"
"No. You don’t want to know. No, their ship is or was the skeleton off to port. You can see the gun shields. The bright flaming wings."
"Oh shit." As he starred at the hulk. "Well so much for being out of range. And I was just starting to like a gal named Shirley I was mailing on board it after the last time we met in port last month. She was talking about coming over to see my parents and the Queen the next time we hit the same port. In fact her last letter said she would see me in England Prime. But then we got delayed and then I didn’t hear from her again…. At least it was not anything I said; damn it. Damn she was good looking and kept sending me computer programs and videos that blasted. I, I….. I was really looking forward to the next time we met."
"Ya. I remember her. So much for being out of range." Mark echoed as there was nothing more to say. Wanting to tell him about the gal that wanted to come and visit but it hurt too much. No hope that the ship would just show up eventually after taking an unusually long time between the stars from a breakdown (which was why they were delayed) with everyone safe and well. Turning around to glance at the bus as he took a deep breath then sighed. “Back to work Tom." Waving towered the bus. "The teacher offered to guide me back into the ship so I would not fall off the platform.” Turning back around to smile at him weekly, resigned to his plan. “I told her that my aid would be along shortly to take care of me. Take me out of the sun to pee.” Holding up his arm with his elbow out and his face lifted towered the sun, Mark waited for Tom to take it. “The mean lady told me I could not go to the zoo with them today.” He said slurring his words again as he tried to keep a straight face. “Tha. That is not fare. Ah ha. Can I ggg go please Tommy boy. I even told the old bag I wouldn‘t play with myself or pee in public.”
Tom's smile was more of a grimace as he chuckled; looking away from the smoking wreckage and hulks he took Marks arm. “I don’t know bat boy. I can’t trust you to behave yourself anywhere can I?” Walking a Mark that could not seem to put one foot in front of the other, across the platform as laughter erupted from the bus. Tom kept looking over his shoulder at the wreckage. A tear ran down his cheeks. As they approached the bus the hatch was suddenly closed. Bolts locking it in place.
They stopped. Mark looking up at the locked hatch. "Damn Tom. Not my fault the bitch locked us out of the bus. The Chief can't blame me for that."
Mark turned to leave smiling. "It's not my fault. It is looking like I will make my appointment after all." Lifting his wrist comm to his mouth.
"Not so fast there Super-retard." Tom pulled him back around toward the bus.
Mark continued turning slipping out from Tom's grasp and raised his comm again as he started to shuffle away bending over, dragging a leg and swinging his fee arm. Trying to copy an old movie he had seen once called “The Hunch Back of Notradame.”
Tom reached down under the skirt of the bus and the hatch slid open.
Mark gave Tom a dirty look before turning back toward the hatc
h dropping his arm as his hunchback impersonation got even more exaggerated. "Now why did you have to go and do that?"
Tom helped Mark up the stairs of the bus from long practice after previous spoofs. Telling him the number of steps he had to go up as Mark stumbled hitting his shin on the bottom step. Still disappointed as he kept glancing around. Mark took one to many giant up steps at the top as he waved at everyone, almost falling down as he flailed around to finely grab the back of the nearest seat as the children continued laughing. “How many steps did you say Gertrude?”
“I am Tom you idiot. I swear your memory is getting worse every day.”
Mark turned around and tried to sit in the nearest seat. He started to settle down onto the lap of a little girl. Making a farting sound with his lips as he put his hand over his mouth. She started screaming.
Jumping up Mark turned around and squinted at the seat reaching out to feel around the seat back until he found her head, gently stabbing her cheek with a finger. “Oh! I am terribly sorry. I did not see you little boy.” He said to the little girl as he squinted his eyes at her and then straightened up holding out his arm and feeling around touching several other kids and the teacher sitting in the seat just aft of the stair well. “Don! Don! Ah ha. Find me an empty seat before I fall, Hurry.”
“It is Tom you moron. Not Don or Harry. I see a couple of seats up front with a nice view.” The only seats up front were the pilot's and the copilot /engineer.
The teacher sitting just aft of the stairs grabbed a hold of Marks arm to stop him from going forward. “This is a private tour bus for the third grade. You are not invited. Go see if one of the charter busses with the older students have room for you later. I am sure this planet has special tours for special people with limited abilities but Tom should call and make sure. Be a good boy and let Tom take you back into the ship. You are not welcome here. Now LEAVE!”
Tramp Wars: The Enemy Page 12
