Destiny's Choice (The Wandering Engineer) (20 page)

“What
do they say?” He was annoyed. Irons had returned from his trip loaded down with
materials that were in the process of being recycled into the ship's systems
for future use. The Admiral hadn't said anything about the lack of response
according to the grapevine, just buckled down to the business of processing the
rock and ice.

“Pretty
much screw you sir. That's a heavily sanitized version.” The communications
tech pursed his lips in amusement as the hand withdrew. At this rate he'd need
to wash his ear out. Didn't anyone tell them not to speak that way?

“Ah,
quaint.”

“Eloquent
even,”  Ed said, leaning over his console. The captain glanced up to him and
then shook his head in amusement. “What do they say again?” Ed asked.

“That
they don't believe we are who we say we are and to go take a long walk out of a
short airlock,” the tech said. “The rest is either lost in the noise or is too
curse laden to understand.”

“Odd,
you would think they would have laid doggo, kept silent.”

“I
would have,” Ed said softly. The captain looked up at him again and nodded.

“We
have one more day before we reach orbit?”

“Yes
captain. Eighteen and a half hours of braking sir.”

“Okay.
Send our greeting again. Keep it down to the basics. We've been liberated by
the people of Pyrax and we've got their people on board ready to be returned to
them. Someone get that message to the Pyrax delegation.”

“The
full version sir?” the communication tech asked aghast.

“Oh
definitely,” the captain said as he smiled. “Shoot a copy to the Admiral as
well. He might have some way of helping with this.” He was certainly glad now
that the Admiral had brought back a couple of hundred tons of water ice which
his crew were now busily and rather messily melting down to recycle. If they
had to bypass the planet that would save them in the end. Or at least give them
a little extra to get a little further along. He wondered if Irons was willing
to do a second trip? Or... maybe he could get his own people to give it a try?
The Admiral had shown them how to do it after all...

It
was an interesting thought. He'd bounce it off the senior staff at the next
meeting. He looked down and made a note of it on his tablet.

Ed
was scowling. He waited until the captain finished writing what ever he was
writing before responding with a tart rejoinder. “He doesn't have any say in it
sir. It isn't his place.”

“I'm
not going to let a lifetime of experience to go to waste if I can help it Ed,”
the captain said, giving the security chief a look. “He might have something
positive to contribute.”

“Or
not. Go in guns blazing,” the chief muttered.

“A
complaint like that coming from a security officer of your caliber is oddly
misplaced Ed.”

“Yes
sir.”

“What
do you think Admiral?” Sprite asked as he tinkered with his latest project. He
had parts strewn around his launch in various stages of sub assembly. A few of
the off duty techs had come in and lent him a hand from time to time, but for
the most part he'd been on his own with this.

More
than one tech had been half wistful that he had been making a still of some
sort. Which was amusing of course. Not true, but amusing. He'd made a still in
his youth, but had no real interest in trying his hand at organic chemistry
anytime soon. If he wanted a stiff drink he'd get one from the supply or from a
replicator.

Of
course that hadn't stopped him from taking a look at the ship's still and
making a few judicious improvements to it. He'd been amused that they had been
using fruits instead of the usual starches. He'd exchanged a potato vodka
recipe with the cook in charge of the still, making the man laugh and then very
thoughtful. In return he'd picked up a bit of gossip and an interesting recipe
for gumbo.

Irons
glanced at the holo recording and snorted. “Someone is either brave or
suicidal.” He had orchestral music on, right now one of his favorite pieces
filled the boat bay with it's haunting melody. It shifted from melancholy to
hopeful to a call to action, something he thought was particularly appropriate
given the circumstances of the time period.

Sprite
randomized his play list all the time but that song came up more often then not
because of his personal preference.  He had been amused when he had found out
that it had been a theme song for a science fiction television show in the
twenty first century. Something about chicken little. Skies falling or
something or other.

“I
was thinking suicidal. We've got an uphill battle to convince these people
we're on the side of the angels  you know.”

He
paused what he was doing. “I think a little generosity will change that in a
hurry. I'm amused by the captain's actions.”

“What
about them?” Sprite asked curious. Her eyes went back and forth for a moment.
She wasn't sure where he was going with this.

“The
fact that he dumped a copy to us. He's not being very neutral now is he?”

She
cocked her head. She had considered that but had rejected it as an unlikely
observation that Irons would have picked up on. Clearly she still had a lot to
learn to anticipate his thought processes. “And not leaning toward the enemy
camp either,” Sprite said amused.

“True.”

“So
what are we going to do about this?”

“We?
We are going to do nothing. It's not our problem Sprite.
We
meaning the
ship, we have diplomats, we have a captain and chain of command.
I'm
outside it. So are you. We're passengers remember?”

“Aren't
we...”

“We'll
help if we're asked, but I'm not sticking my neck out for Mayfair and her
cronies so they can scoop up the credit and then shove a knife in my back when
I'm not paying enough attention.”

“That's
a disturbing thought.”

He
scowled. “But one to keep in mind. I'm going to have to work with her, but
let's see how she handles this.”

“Well,
her first shot didn't pan out well.”

“That's
because she scripted it and the captain looked and sounded like a wooden
marionette. That probably put anyone who watched it on guard, thinking it's a
trap. That he was some sort of construct, or at least someone with a blaster
pointed at them. We'll see how it goes with round two when we get closer to the
planet.”

“In
this situation what would you do?” Sprite asked amused.

“I'd
keep talking, sending them data or I would wait until the lag time wasn't such
a nuisance and talk from orbit. It's a pity they don't have visual,” he said,
not looking up as he tightened a screw.

“They
may not be transmitting a visual signal Admiral, but that doesn't rule out the
reception of one.”

He
grimaced. That was a thought he'd overlooked. “True. They could also be holding
back, or running on a weak signal to keep their position a secret. Or they
could be using elderly equipment that is jury rigged. I have no idea.”

“In
the absence of truth supposition rules,” Sprite said with a nod.

“Exactly.
We need intel. Or should I say, the captain does. Which he can't get from an AU
out. We'll know more when they start talking.”

“So
what are you going to do while we wait? What if they refuse permission to
land?”

“It's
a big planet. We can go down where ever we want, it's not like they can stop us
even if they wanted to do so. It wouldn't be diplomatic to ignore the demand,
but that's...”

“Not
our concern right now. Gotcha,” she said. He nodded and set the part aside.

“I'm
going to get some mapping done.”

“Mapping?”

“I
need intel I said. We need more material for the replicators, and more fuel for
the ship. What I, I mean we, picked up in the oort cloud wasn't enough. Not
nearly enough. And the best place for both for a starship is...”

“In
space, not at the bottom of a gravity well. Understood. You realize though
there were plenty rocks in the oort cloud, but not many in a stable orbit in
the inner system. No real asteroid belt despite the planet that was destroyed
when the Xenos stopped by here.”

He
frowned. “Planet and moon if I remember correctly.”

“Correct.
Most of the debris was sucked up by the stars and the gas giants. What remains
is either scattered in the inner ring outside our range or flung out and
drifting outside the system. The impact of all that mass probably destabilized
both stars and no doubt had solar activity going through the roof for
centuries. It looks like it's died down though. It must have been spectacular
to have seen.”

“True.
But there are some rocks scattered about. Atens I bet. Around the Goldilocks
zone or further out. We just need to find them. Which is where you come in.”

“Let
me guess. You want me to go snooping in the sensors, pull up everything we can
see and compare it to the records on file?”

“Got
it in one. Go to work.”

“Aye
aye Admiral Bligh.”

His
face puckered in a sour snort. “Funny Sprite.”

“So
now what do we do?” Willis asked, watching her nominal boss sputter and fume.
This wasn't going at all like they had scripted.  The captain watched the woman
snarling and rubbed his temple. If Willis could have she would have been
smirking. But she was as frustrated as her nominal boss was.

“I'm
not sure how to handle this. Delicately of course. We've got contingencies for
this situation. However I haven't had any experience with dealing with this,
and neither have any of you. We're... well...”

“What
about the voice of reason and experience?” Willis asked. Clearly from their
expressions they both knew who she was talking about. Mayfair looked stubbornly
angry and annoyed, the captain's was thoughtful.

“It's
none of his damn business!” Mayfair snarled, spinning in place and shaking a
finger at them. “Keep that damn busy body out of this you hear me or there will
be hell to pay I promise you!”

“I
haven't heard anything from the Admiral actually,” the captain said, sitting
back. He'd had the files delivered to both parties at about the same time. The
Pyrax delegates had stormed onto his bridge in full tizzy within ten minutes of
receiving it. He hadn't heard anything from the Admiral at all.

“Odd.
You'd think he'd be in on this,” Willis mused softly.

“The
Admiral is indisposed,” Sprite said from the overhead. Willis winced as the
three of them looked at the overhead.

“Oh?
On the shitter?” Mayfair said sounding disgusted.

“No
he's... never mind. He's occupied with other projects and concerns at the time
and pointed out that this isn't his affair since he's a passenger.” She waited
a moment. “I do believe you repeatedly brought that up yourself?”

“True.
Let him keep it that way,” Mayfair sneered.

Willis
rubbed her nose. After a moment her boss looked thoughtful and then glanced at
the captain. “Just what is he doing that's more important than this?” she
asked.

The
captain tried not to roll his eyes. He knew that was coming. Since Irons wasn't
interested in what they were trying to do they were suddenly intently
interested in what he was doing. They didn't want him in their affairs but they
wanted to know every little thing he did. He shook his head. He did however
look to the ceiling.

“I
believe someone in this very room said that what other people do is none of
their damn business. Which I will point out is true,” Sprite said with a growl.

The
captain winced but remained silent. Technically since he was the captain it was
his business. He wasn't going to take that personally however. Sprite and the
Admiral had earned a little slack in his book. Mayfair seemed to swell and
glare at the overhead before turning her attention to the captain. “Captain...”

He
held up a forestalling hand. “I have no idea, nor do I have any intention of
finding out. As long as he doesn't present a danger to this ship or the people
on it he's a free entity to do as he pleases.”

She
looked mulish for a moment and then her eyes flashed. “But...”

“Don't
be... Just drop it before you make yourself look even more of an ass than you
already are.” Willis muttered. Sprite snorted from the overhead.

“What?”
Mayfair asked, glancing upward. “Where the hell are you?”

“Well,
since you don't have a holo emitter for me to project my image it is a bit
disconcerting for organics. Tough for you. I don't seem to have a problem.” The
captain was suddenly glad they were having this meeting in the main wardroom
and not his office. He could just imagine what Sprite would have looked like...
and how Mayfair and Willis would have taken it. Of course since she could see
them and they couldn't see her she had somewhat of an unfair advantage. Not
that he was going to call her on it.