13 Degrees of Separation (91 page)

The Captain grunted. “We'll have to test all this out
thoroughly,” he grumbled.

“Yes sir.”

“And if anything goes wrong I suppose we have to pay for
it?”

“No sir,” the engineer replied, shaking his head. “Not that
I expect much to go wrong. There is always something I admit, but we're looking
really good right now. And the Navy guaranteed all the repairs until we leave
the system.”

“Ah.”

“Always something in the fine print,” the Veraxin replied.

“Well, I don't think they expect us to turn around and come
back if we have trouble with a head,” the chief replied, sounding nettled. “We
can handle most minor stuff ourselves. It's the big stuff that has me worried.”

“Six days you said? Two to button up?”

“Two before we get the hull buttoned up, another 3 to sort
out anything and run tests and install minor bits. They gave us an extra day in
case we run into anything we haven't seen yet. I don't know if we'll need it,
but then again you never know.”

“Ah. Good.”

“We may have some more room, life support is almost
nominal. They even gave us a duct bot to clean the ducts with the elves,” Peter
said with a shrug. “And yes, before you ask I think they finally clobbered that
funk in the aft head on deck 2. Mildew on the outside of the duct. The elves
missed it because they were in the ducts, not in the walls.”

“I see.”

“Well, if it doesn't stink, I'm happy,” Rodrick replied.

“How's Rose?”

“Recovering sir,” Rodrick replied with a nod. “She opted
for more advanced implants. I'm thinking about getting the basics myself, the
ident implant is very cheap.”

“Interesting,” the Captain mused.

“
Very
cheap. Pretty noninvasive for the chip.”

“I'll think about it. You said more room Peter?” he asked,
turning back to the chief engineer.

Peter sighed, sitting back. “I'm losing one, possibly two
engineering ratings. I've heard talk of one or two more here and they're
willing to join the Navy or go to college.”

“Including Jane,” Wendy winced.

Pete gave her a sympathetic look. “Well, if she does and
they do she'll have friends and family there to keep an eye on her,” he said
softly. She frowned and then wiped hair out of her eyes, not acknowledging
that.

The Captain looked at her briefly and then nodded. “Well,
we don't want to lose crew, but far be it from me to stand in anyone's way who
wants to better themselves. Anything else?”

“Not just yet. Everyone's been good on leave, no problems
reported. No one brigged, no one disappeared. Everyone makes their regular
check ins.”

“Good to hear,” the Captain replied, wondering what was
wrong with his people. There was usually one or two in the group that had to
get into some sort of mischief. “Fine then. I'll go walk about and poke around
and make a nuisance of myself. Pete you can join me or catch up on some much
needed sleep.”

“Sleep,” the tired engineer replied, rubbing at his face.
“Sleep and food,” he said, stomach growling. The Captain chuckled as the crew
got up. “I'm looking forward to trying the food replicator in the galley.”

“They fixed it?!” Wendy asked, grabbing his arm. Peter
nodded, smiling.

“Yes indeedy, they did. Apparently it was a minor fix. A
series of clogs, hard water scaling and some nasty stuff that grew. That was
the source of the smell in the galley.”

“Ah,” she nodded as they walked out.

Peter snapped his fingers and turned to the Veraxin. “Oh!
That reminds me! We'll need food containers and food substrate for the
replicator,” he said.

“I'll look into it. If any are available,” the Veraxin said
showing wry amusement.

“They sell the barrels cheap. I'll give you the specs.”

“They make them?”

“Now they do,” the chief engineer replied with a grin.
“They make a lot of stuff here now. Want to try something? I heard it's not as
good as Cookie, but it's different,” he said.

“I think, maybe I'll try it. If only to see what all the
fuss is about,” the Veraxin replied with a chitter.

...*...*...*...*...

Knuyuk turned up a few contracts and even bought some
electronics to sell in other markets. But they were still running light. He put
a call in to the Commander's office.

“Yes Mr., um, Knuyuk? Of the Mariah's Mischief?”

“Yes sir, I believe we have room available on the ship. Two
hundred fifty one cubic feet of space.”

“Do you have room for passengers as well?” the Commander
asked, knitting his flexible digits together in front of his camera.

“I should delegate this, or have Doctor Thornby's office
handle it, but she's in the middle of her inoculation plan so I'll lend a hand.
two hundred fifty one cubic feet of space you said? Any restrictions on size or
mass?”

The Veraxin sent him the file. The Commander looked it over
briefly. “Shouldn't be a problem anyway, from what I understand it's all
medical supplies. Some electronics, but they will be powered down so they won't
interfere with ship's systems.”

“Yes sir,” the Veraxin replied. He hadn't considered that
potential problem.

“I'm going over some of your stops. You mentioned Antigua.”

“Yes sir.

“So you aren't headed back there? We were hoping to send
some follow up materials to Agnosta.”

“I'm afraid nod. The Captain is firm on our next
destination.”

“Ah,” Logan replied with an understanding nod. “Seti Alpha
4 it is then. That's fine.”

“The nature of these medical supplies. I am assuming they
are um... how do I put this delicately...”

“Medical equipment, some pharmaceuticals. I don't have the
complete list. I believe the doctor is trying to institute a sector wide
medical checkup program and an inoculation program. Beyond that you'd need to
speak to her or the passengers you might have as well.”

“Passengers?”

“Medics. Medical staff I mean. I don't know the number or
species.”

“Okay. We would need that information.”

“Of course,” Logan replied.

“It would be good to have additional qualified medics on
board. We have one medic but he is only trained to a nurse level I believe?”

Logan nodded. “Understandable. And I bet he learned a lot
of things on the job. Basic trauma medicine, Pyrax and only a few other worlds
have any sort of formal educational systems. I think they won't mind training
your medic, comparing notes, whatever,” Logan replied with a shrug. “If only to
keep busy and to keep in practice,” he replied.

“We tried to get some of these repairs and supplies from
Prime but the council...” The Veraxin chittered in annoyance. “I cannot believe
a full fledged factory station could be so... and after the admiral's generous
help in salvaging it.”

“You mentioned that before. We have a partial report from
the admiral. My staff is still digesting it. I have the bullet points from the
admiral.”

“Yes,” the Veraxin sighed. “Such shameful things to do to
the admiral, forcing him out of the system. Not like Pyrax, but still...” he
shrugged his true arms in a first level gesture of dismay and ingratitude. “He
did everything to get that massive place functioning again. 400 kilometers in
diameter... another man would spend a life time trying to achieve what he did
in a month,” the Veraxin said.

Logan frowned. “That's a large station.”

“Prime is the jewel of the system. One of several built
before the Xeno war. A factory city.”

That had Logan's undivided attention. “A factory city you
said?”

“Yes. But the ruling cyber council and the people on the
planet are fools. When the admiral tried to get them to invest in the Navy and
in their own defense they flat out refused and ran him out of the system.”

“That's not right,” Logan said, scowling. “I'm surprised
the admiral left.”

“I was too, but then I thought about it. If they refuse,
and since they are on the front to the pirates... it is only a matter of time
before they're invaded.”

“And he didn't want to watch it all come crumbling down and
feel helpless. I see,” Logan said frowning as he held up a hand. “One moment
Mr. Knuyuk, let me make a call.” He cocked his head as he tapped his implants
and put a call out.

The video changed to a party line as each of the other
officers came online. They nodded politely to the Commander and the civilian.

“Now, Mr. Knuyuk, can you go over Antigua prime again?”
Logan asked.

“Certainly,” the Veraxin chittered, showing uncertainty.
“We were only in the system briefly, and weren't present for her return to the
living. But from what we were told....”

He went on to describe the admiral's salvaging of the
station, brokering deals with Kiev 221, Lieandra, and other ships, and how he,
with the excess crew from the ships had resurrected the station and even moved
it back into the inner system. When the officers didn't interrupt the Veraxin
went on the describe the station in what detail he could recall, then the
political situation.

“I do not understand this pacifist thing that was
mentioned. Why would someone wish to be helpless before an enemy? Such is very
confusing.”

“Yes. Yes it is.”

“They, most of the cybers I mean, are ancient. They are
from before the Xeno war, they survived the attack on the system, pirates...
you would think they would have learned from such experiences. At least wanted
some protection.”

“Yes,” Logan sighed. “This puts the admiral's orders in a
better light. Now I understand. Prime is an El Dorado. A civilian one.”

The intelligence officer nodded. “I was working on a report
for you sir.”

“I figured as much,” Logan replied. “The problem is these
idiots don't know they're on the front lines. Antigua itself is protected by
planetary defense weapons, I think...” he frowned, trying to remember.

“Yes sir it is,” the intelligence officer replied. “But
only on part of the planet. We unfortunately do not have solid detail there
however.”

“Get a courier prepped now. I want a courier and a frigate
on standby. I'll record orders in a moment. But get them moving on refueling
and taking on stores.”

Doctor Thornby's eyes went wide. “Sir are you thinking
about what I think you're thinking about?” she asked. “Horatio...”

“I've got an order here from the admiral to send a ship by
Antigua to keep an eye on things. Now I understand why he wanted us to do so. I
was a bit leery about it too, I don't want to draw down our defenses here, but
I'm fairly certain we can take on anything up to a squadron of cruisers now.”

“But still...”

“Right now their ass is hanging in the wind. Now, they may
be nudists and like the draft, but other asses are hanging along right beside
them. Women, kids, the like. They didn't have a say in the situation. These
people are standing on their principles and leaving a lot of people dangerously
exposed. I'm not going to allow that.”

“Besides, it's an El Dorado,” the intel officer said
nodding. “Between the two of us we could really make an impact in
re-establishing civilization here and elsewhere,” he said.

Logan nodded. “Exactly. Even more than our efforts in
Agnosta, Gaston, and Seti Alpha 4. With Antigua we'd exponentially increase our
efforts.”

“I see,” Thornby replied with a slow nod.

The Veraxin turned to see Peter Banning and the Captain
enter. They both nodded. “Evening folks,” Peter said with a jaunty nod. “What'd
we miss?”

“Commander, we've got a dispatch boat at the Agnosta point
on standby. We can get a frigate out in... two hours,” the ops officer said,
ignoring the intruding civilians.

“I'll have orders in a moment,” Logan said grimly.

“What'd we say?” the Captain asked, looking at the Veraxin.

“If you know about this station it's only a matter of time
before the pirates do," Logan explained.

“Oh.”

“Yeah, that station is sitting there bare ass,” Peter said
taking a seat next to the Veraxin. “I heard Irons beat feet out of there.”

The military officers stiffened. He shrugged. “No offense,”
the Captain said. “He was smart to get out of there while he could. He picked
up a sweet ship too, we couldn't keep up.”

That got a small smile from Logan. “That figures. He's
probably souped it up quite a bit,” he said.

“Probably,” Thornby replied with an enigmatic smile of her
own.

“He's named it the Phoenix. A dispatch boat, the DB-1701E.
We've got some idea of what he did in Triang, Antigua, and Gaston. I'm guessing
he passed Centennial by like we did. Place is a ghost town now. Fracken pirates
cratered it.”

That made all the military officers scowl blackly. “I hope
you do something about them... soon.”