END of LINE: Humanities Last Stand - part 3 (6 page)

“Why can't anyone learn to clean the things? Why must it wait for scheduled maintenance periods?”

“We are running on light crews now sir. There is too much that we all need to know for one person to remember about what amounts to changing a set of
filters in a specific sequence if they also have a more important job, like actually flying the ship.”

“So why hasn't the Company hired on Flight Engineers?”

“I wouldn't know Sir. You'll have to talk to our comptroller for the answer to that. We always used to have them. Then our old guy retired and ever since
the new guy came onboard we've had one cutback after another. Not to mention a bunch of crazy stuff happening with our cargoes. Freight gets counted and
loaded and double checked before we leave port but somehow when we come into the Haven system, the comptroller comes onboard for a 24 hour inspection and
the next thing you know our delivery comes up short.”

“I'll look into the cargo issue while I'm back on Haven. Meanwhile, would you have any problem keeping Phillmma onboard as your new flight engineer?” Jon
questioned the Captain.

“Who, Wrenches? I'd love to have her on my ship. She's really the best damn Engineer in the quad. Word is she won't fly anymore.”

Jon handed the Captain his com badge, “Please have your coms operator fix this so I can contact her, and the other two FTL ships.”

He stood still as the Captain took his badge and handed it over to a female sitting at one of the workstations who made a few tweaks with a laser driver
and handed it back to the Captain, who returned it to Jon. “Just turn the freq adjuster to the right one click to reach us, two clicks for Mars, one click
left for the Venus and two for Wrenches or anyone else who is in range. Keep it centered and it will work just like when they issued it to you back at the training center.”

Thanking the captain, Jon turned the dial and spoke normally, “Wrenches? Come in please.”

“Wrenches here. Who's calling?”

“Its the guy who bought your mid-day meal. Can we talk before you leave the ship, please?” Jon asked.

“Sure thing Sweet Cheeks. What say I meet you near the connector tube in an hour?”

“That will be good. I'll see you then, and I'm bringing Captain Claudi with me. There is something I'd like you to consider.”

“What did you do Wrenches?” Bob asked. “Why would the new owner, who didn't even know he was the owner, suddenly want to talk to you with the Captain
before you leave the ship?”

“Nothing, I saw this tall, well made male walking the tube-ways all alone and spoke to him. Something any healthy female would do. Then, I took the man to
Jamie's Place for mid-day meal. After that we came straight here to the ship after gathering up your parts and some of my tools. Then we met you at the
connecting tube. He said he needed a ride to Haven, I said I'd ask the Captain for him.”

“Did you let that blue space witch get to him?”

“Kelesro is no space witch. She's my best friend and she only touched him for an instant. Surely she could not have invaded his mind that fast.” Phillmma
defended her friend knowing full well that Kelesro had had plenty of time to understand what motivated Jon Connell.

Captain Claudi had one of the crewmen show Jon to his stateroom and as he entered what was to be his home for the trip back to Haven he was shocked. He
wasn't sure what he expected, but this luxury suite was not it. There was a sitting area that was larger than the six man team barracks back at the
training camp with richly carved wooden columns and beams balancing off the white marble walls. Not the fake plastic stuff either. This ship had real
marble sheets for the walls of its passenger stateroom. The sleeping area had a large bed with two small tables near it, a large dresser and a closet, plus
more of the wooden beams on marble walls. The floors were covered in thick blue carpeting with golden borders. Then there was the relief chamber. This one
room was bigger than his entire personal area back at camp. Not only did it have a four-nozzle shower that used real water, it also had a tub large enough
for him to stretch out in along one wall. The sink and actual relief vessel were behind a half wall so if someone was taking a shower and another had to
use the vessel; they were hidden from each other perfectly. The walls in this room were mirrored, so that if you looked across from one mirror into another
you saw endless copies of the chamber going back into infinity. Jon imagined seeing hundreds of copies of himself taking a shower and it brought a smile to his face.

“I'm sorry that we don't have a full time steward sir. So you'll have to take your own towels and bedding to the laundry at the end of the hall then get
fresh ones from the closet just outside your rooms.” the crewman told Jon. “I've taken the liberty of having your duffel brought up here but I haven't
unpacked anything, not knowing what you'd need for a three week trip on a cargo vessel. Despite what this stateroom looks like, this is a working ship.
Sometimes this space is used to haul extra cargo. Seems to me, that's what you are on this trip, unless you'd like to take a turn at the flight controls.
They told us you were FTL qualified.”

“I am, and I certainly would love to fly this boat if your Captain will let me.” Jon smiled. “Otherwise, I think I'll be fine. Just let me know when its
time to head down for chow and I'll try to stay out of everyone's way.”

“Will do sir. Oh and Welcome aboard, sir. I never met a corporation owner before. For a stuffed shirt, you ain't half bad. Sir.” With that last remark the
crewman left. Jon decided the man was probably off to tell the entire crew that their “cargo” was willing to fly their bird and had promised to handle his
own dirty sheets.

Phillmma was waiting at the air lock when Jon and Captain Claudi arrived. Jon had changed out of his Peacekeeper uniform into a pair of black leggings, knee
high boots and a tight fitting silver pull over shirt with black trim. Phillmma took one look at the magnificent male with muscles everywhere and instantly
knew that she would do anything he asked of her. Whoever the female was that had marked this male had better claim him soon or Phillmma would make her own
claim on him.

“Phillmma, I have a couple of serious questions I need to ask you.” Jon started off, “Do you really want to go back out among the stars?”

“Yes, Warrior Connell. I'd like almost nothing more than another ship to call my home.”

“I would like to offer you the position of Flight Engineer on this ship. Interested?” Jon asked.

“Oh yes sir. I am very interested. How will you accomplish hiring me with my guild standing at such a low level?”

“You let me worry about the Guild Chief.” Captain Claudi told her. “How long before you can close up your shop, bring any parts that you think we can use
onboard along with whatever other tools and personal gear you need and move over to the ship?”

“I can be ready to go in ten hours. Lets say first thing in the morning we can schedule our departure.” Phillmma said with a look of pure joy on her face.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart Warrior Lieutenant Jon Connell. You don't know how much I've dreamed of having a ship of my own to live and work on
again. This ship will be the best ship in the entire fleet.”

“Now, here is my next question.” Jon continued. “Do you know of two more qualified Engineers who might like a position on one of my ships? They would need
to be people who you trust and who you know to be your equal. Apparently I own two more ships exactly like this one that both need Flight Engineers
onboard.”

“Well sir, there are no FTL Engineers with my qualifications, but I might know of a couple of beings I'd trust. One of them isn't exactly like the rest of
us, but it is great with slip drives.” Phillmma told them.

“What is IT?” Jon asked.

“It’s a cyborg, part living flesh, part machine. He was once part of a failed experiment to enhance infantry soldiers. You almost can't even tell what he
is until he gets into a fight, then the machine takes over and he just starts killing things. I once saw him grab a sand snake and tear its head off with
his bare hands. He’s a great Engineer though and usually very gentle.”

“OK, find out who is available and how soon they can be ready to leave. They will each pick a ship, either the Venus or the Mars and I'll have the ships
swing through here to pick them up.” Captain Claudi told her. “Meanwhile, I'll have you assigned to quarters back near the engines. You'll have plenty of
privacy back there. The males don't like the smell of the engines enough to spend much time there. Maybe you can figure out why she always smells of
burning flesh whenever we hit the slipways.”

“That should be fine Captain.” Phillmma told her new CO. “I'll make some calls and try to find two more Engineers. How much are you paying?” she finally
asked.

“Phillie, I need good people I can trust.” Jon said. “Remember that I have sworn to a three year contract with the Peacekeepers. So I won't be running
things first hand until I receive my discharge. Then my own dream involves commanding one of the FTL Cargo ships myself. I'll never be good at sitting
behind a desk. So, you tell me what a fair rank is for yourself and make anyone else who you hire one rank lower. That puts you in place as the head of my
Flight Engineers. You'll not only be taking care of this ship, but also checking to make sure the others are up to standard. When my contract is up and I
buy my own ship, I'll want you onboard as my Flight Engineer. So that means you'll be hiring someone to replace you here when I call for you to come over
to my boat.”

“I guess that means I should be a Master Chief with an additional 15% pay increase. I've got the qualifications, especially on these older ships.” Phillmma
told Jon. “Everyone below me should be made a Chief with a 10% raise in pay just to sweeten the deal and maybe pull the really good ones away from bigger
companies.”

“Done.” Jon noted. “Now go do whatever you need to do to get ready to hit the slip tomorrow no later than 1200 hours. I'll be down to check on you after
we've pulled away from the station and entered the slipway. I'll want an update on our readiness no later than 11:30. If we've got anything wrong that you
can't fix in flight, I want to know before we slide out. Oh and I'd like it if you could join the rest of the crew and myself at Jamie's Place for evening
meal. That's a request, not an order.”

“I'd love to join you and the crew tonight.” Phillmma told Jon. “Will 1900 be OK?”

Jon agreed to the time before he and the Captain turned away to go back up to the command center. Jon had some messages to prepare and transmit before that
1900 deadline.

“By the Goddess” Phillmma thought as she watched the magnificent male specimen that was Jon Connell walk away. “That is one male who definitely has
potential.” She could not believe how her simple life had changed in just a few hours since she had met him. One minute she was sitting alone in her shop,
barely earning enough to let her keep it open if she slept on a cot in the backroom. If not for Kelesro taking her in as a roommate and paying her tab at
Jamie's Place, she'd be showering in the public showers and living like a beggar. Now she was Master Chief onboard one of Burton and Billy's Interplanetary
Transport Company's FTL ships and about to be put in charge of two more as soon as she could find the right people to hire. Jon had even told her of his
hopes to buy an FTL vessel for him to command when his contract with the Peacekeepers was up and he wanted her as his Flight Engineer. She found herself
wondering what kind of ship he would buy in three cycles time when he was discharged and what it would need to keep it flying straight and true.

Often called BBITCo for short, Burton and Billy's was widely known as one of the most trusted companies in the entire cargo system. Its few FTL ships were
always on time, always well kept, always balanced their manifests, charged fair rates, and also treated their crews with the respect every good crew earned
each time they moved away from a surface berth. Despite all the advancements in space travel over the long centuries since its beginnings, it was still a
very dangerous adventure. Taking one step outside the controlled environment of a ship into the hard vacuum of space would spell disaster for a fully
clothed being without the proper precautions. Phillmma would make doubly sure she did her very best to give the ships given into her hands the best care
anyone in the galaxy could give them. She would become that person who Jon Connell could trust to look out for what he had given her.

Rushing past her shop and down the tube-way to Jamie's Place, she excitedly knocked on the kitchen door almost hopping up and down in her excitement as she
waited for Kelesro to answer.

“Hello dear. I suppose you're here to find out what I learned.” Kelesro said when she did answer Phillie's knock. “Hey, slow down little furball. What has
happened to have you so disquieted?”

“Let me in, I can't stand still out here.” Phillie begged.

“Come,” leading her over to a small office, Kelesro pointed to a chair and ordered her to sit in it. When she did, Kelesro reached out to take Phillie's
hands but Phillie refused to allow the touch.

“Not yet my dear friend. You must first tell me what you learned about him.”

“This won't be easy to hear. I already know that you like him much more than you should. He is far too young for you.” Kelesro stated in a very clinical
manner though her friendly smile never faded. “First and foremost your young warrior is an honorable male. He would rather die in unarmed combat with a
mature sand lizard than lie, cheat, or take advantage of an innocent. He carries a real hatred for any who do those things. If he says he will do
something, he does it, period. It may take a while for it to happen, but he will find a way to keep any promise he makes. That is why he makes very few
promises. If he ever makes one to you, believe him. He will make sure that he makes it happen. While he is not totally fearless, his real limits have not
yet been tested. I feel that he will always do what he must to try to protect those he has charge over, but even he does not know how to protect against
everything. Some of his solutions may not sit well with others close to him, but he will do his best, always. He knows nothing else.