Fool's Gold (The Wandering Engineer) (42 page)

They
undocked from the tender with a bump. Sergio muttered an apology as they
drifted away. The fleet launch moved forward to a safe distance then lit its
drive. "We're clear, see you soon," Sergio reported.

"We'll
be waiting. Not long though. Good luck," Gutierrez replied. Sergio
chuckled nervously.

Firefly
drifted, most of her systems cold. The delta shaped ship had her starboard side
to the system's primary. It's hull was patched, however he could see rents in
her port and upper skin going decks deep. Shelby let out a soft groan.

"Is
she really worth it?" she asked softly.

"She's
our best shot, if the AI is sane we've got a fighting chance," Irons
replied studying the ship. Her nacelles were ripped up on her port side, but
her starboard nacelles looked intact and undamaged. She had some sort of
network of glittering panels on her starboard side, they could see the edge of
them glittering in the sun against the matt black hull. As a search light
passed her bow her lettering glittered then faded.

"That's
wild," Sergio said shaking his head. "It seems to suck up the light
and radar," he said sounding awed.

"Stealth
coating," the Admiral replied absently. "All warships have layers of
smart skin. Ablation layers, stealth coatings, passive sensors, micro
communicators, radiators, and evens solar collectors." He shook his head.
"When she's fully active her skin is a work of art," he finished
almost reverently.

Sergio
gave him an amused look then went back to his readouts. "You say so,"
he chuckled.

He
looked at the ship and closed his eyes. "Ready?" he asked softly.

"Ready
Admiral," Sprite responded. Defender as usual lit a green light onto his
HUD. "Receiving interrogation signal over personal link. Responding with
flag IFF and pass codes," Sprite responded.

"We're
entering maximum range of her energy mounts Admiral," Defender reported. A
three dimensional image of the ship and it's firing arcs was projected on his
HUD.

"Any
sign of trouble?" he asked.

"We're
getting some signs of power up on the bow energy mounts but it is minimum. Her
shields and reactors are down," Sprite reported. "Handshake protocol
established. Wow, rough!" He felt the ship's AI access the shuttle's
systems through the link then trace them to him.

"Who
are you? Fleet Admiral Irons is deceased," the AI's voice was firm and
unyielding.

"Not
quite. I was reported as missing remember? I made it to a life pod and was in
stasis up until sixteen months ago," the Admiral reported.

"Firefly
is accessing my net. Memory archive access requested," Sprite reported.

"Let
it in," the Admiral ordered.

"Very
well," Sprite stepped aside. Defender reluctantly followed.

"Three
AI?" Firefly sent over his auditory channel as it scanned the IFF suite.
It ran the scan several times, then scanned him. "You seem to be full of
surprises Fleet Admiral. What is your daughter's maiden name?" the AI
asked.

The
Admiral's brows knit. "I don't have a daughter. One son. His name is
Jeffery. He was twenty nine when I went into cryostasis," he said softly.
He felt the AI access his family records. He felt like he was being strip
searched as the AI rapidly played his personal memory files.

"Confirmed.
What is the purpose of having three AI in an organic life form?" the AI
asked.

"Classified.
Need to know restricted. You don't have need to know," the Admiral bit
back, feeling a little mauled. The AI chuckled.

"Accepted.
Welcome to the net Admiral Irons. I assume you intend to board?" the AI
asked.

"You
assume correctly. We're here to salvage you if possible. This system is under
impeding attack by pirates." He felt the AI recede.

"It
has been so long..." tt muttered. "Very well. I can't stop you.
Access granted. Starboard side Boat bay two. Boat bay one was destroyed,"
Firefly finished. He nodded as he opened his eyes.

"Right,
Firefly is directing us to boat bay two. Follow the beacon. When the tractors
kick on release the controls," he looked at Sergio.

"You're
serious?" Sergio said, eyes wide. The Admiral studied the young man.
"You're serious," Sergio dead panned. "Man... letting an insane
AI fly..." He shook his head looking down. "I've got the signal,
following the guide beam." He tapped the controls and then sat back.

"I
can't lay in a side party Admiral," Firefly seemed amused. He smiled.

"I've
been with civilians the past sixteen months. Don't worry about it. I'm not one
to put on airs anyway," the Admiral waved it off.

"What?"
Sergio asked.

"Firefly.
I'm talking to the AI through my implants."

Sergio
nodded. "Right..." He went back to piloting.

"How
are you functional? And sane?" he asked suspicious.

"See
the network of sails around my starboard flank?" the AI asked. He craned
his neck then brought up the file on his HUD.

"Right,
solar?" he asked after studying the scans.

"That
is why I have that side facing the system's primary. I ran out of fuel
centuries ago," the AI reported. "It keeps my basic electronics
functioning, barely. I have to shut down my higher cognitive functions when I
am in shadow or during long term waits," the AI reported. He felt data
stream through the communicator to his cybernetics. Silently he watched it
scroll.

"It
must be like going into a coma each time, not knowing if you'll wake on the
other side," Sprite said softly. He nodded mutely.

"Yes,
that it would be," he said, equally soft. "Well, let's get you sorted
out. It's time you were restored," he smiled looking up as he felt a buck.

"Tractors
on. I'm using a lot of my reserve power for this Admiral, I hope you’re not
planning on my traveling back under my own power..." the AI said. He
smiled.

"We're
carrying extra fuel and parts. This tender can push you if your drives are
down." He unbuckled his safety harness as the tractors settled them into a
berthing cradle.

"Docking
complete. Life support in boat bay two restored. The air is very thin but
breathable. There is no gravity. It will be cold Admiral," the AI
reported. He nodded and looked the crew over.

"All
right, I'm the first out. Make a hole." He motioned aside Shelby and a
nervous looking tech.

"Why?"
Angie asked.

"The
highest ranking officer is always last on and first off," Shelby stage
whispered.

"Oh,"
the girl replied.

Gently
he floated to the hatch, palmed the door controls and watched as it opened. He
tugged at his hem until the door finished opening. A boat whistle sounded.
"Fleet Admiral arriving." He smiled as he pushed off and landed with
practiced ease before the yellow line. He saluted the tattered flag hanging
from the right corner, then the ship's crest.

"Permission
to come aboard?" he asked, following formula.

"Permission
granted. Welcome aboard Admiral Irons," Firefly sounded amused. He smiled
and nodded as he looked over his shoulder.

"The
crew are volunteers. they will be inducted into the Federation navy but they
are greenhorns Firefly." He waited as Shelby sorted them out into an
orderly procession. "Stay in the boat bay until I call or return," he
ordered Shelby. She nodded. The techs were looking around in awe.

"Thanks
a lot, leave me with the babysitting duty," she muttered good naturedly.
He chuckled.

He
made his way through the corridors. "Lifts are out Admiral," Firefly
reported over his net. Lights came on ahead of him, then went off behind him.

"Tell
Shelby if it is okay to start unloading. You can forget the lights, I can see
in the dark," he replied.

The
AI paused for a moment. "Are you sure about letting civilians aboard
Admiral?" He felt the hesitation.

"Not
much choice, there is only one other person who was in the military, and he's
back on Anvil. Shelby is his daughter. Shelby Logan daughter of chief petty
officer Horatio Logan. Make a note of that." He shrugged.

He
picked his way through the damaged corridors and made his way to the bridge.
"Admiral on the bridge," the AI intoned. He suddenly realized the AI
tone was beginning to sound elated. He smiled.

"As
ranking officer I hereby take command of this starship in the name of the
Federation. Now on this date, I am her commanding officer until relieved or deceased."
He smiled as the formula of taking command was finished.

"As
the AI of the Firefly hull number NX20214s I accept the change in command.
Welcome to the net Fleet Admiral Irons." Simultaneous with the AI's
acceptance of command the bridge lights came up and then dimmed. "Sorry, I
am almost out of power," the AI reported.

"First
order of business then. Status report on your reactors and fuel tanks."

He
turned to the plot. "Never mind the plot, shoot it and a full thumbnail
brief to my link. I'll check it over and it won’t waste your power." He
felt the data cascade in a single pulse burst. Sprite opened the file and began
processing it. Data flashed over his HUD. "Main engineering is holed,
fusion one is down, fusion two is off line it's fuel lines are gone, tanks one
through three are holed, damn." He shook his head. "Okay we can plug
the leaks to fusion two then add a tap until we get a tank patched. Can you
direct Shelby to the leaks and main engineering? Let her know the crew will
need to be suited." He sat in the captain's chair as he rapidly digested
the brief Sprite was assembling.

"Done
and done. Miss Logan has linked a micro fusion reactor to my starboard power
feed. Power reserves are at point two percent and climbing," the AI
reported. The lights blinked then came up to half light. Screens came on then
turned off.

"Looks
like we have our work cut out for us," the Admiral nodded rubbing his
hands. "Can you get a signal to the tender, let them know we're safely
aboard and getting to work? Then give me a priority repair list. Let's see if
we can whittle it down some," the Admiral ordered.

"Accessing.
Permission granted. Thank you Firefly," Sprite said with a teasing note.
She seemed on her best behavior. "Firefly has graciously allowed us access
to the net. Proteus has accessed the repair logs and is compiling a priority
list based on your preliminary estimates. We're going to need a scan...
oh." Sprite paused.

"I
was bored," Firefly reported. Data squirted to his net. "I've been
trying to make what repairs I could with what I had on hand so I used my drones
as best I could when I had surplus power. I just uploaded my repair scans and
repair list," Firefly reported sounding smug.

“That
explains why everything is immaculate. I can't believe this. This ship... Why
did they leave?”

“I've
spent the past seven hundred years doing what repairs I can Miss Logan,”
Firefly replied.

“Why
didn't you come in? To Anvil I mean,” she asked.

“Because
I was warned not to do so by my last Captain.”

“Oh,”
Shelby grunted. “Well, it works out for us now.”

“True.
I have a several bots on stand by. I can get them moving as soon as we have
power to spare.”

"Whatever
works. Good work," the Admiral said tapping the controls. He sat back.
"Okay, tell everyone to remain suited, they can take their gloves or
helmets off but keep them nearby. The suits will keep them warm. I want regular
check ins every fifteen minutes for each work party. Shelby how are you
doing?" he asked.

"We're
at the doors to main engineering... shutting the corridor doors and pumping out
the atmo now, we should be in in a minute or two. I've got Jimmy and Angie on
their way to fusion two now." He heard her suck in her breath.

"What?"
he asked sitting up.

"I
take it back. What a mess," she sighed.

He
chuckled. "Don't worry about that, just give me a damage report and then
follow the repair plan." He signed off and checked in with the AI.

"The
heat exchangers are off line Admiral. I think they are frozen. It will take a
work party to sort it out," Firefly reported. He nodded.

“Where
are the bodies?” he asked.

“I
spaced them Admiral. With a brief ceremony I recorded. It was the least I could
do,” Firefly replied softly. Irons grimaced then nodded. The AI had a sense of
honor still. Good.

“You
did fine. Good work.” He went back to studying the links.

After
an hour of studying the reports he received a call from a frustrated tech and
decided to lend a hand. "What were you saying about they show
promise?" Sprite teased. He shook his head. "It's early, give them a
break." He made his way through the darkened decks, down ladders to the
open doors of fusion two. He could see spot lights lighting the compartment.
Other lights moved around in the Stygian darkness. "What's the
problem?" he asked coming into the room.