Ghost Station (The Wandering Engineer) (35 page)

Numiria
stared at her, turning the thought over and over before mentally shrugging.
“All right,” she said. “Unfortunately most of my patients are a little big for
you. We can start with the basics and see what you know. If you can shift some
of your patient load to the infirmary then we can provide access to the medical
equipment and supplies,” she said.

“We
have only taken what we need. But...” the elf looked uncertain as the doctor's
ears went flat back. Numiria wasn't happy about the thefts.

O'Mallory
rested a hand on the doctor's as it curled into a fist. “You are our shipmates.
But I suggest in the future you clear that with the doctor or the staff. But I
also suggest from now on that you have your people report to you in the
infirmary. Right doctor? That way you can access the equipment and help you
when you or they are in need,” she said.

“There...
I cannot do anything for Bloodknife. His spine was broken in the fall. His
legs...” the elf looked away and closed her large eyes.

Numiria
sucked in her breath, suddenly feeling a weltering of emotion. She knew what it
was like to be a doctor and feel so damn helpless sometimes. To feel the need
to do anything for her patients. To try your hardest and watch death steal them
away despite the effort. It wasn't fair. Yes she knew.

“All
right,” she said, ears rising. “From now on we'll work together. I'll have
engineering here work out the medical equipment and exam tables for your
species. We'll see if we can find the data in the computer for your species.”

“Thank
you.”
“I think we can use the replicators to make tools for you. I mean ones you can
use. I can just imagine you trying to use a standard sized stethoscope,”
O'Mallory said.

For
once the elf seemed amused. She wiggled her antenna and her tail settled. She
turned enough to look at O'Mallory. There was a small smile on her face.
O'Mallory nodded.

“Is
Bloodknife still alive?” Numiria asked. The elf nodded. Numiria felt concern.
There was so much expressive anguish in those large eyes. She had to help.

“What
is your name? I forgot my manners,” Numiria sighed, ears flat again.

“Light
Touch,” the elf said. “Bloodknife... he is stable. I... he is my younger
brother.”

“Then
we'll see what we can do for him,” the doctor said getting to her feet. “Come
on. I'll call ahead and we'll get a triage team to your compartment. We'll go
from there,” she said. “One step at a time,” she said as the elf hopped down
off the table and then headed to the hatch.

“Thank
you,” she said, pausing as she climbed over the knee knocker. The doctor
nodded.

“Let
me know how it turns out!” O'Mallory called and waved. Numiria didn't say
anything but she waved as she exited.

“Well,”
O'Mallory sat back and cradled her cup. “That was interesting,” she said. She
looked at the dirty dishes and wrinkled her nose. “Sure, leave me with the mess
to clean up,” she sighed.

“Don't
forget you've got the kiddies coming this morning chief,” George told her as he
came into the galley.

O'Mallory
looked up at him and then sighed getting up. “Sure, remind me of my own follies
why don't you. Rub it in,” she said policing the dishes.

“I've
got that,” a Veraxin bus boy said, taking the dirty dishes and placing them
into the tub on his tray. “Anything I can get you chief?”

“Just
leaving,” she said, downing the last of her coffee and then stretching. When
the Veraxin reached for her cup she snatched it back. “Nope, this one's mine,”
she said with a grin.

“Still
got the cup I see,” George said smiling, shaking his head.

O'Mallory
turned on him with a glower. “And just why are you here? Isn't this your
shift?” she demanded.

“Man's
got to eat chief,” he said, making his way around the tables to the food
replicator. “Besides, Yvonne's up. Said something about not wanting to miss you
sticking your foot in your mouth.”

“Everyone's
a comedian,” O'Mallory muttered making her way to the hatch. She could hear the
pitter patter of feet on the deck already. “Oh this is going to be a
looooong
day.”

O'Mallory
started to get into teaching as well as she warmed up to the experience. It was
interesting with a one on two or three experience, but even more fun when she
noted the enthusiasm on the kid's faces. The kids were eating up what she was
telling them. Everything from the hyperdrive to the lighting was touched upon.
She felt exhausted but elated as they near the end of the tour.

She
explained to the young students in the field trip about the fusion reactor and
fusion drive and their differences. “Really, the fusion drive isn't fusion at
all. It's not really a fusion drive; it's actually a plasma ion drive. It's a
giant rail gun. We funnel all the waste from the reactor, most of it is helium
by the way, plus anything else we don't want to the rail gun. The gun gives
this fuel an electric charge that is similar to the charge on the walls of the
thrusters.”

“And
like charges repel each other right?” a smart kid asked.

O'Mallory
nodded to him, making a mental note to keep an eye on him for later. He might
make a good engineer someday down the road. “Right. Throw in force emitters to
help speed them along and a force emitter that gives the fuel a heavier shadow
mass than what it normally would have and walla! We've got acceleration!”

“Because
every action has an equal and opposite reaction,” the teacher interjected with
a nod. O'Mallory looked at the Veraxin and then back to the watching class with
a nod.

“Exactly.
Before we just used this plasma drive. But now... now we can do a bit more,”
she smiled as she pointed to a plastic replica of the ship. The kids looked at
it. “This has been in my office for centuries. It's pretty brittle so be
careful, don't touch. It's neat because it lets us see the ship as a real world
model, not something virtual,” she said waving to a nearby hologram.

“Now,
the admiral hooked us up with better emitters,” she looked over the shoulder to
Mr. Warner and the captain as they came in. The class turned to see them. The
exec smiled politely. The captain froze and then nodded, thawing a little at
the sight of his daughter nearby. Toni was a teacher's assistant for the class.
She had her camera out and was getting it all recorded though. The chief was
doing her best to ignore the girl and the camera.

O'Mallory
nodded to the men. “Be with you in a minute captain,” she said with a smile
over her shoulder to the men before returning her attention to the kids. “Now,
as I was saying, the admiral hooked us up with repaired shield nodes. But these
nodes do more than just protect the ship. Can anyone tell me what else they
do?”

The
Veraxin teacher started to say something but she held up a restraining hand.
The Veraxin chittered in disappointment.

“Seem’s
like she's a little excited,” Warner said softly to the captain.

“You
think?” The captain replied quietly. “I don't recall anyone ever getting into
engineering until they were given an apprenticeship. I didn't anyway,” he said
looking at the group of students. Most of them were adolescents under twelve.

“Something
new,” Warner said.

“They
better not expect the same on my bridge,” the captain growled.

“Wouldn't
dream of it sir. We can't afford the distraction,” Warner said politely. The
captain gave him a curious look to see if he was pulling his leg and then
returned his attention to the class.

Most
of the students had suggested various shielding for the nodes. One Telerite
child managed to point out the roll of the nodes in hyperspace transit. But
apparently that wasn't the only thing the nodes did.

The
Veraxin teacher was looking nonplussed. She didn't know either. O'Mallory let
them go on for a little while and then waved a hand.

“I
gave you a hint when I explained the plasma drive,” she said. When none of them
caught on she finally relented. “The nodes are another form of subspace drive,”
she said, smiling.

Even
the captain blinked at that one. He looked at Warner who shrugged helplessly.
They had always used the plasma drive and the RCS. Using the nodes?

“You
see, the nodes can both repel and tractor an object. That's another function by
the way, to pull something closer to the ship. Or...”

“Or
pull the ship closer to something else!” A wide eyed girl with pig tails said
bouncing. She clapped her hands excitedly.

“Right!”
O'Mallory said with a smile at the kid's exuberance. “We can tractor an object,
say a planet, and pull the ship to it. We can also push against objects. Like
oh, say the exhaust we just vented,” she said with a grin.

“Wow!”
A kid said.

“Can
we really do that?” The captain asked, turning to Warner. Warner was as
confused as him.

“Apparently
so,” Warner replied slowly.

“I
assure you it is not only possible, we're going to be doing it in Antigua. That
will save tons of fuel. With the plasma drive and nodes working together we'll
be able to travel from the jump exit point to the planet at upwards of half C.
That's half the speed of light,” O'Mallory said, pitching her lecture to the
officers in the room now as much as to the kids. The kids turned to look at the
officers as well. The captain nodded, putting on a sober face.

“It
seems things are looking up,” Warner said with a smile. “Right kids?” he asked.
The kids cheered. He smiled.

“Now,
your teacher has a workbook we want you to look at. It's in the computer. I'm
going to hand this off to Yvonne here so I can talk with the captain and the
exec. But you kids be good and don't touch anything okay?”

The
kids nodded. She smiled. “Good. And if any of you are interested in
engineering, let your teacher know. We'll give you some material to look over.
Maybe even junior apprentice jobs if you are up for it,” she said. There were
some more smiles and a few grins and excited chattering as they nodded after
that was digested.

“Good,”
she patted the girl on the back and moved around the class as Yvonne waved them
into motion. The kids waved good bye and kept going.

“That
was interesting,” Warner said with a nod in greeting to the chief.

“Yes,”
O'Mallory turned to look at the kids and nodded at the pig tailed girl who was
waving. “It was something new to try,” she said. Toni waved to her dad and then
turned her camera on Yvonne and the class.

“I
see you have an admirer. Someone to train to fill in for you?” The captain
asked amused.

“I
don't know. From what she was telling me earlier she was bucking for someone
else’s job.”

“Oh?”
The captain asked.

“Yes.
Yours,” O'Mallory said with a small grin. Warner chuckled.

“I'll
have to watch my back then,” the captain said dryly. “She seems a capable
sort.”

“Good
to know the ship will be in good hands in the future,” Warner said
diplomatically. O'Mallory nodded as the girl turned and skipped gaily to catch
up with the departing class.

“Can
we really use the nodes to drive the ship?” The captain asked. “Seriously
chief?”

O'Mallory
sobered and nodded, looking the captain in the eye. “I wouldn't lie about that
cap. Yes, Kiev can now do it. Once we get all the nodes repaired and synched
she'll get to about point six or point seven C I think. At least that's what
the computer models are telling me at any rate.”

“Wow,”
Warner said, grinning. “I love it,” he said.

“It
will certainly save on fuel, but what about using the reactor?” The captain
asked, trying to find a hidden flaw in the plan.

“We
have to run the reactor just to run the plasma drive captain. Before we had just
enough energy to run what we had. Now we've actually got too
much
for
just the plasma drive alone. I was talking to the admiral about it when he
pointed the grav drive out to me. I think he was planning it all along
actually,” she said sounding miffed.

“Sounds
about right,” Warner said, sounding amused.

“I
wonder what other tech goodies he's got for us?” O'Mallory asked suddenly
interested.

“I'm
not sure. I'm interested in finding out though,” the XO replied.

“And
what happens to all of this equipment when he leaves?” The captain demanded.
“Eventually it's all going to break down again you know.”

“Probably,”
O'Mallory agreed with a nod. “Eventually of course. But that's what I'm here
for. Me and my people. That's why we're taking every advantage of Irons
generosity as we can. I really want to make spares too. Tons and tons of
spares. Which is why I wanted to talk with you. I want to renew my request for
an asteroid.”

“I'm
not sure what the Antiguan's will say about that,” the captain said cautiously.

“Well,
what they don't know can't come back to haunt us,” Warner mused. The captain
looked at him. He shrugged under the gaze. “Honestly captain, they are ground
pounders. They aren't interested in space. All of their assets are on the
planet. I doubt they'll miss one or two or even three rocks.”