Like his father, Umky was a large bear. At six years old he was full grown and an adult in all ways but one—he had yet to become a father himself. That was proving to be a bit of a problem because, given his linage, the young she-bears all assumed that he would be willing to settle down and be mates for life, what the humans called “marriage.”
Umky felt the instinctive drive to father cubs, but he was not ready for a lifelong commitment. The available females, however, felt otherwise and without said commitment mating was out of the question. His life had devolved into a morass of temptation and frustration.
What's a bear to do?
he asked himself.
I need to get out of this place or I will go crazy.
He recalled that another young bear, Aput, mentioned a group of humans preparing to make an extended space voyage exploring the Orion Arm. A long space voyage might be just the ticket; remove temptation and give him other things to think about. Maybe they could use a bear on the crew.
Chapter 4
Main Lounge, Peggy Sue
More than 135 meters in length with a beam of 12 meters and massing 8000 metric tons, the Peggy Sue was not a small ship. This was her third major overhaul since her launching from Parker's ranch in Texas, years ago. Her updated armaments received the benefit of the latest technology, gleaned from the M'tak Ka'fek. New shields, based on the T'aafhal battle cruiser's designs, now protected against superluminal weapons of the type used by the Dark Lords. This was a technology shared with the ships of the Fleet.
To make room for a larger complement of drones and remote sensing instruments, the gravitonic torpedo magazines shrank leaving space for only 10 antimatter tipped weapons. To compensate for the loss of firepower two new superluminal particle cannon were mounted, one portside and the other to starboard. This new armament was complemented by sensors that could see massive objects through alter-space, be they stars, planets, or ships with gravitonic drives.
This was technology not shared with the Fleet, and it made the Peggy Sue more than a match for any vessel Earth's Navy possessed. Withholding the advanced technology from the Fleet was not done out of malice. The particle cannon and sensors were still experimental. Peggy Sue's upcoming voyage would be a field test for the copied T'aafhal weaponry.
Other changes had been made to the ship's layout, including expanded laboratory space for analyzing samples from alien worlds. To prevent contamination, several clean-rooms were provided that could be isolated from the ship's environment, even ejected into space in an emergency. To make room for the expanded lab space the armorer's facilities and machine shop moved aft next to the engineering spaces. There also resided the suits of space armor for the crew. Riding on top of the ship's hull were two pinnaces, a larger shuttle for crew and cargo and a fourth armored shuttle modeled on the assault craft used by the Marines. Captain Vincent believed in being prepared.
It was the middle of the afternoon and Beth and Mizuki were drinking tea in the ship's main lounge. The main lounge was a space more like a fancy restaurant and nightclub than a mess hall on a Navy vessel. Spanning the full width of the ship it featured several sizable portholes and one very large, eye shaped observation port on the starboard side. The two women were seated at a table in front of the observation port, with Mizuki's flock of butterflies flitting about the ceiling.
“It looks like we are ready to depart, as far as the science section is concerned,” said Mizuki. “Though I wish we had a microbiologist.”
“You've got a chemist, a geologist, a climatologist, and a biologist,” the First Officer replied. “That's pretty good considering how quickly we have thrown this crew together.”
“Yes, but I wish they were more experienced. None of them have ever been outside the solar system.”
The flock of butterflies suddenly descended from the ceiling and swarmed around the two officers, flashing green and yellow. Then they darted across the lounge toward the aft doorway. They arrived at the same time a woman dressed in medical white stepped into the lounge. Mizuki almost shouted a warning but paused when the flock began swirling around the newcomer, flashing gayly in a rainbow of colors.
“Well hello,” the woman said, “I've missed you little guys too.”
Mizuki jumped up and ran across the room to the woman in white. “Betty! It is so good to see you!”
“It's great to see you too, Mizuki,” Betty White said, as the women embraced amidst a cloud of fluttering color. Beth walked over to join them and Mizuki barked a command to her pets in Japanese, ordering them to behave.
“Hello, I'm Beth Melaku,” said Beth, extending her hand.
“Nice to meet you,” replied Betty, shaking the proffered extremity. “I'm Dr. Belinda White, though my friends call me Betty.”
“Doctor?” Mizuki said. “You went back and got your medical degree?”
“Yes, Ludmilla insisted.”
“Dr. Ludmilla Tropsha?” asked Beth.
“Yes, after we all got back I worked with her for a while on some of the T'aafhal medical technology—they are so far beyond us I felt like a tribal witchdoctor. After a few months Ludmilla arranged for me to go back to school and get my MD.”
“Betty was our Navy corpsman on the Peggy Sue and the M'tak Ka'fek,” added Mizuki, “she grew me a new set of legs after I was wounded on Ring Station.”
“Then I'm doubly happy to meet you, Betty.”
“I just got back from a year's residency at the Mars Base hospital. I came in on the
Issac Asimov
, along with a couple other Peggy Sue veterans. I ran into them again a few days ago and they told me you were planing another voyage.”
“Yes, we are going to go looking for fame and fortune among the stars,” Beth said with a hint of sarcasm. “Emphasis on the fortune according to TK. Who were the others you mentioned?”
“Steve Hitch and Matt Jacobs. I see you have them both working below under the watchful eye of Chief Zackly.”
“Yes, we've been fortunate to sign up a number of veterans from previous voyages.”
Betty looked down for a moment, as if embarrassed. “Speaking of that, this is more than a social call.”
“Oh?” said Beth.
“Yes, I understand that you were looking for a ship's doctor for the upcoming voyage. Has the position been filled?”
A hint of a smile appeared on Beth's face. “If that is why you are here, I think it just has.”
“That would be so wonderful!” exclaimed Mizuki.
“You will have to speak with the Captain, of course. But since you know him, and the Sailing Master, I think there should be no problems with you joining our merry band.”
“That's fantastic!” Betty said, a huge smile lighting up her face. “I was afraid the position would be taken.”
“This will be such fun,” Mizuki enthused, hugging her friend again. As she did, the flock of butterflies changed color to reds and oranges, flew a tight circle around the three women, and then exited the lounge headed aft.
“Now what's got into them?” asked Beth.
“Red is usually a danger warning,” said Mizuki, “I wonder what is happening?”
“Maybe we should follow them,” added Betty.
The three followed the butterflies' trail, heading aft at a run.
Sick Bay, Peggy Sue
Mizuki and friends found her errant flock of butterflies milling about the door to the medical section. Inside they found one of the crew, Matt Jacobs, supporting a slender man with dreadlocks. Looking on was Jesse Lowe, concern etched on her normally smiling face.
“What's going on here?” asked Beth, the ranking ship's officer present.
“Jesse showed up at the port cargo hatch with this fella in tow, Ma'am,” the sailor replied. “He's pretty banged up and Chief Zackly said to bring him to sick bay.”
“Set him on the examination table, Matt,” said Betty. Regardless of the man's identity, he was hurt and she was a doctor.
“He is the waiter from Jesse's bar,” said Mizuki, recognizing the young man.
“Yes, yes,” Jesse said fretfully, “dat be Jimmy Tosh. He de waiter and part-time cook at my restaurant.”
“What happened to him, Jesse?” asked Beth. “He looks like he was in a fight.”
“Yeah,” said Betty, easing her patient back on the table with Jacobs' help. “A fight he lost.”
“No mon,” Jimmy slurred through puffy lips, trying to make light of the situation, “you should see de other guys.”
With Jimmy lying down on the table the medical sensors lit up, showing heart rate, blood pressure and respiration. His left eye was swollen almost shut, his lip split and he was favoring his right side. Betty picked up a tablet and used it to examine his limbs and side. Holding the tablet over parts of Jimmy's body its screen revealed the bones and soft tissue beneath his skin and clothing.
“If the other guys are worse than you they'll need an ambulance. You have three fractured ribs and a fractured left ulna.” Lowering the tablet viewer, Betty looked directly at the battered man. “I'd say you were on the receiving end of a severe beating.”
Jimmy moaned and closed his eyes, unable to reply.
“It was de Ukrainians; dis be de second time,” said Jesse. “Dem rude boys is no good, I tell you.”
“Why were they picking on your waiter?” asked Mizuki, her butterflies hovering near the door, showing worried shades of dark blue and purple.
“Dis stupid boy! He got de gamblin' sickness. If dey is a card game or someone throwin' dice he has to bet on it, for true. Trouble is he don' ever win, he just lose all his money.”
“And now he is over his head in debt to the Ukrainians,” said Beth, adding one and one together. Most fleet officers were aware that there was a criminal element on Farside and much of it was controlled by the Ukrainians.
“Dat's right, Miss Elisabeth. He owe dem 500 credits.” Jesse wrung her hands and shook her head in disapproval. “I'd pay it, but he would just be back in debt de next time he found a bettin' game.”
“And just what do you think we can do about it, Jesse?” asked Beth, sensing that the Jamaican woman was leaving things unsaid.
“I hopin' dat you could take him wit you on de Peggy Sue. I heard you was needin' a cook and he can cook pretty good. He really is a good boy—he don' drink or show up for work late—he just can' resist gamblin'.”
“I am going to give him an analgesic and get a cold pack on those ribs and bruising,” said Betty. “He needs to stay on his back until the fractures knit. Even with regrowth stimulators, I will need to keep him at least overnight for observation.”
“I think that Jesse needs to talk with the Captain about her ward here,” added Beth.
“Oh yes, please let me talk wit' Captain Billy Ray. He a good mon, I just know he help Jimmy.”
With that Beth and Mizuki led Jesse forward to see the Captain, butterflies in tow. After the women departed Matt looked questioningly at Betty.
“You need me to stick around, Doc?”
“No, you can go back to whatever you were doing. Thanks Matt,” Betty said with a smile. “I used to work on wounded Marines; I think I can handle one beat-up Rastaman.”
Port Cargo Hatch, Peggy Sue
Chief Hank Zackly was standing at the top of the short ramp leading from the surrounding dock platform to the large, rectangular door opening on the forward end of Peggy Sue's main cargo hold. He held a tablet in his hand, allowing him to check off late arriving crates of equipment and supplies against the master inventory in the ship's computer. He looked up to see a woman in a tan civilian jumpsuit coming up the ramp.
The woman had short hair and walked with an assertive stride. She was full bodied, but not to the point of being stocky; attractive but not beautiful. Something about her tickled the Chief's memory.
“Permission to come aboard, Sir?” the woman asked, coming to a halt at the top of the cargo ramp.
“Granted,” the Chief replied, “come aboard, Ms. Acuna.”
Rosey smiled at the wiry little man and stepped over the lower lip of the door and into the ship's interior. The hold was stacked full of crates and equipment strapped to pallets, all secured to the deck with clamps. Despite the use of deck gravity old habits died hard, all the cargo was made fast so it would not shift while underway. The Chief squinted and looked Rosey up and down.
“So what brings you to the Peggy Sue this fine afternoon, Marine?”
“Ex Marine, Chief,” Rosey replied, “sort of.”
“How can you be 'sort of' a Marine? Yer either a jar head or you ain't.”
“They tried to shanghai me into a four year reenlistment so I sort of missed a troop movement,” the nervous woman said. “I'm AWOL, Chief.”
“I guess this is just my day for collectin' strays. First Jesse brings her waiter, then Bear's cub shows up and now you,” the old Chief said, shaking his head. “Let me guess, you would like to talk to the Captain, to see if we have room for one more on the crew? ”
“Sorry Chief, I didn't know where else to turn.” Rosey stared dejectedly at the deck, avoiding eye contact. The Chief looked at her silently for several moments and then sighed.
“Alright, if yous can find yer way forward I'll tell the Captain yer coming.”
“Thank you, Chief,” the relieved Marine replied. She quickly turned and hurried forward through the airlock door leading to the crew quarters.
“Captain Vincent, Cargo hold,” Zackly called over his collar pip.
“This is the Captain, go ahead Chief.”
“I think we just picked up another lost soul from earlier voyages, Sir. I just sent Rosey Acuna forward to talk with you.”
“Roger that, Chief. Thanks for the heads up.”
Polar Bear Quarters, Peggy Sue
Given his experience in the Marines and having sailed on the Peggy Sue before, Umky was quickly accepted as a member of the crew by the Captain and, equally important, the Chief. He ambled aft to find the his quarters, a refrigerated compartment with a small pool for bathing and ice shelves for sleeping. As he approached the entrance to the converted reefer he detected a scent, the unmistakable odor of a female polar bear. The door slid open and he was presented with the sight of a furry white rump.