Wandering Engineer 6: Pirates Bane (44 page)

“How'd it go?” One prisoner asked.

“Hey, why are you back?” Another demanded. “I thought...”

“What does it look like? It went shitty,” the turncoat grumbled,
arms crossed, sullen.

“Ah, poor widdle babies don't like getting caught,” Sprite mocked.
“Gee, it's not nice when the other side doesn't play along right?” she said
sweetly from the overhead. The prisoners looked up and then growled.

“Ah shut up bitch,” the guy said, turning over.

Later Sprite heard the turncoat whisper a report to the room. She
was amused. Apparently the changes to the ship and crew had an impact on the
prisoners.

<----*----*----*---->

“How are we doing?” the Admiral asked Lieutenant Cortez. The
older man had easily settled into his new rank. He'd been a deck Chief on Le
More, so it seemed like he could handle the job.

“All fine and dandy sir,” Cortez replied. He waved to someone
moving a push pull. “But I've got to handle this if you'll excuse me,” he said.
Irons nodded as the man trotted off. The Admiral returned to checking the
launch out. His little launch had been brought on board the ship to make it
easier to service her. Since the pinnace was out moving his gas giant refinery
to its proper place in the Jovian's atmosphere, they had the room. Barely.

He shook his head. The tin can's boat bay was dangerously over
crowded. It was designed to handle a couple fleet launches, maybe a cargo
shuttle. Not three fighters, a Skyhawk, and a pinnace. The two shuttles had
massive wings. Sure they folded, but they were still a pain in the ass on the
tight deck.

Fortunately, Cortez had come up with a partial solution. He had
suggested and the Admiral had approved of a cradle system along one wall. The Admiral
and Proteus had had to do a bit of structural redesign based on the blueprints,
but they had managed to figure it out within a few hours. Now all three
fighters could be stored in a stack against that wall, all neatly held and
ready to be moved out. That gave them a great deal more deck space.

The other plan Cortez had suggested was to hang a shuttle from
the overhead. The Admiral was of two minds about the idea. He'd done it a few
times before, but the boat bay wasn't very high to begin with, barely thirty
meters. A ship that came in too high could hook a shuttle there with disastrous
consequences for all around.

Two women approached Irons on the flight deck. He looked up in
surprise, both wore flight suits but he didn't recognize them right off.
Neither woman had been in the group to sign on, one had been in sickbay
recovering he thought. He recognized the red hair from one of the patients.

“Glad to see you two up and about,” he said, nodding to both. “I
heard you are pilots?” he asked. Both women nodded. “And you are reporting for
duty?” he asked.

“In a manner of speaking,” the silver haired beauty said. She had
porcelain skin but a cold look about her.

“Oh?”

“Sir, the fighters,” the slightly taller lady asked. The other
girl looked down, hands clasped in front of her.

Irons studied them. Both ladies were clean, in tight form fitting
silver flight suits that seemed custom tailored. They had their collars open
down to their cleavage. They also sported a pistol belt and pulser on their
right hips. Both were of average build, but incredibly thin. The red head was
strikingly beautiful, but shy. Her hair had been cut, from the look butchered.
It was slowly growing out. She had the look of an airhead, but she was quiet.
The other woman had striking silver hair. She reminded him of the Chief of
security on the Io 11.

Both were rakishly thin. From what Sprite had reported, all the
women had been raped almost weekly. Some had broken, but these two seemed to
have regained their spine. Meia, the silver haired woman according to Sprite's
ever-helpful nametag on his HUD, looked fiercely determined for some reason.

“We're going to fix them up. Eventually.” He currently had one
pilot for the fighters, but the young man was iffy. He had little flight time
and his enthusiasm was tempered with a rational realization that he could very
well die in one of the fighters. He had a healthy, almost fearful approach to
the idea of flying in combat. That was a concern.

“We want to fly them,” Dita said quietly but with a brief show of
backbone. “If that's okay.”

“Are you willing to sign on as naval officers? Undergo training,
implants, and naval discipline?”

“Whatever it takes,” Meia said, meeting his eyes with her own.
“I'm not going to let this happen to me or anyone else. Never again.”

Irons studied what was there for a long moment. “Good,” Sprite
commented. “They have spine. Most women traumatized like that...” he waved her
commentary away. Right now he didn't need a lesson on rape trauma.

“You'll have to undergo counseling. You will be flying space
craft with enough fire power to destroy a station or starship.”

“And you don't trust us,” Meia said. “Typical.”

“I didn't say that. I am actually all for it,” Irons replied.

They blinked at him in consternation. “You are?” Dita asked,
voice rich with hope.

“You two are pilots right?” The Admiral asked. He already knew
they were, Sprite's tentative dossier was on his HUD with an image and brief
bio of each lady. Both had clean records. They had also been flying since they
had turned twelve. That said a lot about their skills, flying shuttles that
were held together with rigging tape in some cases, that young, and never
having an accident.

Both ladies nodded.

“Fine then. You'll need to run the sims, and then we'll work on
implants and training.”

“Implants...” Meia said.

“It's not as bad as it sounds.”

“I'm okay with it,” Meia said. She rubbed her arm, looking down.
“Whatever it takes.”

“Okay,” Irons replied, equally quiet. “We'll get started then.
Sprite,” he looked up. “We'll need two tablets with an outline on what to do
here. Training, implants, and more training.” He turned to the ladies. “You do
realize you are going to need a week of training minimum before you can strap
these on right? Once we get them to Federation standard they will be a handful
even with implants.”

Dita's face fell at the idea of waiting so long, but Meia merely
nodded. “Whatever it takes sir,” she said, standing at attention. “We'll get it
done.”

“That you will cadet,” he replied. “We'll go through the oath
once you see what you are getting into. If you are still willing, we'll start
with the oath and work down from there.”

A robot came up and handed each lady a tablet. The two studied
the screens briefly. Clearly Dita was dismayed. “All this?” she asked, voice a
bit shaky.

“We can do it,” Meia said. “It's broken down into sections. We
just take it one step at a time,” she said. “And you and I know we can do launch
and recovery. We've both flown shuttles before. Not a problem.”

“A fighter is a hot stick. It's fast and highly maneuverable.
Also, after flying for dozens, possibly hundreds of hours, you are a wreck and
still need to land.”

“I see. So that is why the physical fitness bit.”

“You two will need to regain muscle mass. I do admit, you ladies
are better fighter pilots than some men. You have a more analytical mind.”

“Thanks,” Meia said dryly. “I think.”

“Look that over. And the Oath. Sprite, if you could give them
some background on carrier OPS and fighter jocks too?”

“Already done,” Sprite said from the overhead. “And I took the
liberty of throwing in some bits about carrier life as well Admiral,” she said.

“Very well,” Irons said with a nod. “You'll work with an AI when
we can get one for each of you.”

“Our own AI?” Dita asked, sounding excited.

“Dumb AI for the fighters. Not a full ship AI, a bare AI. But
enough to copilot and do some basic functions for you while you focus on the
larger picture,” Sprite replied.

“Good,” the Admiral said when Meia nodded.

“Don't get too hooked on the fighters though. They are fun, but
exhausting to fly. I want you two to think of the larger picture when you have
time. I think you two can handle it.”

“We can try sir,” Meia said.

“Yes,” the Admiral nodded. “You'd make a good wing leader or even
a carrier Captain,” he said. She had poise and looked like she didn't back down
from a fight. From her bio she had been both a pilot and security officer.

Her eyes had widened at that idea. “Are you serious sir?”

“As a heart attack. We're building ships in Pyrax. I plan on
building a lot more. Think about it.”

Meia looked at Dita and then nodded slightly. The Admiral stared
at them, studying them for a hint of weakness. Part of him said they weren't
ready, but he had to give them a chance. Not only would turning them away crush
them, he, well,
they
simply needed someone in the cockpits. And at least
they had shown the balls and initiative to come to him. That alone said a lot
to him. “I'll see you tomorrow?” he asked. Meia nodded.

“Very well then.”

“I've scheduled the appointment sir,” Sprite said. “And put a
reminder in their in boxes.”

“Say good bye to your free time. You are going to bust your tails.
But I think you'll like fighters,” the Admiral said with a smile. Both ladies
straightened and nodded. The Admiral returned the nod.

“Thank you for the opportunity to try sir,” Meia said.

“Yes, thanks,” Dita said softly. “We won't let you down sir,” she
said.

“Right,” the Admiral replied as the two left. He turned to a tech
patiently waiting. “And next,” he said, smiling politely.

“You know that's going to hit the ship's grapevine,” Sprite said
to him.

“True.”

<----*----*----*---->

“Funny,” Sprite said as the Admiral read a report. He grunted in
response.

“I said funny,” Sprite said.

“I heard you the first time,” he replied mildly, still going over
the food consumables. He still didn't like what he was seeing. They had taken
his surviving plants and extra seeds and had planted them in what soil they
had, but it would be weeks before they grew anything. They did get a few people
to perk up in interest. He'd turned over the task to a couple of green thumbs
in the crew.

“You're supposed to ask about what,” Sprite said, sounding
amused.

“I'm a bit busy here,” he said. He scrolled down.

“And I can tell you need a break. Reading logistics spread sheets
was never your strong suit Admiral,” Sprite said. “And I did make a curious
connection.”

“Oh?”

“Meia.”

“What about her?” The Admiral asked.

“Doesn't she look a bit... familiar?” she asked.

The Admiral frowned and then looked up. “Now that you mention it,
yes. But I've never been great with names and faces Sprite, that's why I have
you, remember?”

“Cute,” the AI replied. “Wait, you meant that?” she demanded. He
merely smiled. “Oh funny, ha ha.”

“You said funny,” he teased. He set the tablet down. “What's on
your mind?”

“Well...” Sprite put an image of Meia up, and then another one.

“So...” The Admiral looked at them. The outfits were different,
that much was obvious. They both had a taste for silver though, and they both
had similar hair and eyes... The eyes sent a jolt through him. He knew her! She
was the adopted granddaughter of the Captain of Io 11, the Security Chief!
“Wait...
her
?” he demanded, sitting up straight. "I thought her
name was Emily?"

“
Her
. Or a relative. Or it could be a horrible
coincidence,” Sprite said as she did a facial analysis. The maps lined up
almost perfectly. They were almost twins, or something else. “Her
full
name by the way, is Emily Meia. Strange coincidence don't you think? I'm
finding a lot of that going on in this situation. I am curious to find out. I
did a background on the young lady during her interview. She didn't sign on
until Dita agreed to do so by the way.”

The Admiral frowned and then shrugged. He'd take them either way
at this point. “So...”

“She doesn't know her history. Only that her bio parents
abandoned her and she was adopted on her ship.”

The Admiral blinked in confusion and then sat back. “Oh.”

“Yes. I unfortunately do not have access to her genetic profile,
nor the security Chief’s. But there is also something else, both are named
Meia.”

“I... didn't know that. I always called her Chief,” the Admiral
said thoughtfully. “Interesting,” he said, rubbing his chin.

“Isn't it strange how things come to be? Fascinating really. A
puzzle. I've made a note to look into it further.”

“Yes, I remember how you hate not knowing something,” the Admiral
said.

“It's an AI thing,” Sprite replied with a shrug in her voice. He
nodded.