Wandering Engineer 6: Pirates Bane (45 page)

"Admiral, do you regret not sending a load with Io 11?"

"At the time... no. They weren't headed to Pyrax, at least
not for a year or more. They were headed back to their hiding spot in B448c,
and then North to Antigua to start the western loop. They wouldn't have been
back in the vicinity of Pyrax for at least a year, possibly longer.

"True," the AI replied thoughtfully. "Though, if
we had given them sufficient incentive..."

"Which we didn't have at the time remember?" he asked
pointedly. "We didn't have the raw materials, they did. The only thing we
had were the code keys to make things. I suppose I might have gotten something
out of them, but it wouldn't have been much. Not enough for the captain to
change her course."

"True."

“Anything else?”

“No, that was it. Situation normal.”

“Very well,” the Admiral said, picking up the tablet again.
“Carry on,” he said with a dismissive nod. Sprite smirked on his HUD and then
disappeared.

Once everything including wiring was stripped off, the first of
the derelict ships was cut up. For those not of her crew, it was a sobering
process. For her surviving former crew, it was a gut wrenching and tearful
process.

The chewed up gutted ship was fed to the new molecular furnace.
From there, the processed material was either stored in plastic staging tanks
or improvised containers, or passed on immediately as material for the
replicators to restore Bounty, Phoenix, Le More, and Deianira. In that order.
Hoshi didn't like her ship's place in the order, but didn't make more than a
pro forma complaint.

Through the process of rebuilding and restoring Bounty, Irons made
some design changes. Some were minor upgrades, others were something else
entirely.

“Why?” Sindri asked as he looked over the blueprints. He noted and
approved of the improvements to the computer network, shields and weapons, but
some of the changes were confusing. To the sublight engines for one.

“Why not? There is always room for improvement.”

“But, that's slowing us down sir,” Sindri replied. He was still
getting a handle on his implants. The educational system alone took some
getting used to. Also having knowledge right there when he needed it. The
medical team had offered to use the nanites to enhance his height, but it would
have sidelined him for up to a month so he had politely declined, at least for
the foreseeable future.

“True,” the Admiral said, but then smiled wolfishly. “Think about
it this way. You remember what this ship's specs were before right?”

“Aye,” Sindri drawled.

“And the enemy knows them too. So when we have extra's, it's going
to come as a surprise right?”

“Aye!” Sindri growled, grinning in delight.

“Good man,” the Admiral replied with a nod of approval.

Everyone worked full out. Implant education and implant med tech
helped keep exhaustion at bay for those who had it. Some quipped that they now
worked harder than under the pirate's. There was general agreement over that,
but all understood the time crunch they labored under.

Doctor Hasad was a general practitioner, once the AI cleared him
to return to duty he signed on. The medical team reluctantly accepted him. He
wasn't good with the fine surgery, and no one trusted him with the project so
he was limited in what he could do. Reluctantly Doctor Glenn passed on the day
to day monitoring of the crew's health to him so he could focus more fully on
the implant procedures. Doctor Hasad put up with the cold disdain from the
crew.

Sprite, Bounty, and the Admiral hosted the occasional class on how
to get things done. When a few people complained about the work load, Sprite
turned on them with a simple statement.

“With freedom comes responsibilities,” Sprite said. “The price for
freedom is ever vigilance. I for one do not ever want to see this happen again.
To us or to
anyone
else. So we have to be ready. We
will
be
ready.”

Those in her class nodded over her wise statement. Those that
complained refocused their efforts.

Some of the crew were still adjusting to the AIs on board. Some
still have a sense of giddy wonder while talking with the AI. That helped to
get them to pay attention to the lessons sometimes, they listened with a
burning intensity. Sometimes that was an effort to get it right the first time,
sometimes it was pure stubborn will or fear of failure. With regular interaction
those that were overawed quickly got over their awe and accept the AI as
people.

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

Most of the other probationers as the turncoats were called, were
put on menial tasks or make work. None were given the chance to sign on with
the military. They were quiet and reserved, quick to do as they were told, but
slow to do the task sometimes. The AIs watched them with bots. They ate alone
in the mess. The group was broken into different shifts and the AIs made
certain they knew they were being watched at all times. When they were off
shift they were returned to their quarters.

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

Two weeks before the scheduled arrival of the convoy they
finished Anderson's recycling and turned their attention to Jaw-te's. The wreck
massed about a hundred thousand tons, ten percent smaller than Anderson. She
had also been picked over rather thoroughly by the Horathians so the survey
crew made short work of their task before clearing her for her final salvage.

The Admiral turned supervising of the salvage operation over to
Ian. Kinja had formally moved in with Hoshi as her Chief engineer on Le More,
though word was that the two had rather spectacular disagreements from time to
time.

Some of the material they couldn't use. Hundreds of tons of excess
titanium, aluminum, iron, copper, tin, and other material were stockpiled. So
were parts from the engines. The reactors had been carted off by the Horathians
months ago. The ship's fuel had been drained. Her tanks were cut free and then
added to the growing tank farm.

While the crew labored on the salvage project the Admiral turned
his attention to Phoenix and the fusion reactors and hyperdrives of each of the
ships they were restoring. It took the better part of a day to get Phoenix's
reactor and remaining systems online and functional.

Bounty received a new reactor core, with two proper back up
reactors. The crew was understandably nervous while the swap took place, if
anything went wrong they would be in deep trouble. There was a horrible sense
of vulnerability and quite a bit of second guessing the decision as the process
started. Some wanted to rush the process, but Sindri, the AIs, and the Admiral
dragged them back to the procedures, having them walk through the removal and
install step by step. When it was completed and the new reactor was online they
all sighed a collective sigh of relief.

Hoshi refused a new reactor core for the Le More, but she did
accept a rebuild of her hyperdrive. The Admiral finished the project in between
supervising the reactivation of the ship's fusion reactor and helping Sisko
rebuild the life support system.

Once Le More was online and functioning as a ship once more, half
of the civilians transferred to her. Others agitated to finish rebuilding
Deianira, sometimes suggesting the projecting on Bounty could wait. Their crew
mates would intervene, sometimes entering shouting matches with them telling
them reminding them that they were on borrowed time.

Once the life support systems on Le More were online and stable,
Sisko worked with Raoul to overhaul the systems on Deianira. “One of the best
things is, with no one on the ship we can flush her out, get all the smells
out. All the stinks and crap.”

“So they can create new ones,” Raoul said.

“So not helping,” Jake sighed.

Just before they vented the ship to space they found an anomaly
in the system. Jake was pressed for time and wanted to just flush the system
but Raoul chose to investigate.

He took a cutter and cut into a duct. He heard scampering inside.
“Ah, we've got ourselves a stow away here,” he reported.

“A what?”

“How could that be?” Gustov asked. “I'm sending a team,” he said.

“Hold on. I don't think it's a threat,” Raoul said. He carefully
peeled the duct back and then stuck his head in. Terrified goat eyes stared at
him. His eyes adjusted enough to see in the dark with his implants. He could
see an elf, a child in a fetal position trapped in a corner.

“Please don't hurt me,” the little voice said.

“Hey, I'm not the bad guys,” Raoul said. “And be glad I found
you. We were about to vent the ship. Why don't you come out of there. Is it
just you?”

The small body didn't move.

“Hey come on,” he said. “It's okay. I'm not a Horathian. Honest.”

“You're a human. Humans are bad. You killed my family!”

“Look, that wasn't me,” Raoul said. He sighed when the alien
suddenly got up and jumped over his head and further into the system. “Shit
wait! Come back! Damn it all,” he grumbled, struggling to get down. “Now what
the frack do we do??” he demanded.

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

The Admiral watched the footage from Raoul's implants and closed
his eyes. “To have lived so long, over what a year? In the ducts? Alone?”

“Didn't anyone notice her?”

“Apparently not. She did a damn good job of hiding. I checked
after she left. That was her nest, her hidey hole. She had MRE's and a tiny
battery operated light there. A suit too.”

“All that?”

“She must have had help putting it there. Or she dragged it in
one piece at a time,” Ian said. “Do we have anyone who knows her? I don't. I
remember a family of elves, but I don't remember a female like that.” He
grimaced. “And I distinctly remember their deaths.” He closed his eyes in pain.
“Remember it too well,” he said quietly.

A few in the room nodded or grimaced at that.

“She's aged. At least a year,” Sprite said. “Some species age
differently. Elves mature fast like humans when they hit puberty. They can go
through a growth spurt and develop quickly.”

“Oh.”

“So, what do we do?”

“We could try coaxing her out. In fact I've got Jake and people
trying to do that now. Unfortunately a few are rough, they banged on the
ducts.”

“Scaring her.”

“Yes. They want her out to move on with the project,” Raoul said.
“I can't blame them,” he said, shaking his head.

“True. But we need to tread carefully, we don't know what she's
been through. Other than that her family was killed by the Horathians,” Sprite
said. She turned to the Admiral. “Admiral, send me in with a micro robot.”

“You?”

“Commander...”

“Hold up. I'm talking about a custom job. One with a holo
projector. I'll talk her out,” Sprite said.

“Okay,” Irons said with a nod. “We'll try it your way. Until
then,” he turned to Raoul. “Eliminate where she isn't and work in those areas.
That should cut her off.”

“Box her. She'll feel trapped,” Sprite protested. “You're making
my job harder.”

“You always liked a challenge,” the Admiral returned with a
smirk. “Good luck Commander, get it done. A little girl is depending on it.

Sprite paused blinking and then nodded sobered.

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

Sprite moved the tiny robot through the duct, trying to avoid the
occasional tangle of wires, debris, ripped metal, or cobwebs. It was slow
going, but she was making progress. They had boxed the elf into a branch of
systems, all of which were dead ends. She would either have to exit the life support
system to double back, or she'd have to get past the robot. Even if she did the
workers were moving behind her, taking the system apart. Soon there would be no
place to go, and only the electrical trunks to hide in.

“That's a perky thought,” Sprite said out loud.

“Something Commander?” Irons replied.

“No, just picking up some of your bad habits and talking to
myself,” Sprite replied. “I don't like the quiet.”

“Keep with it,” the Admiral said.

“That's what I'm trying to do,” Sprite said. She spotted the
alien's infrared signature and ah ha'ed. “I've got a sniff. She's on the other
side of this duct, in the return below me. She's headed to the where the work
crew is. Either she'll double back or try to get out of the life support and
into the electrical system.”

“Hopefully not the electrical. That's a mess,” Irons said. “I
can't guarantee no live wires down there,” he said.

“Lovely,” Sprite responded. She paused when the alien turned and
ran back. She tracked the signal until it went to a junction and then stopped.
After a moment of seemingly indecision the body moved to the blower duct she
was in. “She's coming to me.” Sprite paused the little robot and projected an
image of an elf.

As the elf got closer to the corner, she saw the bluish light and
slowed her pace to a cautious crawl. She peeked around the corner to see the
robot. She ducked back and then after a moment curiosity got the better of her
and she looked once more. “What are you?” she demanded.

“An AI,” Sprite replied. “And no, not human. Though I normally
look like one,” she said.

“You are odd.”

“I'm a person like you. Just software,” Sprite replied. “Well,
mostly. I do have a question. Do you remember Captain McGuyver?”

“Yes!” the little alien said. “He's a good man!”

“A human,” Sprite replied.

“Yes,” the alien said in a lower voice. She turned away.

“Would you like to talk with him? And the others? We freed them.”

“You did?” the alien asked, turning back. “I wish I could believe
you.”

“Believe it,” another voice rumbled. The alien turned and went
over to the light spilling out of a vent. She saw an eye and froze. “Hi,” Ian
said quietly. “Remember me?” he asked.