Battleship Destroyer (75 page)

"Jack what are you doing?" The Ensign said worried.

"Stop that you fool." Commander Buttoner almost screamed and started to move toward Jack but a marine stepped in his way.

Jack smiled over at
the Ensign and pointed at the hatch seal. "See the mush or film on the edge of the hatch seal. I don't think the original seal cover was scrapped off and the hatch blade has stuck itself to the seal. The motor would most likely have eventually opened it as it has in the past if it did not burn out first but it most likely has been over loading to open the hatch for quite a while now and won't last much longer. I am just popping the hatch to save the motor. We need this hatch to work properly for the next few hours or a lot of people are going to die."

Shaking his head
sadly at the Commander, Jack turned and pointed at the closest marine Sargent. "As soon as the hatch pops, get the seal cleaned off and greased and check the other hatch. We can't afford them failing right now." Pissed off at whoever was responsible for the incompetent maintenance Jack had lashed out at the nearest body without thinking and was shocked when the Sargent had saluted and started issuing orders to his men.

The hatch suddenly popped making the Ensign and Commander jump as Jack reached back over
, cut off the air and activated the hatch motors again smoothly opening the hatch. Jack was not even out of the lock before the Sargent's squad was already at the lock's rim seal, cleaning it.

Walking into the cargo handling bay with the large elevators sitting side by side in the middle Jack looked around out the viewing ports into the boat bay and noticed more marines and cargo coming off the gig that had followed them in. Turning he followed the Captain toward the smaller 10 foot square personnel elevator platform on that side as a lot of the cargo boxes was being pushed over to one of the cargo elevators. The platform started up with a jerk and
then seemed to rumble as it jerked from side to side slightly as it ran up the two corner tracks that extended up through the overhead decks. The deck hatches above standing wide open with their maintenance locks in place keeping them from falling closed during maintenance. The maintenance locks were never to be used except for short periods when repairs were required. With the hatches open a hole in any deck would put half the ship into vacuum. It looked like most, if not all of them, were wide open from what Jack could see.

Stepping off at the deck with the Emergency
, Auxiliary or 2nd Command Bridge, Jack lead the way as he sniffed the air looking around getting more upset by the minute. Walking down the passageway toward the 2nd bridge Jack turned into an alcove with a maintenance station in it with several pieces of equipment and started punching keys and icons as the Captain, Commander and Ensign passed him before following them. They came to a hatch that would not open as they approached or when the Captain hit the manual switch. Jack stepped past her and kicked the corner of the hatch then turned the manual release before shoving the hatch to the side a little with a groan. Hitting the manual switch again it suddenly creaked and slid aside. "Half the equipment I have seen has not even seen basic maintenance including the Air-conditioning just by the smell. The Oxygen levels are high with a 90% humidity rusting everything not protected as well. This ship is rapidly turning into a piece of Junk. Sir." Jack turned to the Commander. "Aren’t you the maintenance Chief?"

They entered the auxiliary bridge as the Commander answered. "So what. I can't be responsible for the incompetent crew they g
ave me."

Jack went to the engineer's station and started tapping icons
as the Ensign went to the Damage control console. Officers were at the Comm, pilot's chair, weapons consoles.

The Pilot turned
as he heard the hatch open and saw the Admiral/Captain and jumped up saluting. "Captain ah Admiral on the bridge! Fifth Officer Parker sir."

"At ease Mr. Parker. What is going on here?"

"Ship is waiting for orders Sir. Both engines are down with half the available engine room crews working on repairing the Starboard Engine. Every available crewman including half the engineering crews left aboard are up trying to get to survivors in the bow sir. The first of the arrived marine rescue squads are headed that way now sir."

"Good.
I need you to set a course to rendezvous with the Cabbage, maneuvering thrusters please." The Captain/Admiral started to sit in the Command chair only to be blocked by the Commander sitting in it first.

"I told you Admiral that we are abandoning
this ship sir. Parker is full of shit. No one is left in the engine rooms. There is no need to move the ship."

Standing next to
the Command chair she looked down at the Commander. "If you don't mind Commander. We are going to use this ships maneuvering thrusters to tuck it up against the Cabbage so we can blow them both up together."

The Commander looked at the Admiral/Captain disgustedly. "Why bother blowing
either of them up? They are no good to the enemy."

"I thought you said you where the Engineering Chief Commander?  Wha
t do you know about your engine upgrades?"

"So some techs came aboard and did a few up grades.
Whoopee ding Admiral." The Commander rolled his eyes. "The damn bug ships are a million years ahead of us. What could we have that would interest them."

Jack turned around to the Captain. "Si
r. I am talking to the Starboard engine’s crew and they think they can make repairs if given enough time. Oh and they never left their posts."

"What? You said you evacuated your ship Commander."

"It is not my fault some of the crew would not follow my orders to abandon ship. That is on their heads not mine." Commander Buttoner smirked.

The Captain grabbed ahold of the Commander and jerked him up out of the Command Chair
and sent him sailing across the deck. Sitting down she started tapping icons. "For your information Commander. Our new engine upgrades are a generation ahead of anything the enemy has and I would like to keep it that way.  I see here in your file that you where the perfect officer on your Tramp Family Ship. Advanced right up the ranks to become Captain of your families new ship two years ago. Oh I see. Your father was the families Mothership's Captain and you lasted a total of 6 months before returning to your parents ship as first officer until you joined the navy a year ago as a Captain but was finally assigned as Chief engineer on the Red Pepper six months ago and the ship has only been out of the dock a total of 7 times with a constant history of breakdowns making the ship miss at least 4 scheduled training missions. How is that even possible? She is a brand new ship."

Tapping
through the screens of the commanders service records the Captain could only shake her head. "This record is unbelievable Commander. You have perfect marks in everything right up until you were relieved of Command of your families 4th ship for no apparent reason." Stopping at a page she started reading in detail. "Now this finally makes sense. Your marks and evaluations sucked with you staying an ensign well into your 26th birthday and then you brought charges against a superior officer for incompetence and the deaths of several crewmen when you followed his orders. In spite of the officer saying that he gave you no such orders.  He was found guilty, probably on mostly your testimony (after all, you are the Ship's Captain's kid and would never lie,) then executed and you took his place." The Captain could only shake her head. "Now it all makes sense. Bureau of Personnel put you where they thought you were qualified and would do the least harm; maintaining the ship with a note never to make you a flag officer. So what does the Captain do but put you in the Auxiliary Bridge."

"
Captain." The Ensign turned from the Damage Control Console. "Sickbay is reporting wounded they would like to evacuate this time if the Abandon ship order is given again. They did not have time last time to get to the boats before they launched."

"Ah Captain." Jack turned around as well. "I think I can get at least one of the
engines going if not both.  If I am given enough time sir. I will head down to the engine rooms now sir."

"OK Mr. Turner. How long do you need?"

"A couple hours ahhh." Turning to the Fifth Officer. "How many of the engineering crew is still aboard."

"The ones not on the boats
or in Engine Room 3 are up helping rescue trapped crewmen. About 23."The Ensign turned from Jack to the Captain. "Do you want me to pull them off the rescue crews Captain?"

The
Captain frowned looking around at Jack. "I don’t have time for this. Mr. Turner. You are now a Commander and this ship's new Captain. You have one hour to get this ship space worthy on at least one engine to start with, preferably both in two hours.” Looking at Jack as her eyes narrowed.  “I want this ship decelerating on at least one engine in an hour. I will send the Admiral's Barge back with a few more boats including engineers and any essential personnel you may need before then. If you can't make the needed repairs by the time the fleet is under way, you will either dock with the Cabbage or aim the ship to destroy it's self in the cloud and take the Admiral's Barge and Captain's gigs I will send you to rejoin the fleet. They will have the range and speed to catch up. I will take all the wounded and none essential crewmen with me on one of the personnel gigs." Standing up she headed for the hatch. "Get your crews working on the engines, the wounded and extra crewmen headed for the boat bay and then join me in the Chief Engineers cabin. I have a few things you need to know now that you are a ship's acting Captain."

"
What? You can't just barge into my Cabin" The Commander had picked himself up off the deck. "My personal property is in there."

The Captain turned to the Commander. "You abandoned ship remember. You have no personal property left on this ship. With the Captain's cabin destroyed along with the bridge and officers country, the Chief Engineers Cabin is the only one left with a Command sweat in it. It is now the Captain's cabin." The Captain took a breath. "How many of your engineering officers are left Commander?"

"I don't know. A couple I think went with the gigs though a few are up with the rescue teams I think." Getting a disgusted look on his face. "Why the hell should I care anyway."

Jack watched in disbelief as the Captain
/Admiral turned and walk off the bridge without saying another word.  Jack's mouth hanging open trying to say something as he stared in shock.

"Captain Turner." Jack
slowly turned to face the Fifth Officer. "Do you want me to recall the engineers from the rescue parties to start work on the engines?"

Jack looked around the emergency bridge and realized it looked a lot like his Destroyer's bridge on The Game as small as it was. Nothing like the big main bridges he had been getting used to for several weeks now. Fact is it was easy to think of it as his Destroyer's Bridge in The Game.

"Captain Turner?"

"Ah. Yes.
It is only The Game." He said under his breath as he looked over at a shocked Ensign. Taking a deep breath. “Your damage control teams can take care of rescuing the trapped crewmen without their help with the arrival of the marines. We have got to get those engines up and running." Standing up Jack stepped to the Command Chair putting his hand on its back swiveling it back and forth. "Mr. Parker; you are my first officer now. Put the ship on auto pilot station keeping, assign someone you trust on the con and get the wounded and anyone the ship does not need down to the Shuttle bay. I will be with the Admiral for a few minutes."  Letting go of the Command chair's back as he gave it another push, Jack walked to the hatch and stopped. Turning he looked at the Commander, The Engineering Chief. "What the hell am I supposed to do with you?"

"Nothing, I am leaving on that shuttle you moron."

"Oh yes, you have been trying to get off this ship since the Admiral's barge docked."

"Hell, I have been trying to get off this ship since I stepped aboard the fucking thing six months ago."

"Well now I can believe that. Explains why this ship is a piece of junk." Jack looked around and smiled. "Tell you what Commander. For some reason Beu-Pers thought you were a good mechanic or they would not have made you the Chief Engineer. You go down and get the engines running. Say, one of them in the next hour and the other after we get underway, along with the rest of the auxiliary systems on the lower half of the ship before we get to the Rock and I will transfer you legally onto another ship, the Rock or even out of the navy if that is what you want."

"Are you
crazy? I am leaving now with the Admiral."

"Mr. Parker.
Call the Master at Arms and inform the marines. If the Commander tries to leave this ship. Hell, even if he steps into the boat or life boat bays, shoot him as a deserter. Do not arrest him or even ask him what he is doing. Just shoot his fucking butt dead." Smiling. "As I said before, you get this ship back into shape and I will transfer you anyplace you want to go. If you don't, you will be on this hulk when it plunges into the fucking cloud at speed or the Cabbage blows them both up." Jack stared at the Commander as he turned from red to green. "Do you understand me Commander Buttoner? You get your fucking butt down to those engine rooms and get to work. If you can't remember where they are, I am sure Mr. Parker will show you." Turning to the Ensign. "Ensign, concentrate on getting the wounded out first so they can leave on the next shuttle."