Mission Zero (Fourth Fleet Irregulars) (9 page)

‘We do not, obviously, have that on warships.  The best I can do for you is to isolate the wardroom for you and keep the gravity on in there.  The lowest impact you could have is to lie on your bunk, wearing headphones, playing loud music.  If you do that, you’ll just feel the ship vibrating and maybe some gravity lurching but it won’t be too bad.

‘If you’re out of the wardroom, though, you should be prepared.  We go into freefall and turn off all non-essential systems, suit up and strap in.  The ship will be shaking and juddering like it’s coming apart, with some very alarming noises.  It’s okay, that’s normal.  Even the best and most advanced starships judder and creak under launch and this is a very good, strong ship with an expert crew.  We normally launch in under forty seconds, which is excellent, by the way – freighters may take up to three minutes.   

‘I should also mention that Minnow is a yelling ship.  That’s another of those ‘skipper’s prerogative’ things with which skippers set the tone of their ships.  Nine out of ten ships in the Fleet go for yelling, with the ones who require silence during launch considered very strict and formal.  But even they honour the ancient Fleet tradition of the helm’s privilege – whatever rating is at the helm for a launch has the right to choose a piece of music to be played throughout the ship as soon as the launch is accomplished. 

‘So, you know, be prepared for the crew to be yelling their heads off as we hit the launch tunnel.  Knowing the tastes of the leading star we’ll have at the helm, you should expect very loud thumping rock music to break forth while we’re doing post-launch diagnostics.  Beyond that, well, just about everything about life on this ship is going to be new to you and that’s exhausting to contend with in itself, even without things like alerts and drills and things going on which may startle or bewilder or get your adrenalin pumping.  And being out in deep space, psychologically, is very high impact.  People either love it, feeling the awe and wonder, or it scares the living daylights out of them, feeling so tiny and fragile and lost, and there’s no way to know, really, how you will feel till you’re out there.  So yes, inspector, it will certainly be extremely challenging for you.  But you’re up for it, obviously, and you can be assured that we
will
keep you safe, and do our best to make your stay an enjoyable one.’

‘Thank you.’  He could see now that Alex really was not joking.  He looked a little uneasy, but set his chin with an air of resolve.  ‘I’m sure I’ll be fine.  And I can hardly be the first civilian passenger you’ve had travelling with you, I suppose.’

‘Actually you are,’ Alex told him.  ‘It’s not unheard of for Fleet ships to carry civilians of course, but that tends to be on larger ships with better facilities for them.  Minnow hasn’t carried any civilians since I took command, so you are our first passenger, yes.  Don’t worry, though, you’re in good hands.’

‘I’m sure I am,’ Mako said.  ‘And I will be guided by you in coping with life aboard ship, so if you feel that the best thing for me to do is to stay on my bunk with headphones on, I will.’

‘Well, that is entirely your decision.’  Alex said.  ‘You are evidently someone who likes to know what’s going on and to see things for yourself, so I would say myself that while the bunk and headphones option would certainly be the most physically comfortable, it might not sit comfortably with your personality to be hiding away like that.  So if you feel, on fair warning of what a high adrenalin ride it will be, that you want to be on the command deck, to be right in the thick of it and see it all, you’ll be welcome to do that.’

‘Thank you.’  Mako looked heartened, ‘and I may take you up on that.  Even if I do,’ he added, drily, ‘need to change my underwear afterwards.  I would rather see things myself than be hiding in my bunk.’

Alex gave him an approving nod and one of his quick, attractive smiles.

‘Excellent,’ he commended, ‘and if you really
would
like my advice on coping with life aboard ship…’  He paused and looked enquiringly at the inspector, who nodded confirmation.  ‘Well, I could suggest a microsteps target,’ Alex observed.  That made Mako grin but he nodded again, interested to see what the skipper would suggest.  ‘I’d recommend that you learn your way about the ship and get your bearings so that you do not have to ask the crew which way you are facing.’  Alex permitted himself a little grin, with that, which the inspector took in good part.

‘On timescale, I would say, give yourself two or three days for that, to know your way around without having to stop and think about it.  You’ll need to learn the shipboard terms, too.  When you can tell me what route you would take to get from Compo to Midsec, you can consider that you’ve nailed that one.  Microsteps, of course, also requires a reward for achieving your target, which has to be something you’d like, so anything in mind for that?’

‘Oh… no, I wouldn’t really want…’  He was thrown for a moment and then was evidently struck by an idea.  ‘I don’t feel it would be appropriate for me to be doing that, you know, even unofficially, while I’m here on inspection.  But if we could agree perhaps that you’ll advise me on familiarising myself with shipboard life and routines, that would be very welcome.  And if you feel that I’ve come up at least to competent passenger standard, perhaps you would allow me to make some small gesture of appreciation to the crew when we get back – cakes, perhaps, or something of that kind.’

‘Well, if you want to do that by the end of the patrol, certainly.’  Alex said.  ‘I hope you
will
enjoy it.  Though you can never be sure how people will cope until they’re out there, and it certainly will be a very high intensity experience for you, you are coming at it with a good, open minded attitude.  A willingness to learn from them will take you a very long way with the crew, too.’

‘Oh, I am certainly very willing to learn, Skipper,’ Mako said sincerely.  ‘And I do appreciate you taking the time to talk to me like this.  I know you must, of course, be extremely busy with the ship preparing for patrol, so I won’t take up any more of your time, today.’

He shook hands with the skipper, with that, and departed, Alex permitting himself an amused grin when he’d gone.  Having Inspector Ireson aboard, he felt, was going to be an entertaining experience.

____________________

Chapter Five

The shuttle bringing the parolees arrived at 1475, with the liner clearly being in some haste to discharge itself of such controversial passengers.  The SDF had to hold back media and other craft, providing fighter escort to the shuttle for the six minute journey from the liner to the Minnow.  As the shuttle approached, Buzz Burroughs got up to go to the airlock and Alex von Strada, clearly intending to stay where he was, touched a control on the command deck datatable.

‘Attention on deck,’ he said, matter of factly.  ‘Silent running.’

The ship had been abuzz with excited anticipation.  The crew had cheered already when they got word that the shuttle was leaving the liner.  At those words from the skipper, though, the hubbub of voices was instantly stilled to an almost eerie quiet.

Mako looked at him in surprised enquiry.  He had been invited to sit on the command deck while they waited for the parolees to arrive.

‘We don’t know how stressed they may be, seeing the media situation.’  Alex explained, as he would not have to any member of his crew, skippers rarely feeling it appropriate to explain such orders.  ‘And to come aboard with everyone cheering might just be too much.’

‘Ah.’  Mako nodded understanding and said no more, though the way he watched the Exec going to the airlock and then looked back at the skipper was a question in itself.

‘Normal boarding protocols when joining a ship.’  Alex informed him, pleasantly.  ‘They’ll be brought here to salute and sign the log.’

‘Ah,’ the inspector murmured again, remembering his own arrival on the ship.  Then he fell silent, too, watching as the inner airlock opened and five people came aboard.

They were all in Fleet uniform, two officers escorting three men carrying kitbags.  Only one of the crewmen was looking happy, beaming all over his face.  Mako recognised Jace Higgs from his file and the extensive media coverage about him and felt relieved to see that huge, happy grin.  Ty Barrington was looking overwhelmed, avoiding eye contact.  Jok Dorlan was looking very earnest and nervous.  Buzz Burroughs greeted them all with his usual warmth and brought them straight onto the command deck.

‘PO Barrington, A/S Dorlan, and O/S Higgs reporting aboard, sir,’ he informed the skipper, formally.  The three snapped smartly to attention and gave salutes that the skipper returned. 

‘Welcome aboard, gentlemen,’ he said, as calmly as if this were an entirely normal crew arrival, and indicated a screen on the datatable.  ‘If you would please sign aboard.’

They did so, in rank order.  Ty Barrington and Jok Dorlan were both subdued, though Jace Higgs gave the most enormous grin and ‘Thank you, sir!’ as he stepped back from signing, which clearly came straight from the heart.

‘Good to have you with us,’ said Alex, involving all three of them in that with a welcome that was impersonal but pleasant.  ‘You have been informed, I am sure, of our intention to launch on patrol in the 19-20 window?  And you’ve had time to consider your options before deciding to come with us?’

‘Yes sir,’ three voices replied, one ringing with happy confidence and the other two quiet but definite.

‘Very good,’ Alex said.  ‘Then it only remains for us to give you a proper welcome.’  He touched a hand to a control without needing to look at it.  ‘Permission to cheer.’

The ship erupted, exploding with noise as all the delight that the crew had been bottling up roared out in a huge bellow.  It went on and on, with Jace Higgs laughing and blushing rosily.  Jok Dorlan, seeing that people were looking at him, too, that this welcome was for all of them, looked just choked with happy relief.

PO Barrington looked stunned.  He actually flinched when the cheering started, and as he too realised that it was at least in part to welcome him, tears welled up in his eyes.  Rangi Tekawa had appeared, too, grinning and adding his mite to the applause.  The two officers who’d come aboard with them remained in the airlock area, watching tolerantly.

‘All right.’  The skipper used the PA again, his manner pleasant but decisive.  ‘That’ll do,’ he said, and the cheering died away, though with laughter and a very cheerful buzz about the ship.  ‘If you would go with Dr Tekawa, he will do your orientation.’  Alex told the two newcomers, and then, to Jace Higgs, ‘Your wife is waiting for you in the wardroom.’

‘
Thank
you, sir!’  Said the rating, again, and snapped off another salute before hurrying away at a nod from the skipper.  Rangi Tekawa ushered the other two away, putting a consoling arm around the silently weeping petty officer before they were quite off the command deck. 

It was only then that the other two officers came onto the command deck, neither of them needing to be introduced to the skipper.  They were introduced to Mako and shook hands with him but it was apparent that they wanted to speak to Alex privately, so he took them off into his cabin.  At the same time, there was another great roar of cheers from below.  Alica Higgs had not stayed put in the wardroom but had come to meet her husband, bringing him his son right there on the mess deck.

Mako left them to it.  He was here to observe provision being made for the parolees and didn’t want either to add to the stress they were under or intrude on their private lives, so he just stayed quietly on the command deck.

Things settled down again quickly.  Jace Higgs and his family went to the wardroom and the rest of the crew got back to work on preparations for the launch.  The two officers who’d escorted the parolees aboard left the ship a few minutes later.

‘They only wanted to hand over the paperwork,’ Alex informed the inspector as he came back to the command deck, then told Buzz, ‘And they had me record a statement for media release.’

‘I hope you didn’t smile this time,’ said Buzz, in an obvious joke which had the ratings on watch there immediately on the grin, themselves.

‘No.  Special request from on high that I be asked
not
to,’ said Alex.  ‘I don’t know why, I’m sure.’  He pinned on, briefly, his cold-eyed psychotic shark rictus and as the command deck crew burst out laughing, looked at his exec with a genuine smile warming his eyes.  ‘But no.  Cool professionalism was asked for.’

It was on air a few minutes later, blazing out as hot breaking news on the extensive live coverage.  There were more demonstrations at the Admiralty, everyone with any kind of axe to grind competing for media attention, and there’d been all the drama of the media chase of the shuttle with the ‘Cestus Three’ being taken from the liner to the corvette.  And now there was Alex von Strada issuing a statement with all the warmth and personality of a robot.

‘I can confirm that all three crewmembers have now signed aboard as per Fleet regulation and that the ship will launch on patrol as scheduled.’

‘Well, it could have been worse.’  Buzz observed philosophically as they watched it on the command deck.

 ‘I have also been handed a media skills course to work on while we’re away,’ Alex said.  Buzz grinned broadly. 

‘Can we
be
out in space that long, dear boy?’ he queried, which had the command deck in fits again and the skipper giving his little splutter of amusement.