Ghost Station (The Wandering Engineer) (67 page)

“You
called chief?” the Tauren asked.

“Why
are so many Taurens interested in going on an away mission?” she asked, coming
right to the point.

“Blunt
as always chief,” Gwen huffed, playing with her ear. “It's hard to explain
really. I think well... I can say it's new challenges and bigger quarters. The
current ones are well... tight.” Which was true. The Taurens liked a lot of
room around them so they stayed out of their quarters unless they needed to
sleep. Most of the time the off duty Taurens had congregated in the greenhouse
with the cornucopia tree.

O'Mallory
raised an eyebrow. “You've had them for decades and never said anything,” the
chief replied.

“That's
because there wasn't any choice. This station sounds interesting. A challenge
and it's big. Big enough to have plenty of room to expand. I mean. The herd...”

“The
breeding rule...” George murmured nodding in sudden understanding. Quinna shot
him a look and then went back to looking at Gwen. Gwen had stopped what she was
saying to stare. After a moment she nodded.

“So...
You're willing to risk your necks in a derelict station in order to have kids?”
O'Mallory demanded.

“Aren't
we doing that in this ship?” Gwen replied. O'Mallory nodded grudgingly. “I'd
like to see what's new too. Upwards mobility chief. Someday I'd like to
be
chief.”

“Huh,”
Quinna grunted, suddenly amused and nonplussed. “Never thought you wanted
responsibility Gwen.” She smiled at that thought. Gwen had a wicked temper when
the bulls tested her but was usually too nice to think of being in charge.

“You
mean more responsibility?” Gwen asked. Her ears twitched. “Of course. I'm a
team leader right?”

“Huh.
That you are,” O'Mallory admitted.

“I'd
like to keep growing.”

“I'll...
look can you get me a mixed team? Give me two mixed teams. Volunteers from the
list. Mixed from all specialties, ages, and races. That way no one can scream
we're playing favorites and that way all bases are covered,” O'Mallory said.
She was going to have a hell of a time running this past the captain.

“Really?”
Gwen asked. “I've got a project on but I can take a look. We're backed up again
waiting on the replicator. Any word from the admiral?”

O'Mallory
sighed. “Not much apparently.”

“Has
the captain approved this?”

O’Mallory
smirked. Gwen knew the answer to that already but she just had to ask. “I want
a plan in place before I go to him with it.”

The
Tauren nodded. “Ah.”

“Minimum
resources,” Quinna said with a grimace. “You know the drill. The less you take
the easier it will be to get it past Blur and the captain.”

“I
know,” Gwen said with an equal grimace of understanding and impatience. “I'll
get on that as well.”

“Get
the list then contact the people. Tell them they will be on short notice. I
don't know if and when he'll approve the plan. When he does I want to move
before he changes his mind.”

“Roger,”
Gwen said with a nod. “We'll need security and safe passage. Can I have that
list?” she asked.

Quinna
nodded, copying the list and then opening an e-mail. She tagged Gwen's name to
it then attached the copy and shot it off with a flick of a fingertip to the
send button. “On its way,” Quinna said.

Gwen
looked down and then nodded. “Got it. You've got to love what the admiral and
his AI did. e-mail rocks,” she said.

“So
do a lot of things. Get the ball rolling will you? I'll see what I can do on my
end,” Quinna said. “O'Mallory out.”

“Thanks
chief,” Gwen said as her finger touched the disconnect key.

“Think
it's safe?” George asked. He sounded a little worried.

O'Mallory
shrugged. “Everything we do is dangerous. We're spacers, it's what we do.
Calculated risk the admiral said. We just need to minimize the risk. With the
admiral in charge over there we won't be sending our people in blind this time.
And yeah, I'm worried too. I don't want this to go badly. Not ever again.”

“Yeah,”
George said with a sigh. “Yeah.”

Quinna
grimaced as she came onto the bridge. She'd spent the first half hour of her
shift getting call after call from people wanting news or wanting to go over to
the station. The constant distraction wasn't doing her blood pressure any good.
Something had to be done. Time to do something about it. Time to take the bull
by the horns as Gwen liked to say for some reason. Warner looked up at her
entrance. “Permission to enter?” she asked. He waved her in.

“Coffee?”
he asked. She shook her head. “What's up?” he asked.

“I'd
like to see the captain,” she admitted looking around. He wasn't on the bridge.

“Problem?”
Warner asked, searching her face.

She
frowned and then brushed her hair out of her eyes. “No, well yes. I've been
swarmed with people wanting to go over to the station.” the Veraxin rating at
the communications console glanced her way. She looked at him and then back to
the XO.

“Despite
what happened?” Warner asked.

“Tell
that to your parents. They are top of the list,” she said. His eyes widened in
shock and surprise.

“You're
not serious!” he said. She nodded. “I...”

“I'm
not sure if it's loyalty to the admiral, something new to fix, or wanting to
clear space for us here,” she replied with a shrug.

“With
my parents? Who knows? Probably all three. Fixing that station though... all
the old I mean um...”

“I
think just about everyone is talking about it,” Quinna said with a grin. “I've
had no less than twenty people approach me on my way up here.”

“Then
it's getting interesting,” Warner said with a nod. He was surprised Cora hadn't
been up to beard the captain in his layer about the subject.

“Any
word from the admiral?” Quinna asked looking at the main view screen and
holographic projector. The 2D view screen had an image of the station drifting
in space. It was still dark and more than a little foreboding. The holo
projector had a 3D image of Kiev and it's work parties out on the hull. One was
highlighted.

John
shook his head. “No. Sprite kept us informed but she said she was going to be
busy doing some software repairs to some of the system and might be out of
touch.”

“I
wonder if they want any help?” she asked, clearly amused.

“I'm
sure they can use it. The question is can we get them in safely?”

O'Mallory
grimaced. “I thought Irons had that covered?”

“That's
an interesting question isn't it?” Al asked. They turned to the security
assistant chief. He shrugged. He was back on duty but he looked a little tired
still from his ordeal on the station. “He didn't do so hot the last time.”

“I
don't blame him for what happened. When you go in blind sometimes... it sucks
but sometimes that happens,” Quinna said with a grimace.

“Easy
for you to say,” Al said. Al was clearly unhappy about going up against
Dilgarth. Not that Quinna could really blame him.

“Look
as an engineer I have to deal with hard choices all the time Al. Do you think I
like
the idea of sending someone I know, a friend possibly a family
member into harm’s way? Into a plasma leak? A shorted system? A high pressure
leak? Toxic gas? We live with it every day,” O'Mallory said. Al straightened
and scowled at her.

“True,”
Warner said looking from one to the other. “It's...”

O'Mallory
turned her attention on the XO. “Part of a spacer's world. Yes I know. I was
just talking about that with Gwen and George. Gwen wanted to go by the way. She
doesn't have a suit and she still wanted to go. Most of the Taurens want to go.
Think about that.”

“Wow,”
Warner said eyes wide in surprise.

O'Mallory
sighed and shook her head. “Apparently she's not the only one. Some of the
sleepers do. Numiria passed on a tidbit to George. Apparently all the sleepers
are talking about it. Her latest batch are asking all sorts of questions and
some are just now getting back on their feet. One even volunteered and he's not
even out of bed yet,” she said.

“Wow,”
Warner said blinking at her.

“The
captain?” Quinna asked, turning to him.

Warner
indicated the day cabin door. “He's in a mixed mood.”

“Lovely,”
she said, tugging on the hem of her coverall top. “I'll just get it over with
quickly then,” she said.

“If
you don't mind, I'll go with you,” Warner said.

“Me
too,” Al said coming around his console with a nod. “If you're planning a
follow up away mission I want my people on board.”

“Okay,”
Quinna said with a nod.

“Miss
Esmay, you have the bridge,” Warner said over his shoulder as Quinna raised her
hand to rap on the door. She knocked as Esmay acknowledged the order behind
her.

“Enter,”
the captain said curtly. The door clicked and then opened. She grimaced and
stepped through with the others on her heels.

“So?”
The captain demanded from behind his desk. The trio came to attention before
him as the door closed behind them. “What's on your mind?” he asked, laying his
hands together on the bloater in front of him.

O'Mallory
shrugged mentally and decided to just come out with it. “Captain, we're being
swamped with requests to join the admiral.”

“Really,”
the captain said sarcastically. “Anyone I know?”

“Other
than your daughter sir?” O'Mallory asked. Al and Warner turned to stare at her.
The captain's jaw dropped and then closed firmly. He scowled blackly.

“That's
not funny chief.”

“I
wasn't kidding sir. she asked me on my way up here. I told her we have enough
volunteers. She seemed disappointed,” she said.

“She...”

“She's
a strong woman sir. She's eager to prove herself,” O'Mallory replied. “There is
a lot of that going around.”

“She
can do it in other ways,” the captain said. Safer ways was hovering at the end
of that statement.

O'Mallory
shrugged that off. That was between her and the captain. “We're still getting a
lot of requests.”

“Despite
everything that happened?” the captain demanded dubiously.

O'Mallory
shrugged, lips twisting in a sour smile. “I think because of it for some. They
want to kick ass.”

“Revenge?”
Warner asked.

“I'm
not sure,” O'Mallory replied as the captain sat there, pondering what to do.

“It
would be for me if I was going. Which I'm not. Not unless you order me to,” Al
said nodding to the captain. The captain's mouth pursed thoughtfully.

O'Mallory
shook her head. “Volunteers. We've got hundreds, some are crew, and some are
passengers. A lot of retirees and young people.”

“We
can't afford to lose trained personnel,” Al said.

O'Mallory
shook her head. “Not all of them are crew. I'd say about half. Most of my
engineers are busy.”

“True,”
Warner said. He was still wrestling with the concept of his parents
volunteering. What would his life be like without them around? He knew he'd
have to deal with it eventually... Then again, dad had deteriorated rapidly
after being sidelined by arthritis and that damn implant thing. Now that he was
better he seemed eager to take on new roles, new challenges. According to
doctor Numiria that was the best tonic for him, to keep busy and active.

“I'll
allow it,” the captain said finally. The trio stared at him. He looked amused,
rubbing his right temple with his right index finger before propping his head
up with it. “Surprised you?” he asked with a sardonic smile.

“In
a word yes sir. It did,” O'Mallory replied cautiously. She looked at the
others. Al was stiff; Warner was smiling slightly for some reason.

“If
the admiral has made it safe or at least safer then I don't see the reason why
we shouldn't send people over to take what they can,” the captain said.

“Um,
sir,” the chief looked uncomfortable. “I believe for some like the Taurens they
are hoping to make it a new home. Some of the sleepers have put in for it too.
Those that aren't interested in getting off on Antigua that is.”

The
captain steepled his fingers, wrestling with that new tidbit of information.
“Really,” he finally said.

“If
we're lucky we'll shed about a thousand people,” Al mused thoughtfully, eyes
far away.

“If
we could be so lucky,” the captain muttered. He closed his eyes for a moment
before opening them and focusing on the chief once more. “Aren't there a couple
of hundred people on the station?”

“Yes
sir,” O'Mallory said with a nod. “All sorts of species sir. I can give you the
list...?” He shook his head no at that suggestion.