Ghost Station (The Wandering Engineer) (87 page)

“She'll
make sure everyone does the same. Which will cause a problem for them. A work
slow down as they try to read and assimilate it. I wonder if they'll have
contract negotiations? Unions?” Warner mused. He took a sip of coffee as his
captain stopped and snorted.

“I
am so glad we do not have to deal with that crap here,” Chambers said. Warner
cocked an eyebrow at him. Chambers sighed. “Yet.”

The
XO nodded. “Right. Yet. When this hits the grapevine and people hear about it
they will want in as well. Some sort of compensation package in writing.”

“There
goes the neighborhood. I'm starting to regret finding that damn station,”
Chambers growled.

Warner
smiled politely. “I think we should get a copy of that contract and go over it.
Revise what we don't like and then hang onto it in case our own people take an
interest.”

“They're
our people. Well...”

“If
they are staying they are our friends and little more. We have to cut the
ties,” Warner said, feeling his heart twist a little. His parents were over
there after all. “Friends and family.”

“Agreed,”
Chambers replied with a short nod.  He knew how painful that was going to be
for some on both the station and the ship. “I guess there is some good in that,
getting rid of some of the... excess weight.”

He
was polite enough not to say dead weight Warner realized. He nodded in
response. “I'll get with Blur and have him look into it. Also have him look
into what we can sell to the station. Maybe he's got something tucked away.”

“Do
we have a formal contract?” the captain asked. He rubbed his chin. “Come to
think of it we don't. Not in writing. Just what the admiral promised. No
specifics though.”

“Then
I think I'll get with Sprite and Blur and we'll hammer out the details then,”
Warner said, draining his coffee and then returning the cup to the dirty dishes
pile. “With your permission captain?”

“Dismissed
with my compliments Mr. Warner. Please check in with the bridge before you get
into that mess of paperwork though. I've got a late dinner date with an angry
Cora.”

Warner
smiled. He was lucky to be a bachelor right now so he didn't have to deal with
the occasional irrational spouse. “Good luck with that captain.”

“Trade
you?” Captain Chambers asked as Warner got to the door.

Warner
turned back as the hatch opened. He placed one hand on the jam and turned with
a smile. “Not on your life,” he said and then exited to the sound of the
captain's chuckle.

With
the volunteers, cybers and sleepers, the admiral managed rudimentary repairs to
the life support and power supply systems in the core and occupied sections of
the station. Things were getting better daily as more and more systems were
repaired and brought online. The tribes were trying to integrate, but there
were a great deal of teething issues to work through. The sleep teaching
headsets and virtual reality rigs were interesting to a few but also scary.
They have to take it one day at a time.

Fortunately
there had been remarkably few deaths from the influenza outbreak. Doctor
Trask's efforts had cemented a bond with several of the tribal healers
including her own descendant Marion Trask. She took them under her wing,
showing them step by step. It's like opening up a door to a whole new world for
some. They were both awed by it and overwhelmed.

The
captain had been against the idea of salvaging the station, but when hundreds
and then thousands of his population stepped forward to emigrate, he accepted
the idea of using the station as a base of operations.  Now he was looking
forward to the ship's lessening passenger load.

“Want
us to contact Antigua for you admiral?” The captain asked at their next meeting.
He was speaking with the admiral and Fu through the radio link Sprite had set
up. It was a measure of how far they had come that they now had holo
projections to go along with the audio.

Irons
frowned and then nodded. “If you could. I'd like to make the broadcast.”

“That
sounds about right. What about you?” the captain asked, turning to the holo
projection of Fu.

“I
would prefer to do the projection,” Fu said.

“Radio
only,” the captain said. He still wasn't sure about the cybers. They didn't
feel right. Old yes, they felt old, terribly old, burdened by age and the
station. But for some there was an... aloof feeling. Like even though they had
fallen so far they still thumbed their noses at Kiev and others. Even the
admiral. He hadn't really realized it until he'd seen Irons and Fu together. Fu
ignored Irons. It would be interesting seeing them trying to work together on
the station, he realized with a pucker of amusement.

“I
believe we can both do the transmission Mister Fu,” Irons said. “I can do the
introduction and then you can finish. If that sounds good to you?”

“I...”

“A
compromise?” The captain asked and then waved a hand. “I don't care how you do
it just get it done,” he said brusquely.

Fu
didn't say anything, just stroked his virtual beard. Finally he bowed. “Very
well then. We will work together,” he said. He disappeared.

“He
doesn't sound all that happy about the idea,” the captain said, turning to the
holo of the admiral. This one at least was of a real person.

The
admiral frowned. “No, he doesn't. I'm not sure if it's because I'm stealing his
thunder or what. He hasn't been very helpful so I don't see why I should let
him get any of the credit,” he said.

“Really?”
the captain asked. Irons nodded. “Huh. Well, fine then. Screw him. I agree.”

“I've
got a prepared speech admiral,” Sprite informed him. Irons snorted. “What?”

“Good.
Nice job,” he said smiling and nodding to her.

“You
haven't seen it yet,” she said testily.

“If
it's anything like you're previous work it will be fine Sprite. I trust you,”
he said.

“Okay,”
the captain said with a nod. “Ready?”

“What
now?” Irons said. After a minute he shrugged. “Sure, fine whatever. Let's get
it over with. It will take a day or so to get to the planet.”

“I
know. Might as well get it done.”

Irons
nodded. The captain pressed a key as the admiral straightened, placing his
hands behind his back. “This is Fleet Admiral John Henry Irons of the United
Federation of Sentient Species Navy. I have been a sleeper for the past seven
centuries until I was picked up by the Io 11 several years ago. I recently
arrived on the good ship Kiev 221.” He nodded to the captain as his eyes went
back and forth reading the script. The captain nodded.

“I've
been helping the captain and his crew rebuild the ship. Upon arrival in this
system we stumbled across the derelict space station Antigua Prime. I am aboard
her now. I am happy to announce that the station is alive once more and will
soon be ready for business,” he smiled slightly.

Words
appeared in front of the captain. He read them quickly and then snorted. “This
is the captain of the Kiev 221 speaking, Robert Chambers. I can vouch for the
admiral and the current fortuitous turn of events. My ship is currently sitting
near the station and we are rendering assistance to the station.” He wondered
if Fu was on hand but Fu's voice immediately answered that question.

“This
is Yan Fu, director of Antigua Space Station Prime to our home world Antigua.
We are here. We are awake once more from our centuries of slumber. We are with
you in mind and in spirit. Soon we will be with you in body as well. This
station will soon return to its place in the heavens and will once again be
used for its intended purpose. Go in peace and joy. Antigua prime out.”

“Nice,”
the captain said with a nod to Irons as the channel closed and the signal was
sent. Irons shrugged.

“It's
a start anyway,” he responded.

“I'm
sending them still images from the Kiev and from the station just in case they
can receive them,” Sprite interjected.

“I
know they can't but you can try,” Captain Chambers said with a shake of his
head. “We sold them their last radio system years ago. It's an obsolete piece
of crap. Audio only,” he said wryly.

“Oh,”
Sprite said and then shrugged. “It's still worth the effort,” she said.

“That
it is. Good thinking Sprite,” Irons said with a nod.

“Now
what?” Gwen asked, looking at Irons as he signed off from the Kiev. “Are we
going to get the other reactor online? We're having issues balancing the power
demand. But that means...”

“We
need fuel. Myers?” he asked, looking around admin.

Doctor
Myers appeared behind him. “Yes admiral?”

The
admiral turned to face the avatar. “Do you have any contact with the long range
sensors? Tie into the Kiev's to get a better look if you can. Do you know of
any rocks around? Ice?” He'd planned for this but had gotten swamped by other
things. Now he had to act.

“A
snowball? It's a possibility that I know of a few. I've mapped a couple that
have dinged us if that's what you mean.”

“I
mean any nearby right now. Ones that we can give a push to send them over to be
eaten.”

Doctor
Myers frowned thoughtfully. “Oh. No, in that case... no but taking a look...”
He pulled up a hologram of the surrounding space and then a carat picked out
targets around the station. “Will these do? They are in the one hundred
thousand ton range. I think that's at the edge of a shuttle's ability though,”
he said.

“The
maintenance boats could handle one together but I don't think we can tie up
both boats for that long of a haul. Anything smaller?” Gwen asked.

He
highlighted two others. “Both are smaller. One is only a thousand tons. It is
about one hundred thousand kilometers from here.”

“Sounds
about right,” Gwen said looking at the admiral.

“Contact
the ship. See if the captain is amiable to sending a shuttle. We'll split the
fuel fifty fifty.”

“Bet
he'll want more of a cut,” Gwen said.

“I'm
talking processed fuel,” Irons replied with a slight smile.

“Oh?
Oh!”

The
admiral's smile widened slightly. “Right. He can take his pick of what kind.
Hydrogen or deuterium, his choice.”

“Oh.”
The Tauren nodded thoughtfully. It would be interesting to see which the
captain would choose. Deuterium was better but the ship currently had hydrogen
in her fuel system and was plumbed for that. They'd have to replicate separate
pods to store the slush deuterium... she put the thought aside. She had enough
to think about as it is.

“Which
means while they get out there we need to iron out the bugs in the system and
get the fuel processing system back online.”

“Not
my area of expertise. Do you think they can get me samples?” Myers asked.

“I'm
sure it's possible,” Irons said. “How goes the water plant?”

“They
are having a lot of issues. Growth, stuck valves, broken pipes, it's a mess. I
think the Stewards underestimated the job involved. Or overestimated what
support we could give them with everything else going on. I've got two memo's
here asking for more support,” Gwen replied.

“Lovely.
I'll take a look,” Irons responded, tugging on his outfit. He'd finally changed
out of his skin suit after a few pointed hints from Gwen yesterday. “In the
meantime if you could ask someone to take a look at the processing for fuel
Gwen?”

“Sure
thing admiral,” she said. “Just as soon as I figure out where the heck it is in
the station and what's involved,” she muttered.

He
grimaced and then nodded as he left.

“Is
he serious?” The captain asked, turning to Warner. Warner shrugged and looked
at Barry.

“I
can do it. Sure,” Barry said slowly. He'd simmed it with the admiral on their
way out. “I'd like to give it a shot anyway. Something to do other than all
these milk runs back and forth. They are getting old.”

“You're
getting plenty of stick time though,” Warner said.

“And
putting some more wear on my babies. Not that I'm complaining or anything. It's
better than going atmo at least. And we've got promises of support if we need
it. The station's already given us some parts. By the way the other set of
nodes are ready to lift. Do I move them first or go for the ice?”

“Captain?”
the exec asked, turning to Chambers.

“Huh?
Oh, the ice. I'll send someone else for the parts,” the captain said.

“Righty-o
then. I'll get on it. Back in a jiff,” Barry said with a tip of his head to his
hat and a jaunty salute as he left.

Warner
snorted. “Wonder where he got that one?” he asked.

“Who
knows,” the captain muttered, looking down at the tablet in his hands. “They
want the smaller snowball. Why?”