All I have is a shipsuit with two thousand light-years of wear on it. Will that satisfy you?”
“Uh . . . yeah, go ahead.” She tried to shrug me off and sat back, trying to look casual.
Oh, hell no. “You can address me as ‘Spacer,’ ‘Crewwoman’ or ‘Lady.’”
There was a pause that started getting embarrassing, with people staring at me, but mostly at her.
An older lady said, “She means it. I know a vet when I hear one.”
The woman finally said, “Yes, Spacer.” She wasn’t going to call me “Lady.”
The matron said, “I’m a vet. Groundside only, but I can take and give orders. I’ll help.”
Oh, good. That would help a lot, and I was glad the faceoff was over.
“Thanks. What’s your name?”
“Claire Copley.”
“Thanks, Claire.”
I looked them all over. “I’m Angie Kaneshiro. Medic, stevedore, cargomistress, Able Spacer. This is what I do for a living the last seven years. These pods are really tight for space at the best of times, and this one is basically a bunkroom for laborers. Now, you each have a rack, and either the kids share with you, or we’ll improvise some bedding for them. You need to hold onto them, with webbing, during Jump Point transit. They may feel nauseous, I’ll tell you what to eat before we go. One person sleeps per bunk. This pod is women only. Men are diagonally across and aft. If you want to bump or spread you can use the shower in the head together. We’re going to appoint people to cover stray kids while we work. You’ll be keeping this clean, getting your own meals, and staying out of the crew’s way . . .”
They listened to me, and didn’t argue much.
In five segs they had a summary I knew they’d forget, but they knew I was in charge. I hoped.
Intercom sounded, “All hands, secure for space. Departure imminent.” I felt the outer lock seal.
The next announcement was, “Umbilicals separated, vessel secure. Undogged and moving.” I could feel it. That wasn’t just a ram. There were maneuvering engines at work. That probably wouldn’t hurt the station regolith, but it might melt hatch equipment.
Then, “We are in space. Duty rotation to commence. Passengers stand by and await instructions.”
That was the most abbreviated pullout I’d ever experienced. With a ship, I mean.
I wasn’t a passenger, or was I? And I had Juletta.
She looked up at me with big eyes. I figured she wasn’t sure what I had been doing, but I’d been telling adults off. She was probably either scared or impressed.
I gathered her up and stepped through the hatch. As I dogged it, she said, “You strong, Anzhie.”
“I am when I need to be,” I said.
“Are we friends?”
“Yes, Juletta. We’re friends.” I fastened her hands around my neck and started dragging myself along grips, glad I was only in the passage, not in the long umbilical to towed pods.
“Where’s Mom and Dad?”
“We’re still trying to find them. There’s an air leak in the station, so we have to go to another.”
I hoped we’d meet them in Caledonia. If not, they’d still be in this volume of space. Assuming they weren’t dead, but with what info I had, I didn’t think many, if any, were.
“Find a safety ofser?”
“They can’t help with that, Sweetie. We need the ship for that. Have you ever been on one?”
“No.”
“Well, it might be a few days, but we’ll be safe.”
“You make me safe.”
I’m going to try . “I’ll do my best.”
How did I get into this crate?
I got into the stateroom as engines started thrusting. I lunged for the bunk, grabbed her with me, and said, “Hang on, we’re moving.”
“Rockets?”
I didn’t even know if this one was string drive or forceline propulsion.
“Yes,” I agreed.
CHAPTER 6
I hear all kinds of stories about the “Spacelift” as it got called. There wasn’t any official request or SOS that I know of. The haulers and trampers just decided that people needed help and moved to evacuate everyone
“Uh . . . yeah, go ahead.” She tried to shrug me off and sat back, trying to look casual.
Oh, hell no. “You can address me as ‘Spacer,’ ‘Crewwoman’ or ‘Lady.’”
There was a pause that started getting embarrassing, with people staring at me, but mostly at her.
An older lady said, “She means it. I know a vet when I hear one.”
The woman finally said, “Yes, Spacer.” She wasn’t going to call me “Lady.”
The matron said, “I’m a vet. Groundside only, but I can take and give orders. I’ll help.”
Oh, good. That would help a lot, and I was glad the faceoff was over.
“Thanks. What’s your name?”
“Claire Copley.”
“Thanks, Claire.”
I looked them all over. “I’m Angie Kaneshiro. Medic, stevedore, cargomistress, Able Spacer. This is what I do for a living the last seven years. These pods are really tight for space at the best of times, and this one is basically a bunkroom for laborers. Now, you each have a rack, and either the kids share with you, or we’ll improvise some bedding for them. You need to hold onto them, with webbing, during Jump Point transit. They may feel nauseous, I’ll tell you what to eat before we go. One person sleeps per bunk. This pod is women only. Men are diagonally across and aft. If you want to bump or spread you can use the shower in the head together. We’re going to appoint people to cover stray kids while we work. You’ll be keeping this clean, getting your own meals, and staying out of the crew’s way . . .”
They listened to me, and didn’t argue much.
In five segs they had a summary I knew they’d forget, but they knew I was in charge. I hoped.
Intercom sounded, “All hands, secure for space. Departure imminent.” I felt the outer lock seal.
The next announcement was, “Umbilicals separated, vessel secure. Undogged and moving.” I could feel it. That wasn’t just a ram. There were maneuvering engines at work. That probably wouldn’t hurt the station regolith, but it might melt hatch equipment.
Then, “We are in space. Duty rotation to commence. Passengers stand by and await instructions.”
That was the most abbreviated pullout I’d ever experienced. With a ship, I mean.
I wasn’t a passenger, or was I? And I had Juletta.
She looked up at me with big eyes. I figured she wasn’t sure what I had been doing, but I’d been telling adults off. She was probably either scared or impressed.
I gathered her up and stepped through the hatch. As I dogged it, she said, “You strong, Anzhie.”
“I am when I need to be,” I said.
“Are we friends?”
“Yes, Juletta. We’re friends.” I fastened her hands around my neck and started dragging myself along grips, glad I was only in the passage, not in the long umbilical to towed pods.
“Where’s Mom and Dad?”
“We’re still trying to find them. There’s an air leak in the station, so we have to go to another.”
I hoped we’d meet them in Caledonia. If not, they’d still be in this volume of space. Assuming they weren’t dead, but with what info I had, I didn’t think many, if any, were.
“Find a safety ofser?”
“They can’t help with that, Sweetie. We need the ship for that. Have you ever been on one?”
“No.”
“Well, it might be a few days, but we’ll be safe.”
“You make me safe.”
I’m going to try . “I’ll do my best.”
How did I get into this crate?
I got into the stateroom as engines started thrusting. I lunged for the bunk, grabbed her with me, and said, “Hang on, we’re moving.”
“Rockets?”
I didn’t even know if this one was string drive or forceline propulsion.
“Yes,” I agreed.
CHAPTER 6
I hear all kinds of stories about the “Spacelift” as it got called. There wasn’t any official request or SOS that I know of. The haulers and trampers just decided that people needed help and moved to evacuate everyone
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