with a relish. At least she was eating well
now. A couple of weeks and about twenty pounds, and she'll look
fine. Of course somebody was going to have to start teaching her to
fight and in the beginning I might as well be the one. Eventually
I'd have to see about getting Banner or Herza to teach her, but
there wasn't any rush yet.
I noticed that as people started to sit at
our table she slid just a little closer towards me. I guess I was
getting to be the lesser of two evils. I heard a "Hey Raj, what's
up?" and turned around to see Gabe heading over.
"Oh, hi Gabe pull up a seat."
He sat down across the table from us. "So,
who's your friend? I don't recall seeing you anywhere."
"Gabe, this is Terease, Terease this is my
friend Gabriel. He's another one of the ship's shuttle pilots."
"Hi Gabriel." she replied shyly.
"Hello Terease," he gave a little bow, "any
friend of Raj's is a friend of mine!" He turned to me, "Raj, I
heard we're gonna be doing EP sims today."
I groaned, "Ugh, I hate 'Ten Thousand Ways to
Die', with a passion."
"Well, at least we're in jump drive, so if
you get grounded it's no biggie."
"Excuse me, but what's an EP sim?"
I was so surprised to hear Terease I nearly
choked on my food, Gabe didn't hesitate to explain.
"Oh, that's where they set up every disaster
that the warped minds of the Company's Flight instructors can come
up with in the flight simulators. If you get killed you're grounded
for the day, and if you loose a ship that they feel was savable,
you have to make a presentation on what you did wrong."
By now I had my food back under control,
"Yeah, mess up enough times and they can even ground you for
good."
"Sounds horrid. Glad I'm an engineer."
"An engineer huh? I didn't know that Leopards
went in for that brainy stuff." said Gabe.
"Well," Terease said quietly with a shy
smile, "It's not that hard."
"Oh? I haven't the foggiest notion of how, or
even why the jump drive works, do you Raj?"
"I just fly 'em I don't fix 'em." I said
smiling between bites.
"Oh, it's not that difficult," she began and
launched into a technical discussion that lost me after about 10
seconds. I looked over at Gabe and could see he was starting to get
a little glazed around the eyes too. He looked at me and I gave him
a wink. I looked down the table at the few other people sitting
around, they looked pretty impressed too. Lost, but impressed.
When she finally came up for air about two
minutes later Gabe said, "Well, I can see where all the brains are
at this table, you lost me way, way back."
She looked over at me and I shrugged "Hey,
I'd think you'd be the first to agree that I'm no genius."
"Yes, but you do have your fine points," she
smiled, and then continued on very quietly, "and if I ever find one
I'll let you know."
Gabe started to laugh, and I grabbed my chest
"Ah, I've been mortally wounded," and laughed too.
Even Terease joined in a little, and I felt
that maybe I'd live through this after all. We continued making
small talk, and then got up to go our own ways. I walked with
Terease a little ways down the corridor.
"Um, what time does your shift end?" I
asked.
"Should be the same as yours, about 1800
why?"
"Well, I thought you may like to start
learning how to fight so you can fulfill that threat of yours
someday."
"Do I have a choice?" she asked with a
smile
"No, but this time I'm not the one doing the
enforcing, Balizar, as security head, insists that all crew members
know how to defend themselves. I've been volunteered for the
duty."
"Okay, where should I meet you?"
"My cabin, I'll have to see about a private
gym. I don't want anybody to see your back yet. Or how
inexperienced you are, some of the people on board might get bad
ideas."
"Well, I have to stop by my cabin to get a
few things, and then I'll meet you at yours."
"Oh, before I forget I uh, sent somebody down
to clean your cabin."
"You What!?" She stopped and glared at
me.
I checked the hallway to make sure nobody was
in
now. A couple of weeks and about twenty pounds, and she'll look
fine. Of course somebody was going to have to start teaching her to
fight and in the beginning I might as well be the one. Eventually
I'd have to see about getting Banner or Herza to teach her, but
there wasn't any rush yet.
I noticed that as people started to sit at
our table she slid just a little closer towards me. I guess I was
getting to be the lesser of two evils. I heard a "Hey Raj, what's
up?" and turned around to see Gabe heading over.
"Oh, hi Gabe pull up a seat."
He sat down across the table from us. "So,
who's your friend? I don't recall seeing you anywhere."
"Gabe, this is Terease, Terease this is my
friend Gabriel. He's another one of the ship's shuttle pilots."
"Hi Gabriel." she replied shyly.
"Hello Terease," he gave a little bow, "any
friend of Raj's is a friend of mine!" He turned to me, "Raj, I
heard we're gonna be doing EP sims today."
I groaned, "Ugh, I hate 'Ten Thousand Ways to
Die', with a passion."
"Well, at least we're in jump drive, so if
you get grounded it's no biggie."
"Excuse me, but what's an EP sim?"
I was so surprised to hear Terease I nearly
choked on my food, Gabe didn't hesitate to explain.
"Oh, that's where they set up every disaster
that the warped minds of the Company's Flight instructors can come
up with in the flight simulators. If you get killed you're grounded
for the day, and if you loose a ship that they feel was savable,
you have to make a presentation on what you did wrong."
By now I had my food back under control,
"Yeah, mess up enough times and they can even ground you for
good."
"Sounds horrid. Glad I'm an engineer."
"An engineer huh? I didn't know that Leopards
went in for that brainy stuff." said Gabe.
"Well," Terease said quietly with a shy
smile, "It's not that hard."
"Oh? I haven't the foggiest notion of how, or
even why the jump drive works, do you Raj?"
"I just fly 'em I don't fix 'em." I said
smiling between bites.
"Oh, it's not that difficult," she began and
launched into a technical discussion that lost me after about 10
seconds. I looked over at Gabe and could see he was starting to get
a little glazed around the eyes too. He looked at me and I gave him
a wink. I looked down the table at the few other people sitting
around, they looked pretty impressed too. Lost, but impressed.
When she finally came up for air about two
minutes later Gabe said, "Well, I can see where all the brains are
at this table, you lost me way, way back."
She looked over at me and I shrugged "Hey,
I'd think you'd be the first to agree that I'm no genius."
"Yes, but you do have your fine points," she
smiled, and then continued on very quietly, "and if I ever find one
I'll let you know."
Gabe started to laugh, and I grabbed my chest
"Ah, I've been mortally wounded," and laughed too.
Even Terease joined in a little, and I felt
that maybe I'd live through this after all. We continued making
small talk, and then got up to go our own ways. I walked with
Terease a little ways down the corridor.
"Um, what time does your shift end?" I
asked.
"Should be the same as yours, about 1800
why?"
"Well, I thought you may like to start
learning how to fight so you can fulfill that threat of yours
someday."
"Do I have a choice?" she asked with a
smile
"No, but this time I'm not the one doing the
enforcing, Balizar, as security head, insists that all crew members
know how to defend themselves. I've been volunteered for the
duty."
"Okay, where should I meet you?"
"My cabin, I'll have to see about a private
gym. I don't want anybody to see your back yet. Or how
inexperienced you are, some of the people on board might get bad
ideas."
"Well, I have to stop by my cabin to get a
few things, and then I'll meet you at yours."
"Oh, before I forget I uh, sent somebody down
to clean your cabin."
"You What!?" She stopped and glared at
me.
I checked the hallway to make sure nobody was
in
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