crisis one of their late night poker games would cause.”
The lift opened onto a tight corridor with several crewmembers hurrying along on some duty or another. She followed Graves’ example and pressed her back to the wall when they passed. She wondered why the officer was giving precedence to the others for a moment, but decided it was not the right time or place to ask the question. There was probably a logical explanation.
Graves stopped at a hatch marked ‘6P432’. “This is your cabin, Ambassador Vega. Deputy Ambassador Bandar is two down and on the other side of the corridor. Memorize your room numbers so someone can get you home when you get lost. Everyone does when they first come aboard, and so will you.”
“Or they’ll put us into a missile tube,” she muttered, imagining the pranks that could happen to new people on a ship.
The Executive Officer laughed. “That particular prank isn’t appropriate for civilians. You’re not going to end up in marine country either. Not unless you intentionally go there. The crew will find…subtler ways to welcome you aboard.”
He pressed his thumb on the lock and the hatch slid open. “I have authority to enter every cabin, but won’t do so unless there’s a reason. In this case, I need to be inside to add your access to the room. I could do it remotely, but I don’t have your biometric data. Please press your thumb to the lock Ambassador.”
Vega did so and looked inside the cabin curiously. “Very interesting.”
Graves did something inside the door and stepped back outside. “Ratings Soto and Welch will see that you have access to your belongings and help you stow away what you will need in your cabin. While the compensators keep the grav drives from tossing things around during normal maneuvers, we secure everything just in case. They will also see to your safety briefings. Deputy Ambassador Bandar?”
He had her press her thumb to the lock beside her hatch and gave her identical instructions. Her cabin was ‘6P435’. Vega still stood inside the open hatch to his cabin, so the officer looked at both of them when he spoke again.
“Don’t wander around until you get your orientation. This ship can be a dangerous place to the uninitiated. Not because of the people, but some equipment can be lethal to the untrained. If you inadvertently found yourself in engineering, you might touch something that could kill you before your body hits the floor. Everything dangerous is marked as such, but you don’t know how to recognize that yet. Stay put. Understood?”
His voice held a hint of command. Not like Captain Mertz. More subdued, but crystal clear.
“Yes, sir,” she said.
He smiled. “I don’t need a ‘sir’ from either of you. Just pay attention while you learn your way around the ship. Feel free to examine your cabins while you wait. Now, if you’ll excuse me, we’re about to break orbit and I should be at my station.”
Graves returned the way they’d come with a purposeful stride.
Vega gave her a pointed look and went inside his cabin. The hatch slid shut.
Taking the not so subtle hint, she stepped into her new home. The hatch slid closed as soon as she stepped away from it. One quick glance told her a fact that should’ve been obvious before she came aboard. Space was at a premium. Her closet at the Palace was larger than this two-person cabin.
Life was full of unexpected challenges.
The layout was quite spartan. Two bunks folded out from the wall, one above the other. The far wall had a compact desk that looked like it folded up when not needed and a hatch. The wall opposite the bunk had two wardrobes built into it.
Even with two, she wouldn’t have much space at all for clothes. If she stretched out her arms, she could easily touch the bunk and the wardrobe at the same time. Three strides took her from the foot of the bunks to the desk. A glance through the hatch revealed a cramped bathroom. The sonic shower looked about the
The lift opened onto a tight corridor with several crewmembers hurrying along on some duty or another. She followed Graves’ example and pressed her back to the wall when they passed. She wondered why the officer was giving precedence to the others for a moment, but decided it was not the right time or place to ask the question. There was probably a logical explanation.
Graves stopped at a hatch marked ‘6P432’. “This is your cabin, Ambassador Vega. Deputy Ambassador Bandar is two down and on the other side of the corridor. Memorize your room numbers so someone can get you home when you get lost. Everyone does when they first come aboard, and so will you.”
“Or they’ll put us into a missile tube,” she muttered, imagining the pranks that could happen to new people on a ship.
The Executive Officer laughed. “That particular prank isn’t appropriate for civilians. You’re not going to end up in marine country either. Not unless you intentionally go there. The crew will find…subtler ways to welcome you aboard.”
He pressed his thumb on the lock and the hatch slid open. “I have authority to enter every cabin, but won’t do so unless there’s a reason. In this case, I need to be inside to add your access to the room. I could do it remotely, but I don’t have your biometric data. Please press your thumb to the lock Ambassador.”
Vega did so and looked inside the cabin curiously. “Very interesting.”
Graves did something inside the door and stepped back outside. “Ratings Soto and Welch will see that you have access to your belongings and help you stow away what you will need in your cabin. While the compensators keep the grav drives from tossing things around during normal maneuvers, we secure everything just in case. They will also see to your safety briefings. Deputy Ambassador Bandar?”
He had her press her thumb to the lock beside her hatch and gave her identical instructions. Her cabin was ‘6P435’. Vega still stood inside the open hatch to his cabin, so the officer looked at both of them when he spoke again.
“Don’t wander around until you get your orientation. This ship can be a dangerous place to the uninitiated. Not because of the people, but some equipment can be lethal to the untrained. If you inadvertently found yourself in engineering, you might touch something that could kill you before your body hits the floor. Everything dangerous is marked as such, but you don’t know how to recognize that yet. Stay put. Understood?”
His voice held a hint of command. Not like Captain Mertz. More subdued, but crystal clear.
“Yes, sir,” she said.
He smiled. “I don’t need a ‘sir’ from either of you. Just pay attention while you learn your way around the ship. Feel free to examine your cabins while you wait. Now, if you’ll excuse me, we’re about to break orbit and I should be at my station.”
Graves returned the way they’d come with a purposeful stride.
Vega gave her a pointed look and went inside his cabin. The hatch slid shut.
Taking the not so subtle hint, she stepped into her new home. The hatch slid closed as soon as she stepped away from it. One quick glance told her a fact that should’ve been obvious before she came aboard. Space was at a premium. Her closet at the Palace was larger than this two-person cabin.
Life was full of unexpected challenges.
The layout was quite spartan. Two bunks folded out from the wall, one above the other. The far wall had a compact desk that looked like it folded up when not needed and a hatch. The wall opposite the bunk had two wardrobes built into it.
Even with two, she wouldn’t have much space at all for clothes. If she stretched out her arms, she could easily touch the bunk and the wardrobe at the same time. Three strides took her from the foot of the bunks to the desk. A glance through the hatch revealed a cramped bathroom. The sonic shower looked about the
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