12:00 today.” Mike held his hand up for silence, as that set of a murmuring through the group. “Hold on, it's not what you think.” He smiled to reassure them.
“As much as I would like to get my ship finished, its December the 23, so I’m sending you all home, have a merry Christmas. I’ll see you all back here after the holiday.” For a moment, there was silence. Then they clapped, and cheered. Conner nodded to the crew supervisor, as if to say ‘I told you’ a smile wreathing his weathered face.
“Thanks, Captain,” a small man stepping forward, “Able March here. I’m the chief union steward, and speaking for us all, if it's all the same to you, we’d like to carry on and finished her.”
“But?” Mike stammered, taken completely by surprise. He thought they only be too glad to get a few days off.
“The thought is appreciated. But we feel that getting this ship finished and out into space, is a little more important somehow than us missing one Christmas with our families.” With that, they clapped again and went back to work.
“Chief?” He appealed to Conner, but found him already shaking his head.
“It's already been settled, sir.”
“But… but...” Mike was at a loss for words, suddenly feeling insecure again.
“Besides that, you have an official party at the Palace to go to.” Conner’s eyes twinkled as he said it.
“I do?” Mike tried to remember if he’d receive an invitation or not. The last few days were a fog and he groped about in it, trying to remember.
“Yes, sir, the invitation arrived two days ago, but being so busy, you didn’t see it.”
“Oh Christ!” He groaned.
“That’s all right, sir. I answered the RSVP, and your dress uniform is packed.”
“I’ll have to cancel then. There’s no way I can get to the Palace in time now?” As much as he wanted to see Ann again, his ship was far more important.
“No problem, sir, I have the pilot standing by in the Marine scout car to take you to London.”
“I can’t go Chief!” He protested, looking around for support, seeing all four of his command staff standing there grinning at him.
“No choice, sir, Royal Command, and all that.” Pete grinned.
“Yes, sir, give the King our regards when you see him.” Adam said, taking him by the elbow and leading him firmly towards the hanger door.
“Don’t forget to say Merry Christmas from all of us here.” Was Gable’s contribution. Before he even realized it, he was aboard the scout car with the sound of the hatch closing behind him.
“Lifting, sir.” The pilot intoned, and Mike quickly buckled in as he felt the vehicle quiver under his feet, a bemused look on his face.
“I’ve been press-ganged!” He yelled at last.
“Yes, sir.” The shuttle pilot chuckled. “You could say that.”
“Sheesh! That’s tantamount to mutiny.” He grumbled, feeling something tug at his heart. That the pilot was in on the plot was obvious.
His only answer was another chuckle from the pilot as he lifted off and headed down the estuary before climbed into the traffic pattern. Mike resigned himself to his fate, yet he felt it unfair for him to take off for a party when the other remained behind to work on the ship. The XO and Conner Blake stood watched the scout car climb away, and shook hands.
“Nicely done, Chief.”
“Thank you, sir. I knew he wouldn’t voluntarily go to the party with us all working so I hide the invitation.”
“He’s been working himself to death, and needs the break.”
“He still has a lot to learn, sir.”
“Not much from what I can see.”
“At least you had the advantage of getting used to your rank at each step before going to the next, sir.”
“That’s true, Chief, I did, but I have the feeling that my new Captain is a fast
“As much as I would like to get my ship finished, its December the 23, so I’m sending you all home, have a merry Christmas. I’ll see you all back here after the holiday.” For a moment, there was silence. Then they clapped, and cheered. Conner nodded to the crew supervisor, as if to say ‘I told you’ a smile wreathing his weathered face.
“Thanks, Captain,” a small man stepping forward, “Able March here. I’m the chief union steward, and speaking for us all, if it's all the same to you, we’d like to carry on and finished her.”
“But?” Mike stammered, taken completely by surprise. He thought they only be too glad to get a few days off.
“The thought is appreciated. But we feel that getting this ship finished and out into space, is a little more important somehow than us missing one Christmas with our families.” With that, they clapped again and went back to work.
“Chief?” He appealed to Conner, but found him already shaking his head.
“It's already been settled, sir.”
“But… but...” Mike was at a loss for words, suddenly feeling insecure again.
“Besides that, you have an official party at the Palace to go to.” Conner’s eyes twinkled as he said it.
“I do?” Mike tried to remember if he’d receive an invitation or not. The last few days were a fog and he groped about in it, trying to remember.
“Yes, sir, the invitation arrived two days ago, but being so busy, you didn’t see it.”
“Oh Christ!” He groaned.
“That’s all right, sir. I answered the RSVP, and your dress uniform is packed.”
“I’ll have to cancel then. There’s no way I can get to the Palace in time now?” As much as he wanted to see Ann again, his ship was far more important.
“No problem, sir, I have the pilot standing by in the Marine scout car to take you to London.”
“I can’t go Chief!” He protested, looking around for support, seeing all four of his command staff standing there grinning at him.
“No choice, sir, Royal Command, and all that.” Pete grinned.
“Yes, sir, give the King our regards when you see him.” Adam said, taking him by the elbow and leading him firmly towards the hanger door.
“Don’t forget to say Merry Christmas from all of us here.” Was Gable’s contribution. Before he even realized it, he was aboard the scout car with the sound of the hatch closing behind him.
“Lifting, sir.” The pilot intoned, and Mike quickly buckled in as he felt the vehicle quiver under his feet, a bemused look on his face.
“I’ve been press-ganged!” He yelled at last.
“Yes, sir.” The shuttle pilot chuckled. “You could say that.”
“Sheesh! That’s tantamount to mutiny.” He grumbled, feeling something tug at his heart. That the pilot was in on the plot was obvious.
His only answer was another chuckle from the pilot as he lifted off and headed down the estuary before climbed into the traffic pattern. Mike resigned himself to his fate, yet he felt it unfair for him to take off for a party when the other remained behind to work on the ship. The XO and Conner Blake stood watched the scout car climb away, and shook hands.
“Nicely done, Chief.”
“Thank you, sir. I knew he wouldn’t voluntarily go to the party with us all working so I hide the invitation.”
“He’s been working himself to death, and needs the break.”
“He still has a lot to learn, sir.”
“Not much from what I can see.”
“At least you had the advantage of getting used to your rank at each step before going to the next, sir.”
“That’s true, Chief, I did, but I have the feeling that my new Captain is a fast
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