able to save much. In several cases, the cutting torch was the only way to free up several of the access hatches, pretty much destroying them. I was starting to wonder just how expensive it might be to purchase the little robotic wonder that had so far only transformed the smallest space on our ship. At this rate I could keep it occupied full time.
The bilge was anywhere from one and a half to two meters deep and fixed between the hull and the berth deck. Three systems occupied the space - septic, water and atmospheric. Fortunately, the ship had been designed by naval engineers and everything had originally been very neatly laid out. That said, a hundred and fifty years of patches and work-arounds and we had a mess Mary Shelley would be proud of.
It would work out okay, though. The septic field was the only system on the port side. It was so much easier to remove a bunch of crap (in this case literally) than it was to maintain it. Ada and I worked out a system. I resorted to a long-bladed cutter and started hacking off half meter chunks of the system. I’d decided to start with the slimy end first, since I was already a mess. I packed it into bags and tossed the bags up on the deck. From there Ada carried them off to the hold.
"Cap. Your bot’s in the main head. Door’s closed. Need anything else?" Marny asked over the comm.
"Thanks, Marny. That’s perfect." I was glad for her help. I remotely started the program already loaded for the main head. I think we all eagerly anticipated the sterilization that would occur.
Two hours later I finally threw the last bag up from a hatch in the aft-most bunk room. It's difficult to describe just how disgusting both Ada and I smelled. I’d originally thought she had been saved from the mess, but apparently at some point, she’d thrown a bag up onto her shoulder, mistakenly trusting the holding force of the clasp.
"Nick, you have a minute?" I asked over the comm.
"Yup."
"We may need to ask the fitter to come out another day. I can’t possibly get all this cleaned up by the time he arrives. We’ve got all of the stuff out, but it’s a mess," I said. I also knew there was no way the renobot would be able to negotiate the ribs of the hull that I’d been straddling for the last couple of hours.
"Too late. She’s here," Nick said.
"Shite. Okay. I’ll deal with it."
" Incoming hail, Sparkles Aloft ," my AI said.
Accept hail . "Liam Hoffen," I announced.
"Hi, Mr. Hoffen. Betty Sparkles. We’re here to refit your septic system. If you could depressurize your cargo bay and open up, we’ll bring in the fab shop."
"We might have a problem. Any chance you could come and do a quick inspection?"
"Time is money, Mr. Hoffen. And, I guarantee you don’t have anything I haven’t seen before," she said.
"Nick, you and Jake okay if I depressurize the cargo bay?"
"Yup. Marny’s here with us too. Go ahead," he answered.
"Let’s stand in the cargo bay while it depressurizes. I bet we can get rid of a bunch of this stuff that’s on us," I said to Ada. She nodded and we sealed the door behind us. I instructed the ship to depressurize the bay.
I lowered the cargo bay ramp and a small vehicle glided in and settled down on the floor. After raising the ramp and starting the pressurization sequence again, I noticed that Ada had done a pretty good job of brushing the now crystalized crap from her suit, so I did the same.
A large woman - one who would give Marny a run for her money in the size department - walked around from the front of the vehicle. I extended my hand and we shook.
"Alright, Mr. Hoffen. Let’s take a look at your emergency."
"Sorry, we need to equalize pressure with the interior," I said.
"I see. I’ll set my shop up." She pulled the back doors open on the cargo vehicle. It was a cluttered mess with boxes of fittings everywhere. "Here, you can help. Put these boxes on the floor and keep 'em out of that crap you just dropped. The faster we get this done the
The bilge was anywhere from one and a half to two meters deep and fixed between the hull and the berth deck. Three systems occupied the space - septic, water and atmospheric. Fortunately, the ship had been designed by naval engineers and everything had originally been very neatly laid out. That said, a hundred and fifty years of patches and work-arounds and we had a mess Mary Shelley would be proud of.
It would work out okay, though. The septic field was the only system on the port side. It was so much easier to remove a bunch of crap (in this case literally) than it was to maintain it. Ada and I worked out a system. I resorted to a long-bladed cutter and started hacking off half meter chunks of the system. I’d decided to start with the slimy end first, since I was already a mess. I packed it into bags and tossed the bags up on the deck. From there Ada carried them off to the hold.
"Cap. Your bot’s in the main head. Door’s closed. Need anything else?" Marny asked over the comm.
"Thanks, Marny. That’s perfect." I was glad for her help. I remotely started the program already loaded for the main head. I think we all eagerly anticipated the sterilization that would occur.
Two hours later I finally threw the last bag up from a hatch in the aft-most bunk room. It's difficult to describe just how disgusting both Ada and I smelled. I’d originally thought she had been saved from the mess, but apparently at some point, she’d thrown a bag up onto her shoulder, mistakenly trusting the holding force of the clasp.
"Nick, you have a minute?" I asked over the comm.
"Yup."
"We may need to ask the fitter to come out another day. I can’t possibly get all this cleaned up by the time he arrives. We’ve got all of the stuff out, but it’s a mess," I said. I also knew there was no way the renobot would be able to negotiate the ribs of the hull that I’d been straddling for the last couple of hours.
"Too late. She’s here," Nick said.
"Shite. Okay. I’ll deal with it."
" Incoming hail, Sparkles Aloft ," my AI said.
Accept hail . "Liam Hoffen," I announced.
"Hi, Mr. Hoffen. Betty Sparkles. We’re here to refit your septic system. If you could depressurize your cargo bay and open up, we’ll bring in the fab shop."
"We might have a problem. Any chance you could come and do a quick inspection?"
"Time is money, Mr. Hoffen. And, I guarantee you don’t have anything I haven’t seen before," she said.
"Nick, you and Jake okay if I depressurize the cargo bay?"
"Yup. Marny’s here with us too. Go ahead," he answered.
"Let’s stand in the cargo bay while it depressurizes. I bet we can get rid of a bunch of this stuff that’s on us," I said to Ada. She nodded and we sealed the door behind us. I instructed the ship to depressurize the bay.
I lowered the cargo bay ramp and a small vehicle glided in and settled down on the floor. After raising the ramp and starting the pressurization sequence again, I noticed that Ada had done a pretty good job of brushing the now crystalized crap from her suit, so I did the same.
A large woman - one who would give Marny a run for her money in the size department - walked around from the front of the vehicle. I extended my hand and we shook.
"Alright, Mr. Hoffen. Let’s take a look at your emergency."
"Sorry, we need to equalize pressure with the interior," I said.
"I see. I’ll set my shop up." She pulled the back doors open on the cargo vehicle. It was a cluttered mess with boxes of fittings everywhere. "Here, you can help. Put these boxes on the floor and keep 'em out of that crap you just dropped. The faster we get this done the
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