got the best of me, and that led me to sneak in on inspections of the ships and listen to instructional briefings on their systems. My increasing interest in space travel prompted my uncle and his friend to instruct me not only on the mission itself, but also the finer points of extended space travel. I have often credited these two men for being the driving force for me to join the EEF academy.”
Hood caught a glimpse of Admiral Tramp with his arms crossed, almost hanging on every word. The admiral clenched one hand into a fist in approval, and Hood felt a surge of confidence. “I want to make it clear that these vessels and their crews, prepared as they may be for supporting a new infrastructure for a colony, are woefully unprepared for what awaits them if the Cilik’ti reach them first. The ships carry small arms for close defense, but nothing that could hold them long against an attack. We sent them there to provide hope and a chance for expanding our life among the stars, and it is our job to ensure that dream will not become a nightmare.”
Taking advantage of the attention, Hood laid out his choices for this Command staff. Many of the selections drew solid nods of approval and even a “thumbs up” from Admiral Tramp, but Hood knew that those were the easy ones.
Hood selected the next file on his data pad, a personnel file, and picture of a young man with short blond hair in his early thirties appeared on the overhead screen. “Maintaining ship function, engine efficiency, and most importantly, space-fold capability are vital tasks on a space vessel. I believe it is imperative to select a chief engineer that understands the ship’s systems, can maintain function, and can discover innovative ways to solve problems when they arise. Therefore, my choice for Chief Engineer on the Armstrong is Mr. Terrance Whitaker.”
Hood’s words barely left his mouth and the room filled with murmur and puzzled looks. Admiral Grant, still at the podium, looked at the screen then back at Hood. “Captain, Mr. Whitaker is a civilian and not an EDF officer. He’s a brilliant system designer and has worked on several projects for the EDF, but I would think there are other candidates on active duty that could fill this need.”
Hood nodded and responded, “I agree with you, Admiral, that there are several good candidates available for this job, but there is strong supporting information about my choice that I wish to disclose. Mr. Whitaker served in the EDF in an Engineering leadership role in his early career on the Mirea. He resigned his commission once his commitment for his academy training was complete and went to work for Epherium developing ship systems. Several systems on the Armstrong were projects that he has either participated on or led, including the current space-fold engine design. He is, without a doubt, one of the brightest engineers of our time and would be an inspiration to a new crew about to undertake an important mission such as this. I took the liberty and spoke with him before this meeting, and while he is skeptical, I believe he would be willing to re-instate his commission and join if asked.”
McCraken stood from his seat. “Admiral Grant, I must respectfully object here. Mr. Whitaker is an employee of Epherium and a valued member of our research and development team. Having him unfairly approached for this opportunity without our consent is highly unethical.”
Admiral Tramp stepped out from the side of the room and interjected, “Stow it, Henry. Whitaker is a damn good choice, and I agree with Captain Hood’s assessment. To be frank, I don’t care—”
Admiral Grant cut off Tramp’s rant. “Gentlemen. Let’s remain civil about this.” He turned to McCraken. “Mr. McCraken, you are well aware of the needs of this mission, and we need to put all our best people in play to support it. I will review Captain Hood’s request with the Command staff. If we feel that Mr. Whitaker’s service
Hood caught a glimpse of Admiral Tramp with his arms crossed, almost hanging on every word. The admiral clenched one hand into a fist in approval, and Hood felt a surge of confidence. “I want to make it clear that these vessels and their crews, prepared as they may be for supporting a new infrastructure for a colony, are woefully unprepared for what awaits them if the Cilik’ti reach them first. The ships carry small arms for close defense, but nothing that could hold them long against an attack. We sent them there to provide hope and a chance for expanding our life among the stars, and it is our job to ensure that dream will not become a nightmare.”
Taking advantage of the attention, Hood laid out his choices for this Command staff. Many of the selections drew solid nods of approval and even a “thumbs up” from Admiral Tramp, but Hood knew that those were the easy ones.
Hood selected the next file on his data pad, a personnel file, and picture of a young man with short blond hair in his early thirties appeared on the overhead screen. “Maintaining ship function, engine efficiency, and most importantly, space-fold capability are vital tasks on a space vessel. I believe it is imperative to select a chief engineer that understands the ship’s systems, can maintain function, and can discover innovative ways to solve problems when they arise. Therefore, my choice for Chief Engineer on the Armstrong is Mr. Terrance Whitaker.”
Hood’s words barely left his mouth and the room filled with murmur and puzzled looks. Admiral Grant, still at the podium, looked at the screen then back at Hood. “Captain, Mr. Whitaker is a civilian and not an EDF officer. He’s a brilliant system designer and has worked on several projects for the EDF, but I would think there are other candidates on active duty that could fill this need.”
Hood nodded and responded, “I agree with you, Admiral, that there are several good candidates available for this job, but there is strong supporting information about my choice that I wish to disclose. Mr. Whitaker served in the EDF in an Engineering leadership role in his early career on the Mirea. He resigned his commission once his commitment for his academy training was complete and went to work for Epherium developing ship systems. Several systems on the Armstrong were projects that he has either participated on or led, including the current space-fold engine design. He is, without a doubt, one of the brightest engineers of our time and would be an inspiration to a new crew about to undertake an important mission such as this. I took the liberty and spoke with him before this meeting, and while he is skeptical, I believe he would be willing to re-instate his commission and join if asked.”
McCraken stood from his seat. “Admiral Grant, I must respectfully object here. Mr. Whitaker is an employee of Epherium and a valued member of our research and development team. Having him unfairly approached for this opportunity without our consent is highly unethical.”
Admiral Tramp stepped out from the side of the room and interjected, “Stow it, Henry. Whitaker is a damn good choice, and I agree with Captain Hood’s assessment. To be frank, I don’t care—”
Admiral Grant cut off Tramp’s rant. “Gentlemen. Let’s remain civil about this.” He turned to McCraken. “Mr. McCraken, you are well aware of the needs of this mission, and we need to put all our best people in play to support it. I will review Captain Hood’s request with the Command staff. If we feel that Mr. Whitaker’s service
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