Episode 92 , Boatswain
22 Aug 2024Ryuko Ntsikana
Episode 92 , Boatswain
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The Type 8’s utilitarian cockpit was eerily illuminated by the streaking luminescence of the stars outside as its over-driven faster-than-light engines pushed it to luminary velocities that were unknown, until only a couple of months ago. She was the second of two ships that were designed from the keel up to handle the new overdrives. The first was the Python Mk II assault ship and then the Type 8 cargo ship.
Other ships could mount the overdrive, but its use was difficult for them to control, while the two designed for it enjoyed a smooth rapid voyage.
Ceri had remained quiet for much of the day's passenger runs, keeping tabs on the ship’s stores, the android attendees, and the high-payer business and luxury passengers. Ashlyn, Meredith’s daughter, did not seem to mind her, and she was usually withdrawn when near strangers. Ceri kept her eyes low for the majority of the time, looking at Ashlyn only once before turning away to attend to her duties.
“You know, you should prepare yourself for a little jolt, once we get to the destination planet,” Meredith stated, looking over at Ceri, who remained quiet while watching the ship’s scanners. He looked over his shoulder at his daughter, Ashlyn who nodded, tightening the straps of her jump seat.
The situation was not lost on one of the high-paying luxury passengers in their cabin, who was a little more paranoid than the others. The android attendee assigned to them was instructed to feign sending their concerns forward to the bridge unless it contained information they had not repeated before. Everyone was already aware that a Fer de Lance combat ship was in pursuit of this vessel, and that it too was equipped with an overdrive, meaning they could not outrun them, but he could be outfoxed, and if need be, by the foresight of the ships owner having this ship engineered to the highest levels, outfight them.
A smile appeared on Meredith’s face as Ashlyn noticed Ceri had not tightened her seat restraints. “Miss Ceri, you need to prepare for a sudden change in gravity.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ceri turn her head to first look back at Ashlyn and then toward him.
“The stop will be sudden,” Meredith warned, not taking his eyes off the range of the planet as it drew nearer. “We will enter into a fast orbital cruise pattern. They will have caught up to us by then.”
Ceri took the advice and tightened her straps as the planet raced into view. She flinched instinctively as it grew larger at a speed she was not used to.
Meredith aimed the Type 8 at the planet, cutting the throttle and pulling level as it descended below the established orbital cruise line.
The jolt of the interdiction was sudden and simultaneous, throwing anything not strapped down forward, then snapping them back as the ship’s velocity dropped out of supercruise and into normal space.
Ceri’s eyes widened with fear as she adjusted the ship’s scanner looking for the mercenary ship but not seeing it.
With a wavering nervous tone, Ceri whispered to herself. “Where did they go? Why don’t they attack?”
Meredith increased the throttle aiming the Type 8 back up toward the stars so that he could reinsert it into a proper orbital cruise and circumnavigate the planet to their destination settlement on the far side.
“They no longer exist,” Meredith commented with an even tone. “That was an old trader’s trick I learned when running cargo between a Federation and Imperial system.”
Ceri appeared to not have heard his reply as she continued to study the scanner, not seeing any contacts near them. “Where did they go?”
Meredith circled the Type 8, locking one of its keel visual sensors onto the surface below. A plume of dust could be seen partially obscuring a fresh ejecta crater.
“Ceri, take a look at the visual sensor. Nothing of them remains.”
She studied the sensor, not understanding what she was seeing as Ashlyn loosened her seat straps, leaning forward and pointing at the monitor with her finger.
“Their interdictor locked onto the larger gravitational source but it thought it was us; the system is designed for use in space, not inside the orbit of a stellar body. It did not know the difference. When they engaged, instead of pulling us, they pulled themselves, into the planet.”
Ceri looked at Meredith and then back at Ashlyn with a look of confusion on her face before turning her eyes back to the sensor display as Meredith piloted the Type 8 up to a comfortable orbital cruise altitude of 250km.
“The destination settlement is on the other side of the planet. No doubt they saw the impact and registered the seismic disturbance. Time to get on our smiling faces for their security, we should arrive in five minutes.”
Ceri tensed at that.
“I wouldn’t worry unless you have an active bounty… uh, do you?”
Ceri shook her head. “No,” she responded, her eyes vacant as she looked out at the distant stars. “I don’t even have a ship anymore.”
‘Girl has some skeletons in her closet,’ Meredith thought to himself as he guided the Type 8 onto a vector that would bring them into a 35-degree descent toward the settlement below. ‘Not that it is any of my business. I shouldn’t be surprised, all things considered.’
He looked back at his daughter, who only shrugged.
“So, Ceri, what is your cut of the profit… you being assigned as the boatswain?”
“There is no cut for me,” she replied, her eyes drifting down, looking hollow.
Meredith knew better than to pry, but since she was a serving member of his crew, her well-being was in the job description.
“Look, this ship has some of the best chow available. Once we are done with this run, let’s say we get ourselves a decent meal, and maybe catch a break. We’ve netted 25 million ferrying these folks around. No one will complain.”
Ceri remained silent, unbuckling herself and standing up with a clicking sound as her magnetic boots activated. Not looking at or making any comment she made her way off the bridge with Ashlyn’s eyes following her until the bridge door closed.
Meredith focused on flying the established route to the landing pad the automated system had selected for him as Ashlyn looked at the closed bridge door behind them.
Merc Interdicts Planet