Inadvertent Adventures (18 page)

Katrina looked properly chagrined. "It was really early, Ma'am."

"Your young officer at the port said it was two in the morning your time, Captain. She was kind enough to allow me some time to confer privately with my niece."

Sterling was standing behind Ann's shoulder and nudged her forward. "I'll forgive anything for fresh coffee."

"I can agree to that," Ann said as she walked forward.

Katrina said, "Right away, Ma'am," and dashing to the galley for a proper coffee service as Sterling and Ann joined the countess at the nook table.

"I have to guess that you are here because of that unpleasantness yesterday," Ann said as she took the seat facing the countess.

"Yes, and I would like Katrina to give our lawyers a statement before you leave. My brother's actions aside, I will see Otto punished as thoroughly as I can, including losing his place with DA-CC."

Ann nodded her agreement.

The countess continued, "I have also arranged for you to receive a--well, I don't know what to call it, really. Perhaps preferential treatment in DA-CC contracts would be the best description. Your ship will have first rights to all DA-CC shipments that are within your capacity. It is not a guarantee of cargos, but it is an affiliation that will aid you."

Ann and Sterling shared a look, then Ann bowed her head to the countess. "Thank you. That should be very helpful."

The Countess's grin was no less impish than Katrina's as she replied, "It is the least I can do after you took such pains to take in our stray Kat."

* * *

Ernst Von Rittenhaus, the DA-CC Manager for Greater Montreal, arrived with six lawyers and a MemoPad full of contracts a short time later. Countess Alexandra and the lawyers took Katrina to the corner of the wardroom while Ann and Sterling took Mister Von Rittenhaus to the captain's dayroom.

"Captain, per my instructions from Countess Alexandra, I have brought along twelve contracts for cargos that are within your capacity," Mister Von Rittenhaus said as he activated his 'Pad. "You may take your pick."

Ann and Sterling shared a look before quickly scanning the list. Ann's finger stopped just past the midpoint. "Seventeen thousand tons of assorted goods to the asteroid miners in the Tyrolea System. If memory serves me, Tyrolea produces zero-G castings. We should be able to pick up another cargo there."

"Indeed," Mister Von Rittenhaus said with a sharp nod. "Captain, these cargos are all in-house with DA-CC, and each will provide you with another cargo on the other end. While we cannot provide a guaranteed cargo at each stop, we can make things easier for you by directing you to places where such cargos are common."

"What are the terms?" Sterling asked.

"Straight delivery fee. Your cost, defined as fuel, consumables, and crew pay, plus ten percent."

Ann and Sterling looked at one another for a moment, then Ann turned back to Mister Von Rittenhaus. "Our crew, and that includes both of us, is paid based on the profit from each run. Defining crew pay might not be all that straight forward."

"I see," Mister Von Rittenhaus said as he sat back. "Please elaborate."

"The profit from each run is split, half for the ship repair account and half for the crew. We divide the crew portion equally, with the exception of Miss Rubenstein--"

"Von Rubenstein, please," Mister Von Rittenhaus interrupted. "It is quiet insulting to leave off the honorific."

"Really? Katrina told us that since her father had disowned her, she was no longer entitled to use it," Sterling said, leaning forward and putting his arms on the table.

"If she was a child, that might be the case, but she is not. Katrina Von Rubenstein reached her majority before she was disinherited, which is not the same as disowning, and therefore retains her social ranking."

"So he took away her bank account, but he couldn't take away her name?" Ann asked.

"Correct. Now, you were explaining your pay-scale."

"Oh, as I was saying, Katrina gets a half-share until she qualifies as a spacer. We haven't told her, but the other half of her pay is being banked until she is certified." Ann grinned mischievously. "She's doing her share of the work in addition to her studies. It'll be a graduation present of sorts."

Mister Von Rittenhaus said, "I see. Very well, if you'll give me a moment, I think I can convince you that our way would be more beneficial to you and your crew," as he punched the keypad. "Let's assume an average thirty light-year voyage will take twenty-eight ship-days and consume eighty-five thousand credits worth of fuel. You have a crew of ten who would use up approximately three thousand credits worth of assorted consumables. Your crew wages would, by union standards, normally be two hundred credits per crew member per day, so fifty-six thousand credits for the crew, which gives you a total voyage cost of one hundred forty-four thousand credits. Plus ten percent, which would be fourteen thousand four hundred credits, gives you one hundred fifty-eight thousand four hundred credits."

"Oh," Ann said in a surprised tone. "I'm going to have words with Denise and Olaf about this. I'm not sure how everyone is going to react to union wages, though."

"That's something that we, DA-CC I mean, must insist on if we are to have an ongoing relationship. Our union contracts require it, and we are somewhat at the mercy of our unions." Mister Von Rittenhaus smiled slightly and shrugged. "Even if you are not union, you'll have to pay union scale."

"I don't see a problem. We can maintain our system with a wage plus bonus setup if we need to," Sterling said as he squeezed Ann's hand.

"Very well. I actually picked the Tyrolea contract for other reasons. The first time I went into space as a midshipwoman we went to the Tyrolea System. It was a completely routine deployment, but you never forget your first time. It's been twenty-six years, and I've never been back."

"Then Tyrolea it is. This is a regular run, so you may be going back at some time. Sign here and I'll have the shipment delivered." Mister Von Rittenhaus slid the 'Pad back to Ann and she signed the contract. "Thank you, and, on behalf of myself and my people, I wish you well." He stood and Ann and Sterling escorted him off the ship.

The cargo was loaded and ready for acceleration before the lawyers were through with Katrina. Sterling ordered food from one of the station caterers when it became obvious that Katrina was not going to be cooking, and ended up feeding the lawyers as well as their crew. Finally, after seven hours of intensive questioning, the lawyers put away their 'Pads and recorders and left the ship.

Katrina and her aunt said farewell at the dock. "Be careful, Little Kat," the Countess said as she hugged her niece tightly.

"I will, Aunt Alex. And, if it's not too much trouble, tell mom that I love and miss her. As for father--I don't have anything to say to father."

"That is not a problem, Katrina. I will say enough for both of us." Countess Alexandra winked, then turned and walked away, escorted by the lawyers and Mister Von Rittenhaus.

"Time to button up, Kat," Thom said as he started the airlock cycle to purge the connection.

Katrina lightly leapt inside the ship, but turned to watch her aunt until the door closed. "Leave it to Aunt Alex to make the best of this mess."

"Kat, what's your aunt's status? I know she's a countess, but New Frankfurt has lots of them." Thom looked at Katrina curiously.

"Her status? You mean in the aristocracy? Aunt Alex married Count Manfred Von Habsburg. His uncle was Kaiser Friedrich XV, and now his cousin is Kaiser Wilhelm IX."

"So she is basically royalty."

"Yes."

"So are you."

"Not really."

"Prepare for acceleration. All hands prepare for acceleration in one minute."
The prerecorded warning all but echoed through the ship and Thom and Katrina looked at one another.

"Scoot to your station, Kat. We'll see what other surprised you have for us later," Thom said, and both of them dashed for their acceleration stations.

T
HE
ADMIRAL ANN'S REVENGE
HAD MADE
the transition to hyper before Ann called the crew together in the Control Room and explained the new contract with DA-CC. "So, in order to keep our contract in good standing, each of you will begin receiving two hundred credits per day rather than a percentage of the profit. We are going to try to work out a way to keep something close to our original ratio, but I can't guarantee it."

"With the numbers you just showed us, we'll be doing better this way," Balder said without looking up from the notes he had been taking.

"On this trip, yes. For shorter trips, no," Ann said, pointing to the figures again. "The nineteen ship-days it will take us to reach the Tyrolea System will result in each of you being paid a significant amount more than our old system. I can, and probably will, choose longer runs when they are offered, but that won't always be the case."

"I suspect it will more often than not, Ma'am," Amanda said, then reached over to punch Katrina in the shoulder. "Looks like Kat is more valuable to us than just a cook."

"I didn't--"

"Not directly, no, but it seems that the rest of your family is looking out for you, no matter what your father does. Where does your aunt sit in the DA-CC C.O.C?" Mandy asked, all business again.

"C.O.C?"

"Chain of Command. Your dad is Chairman, but what about your aunt?" Carrie-Marie explained.

"Aunt Alex and Father hold close to equal shares in the company. Grandfather Hans split his holding between them. Father is Chairman of the Board because he has Aunt Alex's proxy. That lets him control over thirty percent of the voting stock. Aunt Alex preferred having a family to running the business, so she let Father do it even though she is five years older."

"Be that as it may," Ann interrupted, "we have a contract to fulfill, and more on the way. Mister Stevenson, set normal hyperspace watch stations. Dismissed."

* * *

Seventeen days in hyperspace delivered them to the Tyrolea System, and Ann smiled as they entered normal space. "I remember being so excited about finally making it out into 'real' space. There isn't anything remarkable about Tyrolea. It's just a typical system of planets without any that support life. Sterling, contact the mining administrator and get our course. I'll be in the observation turret."

"Yes, Ma'am," Sterling said as she stood to leave Control.

Seven and a half hours after their arrival a message came in from the asteroid Innsbruck, a massive chunk of space debris that was nearly a thousand kilometers across. "Ship entering Tyrolea System, please broadcast your documentation and assume a course of one-seven-seven by two-seven-three. Tyrolea System Administration out."

Denise was on watch and sent the message, then contacted Ann. "Captain, we have instructions and a course."

Ann's sleepy voice replied, "Take us in," then the intercom clicked back to silence.

Denise nodded to Bart and he set the course, then she used the ship's thrusters to alter their trajectory to match. "And in nine days we'll be there."

* * *

The Tyrolea System delivery was routine, and a shipment of machine parts was quickly loaded in place of the supplies they had brought in. After just ten hours in port, the
Admiral Ann's Revenge
boosted out of Innsbruck Asteroid Station on course for New Frankfurt once again. Katrina was the only one who wasn't happy about it.

"Captain, while we're in New Frankfurt orbit, do I have to leave the ship?" she asked when she managed to catch Ann alone.

"No, not if you don't want to. What are you worried about?"

Katrina looked at the deck and clasped her hands tightly in front of her. "I'm afraid of what my father is going to do if he finds me," she answered in a barely audible voice.

"Young lady, quit acting like a child," Ann snapped, causing Katrina's head to snap up and her eyes to widen. "Kat, you are an adult, and you defied your father rather spectacularly already. What's he going to do, disinherit you? He already did! You are your own woman now. Yes, he may come blustering up here and storm around like some Teutonic God of ancient legend, but that's all he can do. He can't touch you. He can't order you around. If I don't allow it, he can't even come aboard this ship."

"B-But, the contract with DA-CC?" Katrina stammered, but Ann cut her off again.

"Does not give him or anyone else access to this ship. Kat, I appreciate what your aunt did for us, contract-wise, but we can live without it. Personally, I don't think
I
can live with CM's cooking again, so you are more important to me than DA-CC." Ann put her arm around Katrina's shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "Don't worry, Kat. Unless I misread your aunt, your father is going to have bigger problems than you to worry about by the time we get there."

The
Admiral Ann's Revenge
emerged into New Frankfurt space after nine days in hyper and started her deceleration as Sterling sent their documentation message. They had emerged farther out than usual, so it was eleven hours before they received an answer.

"Admiral Ann's Revenge,
you are to set course zero-six-nine by six-three-seven and rendezvous with DA-CC Space Dock Rhineland. You will be met by DA-CC officials to take custody of Katrina Von Rubenstein."

"Take custody?" Sterling asked as he looked at Ann. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ask them," Ann commanded and Sterling immediately complied.

"New Frankfurt Space Control, this is First Mate Sterling Stevenson of the
Admiral Ann's Revenge.
Please clarify your message concerning our crewmember Katrina Von Rubenstein." He pushed the send stud and they all sat back to wait for an answer.

It took ten hours before an explanation arrived.
"Admiral Ann's Revenge,
you will surrender Katrina Von Rubenstein to DA-CC officials for return to her family."

"Like hell," Ann snarled. "Open a channel," she said as she looked at Sterling, and spoke again when he nodded. "This is Captain Stevenson of the
Admiral Ann's Revenge.
Katrina Von Rubenstein is a member of my crew. She is not going to be 'surrendered' to anyone. She is an adult, not a child." She stroked her thumb across her throat to signal Sterling to stop transmitting. "Plot a course for one of the commercial ports."