Owner's Share (Trader's Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper) (14 page)

I pulled up his record again. “Yeah,
Boondocks
. Indie out of Fischer. His jacket is a little sketchy as to why he left there,” I pointed out.

She shook her head. “Verity Copeland was skipper on the
Boondocks
. Still is as far as I know. She was two years ahead of me at the academy.”

“You say that like it’s grounds enough,” I said with a grin.

She grinned back. “It is.”

“What about this guy—Jiro Otsuka?” I pulled the record back up and leaned out of the way so she could see the screen from where she sat.

She nodded. “Yes. He’s spent a long time as second and has no tractor experience, but he’s got great performance reviews, and a letter of recommendation from his last skipper.” She nodded. “Yes, either of them would work. Can we get them in for interviews?”

I used the console to flash each of them a message, asking them to contact Captain Thomas after 1300. “Will that work for you?”

She nodded. “Perfect.” She looked around the cabin, measuring it with her eyes. She saw me watching her and shrugged. “Sorry.”

I chuckled. “No, it’s going to be your home this afternoon. I’ve all but moved out already. I’ll get these trunks down to the main deck and park them there. You’ll be able to start moving in immediately, if you like.”

She shook her head. “No, I haven’t packed anything yet. It’ll be this afternoon before I drag my stuff over.”

“Don’t wait too long,” I cautioned. “You’ll want your new first to be able to move in.”

“If I need to, I can be out of there in half a stan.”

“Well, it took me a little longer than that to pack but not much more.”

“You just barely moved in, seems like.”

I sighed. “Yeah, it does, but who knows, maybe I’ll be on my next ship longer.”

She laughed. “I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you, Captain.”

My tablet bipped and I read the message from Ms. Arellone. “I think your package has arrived.”

I rose and headed down the ladder to the lock. The courier stood just inside with a flat package that I needed to sign for. I thumbed the courier’s tablet and accepted the package. It was addressed to me, but it seemed like a familiar size and shape. I left Ms. Arellone to let him out while I went back to the cabin and Captain Thomas. As I climbed the ladder, I pulled the tab on the package and slipped out the heavy paper inner envelope addressed to Gwendolyn Thomas and showing an official CPJCT return address. Seeing it reminded me that I had one additional duty to perform, but it could wait for a few ticks.

Captain Thomas waited for me where I left her, sitting on the bench under the wide armorglass port. She looked at home there. Solidly there in a way that I wondered if I’d ever been. I don’t know if it was the heavy worlder in her that made her seem so, or something else. I shrugged it off and crossed the cabin to hand it to her. “It’s official. Congratulations, Captain.”

She took the envelope from me and slipped the heavy paper gingerly from the wrapping. She held it in both hands and examined it in the reflected light streaming in over her shoulder from the side of the orbital. “Thank you, Captain,” she said softly. She looked up at me. “For everything.”

I smiled. “Shut up, Ms. Thomas,” I said softly.

She grinned and stood, giving me a hug. “Shut up, yourself, Ishmael Wang.” If her husky, heavy worlder voice had a bit more burr to it than normal, I made it a point not to notice.

She let me go and I turned to get my grav trunks slaved together and started delicately maneuvering them out of the cabin and down the ladder without crushing myself in the process. Halfway down, I realized that dragging them up was a whole lot easier and, in retrospect, I should have taken them down one at a time. I did eventually manage it and locked them to the main deck just under the ladder where they’d be out of the way, but handy for me to slide them off the ship when the time came.

With the trunks secured, I had one more thing I needed to do before noon, and I headed for the lock. Ms. Arellone checked me out and I made a beeline for the chandlery. There wasn’t any real need to hurry, but this was one time I didn’t want to be late.

When I got to the chandlery, it took me a few ticks to find the right department but eventually I located the counter where they dispensed the rank insignia and stepped up to the counter only to find the clerk arguing with Avery Wyatt.

The clerk was apologetic, but adamant. “I’m sorry, but I can only sell those to a Captain.”

“But I’m buying them for a Captain. She’s just on duty and can’t come get them herself right now.”

The clerk just shook his head and dug in his feet. “You don’t understand, sar. I know what you’re saying, and I’m sure your captain really needs these stars but I can only sell them to somebody of equal or higher rank.”

I cleared my throat and they both turned to look at me.

“Excuse me, but I think I can solve this problem.”

Relief washed across the clerk’s face. “Captain! I was just trying to tell Mr.—” he leaned over to read the name on his shipsuit, “—Wyatt here that I can’t sell him Captain’s stars.”

I smiled. “I know you can’t, but I’m a captain.” I fingered the worn stars at my collar. “You can sell them to me, can’t you?”

“Of course, sar.”

Avery finally recovered himself. “Captain? What are you doing here?”

“Apparently the same thing you are, Avery.”

“Gwen sent me down to pick up some stars so she’ll have them for the change of command.”

“Sorry, Avery, that’s just not possible.” I grinned at him.

“So it seems.”

I turned to the clerk. “I need a pair of gold captain’s stars, please.”

“Of course, Captain.” The clerk pulled a black velvet box holding a pair of captain’s stars from the locked cabinet under the counter. He held them up for me to see before snapping the lid closed and offering me the tab to sign before giving me the box.

I took the box and looked at Avery. “See? Easy.”

He held out his hand for the stars. “Thanks, Captain, I’ll—”

I stood there with a grin, shaking my head. “Sorry, Avery. This is one job I’m going to do. You’ll have to get her something else.” I nodded to the clerk and headed out of the chandlery with Avery on my heels.

“I’m not following this at all, Skipper.”

I grinned at him. “It’s okay, Avery. It’s just one of those things. As her captain, it’s my honor to give her her first stars.” We exited onto the promenade and headed for the lift. “Freddy deGrut gave me my first ones and I intend to pass the favor on to Gwen.” I winked at him. “It’s a captain thing.”

He chuckled. “You win.” We walked almost all the way back to the ship in silence. Just outside the lock he turned to me. “Can I tease her a bit about not being able to buy any before you give them to her?”

“Are you sure you want to get her mad at you, Avery?”

“Well, we can always make up after.” He winked at me.

I was still laughing when we keyed the lock and went back aboard.

Chapter Eleven
Diurnia Orbital:
2372-December-20

Around 1130, Captain Thomas came down from officer country and stepped into the glorious aromas that filled the mess deck.

“Avery, what are you cooking?”

He smiled over at her. “I found some fresh turkey at the chandlery, and thought this was a good reason to cook it.”

She wandered over to the galley and examined the array of foods that we’d put together. She looked up at me with a smile. “Your last few stans ,and you’ve been cooking, Captain?”

I grinned down at her. “I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to do this again. It seemed as good a way as any.”

She chuckled and shook her head. “You never cease to amaze me, Captain.”

I snapped my fingers. “I keep trying for amuse...”

They both laughed at that.

She turned to Mr. Wyatt. “Avery, did you get that other thing I asked you to pick up?”

“Oh, no, I meant to tell you when I got back.”

“No?” Her face clouded and she cocked her head to one side. “No, you didn’t get them?”

He paid very close attention to the gravy that was thickening on the stove. “That’s right! They wouldn’t sell them to me. Apparently you have to be a captain to buy them.”

She visibly deflated and looked at the chrono on the bulkhead. “Well, I guess I have time to run down there myself, but—”

She looked at him again and saw his grin, stopped in mid-sentence, and cocked her head to the other side.

I reached up to my collar and pulled my stars off the tabs. “Lucky there happens to be a captain in the neighborhood, huh?” I reached forward and removing her First Mate pips, replaced them with my stars. “It’s also traditional for the new captain to get her first stars from her last captain.”

“But, Captain, you can’t go without stars!” Gwen’s alarm was evident on her face but she didn’t dare move with the sharp points of the insignia so close to her skin.

“I’ve got stars. Several sets actually, including the pair Federica deGrut gave me when I got my ticket.” I stepped back and admired my handiwork. “I’m just continuing the tradition.”

The scrutiny left her looking back and forth between Avery and me, searching our faces for some clue.

“Well? How do I look?”

“Like a captain,” I told her.

“Beautiful,” Avery said.

We were both right.

“But, Captain! I can’t take your stars!” She reached for her collar.

“You’re not, Gwen. I’m giving them to you.”

“But you need stars!”

I grinned, reached into my pocket and pulled out a black, velvet box. Flipping it open with my thumb, I pulled out a pair of shiny, new gold stars and clipped them to my collar. “I just happen to have a pair. What are the odds?”

Avery looked at me with a grin, and just shook his head.

I heard the lock cycle and realized that it was getting to be time.

Captain Thomas and I went to the brow to meet our guest, and found Mr. Hill showing Kirsten Kingsley aboard. Mr. Schubert had his head in the guest locker, stowing the co-op’s flea market gear. I looked at them curiously.

“Closing early today, gentlemen?”

Mr. Schubert grinned. “Sold out, Captain. We’ll start our buying run tomorrow.”

“Besides,” Mr. Hill continued, “we didn’t wanna miss the change of command.”

Mr. Schubert grinned. “I was there when you came aboard, Skipper. I wanted to be here to see you go.”

“To say good riddance, Mr. Schubert?” I asked, grinning back at him.

He laughed but his eyes were serious. “To say thank you, Captain.” He winked at Captain Thomas. “And to see if I could fall asleep on the watchstander’s station again.”

That got a full round of laughs, even if Ms. Kingsley didn’t really get the full joke. The image of Mr. Schubert asleep on the tiny desk must have been sufficiently funny.

I took it as a measure of how far she’d come that even Gwen Thomas laughed.

“Well, Captains,” Ms. Kingsley began, “if I could have a few words with you before we begin? Satisfy a few formalities?”

We made our way back into the ship, leaving the crew to finish sorting themselves out. As we entered the cabin, I knew I was going to miss that port. Having a view out of the ship was a constant reminder of the wonder that surrounded me whenever I was aboard, even if it only showed me the stained and too shiny metal of the orbital.

Gwen and I took seats on one of the sofas, leaving Ms. Kingsley to face us across the table.

She smiled at us. “First, thank you both. This is a tough time for the company, and the repercussions will be felt for stanyers. You two are in the right place to help us over this rough patch, and I’m sure we’re going to be even more grateful in the future.” At this last she cast a meaningful look in my direction.

Gwen sat primly, her hands folded in her lap. “You can count on me, Ms. Kingsley, and of course, we’re glad to do whatever we can.”

Ms. Kingsley smiled at Gwen. “So, you’re willing to take on responsibility for this ship and crew? I feel like we’ve rather steamrollered you into this position, but you do have the choice. You can turn it down if you wish.”

Gwen glanced at me and then back to Ms. Kingsley. “My concern is that by taking command here, I’m costing this man his job.”

Ms. Kingsley flashed a smile at me before answering her. “And if you are?”

“Then, I’ll respectfully decline, Ms. Kingsley. I’d much rather sail under Captain Wang, than take his command knowing he was beached and unemployed.”

“We have a rather odd job for Captain Wang—one that only he can do for us.” She glanced at me with an apologetic shrug. “We don’t know exactly how that job is going to get done, but will you accept my assurance that there will always be a place for him in our organization?”

Gwen looked at her curiously, and then at me. “Do you know what this job is, Ishmael?”

“I think so.” I shrugged. “I’m not sure how we’re going to manage it either, but I know what they want me to do.”

“Are you willing to do it?”

“Yes, Gwen. It sounds like an interesting challenge. One that I have no idea if I can pull off.”

“Can you tell me what it is?”

I looked at Ms. Kingsley. “Ms. Kingsley?”