Temporary Duty (51 page)

When they got down to the ops bay Todd looked around. "This is a big enough space to holler in," he remarked.

"You probably oughta keep it down," Peters advised.

"How so? We’re rich, dammit!"

Peters smiled. "Yeah. If Preligotis can convince one of the biggest assholes on the…. well, any damn place, to lay off on us."

"My money’s on the Grallt."

"You’re forgettin’ somethin’."

"How’s that?"

"We-ell, if Prethuvenigis don’t convince the Commander to let it lie we gotta tell all at the Court, and then we ain’t rich."

"Yeah, that’s true."

"And if our trader friend does get Bolton to back down we get the money, but the money’s for not tellin’ anybody, right?"

Todd frowned. "I think I see where this is going."

"Yep. If we ain’t rich we got nothin’ to shout about. If we’re rich we can’t talk about it, and ain’t that gonna be fun if people find out anything?"

They took a few steps. "So you’re saying we ought not to be doing any shouting, whatever the outcome."

Peters nodded. "That’s it. It ain’t that tough. You just gotta keep your mouth shut."

"You say it." Todd looked sidelong, then sighed. "You know, I hate it when you’re right about things like that."

* * *

Once around the ops bay at an easy amble was just the right amount of time for the kathir suit to do whatever it did with the byproducts of strenuous exercise. Peters was just finishing such a stroll when he met Master Chief Joshua at the EM quarters hatch. "Howdy, Master Chief."

"Hello, Peters." Joshua was smiling. "I thought I’d come right down and tell you, you’re off the hook."

"The Commander’s withdrawin’ the charges, then."

"Oh, better than that. He’s putting you in for a Commendation Medal."

"That’s a nice decoration for anybody’s 201, but I reckon it’s goin’ a bit far in the other direction, Master Chief."

"Yeah, well, if the choice is fish or fins it’s easy to decide on the menu," the Master Chief pointed out. He–not frowned, exactly, but the intensity of his beam diminished noticeably. "You don’t seem too enthusiastic about the news."

Peters shook his head. "If I have gave that impression I do apologize, Master Chief," he said, forcing a smile. "The news is a big load off my mind, and I do truly appreciate your comin’ down to give it to me." Especially since this was only the fourth, possibly the third, certainly not the fifth time anything like that had happened. "I’m sure Todd feels the same, but the fact is, Master Chief, we done been asked not to talk about the whole mess with anybody, and I been settin’ myself to do it that way."

"How long ’til you can start telling sea stories?"

"I dunno, Master Chief." He jerked a thumb in the general direction of the bridge. "The folks up yonder was pretty insistent about us keepin’ it under our hats. Could be a long time."

"Well, when it gets to be possible you be sure and let me know. I’m wanting to hear that story as much as anybody."

"I’ll do that. Thanks again, Master Chief."

"Not a problem." Joshua gave a little dismissive wave and disappeared back into the hatch.

Peters set foot on the hatch coaming and looked around the bay before entering. A truly satisfactory place to holler in. He sighed and carefully closed the hatch behind him. Todd would be happy to hear the news, he was sure.

Human officers were filing aboard the liberty boat, spiffy in their dress whites, when Peters and Todd came out the EM quarters hatch. Gell was counting them off against a list on a clipboard. Several enlisted sailors were idling around, watching, waiting for their own transportation to arrive.

Todd wore a yellow shirt of soft knit stuff with the tail outside pale blue trousers, which went well with his stubby blonde figure, and Peters had chosen a blue monocolor outfit in the same style to set off his dark-haired lankiness. The clothes were moderately expensive, custom-made by an establishment not far from the suit room, but were in the style worn by those Grallt who preferred not to be in
kathir
suits all the time. Those were available at modest cost, and the sailors had chosen to be somewhat inconspicuous. Only a close examination of the fabric would reveal the differences.

They had on
kathir
suits underneath. Both had become so accustomed to the airsuits they would have felt undressed without them, and besides they were about to go on a
dli
ride. Further sartorial experiments could wait until they were Down and found out what the weather was like.

«There are extra seats,» said Gell.

"Hey?" Peters switched languages. «Were you speaking to us?»

«Yes. There are a square of seats in the main cabin of the dli, and only six eights and two of them are filled. Would you care to come on this trip?»

«Now, Gell,» Peters chided, «You know we haven’t the precedence to ride with this group. We’ll wait for the next dli.»

Gell shrugged. «As you like.»

Footsteps hurried up. "Is there a problem?" Commander Collins asked. "I’m sorry I’m late."

"T’sorrite," Gell told her.

She nodded and started up the wing step, and Peters remarked, «I see you’re learning a little English.»

«Ssth. I’ve heard that phrase many times from this group, and tried to copy the most common response,» Gell said with a smile. «I don’t really know what I’m saying.»

«You guessed well,» Peters approved. «Her phrase meant ‘I apologize for my tardiness’. What you told her was approximately ‘quite all right’. If you like I can give you some pointers.»

«Perhaps I’ll do that. It might be useful.»

Collins had stopped in the act of setting foot on the wing surface. "I know you, sailor," she said. "You’re the one all the furore was about…. Peters, isn’t that right?"

"Yes, ma’am, I’m Peters."

"And of course I know Todd. You seem very fluent."

"Well, ma’am, I done learned a bit of the lingo," Peters admitted cautiously.

"I see. Wait where you are," she ordered crisply, and took the few brisk steps necessary to enter the hatch.

"Yes, ma’am," Peters said to her retreating back, and he and Todd shared a look.

«What’s happening?» Gell wanted to know. «We should get started. There is a schedule.»

Peters shrugged. «The woman we just spoke with is the second of our group. Her name is Collins, and she told me to wait. If
Commander
Collins tells me to wait, I wait.»

«So I see.» Gell was smiling. «How long is this likely to take?»

«I have no estimate.»

«Ssth.» Gell shook his head. «There was a fitting on the left wing that didn’t look quite right when I inspected it. I’ll check it again while we wait.»

Peters shrugged. «You are the operator.»

Gell ducked around the tail and disappeared. A few moments later Commander Collins poked her head out the hatch. "Where did the pilot go?"

"He said he had somethin’ to check, ma’am, since we was waitin’ anyway."

"He does seem conscientious." Collins focused on Peters, eyes narrowed. "You come with me, sailor. You, too, Todd, there’s space."

"Yes, ma’am," said Peters resignedly, and stepped up the walkway.

"You are going to solve a problem for me," Collins declared as they approached.

"How’s that, ma’am?"

"I’m a pilot," she said as they entered, taking the lead up the aisle and turning her head to speak in a tone that brooked no argument. "I don’t like riding in back, and I haven’t had a chance to sit up front and see how it works. You," she turned and pointed at Peters, "are going to sit in the cockpit with me and translate while the pilot tells me what’s going on." The rest of the officers in the cabin had an assortment of frowns and smiles, mostly the latter; one in the second row applauded.

She marched through the VIP cabin with the two sailors following. Commander Bolton, in the left front seat, turned and frowned. "What’s this all about, Nadine?"

"I am going to sit in the right seat on the way down, unless the pilot kicks me out," Collins said flatly. "Peters here is going to translate when the guy doing the driving explains what’s going on, and his buddy’s coming with us because I say so." She smiled. "If you’re very nice to me I may share some of it."

Bolton’s face darkened. "That’s not a solution I would have thought of," he said, glancing at Dreelig, who was sitting in the right rear seat and keeping his mouth shut.

"Neither would I if I hadn’t heard him gabbing away when I was late boarding," Collins told him with something like triumph in her voice. "You did end up handing him an NCM for what amounts to knowing what was going on better than you did, if you’ll recall."

"Yes, I recall. I also recall a lot of fast talk leading up to that." Bolton spread his hands. "I might just shanghai your interpreter on the way back up, find out for myself what he can and can’t do. That suit you, Peters?"

"Yes, sir," Peters nodded. It didn’t, but….

"Come along," Collins said firmly. "Commander Bolton can sort out his own arrangements. Later." She led the way into the control cabin, and Peters followed, glad to escape from Bolton, whose expression was quickly developing into a full-scale scowl.

Collins seated herself, avidly scanning the sparse panel. Peters coughed behind his fist; when she looked up he said diffidently, "Ma’am, I’m afraid you’re in the wrong place. The pilot sits on the sta’brd side."

"Oops." She got up quickly and took the left chair. "You sit behind the pilot, so we can talk," she directed, pointing. "Why do you suppose the pilot sits on the right? It’s arbitrary, I suppose."

Peters sat down, leaning forward to say, "Yes, ma’am, I reckon it don’t matter a whole lot, but didn’t airplanes use to have a lot of stuff in the middle?"

"Yes, they still do, the bigger ones," she said, abstracted in her study of the panel.

"Well, ma’am, most Grallt are left-handed, that I’ve come across, that is."

"Are they? I hadn’t noticed."

«What’s this?» Gell wanted to know as he entered. His tone was amused rather than hostile.

«Commander Collins wants to observe as you operate the dli,» Peters explained.

«So she brought you along to interpret the explanations.» Gell looked at Collins. «It’s nice to know they aren’t all morons.»

«So there are no problems?»

«Not from my side.» Gell seated himself and looked back at Peters, still amused. «Your problems are your own.»

"All right, Peters, what’s going on?" Collins asked sharply.

"I explained to the pilot that you wanted to observe on the way down, ma’am, and he said he’d be delighted."

"I’ll just bet," Collins noted cheerfully. "What’s the pilot’s name?"

"Gell. He’s… just a minute, please, ma’am." She nodded, and Peters turned to ask, «Gell, what is your precedence?»

«I am a zerkre of the fourth precedence, and second small-craft operator of Llapaaloapalla.»

«Thank you.» Peters took a breath. "His rank’s somethin’ like warrant officer, ma’am, and he’s the second most senior pilot on the ship."

"I see. What’s he doing now?"

That was familiar from working with Vredig. "He’s bringin’ up the
zifthkakik
, ma’am. The meter just in front and a little to the right shows the power level… their meters read backwards to ours, ma’am."

"Zifthawhat?"

"
Zifthkakik
," Peters pronounced slowly and distinctly. "It’s what they call the gadget that makes it go."

"Oh, yes, I remember now. And here we go!"

«I take it from her careful examination of the controls that our guest is a ship operator,» Gell remarked as the
dli
shot out the bow door.

«Yes, a highly skilled and experienced one,» Peters explained.

«Oh, good.» Gell’s tone was amusedly malicious. «I was tired anyway. Tell her it’s all hers.» He pointed at the planet looming ahead. «We should go that way.» Then he leaned back and folded his arms in ostentatious leisure.

No one was touching the controls, which didn’t worry Peters as long as they weren’t close to anything. "Ah, ma’am, Gell says you should take over."

"What?" She looked over at Gell, who smiled and gave her a little go-ahead gesture. Her posture came erect, and she began seriously scanning the panel. "What do I do?" she snapped.

"Take hold of the
andli
, ma’am, the thing like a fat arrowhead by your left hand."

The
dli
lurched. "This?"

"Yes, ma’am, it don’t take much to move it."

"So I just discovered. This is the control stick?"

"Yes, ma’am." Peters glanced over at Gell, catching him in the act of thumbing the button that reduced the power of whatever it was that made the
dli
feel planted in rock when it was moving like scat. He nodded and smiled, and the Grallt returned a wink before leaning back into his comfortable position.

Collins was experimenting, stars streaming by in the ports, being rather more systematic about it than either he or Todd had been the first time. Gradually her control became finer, and before long she could generate rotations almost as smoothly as Gell could. "That isn’t hard," she remarked. "Easier than ours, in fact. Of course this control system was designed for a spacecraft, not adapted like ours are."

"Yes, ma’am."

The planet was noticeably closer. "The next question is, where do I go and how do I know where that is?"

Peters glanced at Gell, who beamed and pointed: forward. "Gell already set the instruments to go for the beacon, ma’am," he said with fingers crossed. "The dial on your left shows which way to go, ‘cept it shows a straight line, and the
dli
don’t go in no straight line."

"You mean I have to judge a re-entry by eye?"

"Yes, ma’am, there ain’t no other way."

She turned. "I don’t see you asking the pilot many questions. You’ve done this yourself?"

"No, ma’am, not this part, I only watched." When she held his gaze he looked down. "I, uh, I spelled the pilot some on the freight hauler while we was salvagin’ the
zifthkakik
, so I know a little about it, ma’am, but I ain’t never landed one on a planet."