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Authors: Chris Hechtl
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about the doctor being set
up on Seti Alpha 4 and reuniting with his family. The captain had given a
grudgingly heartfelt apology for abducting him. The doctor's response had been
dry but he'd appreciated the hospital they had set him up with, along with the
all the school books and equipment for his wife the teacher. “We really didn't
need two full doctors on-board, though it was nice. Now he's passing on
everything he learned to his own people and others who come by. And using all
the supplies and stuff we gave them to help make sure a lot more people live
longer,” Dorah said earnestly.
The admiral nodded. “Good.”
They told him about their adventures in Halced 6, New Haven, and
Aiera 3, along with Nightingale and New Brunswick before they retraced their
steps and had arrived a week ago in Epsilon.
In turn he told them about his adventures in Pyrax and on Destiny
and Antigua. When he admitted to Sprite the chief interrupted. “Sprite?” she
asked coolly, one sculpted eyebrow raised in inquiry.
“Lieutenant Commander Sprite. My central AI.” He met her level
gaze with his own. “You don't show all your cards chief and neither do I.”
Her eyes glittered but slowly, grudgingly she nodded in response.
He smiled, hearing Jen breathe a sigh of relief.
“Speaking of which,” Irons said holding up his right palm.
“Sprite?”
His hand morphed into a holo emitter and a miniature version of
the AI came to attention. “I was about to page you Admiral, the captain of the
IO 11 is calling Phoenix.”
“First things first, Sprite,” he nodded to the others.
“Introductions are long overdue,” he said with a smile of apology. “Commander
Sprite, I believe you know each of the people here.”
Sprite nodded politely to each in turn. “Indeed I do. It is good
to finally come out of the closet a bit and meet you formally though,” Sprite
said, pursing her lips. Her image swelled until only her head and shoulders
were projected, this time life size.
Irons noticed something wrong and realized it was the intense
quiet in the bar. He looked around to see the other patrons staring.
The chief caught his gaze and turned. “As you were people,” she
growled looking around the room. The bartender grunted and went back to wiping
the bar down in front of him.
Irons snorted softly. “I can't believe you had her this entire
time and never told me!” Dorah accused him, clearly annoyed but excited. She
put her hand through the holo and then waved her palm over it as Sprite's image
wavered. “Oh sorry.”
Sprite rolled her eyes. She turned to see the intent glitter of
the chief's look and snorted softly. “No hard feelings chief?” she asked.
“I...” the chief blinked, then her eyes narrowed. “No.”
“Good. I'd hate to play with your shower again...” Sprite said
coyly.
“Sprite,” Irons growled, cutting her off. Sprite shrugged and
curtsied as the chief's eyes narrowed further. Her jaw clenched briefly.
“You, ah, said the captain is calling?” Irons said before the two
could go at it further.
“Yes, putting her through now admiral,” she said. Sprite's image
changed to that of the captain.
From the look of her the captain hadn't changed much. She still
had her trademark shawl and was aged but unbroken. She smiled crookedly at the
admiral. “Admiral that you?” she asked squinting. He nodded.
“It's good to see you again captain. I'm here with the chief and
her party now.”
The captain grunted and rested her hands on a gnarled cane.
“Harrumph. Figures they'd track you down. How are you doing?”
“Fine captain, I've got a ship and we're traveling,” he said. He
reiterated some of his story, sticking to the high points. He knew it was for
as much the captain's piece of mind as well as fodder for the gossip mill on
the ship. If he was a betting man he'd bet the entire conversation was being
broadcast all over the ship. The captain was intrigued by the developments but
dryly commented
up on Seti Alpha 4 and reuniting with his family. The captain had given a
grudgingly heartfelt apology for abducting him. The doctor's response had been
dry but he'd appreciated the hospital they had set him up with, along with the
all the school books and equipment for his wife the teacher. “We really didn't
need two full doctors on-board, though it was nice. Now he's passing on
everything he learned to his own people and others who come by. And using all
the supplies and stuff we gave them to help make sure a lot more people live
longer,” Dorah said earnestly.
The admiral nodded. “Good.”
They told him about their adventures in Halced 6, New Haven, and
Aiera 3, along with Nightingale and New Brunswick before they retraced their
steps and had arrived a week ago in Epsilon.
In turn he told them about his adventures in Pyrax and on Destiny
and Antigua. When he admitted to Sprite the chief interrupted. “Sprite?” she
asked coolly, one sculpted eyebrow raised in inquiry.
“Lieutenant Commander Sprite. My central AI.” He met her level
gaze with his own. “You don't show all your cards chief and neither do I.”
Her eyes glittered but slowly, grudgingly she nodded in response.
He smiled, hearing Jen breathe a sigh of relief.
“Speaking of which,” Irons said holding up his right palm.
“Sprite?”
His hand morphed into a holo emitter and a miniature version of
the AI came to attention. “I was about to page you Admiral, the captain of the
IO 11 is calling Phoenix.”
“First things first, Sprite,” he nodded to the others.
“Introductions are long overdue,” he said with a smile of apology. “Commander
Sprite, I believe you know each of the people here.”
Sprite nodded politely to each in turn. “Indeed I do. It is good
to finally come out of the closet a bit and meet you formally though,” Sprite
said, pursing her lips. Her image swelled until only her head and shoulders
were projected, this time life size.
Irons noticed something wrong and realized it was the intense
quiet in the bar. He looked around to see the other patrons staring.
The chief caught his gaze and turned. “As you were people,” she
growled looking around the room. The bartender grunted and went back to wiping
the bar down in front of him.
Irons snorted softly. “I can't believe you had her this entire
time and never told me!” Dorah accused him, clearly annoyed but excited. She
put her hand through the holo and then waved her palm over it as Sprite's image
wavered. “Oh sorry.”
Sprite rolled her eyes. She turned to see the intent glitter of
the chief's look and snorted softly. “No hard feelings chief?” she asked.
“I...” the chief blinked, then her eyes narrowed. “No.”
“Good. I'd hate to play with your shower again...” Sprite said
coyly.
“Sprite,” Irons growled, cutting her off. Sprite shrugged and
curtsied as the chief's eyes narrowed further. Her jaw clenched briefly.
“You, ah, said the captain is calling?” Irons said before the two
could go at it further.
“Yes, putting her through now admiral,” she said. Sprite's image
changed to that of the captain.
From the look of her the captain hadn't changed much. She still
had her trademark shawl and was aged but unbroken. She smiled crookedly at the
admiral. “Admiral that you?” she asked squinting. He nodded.
“It's good to see you again captain. I'm here with the chief and
her party now.”
The captain grunted and rested her hands on a gnarled cane.
“Harrumph. Figures they'd track you down. How are you doing?”
“Fine captain, I've got a ship and we're traveling,” he said. He
reiterated some of his story, sticking to the high points. He knew it was for
as much the captain's piece of mind as well as fodder for the gossip mill on
the ship. If he was a betting man he'd bet the entire conversation was being
broadcast all over the ship. The captain was intrigued by the developments but
dryly commented
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