Read Online The Apprentice Starship Engineer: Book One The Link by Daniel Hanks - Free Book Online
Authors: Daniel Hanks
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to lose. I rang her doorbell.
Kathy came to the door. She looked better than ever. “So I hear you aced another test,” she said as she looked at me. I stood in her doorway with my heart in my throat. “You’ve been celebrating with Jack’s piss.”
“Yeah. Where the hell does he get that shit?”
“I think he makes it in a dark, dank part of the ship.”
“Bob says it’s made from goat piss.”
“Ah, an even scarier thought is it’s defiantly made from piss, but we have no goats on the ship,” she said with a smirk.
“Yuk. Let’s not go there, okay?”
“Are you going to get sick?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“You’d better come in,” she said as she gently pulled me into the room. “Sit on the couch. I’ll get you something just in case you can’t make it to the bathroom.” She returned with a large plastic bag. “I’m tired of cleaning up, so please hit the bag if you can’t make it.”
The room spun, my stomach clinched, and I found myself on all fours, heaving my guts out into the bag. Kathy patted me on the shoulder. I wanted to die. “Shit, Jack is trying to kill me!”
I woke up to a pounding headache. Kathy was telling someone she’d be late for her shift. That she had an upset stomach. She handed me a glass of fizzy water. “For your head and stomach,” she said.
As I sat up, I thought I might faint. My head pounded so hard. “Why the hell would anyone drink that shit Jack makes?” I muttered.
Kathy chuckled. “When I first met you, I thought what a nice, smart young man, but now I’m starting to wonder. The only time you’ve come to see me is when you’re stumbling drunk.”
Her medicine worked miracles on my hangover. She was half joking, but there was an underlying seriousness in what she’d said. I looked at the floor to avoid her eyes.
“Bob said I was a coward for not talking to you. He said I hid behind my studies to avoid facing my feelings for you. When I’m around you, I’m comfortable and happy.” I looked up into her eyes. “At least could we be friends? I apologize for forcing you to kiss me. That was wrong, and I’m sorry.”
She looked as if I’d slapped her. She took my empty glass and walked into the kitchen. My heart hit the floor.
“Bob is right. You have been a coward. I don’t know if it’s Jack’s piss water that’s talking or your heart. We can talk tomorrow when you’re sober.” She walked into the bathroom and closed the door.
Still unsteady, I pulled myself to my feet, then struggled to fold up the blanket she’d thrown over me. After putting it on the couch, I looked the room over to make sure I wasn’t leaving a mess.
* * * *
Jack stayed in his office. I puttered with a damper motor and repaired a controller. After taking one look at me, Bob had volunteered to handle the repair calls.
Usually Bob had lunch with Vivian, but today he joined me. “I want you to know I don’t involve myself in other people’s business, but after watching you for the last few months, I couldn’t take it anymore,” he said.
He was fishing, but I wasn’t ready. “Okay,” I said. We finished lunch in silence.
Toward the end of the shift, Jack called me into his office. “Tomorrow I’ll start showing you around the bending drive. I’m going to give you a few books to read on the theory and physics involved. You don’t need to read them for any test, but I believe having a good background will help you understand the drive mechanism.” He tapped his assistant screen. “So there you go.”
Just what I need. Some more extra reading from Jack. What the hell. I didn’t have anything to do tonight after practice. It will be fun, I thought as I left maintenance to meet Sandra.
After another grueling practice with Sandra correcting everything I did. I stomped my way to my dorm. I paced. I know I’d be fine after I started. It was just that every time I see my favorite chair I want to heave. I gritted my teeth and took my
Kathy came to the door. She looked better than ever. “So I hear you aced another test,” she said as she looked at me. I stood in her doorway with my heart in my throat. “You’ve been celebrating with Jack’s piss.”
“Yeah. Where the hell does he get that shit?”
“I think he makes it in a dark, dank part of the ship.”
“Bob says it’s made from goat piss.”
“Ah, an even scarier thought is it’s defiantly made from piss, but we have no goats on the ship,” she said with a smirk.
“Yuk. Let’s not go there, okay?”
“Are you going to get sick?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“You’d better come in,” she said as she gently pulled me into the room. “Sit on the couch. I’ll get you something just in case you can’t make it to the bathroom.” She returned with a large plastic bag. “I’m tired of cleaning up, so please hit the bag if you can’t make it.”
The room spun, my stomach clinched, and I found myself on all fours, heaving my guts out into the bag. Kathy patted me on the shoulder. I wanted to die. “Shit, Jack is trying to kill me!”
I woke up to a pounding headache. Kathy was telling someone she’d be late for her shift. That she had an upset stomach. She handed me a glass of fizzy water. “For your head and stomach,” she said.
As I sat up, I thought I might faint. My head pounded so hard. “Why the hell would anyone drink that shit Jack makes?” I muttered.
Kathy chuckled. “When I first met you, I thought what a nice, smart young man, but now I’m starting to wonder. The only time you’ve come to see me is when you’re stumbling drunk.”
Her medicine worked miracles on my hangover. She was half joking, but there was an underlying seriousness in what she’d said. I looked at the floor to avoid her eyes.
“Bob said I was a coward for not talking to you. He said I hid behind my studies to avoid facing my feelings for you. When I’m around you, I’m comfortable and happy.” I looked up into her eyes. “At least could we be friends? I apologize for forcing you to kiss me. That was wrong, and I’m sorry.”
She looked as if I’d slapped her. She took my empty glass and walked into the kitchen. My heart hit the floor.
“Bob is right. You have been a coward. I don’t know if it’s Jack’s piss water that’s talking or your heart. We can talk tomorrow when you’re sober.” She walked into the bathroom and closed the door.
Still unsteady, I pulled myself to my feet, then struggled to fold up the blanket she’d thrown over me. After putting it on the couch, I looked the room over to make sure I wasn’t leaving a mess.
* * * *
Jack stayed in his office. I puttered with a damper motor and repaired a controller. After taking one look at me, Bob had volunteered to handle the repair calls.
Usually Bob had lunch with Vivian, but today he joined me. “I want you to know I don’t involve myself in other people’s business, but after watching you for the last few months, I couldn’t take it anymore,” he said.
He was fishing, but I wasn’t ready. “Okay,” I said. We finished lunch in silence.
Toward the end of the shift, Jack called me into his office. “Tomorrow I’ll start showing you around the bending drive. I’m going to give you a few books to read on the theory and physics involved. You don’t need to read them for any test, but I believe having a good background will help you understand the drive mechanism.” He tapped his assistant screen. “So there you go.”
Just what I need. Some more extra reading from Jack. What the hell. I didn’t have anything to do tonight after practice. It will be fun, I thought as I left maintenance to meet Sandra.
After another grueling practice with Sandra correcting everything I did. I stomped my way to my dorm. I paced. I know I’d be fine after I started. It was just that every time I see my favorite chair I want to heave. I gritted my teeth and took my
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