DRUG RUNNING

SS Blue Horizon PA1261

Captain's Journal

I took on a new crewmember today during a supply delivery to New Gate on Kantus. Renny Thornton is one of the leanest athletes I have ever met and I would be hard pressed to guess his speed in a full-out run. Since the death of my navigator and copilot, Jiro Brannon, during a pirate raid on my vessel two weeks ago, I have been shorthanded. All members of my crew must be able to navigate and fly the Blue Horizon, but no one is as skilled as Jiro was. I miss that guy's friendship and counsel terribly.

Mr. Thornton responded to my local advertisement for a navigator the same day it hit the newsstands of New Gate, and brought with him some impressive credentials. As my ship was being stocked with cargo for delivery for our next customer, I talked with Renny at Sheward's Rest, a local café I like here. He has a gentle personality, but it's easy to see the power in his coiled muscles at his disposal should the need for aggression arise. I was quite taken with his photographic memory of star charts and territorial boundaries that I decided I need look no further to fill the vacancy. He has gone back into New Gate to retrieve his belongings and I have assigned him Jiro's quarters. This last was decided after some hesitation.

True to her skill as liaison to our customer, Ryu Industries, Taro has managed to secure a full cargo of pharmaceuticals for delivery to the capitol city of Alucara on Alexandrius. If I know my supply officer correctly, Samantha has likely already started fixing the books to retain a morsel of our cargo for later trade. I do not condone the under-table dealings she is known to our crew for, but she always seems to work magic when we need something that cannot be obtained through regular channels. I do reprimand her on the rare occasions she is caught, but tend to ignore her activities for the most part. It gives me a greater peace of mind by not knowing her plans.

Durant is happy now that he has cargo in the hold to put in order and catalog for the flight. His attentiveness to numbers and detail often puts him at odds with Samantha's meddling, but the two always seem to find ways to deal with it. Durant is a likable fellow when he is not bored or messed with.

Sparky has not yet returned from leave, as usual. She is always the last to get back and she never seems to be around for the mandatory cargo-moving detail. Her usual excuses center on her need to replenish the food stores, but the dishes she concocts for our varied tastes have often diffused anyone's objections to her absence during cargo duty.

Patch is complaining again about the condition of the parts in the engine room. Samantha has already supplied him with the best items she can get her hands onto, so he should be happy, but nothing ever pleases that engineer, I suppose. Except for complaining. I think he actually enjoys it. She even bought him a new box of the finest cigars imported from Earth to help ease his mood, but sometimes even that does not placate him.

On the other hand, Pockets is thrilled with the new energy transducers. I have yet to see a purchase document cross my desk, so I think the little filch got them from the manufacturer's warehouse last night. I will bet Samantha had a hand in that deal. He is currently down somewhere in the bowels of the engine, happily installing them with his moody brother. I have never seen twins so consistently opposite in personality as the Porter brothers.

There has been no word on the whereabouts of the Savannah Hunter. Armando Jensen seems to have been keeping low these days since I blew the whistle on a potentially dangerous transaction with the black market on Nalirra he had in progress. It would have resulted in the elimination of all commercial transports from clearance through the area; that is a major route and more cargo carriers besides us use that way to move their goods. Armando and I have never had much love for one another, but I am sure this has done wonders for his opinion of me. I do not think he knows it was I, but with his resources, I cannot be too sure. After we have delivered our pharmaceuticals to Alexandrius, we will be swinging over to Earth to have the Blue Horizon fitted up with a stronger defense system. Pirates are getting to be more of a concern these days. Even Armando's Sakura-class freighter has had to outrun the raiding ships. For his own sake, it was a good thing he had the engines of the Savannah Hunter upgraded last year.

Taro has just appeared at my office door, so I will close now and get back to business.

Merlin Sinclair, Captain

•••

"Yes, Taro, what is it?" the captain asked. The thirty year old commander set his journal aside and fixed his eyes on the shapely redhead's clipboard. He was dressed in a pale blue shirt with short sleeves and a pair of dark grey trousers with a single gold stripe down the outside seams of the legs. His jackboots were on the floor beside his desk so he could curl his toes in the soft carpeting. Beside him on the tiny desktop of his quarters was his true vice: a steaming cup of coffee. He picked it up and sipped at it as he awaited his first officer to answer.

Taro absently smoothed down the wrinkles of her lavender blouse before she glanced through the sheets of paper on her board. After a brief moment, she looked down at the seated man. "Durant says the hold has been fully loaded, Captain," she said in a smooth voice. "Everything has been secured and the bay doors are sealed. Samantha has replenished our air supply and the ship is currently pressurizing for the voyage."

Merlin nodded and took another sip from his cup. "What else?"

"Pockets said the new transducers are online and have tested out satisfactorily. Patch does not trust them, but said he would keep an eye on them during takeoff. He mumbled something about some part of it not matching up exactly perfect during installation." She looked back to her notes again and then glanced quickly into the corridor behind her. "There's a guy at the main hatch asking to see you," she added when she looked back at him, "but you know I don't like to let strangers on board as we're preparing to leave. However, he claims he's a new employee."

"Renny Thornton," Merlin said as he set his cup down so he could put on his boots. "I hired him this afternoon to fill Jiro's vacancy." He stood up, snared a blue and white naval captain's hat from a wall peg, and placed it on his head of chocolate brown hair. It was an item that he fancied, being captain of his own ship.

"But, Jiro..." Taro caught herself before saying more.

"I know, Taro, I know, Jiro hasn't been gone long. He was my best friend, but I need his crew position filled. I can't just wait until we reach Alexandrius in three weeks." Merlin put an arm up across her shoulder gently and then led her out of the room. "Mr. Thornton has the qualifications for the job and he's also a nice guy." He winked at her and added, "Would you show him to his cabin? He can settle in after we've taken off."

"Sure, Captain. Where did you quarter him?"

"I gave him Jiro's room."

Taro stopped and swallowed as she nervously ran a hand through her shoulder-length hair. She looked down at her sandaled feet and then flicked a piece of imaginary dust from her tan pants before she glanced up again. She resumed walking and held her clipboard to her chest. "I see. Okay, I'll bring him up."

"Are you okay with this?" Merlin asked.

Taro gave him a weak smile and nodded her head. "I still have a hard time believing Jiro's gone, that's all. I'll be all right."

Merlin nodded and gave her a gentle hug. "How soon can we be off?" he asked.

Taro looked quickly at her clipboard before answering, to give herself a brief moment to recompose her emotions. "Sparky is still late, as usual. We can depart any time after she returns."

The captain looked thoughtful and adjusted his hat as he moved toward the control room. "Assemble everyone in the galley when she gets back. I want to introduce everyone to our new navigator before we leave."

"Aye, sir..."

Merlin stopped at a blue door painted with the image of a golden ship's wheel and watched his First Officer walk away. Jiro had been liked by the entire crew, even the continually grumpy Patch, but Taro had taken his death the hardest. He suspected the two of them had been lovers, but he always made it a practice not to pay attention if crewmembers wanted to get together, so long as it did not interfere with ship's operations. No one had seen Jiro die, but Taro had been the first to find him just before the pirate raiders had finally been driven from the ship.

Merlin shook his head sadly and turned away. They all had to let Jiro go, and that included himself. He had known Jiro the longest, and the two of them had started the business together. It was hard to believe he was gone.

He walked into the bridge control center and switched on the lights. The small semicircular room was painted in shades of blue in the spots not covered in instrumentation. Three stations lined the forward curved wall: navigation, communications and engineering. Each had a set of instrument panels that arced in a generous semicircle around a plush swivel seat. Another station resided in the center of the room for the pilot, located directly behind the Com terminal. The captain did not necessarily have his own seat, except that Merlin was the primary pilot. Whoever flew the ship at the time occupied that spot.

Three large window panels covered the curved forward wall and all had near-invisible circuitry built within to bring up video displays whenever needed. The back wall of the small bridge contained stations for environmental control, the library computer and the sensors. The entrance to the bridge was at the starboard aft corner of the room, and the door to the Head was in the port-side aft corner. During a routine flight, there were rarely more than three people on the bridge and never less than one at all times.

Merlin stepped over to the center seat and leaned over the panel without sitting down. He keyed in a few commands and the left viewing screen came to life to show the interior of the cargo hold. He smiled when he saw Durant scribbling information onto a clipboard as he stood beside a pallet of plastic crates. The large black man was pleased with this load. If all went well, this shipment should finance much-needed upgrades to some of the systems on aboard.

•••

Taro led a lean young man dressed in black slacks and a matching shirt through the narrow passageways of the ship. She paused near a door that bore a plate with her name inscribed onto it, but went on to the next. Her companion glanced at the name on the door they stopped at and asked, "Who is Jiro Brannon?"

Taro pushed the door open and turned on the light for him. "He was... a friend," she said with a sigh. "This is your room now, Mr. Thornton."

"Please call me Renny," he requested. "I respond to it more readily." He smiled and tilted his head slightly to the side.

The redhead returned his smile with an effort and shook the cobwebs from her thoughts. She gave him a second, more detailed look and decided that he was fairly handsome. "I'm Taro Nichols," she said. "Everyone pretty much goes on a first name basis here, so you can call me Taro." She led him into the room past a pair of potted trees with wide leaves, and her earlier show of melancholy was gone when she added, "Except for Leo Durant. Never, ever call him by his first name. To him, you address him as Durant."

"I'll remember that. Was he the guy with the cigar?" Renny asked as he ran a hand through the curly blond hair of his head.

Taro chuckled. "No, that was Patch. You will get used to him. He's grumpy all of the time. Durant is our cargo master and ship's accountant. He's the biggest guy on board. You can't miss him."

Renny set his small bag of belongings on the bed and leaned against a small desk beside it. "May I ask you something about the captain?"

"What is it?" the woman answered suspiciously.

"When I met with him this afternoon, he seemed like an easy guy to talk to, but that was during a job interview. What's he like to work for?"

Taro smiled and winked at him, feeling more at ease. "You have nothing to worry about, Renny. Merlin is one of the most easygoing bosses you will ever meet. He is pretty informal about ship's operations, but this is a business so the end result of every delivery is making money. When he has to make an important decision, he will make it. You can discuss anything with him, but his word is final. He is our boss and he expects his commands to be obeyed, so don't ever challenge his authority." She turned toward the door and stepped out into the hall. "He spent five years in the Dennier military and knows what strict discipline is, but wants his own ship to be as comfortable and informal as it can be and still function."

The ship's intercom chirped and Taro walked a few steps down the corridor to a panel set into the wall. She tapped a button and said, "This is Taro."

"Taro?" said a small, squeaky voice. "Samantha said you wanted to talk to me."

The First Officer looked over at Renny as he stopped next to her. "I just needed to know when you had returned, Sparky," she answered into the panel. "Merlin's calling a meeting of all personnel in the galley before we launch."

"When?"

"Now that you're back, as soon as everyone can assemble."

"Can you spare about ten minutes for me to put away the food stores I brought back with me?" the voice asked.

"Okay. It'll take that long for everyone to assemble anyway." Taro clicked the same button again to break the connection and then tapped another one next to it for ship-wide broadcast. "Attention, all hands," she announced. "Gather for a crew meeting in the galley in ten minutes. Find a stopping point in whatever you are doing. Merlin wants to see us all together."

She shut off the system and then turned to her companion. "You can settle into your quarters later, Renny. The boss wants to show you off to everyone."

•••

Merlin looked up from a box of books at the announcement and frowned. He had not thought Sparky would have returned so quickly and had started to unpack an armload of new mystery novels. The long distances between the various star systems in the Planetary Alignment often provided for boring periods that he frequently spent immersed in stories of suspense. He had picked up a new series by his favorite author in New Gate just after his meeting with Renny.

He set the books he held back into the box and turned toward the closet. He wriggled out of his blue shirt and tossed it into a recessed wall hamper. From the closet, he withdrew a beige pullover sweater and struggled into it. It fit loosely, as he liked it, and he straightened the kinks out of the long sleeves. He smoothed down the hair on his head and then plucked his captain's hat from a wall peg as he scooped up a clipboard before heading out of the room toward the galley.

•••

Renny felt a lump in his throat as he watched the various crewmembers gathering into the small galley. It was the only place large enough to assemble all eight of the ship's personnel where chairs were provided. The recreation deck was of ample size, but it would take too much time to clean up the long unused area just for a meeting. The hold was currently loaded with cargo, and the bridge was hardly large enough to accommodate everyone. A long countertop spread across the majority of one side of the room with the kitchen behind it.

On the wall opposite the door to the room was a clear window that faced aft of the ship. The current view overlooked the dockyard of a huge warehouse and beyond to the edge of the New Gate community. The glass polarization was presently shut down to allow the noon sun to pleasantly warm the room and provide light for several pots of ivy hanging from the ceiling. The wall opposite the kitchen displayed in a large painted mural that depicted the Blue Horizon in flight against the backdrop of a blue and green planet. A signature in the bottom right corner identified the artist as Jiro Brannon.

The newcomer sat to the left of Merlin at the end of the room's single long table. Taro sat on the captain's right, chatting idly with a brown-haired woman he had not yet met. Across the table from him was a short Asian woman. She wore an apron with the cartoon face of a smiling kitty saying "yum". He deduced this was Sparky, the one who had spoken to Taro over the intercom concerning the food supplies. She slowly sipped at a cup of green tea and stared at him with interested green eyes.

Seated next to the cook had to be the one Taro called Durant. The broad-shouldered black man was taller and larger than anyone else on board was and was talking pleasantly to a small man with a head of hair the color of rusty shingle nails seated next to him. The man's green coveralls had pockets sewn onto practically all available spaces on the front and sides, and it appeared there was something contained in each of them.

Everyone looked up when another small red-haired man who strongly resembled the one seated next to Durant entered the room and plunked himself down at the last empty chair beside the brown-haired woman. He chewed on an unlit cigar and looked rather inconvenienced. He wiped his hands on his patched and greasy coveralls and then nodded to the captain. All eyes went to Merlin as he cleared his throat and then unconsciously adjusted his hat.

"Okay, crew, I want to introduce you all to our new navigator and copilot," he said. "This is Renny Thornton."

Renny smiled nervously and gave a nod of his head. "Hello," he said.

Merlin put a hand on his own chest and continued. "Just to make it official, I'll start the introductions with myself. I am Merlin Sinclair, the owner and captain of the Blue Horizon. This redhead next to me is Taro Nichols. She is my second-in-command, communications officer, and our liaison between customers. Next to her is Samantha Holden, our supply officer and computer whiz." The brown-haired woman smiled widely and waved her fingers at the newcomer. "If there's anything you need, she can get it for you."

The Asian woman reached across the table and touched Renny lightly on the arm. "Whether it's legal or not..." she chuckled.

"Hush!" Merlin scolded. "Renny, meet Ivy Sparks."

"Sparky," corrected the cook.

"She's our Environmental specialist and ship's chef. If she has the ingredients, she can prepare practically any dish for you."

"Practically?" Sparky looked up at the captain with an arched eyebrow.

Taro laughed and said, "Well, there was that fire you caused last year trying to fix that wonder meal you'd kept bragging to everyone you could make!" Chuckles moved around the room and Sparky shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay, practically any dish..." Sparky conceded with a smile.

Merlin grinned and gestured to the small man seated next to Samantha. "The guy with the cigar is Jasper Porter. He's our chief engineer and mechanic, and as you can tell from the repairs to his work clothes, we call him Patch." Chuckles started up again and the guy merely snorted with a nod toward the new navitagor. At first glance, Patch looked put out, but Renny noticed the hint of a smile behind the cigar.

"Across the table from Patch is his brother, Jerad Porter," Merlin said next.

"I'm Pockets!" Jerad exclaimed cheerily in a distinct country accent. This started another round of chuckles, which included the man's own giggles.

"He's a mechanical wizard and is rather enthusiastic about life in general," Merlin added with a grin. "Then we have our imposing cargo master and business accountant, Durant."

"Imposing?" Durant repeated in a gentle voice. "C'mon, boss, I'm not even as grumpy as Patch."

The engineer looked sideways at the large man, but otherwise did not comment. Merlin grinned and said, "Stand up, Durant."

The big man got to his feet and Renny noted immediately that the guy's shaved head was shy an inch from brushing the ceiling. Sparky touched the newcomer's arm again and pointed to the cargo master with her other hand. "Now that's imposing to short gals like me!" she laughed in her small, squeaky voice.

"Even more with me," Pockets added.

Durant sat down and patted the cook on the head with a grin. She leaned against the cuddly gentleman and mimicked purring loudly for him.

Merlin glanced at his clipboard and then back to his new navigator. "That's everyone, Renny. No one around here is given to big speeches, but if there's anything you want to say to this mob, go right ahead."

The navigator smiled back at the group and then told them, "I'm pleased to be here with you all and hope I can fit in." He looked embarrassed, but added, "I tend to get along with people well and don't mind helping out if you need me for something."

Taro reached around Merlin and took Renny's hand. She glanced at him coyly and raised an eyebrow. "I have something you can help me out with, mister..." she said softly.

Samantha whacked her on the shoulder. "Taro! Give the guy a chance to get used to us first!" Laughter spread around the room again and Merlin knew the meeting was over. He reached out and pulled Taro's hand away from the newcomer.

"Sorry, you two, but Renny's about to be initiated into his position," he said with a grin.

"Initiated?" the navigator asked. He swallowed as sudden visions of running through a line of the crewmembers armed with wooden paddles jumped into his head.

The captain stood up and replied, "I'm the primary pilot for the Blue Horizon and usually handle our launches when we leave port, but I'm going to give that job to you today. Have you ever piloted an Okami-class cargo carrier before?"

"Yes," Renny replied. "That's one of the reasons why I applied for this job. I flew the SS Argentina for the Leaway Moving Company of Tanthe for a little over a year."

"When did you work for them?" Durant asked.

"Six years ago. It was my first real job after finishing flight school."

Patch removed the cigar from his teeth and said in the same country accent of his brother, "If the ship you flew then was new, you were flying the same model as the Blue Horizon. It should still be familiar to you, even after five and a half years."

"Actually, it was older than this one. The Argentina was one of the first Okami ships off the assembly line," Renny replied.

"That old, eh?" Patch mused. "There have been a number of design changes since the original Okamis. The Blue Horizon is a G-model. I'm surprised a twenty-year old A-model was still flying."

"Well," Renny said with a nod, "once we had set her old bones down on a landing pad, there were times when we wondered if the Argentina would be able to take off again. I think they scrapped her after I left the company."

Merlin put a hand on the athlete's shoulder and said. "I'll go over ship's operations with you before we actually take off." He looked at Taro and added, "Arrange a launch window with the Kantus Port Authority for fourteen hundred. That gives us two hours to get the ship prepped to start our next delivery run."

"Where does this shipment go?" Renny asked.

"To Alexandrius," Samantha answered, "My home world."

"We're carrying pharmaceuticals for delivery to Alucara, the capitol city," Durant added.

"For my competitor, I might add," Samantha said with a casual wave of her hand.

"Competitor?" Renny asked.

The supply clerk gave him a smile. "I own the controlling interest in Holden Pharmaceuticals," she replied in answer. "It was my father's company." Renny was about to ask her why someone with money enough for that was working on a freighter, but decided he'd save the question for a time when he knew her a little better.

"Have you ever been to Alexandrius?" Durant asked.

"No," Renny admitted, "but I have the star charts memorized for the usual routes."

"Memorized?" Pockets asked.

Renny smiled and Merlin replied, "Our young navigator has a photographic memory. He remembers everything he reads."

"Wow..." Pockets drawled.

Merlin waved his arms at his crew and said, "Shoo, all of you! We have to get ready. The flight to Alexandrius will take three weeks, so you'll have plenty of time to visit with Renny after we're underway."

The crew started to disperse, but before anyone made it out the door, Sparky announced, "I'll have supper ready around seventeen hundred."

Pockets made his way toward her and asked, "Are you making anything special tonight or are you taking requests?"

Sparky smiled at him and tickled his ear with a finger. "Nothing specific just yet," she answered. "Once we've had our new navigator around a few days, then I'll whip up something special for him. What's your request?"

The mechanic grinned widely and wrung his hands together. "Baked Jinkies?" he asked hopefully.

The cook laughed and nodded her head. "I should have known. Okay, you got it. Jinkies it is."

"Jinkies?" Renny asked, "Isn't that a breakfast food?"

"Not if they're seasoned and baked just right," the chef replied.

"You're the greatest, Sparky!" Pockets shuffled out of the galley and headed to his workstation in the engine room with his brother.

The chef glanced up at Merlin and handed him two sheets of yellow paper. "Here are the invoices on the groceries, Captain," she said. "I forgot to give them to Durant."

"Okay, I'll take care of them," the captain replied.

Sparky glanced over at the navigator as Merlin began an explanation of personnel duties and studied his lean form and great height. He was every bit as tall as Taro, who towered over everyone else but Durant. Renny noticed her stare and smiled down at her. Merlin paused in his instructions and watched them curiously. Sparky crooked a finger at the newcomer and Renny leaned over to place his ear near her mouth.

Sparky whispered something to him and then kissed his cheek very gently. With a giggle, she turned and disappeared into her kitchen. Renny straightened up and turned to the captain. "Are all the women on this crew usually this friendly to newcomers?" he asked.

"Not usually," Merlin replied as he turned to lead them away. "I think you're a hit. Now, let's get up to the bridge where there aren't any distractions, and we'll go over the pre-flight checklist."

•••

Half a block away from the docked Blue Horizon, a rugged man sat in a booth at a crowded outdoor cafe. He wore the brown armband of a courier and his eyes fixed upon the saucer-shaped cargo carrier. A scrawny individual sat across from him, waiting expectantly for instructions from his companion. The courier shifted his gaze back to the bloodshot eyes of his informer and nodded. He dug a few credits from a shirt pocket and laid them on the table. The snitch scooped up the gold coins and then disappeared though the crowd.

The courier cleared his throat and picked up his lunch check. He glanced back at the Blue Horizon once more before he stood up and then walked casually to the cashier.

•••

"Port Control has cleared us for launch, Captain," Taro announced.

"Okay, Renny. She's all yours," Merlin said to the athlete over his shoulder. He sat at the navigator's station while the other was in the center pilot's seat.

Renny's pulse quickened as he started the engines of the fully laden cargo carrier. He was in the spotlight of attention of the bridge crew and knew everyone else on board was conscious of his actions. He was in control of the second-most critical phase of flying any ship, taking off; the first was landing. He had no doubt he could fly this vessel; he prided himself on his ability to fly just about any ship in the Planetary Alignment. What made him nervous was the knowledge of being scrutinized as the newest member of an established crew.

Renny emptied his mind of such thoughts and immersed himself in his job. The Blue Horizon had been cleared for launch. He checked his readouts and smiled to himself. Energy buildup was at one hundred percent and all thrusters fired equally. A green light glowed brightly and the navigator moved his hands smoothly over the controls. He held the inverted, L-shaped guidance shifts firmly and then depressed a thumb switch on the right-hand grip.

The Blue Horizon rose quickly from the landing platform and left New Gate far behind in a matter of seconds. Merlin was impressed. The inertia dampeners worked so well, and the launch had been so smooth, that had he not seen the city disappear from view in the vidscreens or saw the readouts of his instruments, the captain would not have known they had even left the dock.   

He glanced over at the Com station and winked at Taro. She grinned ear to ear and gave him a thumbs-up sign. The redhead put a hand to the earpiece of her headset and spoke softly into the microphone. It was a query from an incoming pleasure cruiser that passed a kilometer to their starboard. She turned to the navigator, who looked at her wonderingly.

"Turn on our running lights, Renny," she advised.

"Oops," he muttered. He clicked a switch near the guidance shifts. "Sorry..."

"Not too bad for your first time out with the Blue Horizon," Merlin said. "We'll be coming up fast on the Kantus moon. Five hundred kilometers past that worthless hunk of rock, engage the LightDrive engines and push them up to half speed. Maintain that until we're out of the star system."

"How long will that take?" Renny asked.

"Roughly six hours from our present position. Can you handle that?"

Renny smiled. "Not a problem," he replied.

Taro glanced over at the engineering station panel and nodded to herself. She clicked a switch on the console before her and then spoke again into her headset mike on ship-wide broadcast. "Ship's artificial gravity at normal. Mobility now safe."

Merlin unbuckled his seat harness and stood up. He leaned against the edge of his panel and crossed his arms. "Good job, Renny," he said approvingly. "That was a smooth launch."

The intercom chirped. The captain reached for the panel behind him and clicked the open circuit. "Merlin, here," he said.

"Captain," Patch's drawl sounded from the overhead speaker, "The new energy transducers fluctuated a bit during launch, but they're well within limits. I suspect they're from an Okami H-model."

"Where did Pockets get a new transducer?" the captain asked.

"I asked him the same thing, but all he does is smile at me."

"This doesn't bode well. Okay, Patch, keep an eye on the readings and let me know if anything gets out of tolerance."

"Aye, Captain."

He closed the connection and turned to his First Officer. "Keep watch up here for me, Taro," he said. "I'm heading down to have a little chat with Pockets."

•••

Renny yawned widely and arched his back in the seat. Five hours at the controls of the ship with no excitement would have been boring had it not been for Taro's company. He had learned a great deal about her background and found her phenomenal strength fascinating. Taro was from Hestra, a rather large planet with a high gravity and a predominantly mountainous terrain. Although she did not look it, in "system normal" gravity she surpassed most in strength and agility, including Durant. 

They shared an interest in athletic activities and he looked forward to spending some off-duty time with her. He checked his instruments and yawned again. Taro had left to get them something to drink and he was presently alone on the bridge. He knew that once they had left the star system, their speed could be pushed up full, and then the autopilot could be engaged for routine flight. Until then, however, someone had to be at the controls constantly.

Renny studied the panel before him and saw a dial he had missed earlier. He smiled and turned it slightly. The cabin lights dimmed as he adjusted the control further so that most of the illumination of the room now came primarily from the instrument panels. All three window panels were clear at the moment and the darkened bridge made the starlight beyond seem brilliant. He preferred it that way. Now if he only had some music to play.

The door to the bridge slid aside and Taro walked in with two sodas and a large bag of pretzels. She handed a drink to the navigator and returned to her seat. "Nice lighting," she commented with a smile. "Are you trying to set a mood?"

Renny looked up suddenly at her and felt his face flush. "Not at all," he managed to reply. "I just like looking at the stars from a darkened room when on the bridge."

"Ah... Anything happen while I was gone?"

"No, all's quiet." The words were barely out of his mouth when the Com panel beeped. Taro picked up her headset and tapped a button.

"This is the SS Blue Horizon," she stated. "What can we do for you?" She listened a moment and then nodded to herself. "Please hold while I get the captain." Taro sighed as she tapped another control and then waited for Merlin to connect in the intercom.

The panel chirped and Taro opened the connection. "This is Merlin. What is it?" his voice asked.

"Captain, we have a communications link from the SPF. They want to talk to you."

"SPF? Okay, I'll take it here in my office."

Taro made the necessary routing adjustments on her panel and then turned back to her companion.

"What does the Spatial Police Force want with the captain?" Renny asked.

"I'm not sure," Taro replied, "but it probably has something to do with Samantha."

"Why?"

Taro smiled and shook her head. "Sam has connections on all worlds of the Planetary Alignment to get the supplies she needs. Sometimes she'll go through underground routes to obtain hard-to-get items." The redhead took a sip of her diet soda and added, "She's never actually gotten caught, but that doesn't mean she won't at some time."

"Does that have anything to do with her ownership of Holden Pharmaceuticals?"

Taro chuckled. "No, that firm is legit, I assure you," she replied as she stood up and moved to stand beside him at the controls. "Holden is the largest pharmaceutical company in the PA. Samantha has enough money to buy a whole fleet of ships like this one."

"Then why…?"

"She inherited the business and other family assets when her folks died in a car wreck years ago, but she doesn't really enjoy life in an administrative office." Taro leaned closer to him and traced a finger through his hair, giving him a shiver. "She and Merlin have been close friends for nearly fifteen years, and she enjoys going around the galaxy with him. That's why she's here."

"Does that mean that she and he…"

"Uh huh…" Taro whispered as she moved an arm across his lean chest. "Relationships are inevitable on long voyages like the ones we're always on."

Renny looked up into her eyes and swallowed quietly. Sparky had said something similar to him in the galley before they had taken off.

•••

"I'm Merlin Sinclair, captain of the Blue Horizon. What can I do for you, officer?"

A high-pitched male voice answered from the Com terminal. The Blue Horizon was not equipped with video communication so the conversation was audio-only.

"Captain Sinclair," the voice replied, "I'm SPF Sergeant Randal Stokes. I am conducting an investigation of a theft at your last port of call at New Gate on Kantus."

"How can we help you?"

"Three energy transducers for an Okami-class cargo carrier were taken from the Eaglebright Electronics warehouse last night."

The captain frowned and shook his head. The conversation he had had with Pockets and Samantha just after liftoff had confirmed his suspicions that their newly acquired transducers were stolen from the manufacturer. He had not expected the SPF to zero in on them quite so quickly, however.

"Are we supposed to have them, Sergeant?" Merlin asked in a neutral voice. "I have a shipment of pharmaceuticals to deliver. We're scheduled to deliver no equipment parts on this load, and my ship is in good working order."

"True, but uh, you do have an Okami vessel," the officer replied hesitantly.

"What model do the missing transducers go to?" Merlin asked.

"Uh, my reports say they were for an H-model ship."

"Sir, the Blue Horizon is a G-model. We would not be able to use them," Merlin explained, hoping the sergeant was not aware of technical specifications on a cargo ship. "As far as I know, the components are not backward compatible."

"Ah, I don't know about such things, Captain," the officer admitted. "I don't think they are... However –"

Merlin sensed the other's growing confusion, so he pushed his tactics a bit. "How many Okami vessels were docked around New Gate?"

"Uhm, thirty-four. They're fairly common ships."

"And how many have you contacted, including me?"

"Hmm? Just seven so far."

"Then I wish you good luck investigating the others, Sergeant. Good day."

"Uh, okay. Thanks. Bye."

Merlin closed the connection and leaned back in his chair with a sigh. The Spatial Police Force was a good unit, but like any other corporation, bad judgments in management could be made. Sgt. Randy, as the public called him, was not an intelligent man. How he had obtained his rank in such an otherwise dedicated group was a mystery to many.

Each of the fifteen worlds of the Planetary Alignment had their own police forces, but outside of their local jurisdictions, the SPF had the authority to take care of any matter called upon in the space between systems. The SPF headquarters resided on the tiny, otherwise lifeless planet of Joplin in the astrometrical center of the combined worlds of the Planetary Alignment. Its sun was dim and dying, the planet was virtually an airless rock of undesired minerals, but it was considered neutral territory by the individual world governments; the organization was funded by a joint account of the Planetary Alignment.

The captain turned back to the purchase orders that Durant had supplied to him for their cargo. Alexandrius was the richest of the PA worlds and it was a good thing whenever they received orders for delivery there. The businesses there often paid generously and their hospitality was famous. Merlin had a standing policy to allow all crewmembers three days of leave during every planetfall between deliveries and he had never heard a complaint for the rule whenever on Alexandrius.

The captain heard a muffled boom and felt the floor vibrate with it. He looked up in annoyance, wondering if they had collided with a small meteoroid, when a tone sounded from his desk panel. Almost at the same time, his intercom chirped. He touched the control and said, "Merlin, here. What is it?"

"Captain!" said Taro's excited voice. "The fire alarms have gone off in the galley again!"

"On my way!" he shouted back to her as he grabbed his captain's hat. He bounded out the door and sprinted down the curving passageway to the back of the ship where the galley resided. When he arrived, Sparky was out in the smoke-filled hallway with Samantha. The cook was coughing violently and pointing to the galley doorway.

"Pockets is in there," Samantha told the captain. "He's trying to fight the fire!"

"Take Sparky to the infirmary!" Merlin commanded.

"Aye, sir!"

He pulled his hat down over his nose and stepped into the galley. Through the smoke, he saw the diminutive mechanic standing on top of the table with an extinguisher that was just giving out on him. Everything behind the counter was ablaze and growing out toward the oxygen coming from the hallway. The captain grabbed Pockets by the collar, yanked him off the table, and bolted out the door. He dropped the mechanic onto the carpet and hit the controls to shut the door. Pockets yelped when he hit the floor and rolled to his feet. Two wrenches and a screwdriver fell out of his pockets with dull thuds. The captain opened a panel beside the door and punched a large red button set into the wall. When he heard a hissing behind the doorway, Merlin turned to face the mechanic.

"Are you all right?" he asked through watery eyes. 

Pockets coughed a couple of times and then nodded his head. "I don't think I did much good in there," he said in a raspy voice.

"Perhaps not, but it was a good effort." Merlin rubbed his burning eyes and gasped, "What did she burn in there, a crate of onions?"

"I dunno. I didn't get a chance to talk to her before I pushed her out into the hall and grabbed an extinguisher." Both turned at the sound of running feet.

"What happened?" Durant asked as he stopped beside them.

"Guess..." Pockets quipped as he retrieved his fallen tools.

"One of her experimental dishes?"

"Probably," Merlin answered. "Pockets tried to be the hero and put out a bonfire with a water pistol, but I snatched him out before he hurt himself."

"Huh?" Durant looked puzzled. Pockets frowned and snorted.

Merlin chuckled at the mechanic's expression. "The fire extinguisher he was using wasn't big enough," he explained. "After I dragged him out, I sealed the room and vented all the air in there out into space." As if to punctuate his words, the panel beside the door beeped. He pushed a white button beneath the red one and then closed the panel. Every room module on the Blue Horizon was equipped with such a device for fire emergencies that grew out of hand. The rule was to fight the fire as much as possible, but if that was not enough, get everyone out of the compartment and then activate it.

Merlin walked to a nearby intercom terminal and called the bridge. "Taro, here," she answered.

"Go to the Engineering station and take a reading on the galley," he replied.

There was a few seconds of silence before she reported, "Air pressure is in the negative numbers, but rising to ship normal. Temperature is twenty-two degrees and also rising. You should be able to go back in there in about a minute."

"Thank you." The captain clicked off the connection and turned to Pockets. "Go on to the infirmary and check in on Sparky," he said. "Have Samantha look you over, too."

"Aye, Captain."

Merlin turned to Durant at another beep from the wall panel and sighed. "All right, let's go inside and have a look."

•••

Pockets shuffled around the curved corridor toward the forward end of the ship. The infirmary was near the bridge, next to Renny's cabin. He moved in through the open door and found Samantha giving the frazzled cook a dose of pure oxygen. Sparky gripped the oxy-mask tightly and gulped air.

"Easy now," Samantha told her.

The Asian woman took a few more deep inhalations and then lay back onto the medical gurney. She coughed a couple more times and looked over at Pockets.

"What happened?" the mechanic asked.

Sparky smiled feebly and said in a raspy voice. "Fynian Wonder Meal."

"Ah, so that was it," Pockets replied.

"Why?" Sam asked.

"I wanted to surprise Renny with it."

"I think you surprised everyone else," Taro said dryly. Everyone turned to look at the tall redhead, who had just stepped inside the door. "When are you going to learn that you can't make that dish on board a starship?"

"It worked while I was on leave," Sparky said.

"Did the environmental settings of the Blue Horizon in flight match that of your test kitchen on the planet?"

"Uhm, I don't know..."

"I thought you were our Environmental Specialist," the First Officer taunted. "Our sealed and pressurized air isn't probably the best setting for that dish."

The cook covered her eyes with her hands and sighed. "It hadn't occurred to me."

"Sparky," Taro said softly. "You've caught the galley on fire twice now trying to make this thing. Before you do it again, I would suggest some extra research into it."

"Agreed," the Asian woman answered.

"Now, are you all right?"

Samantha answered for her. "She took in a lot of smoke and she has a sprained ankle from when Pockets yanked her out of the room and banged her leg on the table."

"Oops," the mechanic said lowly. "Sorry, Sparky."

The cook motioned for him to come to her as she sat up. She tugged on his arm to pull him close and then kissed him gently on the cheek. "Thank you, Pockets. You came to my rescue," she said with a smile. "I might have been hurt worse than this if you hadn't grabbed me when you did."

•••

Merlin wiped a sooty hand across his forehead and frowned through the lingering haze at the large man. "She did a number on the kitchen this time, my friend," he said. "I'm afraid I can't just ignore it like I did last time. Our insurance will take care of most of it, but the rest will have to come out of her pay."

"I'll get Patch up here to help me assess the damage and give you a credit figure," Durant replied gloomily.

"Yeah, well, wait until after we've salvaged what food we can," Merlin said. "We may have to call for emergency assistance if too much is lost."

"Okay, boss, we'll get right on it."

Durant left to get the engineer and Merlin looked at the ruined kitchen. Whatever she had done, Sparky had managed to spread the fire across every countertop and piece of equipment in the place. The fire had been extinguished just as it got to the cooler units, but he was uncertain if they still functioned. The temperature gauges on the door panels had melted. He did not want to open the units until they had alternate coolers in place to put the food into, or he would have already looked into them. As the smoke haze was slowly drawn out of the shipboard air, he noticed the damage to the mural on the galley wall with a frown. Something in the chemical extinguisher spray the mechanic had used dissolved most of the paint Jiro had used to create the picture. He groaned and shook his head; the artist had spent three weeks on the mural.

Merlin walked around the table to the blistered countertop. He skirted around its side and stepped into the kitchen. Sparky and Pockets had used four extinguishers on the fire and the empty canisters littered the floor along with an assortment of pots, pans and cooking utensils. The walls were charred blackest near the massive stove and the oven was a total loss, as if something had exploded from within. Despite the earlier decompression and the ventilating fans, a small curl of smoke issued from behind the stove. Merlin leaned over and peered down at a blackened loaf of bread that had resumed smoldering. He found a damp towel in the sink and draped it over the loaf. The captain straightened up and sighed audibly.

"What a mess," Patch mumbled as he stepped gingerly into the room. Samantha peeked in behind him and saw the ruined mural.

"Ah, no," she whined.

Patch looked over at the wall that had escaped his notice and shook his head. He pulled his eyes away from it and moved to the kitchen.

"Where's Durant?" Merlin asked.

The engineer knelt down to pick up a broken spice bottle and replied, "He went down to his office to get the Damage Assessment forms and Pricing Guide."

"Is Sparky okay?"

Samantha frowned at the damage and replied, "I treated her for smoke inhalation, a sprained ankle and a few singed places – mostly on her hands. Taro thinks she will be okay with some rest. She's with her now in Sparky's quarters."

Merlin walked back to the long table and motioned for Samantha to follow him. "Wait here for Durant," he said to Patch. "Sam and I are going to get the recreational cooler units from the upper deck. Don't open the refrigerators down here until we get back with them."

"Right."

Samantha followed the captain around the corridor to the lift. When Merlin stopped in front of the bright blue door, he thumbed a button set into the wall at waist level. The panel slid aside and the pair moved inside. He tapped a button labeled "3" and the lift door closed. The cubicle hummed lowly as it moved upward.

The door opened again seconds later and they stepped out onto the ship's recreational deck. There were video games along one wall, a pool table in the middle of the room, with card tables and library tables to the side. A large curved window faced ship's forward that was equipped with the same near-invisible circuitry as the bridge panels that allowed it to double as a vidscreen for movies or other recorded programs. There was an instrument terminal below it to monitor every major system of the ship. Lush blue carpet covered the floor and ceiling, and the walls had light brown wood paneling. There were comfortable chairs and couches dispersed at random around the large room, with a tiny kitchenette occupying a back corner. 

The recreation deck was a nice spot to get away from regular ship's operations, but the room rarely saw much use. Everyone seemed to prefer either the galley or their individual cabins for their off-duty activities. In recent months, it had become a catchall storeroom and things were lying about randomly. Several storage lockers occupied the aft wall for extra equipment such as weights, exercise mats and the articles for fencing. Jiro had been Merlin's only fencing partner on board so the items had not been touched since his death.

The captain switched on the lights and discovered only four of the eight glow panels functioned. He moved toward the kitchenette, but before he could grab one of the small refrigerating cooler units, Samantha touched him on the shoulder.

"Merlin?" she asked, "May I talk to you a minute?"

The captain looked over at her. "Make it quick, Sam. This may be all that saves our food supply."

Samantha nodded. "Let me pay for Sparky's damages," she said.

Merlin raised an eyebrow. "I appreciate your offer," he said, "and no doubt she would, too, but she's done this before. If she doesn't have to pay for her share of the damage herself, then she may be likely to do it again."

"Please, Merlin?" she asked. "Sparky has been saving up for something important to her. This will wipe out a good portion of her savings, and I have plenty to spare."

Merlin sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. "If you want to help her out, why don't you help her with her savings instead? Let her pay for her mistake first, and then offer your generosity to her financial goal afterward. It will amount to the same thing, but she will have learned her lesson."

Samantha smiled and nodded. "Okay, I suppose that will work."

"Good," the captain said. "Now, let's get these down to the galley."

•••

The hours in the control room had seemed longer than the actual time Renny had spent in the center seat. Most of the ships he had served on had an automatic pilot to take over the mundane routine flight after launches and landings; many felt there was no real need for a continued presence on the bridge once the autopilot took over.

However, Renny's new boss did not feel as if that were enough. Taro had explained to him that Captain Sinclair felt the necessity to have someone on the bridge at all times, in the event an unexpected emergency cropped up. Autopilots worked well, so long as a stray asteroid or another ship did not suddenly appear in their flight path. It was rare that such crises happened very often, but Merlin did not want to take that chance, and therefore required that all members of his crew take a watch on the bridge on a rotating basis. As the new guy on board, Renny had been assigned the first watch, though because of the launch from Kantus and the explosion in the galley he had remained an extra hour beyond the usual shift.

Merlin had relieved him on the bridge moments earlier and had told him to get some rest. Afterward, he was to help Pockets and Samantha clean up the long-unused recreation deck. With the damage to the galley not repairable with what they had on board, they would have to use the small kitchenette in the Rec Room for their meals.

Renny yawned widely as he approached the cabin that had been assigned to him and opened the door. He had not had time since coming on board to do more than stow his bag inside the room, but the indirect lighting was already on. He leaned in past the potted trees and looked inside cautiously. Taro sat on the carpeted floor in front of an open closet door, a plastic box beside her. The redhead looked up at him with moist green eyes, but she gave him a smile.

"Hi," he said to her.

Taro wiped her eyes with the back of a hand and replied, "Hello."

Renny squatted down beside her. "May I ask what you're doing in my cabin?" he inquired.

The woman gestured toward the container in front of her. "No one's been in here to box up Jiro's personal effects since he died," she explained. "I thought I should take care of it so you could set up the room how you wanted it, now that it was yours." She held up a small ceramic figurine of a cougar and shrugged her shoulders. "I thought I would be finished before you got off your shift, but the memories slowed me down."

Renny frowned and scratched an ear. "Were the two of you close?" he asked quietly. Taro did not respond, but the look on her face was answer enough. "I'm sorry for your loss," he replied softly.

"Me, too," she whispered. She cleared her throat and put the figurine inside the box.

Renny fidgeted for a moment and then stood up. "I'm going to lie down for a while and get some rest," he said, "but you are welcome to continue what you're doing if you're quiet."

Taro looked up at him and managed a small smile. "Thank you," she said. "I'm almost finished anyway."

The navigator nodded and walked to the bed. His bag had been untouched and he moved it to the floor at the foot of his bunk. He quietly stripped the top blanket from the bed and set it aside. He sat down on the sheet-covered mattress and removed his boots and shirt. A moment later, he fluffed his pillow and then stretched out on the bed, his face to the wall.

Taro looked up from her box and glanced over at the navigator. She let her mind wander a bit as she let her eyes stare unfocused at his tanned back until she realized her gaze had drifted toward the seat of his pants.

She smiled at a fond memory and turned back to her task. She quickly pulled the last of the small items from the bottom of the closet and sealed them up in the box. She would keep them in her room until their next voyage took them to Pomen, where she would then have them forwarded to Jiro's family.

When she got to her feet, she glanced over toward the bed and saw the navigator watching her silently. He had turned over quietly and faced her. She gave him a genuine smile to let him know that she was okay and he smiled back at her.

Taro set her box on the desktop near the bed and then knelt in front of the navigator. She leaned forward and kissed him on the tip of his nose, an action that took him by surprise.

"I've only known you a few hours," she said, "but I am already fond of you."

"Oh?" he asked as he raised his head to look at her evenly. "Why is that?"

"I learned a lot about you just visiting those few hours on the bridge," she replied. "That, and your understanding about me and Jiro."

Renny frowned. "I know what it is like to lose someone close," he said. "Although in my case it was a younger sister named Sophie."

The redhead nodded, but continued to smile. "I think I will always miss Jiro, but I need to build some new memories now," she said. "Want to help me?"

Renny sat up and patted the mattress beside him. "You can count on me."

Taro gave him a smile, but narrowed her eyes as she got up and occupied the spot beside him. Without another word, she passed her hand over his chest, slowly running her fingers through his blond hair. Renny wrapped an arm around her and then pulled her close.

•••

The bridge was quiet as the Blue Horizon flew through space at her normal cruising speed. The LightDrive engines had been pushed up to full and the autopilot had been engaged an hour ago. Bridge Watch was often hours of boring solitude, but it was a necessity. Everyone spent a shift on bridge monitoring duty during autopilot cruising, so no one had to be there but once every eighth shift, unless a situation for manual piloting was required. The captain spent many quiet hours alone on the bridge, usually with his nose buried in a mystery novel or going over manifests, invoices, or purchase orders. He was currently looking over the financial sheets Durant had brought up to him earlier and was frowning at the damage figures to the galley.

The stove and oven were not repairable and many of Sparky's smaller appliances had been destroyed. Most of the spices and special seasonings she had acquired throughout the Planetary Alignment were gone, and so were most of her dry goods. Fortunately, the large refrigeration coolers still functioned normally, even if the gauges and indicators on the outside of the unit melted from the intense heat of the fire. They would still have plenty of food to last them the three weeks to Alexandrius, but it would be somewhat bland without the chef's spices and other fine additions. The snack stores in the Rec Room lockers would help supplement their meals, and the kitchenette there would have to substitute the galley for food preparation. 

The captain glanced at the bottom line of Durant's figures and felt a cold chill. Repair and replacement of equipment and foodstuffs to get the galley back up to operation was going to cost no less than ©56,000. Fifty-six thousand credits! That was nearly the full payment they would get for the delivery of their current cargo to Alexandrius! Durant had already contacted their insurance agent on Dennier, who had informed him that an assessor would meet them in Alucara to inspect the damage. Rough figures showed that the Interstellar Insurance Agency would cover eighty percent of the costs in this case. Sparky's bill would come to ©11,200.

When Merlin showed Sparky the damage figures, she had nearly fainted over the amount, but she agreed that it was her fault and that she should pay for it. She promised not to attempt the Fynian Wonder Meal on board again, nor any other dish that required arbor whisk juice as an ingredient. The high temperature needed to cook with it did not react well with the shipboard atmosphere mixture. Sparky had ©15,000 saved back into her account so she would at least be able to cover her portion of the damages, but that left her with only ©3,800. As a consolation, Merlin authorized her to go on a full shopping spree to restock the ship once the repairs were completed. In her favor, several of the ruined appliances had been in need of updating, anyway.

The captain set the papers aside and stretched with a yawn. He got up and walked around the bridge, examining readouts, and when he was satisfied that everything was running normally, he picked up a book he'd brought back with him and opened it to his bookmark. He usually read mystery novels, but this time he had purchased a space-adventure story titled The Treasure of Herdantes, written on Earth over one hundred thirty years earlier, long before that world had actually ventured out into the galaxy and discovered a very human-like Planetary Alignment formed of their closest interstellar neighbors. He enjoyed the archaic technology in the fictional story and was ready to continue reading. Before he had made it though a single paragraph, however, the Com panel beeped with an incoming call.

He set his book aside and moved to Taro's terminal. He put her headset across his ears and said, "This is the SS Blue Horizon. What can we do for you?"

"Captain Sinclair? Is this Merlin?" said an accented voice from the headset speakers.

"Aye, this is Captain Sinclair."

"Merlin! It's me, Tanis!"

"Arktanis!" the captain exclaimed. "Where in creation are you, old boy?"

"I'm in Corral City on Alexandrius. I just found out ya were heading to Alucara and wanted to know if I could meet with ya there."

Merlin grinned ear to ear and said, "Of course you can! We will be at the Ryu Industries' dockyard at the Chaparral Metro Spaceport on the sixth, barring any delays. What brings you to Alexandrius? The last we'd heard you were still playing military soldier on Nalirra."

"Ah, that's what I wanted to meet with ya about, Captain," the voice replied. "My service time has ended and I have a request to make of ya."

•••

It had taken close to four hours, but Renny, Pockets and Samantha had cleaned the Rec Room and it finally looked cozy. The navigator did not understand why the crew had not used it for so long, but he did not ask. Since he was now on the payroll, and the Blue Horizon was to be his home, the athlete felt he would get a lot of use of the place, even if no one else did. He had always been physical by nature, and he was pleased with the amount of exercise equipment available to him.

Pockets had his nose buried in an open instrument panel beneath the large vidscreen. He had said something about it having broken down some months earlier, but as the room was seldom used, neither he nor Patch had bothered to fix it until now. Samantha had been most adamant about repairs to the unit. She had explained to Renny that she was fond of old movies, and the large screen was better suited for watching the shows than the small vidscreen in her cabin.

Renny walked across the room toward her and sat down on a barstool by the kitchenette. The supply officer had just finished moving the last of their food items from the wrecked galley and was overlooking her handiwork. She set a wipe cloth on the counter and glanced over at Renny after brushing stray dust from her blouse.

"My first day on board has been rather eventful," Renny told her with a grin. "Is it always like this?"

Samantha shook her head with a smile. "Not really," she replied. "Usually the voyage from one planet to another is real quiet. If you have any hobbies, you will have plenty of time to work on them."

Renny crossed his legs and sat perched on top of the stool with his hands on his ankles. "It looks like I'll be spending a lot of time in this room," he said.

"You like old movies?" Samantha asked.

"For the exercise equipment," the athlete answered. He looked around the room and shrugged. "How can Captain Sinclair afford to pay a crew to sit around all the time?" he asked after a moment. "Wouldn't it be cheaper to have him just pay local people at the ports you dock into to unload the cargo for him? It seems like he'd have a perpetually bored crew."

Sam nodded and leaned forward on the counter, her elbows supporting her weight. "Granted we don't really have enough duties to keep us occupied constantly during a lengthy voyage, but we have other skills as well," she said. "I keep the ship and crew supplied with needed items, and I maintain the hardware and software of the Geo-21 computer system. Durant keeps the books in line and makes sure the cargo is secure throughout the trip. Taro is always in contact with businesses all over the Planetary Alignment, lining up new jobs for us." She gestured toward the mechanic across the room.

"Pockets and his twin brother Patch keep the ship running and take care of all the mechanical and electronic problems that pop up. Sparky keeps us all fed, but she also monitors the systems to keep our onboard atmosphere balanced and breathable. You are the navigator and keep us on course to each of our jobs, and we all play cargo mover when we land. That is, everyone but Sparky. She usually finds a way out of helping us." She looked at him and shrugged her shoulders. "If you think about it, you're probably the one on board with the fewest duties."

"You think I'm not important to the crew?" Renny asked with a frown.

Samantha laughed. "Quite the contrary, kitty-cat. You probably have one of the most important roles among us, making sure we get from one place to the next without flying off blindly into space."

"Kitty-cat?" the athlete said with a lopsided grin.

"Yeah, you remind me of a cheetah."

"I've been on board less than twenty-four hours and already you're calling me names."

Samantha snickered. "Yeah, I have nicknames for everyone, and so long as you're going to be one of us, you may as well get used to it."

"Yeah," Renny said with a far-away gaze. "Several on board have already tried to make me feel right at home."

Samantha gave him a mischievous grin. "That would have to be Taro and Sparky, I'd wager."

Renny looked at her in fascination for a moment and then shook his head with a smile. "Half-right," he admitted.

"Taro?"

"Yup."

Samantha nodded. "Don't get too comfortable," she told him. "Sparky will be next."

Renny leaned forward. "When's your turn, beautiful?"

Sam's eyes went wide and she stood up straight, thrusting out her ample chest. "Keep dreaming, kitty-cat," she said with a laugh. "I don't get intimate as quickly as those two do."

"Oh, sorry," Renny said, his head down in embarrassment.

Samantha reached down and cupped his chin to pull it up. "Don't be," she said. "I'm flattered you think me attractive, but at the moment there's only one person on board who gets my full affections."

"Captain Sinclair. Yeah, I know."

"I will assume Taro told you that," she said dryly.

"Right again," he said.

"She talks too much sometimes," Samantha stated, "though she makes a good friend once you get to know her."

"What about Sparky?"

"Everybody loves Sparky. She's a wonderful person all around."

Renny recalled the group meeting the day before and remembered something that had been on his mind. "May I ask you a personal question?"

"That depends on what it is, but go ahead and ask."

"Taro told me about your father's business, and that despite your position in the company, you would rather fly around the PA in a freighter with your friend, Captain Sinclair."

"That's right."

"Do you get a paycheck working for the Blue Horizon, too?" He looked up at her hesitantly, feeling very nosey into her affairs.

Samantha chuckled. "Yes, I do, but only on Merlin's insistence," she answered. "Because of Holden Pharmaceuticals, I don't really need his money, but he won't let me work without a paycheck. So, I take everything he pays me and I put it in a private slush fund for the crew… all without his knowledge, of course." She leaned close and put a finger to her lips. "Don't breathe a word of this to him," she whispered. "I use the money from time to time to help out members of the crew when they get into binds."

"Why wouldn't the Captain like it?" Renny asked.

"He's very conscious of my money, even though we've known one another half our lives, and he sometimes feels awkward when I use my own credits to do something for his business."

"Ah, I see."

"Oh, and Renny," she added, "You don't have to keep calling him Captain Sinclair. You are permitted to call him by his first name, Merlin."

"Yeah, that's what Taro told me. It just seems a little strange to be on a first-name basis with my boss. It hasn't been allowed anywhere else I've worked."

"Let there be light!"

Renny and Samantha looked up at Pockets' exclamation and saw the large vidscreen come to life in the middle of an Interstellar News Network broadcast.

"Nice, crisp picture!" the mechanic said jubilantly.

"Yeah, Pockets, but there's no sound," Samantha replied.

The short man reached into one of his voluminous pockets and pulled out a slender remote. "Sorry," he said, "it's on mute." He thumbed the button and suddenly the room was bombarded with three-dimensional surround sound… at a deafening volume. Pockets had to scramble to turn down the sound and then looked back at his crewmates with an embarrassed grin.

"Heh…" he said, "it hasn't been on in a couple months." Pockets took a quick look around the room and then smiled at his companions. "The recreation deck is almost ready for business," he said. "Looks like all that's left is to clean the carpet and make sure all the circuits function on the vidscreen.

"I'll get the vacuum," Renny volunteered.

•••

Renny finished cleaning the carpet of the Rec Room and smiled when Pockets walked over to him. "I haven't seen this deck look so good in a long time," the small man said cheerily. "We haven't really used it in a while, but with all the lights working and everything straightened up, we just might start recreating in he