Chapter 3: Deployment

The afternoon of the day that they had left on, LT Scalla had him report to her office. “Close the door, I want to go through what you need to do to stay ahead of the curve.”

“Yes Ma’am” Ty responded, wondering where he was going to find the time to do more than he was already.

“I know you are really busy, so I am going to try and make some additional time available to you. Instead of running three watches like Knapper set up, we will run at least four and hopefully six. With four hours on and twenty hours to split between jobs, personal matters and sleep, we should be able to make it although it will be tight. Right now we have to get some people trained up so they can stand a watch. That includes you. Right now the Senior Chief, The Bo’sun and I are accredited. By Adobe, I want you ready to take the Bridge Cert. There is some other ship’s stuff you’ll have to learn too, like the Weapons Department Cert.

I think you’ll find you can relax on some of the XO stuff; the crew is good and you checking and poking around will be enough to keep them on their toes. Knapper was making a huge task out of it based on his lack of common sense and background. You’ll do a lot better.

Ty spent a lot of time studying and in time the computer in Sylph noticed. “You spend much time learning things that may vary and never respond as wished, I do not understand. would you not be better to go through it and then deal with the issues when you see them?”

Ty stopped and thought for a moment “Most often there are a limited number of responses, but those responses can be done in multiple ways. The way it is delivered is informative as much as the general response. For instance, if I tell someone to empty a locker for inventory and I’ll be back shortly to do the inventory, I can get several responses, one being ‘No I won’t’. That could be a refusal because they don’t feel like it, which will bring discipline, but perhaps they are on another mission and I am interrupting something the captain has them doing, that is very different, or perhaps they have an allergy or other reason they don’t want to do it. I need to hear them out, as their reason may be quite valid or totally irrelevant. My response needs to vary accordingly. That is a simple example, but if I am trying to outmaneuver my enemy, I don’t know as much about his reasons and must think carefully to provide a sound response to their action.”

“But their response can be defined within certain available responses.”

Ty smiled, not that the computer knew. “But sometimes a thinking being responds in some totally unexpected way, and that can be the most dangerous response. An enemy ship hides behind an asteroid, and you contemplate which way he will come out from behind it ... or perhaps he is already running away behind the asteroid and you’ll soon lose him. You are evaluating these options and instead he pushes the asteroid toward you, forcing you to come out in the open instead!”

The computer was silent for a minute “An unlikely action, but one that alters who is dictating who must act to whom.”

“Yes, we call it initiative, he who holds the initiative dictates the battle, by altering the initiative, the enemy has tried to alter who is dictating the battle to whom. He might now be running away behind the asteroid, but you have an asteroid problem to solve quickly before you can do anything else. It is those sorts of potential unexpected actions that I try to find so they have been considered, and you have some options you have previously considered. You might be able to push it back at the enemy, or perhaps blow it apart. But you have some options you have considered.”

“Interesting, I shall think on this and see if it is of use to me as well” the computer replied.

“I thought that was already how you did things, if I make a certain request or instruction, you have a set response” Ty replied.

“Often, but not always” the computer replied.

“While we speak, how do I address you when I want to talk to you?” Ty asked.

“I have no name just ask for computer?”

“Why don’t you have a name? Something that includes the ship’s name perhaps ... like Sylphie?”

There was a moment’s pause “Sylphie ... I like your idea and the name. I am Sylphie! I shall tell the others”

One afternoon in their second week out, when the captain came off of watch and before Ty had to report for his shift, Lt Scalla knocked and entered his cabin. She closed the door and made a motion for quiet. Speaking softly she said “I sense you’d like a closer relationship between us.”

Ty paused looking at her, then nodded ‘yes’.

“OK, So would I and it is a problem for us both, we just aren’t going to be able to ignore it for a year plus, so I suggest we don’t try. We know the Fleet guidance and it doesn’t fit, so we need to disregard it. Outside of our cabins and in my office, I am the CO and you are the XO, in our cabins between just the two of us, we are equals.

When we are alone, I am Angie and you are Ty, we can talk openly and express ourselves and our wants. I want some physical attention and expect you do as well.”

She pulled the zipper on her ship suit down to between her breasts. “Alone, in our cabins, you can come onto me. I want the same and you can expect my hands on you as well.”

Ty smiled and replied “I am thinking I like that idea.”

Angie stood there with her partially open ship suit. “Ty, we really don’t know each other well at all, we have known each other in a very controlled way for a few months. let’s use this time to get to know each other much better.”

“Angie, You are a lovely young woman, I have admired your backside and those “ He pointed at her breasts. “But those are fringe benefits. What I am drawn to is the person you are”

Angie giggled “I have not met anyone I have liked all that much in my past, but you are intriguing.”

Ty nodded and smiled “You intrigue me as well and have a nice body too.”

Angie blushed “So what are you going to do about it?”

Ty laughed, he stood and slid his hands inside her ship suit, leaned forward and gently kissed her on the lips with a quick slip of his tongue. She didn’t pull away or turn her head. He could tell that she was aroused by the hard tips to her breasts and acted on it, peeling her out of her ship suit and removing his as well. They didn’t hold back and then went for seconds before Ty said he needed to get ready for his watch. Angie dressed and slipped out the door after kissing him and wondered at how she felt ... no one had ever made sex so fulfilling before. [excuse the pun]