Chapter 30: More Upheaval in the Crew

Tatyana ran over and put a hand on my shoulder as the crew filed out. “You were commanding,” she whispered in my ear. “I’m all wet right now.”

“Quiet you,” I said quietly as I looked at the ten people who had remained. I was trying to put names to face when Warren spoke up.

“Captain, some of those men aren’t going to be happy serving under you,” he said seriously.

I nodded. “I had already come to that conclusion. I get a feeling we’ll have to transfer a few more out before we get an initial crew and once the second wave of colonists arrives, we can hopefully find replacement for anyone who doesn’t work out.”

“Second wave?” Ingrid asked.

“We are just the first group of people being sent to Crucibleat. My understanding is that the long term plan is to set a permanent marine base there. Corsica and Ipanema are to be the scouts for the region, seeking out the Sa’arm strongholds and fleets so that the marines can prepare to fight them,” I said.

“Are you positive about that?” Blaine asked.

“No,” I admitted. “I do know that the marines you see being trained in the hallways are going to be the cadre for a whole new base. I believe their Sergeant is experienced.”

“Oh? I had not heard that,” Warren said. “How did you find out.”

“I talked to one of the marine trainees. He was picked up at the same time I was and we knew each other back on Earth,” I said.

“Is there anyone you don’t know?” Blaine asked.

“The commander of our new base,” I said. “Actually do we even have anyone who will be in charge?”

“Haven’t heard of one,” Chastity said. “And can you call me Ensign Chaz or Ensign Pen? I hate my last name.”

I shook my head. Tatyana started laughing.

“What?” Morgause asked.

“Oh, Mark is finding that the women around him are insisting that they be given nicknames,” Tatyana said.

I looked over the group as they all laughed. I found that I recognized most of the people there. There were two older men that I could not immediately put a name too. I risked pointing at the younger one, a blond man who appeared to be in his early thirties.

“I’m going to embarrass myself a bit, but can you give me your name?” I said.

“I was beginning to think you never got anything wrong,” the man said. “I’m Thomas Truit, I’m supposed to work the starboard engine as the general electrician.”

I nodded. “Warren, I believe he’s one of yours.”

“I remember him,” Warren said. “And the other man is Ronald Hampton. He’s the flow tech for the starboard engine.”

“Who’s the lead on that engine?” I asked.

“That would be Linus Moore,” Thomas said with a sour look on his face.

I sighed. “Linus? The one who was arguing with me during the earlier meeting?”

“He’s a bit of a jerk,” Ronald said. “And from what he was whispering, I don’t think he’s actually started with the sleep training.”

I could hear the worry in Ronald’s voice. “AI?” I asked. “Has Linus Moore initiated the first sleep training session?”

“Linus Moore insisted on taking the first sleep training session for the position of Patrician class Captain. He has not started the work on engine technician,” The AI responded.

“Transfer him to the marines,” I said with a sigh. “I don’t need someone who can’t follow orders and goes behind my back like that.”

I looked at Ronald. “Thank you for reporting this. I know that most of you won’t want to speak up, but please do not allow anyone to hide things like that. We have only twenty-eight people if we have a full crew. One person acting up now could be fatal when we run into a Sa’arm ship.”

“But you’ve let two people go without receiving replacements,” Robert Bruce observed. “How can we survive?”

I looked over at Ensign Pen. “Chastity, I know you’ll hate this, but I need to you review the role of the tracking officer. I’m going to need you to cover that position for now.”

“Are you sure?” Blaine asked. “You do have the two extra helmsmen.”

“You heard how lacking in confidence they were when I told you to operate the helm during a simulation. I doubt either one is ready to handle tracking,” I said.

“I know I’m not ready,” Ensign Pen said. “I really hope I never have to perform the job. But why not promote someone from the crew?”

“Who?” a crewman I recognized as Vernon Boddicker said. “I watched who approached Mark during the social last night. Morgause has the confidence to learn the post, but I expect that keeping her and Ingrid together will be better for the crew. Robert could handle it,” he said using his head to nod towards Robert Bruce. “But he’s already set up to be the unofficial lead for all the rail gun crew. And the others who remain would suffer without his presense. We just don’t have enough officer caliber crew.”

I looked over at the man. He was looking over at Tatyana and blushing slightly. “Vernon?”

He turned to me, but looked at the floor between us rather than looking me in the eye. “I went home after the party you threw yesterday and...” He took a deep breath. “I stopped to look at my reflection in the walls and did not like what I saw.”

“Why?” I asked.

“I know I was a bit dismissive about concubines when I talked to you. It hit me when I was walking back to my home. I was thinking about performing a dirty sanchez with Lillian,” he said.

“A what?” Ingrid asked.

I put a hand up. “Let’s just say its kinky, disgusting and more than a bit unsanitary. It also can be extremely degrading to the woman or women involved.”

Vernon nodded. “I can tell from your tone you’d never do that to your concubines. I was thinking that when it was as if I was being lectured by my mother. I heard her asking if I would want my sister treated the way I was treating my concubines.”

“Ouch,” Warren said. “I almost took my daughter along because I wanted her respected by the man. Imagine my relief when she retested and got a six point five.”

“My wife continues to worry that I’ll grow tired of her,” Robert said. “Unfortunately, its translated into her being very sexually aggressive with me.”

“How is that bad?” Alexander Ambrose, the last of the ten crew who had stayed behind, asked.

Robert’s shoulders slumped. “I miss having a woman who would look me in the eye. I miss the woman who would get me to play gin rummy with a stacked deck and then demand crazy forfeits after she crushed me.”