Chapter 29: Captain McKenzie

Captain McKenzie called us up to the command deck. Standing before the security door to the bridge she said, “I still hate cadets and don’t like midshipmen, but you guys have earned my respect so I decided you should complete your journey seeing the bridge. Now I expect you to behave and not touch anything, then we’ll all get through this.”

I couldn’t believe my luck. Of all the accolades I had received, this was the only one that mattered to me. After we passed the door she told her XO to explain the individual duty stations and introduce us to the officers manning them.

I simply stood there and felt as if I had come home, to a place I had never been before. Union ships were marvels of technology and each department and station we had seen before, on other ships, had been impressive and awe inspiring. Compared to Engineering or the gun turrets this was quiet and, except for the command console, not much different from a fancy living room with high tech chairs. The engines were the heart of a ship but this was its brain, its nerve center. I didn’t even notice as the Captain stood next to me and said in a quiet tone, “It was the same for me, the first time I saw a real bridge. One day I expect you to hail me from your bridge. That’s an order by the way!”

“Ma’am I’ll do my best to comply!”

“I read your file, Cadet and my offer was serious. You contact me after your second year and I’ll see if you can’t serve your third as a midshipman on my ship!”

“I’ll do that, Ma’am!”

She said, just a hint louder, “XO, take her out. Course Arsenal II with all due speed.”

(Here ends Galactic Chronicles Book 6. Join me in Book 7 if you’d like to know what happens next.)

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