Chapter 22

After my enforced medical vacation, life went on. Paul and his sister were doing well in school, and his mother was acclimating with the ship and the rest of the family. She was becoming quite well-liked, particularly with the parents and her students. Preparations for the coming launch were going well.

I had just finished lunch with April and was going over some division reports. I wasn’t paying too much attention to the reports. My real purpose was Paul. I was waiting to begin taking him around on one of my inspection tours. At 13:00, Paul came onto the bridge. Paul was dressed like me. A blue ship coverall with his name embroidered on his chest. He also had the half-circle rank pips I had created for the new rank of Sub-Ensign.

“Good afternoon, Paul,” I started, “How is school treating you? I understand that there has been some teasing towards you and your sister.”

Paul’s face grew red “Yes sir, there was some guy’s giving me a hard time. But that’s ok. I can handle it.”

I had gotten the whole story from the Headmaster. There had been some minor discipline for all parties involved. “Yeah, that’s what I heard. But there was also a fight? That’s where you got the black eye, isn’t it?”

Now I could see anger coming to his face. “Yes, sir,” his head had come up, and he was looking at me with a challenge in his eyes. “They started giving Mary a hard time because we came from the station bilges. I can take it, sir, but nobody messes with Mary.”

“I see. So, you defended Mary, and paid for it with a shiner. How about the other guy? What happened to him?”

Paul got a big smile. “He lost a tooth, right in the front.”

I got a serious look on my face. “Paul, I can understand you defending your family. I can even understand defending yourself. But you need to learn that there are easier ways of doing it. Ways that don’t involve black eyes and dental work.”

Paul’s head had dropped back down. “So, we’ll consider this as lessons learned. Are you ready to start your job now?”

Paul’s head came back up, and he was grinning. “Yes, sir. What do you want me to do?”

“Not much Sub-Ensign. Just follow along and watch. Watch and learn. There are a lot of different things going on, in a ship. And I planned on starting with the most basic level, Environmental.”

The entrance to the Environmental office was a nondescript doorway. Nothing special or unusual. On the wall next to the door was a simple nameplate labeled ‘Environmental Services.’ The office was just as uninteresting as the nameplate. Six computer stations were in a semi-circle around a large viewing screen. On the central display were scenes from various areas of the ship. They changed every minute or so to different views. The Folly was a large ship and had quite a few cameras.

The room was quiet and subdued. Six of the seven people in the room, the ones at the computer stations, concentrated on their monitors. The 7th sat at a raised desk behind them.

The man at that desk looked over as we came in. “Captain Sullivan, welcome. It’s a pleasure to see you.” he came down from his desk and shook my hand. “And who is this young man? A new recruit for my shop?”

“No, Mr. Kensington, this is my Orderly, Sub-Ensign Paul Holt. He’s a recent addition to the crew, and I’m showing him some of my duties. Today I decided that an inspection of your operations was in order.”

“Outstanding it’s so rare that people even think of us. That is unless they smell or taste something unpleasant.”

Motioning around the room, “These folks are monitoring a multitude of conditions on board. And not just quality. They also ensure that there is enough. Enough air, water, and sewage. Or if there is too much. An overpressure on some of our equipment can cause it to fail. It’s also an indication that repairs should be made. They also watch for dangerous conditions. Suppose an air leak was to occur. We can locate the location within seconds. Secure that area and call in emergency teams. The first indications of trouble are usually noticed here.”