Battle Cruiser (Lost Colonies Trilogy Book 1) by B. V. Larson

Author:B. V. Larson [Larson, B. V.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-06-18T23:00:00+00:00

-29-

When there were no approaching dangers on our tactical displays, I felt a deep sense of relief. I also felt a deep weariness.

“Crew,” I announced, “I think we’ve all earned a break. Let’s stand down and—”

“If you don’t mind, Captain,” Zye said. “I’ll man the bridge in your absence.”

I looked at her thoughtfully, then nodded. “All right. Zye, you have the helm—or at least you’re standing watch.”

I stood up, took off my helmet and ruffled my hair. “I’m going to look for a shower,” I said.

“I’ll join your search,” Yamada said, yawning and stretching.

Zye and Rumbold eyed her speculatively. Rumbold’s eyes were boggling.

“What?” she asked. “Oh—no, I don’t mean like that!”

She walked off the bridge, embarrassed.

“Captain, sir,” Rumbold said. “If you don’t mind, I’ll stay awake here with Zye until you’re back. Two watch-standers is customary, after all.”

My eyes slid from him to Zye, then back again. I knew the story immediately: he didn’t trust Zye. Who could blame him? Maybe she had plans of her own now that we’d repaired much of her ship. I thought she was loyal, but I was willing to hedge my bet.

“I believe this ship needs a dozen crewmen on the bridge to operate smoothly,” I said. “Very well, I’ll see you when I wake up. But at that point, you’re going to take your turn in a bunk, Chief.”

“No arguments there.”

I walked off the bridge, found a shower and climbed in. I wasn’t even sure how to operate it, or even if it would work due to damage and neglect. I gave a howl of pain when the hot water finally did come, right out of the reactor’s cooling jacket by the feel of it. Full of phosphates, I was half-scalded by the time I’d figured out how to get the temperature down to a tolerable level.

After I’d mastered the fixtures, I found the water luxurious. I hadn’t had a real shower for a month. The sensation was indescribable.

Afterward, I found a quiet bunk in an empty dormitory. The officers’ quarters weren’t pressurized yet, so I couldn’t go there. It was just as well, I figured. There were a lot of people on this ship I didn’t entirely trust yet. Taranto might have accomplices or at the very least sympathizers, and I couldn’t take the risk of being a target yet again. I was beginning to understand what my father must have gone through all the time.

Sleep overcame me quickly. I dreamed of gigantic invading troops wielding lasers and axes—and then of Chloe Astra. The second dream was much more pleasant. She was wearing her sea foam dress. My sleeping mind seemed to have forgotten that the dress had been worn by an android copy of Chloe, not the flesh and blood version.

By the time my implants woke me up, the dream-Chloe and I were making love.

Rolling out of my bunk stiffly, I searched for breakfast. I found it with a group of desultory crewmen from Altair.

We ate what the ship’s automatic mess hall produced for us from its flash-frozen stores.

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