(eng) Mike Resnick - Starship 03 by Mercenary

Author:Mercenary [Mercenary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

21

Four days later the Theodore Roosevelt docked at Singapore Station. A skeleton crew was drawn by lot to patrol the ship for twenty-four hours, then traded places with another group. Moyer and Sokolov were still in the hospital orbiting Prometheus IV; early reports were that Sokolov would be able to rejoin them in ten days, Moyer in about thirty.

Perez reported that the upgrades to the other ships had just been completed, and they were ready to go out on maneuvers. The captains of the four smaller ships were unhappy about not sharing in the profits from the Calcutta mission until Cole explained that the profits were what was paying for the upgrades.

Cole was sick of the close confines of the ship. He stuck it out for three days. Then, like most of the crew, he chose to rent a room in one of the multitude of hotels on the station. He was rapturously discussing his accommodations with David Copperfield and the Platinum Duke in the casino when Forrice, looking considerably less tense, walked over to their table, which was barely large enough to hold their drinks.

“I never thought a ten-by-ten room with an eight-foot ceiling would give me such a sense of freedom,” Cole was saying. “I’ve been cooped up on the Teddy R and other ships too damned long. Hell, I’ve spent half my life in places where I couldn’t extend my arm straight up above my head. I even paid the extra fee for a bath with real water instead of taking a Dryshower.” He looked up to see Forrice carrying a smoking blue drink over. “Hi, Four Eyes. Have a seat.”

“Thank you,” said the Molarian. “Perez and I have just been working with the other ships again.”

“And?”

“They’re starting to function as a unit. Remember, none of their captains was ever in the military. They’re all freelancers.” He paused. “This Perez is a good man. He ought to have a ship of his own.”

“He will. Give us a little time.”

“By the way, I spoke to Vladimir Sokolov just before I came over. They seem to be taking good care of him. He’s lucky they didn’t have to clone any of his internal organs. Nothing but major burns and a few broken bones. He’s optimistic about returning to duty soon.”

“He is?” said Cole. “He must have a six-and-a-half-foot ceiling and no windows. What else could make him want to go back to his cabin aboard the Teddy R?”

“I think your Captain is getting a serious case of cabin fever,” noted the Duke in amused tones, his human lips smiling in his metal face.

“It’s just nice to be able to stretch—arms, legs, everything—once in a while,” said Cole. He turned to Forrice. “I’ve hardly seen you the last three days. You can’t be spending all your time working with the ships and patronizing that whorehouse.”

“I found a game that appeals to the intricacies of the Molarian mind,” replied Forrice.

“Then it must be simpler than blackjack,” said Cole with a laugh.

“It is incredibly complex,” answered Forrice.

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