A.D 22,000: Captain Davida of The Moray

 1

Captain Davida Black floated to the pilot seat of the Moray, her red hair was tied into a ponytail, her skin was tan, eyes brown, she wore a red coat, and brown-red pants. Her expression was calm and determined. Old Red, a light skinned man with a long red beard, bald head, wearing a white shirt and red vest, was piloting the ship.

“How much longer?” The Captain asked Old Red, putting her right hand on the back of the chair, stopping her.

Old Red eyes darted between multiple round screens. “Moving at supper luminal speed is not like it’s not like picking a direction and going.” he replied, “Minor changes can send us off course, and everything is moving. It is an art that can’t be rushed.” Old Red spoke with a northern Balsk accent, pronouncing ‘ing’ as ‘in’, dropping starting ’i’s and pronouncing his ’r’s with a soft d.

“I know but we are on the clock.” Captain Davida took her com from hip pocket, checked the time on it.

“We’ll be there in time, Captain. We’ll have plenty of time.”

Captain Devida put her com away. She looked out the forward view port.

“It is a mistake to look into the abyss, they say it could take your sanity.”

“So I’ve heard.” Pause, “Just get us there.”

“Aye, Captain.”

Captain Davida pushed away.

She floated through the metal corridors of the ship, with pipes running along the walls. She made her way to engineering. Most of the pipes converged on either side of engendering. Engineer Karn, a bald dark skinned man, wearing a white shirt, red pants and a red vest, stared at a console, a page in his left hand, two others floating next to him.

“How are the engines?” Captain Divida asked Karn, grabbing a handrail to stop her momentum.

Karn looked at The Captain. “The port generator on it’s last leg, there is a crack in the main-”

“Anything new?” Davida interrupted, sternly.

“There’s a vibration in the FTL engines.” He pointed a gauge on the console.

She looked at the gauge, “Will it hold up?” back at Karn

Karn looked at his page. “Conservatively,” he looked at the Captain, “I have no idea, it could go in a day or in the next minute. If it does, we’d be stuck in the void.”

Captain Davida took out her com, looked at the time. She sighed, “And if we don’t make this-” she began to say in a low voice. Davida looked at Karn, “Keep it running until we get there.”

“I’ll do my best, Captain.”

“I know of no one better.”

The Captain floated away, towards the quarters. In the corridor she passed Mackey, a young brown haired, tan skinned man, the newest member of the crew. “Captain,” he greeted as he passed the Captain, “Mackey.” she responded. She made sure to know all of her crew’s names, though it had been easy as the Moray was smaller than her previous ship.

After entering her quarters her stern determined expression melted away revealing the desperation she had been feeling. She looked at the right wall, decorated with the trophies she attained throughout her career, the scale of a Sacarlath, as big as her torso, a peace of the Night Terrors hall, the vacuum desiccated head of the Night Terrors captain, an unopened bottle of Rena Wine, a blue coat with a bullet hole, stained with her blood. She looked at the left wall, a metal desk folded up against the wall, magnetic paper weights holding invoices, damage reports, repair reports, and maintenance reports. She sighted, floated to the wall opposite of the door, to a bed folded against the wall, with buckles to hold the sleeping Captain on it. She turned, bumped into the bed. Davida took out a photo of a young man and teenage girl from her coat. “We promised each other we’d be rich, that we’d never go the way our parents did. But you’re dead and I’m on this lowly leaky tube.” She felt tears in her eyes. “You were always the optimistic one, you always knew what to say. I wish you were here today.”

The Captains com buzzed. Davida wiped her eyes, closed them, inhaled, exhaled, and put on her captain’s face. She answered her com with a calm “yes?”

“We’re approaching Igneous Colony,” Old Red told her. “We’ll be there in fifteen.”

“Good. I’ll be on the bridge before then.” The Captain replied. “We are approaching Igneous Colony,” She announced to the crew over ships coms, “Prepare for shift into gravity.”

On the bridge Captain Davida looked at the window at Igneous Colony as they approached with feelings of relief and dread. Both she kept hidden behind a calm and determined expression.

Igneous Colony was a hollowed out, vaguely trapezoid shaped piece of the crust of a planet that got too close to a wandering gas giant. It was half gray brown and half gray, lights shined from surface habitats, and a passage surrounded by blinking lights was getting closer.

The Moray entered the colony, passing through a continuous air lock.

“One minute until shift into gravity.” Davida informed the crew.

Davida held onto a handrail. Her dread increased as she felt the deceleration and her increasing weight.

A mile into the planetary remnant the ship entered a 0.2 gravity area. The Moray stopped, it slowly fell onto a landing platform, hitting the platform with a small shutter. The platform began moving, taking the Moray to the main cargo port.

Davida summoned the crew to the Morays cargo hold. “Everyone, listen up!” she ordered, “You know who we’re working for here, you’ve heard the stories, and if you haven’t, at this point you don’t want to hear them. Do not unload the cargo until I tell you to, and if I give you the signal, get the hell out of here and get at least three sectors away.”

“Aye, Caption.” The crew replied.

Davida looked at Old Red and Karn. “Return and stay at your posts.”

“Aye, Caption.” They replied.

Davida looked at Mackey. “Stay at the door controls, be prepared to close them in an instant.”

“Aye, Caption.” He replied in a Shaky voice.

“Be ready, either way.” She ordered the crew.

2

The Captain took an auto-car to meet their employer. The car was cylindrical, silver, the front and back angled at fifty degrees. The seats, upholstered in brown red material, faced each other, with enough room for six people to sit, and six more to stand. Ads for local businesses were posted on the door, wall, and ceiling. Despite the public use of the car it seemed clean, probably from self-cleaning systems.

The habitat area of the colony was the size of a small city, and resembled one under a dome of rock. The ceiling was mostly a gray brown with a patch of gray on the eastern side. Multiple structures were built on the ceiling, the lower levels of apartments owned by the wealthy and powerful of the colony. The main city resembled a downtown with multiple buildings, a few reaching to the ceiling. Six elevator shafts reached to the ceiling.

The car stopped at Kaba District stop 102 of the habitat area. The stop smelled of urine and homeless people loitered in the stop asking for currency. She ignored them but kept a hand on a knife she kept on her hip, guns being illegal in the colony. She took the stairs up from the transit level, not wanting to see what might be in the elevator. The air of the commerce and recreation mega district was better. Devida felt less safe, stops on the transit level were heavily monitored, up there was much less monitored and motioning equipment was often vandalized. Even local gangs and organized crime had an unwritten rule never to act on the transit level. There were more people around, many who might attempt to mug the Captain, or worse. She knew how to fight and had killed in hand to hand combat but that didn’t mean she could beat a group on her own.

Davida walked west one block to a nightclub. She approached the nightclub with anxiety, not from the area but from who she was meeting. She took out a miniature com, palmed it, in case she needed to send the signal to her crew. As she approached the business entrance of the nightclub, in the alley next to the nightclub, a holo-screen activated, “Do you have an appointment?” the screen asked.

“I am Captain Davida of The Moray, I am here to speak with Mavan Kyan.

“One moment please.”

Davida waited, making sure to keep an eye on her surroundings. The door opened with a “you may enter.” Inside she was met by two men, Tan Ghant a tall medium dark skin man with high cheekbones, the other and Jaran Ha Dwitt as tall as the first, with light skin. Both were bald and wore white shirts with cream colored pants and jackets.

“Ah, miss Davida.” Tan looked her up and down. “Right this way.” Jaran glanced at the Tan with a look of disgust.

They took her to Mavan’s office. Mavan was a Telshk, short, four feet tall, with a stocky build, and a mostly bald head that looked too large for his body. He wore a white long sleeve shirt and cream pants. His left hand was gloved, he repeatedly squeezed a rubber ball with his gloved hand, the muscles in his flexing visibly under his shirt with every squeeze. The two men stood on either side of Mavan, feigning calm but Davida could see fear of Mavan in them. Davida stood in front of Mavan’s desk, standing with her hands behind her, ready to press the button on the com. Mavan’s eyes expressed rage but he was smiling. He exuded an aura of violence.

Captain Devida had faced many threats calmly but something about Mavan broke past most of her defenses. Though outwardly calm her heart raced and she struggled to keep her breathing normal.

“Captain Davida, you were supposed to arrive six hours ago.” His smile was slowly becoming a frown.

“As we communicated to you, we were delayed by Bazchatd customs. They wanted to inspect the cargo. It took some convincing to leave without inspection.”

He looked at her for a moment. “If you’re thinking of telling your crew to run, this room is shielded, no signal can get through.”

Davida felt her breathing increase despite her efforts. “Signal my crew?”

“Do I look stupid to you?” His nostrils flared, he had the expression of a man about to lose control.

“Of course not. A man of your position could not be stupid.”

Mavan stood up, walked around his desk, to Davida. She turned, making sure to keep facing him. He looked up at her, with an expression of pure rage. Davida didn’t know what exactly it was about him. The stories she heard about him, being in that office without any backup, the fear for her crew, or even his expression, but he broke through all her defenses. It was small and subtle, little more than a twitch but her fear broke through.

Mavan smiled, “So you’re human.” he said lowly. He walked back behind his desk, sat, opened a drawer, pulled out a thick envelope, put it on his desk, and pushed it towards Tan. “Go unload my ‘charitable donations’.” Mavan said with his happy-rage expression, then gave the envelope to Jaran. “Take my private car.”

The Captain and the two men left Mavans office. “This way,” Jaran gestured to the left, “we have an elevator to the transit levels.” Davida cept the comm in her hand, and her other hand on her knife.

“I didn’t know colonies like these had private cars.” Captain Davida said as they walked down the hallway.

“They’re rare but some have them.”

From the outside the car was exactly like all the others, the inside was much more luxurious. The seats were upholstered with leather, the floor carpeted, and there was a slight scent of lilac. The two men sat opposite of Davida. Tan gawked at Davida with a smile, repeatedly looking her up and down. “Lady for a space rat you look good.” He told her. Davida gripped the handle of her knife, looked at him with her calm determined expression. “Don’t worry about me lady, I’m a married man. My friend here,” He pointed at Jaran with his thumb, “he likes it when the ladies fight back.” Jaran looked at Tan with a look of anger and hate.

When they arrived at the Moray a cargo truck was waiting near it. The Moray’s cargo doors opened. Davida approached, then gave the signal to unload. The doors began to close, someone yelled “Unload, unload!” The doors stopped, opened again. Mackey stood at the door controls, an embarrassed look on his face. The crew began to unload, Tan stopped them before they put the first crate onto the truck. He opened the crate, took out a stuffed animal, he took a pocket knife, cut the stuffed animal open revealing a bag of white powder hidden in it. He threw it back in, closed the crate and gestured for them to continue.

“I feel the need to apologize for my colleague.” Jaran said to Davida, saying “colleague” with disdain.

“Accepted.” Davida replied.

They watched as thirty seven crates were transferred from The Moray to the truck. When all were unloaded Jaran gave The Captain the envelope, she opened it, pulled out currency slips. She scanned them with her com, it read three hundred forty thousand.

“Good work.” She told the crew. Looking at Mackey, “A little too itchy on the trigger but good work.” Looking at Karn, “Start shopping around for parts, I want this ship in top shape as soon as possible.” Looking at the rest of the crew, “Everyone else, get some rest.”

3

The Captain returned to her quarters, pulled the desk out from the wall, took a folding chair stored under it with magnets out, unfolded it, she then pulled the bed out from the wall. Davida took off her coat, took the picture she kept in it, put it on a shelf in the closet, hung the coat in the closet. She then crashed onto the bed. Her calm and determined melted away,  the stress of the day becoming exhaustion. Davida looked at the ceiling, slowly closing her eyes, drifting from consciousness as she felt the movement of the ship. The platform taking the ship from cargo port to parking. She was brought back by the sound of the doorbell.

“Gods Dammit!” she exclaimed lowly. “Who is it?”

“It’s Old Red”

Davida sat up, closed her eyes, inhaled, and exhaled. She opened the door, her expression calm and determined. “What is it, Red?”

“Can I talk to you for a moment?”

“Is it important?”

“It’s personal.”

“Can it wait for tomorrow?”

“Davida, please.”

“Fine.” She let Old Red in, Davida sat on her bed, Old Red on the folding chair.

“Captain, how are you feeling?”

“I’m fine.”

“Captain, I’ve known you sense ye were a lass. I remember when you came aboard the Rigel, too young to legally work at any port. An angry young lady.”

“I was a young adolescent, having to share a bed with my brother, leaving my friends behind, still missing my parents, or who I thought they were.”

“I was the one you came to ask about boys.”

“I remember, Chass was in jail on Bazchatd with Captain Hal.”

“I was there when you got your first command, before your brother. You came to me for advice.”

“Not my smartest decision.”

“No.” Pause, “You can keep things from the others, but I can see something is wrong. It has been wrong since we got this job.”

Davita looked down, blinked, let her emotions out, something she rarely did in front of others. “I keep thinking of Chass, how he would be ashamed if he knew what we were hauling.” she looked at Old Red, “This shit took our parents from us, then killed them. Now I’m hauling this for a mad man who will sell it to other people’s parents.”

“Davida, when Chass joined us, we were smuggling the same thing. Chass didn’t tell you because he knew you wouldn’t like it. He needed money to feed you. We were a small company then, taking whatever jobs we could. We needed the money then, just as we need it now.”

Davida looked down. “Chass sacrificed so much for me. The crew didn’t want me aboard, another mouth to feed a pair of lungs to breathe. He split his food rations with me, we had to share a bunk. He made me sleep on the inside, he fell so many times.” Davida let out a small laugh. 

“You both proved yourselves. Chass would never be ashamed of you, a little jealous, but still very proud. Hal would be too, you kept the company going after the loss of the Rigel, got us this shup, kept it going despite this ship.”

Looking at Old Red, “Thank you Ailbhe.”

“Anytime you need the help.”

“Go, get some rest. Once we have the supplies we’ll all be working sixteen and eighteen hour shifts to get this ship in good shape.”

Old Red smiled. “Aye Captain.” Old Red stood, left Davida’s quarters. Davida laid back down, her back against the wall, she placed her hand on the left side of the bed. “I miss you.”

4.

“We need a new FTL engine.” Karn informed The Captain. Karn, Captain Davida, and Old Red stood around a fold up table on the bridge with pages of invoices, and a holo image of the needed parts floating above the table.

“You can’t fix it?” The Captain asked.

“The vibration caused further damage, it would cost more to fix it than it would to replace.”

“And the port generator?”

“Needs replacing and the starboard needs parts.”

“How much will all this cost?”

“Almost three hundred thousand.”

Davida sighed, closed her eyes, and placed her palm on her forehead. “And we still need to pay the crew.”

“How long will the temporary hull repairs hold up?” Old Red asked.

“We were leaking when we got here.”

“Could a more temporary patching hold until we can make a haul?”

Karns thought, “I believe so, but we’d need to take precautions, just in case.”

“That still will not leave much to pay the crew.” Davida said. “How long could we run with one generator?”

“The starboard generator won’t be able to power FTL engines by itself and I wouldn’t trust the port generator to last until we reach the next destination ” Karn answered.

“Can we get something cheaper, something that could get us through until-” Captain Davida was interrupted by her com buzzing. Looking at her com, the call was from Tan. Davida looked at her com, not wanting to answer it.

“Captain, that could be a job. It could get us the money we need.” Karn said.

“This is Captain Davida.” She answered her com.

“Mavan has invited you to lunch.” Tan told Davida.

“Thank Mavan for me, but I must decline, I have work that needs to be done on The Moray.”

“Mavan insists.” Tan said strongly. “It is at 13.5 local time, and wear something nice, it is at Devil View, in Causeway. One of the most expensive restraints on Ingenious.” Tan ended the call.

“It would not be wise to anger such a man, Captain.” Old Red said.

“We won’t be able to leave this system until we replace the FTL.” Karn added.

Davida looked at the table, trying to think of a way out of the lunch that wouldn’t get her or her crew killed. “Fuck!” she lowly exclaimed. She looked at Karn, “Shop around, find something cheaper. I want off this damn rock.” Her frustration breaking through.

“Aye, Captain.”

The Captain returned to her quarters, looked in her closet, most of her clothes needed a wash. She took a business outfit, slacks, and button down undershirt, and a long blazer, sprayed them with odor remover. Looking in the mirror she thought it looked alright. Davida looked at the photo of her and her brother. “What have I done?” she asked.

5.

The auto-car took Davida away from the city, to a settlement near the asteroid’s surface. Causeway was a tourist town created after the discovery of basalt columns twelve hundred feet from the asteroid’s surface. Her dread grew as she neared the town. She wondered why he would want to meet in such a place. It couldn’t be for business. Her thoughts went to darker reasons. She wondered how far she would go for her crew, for their company.

The car stopped at Causeway stop 7. This stop was on the edge of the tourist area. The igneous rock was carved and blasted away forming a large aria with a roof made of transparent metal-polymer composite sheets. The floor was the tops of basalt columns and looked like irregular hexagons, the walls up thirty feet were hexagonal columns

Davida found the Devil View restaurant, she told the host her name, the host took her to a private room in the back of the restaurant. The walls appeared to be wood, the ceiling was transparent, the tablecloths appeared to be silk, and the lights kept dim for the customers to be able to see out of the ceiling.

“Ah, Davida, all business I see.” Mavan said as she entered the private room. His expression lacked the rage it had before, but with the same smile.

“Yes.” She said calmly, keeping her calm determined expression.

They sat, ordered drinks, Mavan: a Sandian Sunrise, Davida: wine, leaving the brand and type up to the waiter.

“Do you know how many people I’ve killed this year?” Mavan asked.

“I do not.”

“None. I’ve taken the blame for some deaths, in a way that I could avoid prosecution. I have killed, but I’m not the rage filled killer I present myself as. Like you I understand the need for image. For you it is a calm leader, someone to turn to in a crisis, for me it is a violent cartel leader

Davida wondered why he would admit this to her and how true it was. “Why did you want to meet me?” She asked.

“Can’t cousins have a nice lunch and talk?”

“I wasn’t aware we were related until you contracted us to smuggle your-” Davida paused, “-‘charitable donations.’”

“All business, I like that. There is an old saying, ‘sincerity, fake that and you can make it anywhere’. Well I can’t fake it, so I used violence. It seems to me one needs a heart to fake sincerity, I don’t have one.”

The waiter arrived with the drinks, Davida hadn’t even looked at the menu, she quickly glanced at it, then ordered a grilled filet of salmon, something she doesn’t really care for. Mavan ordered the house soup.

“When one faces their end they begin to think of their legacy,” Mavan continued, he took off his glove, revealing what looked to be a bruised hand. “Risto syndrome, a hardening of the skin and muscles. While I can still move it has infected too much of my body to cure, only treat. I have a few months before my heart hardens too much to properly pump.” He paused, “Ironic I guess. My legacy is my business, but I have no one to give it to. Tan is a useful idiot, Jaran hates me and would burn the whole thing as soon as I was dead.”

“You want me to take it over?”

“I’ve watched you for a while, you are a good leader, able to hold your emotions, and you’ve kept your business running despite what happened to The Rigel.”

“You watched me? You have a spy on my ship?”

“Yes. I had to make sure.”

Anger grew in Davida, she tried to think of who it might be. Almost all the crew came over from The Rigel.

“Your history also allows you to achieve something I could never do, legitimacy. My history keeps legitimate backers from investing in my business. Even my shell companies couldn’t attract legitimate investment. You could attract them, you could make my business something more than I ever could: legitimate.”

“How would this work? You are not just going to give it to me.”

“No, I hire you as my assistant, from there we will work on transferring control.”

Davida thought about his proposal, but her mind kept going back to the spy. “I will have to think about it.”

“Don’t think too long. You are not my first choice and not my last.”

6.

Davita arrived back at the Moray, the salmon not agreeing with her stomach. Her thoughts were focused on the spy though. Captain Davida was able to hide anxiety, fear and doubt, but anger could break through. She threw her blazer in her quarters, went to quarters number three, a six man bunk unit. She opened the door to the surprise of the four men in it, one in the middle of changing. He immediately covered himself exclaiming “Captain!” 

“Mackey! With me.” Davida ordered.

They walked to the bridge, Old Red was on the bridge, searching the local network. “Red, give us privacy.” Old Red looked at them both, then left the bridge. The Captain looked at Mackey. “Why did you join my crew?” She asked sternly.

“I needed the money.” Mackey answered weekly.

“There were other places where you could make more, other ships and businesses, why did you join this crew?”

“I- You were the first I- I tried.”

“There is a spy on my ship.”

Mackey did not respond, Captain Davida could see fear in his eyes.

“How much did Mavan pay you?”

“I’m- He- I-” Mackey tried to respond but stumbled over his words. “Thirty five thousand.” He finally admitted.

“So you can afford a ticket back to Bazchatd.” Davida stated.

“Captain I-” Mackey attempted to plead.

“You have fifteen minutes to pack your stuff and get off.” Davidas anger turning into disappointment, in Mackey and herself for seeing he was a spy. Despite her efforts, her disappointment came out in her tone.

“Yes Captain.” Mackey replied, appearing and sounding to be on the verge of tears.

Mackey turned, walked to the door. “Mackey,” Davida stopped him, he looked at her. “You did a good job here.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

“Now get off my shop.” She ordered with disappointment.

Mackey left the bridge. Davida turned, looked out the view port, part of her regretting what she did.

Old Red entered the bridge. “Captain, what did you say to the boy?”

“He was a spy.” Davidas voice, a mix of anger, disappointment, and regret.

Old Red looked out the door, back at Davida, with shock on his face.

7.

“Ailbhe, I need some advice.” Davida said to Old Red, still looking out the view port. “As a captain and a friend.”

“Anytime Davida.”

“Mavan offered me a job.”

“A job? Another shipment?”

“No, a position in his business. Starting as his assistant, then inheriting the business.” Davida turned to look at Old Red. “He’s dying and wants someone that could make his business legitimate.”

“That is a big decision.”

“Yes.”

Davida walked to the table, picked up the repair list, scrolled through it.

“Would it be safe to work for him?”

“He claims he is not as violent as he pretends to be,” she looked at Old Red, “that the stories we heard are just image.” She looked down at another page, scrolled through the parts costs.

“That would make sense for a man in his position.”

She looked at Old Red, “What should I do?”

He thought. “I don’t want to lose you as a captain, but I don’t want you to hold yourself back. With what he has you could make pretty big business, a shipping company bigger than what we had. But I don’t know that I would trust that he is not as violent as his image. I’m sorry Captain, I don’t know.”

“Have you found anything cheaper?”

“No, Captain.”

The Captain called Karn on her com. “Have you found anything cheaper?”

“I found a FTL engine, it’s a thousand less, I’m not sure if it works though.”

“Keep shopping, and keep me informed.” Davida ended the call. She turned, looked out the view port again, at the other ships in parking, at the stone ceiling. “I promised the crew I’d keep the company running, I promised them that it wouldn’t end like this.”

“It’s not over yet captain.”

“The crew have families, homes, bills. They can’t survive on what we’ll have left over.”

“We still have time to find parts.” Old Red paused, sighed. “Don’t take the job, even that much is not worth the risk of being killed by him.”

“I’ll be in my quarters, keep looking.”

“Aye, Captain.”

Davida picked her Blazer up off the floor, put it in her closet. Sat on her bed, rubbing her stomach, she looked at the picture of her and Chass. “What would you have me do? We promised each other we’d be rich but is working for him worth it?”

She put the picture down, stood, and looked at her trophies. She flicked the head of The Night Terrors Captain. She looked at the bottle of Rena wine. Captain Hal gave it to her after her first command position. They were hauling ten crates of the wine, Captain Hal snuck a few out of the crates. “Save it for a special occasion.” He told her.

She closed her eyes. “A captain’s first responsibility is to their crew.” She looked at the bottle, “That’s why you stayed aboard Captain, to get us off. It’s who you had to sacrifice yourself.”

Davida picked up her com, contacted Mavan. No longer certain if her stomach pain was the salman or her decision. “You’ve thought it over?” He asked when he answered.

“I’ll take the job, I have a condition though.”

“I’m listening.”

“I want an extra two hundred eighty thousand for the shipment.”

Mavan was silent.

“It’s for my crew, it’s what I owe them.”

“Accepted. I’ll send Jaran with the money. Once you take the money, you work for me, there’s no way out.”

“I understand.”

8.

Davida called the crew back to the ship, telling all but Old Red and Karn to wait in the cargo bay.

“Is that a good idea?” Karn asked after being informed about the job offer.

The three stood at the table on the bridge, an envelope and the bottle of wine on it. “Maybe not.” Davida answered, “But it’s done.” She placed her hand on the envelope. “We now have enough to fully pay the crew and fix the ship with some left over.”

“He is a dangerous man.”

“Which is why I can’t back out now.” They were all silent for a minute, “There is the issue of who is going to be captain.”

Davida and Karn looked at Old Red. “Not me, I’m not captain material.” Old Red protested.

“You’re the XO.” Karn said.

“I am a great navigator, a poor XO, and I’d make a terrible captain.”

Davida looked at Karn. “I’m not a leader.” He protested.

“Ya led the crew in keeping this ship together.” Old Red said.

“I have followed your lead in that.” Davida added. “Not being an engineer myself.”

“I’ve been in command positions and only made mistakes.” Old Red said, “I’m only the XO because the crew is small, on a larger ship I would have been replaced as XO. You have led people and done it well.”

Karn sighed.

“Captain?” Davida asked.

“Not until you are off the ship.”

Davida picked up the envelope and the bottle. “Let’s inform the crew.”

The crew waited in the cargo hold, with several fold up tables and chairs out. Old Red paid the crew, many of whom were concerned where the money came from, some wondering if the ship had been sold. 

With the crew paid, Davida addressed them. “It is with sadness that I must inform you that I will no longer be the Captain of the Moray. The company is still open, the ship will be fixed and continue shipping with you as its crew. Only I am leaving. I have been offered another position, one that allows me to pay all of you what is owed to you and repair the ship. Karn will replace me as captain.”

Davida looked at Karn, the crew stood at attention. “At ease.” Karn ordered uncomfortably.

“Let us not look at this as a sad day,” Davida continued, “but a success. The company survived the loss of The Rigel and Captain Hal, it survived the failings of The Moray, and soon this ship will be at peak again. You, my crew, my friends, you will make it, you will become something big.”

Davida picked up the bottle of wine. “I was given this fifteen years ago, Rena Wine, the most expensive in the known galaxy. Today we drink like politicians.” She took the quark out, “Let’s hope it hasn’t become vinegar.” Several of the crew laughed.

Davida poured everyone a small glass of the wine. They drank it then took out the proper booze. They partied into the night. Celebrating Davida and Karn.

The next day Davida stood looking in the mirror, wondering if she made the right decision. Her bags were packed, she was dressed in a business outfit. She looked at her trophies, they would have to be moved to her new place when she gets one, she trusted the crew to take care of them and get them to their new home.

She picked up her bag, left her quarters, walked to the airlock. The crew met her there. “Captain.” Karn greeted.

“That is your title now, Captain.” Davida replied.

“To me you will always be captain.”

She looked at Old Red, “Ailbhe.” She said smiling.

“Davida.”

“Come here.” she requested with open arms. They hugged, Davida said: “I’ll miss you.” as they did.

They let go of each other. “I’ll miss you too.” He pointed at her, “Don’t get killed, I don’t want to have to get revenge for you.”

“I won’t.” she said looking at Old Red, she looked at the crew, “I will miss you all, you’re a good crew.” She looked at Captain Karn, “Permission to disembark.”

“Granted.” Karm replied..

9.

On the auto-car she thought of Chass and Captain Hal, what would they think of what she is doing. She thought back to when she met Captain Hal.

Chass and Davida walked down a corridor of the Rigel. Chass wore a white shirt, blue pants and a blue vest, he had red-brown hair, and looked no older than seventeen. Davida was young, about twelve, wearing a blue-gray shirt, too large for her, and brown pants. Young Davida down, with a scowl. 

They entered the mess hall, “Sit down, I’ll get us some food.”

She sat at an empty table, looked down at the table. Chass arrived with two plates of meat with a brown sauce.   “What is it?” Davida asked.

“Food.” Chass replied.

“It looks gross.”

“Just eat it.” He took a bite, “It’s pretty good.”

“I don’t want it.” She pushed the plate back.

Chass covered his eyes. “Davida, please.”

“I’m not hungry.” 

“Yes you are,” he looked at her,  “eat!” 

“No!” She raised her voice.

Chass put his clenched fists on the table, his eyes closed. “Gods dammit Davida, please don’t do this!”

“I don’t want it.”

“It’s food, eat it!” Chass was trying not to yell.

“I don’t want it! I don’t want to be here, I want to go home.” Davida yelled.

Chass looked at Davida, “There’s nothing for us there!”

“My friends are there.”

“Your friends won’t feed you!”

“I don’t want and I don’t want to be here! I hate you!” She stood and ran out of the mess hall.

Davids sat on a bunk in the crew quarters, silently crying, when Captain Hal entered the quarters. He was tall, wearing blue pants, and a blue jacket, light skinned, with a brown beard, brown hair, and brown, hazel eyes.  “Chass is crying in the mess hall.” He told her in the same accent as Old Red but with a deeper voice. Ha had a calm and determined expression.

Davida whipped her eyes, “I don’t care.” She lied in a whiny voice.

“You don’t care?”

“I don’t want to be here, I want to go home!”

“Chass could have found a job that paid him enough to survive, but he wouldn’t be able to feed you. He only joined this crew for you.”

“I don’t want to be here! I want to go home. I want to be with my friends, I want- I want mom and dad. I want it to be like it was before!” Davida closed her eyes, tears streaming down.

Captain Hal sat next to her, put his hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry,” he said with sympathy. “You are going through a hard time but that is no excuse for treating your brother like that. He joined this crew for you and he wasn’t going to leave you on Balsk with nowhere to live. You’re lucky to have him.” He stood, looked at her. “You are going to go to the mess hall and apologize to your brother. You will eat your meal, you are still growing and you will keep growing until you are taller than me, that is an order. When you’re done eating you will clean the bulkhead in corridore three as punishment for treating your brother the way you did.”

“You’re not my dad!”

“But I am captain of this ship. You can do this or spend the night in the brig.”

“Fine.” She said in a low voice.

“What was that?”

“Yes sir.”

“‘Aye, Captain.’”

“Aye, Captain.”

“Let’s go.”

Davida stood, walked to the door, Captain Hal behind her.

Davida, sitting in the auto-car, looked at the picture of her and Chass. When she thought back to what Chass looked like when she entered the Rigel’s mess hall to apologize, his face looked like Mackey’s. They didn’t look the same but in her mind, in that moment that’s what she saw.

“I was a little shit back then.” She thought aloud. 

She put the photo in her coat pocket. Davida looked out the window, at the miles of tunnel between the port and the habitat area. She took out her com, The Moray’s coms hadn’t been updated, so it was still linked with The Moray’s coms, so was Mackey’s. Davida sighed then called Mackey.

“Captain?” He answered with an uncertain voice.

“I’m not a captain anymore, I have a new job. Are you still on Igneous?”

“Yes.”

“You gave everything Mavan paid you to your family?”

“Yes.”

“I may be able to get a job for you, but you’ll have to stay here.”