"I've got nothing new, captain. It didn't explode, and it didn't leave. I'd know if it did. It must have landed and shut down its systems. It's as dead as every other piece of junk to our sensors. "
Booth had explained this to Captain Gresham more than a few times already. Whether he understood it, this time was anyone's guess.
Booth wondered again why he signed on to this ship, only two weeks aboard, and he was starting to see some bad signs that salvage wasn't the only operations that the captain had interest in.
Booth had no problems with a little questionable salvage. But outright piracy was not a business we wanted to be part of.
Booth wondered if he would get a chance to jump ship before he saw too much.
"Where the hell are they gonna land? There's nothing but wrecks out there!"
Gresham was looking at Booth like he was crazy. Booth was wondering if it was worth pointing out that some of the capital ships out there were bigger than most space stations.
"All construction projects are now complete captain."
Blake wasn't that long out of bed, and he felt like he'd had a full night's sleep.
"Aubrey, what time is it?"
"It is 8 o'clock on a Tuesday morning, captain."
OK, I can understand using old earth time, but you guys have kept the days of the week, too?"
"Many alternate methods have been suggested and attempted to be implemented captain. None have been successfully adopted. The most common reason for their failure is that humans are "too damn "bloody-minded" sir."
"That is actually a very valid reason, Aubrey. This is a reason you are likely already aware of. Humans tend to operate on the chance of success rather than the odds of failure."
"I have noticed this fact, captain. I have also noticed how this attitude leads to success more often than failure."
"Turret construction is completed?"
"Yes, captain. They are ready for upgrading at your convenience."
Blake had been more than a little bored by the waiting around for the construction to be completed, and he was ready for action.
But first, he wanted to check on the kids.
He found them in the Mess, being fussed over by Elenor, who had taken a real liking to them.
"But why Elenor? We ate what we wanted before. Why do we have to eat this stuff now? It's yuk!"
"Because what you were eating before was "sometimes" food, and you were eating it all the time. You need the good things in this food to grow strong." Elenor sounded like this was not the first time she had made that statement. Blake was just happy the kids were on their way to bouncing back.
"Hey, kids. Not giving Ensign Connelly trouble, are you?"
The kids jumped a little, not having seen the ships captain arrive.
"No, sir," they both said, a bit embarrassed.
"I'm glad to hear that. I had planned for her and Aubrey to teach you to be Navigators. You are smart kids, and I think you can become great Navigators if you work at it. It won't be easy but you have lots of time to learn."
This seemed to excite the children to no end. Blake thought it may be a good idea to give the kids some control over their own lives.
"Hey, I just realised I've never upgraded the food synthesizer. Do you think if I do, the food will taste better? Let's find out."
Blake took a moment to upgrade the unit. Both kids just stared as the synthesizer started glowing, then changed shape slightly.
"Let me know if it works, kids. It's important information for the crew."
Blake grabbed his EVA suit from his room, then headed for the forward airlock. Walking across the hull a few minutes later was getting to be a pretty common practice by now, and a lot more relaxing while they weren't out in open space.
Reaching the laser turrets, which was the first time he actually set eyes on it, he saw that it was really a twin laser turrets. An armoured dome slid across to allow the mounted lasers to pop up out of the hull. When inside the hull, the armoured dome slid over the housing to protect it.
The lasers themselves looked something like a gatling gun from back on earth, though the outer barrels were more for cooling the inner real laser barrel. This was all guesswork on his part. He really couldn't be sure unless he asked Aubrey.
A few minutes later, the upgraded lasers and mounting system were back online. It was now about 20% larger overall and what he thought of as the standard armoured grey colour.
"Captain. Please climb on top of the repair bot approaching you now. Sensors report another vessel in the vicinity. The repair bot will return you to the airlock."
Blake decided to save any questions for when he was back on board. He sat atop the Stag beetle bot, clamping his boots to its jaws, and was rapidly taken to the forward airlock.
"Have they seen us, Aubrey?"
I believe not captain. We have a null sensor reading, and the launch bay does not have sufficient lighting for visual location. They are likely only in this area because the last reading they received was from this direction."
"What's their ship like? Any chance they are here doing a cruise of the graveyard for tourist?"
"Very amusing, sir, almost as amusing as their weapon and armour capacity, sir. Piracy would appear to be their primary profession captain. "
"I'd call that a legitimate target then. I have no interest in killing people who are no real threat to us, though Aubrey. This is a standing order."
"Understood captain"
"Communications?"
"We are able to contact them without revealing our position, sir. I should also make you aware of my capacity for electronic warfare. It is significant, sir.
"Good to know aubrey,"
"We got a transmission coming in cap'n" Rawley calls out to Gresham. He wasn't anything that could be called a "Communications Officer," not on a ship like this anyway. It's more like "whoever is closest" to the communications console when a message came in.
"That just means we know where they are now, who gives a fuck what they want to say, right Booth."
Booth sighed quietly. How the hell had this gut become the captain of a ship? Scratch that thought, Booth could guess how, and it made him cringe.
"No captain. An open transmission can sometimes give away a ships position. If they don't know what they're doing. These folks apparently do know, captain."
"Let's hear what they want to say then. Maybe they wanna surrender."
"This is captain Fisher of The Aubrey. Do you need assistance?"
"This is captain Gresham. Why the fuck would we need assistance from you?"
"Really? You've seen your ship right? Well OK then. Here for a bit of salvage are you?"
Smart ass is he? Lot of people thought they were better than Gresham. He always
"Yeh, a bit of salvage. Soon as you show up we can be getting on with it."
The glee in Greshams words were clear to anyone listening.
"Gresham was it? Understand this clearly. You do not want to start trouble with us. In that ship, you've brought a knife to a gunfight"
As Blake was talking to Gresham, The Aubrey slowly emerged from the shadows of the Dreadnought launch bay, like a viper emerging from its darkened lair. Aubrey had spoken about electronic warfare, but his talent for the psychological kind was stunning.
"Draw when your ready Gresham"
Captain Fisher wasn't going to blink, he didn't have to. He just sat waiting. Gresham wouldn't fight, how could he?
On the other ship, they were arguing. " its just a cargo ship with a bit of armour slapped on. They move like pig, and are shouting as dangerous" Rawley was yelling to the captain from across the bridge.
Booth chimed in his opposition. "That's not what my sensors are saying captain. Some weird shit is going on with these readings sir. They're flickering in and out, like they aren't there at all at times"
"Charge up the lasers. We'll show em who can fight!" As Rawley followed Greshams roared command, The Aubrey left forward, faster than any mere cargo ship should have been able.
Booth groaned, playing out how this was going to go in his mind.
"Aww fuck! I'm dead."
The Aubrey accelerated out of its lair, diving under the pirates craft. Its dorsal laser turrets fired briefly. Twisting around the target ship, The Aubrey curved up over the top of the pirate ship and halted. Dead stop above as only an a.i could do.
Blake opened comms. "I'd suggest you power down your weapons, but I see they are currently slagged on your hull. I can do the same to your bridge, your engines, your life support. Your call pal"
"Captain, an emergency life pod has ejected from their ship. A Communications request is coming in from it" Aubrey reported to captain Fisher.
"Open comes please aubrey"
"Uh... hello? Please don't kill me. I signed on as a navigation and sensor operator for what I thought was a salvage job. Please hold your fire!"
"Can we bring him aboard Aubrey?"
"Easily sir. Shall I commence retrieval captain"
"Please do. Ensign Connelly? Security job for you. Armoured EVA attire and laser carbine, please. " Blake gave his orders and headed for the cargo bay.