George as they passed him. George looked up at them and acknowledged, feeling like a child. He shook a lot of hands, city councilors, and that of the Holy Archivist of Prect, who held George in his gaze throughout the evening.
Lawson whispered, “He’s Berrick’s brother-in-law.”
Well, that explained that. It also seemed everyone was related to everyone else, which George guessed should have come as no surprise.
The high point of the evening was when Qapin proposed the toast. “To our Chief Engineer: we look forward to your repairing our systems.”
Blazing pain knocked George right out of his seat and he heard and echoing voice in his mind, You must come to me! Come to the Empire! Brook no delay!
George blinked rapidly as Greth and Lawson tried to help him up as Mendra shouted for everyone to get out of her way.
“I’m fine,” he muttered as he blinked back the afterimage of a silver haired man with pointed ears.
George rose to his feet with the help of Greth and Lawson, and felt compelled to leave at once. Drowsily, George said, “I can’t stay.”
“What do you mean you can’t stay?” Qapin asked.
“Apparently, my ride home is waiting.”
“Your what?” he said.
“Sorry, old figure of speech, which apparently was lost on your ancestral voyage here.”
Lawson said, “But, George, you can’t go. You’ve so much to teach us, to teach me.”
“The Core can do that now that it’s in phase with you. Just use the uplink.”
“Where will you go?” Mendra asked.
He pointed east. “Thataway.”
“But, George, the Core doesn’t recognize us as crew as it does you.”
‘He has an excellent point there, George.’ Staff quipped.
“That’s easy,” George assured. The staff flared in his hand as he linked with the ship’s computer.
“Additions to the crew directory,” George called.
STANDING BY.
“Lawson, Assistant Chief Engineer,” he announced as the dwarf troll suddenly grinned.
ACKNOWLEDGED.
“Mendra, Chief Medical Officer.”
ACKNOWLEDGED.
“Qapin is now second in command of the ship,” which apparently was the highest captaincy rank allowed since the ship still recognized its senior captain as "location undetermined."
ACKNOWLEDGED.
“Greth is colonel of the ships marine detachment.”
ACKNOWLEDGED.
“Councilor Berrick is barred from attaining crew status as is the Head of the Ship’s Archives and all his current staff members until such time as I as senior officer rescinds this order.”
ACKNOWLEDGED.
“You will assist the designated crewmembers and those they so designate in education and repair of systems, noting that system functions may have to be tested, even if they should, according to all known laws of science, be inoperable.”
ACKNOWLEDGED.
“Chief Engineer, George Bradley, out.” Staff’s glow dimmed as everyone stood proudly.
He felt a twinge of a headache coming on as he added, “With that taken care of, I can be on my way tomorrow.” The headache quickly faded.
‘George, that was weird.’
“You're telling me,” he said under his breath and smiled at his new friends.
“What does colonel of marines mean?” Greth said.
“Look it up, you’re gonna love it.”
Cle’or was giving George the oddest look at that point in his story. Se’and remained impossible to read. Her mind never leaked a thought either, George realized, as opposed to Fri’il whose thoughts bordered on hero worship.
No, not good at all , he thought.
‘Maybe you’ll get lucky, George.’
He coughed and glared at his staff.
‘George! I meant maybe she’ll fall for Balfour.’
Now the elfblooded Balfour coughed, obviously overhearing that last mental remark. He whispered, “You do realize I’m a lot older than you?”
George smiled. Balfour looked about twenty-six, making George the older in appearance.
“But that story doesn’t explain the blade,” Se’and said.
“Or your wyvern cloak,” said Me’oh.
“No, it doesn’t, does
Lawson whispered, “He’s Berrick’s brother-in-law.”
Well, that explained that. It also seemed everyone was related to everyone else, which George guessed should have come as no surprise.
The high point of the evening was when Qapin proposed the toast. “To our Chief Engineer: we look forward to your repairing our systems.”
Blazing pain knocked George right out of his seat and he heard and echoing voice in his mind, You must come to me! Come to the Empire! Brook no delay!
George blinked rapidly as Greth and Lawson tried to help him up as Mendra shouted for everyone to get out of her way.
“I’m fine,” he muttered as he blinked back the afterimage of a silver haired man with pointed ears.
George rose to his feet with the help of Greth and Lawson, and felt compelled to leave at once. Drowsily, George said, “I can’t stay.”
“What do you mean you can’t stay?” Qapin asked.
“Apparently, my ride home is waiting.”
“Your what?” he said.
“Sorry, old figure of speech, which apparently was lost on your ancestral voyage here.”
Lawson said, “But, George, you can’t go. You’ve so much to teach us, to teach me.”
“The Core can do that now that it’s in phase with you. Just use the uplink.”
“Where will you go?” Mendra asked.
He pointed east. “Thataway.”
“But, George, the Core doesn’t recognize us as crew as it does you.”
‘He has an excellent point there, George.’ Staff quipped.
“That’s easy,” George assured. The staff flared in his hand as he linked with the ship’s computer.
“Additions to the crew directory,” George called.
STANDING BY.
“Lawson, Assistant Chief Engineer,” he announced as the dwarf troll suddenly grinned.
ACKNOWLEDGED.
“Mendra, Chief Medical Officer.”
ACKNOWLEDGED.
“Qapin is now second in command of the ship,” which apparently was the highest captaincy rank allowed since the ship still recognized its senior captain as "location undetermined."
ACKNOWLEDGED.
“Greth is colonel of the ships marine detachment.”
ACKNOWLEDGED.
“Councilor Berrick is barred from attaining crew status as is the Head of the Ship’s Archives and all his current staff members until such time as I as senior officer rescinds this order.”
ACKNOWLEDGED.
“You will assist the designated crewmembers and those they so designate in education and repair of systems, noting that system functions may have to be tested, even if they should, according to all known laws of science, be inoperable.”
ACKNOWLEDGED.
“Chief Engineer, George Bradley, out.” Staff’s glow dimmed as everyone stood proudly.
He felt a twinge of a headache coming on as he added, “With that taken care of, I can be on my way tomorrow.” The headache quickly faded.
‘George, that was weird.’
“You're telling me,” he said under his breath and smiled at his new friends.
“What does colonel of marines mean?” Greth said.
“Look it up, you’re gonna love it.”
Cle’or was giving George the oddest look at that point in his story. Se’and remained impossible to read. Her mind never leaked a thought either, George realized, as opposed to Fri’il whose thoughts bordered on hero worship.
No, not good at all , he thought.
‘Maybe you’ll get lucky, George.’
He coughed and glared at his staff.
‘George! I meant maybe she’ll fall for Balfour.’
Now the elfblooded Balfour coughed, obviously overhearing that last mental remark. He whispered, “You do realize I’m a lot older than you?”
George smiled. Balfour looked about twenty-six, making George the older in appearance.
“But that story doesn’t explain the blade,” Se’and said.
“Or your wyvern cloak,” said Me’oh.
“No, it doesn’t, does
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