Affairs. He was a good man and loved our people in
the fleet. When he passed, his replacement transferred me. The transfer was
understandable but it was to whom I was transferred that I do not understand.
That Captain is a aukjunk omferas ." The translation bots didn’t
know how to handle that phrase. The words were from a royal dialect and not
Trillond common. The Prime Minister and E’Aria both laughed. E’Aria looked at
Ben.
"You are
going to like Binda. She just called her Captain a pig fucker. At least that is
as close as I can get to the meaning, having sex with fat animals."
Senator Sims, who had been quiet and observing most of the time, laughed out
loud.
"During
your stay on the Claymore, you will have no rank. This is not a military
warship. You are all equal and will perform your duties accordingly. You now
know who I am and I believe you know the Prime Minister. This gentleman is Senator
Thurmond Sims of the Planet Athena in the Colonial Alliance. That is Grubb and
Buddy, who have been working all your jobs and spelling us on the bridge. The
officers of the ship are on the bridge and we will meet them next. You will get
your orders from me or them. Are we clear so far?"
"Yes
Captain," five voices in unison rang out. Ben noticed, as did the newbies,
that he wasn’t getting an introduction from the captain. He laughed and headed
for the door but not before wadding up the napkin with the hamburger grease and
bouncing it off E’Aria’s head. He heard a few people intake a deep breath. When
nothing looked like it was going to happen, they breathed out. E’Aria bent down
and picked up the napkin. Binda stepped forward and took it from her.
"Now that
he is gone," E’Aria said, "You need to know that he owns this ship
and is part of four others that make up our company, Reaper Inc. His name is
Ben or Benjamin and you might hear someone call him Reaper. He is a good man,
right now he is very bored and may play what the humans call jokes. What you
need to remember most is don’t make him angry. Now follow me and I will
introduce the other officers."
Ben made his
way back to the mess and sat down. Adam was busy working on the evening meal.
Grubb and Buddy arrived a few seconds later and went back to help.
"Cook,
there will be seven Trillond at dinner, just a heads up." Ben had been
calling him ‘Cook’ for almost a year. Adam didn’t care and Ben figured if someone
wanted him to know their name, they would tell him. "There is a female who
is a steward. You may want to get her to help you. Her name is Binda. She
sounds like good people."
"Will do.
Is someone going to bring them around for intros?"
"Captain
has them right now but I would think so. Hey Grubb, bring me a beer!" Ben
yelled.
"Coming
up, you trouble maker," Grubb yelled back. He brought the beer and went
back to helping Adam.
"What did
he do?" Adam asked.
"Scared the bejesus out of
three of the new crew just by saying some shit to one of them. He was on his
knees beggin’ and the others had just arrived and saw and got scared. Buddy and
me grabbed them, looked like they would have just run through the force
field." Grubb heard Buddy laugh, then all three of them were laughing. Ben
sat with his eyes closed thinking and sipping his beer. They would be at Hyson
soon and those damn beacons were on his mind.
Chapter 11
E’Aria led the
new crewmembers on a tour through the ship. They poked their head into the mess
for a second. They saw Ben and moved on quickly. E’Aria yelled to Adam to tell
him to add more Trillond fare to the menu. He never looked up from his work.
"I
already informed him," Ben thought.
"Good
for you, why are you drinking a beer?"
"Because
I wanted one, just get us to Hyson." Ben felt the connection cut with
a pop. That was new. She really must be pissed. Dinner came and went. The new
crewmembers all thanked Adam. They told him it was better than what they were
eating on the Trillond ships. He cracked a brief smile at
the fleet. When he passed, his replacement transferred me. The transfer was
understandable but it was to whom I was transferred that I do not understand.
That Captain is a aukjunk omferas ." The translation bots didn’t
know how to handle that phrase. The words were from a royal dialect and not
Trillond common. The Prime Minister and E’Aria both laughed. E’Aria looked at
Ben.
"You are
going to like Binda. She just called her Captain a pig fucker. At least that is
as close as I can get to the meaning, having sex with fat animals."
Senator Sims, who had been quiet and observing most of the time, laughed out
loud.
"During
your stay on the Claymore, you will have no rank. This is not a military
warship. You are all equal and will perform your duties accordingly. You now
know who I am and I believe you know the Prime Minister. This gentleman is Senator
Thurmond Sims of the Planet Athena in the Colonial Alliance. That is Grubb and
Buddy, who have been working all your jobs and spelling us on the bridge. The
officers of the ship are on the bridge and we will meet them next. You will get
your orders from me or them. Are we clear so far?"
"Yes
Captain," five voices in unison rang out. Ben noticed, as did the newbies,
that he wasn’t getting an introduction from the captain. He laughed and headed
for the door but not before wadding up the napkin with the hamburger grease and
bouncing it off E’Aria’s head. He heard a few people intake a deep breath. When
nothing looked like it was going to happen, they breathed out. E’Aria bent down
and picked up the napkin. Binda stepped forward and took it from her.
"Now that
he is gone," E’Aria said, "You need to know that he owns this ship
and is part of four others that make up our company, Reaper Inc. His name is
Ben or Benjamin and you might hear someone call him Reaper. He is a good man,
right now he is very bored and may play what the humans call jokes. What you
need to remember most is don’t make him angry. Now follow me and I will
introduce the other officers."
Ben made his
way back to the mess and sat down. Adam was busy working on the evening meal.
Grubb and Buddy arrived a few seconds later and went back to help.
"Cook,
there will be seven Trillond at dinner, just a heads up." Ben had been
calling him ‘Cook’ for almost a year. Adam didn’t care and Ben figured if someone
wanted him to know their name, they would tell him. "There is a female who
is a steward. You may want to get her to help you. Her name is Binda. She
sounds like good people."
"Will do.
Is someone going to bring them around for intros?"
"Captain
has them right now but I would think so. Hey Grubb, bring me a beer!" Ben
yelled.
"Coming
up, you trouble maker," Grubb yelled back. He brought the beer and went
back to helping Adam.
"What did
he do?" Adam asked.
"Scared the bejesus out of
three of the new crew just by saying some shit to one of them. He was on his
knees beggin’ and the others had just arrived and saw and got scared. Buddy and
me grabbed them, looked like they would have just run through the force
field." Grubb heard Buddy laugh, then all three of them were laughing. Ben
sat with his eyes closed thinking and sipping his beer. They would be at Hyson
soon and those damn beacons were on his mind.
Chapter 11
E’Aria led the
new crewmembers on a tour through the ship. They poked their head into the mess
for a second. They saw Ben and moved on quickly. E’Aria yelled to Adam to tell
him to add more Trillond fare to the menu. He never looked up from his work.
"I
already informed him," Ben thought.
"Good
for you, why are you drinking a beer?"
"Because
I wanted one, just get us to Hyson." Ben felt the connection cut with
a pop. That was new. She really must be pissed. Dinner came and went. The new
crewmembers all thanked Adam. They told him it was better than what they were
eating on the Trillond ships. He cracked a brief smile at
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