Where There’s a Temper, There’s a Way
As Bart finished his explanation of the Van Vogt incident, all I could do was collapse in a chair and shake my head. “That bottom feeder was in this from the get go and was still loyal to UNWG?”
“It appears so but, your summation was correct. Hamilton’s plan beat them at every turn.”
“Please tell me that the solution for Van Vogt included something very terminal?” I asked.
Rocco gave a deep guttural laugh, “Suffice to say I think Capt. Travis has been taking lessons from you guys!
“Speaking of which,” he continued, “Capt. Travis is worried about whether or not the Goonies can get communications through the wormhole. I think He is worried about another sleeper. Bart says He does not think it’s possible but, has not been able to prove it to the Boss’s satisfaction.”
“Well that’s my game anyway Bart,” I said, “how much data you got for me?”
“Are you familiar with 2×1 Ice Cube storage systems?”
“Yeah, how many you got?”
“Oh, just a 150,” he said.
I woofed out loud and asked, “And you want answers in what century? Please tell me you have them ID’d in some way?”
Bart replied, “Yep, numbered in sequence and have a diary file of major events and what cube that event is on.”
I sat and thought for about 5 minutes and said, “OK, I will put three devices on doing a hot catalog of data. Two will be placed on the cube covering the approach and entry to the wormhole. I should be able to crack the communication question in say a week or so.”
Rocco asked “That long?”
Bart replied, “What you should be asking, Rocco, is, ‘that soon?’”
I said, “OK Bart, one class of data fast scan and start the crunch. Rocco, that fast is very, very good. Did you think the ‘what century’ line was completely a joke?”
Rocco shook his head and said,“OK, I’m now officially in over my head!”
I said, “Don’t worry Rocco, this crap really is Rocket Science!”
Mariana was sitting in the anteroom off of cryo when one of Hanna Parker’s brood wobbled out of cryo and sat down. Figuring the woman needed some solace, Mariana asked, “Didn’t I see you doing first aid back in the bar on Lancer?”
“Why yes Mrs. Stuart!”
“Please, its Mariana, Mrs. Stuart was Andy’s Grandma, not to mention judging by the age of those kids of yours, I am younger than you are.”
Smiling for the first time she replied, “OK, its Linda here. And yes I was doing routine triage and treating normal trauma, you know sprains and strains. I am a full RN after all!”
“Why aren’t you with the medical personnel?”
“Well,” Linda Parker replied, “when I meet DR. Van Vogt in Med Bay I just did not like him. Can’t say why, just a bad feeling. So, I did not mention it to anyone!”
“Well, that shows your good taste. According to Bart and Rocco, He was the traitor.”
“Oh my Goodness!,” Linda said, “In that case I had better talk to someone. Maybe they need someone to run a lab or help in O.R.”
“You know about running a Lab?” Mariana asked.
“Yeah, my last job was bossing a Level 2 Bio Lab for a Regional Health Center.”
Mariana spun out of her chair like the Commando she was, shouting at the top of her lungs, “Andy, where the hell is that handheld with the inventory on it?”
Andy’s head popped out of the nearest doorway. He said, “Damn, I don’t know. Dumped the data to the ships core before we went to sleep. Battery might be dead, might have cleared the space or overwrote it!”
“And I will believe that 45 seconds after a goonie pops in here says he’s here to take us back and lives for 30 seconds Reaper!”
“OK,” he smiled with that ‘very good My Padawan’ look and said, “it’s in the room they gave us hooked up to the UPS like the sample boxes. Why the big fuss?”
“I found me a Lab tech that can spell Bio. We are going scrounging!” And turning to Linda she said, “Linda, lets go find us a Lab!”