First Choice & Best Man

 First Choice

Month 14 Day 19

1705 Hours

Smitty

 The door opened and Anna stood, looking at him with disbelief on her face. "No," she told him shortly.

"You don't even know why I'm here," he protested.

"You're engaged," she shot back, and turned away from the door, expecting it to close in his face.

He hurriedly stepped inside before it could, and followed her halfway to her couch. "This has nothing to do with that," he stated, then changed his mind. "Well, it has, but—"

"It's not my fault if she won't have sex with you until you're married! I don't have sex with engaged men!"

"I'm not here for sex!" he declared.

She crossed her arms, looked him up and down. "Then why are you here?"

"First, to thank you for reminding me there were things that needed to be made, no matter how small a wedding we have."

"Still planning to go through with it, are you?"

"Yes, I am. In earnest. My second reason for being here is to ask you to be part of the wedding party."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "The bride picks the bridesmaids, Smitty."

"Not as a bridesmaid. As Best Man. Or, well, Best Friend of the groom. Until Michael got between us, you were my best friend, Anna."

"That was a long time ago."

"I still remember it. I still miss it."

Her arms loosened and then fell to her sides. "Well. It was a good friendship. Until Michael. I never should have—"

"It wasn't your fault." Michael was a slimy weasel—No, I'd best not say anything like that. If she's still got any feelings for him at all, it'll just make her mad. "So, will you, Anna?"

"I'm not sure I'd be any good at planning a bachelor party."

"I don't want one. There's no time for it, anyway."

"Why are in such a hurry to get married?"

He shrugged. "She drives me crazy."

"You know marriage requests don't come back from headquarters that quickly. Even if you got it sent in last night."

He shook his head. "Hope springs eternal. I can't think of anything else but having her as my wife. My head says I won't get approval that quickly, but my body won't let me act on that knowledge. We have to be married as quickly as possible."

"Brides don't usually like to be hurried into getting married."

"She's the one who set the date."

"She is?" That seemed to take her by surprise. "Why so soon?"

Smitty hesitated, not sure he wanted to tell anyone his suspicions about why Colleen had agreed to marry him. "She has her reasons." Reasons other than the captain caught us in a delicate moment.

"Well, you are charming, in your own fashion," Anna said. "Perhaps it's a matter of her morals doing battle with her urges."

Morals? Ha! She hasn't been any more circumspect than she had to be, only she finds herself in the same position so many women have been in before. So now she has morals, now that she's found someone who agreed to marry her. I wonder how she plans to explain an 'early' delivery that is obviously full term?

"Smitty?"

He looked up from staring at the floor. "What?"

"What's wrong? You looked... angry."

He shook his head. "No. She has her reasons for wanting a quick wedding, and so do I. We both know about the other's reasons, and aren't bothered by them."

Uncertainty rolled over Anna's face. "That hardly sounds like you're in love. In lust, maybe."

Why does everybody have to question our decisions? "Anna, please. Will you be the groom's best friend, or won't you?"

She stood up straight and stared him in the eyes. "No. I'm sorry, but I can't. I won't."

"What? Why not?"

"You had your doubts about Michael, when I started dating him. Let's just say I have my doubts about this marriage between you and Mac." She stepped around him and started back for the door. "Now, please leave. I'm sure you'd rather be with your... fiancée, anyway."

 

 Best Man

Month 14 Day 19

1748 Hours

Drake MacGregor

 Drake was mildly surprised to find Smitty outside his door when it opened. "Haven't you gone to the arboretum yet?"

"No, obviously, not yet," Smitty growled and walked in. He stopped when the door closed and turned to face his host. "I wonder if you'd do me the favor of being my Best Man next week?"

"Me?" I wasn't sure who he'd ask, but this seems rather last minute. "Kind of short notice, but I suppose I could get a poker game and some booze organized for a bachelor party."

"Fine, but I wasn't looking for a bachelor party. I just need someone to stand up with me at the ceremony."

A ceremony that probably isn't going to happen next week. And then what? Another bachelor party when and if the approval does come through and the ceremony is scheduled again? "You seem out of sorts. If getting ready so quickly is producing this much strain, maybe you should postpone for a couple weeks or months, give yourself time to get things sorted out."

Smitty ground his teeth for a moment, his face red. "Why is everybody determined to have us postpone? We aren't postponing! Colleen picked the date, and it suits me fine! We're getting married at the absolutely earliest opportunity!"

Drake raised his hands, tried to calm the other man down. "Sorry, Smitty, I didn't mean anything by it. I'm also sorry if you feel others are trying to get you to postpone. I suspect they're just surprised it's happening at all. You've been a dedicated bachelor for so long."

"Well, that ends next week! From now on, I'll be a dedicated husband and father! So will you be there or not?"

Wow. There doesn't seem to be any calming him down at all. "Sure! I'll be there. Glad to do it."

"Thank you," Smitty bit out, and walked out.

Drake stared at the door for several minutes after the engineer had left. So, who has been trying to get him to postpone the wedding? It certainly had him riled. And why did he mention fatherhood? Fleet marriages rarely involve children; it removes the woman from active duty for so long. And come to think of it, does Mac know he expects to have children? Seems like that's the entirety of her father's ambitions for her. Although it seemed to happen all at once, I really hoped everything would work out for those two. And if I stick my nose in where it isn't wanted, whose side am I on?

Finding the Bride and Groom

 Month 14 Day 18

2314 Hours

Anna Hamara

 Harris came into the living room from the bedroom, now in her nightgown and robe. "I'm sorry, sir, I really don't know how late it might be before she gets home tonight. But it's usually—"

The living room door opened and Mac came in. Her hair was mussed, her uniform disheveled, and she seemed dazed. Anna stood up from the couch. "Mac, I need to speak to you."

The redhead blinked a couple of times, unconsciously twisted her uniform into something resembling its proper position. "Chef Hamara, what's the problem?"

"You haven't answered any of my messages asking what type of wedding cake you want."

"Messages?" Her face turned pink. "I don't seem to have any time for messages, any more. What were they about? A wedding cake?"

"It is traditional for there to be a wedding cake when there's a wedding ceremony. But before I can make it, I need to know what kind you want."

"Oh, I don't know. The traditional kind, I guess."

Anna ground her teeth in aggravation for a moment. Most brides aren't as feather-brained as this. "The tradition is for the cake to have tiers. There really isn't any tradition as to what type of cake or frosting is used."

"Oh." Now she seemed completely at a loss. "I guess I haven't given it much thought."

At least I have some idea what she might like, thanks to Bugalu. "Here's a suggestion. I can make a white cake with white frosting, and put a layer of pineapple puree atop each tier. How does that sound? I know how much you like pineapple."

The talk of pineapple finally seemed to soak through her dazedness, and her face lit up. "That sounds wonderful! And it will look beautiful, too! Oh, I can hardly wait! Getting married and having pineapple to celebrate! Thank you, Chef!"

"Good. I'm glad that's settled. Now, I'll leave and let you girls get some sleep." She walked out and made her way to the officers' quarters, where she buzzed the doorbell on a certain doorway. The door opened and she walked in far enough to let the door close.

Smitty appeared in the bedroom doorway, his uniform tunic missing, a glass of booze in his hand. "What are you doing here?"

Apparently, he hasn't had any time to check his messages, either. "I understand you're getting married next week."

"Ahh, yes. About that—"

He's defensive? With me? Thought we were better friends than that. "I just spoke to your bride, at long last, about what type of wedding cake she wants, and she settled for a white cake, white frosting, and a layer of pineapple atop each tier. I hope that's agreeable with you."

"What? Um, yes, that sounds fine. Whatever Colleen wants is fine."

"I assume you two have finished making all the rest of the arrangements, and that the selection of the cake was merely an oversight."

"Ah. Arrangements." He took a healthy gulp from his glass. "Well, the captain will perform the ceremony, of course."

He seems as feather-brained about this as she was. "It won't mean a thing if you don't have approval from Headquarters. Have you even submitted that request?"

"I..." His voice faded away, his face pale.

"Smitty, are you even serious about marrying this girl?"

"Of course I am!" he declared.

"Well, it hardly seems like it! You haven't submitted the formal request, made any of the normal arrangements, and you couldn't even be bothered to choose what type of cake to have at the ceremony! What have you two been doing with your time?"

Now his face went red. "Well, we've been... we've been... getting to know each other. In a manner of speaking."

She nodded in understanding. No, they wouldn't want to be interrupted during that. "You've been having sex."

His face turned even more red. "Not exactly."

"Then what have you been doing?"

He swallowed and tried several times before he got out, "Making out."

"That's a great way to get started, but it quickly turns to frustration, if that's all you do." At his continued discomfort, she asked, "She won't have sex with you?" That's an old-fashioned attitude, but Gaelund hasn't been colonized that long.

He sighed and drank the rest of his drink. "Not until we're married."

Now she got a little angry, sure she understood what was going on. Wouldn't have believed it of Smitty, but he's practically admitted it. "Or at least, until she thinks you're married. Have a nice little ceremony, have your way with her for a few days, and then, suddenly, you realize the approval never came through from Headquarters, so you aren't married after all!"

"No! Anna! It's not like that! I really want to marry her! But when I'm with her, she drives me to distraction, I can't think about anything but her! And then when I'm not with her, I can't think about anything but being with her! That's why the paperwork hasn't been submitted, or any of the decisions been made!" He sat down at his desk and called up some paperwork, began filling it out. "Here, I'm going to fill out the request to get married and get it mailed out tonight. But honestly, I don't care about any of the details of the wedding. Whatever she wants will be fine. Although, I would prefer a small ceremony, and not some grand event."

"Even a small ceremony, Smitty, should have a few guests, so people don't wonder what you're trying to hide. Not to mention she should have a maid of honor and you, of course, should have a best man. If you insist on going through a charade of a marriage, at least do it right, and not some cheap imitation!" She gave him a dark glare. "And I thought I knew you!" She marched for the door and out it, and had reached her own quarters almost before she took another breath. She was too upset to get much sleep that night.

Ignored Arrangements

 Month 14 Day 18

1809 Hours

Bugalu

 Bugalu was having a rough few days. And now, just like all the other types of entertainment he'd tried the last 3 days, a game of cards in the rec room wasn't keeping his mind from drifting. "Hey, Bugs!"

Realizing he'd been addressed by one of his friends, even if he wasn't sure which one, he turned his attention to Capac. "What?"

Surprised, and then exasperated, the navigator asked, "Are you in or out?"

He glanced at the cards in his hand, couldn't even remember what game they were playing. He had a decent hand for pinochle, a lousy hand for poker. He tossed his cards down. "I'm out. Completely out. My head's not into this tonight." He stood up.

"But you wanted to play!" Capac protested. "That's why we got a game started.

"Let him go," one of the others suggested. "His mind hasn't been into much of anything lately. I almost think he's in love."

He gave Kiley a sour look. "Just changed my mind," he answered, and walked away. There was an old game console in the corner that no one was playing, so he sat down and picked up the controls. Fizzle! No wonder it was available. Nobody plays this one anymore. Well, no one will care if I pretend to play it, I suppose. He started the game and let his hands make random movements as his mind started to drift again. He couldn't even say where his mind was drifting to.

"Well, I suppose you'll do, since I can't find her," someone said.

It took him a moment to realize they had said it to him. Another moment for him to grasp that they were apparently waiting for an answer. He paused the game and looked up, saw Lt Cmdr Hamara staring at him. "Hello, Chef. What can I do for you?"

Hamara sat down on the other side of the console. "Where's your sister?"

He almost asked which one she meant, but, considering where they were, there was only one she could mean. It was a little surprising that somebody actually accepted their relationship, but he wasn't going to question it. He gave a slight shake of his head. "No idea."

"Is that why you look so lost this evening?"

He frowned, wanting to deny it. He turned the game back on, tried to pay attention to it. "She's a grown woman, she can do what she wants, I guess."

"That's why I'm looking for her."

"Where have you looked for her?" And then he wondered why he had asked, because pretty much wherever she had looked, he wouldn't have any other suggestions to make.

"I think I've looked every place aboard ship but the swimming pool. I've heard she doesn't like zero-g."

This time he gave a slight nod. "Hates it."

"I really hoped you might have some idea where she is."

He glanced around the room, but nobody was paying any attention to them. His inattention meant he lost the game. "Probably with her fiancé."

"I suspected as much."

"In which case, they don't want to be interrupted."

"Sure, but how long can that take them?"

He started the game again. "You'd be surprised."

"Smitty doesn't have the stamina you young bucks have," she said quietly.

"You might be wrong about that," Bugsy stated. "If they never get to the finish."

She was quiet for a while, long enough for him to rack up some points in the game. Then, barely audibly, "He's not that patient."

He shot a quick glance her way, but he was not going to ask how she knew that. "Which probably explains their short engagement." He lost the game.

"Well, that leaves me in quite a pickle."

He glanced her way, confused as to how she could be in trouble. "How so?"

"I've been told to prepare a wedding cake for next Friday. But I can never find the happy couple to find out what kind."

"I would think a wedding cake is a wedding cake."

"The term 'wedding cake' simply means it has tiers. But the cake can be any flavor. So can the frosting. So maybe you can see my dilemma."

"I don't know what to tell you, Chef. Try sending them e-messages."

"I have. No response." She heaved a heavy sigh. "Well, I guess I'll keep looking for them, keep sending messages for them to ignore."

She turned to leave, and Bugsy took himself to task for being such a lousy brother. Maybe Mac is being pig-headed and stubborn and all the rest of it, but she's still my sister. "If nothing else—"

Hamara turned back around to face him.

"I think... she'd probably like a traditional type of wedding cake. You know, white cake, white frosting. But it would be nice if you can find a way to put some pineapple in it for her, too. Might help calm any wedding jitters she might have."

Hamara gave him a slow smile. "I think you may have a very good idea, there, Bugalu. I'll try to run it by her and see what she says."

"Yeah, well, don't let either of them know I made the suggestion."

"Feeling left out?" she asked.

He toyed with the idea of telling her how Smythe was doing his best to remove him from Mac's life. And succeeding, so far as he could figure out. But in the end, it was a personal problem, not one he could share with a higher officer he barely knew. "Something like that."

Revelation & Sweet Good-bye

Revelation

Month 11 Day 1

0222 Hours

Smythe

He was alone in a vast field of stars, and completely at peace. Elsewhere, he knew, people were having intrigues and assignations, but that wasn’t his style. He had enough to keep busy, with his duties, his technical magazines and writing the occasional technical article. That was all he needed.

He thought about that, and frowned. It used to be all he needed. Lately, he had been feeling... a touch lonely. He still had friends, although MacGreg, sometimes, was too busy with Colleen to--

He gasped as a stab of yearning went through him. That was what he was missing. A woman. Not just any woman, but Colleen.

He frowned even more. He couldn’t have her. He turned for a fresh view of the stars, trying to put those thoughts behind him, and--

She was there, hardly a step away, looking as beautiful and radiant as he’d ever seen her. Without thinking, he reached out, and she was in his arms, her mouth, sweet and inviting, was pressed to his. He moved to lay half atop her and explored her body with his hand as his tongue explored her mouth. His passion rising, he slid on top of her, and then into her, but he forced himself to keep a slow pace, wanting her to enjoy it fully. She raised her legs and wrapped them around his waist, letting him penetrate even deeper. He quickened his pace as he approached the end, and was gratified to feel her entire body stiffen as she reached climax, which triggered his own final satisfaction. He gave her a last sweet kiss, unwilling to let go of her so soon. “I need you, Colleen,” he whispered in her ear.

“What?”

She looked up at him in contented bliss and... long red curls morphed into short blond curls as green eyes became hazel. “Did you say Colleen?” Beth asked.

Oh, blast, I did it again. Her legs—still wrapped around him—loosened. I can’t blame her. I’d be pretty mad if she called me MacGreg in the middle of sex. He opened his mouth to say something, but couldn’t figure out what.

“No wonder you’ve been irritable,” Beth observed. “What about her, is she interested?”

“Doesn’t matter,” he mumbled. “I’m sorry. It was unforgivable. Please forget it.”

“If that’s what you want,” she agreed. With a slight groan, she lowered her legs from around him, and he moved over to take his position beside her again.

He was surprised when she snuggled against him. I know I told her to forget it, but they never do. Playing a game, I suppose. She’ll mention it the next time I—

“Okay,” she stated, breaking the silence. Here it comes. “I was right, you did manage a 2nd time. Now, I certainly didn’t have any complaints about the first time, but this time was fantastic!”

He grunted. Not a word about it. Yet. It will come eventually. “I’ve never had a woman wrap her legs around my waist,” he returned.

She snorted lightly. “Don’t remember where I picked that up. Couldn’t do it anymore if I didn’t do yoga. But it is definitely worth it.”

“Yes, it is,” he agreed, beginning to drift back to sleep.

“Sleep. Good idea,” she murmured and then added, “At least we won’t have to listen to the bridge tonight.”

His eyes opened in the near-darkness. “What do you mean, listen to the bridge?”

She hesitated. “Do you know what happens on the bridge on midnight shift?”

How do I answer that? “I have... recently gotten a vague idea,” he admitted. “I’ve got to do something about it.”

“You wouldn’t be so calm about it if you actually got to hear it from time to time.”

“Hear it?”

“Yeah, M--Uh, she opens a channel from the bridge to... some random place, and just lets Adams’ and Evans’ harassing irritate someone besides her. Just an hour at a time, so no one loses a lot of sleep at any one time. Apparently, she doesn’t ship it to any senior officers, which I think is a mistake. Still, I suppose she has her reasons.” She giggled slightly. “And I hear those 2 can’t figure out why they can hardly get a date any more. But there’s only a couple women who will have anything to do with either one of them.”

“I have to do something about those two,” he repeated.

Beth ran a hand down his chest. “But not tonight,” she told him. “You promised to stay until 5. Anyway, Mac’s not on duty tonight.”

“She’s not?” The communications schedule went through his mind, and he realized she wasn’t. Then we could have--No! She’s likely with one of them. Well, not MacGreg, because he came here... So she’s with Bugalu. Just as well. She’s not for me. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and settled down for some sleep.

Sweet Good-bye

Month 11, Day 1

0433 Hours

Anna Humara

Anna tied her robe closed and turned Drake to face her before her bedroom door opened to let him leave. “I wish you didn’t have to leave,” she pouted, and stood on tiptoe to give him a kiss.

He gave her rear a good squeeze as he held her close. “You’re making it hard,” he told her when they finally pulled apart. “And if you keep this up, you’ll make me hard again. But I already got talked to last night for not being as discrete as the captain expects me to be.”

“Yes, she did seem unhappy with you,” she agreed, and sighed. “Okay, I understand. I just... I get lonely, sometimes.”

He gave her a gentle smile. “We all get lonely sometimes,” he stated, and gave her rump a light swat as he turned away.

“Drake?”

He stopped as the door started to open, and it closed again. “What, Anna?”

She hesitated. What if he takes it the wrong way, gets angry? Well, better to learn about it now, and not get tangled up in a relationship I don’t actually want. She swallowed and managed to say, “I’m not looking for monogamy.”

An amalgamation of emotions crossed his face, leaving him looking serious. “Anna, I’ve tried that once before. It didn’t turn out well for her, and, well, not well for me, either. I’m not ready to try it again.”

I’d heard he was married, once. “Good. Just wanted to make sure we understood each other.”

He smiled again, said, “See ya later.” This time she let him leave.

Locker Room Talk

Month 10 Day 31

2105 Hours

Capt Jane Burke

It wasn’t like Smitty to hang at her side the entire evening, but Jane was beginning to wonder when he would finally peel off and ask some woman to dance. Every time she glanced his way, he seemed to be watching a certain redhead as she... juggled... the attentions of 3 or 4 men and as many female friends. And occasionally, she had turned away men who asked her to dance, had even started to raise her voice to Evans.

It certainly doesn’t seem like Evans is getting the message. A few more days of recordings and I’ll start debriefing members of the A shift bridge crew. I’ll even debrief Evans, but those questions will be different from what I ask the others. I’ll have to debrief MacDowell, too, so I’d better come up with questions for her.

“The redhead’s a lot colder than she looks,” she heard Moor comment, as she passed behind him and another male. “She’s a real tease.”

“Someone should teach her not to,” Winthrop suggested.

“Enough!” Jane said sharply. Thought Moor had more sense than to hang around with Winthrop. She glanced at Smitty to see how he was reacting to the men’s overheard conversation, but the engineer’s gaze was focused across the room. She glared at the two surprised underlings before her. “I don’t care how good she looks, if she’s not interested, leave her alone. Don’t even try to use your rank that way or you won’t have that rank any longer. I thought it was understood that I won’t tolerate that behavior, but apparently two of my highest officers haven’t gotten the message, so have I made myself clear?”

“But, captain, anybody who comes here looking like that must want to stir up interest,” Winthrop replied boldly.

“Doesn’t mean she wants your interest,” Jane returned. She touched Smythe’s arm to get his attention. “What do you think, Smitty?”

He jerked his attention to her. “About what?”

His mind was a parsec away. Or at least across the room. “About Winthrop’s plans to accost Lt MacDowell.”

Smitty’s eyes rounded in surprise, then narrowed as he glared at the older man. He opened his mouth to speak, glanced back across the room, and closed his mouth again. He shook his head and sucked in a lungful of air. “She’s already taken.”

That sounded like he was reminding himself. Who does he think has caught the girl’s attention?

“Then why come looking like that?” Moor asked. “Maybe the man she thought she had caught is beginning to slip away.”

“You’re gossiping,” Smitty told him. “Some women simply like to dress up from time to time. Not everything they do is intended to catch a man!”

“Exactly right,” Jane agreed. “I would have done it myself, except that apparently I need to be in uniform to remind others of the type of behavior I expect on my ship. So, gentlemen, I hope I’ve made my position perfectly clear.”

“Absolutely,” Moor stated. “Perhaps we’re simply jealous that she isn’t interested in us.”

“Thoughts like that could easily lead one to bad behavior,” Jane told him blandly. “A woman doesn’t owe you attention just because you’re a higher rank. Treat them with the respect they are due because of their humanity and intelligence. Or I’ll know the reason why you don’t, and it had better not be jealousy.” She turned to continue her stroll around the edge of the ballroom, and Smitty doggedly tagged along with her.

“Smitty.”

Jane took another step forward and turned, to find Chef Anna Hamara had her hand on the engineer’s sleeve. Unlike most of the senior officers, Hamara wore a blue dress tailored somewhat in an oriental fashion.

“Good evening, Anna,” Smitty greeted her, placing his hand over hers. “You look beautiful.”

The corner of Anna’s mouth twitched. “Well, I tried, but I can’t compete with the younger ladies.”

“I think you’ve got that turned around,” Smitty told her. “None of them have your poise.”

Anna gave him a genuine smile. “Thank you, Smitty. Apparently, I needed a bit of flattery.”

“It’s not flattery when it’s true,” he returned. “Now, have you got the next dance open? I think we should show the youngsters how it’s done.”

“Well, I’m a little rusty. I think I stepped on Ferguson’s feet 3 times, but only twice with MacGregor. If you’re willing to risk it, I have got the next dance open. To be truthful, I was going to ask you.”

“Oh, it’s a case of great minds thinking alike, then,” Smitty said with a smile. The music had ended and people were leaving the dance floor. Smitty led the chef out so they were ready once the music began again.

Good. Now I don’t have to watch how I say things when I bawl people out. But how do I read that? Smitty’s perfectly comfortable and complimentary with Anna, and too often angry and disparaging with MacDowell. Of course, Anna is the same rank as Smitty, and the redhead isn’t. But is that all it is? He was good friends with Anna before Michael got in the way. And didn’t act much differently, back then. Without anything else to go on, I’d have to say he’s still just friends with Anna. As for young ladies of a lower rank, he’s usually courteous and polite, even if he finds it difficult to pull out the skills and knowledge he wants them to have.

So what’s different with MacDowell? I’m left with the same suspicions I had before. And I’m not sure he heard a single word I said to Moor and Winthrop. Even if he did, he probably wouldn’t believe they were meant for him as well. Men never do.

No, that’s probably not being fair to Smitty. She cast a glance around the room, saw the redhead dancing with Drake. What is that, his 3rd or 4th dance with her? No more than Tall Bear or Bugalu, but they aren’t a superior rank to her. Do I need to have a talk with him as well?

In the next moment, Ferguson tapped Drake on the shoulder, obviously asking to cut in. Drake looked to MacDowell for guidance, she gave a slow nod, and then waltzed off with the cook. Well, at least Drake isn’t so besotted he won’t let another man cut in. As long as MacDowell agrees.

Shore Leave’s End

Month 9 Day 15

Shore Leave Day 16

0731 Hours

Capt Jane Burke

Jane sipped her coffee as she took the oversized datapad from the dock supervisor and started glancing through the lists of items ordered to be delivered to the Fireball today. There were medical supplies for sick bay, gardening supplies for the arboretum, tons of all kinds of food for the pantry... It wasn’t until she got to the requested supplies for security that she slowed down and actually read the list. Good. No exotic weapons requested, not even inordinate amounts of armory requested. With that, she signed her approval with a flourish and was ready to hand it back before she remembered...

“Oh, wait a minute.” What was the name of that local fruit? “I’ve heard of a native fruit or berry that sometimes produces an allergic reaction. I can’t remember what it’s called.”

“You probably mean Oyrt berry,” the local woman answered. “If you’re worried that some of it was included in your food supplies, don’t be; we don’t export it.”

“That’s good. Apparently, one crew member already had a bad reaction to it.” And right now, I can’t remember who it was, either. Come on, Jane, you’re not old enough to have memory lapses. She spent a few minutes watching boxes and crates being loaded into the lower levels of the space elevator but it was obvious the dock hands knew their business, so she wandered off and headed for the upper level of the elevator.

It was the upper level where passengers would pass the time during the trip to Port Station Gortia. It would be a long trip, and there had been an effort made to provide comfort and entertainment for the passengers; storage space for their luggage, dispensers for snacks and beverages, along with tables and chairs. And several alcoves where groups could watch a movie or play electronic games. There were even some curtained bunks for those who needed a nap. Those looked so comfortable, Jane almost regretted having slept well last night. Her duffel bag was already delivered to the luggage area.

“Good morning, Captain.” Chef Anna Hamara came aboard, put her duffel next to the captain’s and headed for the snack area. “I took the redeye through 13 time zones and a date line. I’m going to have a bite to eat and claim one of those bunks.”

Jane joined her, sitting at a table with her half-finished coffee. “I was going to warn you to be careful what local foods you splurged on adding to our pantry. I heard one native fruit can produce a strong allergic reaction, and one of our crew has already experienced it.”

“So Drake informed me last week,” Anna stated. “Those particular berries are very tasty, I liked them a lot. But by the time Drake told me about Mac, I’d already given up, because they don’t export them. Because of that potential.”

“So the dock supervisor informed me.” She shook her head in non-surprise. “Should have known it would be the redhead.”

“She does seem to have a knack for being the odd person out,” doesn’t she?” Anna sat down with a hot omelette and a container of juice. She leaned forward and half whispered, “I heard she got invited to one of Capac’s card games and didn’t realize until half way through it that it was strip poker!”

“That’s not fair,” Drake spoke up as he walked over from the luggage area. “It only took her 1 hand to find out it was strip poker. Although, come to think of it, somebody told her, because she’d lost that hand.”

Jane smiled, then wiped it off her face. “Much as I enjoy a little gossip from time to time, I’ve already heard that story. And I can’t have crew members hearing me gossiping with senior officers when gossip is officially discouraged. So, come by my quarters some evening and fill me up with all the gossip you’ve got.”

“You can count on it,” Anna promised. “Did you have a good shore leave, captain?”

“Very enjoyable,” Jane replied without going into details. “And you look like you did, too, Anna. You are positively glowing.”

Anna laughed. “Lots of sun in those southern islands! Mostly, I did what I should have done long ago: Got away from everything and did some soul searching.”

“I hate to say it, but you’ve been hiding away for most of 2 years or more, even though you’ve been aboard.”

“Oh, that wasn’t the part I meant I should have done long ago. It was the soul searching.”

“Did you decide anything?”

“Yes. Michael is not worth another minute of my time. Thinking back on it, he probably wasn’t worth it when he was around. I never should have listened to him about becoming ‘exclusive’. Especially since he only meant for it to apply to me.”

“I tried to hint...”

“I was too besotted... no, make that brain-washed, to have paid any attention to anything anybody said. Just ask Smitty.”

“Ask me what?” The man in question stood at the top of the gangway, a steaming mug in one hand and his duffel bag in the other.

“I was there,” Jane reminded her chef. “I don’t need to ask him. Smitty, she’s saying Michael is out of her system. So, tell us, Drake and Smitty, how your vacations were. I haven’t seen either of you since our game of Survival.”

“Another game of Survival?” Anna asked. “I’d have thought Moor learned his lesson last time.”

“It wasn’t Moor,” Smitty told her. “It was Bugalu.”

“Bugalu!” Anna repeated in surprise. “Stepping on a higher officer’s toes?”

“I think he was testing the water,” Jane answered. And a couple of his choices were... unorthodox.” I’m still wondering why he made those choices. “I haven’t studied the results yet...”

“I think they won,” Drake stated. “After all, they accomplished their mission, and we didn’t.”

“They wouldn’t have had a mission if we hadn’t failed ours,” Smitty objected.

Jane laughed. “I’m pretty sure the computer would have pretended we had failed. Especially since their mission to rescue us started at the same time as our mission to avoid being caught.”

“Oh, that sounds like an intriguing scenario for Survival. I’m sorry I missed that.”

“Well, you’re in luck,” Jane told her. “I not only acquired the usual download, I bought the more expensive video of the game. It will find its way to the library, and I expect plenty of people will be willing to tell me exactly where I went wrong. But I knew a year ago when he approached me with the challenge that playing against Bugalu would be far different than playing against Moor.”

“Does that mean I should be wary of a young buck trying for my job?” Moor asked as he put his duffel bag in the luggage area.

“Not at all,” Jane returned. “It merely means I know your methods, your style. I’ve had far less opportunity to observe Bugalu in a command capacity.”

“He did a good job,” Moor commented. “I’d like a chance to study his techniques myself.”

“The download won’t be available until after the 2 teams have had a chance to study it and discuss it. I want both teams to discuss it together. And, Smitty, I want your thoughts on what MacDowell did to the computer to get the kind of results she got.”

“Yes, I’ve been going through the notes we made as we... undid what she’d done.”

“Well, this has been fun,” Anna said, standing up and gathering her plate and things together to recycle. “But as I told Jane, I took the redeye from the southern islands half a world away, so I’m going to turn in for a nap.”

“Before the entire crew starts to show up, why don’t the rest of us take a stab at a game of Attakke? I can’t quite get the hang of it,” Drake suggested.

As they moved toward an alcove, Jane wondered what kind of report she’d get from Smitty on what the redhead had done during the other game. Will he be irritated and stodgy about her unorthodox methods? Or pleasantly surprised by how much those methods had accomplished? I know she keeps surprising me.