Let me see . . . Last time we saw Liana she had faced
down an Admiral and received orders for her ship, Pompeya.
As always, I would appreciate comments on how bad (or good)
my pathetic attempts at story writing are.
Zim.
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. . . . . . Liana sees Pompeya
Captain Tril-Liana flew commercial from Capital to Utopia and the Gunne space docks. She had taken a first class room and slept. When she arrived she disembarked with nothing but the small carry on she had boarded with. She was wearing a purple gown instead of a fleet uniform and carrying a brief with her orders for Pompeya in it.
Liana found and rented a locker, putting the bag and the brief in it. She then checked the rosters, found where Pompeya was docked and what the tour schedule was. She was in luck, she had time so she ate a good lunch then made her way to the ship and joined the afternoon tour group.
Pompeya was a museum ship, a memorial to the legendary fleet destroyer Vesuvious and its equally legendary captain, Bear-Gunne. Liana had been seventeen when Bear passed on, forty five years ago. She still occasionally mourned.
The tour started on the crew decks where they saw how Vesuvious crew lived and worked sixty years ago. It was much the same way Trillia's crew lived and worked on her previous ship. The next stop was the command decks, where they toured the bridge.
Most of the stations on the bridge looked much like the stations on her ship. Tactical looked larger and more complex than her tactical station had looked, but not outrageously so. Liana's heart sank when the guide pointed out the ArmsMasters station. It looked nothing like anything she had ever seen before.
The guide was starting back towards the lifts, so Trillia touched the ensign sitting in front of the fire control panel and asked “Pardon me, sir, could you explain how this panel works?”
The ensign looked at her as if he wanted to say 'what are you bothering me for?', but he didn't. Instead he said “I haven't the faintest idea. They tell me Vesuvious had 'non-standard fire control systems' and that these are identical to the ones used by Vesuvious.” He paused, then he laughed and continued “Anybody who ever knew how to use this panel probably died before I was born.”
Liana gazed at him for a moment, considering whether or not she should paddle him then change his diaper. Instead she shrugged then walked off. She caught up to the group and boarded the lift with the last of them. They went down two lifts and entered the engineering section.
Down in Engineering the guide pointed out the two APU's. Liana stepped into the starboard Auxiliary Power Unit room and smiled. She remembered when she was small she had helped first to clean out the room, then paint it before the APU arrived. She heard the guide stating that the two APU's were the largest ever mounted on a ship but he did not say why Vesuvious and Pompeya had them.
The group moved on down the passage but Liana stayed behind, studying the APU and its associated plumbing and wiring. There was a very large power conduit coming off the power converter mounted to the unit, heading aft through a crawl space.
A very old gentleman wearing a fleet uniform from some sixty years ago pushed off the wall and told Liana “I'm sorry Maam, but you can't stay in here.”
Liana told the guy “Aye, Sir.” Then she left the room and peeked into the other APU room. It too had a large power conduit running aft. She ducked back out, smiled at the gentleman and said “I'm going, I'm going.” And she walked rapidly after the tour group. Catching up to them in the main engineering space.
Behind her the old guy picked up a com unit, “Yaki,” he said, “Look out for this little old lady in a purple dress. She's poking her nose in places it don't belong.”
In the main engineering space the guide pointed out the main engine and the primary power coupling assembly. Liana could see where the large power conduits coming from the APU's tied into the main power couplings. She wondered why, so she asked the guide. He had no idea.
Liana walked aft around the power core of the engine, then as the guide started leading the group out she stepped behind the core and began studying the maze of fuel lines and controls leading into the core.
In the back corner of Engineering Yaki had been kicked back in a chair at one of the stations, with the lights dimmed. He saw the little old lady in a purple dress come in after the group. His first thought was 'she don't walk right'. Most women walked more like cows, this one walked more like a cougar was what he decided. Then, as she was asking about the power conduits coming from the APU's Yaki got a good look at Liana's profile and the light hit her hair just right. He saw traces of the fiery red hair she had once had and Yaki was pretty sure just who this lady was. He smiled.
As Liana studied the piping Yaki walked up behind her. “Little Miss Liana?” he asked.
Liana did a quick step and pivoted about, hands coming up then sliding back down. “I'm sorry sir, do I know you?” she asked.
Yaki just smiled at her and asked “Are you here for your ship Captain?”
Liana looked at him for a moment, then recognition dawned. “Yaki!” She exclaimed. She smiled hugely and stepped up to him, wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big hug.
“Careful Maam”, started Yaki, “old bones break easily.” But he was smiling warmly down at her.
She mostly turned him loose, stepping back a half pace but still holding him by his elbows. “As a matter of fact I am here for my ship. With orders.” she said. “Is it ready?”
“Yes Maam it is.” said Yaki.
“What about the fire control panels?” asked Liana.
“Last I heard there are seventeen lessons on how to use them. As well as lessons for every other position on the ship.”
Yaki then pulled Liana back close and gave her a hug. “Good to have you back girl.” he said.
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Mad Poet Strikes Again.
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