Chapter 8: Prep

That answer to Angel's question was still forthcoming, and Alex knew that the Pilot would hound her until she got her way. Never one to avoid an uncomfortable truth, Alex sighed. Her brows lowered in irritation and a small amount of concern. "Nervous. Oblivious to subtle suggestions. Inexperienced in even the slightest manner to the role of subordinate on board a vessel, and entirely unprepared for our endeavors." Alex paused as Angel actually was shocked out of her attention to the helm to turn a stunned look to her Captain. Alex smirked a little as she leaned to the right in her chair. She put her chin on the backs of her fingers. Honestly. No confidence in her ability to pick her crew. If only they knew that they, each of them, had given her the same look Angel had turned on her now about each other. Even those who had worked with each other before held some measure of surprise, maybe especially because of that fact. Regardless, Alex had every confidence in her crew, and they needed to trust her choices.

Before Angel could question her further, Alex continued with her list of Mr. Kane's qualifications. "However, he can correctly identify a problem within a chrono-engine by sound alone even before the issue creates complications. His ability to repair or replace a part is staggering in that he has accomplished even the most delicate of maintenance in a short amount of time using crude parts as temporary replacements until he has access to the proper component. And all without having to break apart the engine which would cause further potential damage."

Angel's eyes had widened at the Captain's list of Mr. Kane's talents that had earned him the invitation to join the crew as the Horotech. Nobody could replace a single part in a chrono-engine without the need to take it apart to a certain degree. That shouldn't be possible, but the Captain didn't exaggerate or believe hearsay. She saw for herself which meant that she must have witnessed Mr. Kane do just what she described.

Alex leaned forward in her chair with her eyes locked with Angel's. The upturn of her lips held an edge of pride as if she had been the one to accomplish the miracles Mr. Kane supposedly had. "That chrono-engine down there contains modifications that Mr. Kane had designed at university. His professors said they could never work, but you and I have proven already that they do." Her smile lifted as she watched Angel swallow. Some of the things those modifications were supposed to accomplish were supposed to be impossible, such as a mid-wormhole turn. But the math that Captain Alex had shown Angel did not lie. Mr. Kane was a genius!

"Does he know that you incorporated his designs?" Angel moved past being stunned into amused. Captain de Sade would use anything and everything to its fullest capacity if it would get the job done, regardless of convention or protocol. She was notorious for that, and if she hadn't been so efficient, Naviwerks would have taken her to task long before her abrupt departure from their service.

Alex's smug expression returned as she sat back in her chair again. The movement made the leather creak. "No."

Angel laughed as she shook her head then turned back to her consoles. "I want to be there when he comes at you demanding to know how and where you got your hands on his designs."

The sound of heavy work boots on the landing to the bridge alerted them both to Geri's arrival. He always seemed to prefer to wear the scowl he bore now over any other expression. His reasons for it were the only thing that changed. Alex looked to her Security Officer expectantly, which he acknowledged with a curt nod as he descended the short metal latticework staircase. "Hold is secure, Cap'n. Gangway is closed, locked and sealed. We're good to go."

"Thank you, Mr. Reynolds." Alex returned his nod then turned back to Angel. "How much longer for the pre-flight, Miss Flynn?" Some captains gave their crew the honorific of Mister regardless of gender. Alex found that insulting, and had set herself apart by referring to her female crew members as Miss. It by far was not the only habit that had singled her out amongst the ship captains within Naviwerks, but it had been one of the few she possessed that had irritated the others. The waiting list of female service members of all ranks and specialties that had wanted to be part of Captain de Sade's crew had grown lengthy as her reputation gained notoriety.

Angel did a quick glance over the consoles before she answered. "Twenty minutes, Cap."

Geri's glower deepened as he took up a lean against the row of lockers that contained the motherboards, circuits and transmitter cards that were all woven together by lengths and lengths of plasma cords. His thick arms crossed over his chest. "How long does it take to prepare the engines?" His expression was dubious.

"Thirty minutes minimum for the chrono-engine to reach optimum charge," was Alex's calm and quiet reply, but a clever glint was in her eyes. "Trust me, Mr. Reynolds. We will be airborne within twenty-two minutes." Before Geri could argue she turned her attention away from her Security Officer to the consoles in the arms of her chair. "Miss Flynn, I am taking the comm."

"Aye, Cap." Angel's deft fingers tapped one of the panels to turn off primary control of the communications in the helm and switched it to the Captain. She hadn't needed to since Captain de Sade could do that herself from the captain's control panels, but it was a courtesy.

Alex restrained herself from taking a deep, steadying breath as she activated the comm controls on the arm of her chair. The information she was about to share wasn't new to any of them. She might have a few more details, but they would only confirm what her crew already suspected. It might have been her conviction that faltered, but if it were, it was not enough to stay her from her course. She had already thrown herself into deep water when it came to defying Naviwerks. Even if she didn't take the next step the corporation had enough reason to have her eliminated. Through her, her crew would face the same fate even if they never turned over those engines. She owed it to the people who had put their trust in her to see this through. That was the core of her uncertainty; she could only hope that she lived up to that expectation and kept them safe. If she could have done this on her own she would have, but that was impossible even for her. There was no hope for it. She had to put her sails to the wind.

She allowed that determination to guide her as she pressed the activation button on the comms in the sequence that put her voice over the whole ship. "Attention all hands." She was pleased to hear that her voice didn't give away her inner conflict. She judged it better to not think about it too much and plunged ahead.