Space Wrecker Ch. 02

"That will give me the time to contact the Hennessey group, a specialized contractor to coat the open back half and seal the reactor breach off. Then I can safely bring her home. I do not do hot loads so coating the reactor is the only way I would move her. Then you can write up a list of what order you want the rest or I will play it by ear."

"What!"

"Julie Ann, I warned you!" Chokota barked. "One more outburst and I will ground you permanently, with your ship blown to pieces! Captain Walker, you have a deal, but I want detailed reports on all incidentals and perishables. And if you're buying in bulk, I want the same discount."

I laughed, "Agreed your..., sire. But I must insist this job is on my own schedule."

Chokota smiled, "I will agree, but how long are we talking."

"I would say anywhere between two hundred thirty days to three hundred and thirty days, or solar cycles. Depending on family obligations for the human holidays."

Chokota stared at me, trying to read me. He nodded yes. "I can agree to that, Captain Walker. Family obligations during..., holidays are important to the Felidae people as well. You may proceed on your own time schedule. Captain Moser, send the required files to the Galveston and assist her in any necessary way."

"Yes, my King."

"Julie Ann, you may attempt to bring in some of the smaller ships, but only triple your tonnage. I order you to leave the rest for Captain Walker."

"Yes, Father."

I looked at Captain Moser. "Please send those files as soon as you can, Captain Moser."

When he nodded yes, as I cut the video link. Interesting, I thought, and tapped in for Galveston to move over to the battleship Tolkien. I needed an exact scan of her armor to know how to fusion weld the motor mounts to her hull.

I transmitted my standard NDA to the Zenfolia, something every wrecker pilot kept on file. SARA brought the Galveston's nose to the side of the battleship FF Tolkien. I heard the hanger door open and watched a drone step out; it crawled to the nose section of my ship, then carefully stepped over, and onto the Tolkien.

At first contact, I smiled. I knew she was my recovery now.

A slight beep informed me SARA received the files from the Zenfolio. I brought them up and gasped. No wonder she was still intact. She had more internal bracing than any UNN battleship. The Sri Lanka tipped the scales at seven hundred and fifty-five million tons. The drawing said the Tolkien was Eight hundred mil plus.

She had solid Chromium steel bracing running throughout her entire length and side to side. She had more inner bracing than the Galveston's Chromium steel and Tungsten Carbide core. But just like the Galveston, she didn't flex. As soon as the drone finished its spectrometer analysis of the Tolkien's hull, it crawled back.

"SARA, Scan Tolkien for weak spots and let's get her hooked up for a tow home."

The Galveston circled Tolkien three times, nose to tail and all her sides. Six hours later, the software completed its analysis. I was looking at its results. Barring some very long mathematics and an in-depth structural analysis, I just approved its design. They were close to what I was thinking before the scans.

The first thing was the nose attachment point. The Tolkien had a regulation coupler, so I just needed the power cable bolt on plate, attached. Felidae-ians followed the Lazrid peoples standard design of nose and tail couplers. Just about every race acknowledges that the Lazrid's were the first space faring people, even before the Allison's.

The Lazrid people are a very practical type of people. Their no-nonsense designs were pretty much universal. Nearly every race who encounters them seemed to adopt their practical ship designs. They were just plain, practical in design.

On the whole, I liked the Lazrid people. Their quick mind and wicked sense of humor made it a pleasure to talk with them. If you can get over their long three-clawed fingered hand and dagger-like pointed teeth, they were a beautiful race that reminded me of an early velociraptor in earth's distant past.

As soon as SARA got us into position, the drones went to work. I thought of a pair of Lazrid ladies I met last year. The major reason I wanted to head over to the Sirus system to see if I could find Selee and her sister Senal again.

I met the pair of ladies while I was waiting for the Galveston to be built. I met them when their cargo ship's environmental panel shorted out and they lost their air scrubbers. They made a call for help, and the company dispatched me.

I spent two weeks towing their cargo ship to the Sirus system while piloting an older D8500. It forced the ladies to share the D8500's small apartment size living quarters with me. At first, they were a little standoffish. But as soon as we got to know each other, damn, those ladies loved to fuck. We nearly had continuous sex for the whole two weeks I towed their ship home. I was not able to wear pants for nearly a week after I was so sore.

I shook myself from that thought. Damn it, I needed to get laid. I wish Chree would stop ghosting me. I knew she was on her home world trying to get financing to expand her business. I have not seen or heard from her in five months. I hit the button on the chair and went back to the galley to eat something. I followed the Drones' progress through their onboard cameras. I type in an order to over stock the Galveston on Fusion bolts, both forty twos and thirty fives from Miller's automated system.

"SARA, scan food stores and prepare an over-stock food order to have it waiting for us at Briggs in projected twenty days ETA."

'Yes, Captain.'

I wrote several emails home to mom and dad, telling them I was going to visit the Felidae Federation. With the new sub gamma system, I got a response in less than an hour. Dad told me not to send messages like that because mom was all worried. I wrote them back, saying not to worry. I met the king of the Felidae federation and negotiated with him personally.

Over the next several days, my drones attached the five hundreds and ran the power cables. Then I plated the bigger holes in the front. As more plates and mag clamps left the Galveston, the less sleep I got. After eight days, the drones attached the last piece, a long tow arm that I could attach the Galveston to the rear to break her speed when I entered the NP-10145 system. I didn't like to stress the five hundreds, or the welded on motor mounts slowing down my tows. I prefer scrubbing the tows speed the old fashion way, from the rear.

I dropped into bed for a regulation eight. After getting that and some I showered, and scrapped eight days' worth of whiskers off my face. I grabbed a bite to eat and a cup of coffee before I sat down at the command center. I radioed the Zenfolio, sending my flight path to the Felidae-ians home world.

As I waited for her reply, I noticed they attached the three smaller wreckers to the side of the Zenfolio, with some sort of docking clamps. The other wrecker was deep in the debris field, pulling some of the smaller ships out of the way.

The Zenfolio radioed there were ready to follow my lead. I gave SARA the ok to fire the Galveston up and the five hundreds. There was a moment or two of coupling or bucking if you will, as SARA equalized the four, five hundreds and the two, seven-fifties. It was painfully slow bringing the FF Tolkien up to speed. It felt like several hours just to break out of orbit. I felt bad for the Captain Moser and crew of the Zenfolio, they could have got out the rowed their ship faster.

It took almost twenty-four hours for the Galveston to pull the Tolkien up to JULS or just under light speed. I have to hand it to Captain Moser. They stuck it out at my slower acceleration. We came up to the first mark point, and I sent a message to the Zenfolio. See you on the other side. As the FTL's fired.

The thirty minutes through subspace with almost a billion tons of steel had me on pins and needles until we broke out into normal space. A quick scan showed the Tolkien came through fine as did the Zenfolio. SARA fired right side in reverse and the left into forward as we took eight hours to make a course correction.

Over the next eight hours, as we made the slow turn to miss whatever the flight computer saw was in our way, I sat and thought about Chree. She made one long trip with me on the Galveston, to get her flight hours, but near the end, I could tell she was already distancing herself from me. She was talking more about expanding her business. I got the feeling that she was looking forward to the day I finished my UNN contract.

She said she was just looking for a part-time lover, maybe I was visiting too much as a part-time lover. I started regretting taking the Felidae contract. I could have cabled the last of the UNN stuff, delivered it to Taurus Prime and drifted over to the Sirus system with hopes to get my bunny girl, well Chree, off of my mind.

The FTL's fired again, breaking my train of thought. It took another eight hours for the last turn, for a direct path to the planet Domnia. Once we were aligned, the FTL's fired.

We broke out into interstellar space nearly twelve light minutes outside of the NP-10145 system, or the Domnia system. As soon as SARA corrected our course, I allowed her to start the decoupling procedure. I always worried about this part. I warned the Zenfolio to give us a wide berth in case a drone broke loose.

They never did, but there is always a chance. As soon as the power cables were disconnected, SARA decoupled us and started drifting sideways. The Tolkien slipped by inches per minute. SARA had a finer control than I did.

We drifted almost twenty-five hours before SARA woke me for the start of the braking maneuver. I watched from my bed as soon as the gages read intolerance I rolled over and fell back asleep. I watched the recoupling from the gym. Forty-eight hours later, the four, five hundreds spooled up and the seven fifties fired in reverse, slowing us to near planet speeds.

We passed several smaller ships during my final-braking maneuver. Several tried to move in close, but decided it was unwise or the Zenfolio warned them off. I became static above a bright blue world with green continents and deep blue seas. I could see several floating docks in GEO- synchronous orbit above what must be its equatorial belt.

Dozens of small and larger craft were flying either up or down, to or from the planet side. The array of traffic and the number of foreign ships in orbit said louder than words that this was a space faring race with a robust economy.

I received a text message with the spatial coordinates of the dry dock. The only problem was I did not have a reference to their meridian line system. SARA could not connect to their internet system. It took nearly thirty minutes before we received the proper protocol and login credentials.

With a course set, we moved the Tolkien towards the dry dock. I tried radioing the dock master several times but received no answer. I radioed the Zenfolio with my concerns. I received a video request and got a very harangued looking Captain Moser looking at me.

"I am very sorry, Captain Walker. The military dry dock is unwilling to cooperate with a UN civilian ship pulling in military hardware. They demand that you drop it here and they will send tugs to retrieve it."

I smiled and folded my fingers as if I was about to type the orders with a grin on my face saying, "If that is what they wish Captain, I am more than willing to block a major flight path as it will take me several days to remove my equipment!"

Captain Moser laughed. A strange sound coming from a person with a long muzzle the Felidae-ians possess.

"Thank you, Captain Walker. I needed that. Give my King a moment to straighten this out." He smiled, "there is going to be another shakeup in the Admiralty, again."

I nodded as I looked up. Three tugs were in front of the dry dock assigned to the Tolkien blocking its entrance. SARA fired the reverse thrusters, and we went static once again. The Zenfolio moved in front and lifted her rail-guns. When her coils went hot, the three tugs immediately fired, their engines moving out of the way.

After a minute or two, I saw several smaller ships landing on the dry docks landing platforms. Ten minutes later I received a voice message, "UN Galveston, this is Dock Master Huroo. You are green lighted to move the FF Tolkien into dry dock. Please raise azimuth by six meters and proceed at two KPH."

SARA bumped the thrusters, and we crawled between the two large clamping structures. At the far end was a gradient light panel, just like UN stations. As I moved in, the middle set of greens lit up one at a time. SARA locked on and slowed the Tolkien down. At full green, we went static. Then the docking clamps moved in.

"UN Galveston, FF Tolkien secured. You may proceed with uncoupling procedures."

"Thank you Dock Master Huroo. Sending drones transponder ID numbers."

Sara fired up the drones and sent them all out.

Over the next five days, I had a constant barrage of pop-up warnings as the Drones came within six feet of the dry dock workers. What the hell, I thought, didn't these people carry transponder beacons? As the last piece of equipment made it aboard, I radioed Dock Master Huroo.

"Dock Master Huroo, this is UN Galveston requesting permission to uncouple and proceed out of the system."

"UN Galveston, Permission to uncouple granted, proceed to docking platform twenty-four. Admiralty reported a thirty-six hour delay for your escort outbound."

"Negative on the escort Dock Master Huroo I can't delay thirty-six hours, send them my regards for their courtesy."

'SARA uncouple us and take us back to Kazar II.'

I heard the coupler click and then heard the motors spool up. We drift forward, clearing dry dock, then turned upwards, heading outbound. As soon as we cleared local traffic, SARA spooled the seven fifties up as we picked up speed.

'Captain incoming radio transmission.'

Play the message SARA.

"UN Galveston, this is Felidae Naval. We did not clear you for outbound. Please turn around and wait for the naval escort."

SARA broadcast on all channels, "Felidae Naval, this is UN Galveston, ETA on escort."

"UN Galveston ETA thirty-six hours. Turn around and report to dock twenty-four and await escort."

"Felidae Naval. That is a negative, on waiting for an escort. I have a verbal agreement with your king that says I work on my own time schedule."

"UN Galveston, you are ordered to return to the planet side. If you do not comply, we will take it as a forfeiture of towing fee's and contract."

That got me. I hit the mute button. "SARA all stop! Broadcast the video of their king agreeing to this contract, fee's and my insistence on my timeline. Then send this idiot a copy of rules targeting non-payment."

I watched the Galveston slow down on the readouts. I don't know how long it took; I was waiting for SARA to inform me she broadcasted what I asked.

'Information broadcasted Captain.'

I hit the mute button to unmute it, "Felidae Naval. This the UN Galveston. Under the rules contract dealing to towage fees and recovery of ships. I have a verbal contract with your King. If you will not honor it! That will force me to file a grievance in the United Nations Courts and put an injunction on all your ships around Kazar II."

"With your threat of non-payment, you will force me to seek three times towage fees and full rights of salvage ownership of the ships that remain to satisfy my current bill. My contract, verbally with your king, says on my timeline. I have other contracts to be fulfilled. I can not wait just for an escort."

"If you attempt to hold me up, I will file an unlawful detention grievance. Note, this act is, considered, an act of war on the free travel of unarmed civilian ships of trade and commercial working class rules listed in the United Nations treaties."

Leaving the transmit button on I said, "SARA, prepare a log of transmissions to be sent to the United Nations Naval and courts. To be sent out on all sub gamma channels including upper and lower bands."

'Log prepared Captain, do I send?'

I sat there waiting for the Felidae naval response. It took less than a minute when I received a transmission from an unknown source.

"UN Galveston, This is Sub-Admiral Dechota, you have...,"

I heard a familiar voice yell in the background, "I have promoted you, you idiot! You are now Admiral Dechota!"

"Uh Admiral Dechota, Galveston, you now have permission to leave Domnia air space."

"Roger that Admiral Dechota. And congratulations on your promotion Admiral Dechota, UN Galveston out."

With a quick glance over short, medium, and long-range radar. I had clear skies, so I gave SARA permission to spool up the drives.

I broke into normal space just outside the Kazar system and drifted in, slowing at the last possible moment. SARA did not need that big of a safety factor that I did. As soon as short-range radar came within range, I noticed someone had been rearranging the smaller ships. They lined all the little Felidae ships up. And cabled them together. I zoomed in. Whoever cabled them left too much slack between the ships and did not run duals between them.

Even in the vacuum of space, this load would wobble and sway behind the tow ship. The term Vacuum was mis-leading, for there were still small pockets of space gas, and small particles of dust that would hit this load at speed and change its directions in flight ever so slightly. Over time, this load would swing and sway. With luck, it would only tear the cables off and scatter the load. Worst, it would tear the towing ship apart.

I suspected it was that medium-sized wrecker; I hope they made it back ok, because I was not picking up an active ship on radar. I moved the Galveston over to the last of UNN wrecks. That is when I noticed the Felidae wrecker. I looked like it attempted to pull a Felidae ship out of an UNN one. It had a piece of a UNN's Frigates tail section smashed into its main view screen. She didn't appear to be leaking atmosphere, or she had already leaked it out.

'SARA Scan the wreckage and look for life forms.'

I nosed the Galveston closer, watching the ships and near ship object radar. The debris was localized. When the wrecker tried a direct cable pull on the Felidae ship, the UNN ship split almost in half at the point of the pull. The connected tail section swung around and crashed into the wrecker. She truly was a dead ship. It looked like she already had to eject her reactor. It sheared the blow out panels clean. I found the reactor in high orbit going cold. Its shielding was intact and held in the radioactivity.

"Captain located one life form still inside the wrecker, scanning wrecker for evacuation."

"Are they in some sort of escape pod?"

'Negative. Life form appears to be in a space suit with no transponder. Recommend sending in the cutter drones.'

"Nose us in as close as possible, or safest for the Galveston, and send in the cutter drones."

SARA moved us in closer and I heard the small omnidirectional stabilizer thruster arms deploy. Then the long grappling crane came into view.

"SARA close the command center view port."

As the hardened plates slid over the view screen several monitors came down to give me video feeds. I watched the long boom arm reach over and the large mag clamp contacted the other wrecker. I felt the Galveston twitch as the one hundred foot omnidirectional thrusters fired to stabilize the Galveston and the smaller wrecker.

I watched the first cutter drone crawl along the boom arm and onto the wrecker. It walked down its hull, cutting pieces of the UNN ship's tail section away. A second cutter drone joined it and started arc welding other pieces to each other to stabilize them. They worked their way down the hull of the broken wrecker's hull. I deployed a second boom arm to hold the frigate's tail section. Just before I could say something, SARA deployed a third to hold the major section of the frigate.