Space Wrecker Ch. 02

"As soon as the load shows its stable SARA, have two tow points attached front and back, then plan a run to Taurus prime please."

Julie looked up at me. "That is silly and a waste of time. Why not just load it up to twelve hundred and see what moves?"

"A fast pull to full tension can cause cold metal to snap right away. A slower pull allows the metal to heat itself and bend or in this case, or collapse onto itself. If a piece of the ship's structure fails and snaps off with a fast pull, there is no telling how big of a piece that could break off and which direction it will go. It could throw a piece big enough and with enough velocity to hit my ship."

Julie nodded yes with a thoughtful look.

I thought of a good idea. I looked up and said, "SARA, do you have all my first year books from IIRT in your memory?"

'All information was recovered from your previous wrist table and was stored in memory.'

"SARA, Transfer all first year books to Julie's wrist tablet please." I looked at her, "Read those books and tell me what you did wrong with your ship."

Her wrist tablet beeped, she looked down at it. She could not hide the excitement of seeing the books. She looked up at me with a frosty look. "Why are you giving me these books?"

"Two reasons. One, if you are still hell bent on being a wrecker pilot, this is how you are going to learn. Second, your father asked me to help teach you. This is the quickest way to get you started. Read those while we travel to Taurus Prime and to Brigg's space station. We can stop long enough to load up on food and the perishables, or we can stay overnight there."

"So why were you asking me if we want to overnight or just resupply and go?"

"I didn't know if you wanted to see some of the space station, maybe catch a meal?"

Julie looked at me. I never noticed, but she had orange-ish brown eyes and a single round pupil. I would have thought she would have slit eyes like the house cats around the farm.

"Why would I want to look at a space station? Four walls and?"

"Two reasons, humans build with aesthetics in mind. For a space station, it is nice, the main promenade has flowers and ponds built in it. I enjoyed walking along it. The second reason is you can see some of the other beings you might encounter doing this job."

Julie looked at me. "Meet them? Physically?"

"Sometimes."

Julie opened her mouth and then closed it several times.

"Not all resupply places are run by humans. Space station Briggs, Miller distributor, is a Percherian."

"The rabbit people?"

"Yes, and they don't like being called that, by the way. That is a nickname humans tagged them with, and the Percherian people do not like it. They think they do not look like any creature from Earth."

"Your people call us cats."

I nodded my head yes. "True, my people can be a little crude in some ways. I have to admit I am guilty of using that term sometimes when I am thinking about your people. But to my redemption, I have never said it out loud to your people, mine or another species."

Julie looked at me.

I nodded yes. "My people and I guess everyone has names for the other races. It is in every race's nature to feel superior, and to call them by derogatory names. But it doesn't make you any superior, it just shows how arrogant you are as an individual. In this business, you will meet with, and will have to interact with all species of the United Nations."

"And if you answer a call for help, you will have to deal with a variety of people in different emotional states. Most Captains are mad because something went wrong and their ship is broken down, or they are just plain angry that they hit something that should not have been there."

"They are looking to blame someone, and you are the closest target. It is best that you follow the double 'D's'."

Julie looked confused, but looked down at her breasts. "I am not that big chested...,"

I laughed, as I quickly held up my hands. Trying very hard not to stare at her chest. Which was on very prominent display in her tight leather vest. I could almost make out her..., I closed my eyes for a second. "No, not the double 'D's' I was referring to..., I was referring to de-escalate, and defer."

Julie looked up at me.

"Deescalate, by sympathizing with your client, he, or she is mad that their ship is broken. Simply agreeing and sympathizing with them makes, them relax and know you care. You defer by changing the subject, simply by asking them how and where they wanted their ship towed to. And by giving them the chance to input on how to tow it, it makes them think of something completely different, something they probably have no clue how to do, then where, that shifts their thoughts to a safe docking and reduces their anger or anxiety by making them think of somewhere safe."

Julie sat down and took a sip of her coffee. Then looked at me. "You really have this all figured out."

I shook my head no. "Not really, but I had some really excellent instructors that did. I am only mimicking them. For three years, we had a class in inner species relations. A Dakarian taught it,"

"Insectoid people."

"Yes, Master wrecker pilot Meker. His synthesized voice creeped me out, and not being able to read any facial expressions was difficult for me. Master Meker must have known that I had some difficulty with his species. He used to tease me in class the most, unmercifully I might add."

"He tried to get me to jump. In my final grade, he wrote I was his greatest disappointment, for not getting mad or angry with him and spouting back. He thought for sure he could get me, too. In the end he gave me the highest grade for not."

Julie smiled and looked down. On Felidae, we have a name for them. Dita dun, it sort of means stink bug in trader language. We trade with the Dakarian's often. My father used to make me sit through trade negotiations with them. He made me sit through most foreign dignitary meetings. I met most of the other species that way. It was boring and frustrating sitting there."

I looked at her, "did he make his other daughters, or Princess's sit through them?"

She shook her head no, saying, "No, just me and Queen Nakurta."

Frowning, I asked, "Queen Nakurta? Your mother?"

Julie frowned at me. She opened her mouth to say something. An angry retort, maybe. I could see her teeth, she had shorter canines and shorter incisors in front, and what looked like molars in the back. She closed her mouth and shook her head no.

"Queen Nakurta is father's first wife and head of his crèche. Mother is his twenty-first wife. More like a concubine. Since she is human, he cannot marry her officially. But he treats her like a wife. But no, none of the other Princess's or wives attended. Just Nakurta, Jordec, his first son and I."

I grinned, "Maybe your father already knew you were destined to travel the stars, and was trying to introduce you to the other races so you knew how to interact with them."

"I doubt that." She said, looking down, folding her ears down at the same time. "All of his advisors said it was to show off his sexual prowess in being able to father a child with another species."

I looked at her. Over the rim of my coffee cup, I sort-of doubted that. Chokota did not strike me like a boastful man talking to him, and his letter did not convey that either. More like a caring father...,
"Did you read the message your father sent me, completely?"

Julie shot a hateful stare at me. "No, just where he boasted about me being half human love child."

I nodded, "Thought so..., SARA, bring up the last message King Howfio sent me please."

The message appeared on the screen. I captured Julie's eyes, saying, "Best you read it completely, then re-read it. Then tell me is this a boastful man telling me he can father children of a different species, or a father who really cares about his daughter. Then think about why he made you meet every species that visited."

I got up and left her in private.

I sat in the command center. I had access to more information on the state of the current cable pull. The tensioners were at a little under eleven hundred PSI, and still climbing. The video feed showed a single boom arm holding the line of ships cabled together. We were just within a hundred feet of the tangled mess, too close for my comfort, but that is all the smaller electrical cabling the Galveston carried.

"SARA, is there any way to carry more than two hundred feet of two hundred and fifty amp electrical cabling?"

'Current storage locker only has two slots for the cables.' SARA brought up the ship's schematics showing a large locker outside the ship with a partition between the two stored cables. There was plenty of room to add a crosspiece and carry a second set of cables. The design was a waste of room.

I said aloud to myself, "That is a shit design, they could have doubled the storage if they just added a cross piece!"

SARA responded, 'I have a footnote that says it is large enough to send a micro drone down to release any cable binding during re-insertion or removal. There is a subroutine programmed in case this happens. Subroutine BISEL-01 is in place for that situation.'

I nodded yes and thought about it. Why load in an oversized locker when a hundred foot chain driven mechanism could clamp one end and feed it in and out of a split tube with rollers to keep it from binding. The same design we used on harvesters to blow wheat seeds on rainy days. Then I could be twice the distance from a cable pull.

As I waited for Julie or the tensioners to hit twelve hundred PSI. I opened a sketching app on my wrist tablet and started drawing out a simple cable feeder design. Julie must not have wanted to talk about her father's message, because I barely heard the beep notifying me the tensioners reached twelve hundred and we were waiting the two hours to see if the wrecked ships would shift or collapse.

SARA following along my tablet's design refining the drawing on the primary screen, even sourcing various parts from some on-line catalogs. When I was done, I looked up at her completed design. My hand drawing I made on my tablet looked like I drew it in crayons, while hers was a true CAD design and even moved a mock cable in and out.

"That is what they should have put in that locker!" I shouted at SARA.

Just then, I heard Julie clear her throat behind me. I turned. She had been crying, something a furry person should never do. They never looked good until a bath afterwards. I jumped up and pulled a hankie from my pocket, something I started carrying after meeting Chree. I walked over and offered it to Julie. She took it and started crying again. I instinctively reached over and hugged her. She folded into my embrace and cried.

We ended up some time later on the couch. I held her as she cried several times, holding on to me. I rubbed head, just behind her ears, down her back, saying nothing, just holding her.

When she finally stopped, she tried to pull away. But I did not want her to, I did not want her to see the massive hard on I had, from holding her and stroking her hair and furry shoulders.

She sniffed several times, saying, "I have been so wrong about my father. I hated him for no reason, but listened to his advisors instead. They always said hurtful things. I guess I should have... talked with him."

I nodded yes. "It is always the best way. All fathers love their children, they might not show it, or act that way in the child's eyes, but they do. I suspect he pushed the boundaries of what he could do for you. Maybe you should message him and let him know you are all right and thank him for not sending a ship. You don't have to say that you read his message, just hint that you're learning a lot."

Julie looked up at me questionably.

"Or go full bore and let him know the full truth and have an emotional message exchange. That way both of you could clear the air and have a happy yet tearful message exchange and get along in your relationship."

Julie smiled up at me. God, I wanted to lean down and kiss those full lips. She leaned in sniffling; sort of looked like she was sniffing my chest. I gently lifted her off, of me and stood up. She looked around, "I will take your advice and go full bore." She picked up her tablet and looked around again.

I smiled, "I will give you some privacy."

I walked back into the command center. Sitting, I watched the Drones attach the rear tow hook to the line of ships. When they were done, they crawled back along the boom arm. I waited for them to get inside and on their cradles, once the green light came on. I released the boom arm's mag clamp and retracted it. I just clamped the Galveston to the front tow hook, on the line of wrecks, when I felt Julie's hand touch the chair.

"SARA, take us up to two thousand MPH for twenty minutes, and then increase by a factor of ten. Hold for ten, repeat until we are near light speed. Set one-inch deviations on the line of tows. I want to know if they move or warp one bit. Notify me when we are just under light speed and ready to hit the FTL's."

I hit the release on the chair and slid back. As I stood, Julie was standing there. She looked up at me and smiled. "I wanted to thank you and apologize, really apologize for being bitchy." She looked down, in what I considered an embarrassed look, "I am not used to people being nice to me, or helping me."

I looked at her. With her short muzzle, the sides of her mouth flared out a little into her cheeks. Where she could move the sides of her mouth into a smile. It pulled her lower lip from her single cleft upper lip when she did. I was staring. I glanced down, and then glanced back up because I was looking down at her vest, at her breasts.

I smiled, "You're welcome."

And motioned towards the Salon. Julie sat on one side of the couch, but had to turn a little for her tail. I watched her sit, then turn, showing me her ass as I sat on the other side. I was staring again. Her rounded wide hips flare out over her ass...,

I had to look away. I received several messages while I was working. SARA informed me none of the incoming messages was priority so I continued without reading them. The first couple were routine, automated responses informing my orders are ready for pickup. The last automated one was from Briggs Miller dealership, informing me the required amount was in transit and would be ready by the time requested for pick up.

That one hurt the worst.

I got one from King Chokota Howfio. How did he get my IP address?

Dear Captain Walker,

I do not know what you did, but I just had a wonderful message exchange with Julie Ann. I actually think we had a breakthrough in our relationship. Whatever you did, please keep it up. You missed your calling as a family counselor.

The Felidae people are celebrating the return of the FF Tolkien. Videos and pictures of you and your ship are circling Domnia and even making it off-world. Your broadcasted defiance of the Admiralty had started a mini coup within the Felidae navy. Many of my young officers want a change in the way things are. Moreover, they are letting the senior admiralty know it.

The people are behind it, and you. They are seeing you as a lone human hero returning their war dead defying the admiralty with your nonchalant attitude. With that in mind, take some extra care in bringing in the Conda to preserve her as much as you can. And as before, I ask that you keep my precious daughter safe.

I wrote back.

Chokota Howfio. Sire,

I did nothing for you and your daughter's relationship, I just pointed out your words when your daughter accidentally read your last message that was up on my screen. Your words did the job, not mine.

Tell you people I am no hero, just a human doing his best to return your people's actual heroes.

I am sorry about how forceful and rude I had to be to your Naval commanders upon leaving, but I had millions in bonuses on the line if I was delayed. I am told greed makes the most timid, bold.

I will take extra care with the Conda and plate her up with care. Will continue with your daughter's training and safety.

I wrote to my parents, telling them all about my first visit to Domnia and the trouble I had, then about rescuing Julie. I contemplated asking Julie if I could snap a picture of her to send to my folks. They did like the one I sent of Chree, although I was sure they would rather see a human girl at my side or inside my ship.

I looked up to ask, but watched Julie read the books I sent her. She was flipping the pages as fast as if I would look for a particular section.

I watched for almost a minute then asked, "Are you even reading them?"

Julie looked up at me. "Yes, why would you ask such a question?"

"Well, you were flipping through quite fast."

Julie had a slightly annoyed look. "I was taking my time reading, if that is what you're hinting at."

Then she handed me her tablet. "The last page reads as 'The weight the tow vehicle can safely tow is calculated by the maximum thrust times four point five...," She then proceeded to read the page off as if she was reading it.

I sat there amazed, and then asked, "What! Do you have some sort of photogenic memory?"

"No, I just read it." Then nodded yes, in an 'Ah ha' moment.

"Most Felidae-ians can read that fast and retain the information they just read. I have seen my mother read, and it is way slower. And this might seem strange to you, but I am considered a slow reader. "

I laughed at her comment and then held up a hand. "I am sorry. I meant nothing by it. I just never seen someone read as fast as you. I guess you will be ready for my second-year books in a day or two. Those five books I sent you took me nearly a year to read, and study."

Julie nodded yes. "I have read several books written about humans, mainly by some of the other species. I know your people are slow to learn. But are great intuitive thinkers. Whereas Felidae-ians are a more cognitive type, especially with the sciences. We are not great intuitive type thinkers, like you humans. We take a long time to advance the sciences. I read where your people reached the stars in roughly six thousand years, based on your society's first written word, whereas mine took nearly fifteen thousand."

"There isn't much written about your people." I said, "Someday there will be, and we as a race will get to know each other better." I handed Julie her tablet back and held up mine. "Would you mind if I take your picture so I can send it to my folks?"

Just like most women, I knew. Her hand went to her hair. "I look a mess!"

I smiled. "No, you don't, you look beautiful," and raised my tablet and took a picture. Julie had an incredible smile in the picture. I attached it to my email and sent it.

"What do your parents do for a living?"

"They own a farm on Epsilon four."

Julie laughed. "So you were the lowly farmer you were referring to. So how did a lowly farmer become a wrecker pilot?"

I laughed. "Not as low as I make it out to be. My parents own a hundred thousand acre farm near the town of Backwater on Epsilon four."

I told her about how I got started and going to Earth for wrecker school. "So after I completed my two thousand hour internship, I bought the Galveston and have been my own boss for a year now. So tell me how a Princess turned wrecker pilot.

Julie laughed, "I am not really a princess."

"In my book you are, so tell me 'Princess, I am not a princess,' why a wrecker pilot?"

Julie laughed, "Well I grew up in the royal crèche."

I looked at her. She used that word once before, I did not know what it meant.

"The royal family compound. My mom is fathers, twenty-first wife or concubine. I had eight brothers and twenty-eight sisters growing up. Being a half-breed, some of my father's wives and siblings did not exactly warm up to mother or me. But Queen Nakurta liked my mom and was kind to both of us."