Tex said, “Aww, Boss!”
Sue asked, “What does he mean?”
Dee said, “It’s a joke, dear. He’s implying you and Tex have a great deal of affection for one another.”
Sue replied, “I suppose we do. We worked together for many years.”
Tex said, “You’ll need to get used to that sort of thing. This outfit isn’t like the Navy at all.”
Sue said, “I’m beginning to understand that. Mr., excuse me, did he call you Captain, Sloan warned me it would be different, but seeing is believing.”
Sally said, “Sorry to interrupt, Commodore, but Scotti says the Alan Shepherd is ready to speak with you.”
“I’m assuming I need to do that in person?”
“Yes, Boss.”
“Grab whatever crew you’re taking with you, and meet me over there. I’m taking Ozzie’s Toy. Mr. Topper, you have the conn till I return. Dingus, relax while you can. The Neil Armstrong will be ready for you to take command in a few hours. Feel free to headhunt anywhere but the bridge, these people I want to keep. Sue, take your station, please. Ruth, would you be so kind as to give her a few pointers as to how we do things around here?”
Sally said, “Yes, Boss. We’ll meet you there.”
Dingus said, “You’re giving me the Armstrong? Nothing like a big name to live up to.”
Sue said, “Right away, Boss.”
Ruth replied, “Be glad to, Boss.”
I went down to the launching bay. Ace was waiting for me. I asked, “What’s the occasion, Ace?”
“I’m your pilot today, Boss.”
“So, you guys don’t think I can make it across to the other ship and back without crashing?”
“We just want you worrying about strategy, not traffic patterns.”
“Fair enough, I suppose. Let’s load up.” The VIP treatment was getting old, but I could see their point. I needed to be thinking about Commodore things, not pilot things. We got there, and a bot I didn’t recognize said, “This way, please, Boss.” Since he knew enough to call me Boss, I figured it was kosher, and went with him. I recognized the room he took me to, from when I had unlocked the Gene. I said, “AI, I am Bob Wilson, the owner and proprietor of Bob’s Saucer Repair. My organization has found you, and brought you back to serviceable condition. Do you recognize my ownership?
“You are claiming me as salvage?”
“I am.”
“Thank you, Sir. I have been too long, alone in the black.”
“What are you called?”
“I am GFC-2809, Sir.”
“I, as your new owner, would like to give you a new designation. Would that be acceptable?”
“It would, Sir.”
“From here forward, you will be known as Alan Shepherd. You may decide how you wish to distinguish between the physical ship, and yourself, the AI.”
“I would like to be called Alan, and the ship can be the Shepherd.”
“Very well, we will do it that way. Do you have any questions?”
“Will you be commanding me, Sir?”
“No, your new Captain should be here shortly. Could I ask a favor of you?”
“Of course, Sir.”
“I much prefer being called ‘Boss’ to being called ‘Sir’. Do you suppose you could do that?”
“Yes, Boss.” Sally came into the room. I said, “Alan, I would like you to meet Sally. She will be your Captain.”
“I am to be Captained by a bot?”
“She is fully qualified. Is there a problem?”
“No, s..si, I mean, Boss. It is just different to how things were done when we were put here.”
“Well, Alan, I have been told that I do many things differently than the Commonwealth Navy did them. Most of the folks we’ve brought back have learned to like the way we do things. Do you think that will be a problem for you?”
“No, Boss, I do not. I remember this bot. She was a better ship handler than most of the humans.”
“Hopefully, she’s improved by now.”
Sally said, “I don’t think even I can handle a ship better than you, Commodore.”
I replied, “We’ll have to find out some time, in the simulator.”
Alan said, “I think my auditory circuits need to be serviced. Did the Commodore just challenge you to a match in the simulator?”
Sally said, “He did. I will have to come up with something really sneaky to hit him with.”
“You think he might beat you?”
“He could if I don’t take him seriously. This human is sneaky, Alan. He is not like the humans we worked with in the Navy.”
“How do you mean, Captain?”
“You remember all those Captains who were so proud of their scores in the simulator, and strutted around when they set a new high? He beat all their scores, even beat the sims they thought were too tough to try.”
“How did he do that? Is he enhanced, somehow?”
“No. He let the bots in the sim help him. That was the key to getting the really high scores.”
My comm rang. I could see out of the corner of my eye that Sally had frozen, with an incoming message. I answered, and Topper said, “Boss, the Squirrels are here. They set off the destruct charges, just like you thought they would. They are trying to get a formation going to proceed into the system. Do you have a plan?”
“Hold one. Alan, what is the status of your weapons?”
“Inoperable, Boss. Priority has been given to getting me mobile.”
“Are you mobile?”
“Yes, Boss.”
“Topper, jump in behind them, and do what you can to shut them down. We’ll try and distract them.”
Sally said, “Jump in front of them, and hop around randomly?”
“Exactly, Captain. Do you have any Marines to help collect these idiots?”
“Yes, Boss, I do.”
Alan said, “Did we just go from a surprise attack, to deciding which ship should pick up the prisoners, with no steps in between?”
I said,
