(… continuing)
By the time Dukk and Marr had got across the pad, the passengers were just coming through the door.
“I am the Captain of the Dinatha, you can call me Dukk or Captain, whatever you prefer,” Dukk announced loudly, stopping the passengers in their tracks. Three men and one woman. All were smartly dressed. The woman, in particular, looked like she had made a special effort to be noticed.
He paused for a moment, looking each directly in the eye before continuing. All three men stared back with indifferent expressions. The woman smiled when Dukk looked in her direction. The smile was provocative and perfectly timed. Dukk had to break the stare to refocus his attention.
“While you are our guests on this passage, we are a working rig, not a luxury cruiser. Here are the conditions of passage. You are to stay within the guest accommodation area and not attempt to enter any areas marked otherwise. You fend for and clean up after yourself. The kitchen and service docks will be kept fully stocked. The bathroom and living spaces will be cleaned at the midpoint. There are washers and dryers if you need them. Fighting of any kind will not be tolerated and result in cabin confinement. If there is an emergency, you are to do exactly what you are told by me and my crew. And, we go by my schedule with no exceptions.”
Dukk paused again to let that sink in.
“These conditions are non-negotiable. Of course you have the right to refuse them. You can exercise that right by turning around and going back through the ID Gateway. You will have my blessing and get a full refund. Continuing any further into this pad is indication of acceptance.”
Dukk paused once more. No one moved.
“Excellent. This is your third mate, Marr, my co-pilot. My crew are Chief mate, Annee, her 2nd, Mentor, the First engineer, Bazzer and his assistant Luna. Welcome. Leave your travel lockers over there and my crew will bring them on board and install them in to your cabins. Follow me.”
Dukk led the passengers across the pad, up the stairs, through the main door, through the starboard passenger airlock and up the flight of stairs into the accommodation level. He then turned right heading forward. He opened the last door on the right and beckoned them to enter.
“Please make yourselves comfortable in here. Your Chief mate will be along in a few minutes to provide further instructions, answer any questions and help you find your cabins,” said Dukk smiling politely as the passengers filed into the lounge.
“Right, time to get the flight plan loaded,” Dukk announced to Marr as he headed back towards the stairwell.
“Didn’t you say that we’d check the transport pods on the way?” Marr asked as they mounted the stairs.
“I did, but that was before I knew you were our resident expert! Please show us the way,” shared Dukk smiling as he reached the top of the stairs.
Marr rolled her eyes back at him.
“It should be through this door,” she answered as she opened the door directly opposite them at the top of the stairs.
They passed through a tight airlock into a six metre by twelve metre room. Within were three transport pods.
“They seat five and can keep persons alive for forty eight hours? They are kind of small?” Marr observed.
“Yes, it is tight quarters.”
“Interesting. And the batteries and fuel cells are behind that door at the back?”
“Yep.”
“Okay, now for the passenger seating area and cockpit.”
Marr brushed past Dukk as she led the way back towards the top of the stairs. She opened the other door. This led into a seating area. It had eight g-seats.
“There is a head up here too?” she asked Dukk as they passed by the seats.
“Yep, on the other side of the stairwell.”
“Cool. And through here is the cockpit,” she announced as she opened the door beyond the seats.
“So that hatch is the top of the forward ladder shaft?” she asked pointing at a hatch in the back of the cockpit.
“Exactly. You’d make a great tour guide. Time to get to work?” Dukk asked in a smug tone.
“Absolutely. I am all ears.”
(to be continued...)
[Rule of Twelve, Double Take, Chapter 9 - Loading (Passage 2 of 5)]
All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2021 BJ Allen
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Dukk opened his eyes. It was dark.
“A dream. It must have been a dream,” he muttered as he tried to fathom where he was. He tried to digest the pre-dawn excursion with Craig.
He swung himself out of bed. Marr was gone.
He checked the time. Mid-afternoon.
“What in the world is going on?” Craig demanded as the doors to the south banqueting hall, closed behind them.
Dukk, Marr and Emeelie stood before him. Beyond was the atrium bathed in orange light from the setting sun.
On the opposite side of the atrium the doors to the north banqueting hall were open. Music and chatter could be heard from within.
The noise from the others disguised the deathly silence that engulfed the four.
“I am going to need a shower and change of clothes,” Marr announced as she put her helmet and goggles back on the rack in the garage.
“Yes, the dust gets in everywhere,” Emeelie replied. “There are showers near the pool. Change of clothes too if you don’t want to go back to your suite all dusty.”
“That is a good idea.”
“Have you seen the pools below sea level yet?” Craig asked.
“Nope.”
“I was going to shower and change down there. Then use the sauna and take a swim. The pool up here can get quite hot in the afternoons.”
“That sounds like a great idea,” Dukk said.
“Absolutely, lead the way,” Marr added.
