To Hell and Back (Hellworlder pirates)

Ch4 First Impressions

First Impressions

Solid blast slid aside with the same satisfying woosh as the med bay had. The room was noticeably more functional than the halls had been. Three solid monitors flacked a strange keyboard and mouse that must have been Terran designed of every control station. The control station were all centered around a main chair on a slightly raised platform, behind the chair was another sliding door the led to somewhere unknown. The control station split in the middle an Alwen saw the incongruous view of the ships bow, as if they were looking out windows. Directly in front of Alwen was a set of steep stairs that were more like an angled ladder that led to a lower-level room full of more computer screens and consoles. Their purpose was unknown to Alwen.

Off to Alwen's right stood a tall figure dressed strangely in what looked like deep maroon old fashioned plate armor, that seemed at the same time very advanced. The persons hair was long and black, formed it a strange seemingly impossible spiky mane. The figure was staring out the fake window at the space dock beyond.

"Captain" Karega said firmly, placing a straight hand to his forehead and the other behind his back in a fist. Obviously the standard salute, Alwen copied it as best as she could.

The captain, who Alwen now realized was a women turned to them. "At ease lieutenant, and corpsmen. I take it you are our new alien doctor."

Alwen was slightly stunned into silence. From behind the captain looked stoic and almost mannish, from the front she could easily see that she was the picture of feminine strength and grace. Or at least by her worlds standards, the captain mighty be hideous to Terran eyes, though not likely. Transfixed by her piercing black stare Alwen almost failed to notice the easy sly smile and impish delight her expressive face displayed.

"Yes 'mam" she managed eventually.

Mirth entered her eyes "I can understand the confusion, but in the future you will address me as sir. Its tradition, no matter what gender. I am captain Astarte Maidens-daughter, how are you liking my ship so far?"

"It...she cuts a strange but fine figure from the outside, but the interior is a little weird, why have a bridge so deep within the ship only to have fake windows provide an outside view?" she asked, already forgetting the prepared response in the face of this strange women. Her posture was cocky, and her eyes almost seemed to be sizing her up like a meal. But every facet about her exuded danger, awareness, and caution. Like she was at ease while searching the room constantly for threats to kill.

Captain Astarte rested a hand on a sword handle, the big one uchi-something, damn she needed to keep all these names straight. "An exterior bridge is the most vulnerable part of a ship, one well placed round would take out navigation, warp calculators, defense systems, and the senior crew. Better to burry it deep behind all the other ship armor. We're as well defended as the reactors and engines, and the main crew quarters are just above us and act as a bunker. Worst comes to worst I can pack everyone in like sardines and bug out, even if the rest is trashed."

"And the windows."

She frowned "That's both simple and hard to explain. Easy answer is that its nice to look out of. Hard answer is that there is something deeply inherent in Terran psychology that makes us uncomfortable not knowing what's out there. We get a better view from the sensors and monitors than simple sight provides, but without the visuals something just doesn't feel right. First bridge the Martins made was a fancy windowless room that put us constantly on edge. Had it torn out and rebuilt to spec after our first few successful jobs. Same reason the doors make a whoosh sound, and the controls are all mechanical, haptic feedback. Though the roar of the engines is all natural" She looked down at the file folder in her hand "Have you signed any of those yet?"