A Starship Called Starsong

Chapter 58

Cynthia shuddered lightly at the thought of that complex task. "It is days like this I am quite glad that I just play with plants and it doesn't really matter if we are in port or not."

I nodded my understanding as I doggedly ate my scrambled eggs. My stomach didn't really appreciate the fact that I was eating my normal amount of food. Starsong said,"Forewarned, I am about to show you something."

A hazy mirage blurred my view of my plate, but I could clearly see that it was an image of the underside of a table. And two people were holding hands under the table. The mirage faded, and I immediately noticed that Cynthia and Logan each had one hand under the table.

'Either I have to explain just how long three years is to Cynthia or we may have to start making some plans...'

Starsong wasn't worried. "It will take them at least a year, most likely two, to get to that point according to my calculations. We have plenty of time yet."

Even if he was mistaken, Starsong had proven that he could implement changes seamlessly and swiftly. I was also very glad it wasn't something I had to worry about at this moment.

        I walked down a narrow corridor that no one else on the Starship knew about. Well, other than Starsong, who was guiding me through the odd twists and turns. He had decided that I should learn the layout of the hidden corridors, and apparently, he thought the best way to do so was to walk through them.

Unlike the main corridors, these narrow passageways curved with ladders and drops as they went around the other corridors and rooms. There was at least one such hidden passageway on each level, often between the levels, and all of them were connected if you knew where the hidden sliding wall panels were.

I sighed as I climbed another small set of stairs. "Just why am I running through this maze again?"

"It is because you like to know exactly where you are going and how to get there. I have no problem giving you directions if I need you to go somewhere, but you prefer to have a decent idea. This is the best way to manage that."

He certainly hit the bullseye with that observation. I did like to know the layout of a place I was going; so much so, that I often looked at pictures or images online so I knew what to expect. I liked to be prepared if I was going to have to do something or enter a certain situation. The more knowledge I could get my hands on before, the better.

I spoke contemplatively, "I wonder if the crew is going to think that they lost me. Heaven only knows what the Medical Bay group would think if they saw my communication device in the walls..."

"I am altering the feeds that reflect your exact location to those with access to such information. Although none have checked yet."

I pointed to the one wall that I knew held an access door. "And that leads to the back of the level five cooking area, right?"

"Correct."

I was a pretty quick study when it came to the layout of a ship or building, so I was happy that I was catching on. I continued walking as I pointed out the hidden doors if I remembered them. If I didn't remember them, Starsong told me about them.

My feet were starting to get sore by the time I decided to call it quits for the day. I had been walking around the secret corridors for most of the day while occasionally emerging to check on several areas. Getting in and out of the hidden corridors was a cinch with Starsong's assistance.

"The closest exit is just to your left." A light shone a bit brighter above one rather small wall panel, indicating its presence.

I slid the door open and paused at the sight before me. I hadn't been aware that Starsong occasionally liked to play jokes on people. The hidden corridor had been between two levels, and I was currently near the ceiling as I looked down on the large air ducts in one of the larger maintenance rooms.

I muttered, "Just for that, I am sorely tempted to climb down from here."

"If you sit on top of the larger air duct to your right, there is an air intake vent with a dirty filter that you can point out to the two men who are about to enter the room."

Starsong had clearly spent far too much time in my head since he was also finding opportunities to catch the crew off-guard just to see how they would react. A grin appeared on my face; I couldn't resist an opportunity like this.

I carefully climbed down to walk along the top of the air duct to the specified vent. I was finding more delight in surprising the crew by doing something unexpected than I had in the past; almost as much as I enjoyed catching an unsuspecting supplier off-guard.

It was quite clear that neither the Maintenance crew, nor anyone who looked after air quality, had dusted or cleaned up here yet; and thus, had not realized there was an air intake vent up here. It would have appeared on someone's work ticket as regular maintenance before too long.

I sat down on the air duct as I removed the cover and pulled out the filter. "They should be entering the room using the door behind you. You have about forty seconds until they arrive."

I twisted to look down, but other air ducts blocked my view of the door behind me. They wouldn't see me until they walked further into the room – and at that point, I would be behind them. I grinned as I angled the filter so the dirty side faced me while I waited in ambush.

I heard the door open and two sets of footsteps enter. The two voices below belonged to two men from the Maintenance group and, from the sounds of it, they were just passing through this room while glancing at the consoles to ensure everything was working properly.

They entered my view, and as I had suspected, I could see them perfectly, but they would have to turn around to see me. I held the filter towards the light as if examining it before calmly commenting, "I am not sure if you were aware that there was an air intake filter up here, but it may need more cleaning than what it is currently scheduled for."

They jumped, taken completely by surprise by the voice behind them. They spun around, and it took them a few seconds to spot me idly sitting high up on an air duct. I kept a straight face as I examined the filter for a moment longer, before putting it back in its slot and closing the vent.

They were staring at me in complete disbelief. They clearly had not expected to see their Captain in this room - and definitely not perched up on an air duct while looking at an air filter that they had not even known existed.

Starsong had already pointed out the easiest way to get down, so I effortlessly slid down the ladder with the practice I had gained on the Tyndel. Watching me manage such a practiced descent seemed to confuse them even more. Most Captains tended to be very dignified and purposeful, not easily navigating their way through the interior of a maintenance room.

I waited as I watched them attempt to get over their shock. The younger one was still older than I was by at least six years, but he regained his wits faster than his companion. "Ah... Captain, my apologies. We didn't expect to see you there. I will replace the air filter at once and check to see if any others require replacing."

I smiled slightly and ensured my body language was relaxed. "Come now, Brandon. You called me Rachel this morning, and any of my crew are always free to call me by my name."

All of us knew that his use of my title had been an older reaction to being caught off-guard by a higher-ranking crew member. They both knew that I knew it, and they were aware I wasn't upset about the filter since it would have been on the maintenance schedule soon. It was more like a small test to see if they were checking for things that needed maintenance sooner than what the schedule dictated.

He flushed slightly in embarrassment. "Sorry about that, Rachel. I was a bit too surprised to think clearly."

"No worries. Your shift is almost over, so don't worry about the filter today."

He bowed his head slightly. "Thank you."

I walked out the door that they had just entered through, quite entertained with the reaction I had gotten out of them when they had spotted me. I had a feeling he would still replace that filter today...