Deep

Chapter 7 Of Angels and AIs

I exited the bridge via the lift again and headed to the transport terminal. I had to wait an agonizing minute or two for the transport to arrive. That gave me enough time to second guess if my judgement was correct about heading to the airlock. 

The expectation is that Ship Captains are to keep a certain distance from their crew and also give their junior officers' space to command. I am not the aloof type of captain, but I am not the micro-managing type either.

The pod arrived, its doors opened and a food service drone stepped out. The drone beeped at me. I then realised that I had eaten nothing since the food bar from Seki hours ago.

'Okay, little guy, what have you got for me?'

It beeped again and a list of the meals it contained came up in my visual. I chose a bacon, cheese, lettuce, and tomato wrap, an orange, and a hot cup of coffee. It beeped again, and it dispensed a cup of coffee, black no sugar, my wrap, and a 'real' orange. Genuine fruit of any kind is a big deal; Space on a ship is a premium, so growing fruit trees that use plenty are a luxury.

I stepped out of the drone's path and watched it amble off towards the bridge; I entered the pod and sat in silence for a few moments. It is quiet moments I enjoy and the Tama Maru, right now, is a quiet ship. Designed to be a permanent home for ten thousand humans, she currently transports only two thousand, most of whom are in cryostasis.

My comm chimed. It was Seki.

'XO?' I asked.

'The crews will be back inside in twenty minutes.'

I swear she knows my mind better than I do.

'Thank you, XO.'

'Oh, stop and enjoy that meal before you go.'

'Are you some kind of witch?'

Oops. Did I just say that aloud?

'Maybe,' she said, snickered and ended the call.

I sighed. Maybe she is some kind of witch.

I looked at the meal on my lap. 'Am I that predictable?' I asked it.

Resigned that my food would not answer, I opened the wrap's packaging and took a bite.

It was delicious. Lt. Cmdr. Moses really outdid herself today. It was an excellent baggie. I took my time and thoroughly enjoyed it. When I finished eating, the only thing left was the orange peels.

Just as I was licking the juice off my fingers and finishing the crumbs of my meal, my comms chimed. It was XO again.

'Yes XO?'

'It's Airlock 34-D.'

'Thank you, XO.' She must be some kind of witch.

'You are welcome, Sir,' she said a smile on her face and she disappeared.

I sighed.

'Airlock 34-D,' I said to the transport pod.

It beeped in acknowledgement, and it left the hub.

Two minutes later, the pod came to a smooth stop at the platform closest to airlock 34-D. I disposed of the orange peel in a bin on the transport pod and exited.

 A large service corridor leads from the transport platform to the airlock. I hustled up the corridor. When I arrived, the last team had just exited the inner airlock door. Jorge was there, scowling at his injured underling.

Hospital Corpsman, corporal Carson Gilroy, was checking over PO Duro, who was already out of his spacesuit. A member of the rescue team noticed me as I approached.

'Captain on deck,' he said and saluted in a sharp, crisp, marine sort of way.

'Carry on,' I said, avoiding the crew, stopping what they were busy doing just to deal with protocol.

'You have quite a bump there, petty officer Duro,' Gilroy said.

'This is nothing,'

'It is not, nothing. You are lucky you are not dead.'

'Luck? Luck, nothing. Ho un angelo custode,' (I have a guardian angel) He said lapsing into Italian. 'Alice è il mio angelo custode.' (Alice is my guardian angel).

A murmur of assent flowed from the other crew members.

'Angel or not, the doctors at MM need to check you out.'

'Why? I feel fine.'

'You Will go to medical,' Jorge ordered.

'Yes, Cheng,' Duro replied, eyes downcast like a scolded child.

'Are you hurt anywhere else, Mr Duro?' I asked.

'No Sir.'

'Are you sure?' I asked and smiled at him.

'Sir?' He gave me a look of confusion.

'I'm sure carrying those brass balls of yours around must hurt,' I said. This brought roars of laughter from all present. They loaded Duro into the emergency transport pod.

I called Seki. 'Yes, Captain?'

'Can I borrow Alice?'

'You may,' she said with an arched left eyebrow.

'Thank you.' I said and braced for what I knew was coming.

'You know, Captain, AIs are not to soothe the nerves, or hormones of humans,' she said and logged off.

Witch.

Seki was correct, we are not to use AIs to treat the psychological needs of humans. The reason is, it can lead to social isolation and the worsening of some psychological disorders. However, I felt if Duro got to thank his "guardian angel," it would be a positive event.

'Alice?' I called. Her portrait appeared in my visual.

'Yes, Captain?'

'Could you escort PO Duro to main medical? He has something to say to you.'

'Of course, Captain.' She shimmered into our shared consciousness.

'Thank you, Alice.'

'You are welcome, Captain,' she said and entered the medical transport and sat on the jump seat next to PO Duro.

When he saw Alice, he looked embarrassed, but then he thanked her in Italian. I closed the door of the medical transport and it departed for Main Medical.