Rogue Galaxy, Episode 1: The Captain and the Werewolf by J. Boyett Read Free Book Online

yet.
    Miller and Blaine were creeping along; everyone moved quietly, as they stalked the creature and the damage. Never mind that the werewolf's senses were so preternaturally sharp that it would hear the tiptoes on the bulkhead from meters away.
    They had all six of the Galaxy 's tech mages in the Tubes with them. Miller turned to the one he was escorting, Lieutenant Jan Horowitz, a pudgy pale blonde with nervous light-blue eyes. “Are you getting anything at all?” he demanded.
    Horowitz hemmed and hawed a moment before saying, “Um, no, not really—between the hyperspace pockets and the thaumaturgical waves and I think a couple of spirit beings playing Chinese Whispers, it's hard to get a bead on anything....”
    Miller turned away with a big sigh, heedless of whether he hurt her feelings. Tech mages got a lot of crap. The two disciplines they were supposed to bridge were in many ways mutually exclusive, which made their tasks almost impossible and meant they practically never accomplished anything. They walked around under the burdens of their quasi-schizophrenic worldview and the weight of a nearly unbroken chain of failure. Still, they were worth keeping around for the once-in-a-blue-moon occasions when they got something right.
    Horowitz went to consult with one of her tech-mage colleagues, who had his own security escort. Miller and Blaine proceeded to a section of paneling Blaine wanted to check out—she had an idea that that might be where they'd find the burned-out circuitry.
    Miller glanced over to make sure their subordinates were out of earshot, then murmured, “I wish you weren't here, Val. If we both get killed and something happens to the captain, who's going to be in charge of the other eighty-four people on this ship? Beach?”
    Technically, Summers was still fourth in command. Obviously, she wasn't going to be taking over any duties while she was a werewolf, though; and if she changed back after having already killed her superiors, it would make it awkward for the crew to serve under her.
    She murmured back, “You're one to talk. If anyone should go back, it's you.”
    Miller only grunted, and dropped the issue. She knew he was afraid she really might order him out of immediate danger. Anyway, she should—he was right—if anything did happen to.... Wait a minute....
    “Why should anything happen to Captain Farraday?” she demanded, her tone sharp but her volume just as low as before.
    Miller shrugged. “The ship's helm is crippled and there's a werewolf loose. Anything could happen.”
    Blaine relaxed again—as much as she could under the circumstances. “True,” she conceded. Still, something about the way he'd said it niggled at her.
    She was applying her omnitool to the screws holding up the panel she was interested in, when they heard footsteps coming from the direction of the Deck Three entrance. Blaine turned and saw the young Ensign who'd been assigned courier duty approach, toting his net-gun—all the weaponry they could be allowed around this sensitive equipment. Something about the kid's expression made Blaine leave her eyes on him, instead of returning to the panel right away.
    Whatever it was, Miller noticed it too. “What is it, Cooper?” he asked apprehensively.
    “Sir,” said Cooper. “Chief DeMatteo sent me. She thought you might want to know that Captain Farraday's having Ensign Dobbler released from the brig. He's about to go meet him in Conference Room Five.”
    All eyes were on Miller and Blaine, waiting to see how they would react. Blaine realized that she and Miller had not been very discreet about their worry that the captain was going to be too lenient with Dobbler.
    “Why the hell is the captain seeing Dobbler now ?” said Miller, to himself. “Is it about the Weed of Wonder?”
    So great was Blaine's antipathy towards that little snot Dobbler, she was almost tempted to march down to Conference Room Five and make sure he wasn't getting away with everything