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

scot-free. That would be insane, though. The priority was to get the damn helm back up and running. She turned back to the circuitry panel and went back to unscrewing it.
    Apparently Miller agreed with her; “Well, I'm sure the captain knows what he's doing.” Blaine didn't hear even a hint of the sarcasm she was sure Miller would have liked to infuse the assurance with. Good—he'd better keep it that way.
    But as she was setting the detached panel on the floor and getting ready to examine the circuitry, they heard the approach of another courier. Again, she paused in her work to see who it was and to hear the message. This new kid directed his attention to Blaine, and said, “Commander, Captain Farraday asks you to return to the bridge and assume command.”
    She bit her tongue to keep from protesting in front of the kids. She had to hold herself still a moment to contain the frustration exploding inside, like a grenade going off inside an indestructible safe. Tracking this sort of damage through the Tubes was difficult, brain-busting work, even without the distraction of a werewolf prowling around, and it was vital that it be accomplished if the crew was ever going to leave this planetary system. Maybe the captain really did have something so urgent going on that it was worth calling her away, but she couldn't imagine what it might be.
    She especially couldn't imagine what it might be if it involved that little punk Dobbler.
    Orders were orders, though. She called Blackmon over and had her take over. She knew the ship very well, and was a good engineer.
    Just not as good as her.
    The courier accompanied her back out of the Tubes—once he tripped over one of the wires, and he and Blaine had to shout to the alarmed Security people around the bend, on both ends of the wire, that they weren't the werewolf.
    Back out in the open on Deck Three, Blaine walked through the thick cordon of Miller's people, stationed there to contain the werewolf should it come out. Here away from the sensitive innards of the Tubes, the Security people were armed with much fiercer weapons. In fact, Blaine wondered if Miller had gotten clearance from Farraday for this kind of firepower. Maybe not, but Blaine decided not to bring it to Farraday's attention, and felt an immediate flush of angry shame for the decision.
    Now that she was out of the Tubes, with its weird communications-stifling fields, she held her wrist communicator to her mouth and said, “Bridge.” The connection opened immediately, and a tinny voice said, “Bridge, Beach here.”
    “This is Blaine. You in charge up there, Beach?”
    “Yes, ma'am.” He sounded like he didn't much mind the fact, either.
    “Well, keep it that way a while. I'm....” She stopped herself before she could say, going to see the captain. Maybe it would be better if she were a little vaguer about where she was going. So she said, “I'll be up there soon.”
    “Aye-aye, ma'am.”
    Blaine signed off and headed at a brisk pace to the lift, on her way to Conference Room Five.

SEVEN
    F arraday had called ahead to have Ensign Dobbler transferred from the brig to Conference Room Five while he finished going over damage reports—after all, there was only so much that should be left to an officer as low on the totem pole as Lieutenant Beach.
    The reason Farraday didn't just have Dobbler yanked when he was ready to see him was that he had an idea it would be good to let the kid stew a bit, let him sit in the conference room wondering what was in store for him. But he didn't have the patience to actually delay seeing him any longer than necessary. Moreover, Jennifer couldn't afford for him to waste time ... and neither could the ship.
    Conference Room Five had a guard at the door, but Dobbler had been left alone inside, as Farraday had instructed. Before going in, Farraday did tap his clearance into the monitor beside the door, and spend a few seconds watching Dobbler. The kid was fidgeting, but not