Chapter 13. Aboard the StarFleet corvette Eridanus.
"How soon before shove off, Lieutenant Savior?" asked Captain Simme.
"I don't know, sir," said Flight Engineer Seb Savior.
"Problems?"
"Rather an anomaly of a sort."
"Did the gremlins pay us a visit?"
"Aye. I've never seen anything like it, sir. According to the ship's recorders, we're not here, but we're not there either."
"You're not making any sense."
"I can't explain it. It's like we have already traveled with the CXM."
"Solar flares? Cosmic radiation burst? Endemic power surge?"
"It could be, but it still doesn't explain the readings."
"When can we launch?"
"I'm resetting and re-calibrating the transducers in the Higgs Drives. Give me three Earth hours."
"Can you make it any quicker. We need to catch up with the convoy."
"You know I would, if I could. But StarFleet regulation 12CD04 prohibits any launch—"
"—less than 97% of full transducer power."
"Sorry, Captain."
"That's etched in everyone's mind in the academy. But the new Higgs Drives can launch at ten percent transducer power. I'm giving you one hour."
"Aye, sir."
"Is that understood, Lieutenant Savior?"
"Aye aye, Captain."
"Thank you, Lieutenant Savior. One hour, not a millisecond more."
"Specialist Bisher, I've been called down to the transducer room," said CPO Modine. "You have been tasked with taking Chef Enzo to the galley. It will be a good way for you to get a lay of the ship."
"Is there anything else I should do?"
"Yes— enjoy the jambalaya and bread pudding. Meet him at the captain's stateroom."
Egon buzzed the Captain's room outside the doorway.
Isla answered the door. "We're ready. The Duchess is resting and does not want to be disturbed."
"What a fine evening tonight is," said Chef Enzo, with the darkly clad and silent Ezio standing behind him. "Ladies, first."
"No," said Ezio in a metallic voice, darting his eyes. "Bodyguards first. I know the layout of the ship. The galley is on level three. Follow me."
"How bluntly put," said Chef Enzo. "Could you please follow me, sounds much better, more refined."
"Besides, there is no need for a bodyguard aboard the Eridanus," said Isla. "I propose we select the order of procession by a round of janken pon."
"Janken pon?" asked Egon.
"Please excuse me," said Isla. "I always forget most humans, at best, only know a few of the thousands of Earth languages. Janken pon is in Japanese and is an elimination game of rock-paper-scissors. Rock is formed with a first, and rock beats scissors, which is formed with two fingers, scissors beats paper, which is formed with a hand, palm out and beats rock."
"Isla and I play janken pon to make decisions," said Chef Enzo. "Perhaps it's because we came from Japan. My speciality, of course, is fugu."
"Let's form a circle and give it a go," said Isla.
"Saisho wa guu," said Chef Enzo. "Let's begin."
"Jan-ken-pon," said the group.
Egon looked around. He looked at his two fingers, representing scissors, and the fists of the automatons, representing rock. Rock beats scissors. Egon was eliminated.
To be continued . . .
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