Free Josiah West 1: Kaleidoscope by C. T. Christensen

problem.”
    They stepped through the hatch to the command deck, and she took the left seat. Josiah stood behind the right seat and watched as she initiated the reactor start sequence and code-locked the drive system. Active drive coils were deadly to living organisms--like humans--within a ten meter range depending on power settings. She was now the only one that could activate the drive system without getting a logic tech to clear the lock. Satisfied that the start sequence was running correctly, and that all interlocks were engaged, she got out of the seat and turned to Josiah, “Time to see how loading is going.”
    The passenger compartment behind the command deck had twenty-four utility seats, two web-net luggage areas, and smallish ceramo-plast ports along both sides of the hull. It wasn’t luxurious , but it wasn’t intended for long trips. At the center of the rear bulkhead was a hatch that led to the cargo area. As they stepped through, they were looking at the side of a container that the first cargo platform had brought out and rolled onto the boat. They went around to the side and down the narrow space between the line of massive containers and the hull. She checked the load screen and top and bottom clamp indicators on each container as they went. They stopped short of the last loaded container and watched as the handlers rolled in the rest of them.
    Parente turned her head toward Josiah, “I’ve been working with these people for almost a year; they’re very good. There’s so much pressure to get the job done in less time than it should take that nobody makes mistakes. I’m sure that a person like you,” she nodded at his wings, “has noticed how clean and correct this boat is. I have no qualms about jumping into anything on this flight line and blasting off without a pre-flight check if I had too.”
    The last container locked into place, and she waved at the driver as the platform turned away. When it was clear, she palmed the hatch activator and held it there as it pivoted up and locked. After an examination of the individual lock indicator lights around the door perimeter, they continued their walk around the containers and back to the passenger compartment. After sealing that hatch, she stuck her head outside, “You can come onboard now.”
    “Lieutenant, would you please see to our passengers?” She smiled as she said that. She well knew that that annoying job went to the, normally, lower life form that occupied the right seat. “I won’t do anything critical without you. I’ll set up the flight plan with traffic control and make sure the Caldwell knows that a staff officer is arriving.”
    Josiah held his hand up at that, “Whoa, I would just as soon that was not announced.”
    She got a questioning look on her face, “But, Lieutenant, regulations require that I have an ‘Admiral’ call sign with a staff officer aboard so they will probably know anyway, and my CO would have my hide for that breach of courtesy.”
    “Well, a lright, but be very clear to the Caldwell that my visit is of a personal nature and not official.”
    “Yes, sir, I’ll be very clear on that.”
    She entered the command deck; Josiah turned to the passengers that were busily stowing their luggage and finding a seat. This staff officer thing could be annoying.
    Josiah had been facing forward while he talked to Parente. He now faced the group of junior officers and enlisted personnel. A Lieutenant Commander that had finished shoving a couple of bags behind the web-net finally looked at Josiah, “GROUP...ATTEN-N-SHUN.” The Commander’s loud command resulted in the usual confusion as everyone tried to figure out who was kidding and why. Eventually, the whole group was braced at attention , and the Lieutenant Commander was saluting, “Sir, Lieutenant Commander Mannheim, ranking member of this group.”
    Josiah took a moment to get over the surprise. Very annoying! He returned the salute, “I thank you for the