Free Ilox Saga 1: Eris Monroe: More Than Human by Bruce Adams Page B

component and systems level . Such catastrophes almost never happened to civilian starships, but military cruisers were often sent on hazardous duty where the unexpected was planned for, with secondary and tertiary backup systems in place to account for primary equipment failures. The thrum of the fusion powerplant and steady frisson of the jump drive engines were palpable on her skin. She wondered how the engineers could stand such irritating sensations for so long. Eris supposed anyone could get used to anything if they were subjected to it long enough .
    “How are the engines holding up, Doc?” Eris smiled at the large man who was in command of this section of the Majestic . She didn’t know where he’d been given the nickname or why, but it didn’t seem to fit the burly and cantankerous chief engineer.
    The man ’s TEC uniform was dirty and covered with spots of a dark, grimy substance. Eris didn’t know what the splotches were but he did smell of sweat and oil. He was taller than Eris and out-weighed her by at least forty kilos. He was fat.
    “ Commander Monroe, these engines don’t hold up , they do what I want them to do, and that’s to propel a mass of over ten thousand metric tons through N space and Lindstrom tunnels as needed. They’re machines and need to be constantly monitored. That essential monitoring is now being interrupted by you . He glared at her. He was part of the TEC crew and had nothing to do with her unit.
    “I’m sorry to intrude on you, but you did reply to my message that you agreed to my visit. It is 0800 and it is Tuesday. Her eyes had narrowed as she spoke, perhaps being a little too stern in her approach. The big man looked unsure and his mouth hung open.
    “It’s Tuesday?” He seemed remorseful with a shocked expression.
    Eris gave him a little smile.
    “Yes, yes it is.”
    A young man and woman interrupted their conversation with a short cough. Their insignia and name patches indicated who they were – Morales and Chen. She remembered from the crew manifest that they were the first subordinates under the chief engineer.
    “Sir, the port stabilizer calibration was a little off and we reset it. Thrust efficiency will decrease by point zero eight percent until we damp it down…” Petty officer Jessica Morales let her words trail off as she realized how upset her superior was.
    Eris saw that Doc was about to go ballistic and she quickly put her hand on his right shoulder. “Chief, how about that tour you promised me? I’m sure your engineers can handle any slight inefficiency problems.”
    At her touch, the big man seemed to calm. He muttered under his breath, “They shouldn’t be called engineers ,” as Eris urged him to show her the whole area. Eris knew that she could have a calming effect on males of her species though it was much more difficult with females. Her looks were designed to have that type of effect and it gave her an edge in just about everything she did in her life. As Doc led her around the large engineering compartment, Eris noted everything he said and memorized it. Her eidetic memory allowed her instant access to anything she had seen or experienced in the past. It was one of dozens of gifts her designers had bestowed on her when she was created on Darol Station twenty seven years ago. If at some point in the future she wanted to remember how a piece of ship’s engineering machinery was operated or performed, all she had to do was think back to this tour. It was like opening up a computer file to the exact location of what the user wanted instantaneously and without any hesitation, confusion or second guessing. Of course, it wasn’t the same thing as being a trained technician or engineer taught in a university, but the info could be handy if she needed the knowledge to start the engines or shut them down. She noted how the chief engineer was happily engrossed in explaining every little technical item about his beloved engines. She let him keep