Chapter One
A New Passenger
Captain Jacobs? Sir, big news. Ambassador Tull Redmond is meeting us at Bridgeport Seven tomorrow and will join us as our passenger all the way to Earth,” said second-in-command Commander Zack Mankewitz of the Earth Starship Giuseppe Verdi.
“Ambassador Redmond,” repeated the captain. “Oh, I’ve heard of him, Commander. He’s that peace, love, and hope guy. He’s the most successful intergalactic mediator in this quadrant. Wow, my very first five-star passenger. Yes, that is big news. I’m glad I didn’t miss him. High Council’s never trusted me with a big wig before.”
“Yes, sir. I know.”
“So, the ambassador and I will be going home to Earth at the same time. Well, I’m not sure the Ambassador is Earthite, I just assumed. Is he retiring, too, I wonder?
“Well, sort of. From what I heard the ambassador refused to sign another ten-year contract, so resigning from intergalactic mediation is the only other option. You two are lucky ducks.”
“Luck had nothing to do with it, Commander. It’s plain, old-fashioned endurance. Any special dietary requests? I heard the ambassador was a vegan.”
“No. No special food requests, but a full bathroom in quarters, and the ambassador is a woman. She’s also requested a room with a space view.”
“You’re kidding me? I’ve seen him, eh, her, from a distance. Short, pale, plump, light-colored hair slicked back or something. Hair was hardly noticeable. Wears a big, long, hooded, monk-like robe. Kind of like a round beige ball. A non-sexual being.”
“Does that matter?”
“No, I guess not. The ambassador gets the job done. A full bath and a view, huh? Well, there is only one accommodation like that aboard this ship, and that’s mine. Damn. My first five-star passenger and she boots me out of my quarters. Oh, well. Go ahead and assign her to Captain’s Quarters, Commander.
“She’ll enjoy the view in the sitting area as well as the full bath. I’ll take the quarters next to mine. I don’t mind sonic showers. I’ll move my things over this evening.”
“Do you need help, sir?”
“No, thanks, Zack. I don’t have much to move. But send someone in to give the place a good cleaning and shine it up a bit. Change all the linens. Put a little welcome note or something inside. I want my first and only five-star passenger to be impressed with her deluxe accommodations, if nothing else, on this tugboat for her four-month stay with us on her way back home.”
“Yes, sir,” chuckled Mankewitz.
“Ambassador Redmond, welcome to the Giuseppe Verdi, a class one intergalactic Earth Starship. It is my pleasure to have you aboard, ma’am.”
“Thank you, Captain Jacobs.”
“You’re my first five-star passenger in a twenty-year career.”
“Yes, I’ve heard. I’ve been duly warned.”
“You have?” Captain Jacobs laughed.
“Yes. High Council strongly urged me to wait for the next Earthbound starship, which is scheduled for early next year. They say you are the juvenile delinquent of the quadrant. They say you think the rules don’t apply to you and you love to defy authority.”
“And yet, you came aboard my ship anyway. You are a brave soul as well as a successful negotiator, Ambassador.”
“Thank you, Captain. I’m not afraid of bad boys. Your safety record is exemplary. You’ve never lost a passenger or crew member. Upper management may not admire your quirky leadership skills, or your less than organized reports, but your crew holds you in the highest esteem. So, you like to bend the rules a bit, big deal. You like to cut through the nonsense, that’s fine with me. You allow your crew to become far too familiar with you…”
“And my passenger, too,” he winked, “if you’re interested.”
She ignored it. “You hate quarterly reports, so what? All I ask is that you get me to Earth in one piece.”
“Thank you for your confidence in me. I promise I’ll get you there, safe and sound. And I promise to be on my best behavior while you’re aboard my ship. May I escort you to your quarters?”
“Yes, thank you, Captain.”
“Were you born on Earth, Ambassador?”
“Yes. Eagle’s Landing, Ohio. Midwest United States.”
“And your parents, they were both from Earth?”
“Yes.”
“Are you a member of a religious order then, Ambassador?”
“No, Captain. What made you think that?”
“The ‘peace love, joy’ stuff. The non-violence lifestyle. The robe.”
“So, you have something against peace, love, joy, and non-violence, Captain Jacobs?”
“No, ma’am, I do not,” he giggled. “Maybe the robe, though.”
“I’ve been a member of the Society of Peace and Light for the last six years. It’s not a religious order, Captain. It’s a chosen lifestyle.”
“And what exactly does that particular chosen lifestyle entail? Yoga? Essential oils? Meditation? Veganism? Celibacy? Power crystals? Tea leaf readings? Tinfoil head cones?”
“I’ll forward you some information on the society if you’re interested. It was very helpful to me while I was mediating.”
“And now that you’re leaving intergalactic mediation, what will you do?”
“Now I’ll be making some changes.”
“If one of those changes happens to be a big, juicy burger on a toasted homemade bun with melted cheese and all the fixings, I’m your man.” He winked again. “I grill them up for my crew on Thursdays in the dining room and you are invited.”
“You get ground beef out here?”
“Domesticated livestock from whatever’s in the area. We haven’t had Earth meat for so long, we’ve all forgotten what it tastes like. Right now, Resa, our cook, has a supply of Plumarian yak. Yummy.”
“Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind, Captain.”
“And your Earth parents from Ohio? They named you…Tull?”
“Getting rather personal already, aren’t we? What is your first name, Captain?”
“Ben. Benjamin Joseph Jacobs. My childhood friends called me BJ. Or Beeje. And your first name is …?”
The Ambassador remained quiet.
They came to the Ambassador’s new quarters.
“Here we are, Ambassador. It is the finest accommodation aboard the Verdi. Full bath, quiet, away from the noise of engineering and the recreation hall. Observation window seat in the sitting area overlooking the beautiful blackness of space. Just as you requested. The rooms are spacious. And that’s a great bed,” he pointed.
“Thank you. It’s just perfect. And now if you don’t mind, Captain, I’m thoroughly exhausted. I’d like to rest now.”
“Of course. Digital control panel here. It’s also voice-activated.
I’ll help you set it up later this evening, after you’ve rested.
“And when you’re ready for a little walk outside on the pressurized deck, I’ll be happy to take you. But we’ll need to be tethered to the platform. Any atmospheric disturbance, no matter how small, could weaken the edges and send you catapulting into space.”
“Yes. Thank you. Goodbye now.” She motioned toward the door.
“Yes, I’m going. Now. I’ll see you later. Please feel free to call upon me for anything you may need during your stay with us. Have a pleasant rest, Ambassador.”
“Well, Captain, what do you think of the Ambassador?” whispered Zack when he met Ben walking down the corridor back toward the Bridge.
“You know, I like her.”
“Oh, that’s a surprise,” teased Zack.
“No. This is different. She’s different. She’s…more. A strange combination of Mother Earth and a 1960’s Flower Child Peace and Love Beatnik and something else I can’t quite put my finger on.”
“Yet.” Zack laughed. “But I’m sure you will.”
“She has a serenity about her. Interesting person. But that robe? Ugh.”
“I think maybe you want to get a peek at what’s under that huge yardage of beige material,” giggled Zack.
“No, Commander. That’s completely ridiculous. Well, maybe a little bit.”
An hour later, the Captain returned to the Ambassador’s quarters and pushed the Enter button.
“Ambassador? It’s me, Captain Jacobs. May I come in?”
“No, thank you, Captain.”
“Did you have a nice rest?”
“Not yet.”
“I’d like to talk to you for a moment. May I enter?”
“Not now, Captain.”
“It’ll only take a moment.”
“Captain, what do you want?”
“I…I would like to help you set up the digital system with your own voice command. It’s a little tricky.”
“It’s done.”
“You did it yourself?”
“Yes, Captain. It wasn’t difficult.”
“Well, okay then. How about some dinner? Are you hungry? I can show you the way to the dining room.”
“There’s a map on the ship’s digital home screen.”
“So there is. I just thought…”
“Captain, please forgiven my bluntness, but I am tired and I’m not in the mood for company.”
“But I think you may be hungry. I’ve noticed women tend to get angry, aggravated, and maybe a little curt when they get hungry.”
“And dealing with a persistent sexist middle manager doesn’t lead to anger, aggravation, and curtness aboard your ship, Captain?”
“Sexist? Middle manager? I assure you I am not a… I was only trying to…”
“Captain, listen to me very carefully. Go. Away.”
Ship’s doctor Fernando Espinoza pushed the enter button.
“Captain, it’s Nando. We need to talk about the supplies we’re taking on our humanitarian mission to Argon 14.”
“The captain is not here. Go away,” answered the Ambassador.
Ship’s cook Resa Kolitsus pushed the enter button.
“Hey, Cap, it’s Resa. Don’t you want to go over the supply order before I send it in?”
“The captain is not here. Go away and don’t come back,” shouted the Ambassador.
“Ambassador, it’s me, Captain Jacobs, again. We need to talk. I think maybe we got off on the wrong foot. May I come in?”
“Captain Jacobs!” she shouted through the intercom. “What in the hell do I have to do to get some rest around here?” Her shouts reverberated through the metal hallway. “And why on earth does your entire staff think you are in here with me? What did you tell them? That I was the latest addition to your easy passenger conquest list?”
“What? I… What did I tell my crew, my dear Ambassador?” He breathed hard, but did not raise his voice.
“I told them I was gladly giving up my deluxe accommodations for the last four months of my final tour of duty so that sweet, gentle, quiet, diplomatic you could have a full bath and an amazing space view in the largest rooms with the best security and my bed, the best bed aboard this entire ship. They think I’m in there with you because you are in my quarters.”
“Oh,” whispered the Ambassador.
Captain Jacobs stormed away, muttering obscenities.
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