In the story so far: The space ship, Stardiver Four, is captured by a shaky alliance of pirates and "honest" mercenaries. Tom is forced to be the Captain's Cabin boy. Ollie the dog who is half wolf is his only ally.
Intercoms blared all over the ship. “Brat! Kid! I need my breakfast!” The impatient voice of Captain Stone filled every corner of the ship. “Snowman, come here now!”
Tom opened his eyes. Exhaustion made his head feel heavy. His thoughts were slow and unwilling. He was confused. This was not his cabin, not his home, and just not right. Ollie was there because Ollie's coarse fur was warm in his hand that was hanging over the side of the couch. Professor Ratts was gone, and his robot too.
"Brat! Wipe your nose, or butt, or whatever and get here now! I want my breakfast."
It all came back to him now, and he groaned, “Come on Ollie, Let's go.”
Soon Tom was serving the Captain breakfast in his room. He set the table while the Captain shaved in the small bathroom. Captain Stone stomped in and sat down. He was wearing a white space suit, but now around the waist was a shiny red sash with a dangling tassel; over it all was the ancient black sailor’s sea coat. The curved scabbard of a sword hung down below the coat.
He smiled a wicked smile of yellow teeth. “You know it’s a right good thing that old Whitey took a liking to you. Now here you are serving me my breakfast in my own captain’s quarters. What do you think about that kiddo?”
Tom looked around the room, it had changed. The captain had removed much of the furniture leaving it bare. Where a bed once sat now hung a canvas hammock. The pictures were replaced with charts and maps, some were star charts, and others were ancient maps of Old Earth. On the wall were two swords crossed and another thin sword hanging vertically from a hook. A very long antique musket was resting horizontally on hooks above the swords.
“There now, I see you are one with a quick eye. You observed I’ve made a few decorating statements. A hammock is the only way for a sailor to sleep on the sea. The waves are as gentle as mama’s hand upon the old cradle.”
“Yes sir.” Tom was trying to form questions in his mind about this man. What is this all about? Why does he have a hammock, pirate’s swords, and ancient maps?
The Captain sat down and took a mouthful of food and continued to talk. “You are in the red book now, you are one of us and you will share the spoils.” He stopped chewing. Slowly he raised the patch off his eye and slid it over to the other, and glared at the boy standing in front of him.
He’s not blind in one eye, Tom realized.
The Captain spoke with a mouth full of food, “You know I could get you a larger share if you had something to help us in our noble cause. Something like the command code to the ship. It could save us a lot of time, very valuable time.” The Captain stood up. “The code means power, power over this ship, power over the crew. power is everything." The Captain’s wide open eye glared at him. Tom stood still.
Ollie crouched in the corner ready as always to attack, a low growl rumbling in his throat, his ears lay back.
“Oh, so, you never heard Captain Price give the command code? A smart kiddo like you? Are you sure he didn’t give it to you and shove you into the air circulation vents to do some mischief? Well?”
Tom tried to put on a hard face. He felt like he was going to give up everything. He thought to himself. I can't say a single word. If I said yes, I would be helping an enemy, if I say one word I won't be able to stop until I give it all away. Captain Price trusted me. This time, I have to do the right thing.
The Pirate Captain was seething in anger as red blotches covered his face. “Kid we are civilized men. We do not torture prisoners, or else we could have gotten that code from Captain Price. We are freedom fighters and honest soldiers. Well, most of us anyway. But we were betrayed, sold out. So now we have our own little war, and you are a part of it, you understand. You are under my authority, the red book says I can have you flogged, you know what that is? It is a whip with nine laces. It turns your back into a bloody, chewed up, gory wreck. So, what is it to be? Are you going to give me the command code?”
Tom stood straight. He tried to hide how scared he was, he knew he was shaking, he stared into the Captain’s eye. With a bellowing roar, the Captain vaulted from his seat and flipped the table over flinging the breakfast across the room. He glared down at the boy, ”I asked you a question, recruit!” He yelled, “Do you hear me? Answer me!” He raised his hand to strike. Ollie leaped between them growling. He faced the Captain with his head lowered, ears back and lips curled showing large sharp teeth. The wolf side of his mind urged him to fight the leader of a weaker pack. His wild instincts were in control. The Captain hesitated.
The door opened. One of the pirate crew stepped into the room and gave a sloppy salute.
“Captain. The officers are ready in the…” His eyes grew wide at the sight of Ollie. He took an involuntary step back. The pirate backed through the door and stood in the hall ready to run, “in the common room, sir. When you are ready, sir.” He turned and ran up the hall.
“Ha! Ha! Ha!” The captain roared suddenly, “Did you see him move? Ha! Snowboy did you see a stupid fart bucket like that run so fast? O. K. Kiddo, clean up this mess, and bring coffee to the common room.” The Captain marched out. The door hissed closed behind him.
Tom was alone. He was relieved and started to clean the mess while Ollie ate the spilled food.
Tom saw Ollie lower his head and knew someone was lurking outside the door. Dropping the plate he pulled the taser from its holster. He faced the door with the taser clutched in both hands. “It’s getting easy to use it.” He thought to himself. “It is getting easy to say, ‘It’s all right this time, have it ready just in case.’” He raised the taser to head level.
“Ollie, open the door.”
Ollie stretched up on his hind legs and touched the pad. The door opened with a hiss.
They stumbled through the door. The first man saw the taser and ducked as he tried to stop, but the weight of the two men behind pressed him down then tripped over him. All three fell face down onto the floor in front of Tom.
“Come on in, guys.” Tom felt powerful holding a weapon and watching men react in fear.
“Now hold on.” The first man looked up from under the other two. His face was smeared with egg and ketchup. “Snowman, there is no reason to use that thing. We just want to have a little talk that’s all.”
“Stay on the floor. What do you want?” For the first time, Tom felt like he was in control. He was the master. The taser gave him power over these men.
“We were, ah, wondering whose side you are on. Whitey’s or Captain Stonebutt’s, I mean the Captain?”
“What are you talking about? I am not on anybody’s side; I don’t even want to be here.”
“Look, some of us think that Whitey is the better man. The articles say we can vote one captain out and another in. Some of us want to get rid of Stonebutt. He’ll get us all killed for sure. If it comes to a fight we need to know who’s on our side and who is not.”
“No. I am not on anyone’s side.”
“You can’t keep out of it. Think it over. Whitey is a hard man but he is smart and fair. With him in charge, we will end up rich and free too. Come with us and join his side. If you bring the command code for the ship, you could have the first choice of your share.”
Tom held the taser at arm's length. He said nothing.
“O.K. Snowman, just think about it.” The three slowly stood up and backed out the door. It closed with a hiss.
Tom locked the door. "Ollie," he said, "I am glad you are on my side."
"I'm on your side." The new voice came from the left.
Tom started at the voice. He looked around to see where it came from. "Hello?"
"Come to the communications panel."
It lit up as Tom neared, showing the face of the boy he saw before. "Oh, it is you. How come you can get on the Captain's monitor? I thought it was restricted."
"I just can. Tom, you have to get to the command center and use the..." The boy stopped and put his hands next to his mouth as if he was hiding what he was saying and mouthed the words, "command code."
"What? How do you know?"
"I just know. Everybody on this ship is in danger. The life support systems are down, the water is becoming contaminated, and the carbon dioxide in the air is rising. Only someone with the code will be able to reactivate the systems on the ship. The ship has limited emergency reserves otherwise. And the ship is drifting. It will fall into the gravitational pull of the star or a planet soon."
"How do you know all that?"
"Believe me, I know."
"I tried to use the command code. It didn't work."
"I know, that is when I found you, or you found me. But you have to say it from inside the command center to get full access to the ship."
"I don't know. There are a lot of pirates there now."
"No, now is the best time. Stone's pirates gave up, they got drunk and left. The raiders have left the command center to salvage the drinking water, but they will be back. Come now while it is empty.
"But the captain is expecting me to bring coffee to the common room. He will get angry and send someone to look for me."
"Never mind that. Once there you will be safe."
"If I bring the coffee it will buy me more time."
"Then do it quickly and get to the command center as soon as you can."
"OK. See you later. Oh hey, are you O.K? Are you hiding somewhere? Do you want me to bring you some food?"
"I am O.K. Now get going and get to the communications center as soon as you can."
"Have you seen a girl named Lilly?'
"Yes, she is safe in the church sanctuary and sleeping. You need to get going."
"OK." Tom touched the communications center and the screen disappeared. "Ollie it looks like there is still hope. Let's go."
(c) Adron
To proceed to the next chapter click HERE or choose from the table of contents at the sidebar.
Chapter 53
Traitors Make An Offer
Intercoms blared all over the ship. “Brat! Kid! I need my breakfast!” The impatient voice of Captain Stone filled every corner of the ship. “Snowman, come here now!”
Tom opened his eyes. Exhaustion made his head feel heavy. His thoughts were slow and unwilling. He was confused. This was not his cabin, not his home, and just not right. Ollie was there because Ollie's coarse fur was warm in his hand that was hanging over the side of the couch. Professor Ratts was gone, and his robot too.
"Brat! Wipe your nose, or butt, or whatever and get here now! I want my breakfast."
It all came back to him now, and he groaned, “Come on Ollie, Let's go.”
Soon Tom was serving the Captain breakfast in his room. He set the table while the Captain shaved in the small bathroom. Captain Stone stomped in and sat down. He was wearing a white space suit, but now around the waist was a shiny red sash with a dangling tassel; over it all was the ancient black sailor’s sea coat. The curved scabbard of a sword hung down below the coat.
He smiled a wicked smile of yellow teeth. “You know it’s a right good thing that old Whitey took a liking to you. Now here you are serving me my breakfast in my own captain’s quarters. What do you think about that kiddo?”
Tom looked around the room, it had changed. The captain had removed much of the furniture leaving it bare. Where a bed once sat now hung a canvas hammock. The pictures were replaced with charts and maps, some were star charts, and others were ancient maps of Old Earth. On the wall were two swords crossed and another thin sword hanging vertically from a hook. A very long antique musket was resting horizontally on hooks above the swords.
“There now, I see you are one with a quick eye. You observed I’ve made a few decorating statements. A hammock is the only way for a sailor to sleep on the sea. The waves are as gentle as mama’s hand upon the old cradle.”
“Yes sir.” Tom was trying to form questions in his mind about this man. What is this all about? Why does he have a hammock, pirate’s swords, and ancient maps?
The Captain sat down and took a mouthful of food and continued to talk. “You are in the red book now, you are one of us and you will share the spoils.” He stopped chewing. Slowly he raised the patch off his eye and slid it over to the other, and glared at the boy standing in front of him.
He’s not blind in one eye, Tom realized.
The Captain spoke with a mouth full of food, “You know I could get you a larger share if you had something to help us in our noble cause. Something like the command code to the ship. It could save us a lot of time, very valuable time.” The Captain stood up. “The code means power, power over this ship, power over the crew. power is everything." The Captain’s wide open eye glared at him. Tom stood still.
Ollie crouched in the corner ready as always to attack, a low growl rumbling in his throat, his ears lay back.
“Oh, so, you never heard Captain Price give the command code? A smart kiddo like you? Are you sure he didn’t give it to you and shove you into the air circulation vents to do some mischief? Well?”
Tom tried to put on a hard face. He felt like he was going to give up everything. He thought to himself. I can't say a single word. If I said yes, I would be helping an enemy, if I say one word I won't be able to stop until I give it all away. Captain Price trusted me. This time, I have to do the right thing.
The Pirate Captain was seething in anger as red blotches covered his face. “Kid we are civilized men. We do not torture prisoners, or else we could have gotten that code from Captain Price. We are freedom fighters and honest soldiers. Well, most of us anyway. But we were betrayed, sold out. So now we have our own little war, and you are a part of it, you understand. You are under my authority, the red book says I can have you flogged, you know what that is? It is a whip with nine laces. It turns your back into a bloody, chewed up, gory wreck. So, what is it to be? Are you going to give me the command code?”
Tom stood straight. He tried to hide how scared he was, he knew he was shaking, he stared into the Captain’s eye. With a bellowing roar, the Captain vaulted from his seat and flipped the table over flinging the breakfast across the room. He glared down at the boy, ”I asked you a question, recruit!” He yelled, “Do you hear me? Answer me!” He raised his hand to strike. Ollie leaped between them growling. He faced the Captain with his head lowered, ears back and lips curled showing large sharp teeth. The wolf side of his mind urged him to fight the leader of a weaker pack. His wild instincts were in control. The Captain hesitated.
The door opened. One of the pirate crew stepped into the room and gave a sloppy salute.
“Captain. The officers are ready in the…” His eyes grew wide at the sight of Ollie. He took an involuntary step back. The pirate backed through the door and stood in the hall ready to run, “in the common room, sir. When you are ready, sir.” He turned and ran up the hall.
“Ha! Ha! Ha!” The captain roared suddenly, “Did you see him move? Ha! Snowboy did you see a stupid fart bucket like that run so fast? O. K. Kiddo, clean up this mess, and bring coffee to the common room.” The Captain marched out. The door hissed closed behind him.
Tom was alone. He was relieved and started to clean the mess while Ollie ate the spilled food.
* * *
It was the whispering beyond the door and the faint shuffling of boots that told Ollie someone was there. He faced the door and began to growl.Tom saw Ollie lower his head and knew someone was lurking outside the door. Dropping the plate he pulled the taser from its holster. He faced the door with the taser clutched in both hands. “It’s getting easy to use it.” He thought to himself. “It is getting easy to say, ‘It’s all right this time, have it ready just in case.’” He raised the taser to head level.
“Ollie, open the door.”
Ollie stretched up on his hind legs and touched the pad. The door opened with a hiss.
They stumbled through the door. The first man saw the taser and ducked as he tried to stop, but the weight of the two men behind pressed him down then tripped over him. All three fell face down onto the floor in front of Tom.
“Come on in, guys.” Tom felt powerful holding a weapon and watching men react in fear.
“Now hold on.” The first man looked up from under the other two. His face was smeared with egg and ketchup. “Snowman, there is no reason to use that thing. We just want to have a little talk that’s all.”
“Stay on the floor. What do you want?” For the first time, Tom felt like he was in control. He was the master. The taser gave him power over these men.
“We were, ah, wondering whose side you are on. Whitey’s or Captain Stonebutt’s, I mean the Captain?”
“What are you talking about? I am not on anybody’s side; I don’t even want to be here.”
“Look, some of us think that Whitey is the better man. The articles say we can vote one captain out and another in. Some of us want to get rid of Stonebutt. He’ll get us all killed for sure. If it comes to a fight we need to know who’s on our side and who is not.”
“No. I am not on anyone’s side.”
“You can’t keep out of it. Think it over. Whitey is a hard man but he is smart and fair. With him in charge, we will end up rich and free too. Come with us and join his side. If you bring the command code for the ship, you could have the first choice of your share.”
Tom held the taser at arm's length. He said nothing.
“O.K. Snowman, just think about it.” The three slowly stood up and backed out the door. It closed with a hiss.
Tom locked the door. "Ollie," he said, "I am glad you are on my side."
"I'm on your side." The new voice came from the left.
Tom started at the voice. He looked around to see where it came from. "Hello?"
"Come to the communications panel."
It lit up as Tom neared, showing the face of the boy he saw before. "Oh, it is you. How come you can get on the Captain's monitor? I thought it was restricted."
"I just can. Tom, you have to get to the command center and use the..." The boy stopped and put his hands next to his mouth as if he was hiding what he was saying and mouthed the words, "command code."
"What? How do you know?"
"I just know. Everybody on this ship is in danger. The life support systems are down, the water is becoming contaminated, and the carbon dioxide in the air is rising. Only someone with the code will be able to reactivate the systems on the ship. The ship has limited emergency reserves otherwise. And the ship is drifting. It will fall into the gravitational pull of the star or a planet soon."
"How do you know all that?"
"Believe me, I know."
"I tried to use the command code. It didn't work."
"I know, that is when I found you, or you found me. But you have to say it from inside the command center to get full access to the ship."
"I don't know. There are a lot of pirates there now."
"No, now is the best time. Stone's pirates gave up, they got drunk and left. The raiders have left the command center to salvage the drinking water, but they will be back. Come now while it is empty.
"But the captain is expecting me to bring coffee to the common room. He will get angry and send someone to look for me."
"Never mind that. Once there you will be safe."
"If I bring the coffee it will buy me more time."
"Then do it quickly and get to the command center as soon as you can."
"OK. See you later. Oh hey, are you O.K? Are you hiding somewhere? Do you want me to bring you some food?"
"I am O.K. Now get going and get to the communications center as soon as you can."
"Have you seen a girl named Lilly?'
"Yes, she is safe in the church sanctuary and sleeping. You need to get going."
"OK." Tom touched the communications center and the screen disappeared. "Ollie it looks like there is still hope. Let's go."
(c) Adron
To proceed to the next chapter click HERE or choose from the table of contents at the sidebar.
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