ENT - 012 - Kobayashi Maru

THIRTY-NINE

Tuesday, July 22, 2155 S.S. Kobayashi Maru, Gamma Hydra sector

K OJIRO V ANCE TRACEDthe swell of the womans dusky-hued hip as she slumbered, his fingertip traveling over the exquisite area he had so recently ravished. She had tasted like plums, although he granted, in retrospect, that it might have been the liqueur they had consumed before theyd had passionate sex against nearly every flat surface in his opulently appointed quarters.

Orana Shubé clearly wanted to go places on the ship, but Vance wasnt certain that there was any place for her to go. After all, she wasnt particularly intelligent, and her mechanical aptitude was laughable. He suspected that she would best serve him exactly where she was, in the captains bed. Or, perhaps, in the galley, preparing food for the crew and passengers. And, of course, thetemporary guests.

Yawning, he clambered over his plaything and padded naked toward the shower, absentmindedly scratching his groin as he walked. Stepping into the shower, he mourned the days on Earth when hed been able to enjoy real showers, with unlimited supplies of hot water. But on a fuel carrier like the Maru,carrying the huge quantities of water needed for such a personal extravagance was not something he could justify, either to his financial backers in the Tau Ceti system, or to the crew that would expect to share this amenity. And since theMaru is a retrofitted Klingon fuel carrier,he thought, having any luxury at all is, well, a luxury itself.

He heard a chime at his door, and poked his head out of the shower stall. “Enter!

Jacqueline Searles, the chief engineer of the Kobayashi Maru,stepped into the cabin, first noticing the nude woman on Vances bed, then turning her head just enough to ascertain that her captain was in the shower.

“What is it, Jackie? Vance asked, reaching for a towel.

She made a face. “Whatever is in that cargo we picked up for the Horizonseems to be slowing us down.

“How is that possible? Vance asked, spreading his hands wide and shrugging. The towel fluttered to the deck.

Searles made another face and put a hand out as if to block her view of his nakedness as she turned away. He noticed that she seemed to object a great deal less to viewing Oranas plump behind. “Would you mind terribly putting some clothes on, Captain? Searles said. “I dont need to talk to allof you.

Shrugging again, Vance walked naked to his large wardrobe, which he opened so he could consider which of his many fanciful outfits he was going to wear. After all, if he was to be dealing with histemporary guests again, he wanted to make the best of impressions, regardless of their present demeanor.

Theyd picked up the nearly two dozen new passengers nine days ago, along with their cargo, at Altair VI. The Earth Cargo Service freighter Horizonwas supposed to have been the ship to ferry them, along with their equipment, from the Marus destination of the Sataghni II fuel depot in the near side of the Gamma Hydra sector all the way to the outskirts of the Tezel-Oroko system, deep in section ten. But the Horizonhadnt been heard from in about a week, and Vance had agreed to perform the Horizons runsurreptitiously, of coursefor triple his regular fee. Finding out a little bit about the sensitive nature of the mission had also been part of the bargain Vance had struck with his clandestine passengers.

Hed kept the full facts about the mission, at least as he knew them, from his first mate, Arturo Stiles, a man whose pragmatism was matched only by his excitability. So far as Stiles knew, they were making an unscheduled but highly paid delivery, and that was all he needed to know for now. The unexpected windfall ought to have made the economics-minded Stiles very happy indeed.

But if Stiles were to learn that the Vulcans aboard the Kobayashi Maruwere headed for a stable cometary body in the Tezel-Oroko systems Kuiper belt, where they intended to fortify and expand a small, covert listening post whose electronic ears and eyes were aimed at both the Romulans and the Klingons, he would probably go ballistic. Vance didnt much care about the galactic politics involved, though he knew he would prefer that the stodgy Vulcans have the upper hand over either the Klingons or the Romulans; from what little hed seen, both empires were far too capriciously aggressive to suit a free spirit like Captain Kojiro Vance.

But Vance felt confident that his crew would forget whatever the Vulcans were up to here within a few short days, once the Maruwas engaged in another cargo run to some other, less perilously located world. Even Stiles would no doubt forgive all, should he ever discover the truth, once he received his share of the handsome profit the current Gamma Hydra run had already generated.

Vance selected a slimming, dark purple set of breeches and a full-sleeved maroon shirt. He held them up against himself and noted with pleasure how nicely they complemented his straight black hair and olive-gold skin.

“Are you even paying attentionto what Im saying, Vance? Searles asked.

Vance turned, suddenly remembering the presence of the engineer in his room, and regarded her with a smile he hoped she would consider charming. “Of course,Jackie. You were chattering on again, something about not liking the technology were carrying for the Vulcans.

Searles balled her hands up into clawed fists and growled, clearly exasperated. “Essentially, yes, that is what I was saying. The Vulcans keep quote helping unquote my engineering staff with quote multiple system upgrades unquote, but it seems to me that all theyre doing is further screwing up our already overtaxed systems. Yes, were heading toward our destination faster,but the warp core is running wickedhot, Vance. And were having a lot of system glitches as well. Plus, the stuff in the Vulcans shipping crates may be the source of the strange, low-level radiation my people have been picking up on the internal scanners. Its making everyone very uncomfortable.

Vance frowned as he pulled the stitching at the waist of his pirate breeches tight, making sure not to catch anything important in the loops as he cinched them tighter. “Why would this radiation youre picking up necessarily have anything to do with the Vulcans or their matériel? I love her like I love myself, but the Maruis alwaysspringing a leak in some system or other. I mean no offense to your skills, Jackie, but the old girl is perpetually in need of somerepair or other. He paused, then added with a flourish, “Unlike myself.

“I just want Searles frowned, seemingly searching very hard for the right words. “Can you just keep the Vulcans outof my engine room, please?

“All right, Vance said, pulling the shirt on over his head. The satin felt smooth against his skin, luxurious. “Ill ask them to stay away. As long as youkeep things running smoothly and make sure we get there in record time.

He crossed back to the bed, where he laid a hand on the sleeping Oranas rump. “I notice that you seemed to favor thissight more than my own impressive Davidesque nakedness. Would you like a quick taste, my dear, to make the more prosaic chores of the rest of your day more bearable? I must say, its done wonders for me.

Searles extended her right hand toward him, middle finger defiantly raised, even as she turned and slammed her other hand into the wall-mounted hatch-control mechanism.

As the door slid open and she stalked out of the room, Vance chuckled quietly. What a waste of a perfectly good offer,he thought. It would have been fun to watch, if nothing else.

After all, one of the benefits of being master and commander of the Kobayashi Maruwas that the position afforded him the means of enjoying life to its fullestso long as nothing interrupted the incoming revenue stream, and naysayers like Stiles and Searles didnt keep the Maruin dry dock rather than out among the stars, earning more of the stuff that made life worth living. And enjoying life was something Kojiro Vance intended to go right on doing.

No matter whocame out on top in the Vulcans clandestine struggle against the Romulans and the Klingons for the reins of galactic power.