Deep Six Chapter 16

[Ed Man]

Another Work Day
Chapter 16 Deep Six

The Crew had mastered the art of searching sectors and the use of the Miner. But the Neptune was about to use its station deployment capabilities and was on its way to The Hole to deploy a Wheat Farm. The station owner was hoping to secure some of the Argon and Boron wheat business with his farm.
Several new crew members had been hired for the job and a few had been let go and replaced over the last few months but as far a Gabe was concerned they had a full crew now. And the crew was about to get some first hand experience in station deployment.

Cherrit was in Presidents End salvaging the material off of the capital ships for the shipyards to reuse.
At the request of the Argon Navy one of the two Elites they had reworked into the new M4+ models was assigned to the Miner for security. While the second Elite and a recovered Buster and Disco was onboard the Neptune to stand guard while the station was deployed. The sector searching team was going to help with the station deployment until the main frame and sections were deployed and secured. Then they were going to search the sector while the finishing touches on the station were completed.

The TL eased into position and stopped as Gabe told the owner. “We’re in position and ready to deploy your station last chance to change you mind.”
The owner looked out into the void where his station was about to go and with a smile said. “I want it where we planed deploy the station Captain.”
Gabe turned around and Gave the order to deploy. The big bay door opened up and the deployment drones started pulling out the sections and placing them while the worker drones rode the sections out ready to connect the inside of each section while flying drones worked on the outside.

Markers had been set up to keep onlookers back as the sector traffic slowed and quite a few detoured out of their way just to watch for a while. And what a sight it was as the drones moved about the station like insects covering a sugary treat tearing it apart to take back to their colony. But this was being but put together instead of eaten but the appearance was about the same. The first day most of the crew watched from the large observation portholes on the ship after they found out where they were as small groups gathered around the ones that gave them a view of the station.

As the first 24 hours came to a close the station was starting to take form as Gabe looked out at the station after he woke up and checked the progress. The Station was going along as planed and would be completed in four days then it had to be examined, tested and approved by the shipyard and sector inspectors before anyone could come aboard.

The owner had just bought two freighters that were already buying up energy cells for the farm and his Buster and two Discos were docked at the Trading Station. He had hired most of his whole workforce and they were due to start arriving two days after the Gabe said the station would be finished giving the inspectors a day to get there work done then a day for managers to settle in and then the workers a day and the next day production.
So from start to finish the station would be up and running after seven days.
Everything had been well planed out from start to finish including the Neptune being done with the Station and finished searching the sector.
Gabe planed on being out of the sector and gone before the flood of traffic which was not planed out started pouring into the sector from the new workers all trying to get to there new workplace at the same time.

The second day went on without a problem so the search was started as planed.
Cherrit was keeping the Caiman busy doing sector trading in the neighboring sectors while they waited on the Miner to get a load ready to be transported to the shipyard.

Simon knew Gabe had been taking some training classes on how to be a better Commander and asked. “Gabe have you learned anything good from the training courses?”
Gabe smiled. “Why yes I have. I learned to say. I was unaware of the problem I’ll look into it. And to wait a minute before saying no. Then the old classic standby I’ll have to get back to you about that or I haven’t had a chance to look into it yet reply.”
Gabe started laughing and said. “I watched all the lessons and picked up a few good points but was really disappointed with them. I was just looking for a little more out of the lessons.”
[Simon] “Gabe you had one of the best teachers showing you the does and don’ts I ever met. Pop is one of the best leaders and teachers I have ever seen. I thank you been doing a fairly good job and none of the crew have been complaining. So what is it you really been wanting to learn?”

Gabe looked back at Simon like he was lost and needed direction. “I really don’t know Simon I just fill like I’ve missed something somewhere along the fast road I took getting here. I mean look at this ship I’m about to turn 19 and I already have more that I ever dreamed of having. Its like I jumped right into all this. I just want to be a good leader and I don’t just have one crew to worry about I have several.”

[Simon] “Gabe you already are a good leader and the fact you’re worried about it is proof to me. Just don’t stop trying that’s the secret and assign someone to help you out with the small stuff.”
Gabe thought for a while and besides Simon and Cherrit the two people he trusted and counted on most was Luke and Donna.
Simon was already his second in command and Cherrit was going to return to Pops business as soon as Pop decided on a place to buy so Gabe decided he had better give it some thought for a few days before he decided on anything.

A hour before the shift change in the sector search Cherrit set Gabe a message. “Gabe one of the pilots and a crewman on the Caiman just got locked up on the station they were own can you check into it or send me a ship?”
[Gabe] “Bit get me a report about our two men and send Cherrit a message telling him I’ll take care of it and to stay with the Miner.”
[Bit] “Commander the Miner is about full.”
Gabe pulled up the status on the Caiman and seen it was empty. “Bit order the Caiman to return to the Miner and pick up and deliver the load to the Shipyard then return to a safe position near the Miner and stay there.”
[Bit] “The report hasn’t been filled yet but the Pilot is charged with assault and the crewman is being held for questioning because they were together.”
Gabe stopped for a minute tring to decide what to do. Most of the crew was already committed to the Station deployment and the only extra hands he had were searching the Sector and it was about time for their shift change.
Gabe called up to Luke who was getting ready to leave out in the Nova to swap the Pilots out. “Luke hold up on the shift change. I need you and Donna to get your things together I need you two work on the Caiman till I can sort things out and get replacements.
Bit recall the ships searching the sector back to the Neptune and put the other Pilots back in Neptune’s work schedule for now.”

Gabe went to his office and got a briefcase out he had some tokens in to pay the two worker off or hire them a lawyer. The Buzzard jumped to the Sector and set course for the Station as he tried to explan what was going on to Luke and Donna.
By the time they reached the Security Office the crewman had been cleared and released but the Pilot was under arrest for assault and they had it all on tape.
As Gabe walked into the office the crewman stood up. “Captain I had nothing to do with any of this I was on my way back to the ship after I signed off on a load we delivered when they stopped me.”


The officer stopped Gabe. “Only two of you can come in to talk to your man Sir.”
Gabe stopped and thought who would be the best one to stay with him. Donna had been a part of hiring the Pilot and already knew his background and was the one that filled out the file he had in his hand.
[Gabe] “Luke take the crewman and return to the Buzzard and stay onboard and wait.”
Without a word the two took off back to the ship as the Officer took Gabe and Donna into the room where the Pilot was. As soon as the Pilot seen Gabe he started explaining how he had dated the woman a while back and the breakup was nasty. They had a few words when they seen each other and he did hit her. But the woman was going to file a suit against Deep Six for his actions and he was really sorry.

Gabe and Donna watched the recording of the Pilot slapping the woman and Donna took hold of Gabe arm and asked him to step outside with her for a minute. When they got outside the room Donna stated. “Gabe look at the recording a litle closer I believe this was all a set up.”
Donna asked the guard to give them a copy of the incident and while the Guard was getting a copy Donna asked Bit to search the logs and see if the Pilot had made any calls and if so to whom and what was said.

The two went back to the Buzzard and looked over the recording and Gabe seen it the woman flinched before the Pilot slaped her so she knew it was coming. But that wasn’t enough and they both knew it a battered woman draws back at anything like shes about to get hit.
Bit came through with the records of the messages the Pilot had sent telling his girl friend to hurry up and get to the Station before they leave the sector again they may not get a second chance.

The earlier three messages were a little more discreet but the last one was clear and too the point. They had been trying to pull of this stunt for the last two days and the Pilot was getting upset because three previous times she just missed getting there in time.
Gabe was able to access that she had docked in a old run down Disco that was about on its last flight.

Gabe looked at Donna. “We got all we need lets go back to see the Pilot.”
Gabe and Donna set down at the table with the Pilot as he looked up trying to look like a man that had just lost it all. Gabe looked at him like he could go right through him and said. “I know what you two are trying to do! We got copies of your messages to her and you put that with the records of her docking to late on three station before this one and it looks like some jail time for you two!”

The Pilot laid his head down on the table and this time his distress was real. Gabe looked at him and asked. “Just what were you two trying to get out of all this? You knew you were going to get fired and she can only sue the company for a little! Why would you even try to do such a thing?!!”

The Pilot looked up. “Because we have a son and he got hurt and lost filling in his legs and the longer we wait the less likely he can walk again. The operation the Doctor want to do is experimental and if it gets done we’ll have to pay for it that’s why! I’m sorry we just didn’t know what to do.”

Gabe got up and left the room with Donna right behind him. Gabe had Bit pull up the records on the Woman and just like the Pilot said there son was in a hospital. The hospital wanted to remove the Boys legs and replace them with robotic ones that would have to be replaced over and over as the boy grew up.
The Doctor wanted to try and repair the damaged so the boy could keep his legs and live a normal life.

Gabe looked at Donna and asked her to go and talk to the Woman and explain that they know everything and to come into the room with the Pilot so they could all talk.

When Donna reached the room where the Woman was she already had a lawyer setting beside her. He was already to go to battle in the courts until Donna enlightened him about the scam. As he was gatering his things up he advised the woman to get a good defense lawyer as he walked out the door and was gone.

Gabe only knew one person that may be able to help the boy out so he sent Josh a message explaining the misfortune of the family and their son. Gabe seen Donna escorting the Woman into the room with the Pilot as he set waiting on a reply back from Josh.

The Head of Security seen the woman go into the room with the Pilot and went in to see what was going on.
A few minutes later he went in to talk to them and came out of the room headed right for Gabe. “Well Mr. Lander I don’t know what you said or did but the Woman wants to drop all the charges. If you pay your Pilots fine you can take him and leave. But you need to understand like I told him he is banned from boarding our station for six months. He can be onboard your ship but not on our station. Do you understand Mr. Lander?”

[Gabe] “Yes I understand Officer. That won’t be a problem this is his last day working for me.”
[Officer] “I understand Sir. I need to wrap this up and get back to work. Your welcome to stay but them two need to leave now before I decide to press charges Myself! Do you want me to tell them or do you still have something to finish up?”
[Gabe] “I’ll tell them I need to pay him off and have him pick his things up.”

The Officer left giving the guard orders to make sure the two in the detaining room were escorted off the station.
Gabe went in and asked them to meet him on the Trading Station so he could return his things to him and give him his last check. The two were escorted to the docking bay by the Guard while Gabe and Donna followed along several steps behind. Gabe was getting past his outrage as he watched the two as they made there way to the docks like they were going to there deaths.

Gabe stopped them as they were about to board their ship. “I just want you both to know I sent word to a friend to see if he could help your Son and I’m waiting on a reply.”
The Woman looked up with tears in her eyes. “Thanks! I’m sorry for what we done. We listened to someone we thought was a friend and it looked to be our only way to get the credits we needed. I would have done anything to help my Son I sorry.”
The Pilot looked up at Gabe. “I sorry Captain we’ll never do anything dishonest again I give you my word!”

Gabe just looked at the two not knowing what to say as the Guard told them to get on into their ship and leave.
Luke piloted the Buzzard to the Station while Gabe set in the back with Donna and the Crewman trying to make since out of all that had happened. The message came in from Josh stating that he could help the Boy but the Parents needed to sign a release.

A few minutes later after the old Disco finally docked the two read and signed the release. Gabe set with them as they waited on a reply while Donna took Luke and the Crewman to the Caiman to get them settled in and pick up the Pilots things.

Gabe felt sorry for the two as they set almost holding their breath waiting on a reply so Gabe asked them what kind of work they were planning on doing. Their original goal was to open their own delivery service in the Disco after it was fully upgraded but now they didn’t know.

Gabe had already looked at their Disco it was a Hauler model but it was far from being fit to work out of. The cargo hole didn’t have any expansions and its speed and rudder were a little slower than stock because of the hull damage. They had just bought it right before the boy was hurt from the Man that advised them to scam Gabe out of the credits to pay for the boys operation whem they tried to sell it back to him.

Gabe called the Neptune and had the Nova hook onto the Disco Hauler they had repaired and jump to the sector they were in and drop off the Disco and send it to the Station and hold position.
The message came back about their Son that the treatment was started and everything was fine and the Boy should be back to normal in three days.

Gabe looded on as the two set and cried in each others arms and looked up and said thanks to Gabe. They all headed for the Docks to wait on the Buzzard to return with his things so they could get back to their Son.

Gabe paid the Pilot his pay and asked him to come with him to Clerks office and sign some papers. The Pilot went not knowing what to expect and was thinking he was about to go to jail when Gabe asked him to sign the papers.
The Pilot read the document Gabe had just given him the Disco from the Neptune for his Disco.
The Man looked at Gabe with tears in his eyes. “I’ll pay you back.”
Gabe looked at the Man and fought to hold back the tears telling him. “When you get to where you can help someone else and have them do the same.”
A look of purpose came across the Pilots face as he told Gabe. “It would be my honor too Sir.”

Gabe sent the old Disco out to the Nova and back to the Neptune to be repaired as he wished the pilot and his family well then went to the Pilots lounge and set waiting on Donna to get back in the Buzzard.

Donna came in a little while later. “Gabe I give the Pilot his things. They were all happy and telling me to thank you as he put them in a new looking Disco and left what happened?”
Gabe told Donna everything that had happened as she stood looking at him with a blank look on her face.
Gabe knew that what he had done looked crazy as he waited on her reply.
Donna put her arms around Gabe and kissed him on the cheek saying. “You never cease to amaze me Gabe that was a good thing you done for them. And I have to tell you especially now how I fill about you.” [Donna kissed Gabe on the lips and looked into his eyes.] “I love you Gabe and I hope someday you’ll love me.”

[collins50]

Ed, I just got cought up with the last 4 chapters,

It was an amasing job you done, Thanks for sharing them with us.