Fic Update: Book of Jason - Interlude, Part 3
Same deal as before.
Memories of all posted parts.
Disclaimers here or here.
3.
Starbuck wiped the grease off his hands and tossed the dirtied cloth onto the nearby workbench. “I think that should do it,” he said, nodding to the mechanic. “Try it now.”
The mechanic, a Sagittan named Korrick, leaned over into the open cockpit of the Asp-class fighter they’d been repairing and flipped a switch. They listened carefully to the escalating whine of the Asp’s navigation system coming online. After a moment, the noise ceased. Starbuck met Korrick’s eyes. Korrick punched a command into the onboard computer, then grinned.
“Well?” Starbuck said, although he could guess from the look on Korrick’s face the repairs were successful.
“What do you know? This little baby’s sitting on the third flight deck of Liberty Station, about a hundred meters from the airlock.”
“A hundred, huh?” Starbuck peered toward the opening. The force field gave the stars beyond a twinkly, bluish tint. “Seems more like ninety-nine to me. We’d better calibrate this again.”
“Starbuck!” Korrick laughed. “We are not doing this again. This is good enough. Hades, for my money, it was good enough when the ship thought it was still on the Pegasus. It’s not like anyone’s going to be using this hunk of junk for anything other than spare parts.”
Starbuck patted the Asp’s nose. “This hunk of junk, as you call her, has still got some life left in her. She’s worth more than spare parts.”
Korrick slid the pilot canopy back into place. “If you say so.” He climbed down to the deck and unhooked the access ladder from the Asp. Starbuck closed the panels he’d opened to gain entry to the Asp’s navigation systems and tidied up his borrowed tools.
“I do say so,” Starbuck replied. “You shouldn’t toss stuff out because it gets old. That’s just wasteful.”
Korrick clapped Starbuck on the shoulder. “Every time I forget you’re an orphan, you go and say things like that.”
Starbuck shook his head. “Just because I think it’s better to get full use out of things is no reason to insult me.”
“Not an insult, my friend,” Korrick said. “Just an observation.”
“So you say.”
“Hurry up with that. Dinner’s about ready and you’re running late. Second Seventhday of the month, you know.”
“Wish I could forget.”
“Now, now. You’re the envy of us all. You know that.”
Starbuck laughed, but there was no humor in it. Korrick clapped him on the shoulder once more and followed his friend into the mechanic’s ready room.
On to Part 4!!
Memories of all posted parts.
Disclaimers here or here.
3.
Starbuck wiped the grease off his hands and tossed the dirtied cloth onto the nearby workbench. “I think that should do it,” he said, nodding to the mechanic. “Try it now.”
The mechanic, a Sagittan named Korrick, leaned over into the open cockpit of the Asp-class fighter they’d been repairing and flipped a switch. They listened carefully to the escalating whine of the Asp’s navigation system coming online. After a moment, the noise ceased. Starbuck met Korrick’s eyes. Korrick punched a command into the onboard computer, then grinned.
“Well?” Starbuck said, although he could guess from the look on Korrick’s face the repairs were successful.
“What do you know? This little baby’s sitting on the third flight deck of Liberty Station, about a hundred meters from the airlock.”
“A hundred, huh?” Starbuck peered toward the opening. The force field gave the stars beyond a twinkly, bluish tint. “Seems more like ninety-nine to me. We’d better calibrate this again.”
“Starbuck!” Korrick laughed. “We are not doing this again. This is good enough. Hades, for my money, it was good enough when the ship thought it was still on the Pegasus. It’s not like anyone’s going to be using this hunk of junk for anything other than spare parts.”
Starbuck patted the Asp’s nose. “This hunk of junk, as you call her, has still got some life left in her. She’s worth more than spare parts.”
Korrick slid the pilot canopy back into place. “If you say so.” He climbed down to the deck and unhooked the access ladder from the Asp. Starbuck closed the panels he’d opened to gain entry to the Asp’s navigation systems and tidied up his borrowed tools.
“I do say so,” Starbuck replied. “You shouldn’t toss stuff out because it gets old. That’s just wasteful.”
Korrick clapped Starbuck on the shoulder. “Every time I forget you’re an orphan, you go and say things like that.”
Starbuck shook his head. “Just because I think it’s better to get full use out of things is no reason to insult me.”
“Not an insult, my friend,” Korrick said. “Just an observation.”
“So you say.”
“Hurry up with that. Dinner’s about ready and you’re running late. Second Seventhday of the month, you know.”
“Wish I could forget.”
“Now, now. You’re the envy of us all. You know that.”
Starbuck laughed, but there was no humor in it. Korrick clapped him on the shoulder once more and followed his friend into the mechanic’s ready room.
On to Part 4!!