[ABOARD THE LONGSHOT, DOCKED AT ROCKPORT]
After having handed that Captain...Captain...
~~What was his name, again?...Magus?...No! Marcus! Marcus Falling!...No, no, no, his last name was softer than that...Fallen. Yeah, that was it...Captain Marcus Fallen...~~
After having handed Captain Fallen off to Khea to deal with,
and made an appointment for tomorrow morning to look into this possible Ship's Doctor--Vonon realized that all his recent stressing over the Crew had wiped him out. Time for a shot of rum, then off to bed.
When he woke the next morning, after he'd cleaned up and dressed, he found there was a text message from Khea waiting for him on his personal comm-unit.
COMM STARTS >>>
Kheaiftouaw:
"Vonon, I got an idea. With two other engineers I could leave the engine room to them and resume my position as shipmaster. That means managing salaries and other organizational matters to keep the captain free to make decisions about the ship."
<<< COMM ENDS
Frowning in thought, Vonon responds with his own text--typing rapidly with both thumbs.
COMM STARTS >>>
"Those duties sound like what the Imperial Spacers Guild attribute to the job of Steward. Maintaining Ship Accounts, Payroll and Crew Benefits, Ship Supplies, Passenger Care--that kind of thing. Is that what you're talking about? I was going to assign Evelyn as Ship's Steward, under Sir Walter's supervision--but if these are the duties you Aslan call Shipmaster duties, then you could be Steward, with Evelyn as your assistant. If it's what you want to do."
<<< COM ENDS
Vonon hits send, then walks out of The Captain's Cabin, heading across the companionway to the Mess Hall for a cup of Kaff.
Today Vonon is dressed in hunter green velour trousers, tucked into the space-rated, black thigh-boots from his old Patrol uniform. A garishly bright-yellow, loose-fitting, wide-collared cotton shirt does little to distract from the clash between Vonon's natural auburn-colored fur, and the eye-sore of a neon-green silk ascot he has twisted around his neck.
With a large cup of the caffeinated Vilani beverage in hand--made to his taste, with a dollop of light molasses and just a little cream--Vonon walks onto the Bridge just in time to hear a door announcement from the Comm Station.
COM STARTS >>> "Reese Hardsimm to see Captain Ronkunu." <<< COMM ENDS came from the speaker, as a video monitor off to the side of the Main Bridge Monitor popped up a picture of a human male standing down at the main airlock.
~~How late did I sleep?~~ Vonon thought, taking a sip of his Kaff, as his eyes wandered to the chrono...
...almost causing him to spit out the Kaff all over the Comm Station.
~~Seventh Hour?! Most Banks are still closed!~~ Vonon thought in indignation, as he gulped down the sip of kaff he'd almost sprayed over the Bridge, and opened the intercom circuit.
COMM STARTS >>> "Although it would be demeaning for a sophont of my standing to do so--I am very tempted, right now, to just growl at you. You are aware of the earliness of the hour?" <<< COMM ENDS