The Apprentice Starship Engineer: Book One The Link Read Online Free PDF Page A

them professors wants his shower temperature turned up. We have rules for just about everything, and his temp is as hot as they’ll allow. Stella is non-union, and can’t touch our equipment, except during the worst disaster. Truth is, if she played with stuff, we’d have one. Shower temp don’t sound like much, but to turn his up we’d have to turn it up for one fourth of the ship. If someone got burned with the hot water, the company would be sued. Company would find out that Jack and I had broken the rules. That would be the end of our careers. No way are we going to turn his heat up.” He toured me around, stopping in the electronics area. “You’re off to a good start, bringing donuts and coffee. That’s what apprentices should do.”
    Bob had me make parts in the replicators while he worked on equipment at his bench. When Stella stalked out, she didn’t even give us the nose salute. Jack came out with a cup of coffee in his hand. He looked as if he’d taken a beating. He nodded at me as I started the replicator and then went over to my work area. He went through the box, checking every drawer.
    He looked me, and said, “You check the tool list. If you’re missing any tools, go ahead and replicate them. Get your tools together now while you have the time.”
    After morning break, Bob had me follow along to work on an intermittent transporter. He had me plug Margret into the control panel and run a diagnostic program. Everything checked out fine so he had me take it for a ride. As he looked over my shoulder, he showed me how the different parts worked. I could see the processor’s output for speed direction and opening and closing the door. We stopped at a section, and a young woman stepped in. I just glanced at her, but was aware she was nice-looking.
    She looked at the back wall of the transport and sighed, “That’s wrong, dam it,” she said.
    Bob looked up at her. “What’s wrong?”
    “They have the wrong time on my flyer.”
    Bob and I looked at the display screen that covered the back wall. It advertised a self-defense class for beginners at sixteen hundred. “Well, ma’am, this is your lucky day, as we’re the people who can fix this disaster. What time would you like it to display?”
    “Eighteen hundred. Your shift ends at sixteen hundred. That would give you enough time to make it to my class.”
    “Yeah, if I wanted to I could. Do you want us to change your display?”
    “Yes, that would be fantastic.” She looked straight at me. “Come to my class. It’ll be fun.”
    She had a bright smile, and appeared excited and happy. Did I mention she was pretty? “Of course. At eighteen hundred Monday, Wednesday and Friday,” I said, probably with a stupid grin on my face.
    Bob chuckled softly and gave me directions to the screens to change her flyer and upload the changes to the server to distribute across the ship.
    “Thanks for fixing my flyer,” she said, reaching out to me. I felt embarrassed as I took her hand. “My name is Sandra Marsh.”
    “Drake Wilson. You’re welcome, Sandra,” I said.
    She smiled at me as the door opened. “Well, I guess I’ll be seeing you tonight then.”
    Bob and I watched in silence as she walked away, letting out a sigh together.
    Bob socked me in the shoulder. “Not a chance in frozen hell, geeky boy. Let’s button this poor machine up and let it run to failure.” We both laughed as I closed up the panel.
    * * * *
    I propped up Margret, preparing to study through dinner. Jack had scared me good this afternoon. He’s hard to read, especially when he’s scowling. He’d marched into the shop and called me into his office. I’d thought it was the end and that I’d spend the rest of the trip washing dishes. He’d told me to take a seat, then he’d outlined my apprentice program, making sure I could access the tutorials and study material. He’d made Margret show him that she could indeed get me to them. He’d assigned me the first four