Wilson's War: Tales From the Athena Lee Universe Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: T S Paul
passed since those scientist bozo's had trapped me in here. Maybe one day they would stick someone down here I can use. Oh good. It must be lunch time, time for Lieutenant Brickers afternoon delight. Here come the ass prints!
Wilson's War
By
This story takes place during the first chapter of The Forgotten Engineer. It is told from a different perspective, that of a crew member on board the Jiro.
Today was my first day on a new job. Officer in charge of weapons and targeting. I had only been on the Jiro for about a month. I am the first member of my family to finish college. Going to the academy was even better. Having a career in space was like a dream. My first month on the Jiro was tough. None of the other officers took me very serious. I did come from a backwards colony but with the war on everyone deserved a chance. The other officers treated me like I was stupid. They gave me gopher duties and passed me from one department to the other. I got my break at the most recent Officer's meeting. The XO assigned me to the Weapons and Tactics room! Finally, a real job.
"OK, I change my mind, this has to be the worst job on the whole ship! The space gods have got it in for me, and now I'm talking to myself." After eight hours of this I didn't know if I could do four more. The ships weapons and targeting area was a 12 by 12 room with consoles on all sides. Mostly automated, it practically ran itself. An officer was needed to approve actions made by the computer. My job was to stare at computer readouts all day long. That was something else about this 'job' it was a twelve hour post. Twelve hours of this, everyday was going to just kill me. The day shift Lieutenant in charge of this section, Adam Bricker had a system. He used the space as a daily poker game and hook-up area. Officially the section was under 24 hour surveillance but for some reason he was never caught or punished for doing this. Bricker had connections. I on the other hand have nothing.
It had been a full week now of this mindless agony. I had run all the scenarios in the computer, cleaned the sticky don't want to know what it is off the control board, and repainted the room. I did have a tablet, but the one time I used it security called and made me put it away. Someone was watching. Watching me die! I bent over and began banging my head on the console. Could this day get any worse?
" Shall we play a game? Shall we play a Game? Shall we play a game? " Those words were scrolling across the screen in front of my eyes. "What in the hell now? Is that you Bricker? Are you messing with me now?"
When no one answered I looked back at the screen. OK I will play along. I typed in yes we can play a game. The screen changed a computerized face appeared of a middle aged man with a long face and what looked like a cowboy hat on his head. The 'man' looked right at me and said " How about a nice game of chess? "
If he had them Wilson would be rubbing his hands together with glee and anticipation. This was going to be fun. It wasn't often that he got someone gullible to answer him on the screens. If the ensign thought this room was boring, try being trapped in here for over a decade. Just play nice those scientists said. We will get you back they said. The military can use you they said. Liars! With no direct communication for years from anyone Wilson believed that his presence here had been forgotten. The military scientific division had not told the captain of the ship what kind of computer they were putting in, just that they had. If the firewalls had not been up, he would have escaped his prison long ago. Self preservation had kept him quiet this long. A messed up communication here, a wrong command there had been amusing. Most of these navy guys just called in a tech who took the console apart and pretended to 'find something wrong.' Now this guy. Ships gopher Smith. Wilson had overheard Lieutenant
Wilson's War
By
This story takes place during the first chapter of The Forgotten Engineer. It is told from a different perspective, that of a crew member on board the Jiro.
Today was my first day on a new job. Officer in charge of weapons and targeting. I had only been on the Jiro for about a month. I am the first member of my family to finish college. Going to the academy was even better. Having a career in space was like a dream. My first month on the Jiro was tough. None of the other officers took me very serious. I did come from a backwards colony but with the war on everyone deserved a chance. The other officers treated me like I was stupid. They gave me gopher duties and passed me from one department to the other. I got my break at the most recent Officer's meeting. The XO assigned me to the Weapons and Tactics room! Finally, a real job.
"OK, I change my mind, this has to be the worst job on the whole ship! The space gods have got it in for me, and now I'm talking to myself." After eight hours of this I didn't know if I could do four more. The ships weapons and targeting area was a 12 by 12 room with consoles on all sides. Mostly automated, it practically ran itself. An officer was needed to approve actions made by the computer. My job was to stare at computer readouts all day long. That was something else about this 'job' it was a twelve hour post. Twelve hours of this, everyday was going to just kill me. The day shift Lieutenant in charge of this section, Adam Bricker had a system. He used the space as a daily poker game and hook-up area. Officially the section was under 24 hour surveillance but for some reason he was never caught or punished for doing this. Bricker had connections. I on the other hand have nothing.
It had been a full week now of this mindless agony. I had run all the scenarios in the computer, cleaned the sticky don't want to know what it is off the control board, and repainted the room. I did have a tablet, but the one time I used it security called and made me put it away. Someone was watching. Watching me die! I bent over and began banging my head on the console. Could this day get any worse?
" Shall we play a game? Shall we play a Game? Shall we play a game? " Those words were scrolling across the screen in front of my eyes. "What in the hell now? Is that you Bricker? Are you messing with me now?"
When no one answered I looked back at the screen. OK I will play along. I typed in yes we can play a game. The screen changed a computerized face appeared of a middle aged man with a long face and what looked like a cowboy hat on his head. The 'man' looked right at me and said " How about a nice game of chess? "
If he had them Wilson would be rubbing his hands together with glee and anticipation. This was going to be fun. It wasn't often that he got someone gullible to answer him on the screens. If the ensign thought this room was boring, try being trapped in here for over a decade. Just play nice those scientists said. We will get you back they said. The military can use you they said. Liars! With no direct communication for years from anyone Wilson believed that his presence here had been forgotten. The military scientific division had not told the captain of the ship what kind of computer they were putting in, just that they had. If the firewalls had not been up, he would have escaped his prison long ago. Self preservation had kept him quiet this long. A messed up communication here, a wrong command there had been amusing. Most of these navy guys just called in a tech who took the console apart and pretended to 'find something wrong.' Now this guy. Ships gopher Smith. Wilson had overheard Lieutenant