Unexpected News, part 12
Dylan stood at the pilot's station, waiting for Beka to relieve him. The first officer came bounding through the hatch, "Sorry I'm late!" Dylan grinned, "I can't think what could have kept you." Beka blushed, "I take it you know then?" Dylan smiled, "Rommie and I ran into the two of you in the corridor yesterday." Beka was confused, "I don't remember that." Laughing, Dylan left command, "You where kind of busy."
Harper was in the machine shop, working on his X-1 replica when Dylan found him, "Harper, I need your help with something." The engineer put his welder down, "Sure thing. What you want?" Dylan smiled, "Walk this way."
Harper looked at the bulkhead and shock his head, "You want me to cut a hole in the wall and connect your quarters to the room next-door. Why?" Dylan handed him a flexi, "Because I'm going to build a nursery in there. The Commonwealth didn't expect its senior officers to settle down and start family's on-ship. We already have the biggest quarters on ship, but its barely enough room for Rommie and me as it is."
Looking at the flexi, then the wall, Harper whistled, "It's one heck of a job you've got planed. You sure Andromeda doesn't mind us cutting holes through her like this? Andromeda's holographic form appeared, "It's the best solution to the problem." Dylan nodded, "And I want it done before Rommie gets off-shift this evening, so we better get started. Andromeda, can you please keep my wife busy until we're done?" The hologram nodded and blinked out.
Harper carefully chalked the new door's outline on the bulkhead, and then pulled on his goggles, "Stand back!" Dylan shielded his eyes as Harper, using his laser-cutter, slowly followed the chalk line. There was a loud thud as the section of wall left standing fell into the room beyond. Harper surveyed his handwork, "There you go: instant extension." Dylan slapped the engineer on the back, "Outstanding work Harper. Thank you."
Rommie sat at her station in the AI control room, "Look, I've tried six times: we can't adjust the setting without replacing the boards, and that's a job for Harper." On the screen, Andromeda nodded, "I agree: I will ask him to look into it tomorrow." Rommie stood, "I have an appointment to see Trance in medical, and I want to get changed first. I'll be back tomorrow." She turned and left, not seeing Andromeda's image smile on the screen.
Rommie thumped the door controls, and when the door opened, was surprised to see the lights where out. She hit the switch, and gasped: Dylan stood in the new doorway, a huge grin in his face, "Surprise! I hope you don't mind, but I had Andromeda distract you while Harper helped me with a few things." Rommie was speechless as Dylan showed her the new nursery, "I ordered the stuff from the Drift just before we left on honeymoon, and Andromeda hid it for me when we got back." Rommie smiled, "It's perfect. Thank you."
TBC
Dylan stood at the pilot's station, waiting for Beka to relieve him. The first officer came bounding through the hatch, "Sorry I'm late!" Dylan grinned, "I can't think what could have kept you." Beka blushed, "I take it you know then?" Dylan smiled, "Rommie and I ran into the two of you in the corridor yesterday." Beka was confused, "I don't remember that." Laughing, Dylan left command, "You where kind of busy."
Harper was in the machine shop, working on his X-1 replica when Dylan found him, "Harper, I need your help with something." The engineer put his welder down, "Sure thing. What you want?" Dylan smiled, "Walk this way."
Harper looked at the bulkhead and shock his head, "You want me to cut a hole in the wall and connect your quarters to the room next-door. Why?" Dylan handed him a flexi, "Because I'm going to build a nursery in there. The Commonwealth didn't expect its senior officers to settle down and start family's on-ship. We already have the biggest quarters on ship, but its barely enough room for Rommie and me as it is."
Looking at the flexi, then the wall, Harper whistled, "It's one heck of a job you've got planed. You sure Andromeda doesn't mind us cutting holes through her like this? Andromeda's holographic form appeared, "It's the best solution to the problem." Dylan nodded, "And I want it done before Rommie gets off-shift this evening, so we better get started. Andromeda, can you please keep my wife busy until we're done?" The hologram nodded and blinked out.
Harper carefully chalked the new door's outline on the bulkhead, and then pulled on his goggles, "Stand back!" Dylan shielded his eyes as Harper, using his laser-cutter, slowly followed the chalk line. There was a loud thud as the section of wall left standing fell into the room beyond. Harper surveyed his handwork, "There you go: instant extension." Dylan slapped the engineer on the back, "Outstanding work Harper. Thank you."
Rommie sat at her station in the AI control room, "Look, I've tried six times: we can't adjust the setting without replacing the boards, and that's a job for Harper." On the screen, Andromeda nodded, "I agree: I will ask him to look into it tomorrow." Rommie stood, "I have an appointment to see Trance in medical, and I want to get changed first. I'll be back tomorrow." She turned and left, not seeing Andromeda's image smile on the screen.
Rommie thumped the door controls, and when the door opened, was surprised to see the lights where out. She hit the switch, and gasped: Dylan stood in the new doorway, a huge grin in his face, "Surprise! I hope you don't mind, but I had Andromeda distract you while Harper helped me with a few things." Rommie was speechless as Dylan showed her the new nursery, "I ordered the stuff from the Drift just before we left on honeymoon, and Andromeda hid it for me when we got back." Rommie smiled, "It's perfect. Thank you."
TBC
