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Brooks’s return trip to the Craton had been in solitude, after Dr. Y had elected to stay for a bit longer on the medical station to lend what aid he could to their other patients.
Brooks had no issues allowing that, and took the trip back planning out some of his own moves. The work ahead of him was important, perhaps most of all to him. To find Hoc Rem would help answer not just many questions and perhaps provide new leads, but would also be a personal victory. It was bad enough Rem had assassinated Nec Tede in front of him, but he’d also tried to kill multiple members of his crew. Brooks would not let that stand.
Which meant he would not be sending out a Response Team.
While he had confidence in them in many things, covert operations were not one of them. Pirra was very recognizable, and she had little practical experience in covert ops.
He’d go himself.
The loss of Iago’s personal skills panged, and Brooks thought again of the man, vowing to check on him as soon as he could.
Though he was not even sure if the man would still be here when he got back to the Craton.
Iago had experience in covert operations and could blend. He would have made a good partner.
He’d considered the other officers, even Kai herself, but the former were too inexperienced in this, and Kai had old injuries that kept her from field work.
It would just be him, then.
Still with a few minutes left to wait, he checked on Ambassador Kell, but found that the Shoggoth was still unavailable.
It annoyed him, but there was little he could do about it.
“Send a message to the Ambassador,” he said. “Invite him to a showing of Ussa and Usser when it premieres on the ship.”
The computer produced a message, and he checked it before approving it and sending it off.
He did not know if Shoggoths enjoyed plays, or were even capable of enjoying plays. But if it was as good as people said, then surely it might have some interest, to learn more about humankind.
The shuttle docked, and he exited, finding Cutter waiting patiently.
“Chief Engineer,” he said.
“Captain. I have completed negotiations with Hull-man. His crews will begin in one hour.”
Brooks arched an eyebrow. “That is quick. I thought we’d have to wait another day at least.”
“I negotiated,” Cutter replied.
Brooks smiled. “I hope Hullman didn’t walk away hating us too badly.”
“Hate? No. I allowed a certain margin of ‘graft’ within my budgeting. I believe that Hull-man is quite pleased. His suppliers, however? Not so much.”
“And the workers . . . ?”
“Well-compensated. Their Guilds will likewise be pleased. But the laborers themselves will receive very generous pay.”
“Good,” Brooks said. “Cutter, as of now, Jaya, Urle, and myself are taking some of our leave time.”
Cutter’s head twitched, and Brooks knew that the Beetle-Slug was severely disapproving.
Not because of the three commanding officers going off-duty at once – Brooks had no real concerns that there would be an attack on the Craton, and anyway Jaya and Urle should both be reachable in an emergency, even if he would briefly not be.
But he knew that Beetle-Slugs truly, deeply did not understand the concept of taking vacations.
They simply lived their work, and even when not on-duty were frequently doing other tasks related to work. Their concept of a hobby was doing things that made you more skilled in your labor, and they took extreme, almost religious pride in doing work well.
It would have made them extremely popular on less developed places like Gohhi as wage-slaves, if not for the fact that they also had no cultural concept of private property.
So Brooks knew that Cutter was alarmed, offended, and in some ways disappointed that the other officers might be taking some time off.
He would, however, have to simply deal with it, and he was a professional officer who could certainly manage that.
“Very well, Captain,” Cutter replied. “Who acts in your stead?”
“You will,” Brooks said. “Since you are also in charge of repairs.”
“Understood.” The Beetle-Slug saluted, and Brooks returned it.
Brooks then turned and headed off into the ship, seeking first the armory, then the printer rooms and finally the medical section. It was time to get into costume for his trip onto the station.
Other Terrestrial 
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