Chapter 13p3 – Equipping the Pelican

Milly and Overard deliberated for a few minutes before making a decision.

“Equipping the Pelican with a forcefield or an EMP could be really helpful,” said Milly, “but even then, we’re not really going to win any space battles. Maybe we should try for a Jitterdrive, with the cloaking device.”

“Makes sense,” agreed Overard. “Now to see if there’s one available…”

They wandered over to the Help Desk and asked to speak with the curator. The attendant directed them to an elevator that brought them to the underfloor of the floating structure. They found themselves in a lobby surrounded by offices with large, thick windows. Strategically placed glass floor panels allowed them to see the pitted, battle-scarred ground, a kilometre or more below.

The curator was a plump, rosy-cheeked man with a jovial moustache and fierce black eyes. He wore a military uniform with blindingly shiny buttons and plenty of swishing tassels. He greeted them with a casual salute. “What can I do for you, friends?”

“I’ll get right to the point,” said Overard. “We’ve got a crippled freighter in your docks that needs an engine.”

The curator stroked his moustache. “For that you need a mechanic, not the director of a museum, don’t you think?”

“We tried that,” said Milly. “They, um… They didn’t have anything that fit a Gyrian-made ship.”

“Ah, proprietary connector types, eh?” The curator shook his head. “In the military, all our engines had universal adapters. But still, we are a museum, not a parts shop. Our engines are only for historical display.”

“We thought you might say that,” said Overard.

About Tim Sevenhuysen

Tim Sevenhuysen writes sci-fi and other genre fiction. He is a microfiction expert, having written over 600 fifty-word stories. He is also a noncertifiable lunatic.

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