A Starship Called Starsong

Chapter 12

I leaned back in the comfortable chair as I continued to try and link the details together in a way that made sense.

I eventually ventured, "So... Then I assume you plan to trade, while attending to rescues, pirates, and such, as they appear?"

"Your analysis is correct. Since we are not purely concerned with profit, trade can easily be put on hold while we attend more pressing matters."

I had never heard of such a system before, one that didn't revolve around money. I wasn't even sure what that would entail. I only had a vague idea of how a spaceship was run or how it reacted to various events nearby. I really only knew most of the duties of the cargo hold – and even then, I still lacked the training and experience to apply for an Overseer position in that area.

I tried to focus on the little bit that I did know. "I assume you plan to eventually have a full crew again, once you get the new ship?"

"Correct. I have been checking resumes and applications across the spaceweb, as well as doing my own background checks. Most are too inexperienced since an Overseer or Officer position requires someone who knows what they are doing. In the meantime, the remaining crew only needs to concern themselves with the essentials until we get to our destination in four days."

He apparently had an answer for everything. It didn't really surprise me though, since the AI would have gone through various possible scenarios as well as historical cases. They had an endless amount of data available to them, and they were quite capable of using it.

"I have a hard time seeing you appoint someone as Captain, so I assume you are going to retain that role?"

Regardless if he was an AI, at the moment, he was in complete control of the ship. Just as a Captain was supposed to be. I wasn't too sure when I had gone from referring to Tyndel as 'it' to 'he' or 'him', but the transition had occurred nonetheless. I was having a hard time remembering that he was technically just a computer considering his voice sounded human.

"Incorrect. There will be a Captain, as that is how the crew hierarchy was originally designed. The Captain and I will work together. However, there will be no First Officer as I will be the Captain's backup."

That revelation took me by surprise. "Oh," I said. "I hadn't realized that. Finding a good Captain will be a hard job. I know the five intergalactic companies are constantly searching, and they try to keep all the good ones within their organization."

"I have already located a good candidate. Training is always required with new crew members, regardless of their position, although some need more training than others. That candidate is you."

I blinked a few times. "Uh, could you repeat that last sentence? I think my ears need to be cleaned out..."

"Your qualifications make you an excellent candidate to be Captain."

Perhaps Logan's attempt to reverse the upgrade did addle the AI's wits... I did my best to back out of his mistaken decision. "Uh, sorry to break it to you, but I am not even qualified to run the Cargo Bay. I have only been out of university for two years, and even then, I only focused on Cargo Bay classes."

Being a Captain entailed a horrific amount of responsibility and no private personal life whatsoever. Besides, I had absolutely no clue how to run a ship.

This was like being dropped into an interplanetary dignitary's shoes and being told to arrange trades. I had no clue what we had, what we wanted, what anything was worth, or even if there were any pre-existing trades.

Tyndel ignored my protests. "All Captains start out knowing nothing. I will train you and ensure everything runs smoothly."

I shook my head, still stunned and not thinking entirely clearly. I said, "You should re-run those qualification checks. I barely even got into university with mine."