Starship Armstrong - Season 3

Part 62 - Old Habits (IV)

"I want to speak with the Captain of Locks," said Mupallidat-Tiamat.

"Most people do," said Tauthe, the Engineer-caste doorwoman, "the Captain of Locks has many pressing demands on his time. He cannot-"

"He's going to want to talk to me. I have people the Captains are going to want to meet."

"Who could that possible be in all the world?"

"People from another Starship."

"Babyshit."

Mupallidat-Tiamat gestured behind her towards the strangers.

"Look at their clothes. Where do you think they're from, one of the barbarian villages?"

"The Captain of Locks doesn't have time for this," said Tauthe.

"Are you going to take personal responsibility if it later turns out that, yes, he did actually have time for this incredibly important era-defining event?"

Tauthe narrowed her eyes.

"Let me just call this in," she said.

She touched the communicator on the top of her hand.

"Captain I have some unauthorizeds here seeking entry. They're with an Operations Officer who claims they're from a Starship."

There was a moment of silence.

"No Captain, a different Starship."

More silence.

"You can go ahead in," said Tauthe. "Don't bother the Captain of Locks though, go directly to the bridge."

She pressed a button and the great secondary airlock began to hiss and groan. Once it had been appeased it opened to allow entry to the Hall of Elders. The group stepped inside and the decompression ritual began anew.

"Did you see that communicator? That was Babylonian tech," said Lieutenant-Commander, while they waited.

"Are you just catching up now?" asked Dr. Kang. "Our guide here's name is 'she who is quickened by Tiamat'."

"It might be she who is quickened by chaos," offered McAfree.

"You two speak the Old Tongue?" asked Mupallidat-Tiatmat.

There outsiders really were amazing. It wasn't hard to believe they were actually from another Starship.

Dr. Kang replied in the Old Tongue, but Mupallidat-Tiamat didn't speak enough of it to follow. He said something about speaking, and then not bending his tongue, and then possibly something about barbarians. Barbarian sensibilities?

"Don't worry, he's not this bad once you get to know him," said McAfree. "He's about an undecillion times worse."

Now she really wished she understood what he had said.

"I am taking you all to meet our Captains," Mupallidat-Tiamat explained. "Please do not say anything that will get me in trouble."

"You don't have to worry about that," said Lieutenant-Commander.

"Don't lie to the poor girl!" chirped McAfree.

The airlock hissed open and they were granted entry to the Hall. The interior of the magnificent building never ceased to amaze Mupallidat-Tiamat, although she had seen it dozens and dozens of times. Flameless, sunless light filled every room day and night. They floors were covered in a thin carpet that never seemed to get dirty. The walls were sturdy metal that no animal could hope to penetrate.

Captains and high ranking members of the Engineer, Helmsmen and Operations castes went about important business, bustling down hallways and going in and out of doors.

"Come this way," said Mupallidat-Tiamat.

She led the outsiders through the wonders of the Hall of Elders and down to the bridge where the Captain of Captains would be. Once he was involved the responsibility for these outsiders would be out of Mupallidat-Tiamat's hands. She hoped she would still get to see their Starship though. They had made a deal after all.

Ana-Sin-Emid, the Captain of Captains, Lord of Starship Iannusu, sat in his command throne seeing to the smooth running of the Starship and all who dwelled within her. He barked orders at various Operations-caste underlings who ran to and fro seeing to his will.

Awil-Ishtar, chief of Operations and Mupallidat-Tiamat's uncle, met them at the entrance.

"What are you doing here Mupallidat-Tiamat?" he asked.

"I'm here to see the Captain of Captains," she explained. "I've brought outsiders from another Starship to meet him."

"That was you?" demanded her uncle. "I just got the hail about it."

"That was me," said Mupallidat-Tiamat.

She stepped aside so her uncle could get a better view of the others.

"Well come in, come in," said her uncle. "Come in at once. I will alert the Captain of Captains at once! At once!"

Awil-Ishtar ran off and whispered in the Captain's ear. He turned to look behind him, and glared at the outsiders. With obvious effort the rotund bearded man slowly stood. He looked over the outsiders slowly.

"I am Ana-Sin-Emid, Captain of all Captains," he said. "Who are you are where are you from?"

"I am Lieutenant-Commander Mitzner of the Huxley Foundation Starship Armstrong. We come from the core worlds, I suppose Mars if you made me pick just one."

"Hrm," said the Captain. "So you say. You'll have to forgive me if I'm skeptical that you're actually from another Starship."

"To be fair I think my people's definition of the word is somewhat different from your people's definition," said Lieutenant-Commander.

"Why are you here?" asked the Captain.

"We're explorers. We're looking to meet other human civilizations like your own."

"Why would you want to do that?"

Lieutenant-Commander seemed genuinely stumped by that one.

"Galactic peace?" she guessed.

"Whatever that means. I would be interested in learning more about what it is you're up to where ever it is that you're up to it," said the Captain.

"They've promised to take me to see their Starship," Mupallidat-Tiamat spoke up. It wasn't strictly appropriate for her to address the Captain of Captains directly but she saw her chance to really stake her claim. "In exchange for bringing them here."

Her uncle shot her a withering look.

"Is this true?" asked the Captain.

"It is," confirmed Lieutenant-Commander. "Now that I've seen your own Starship I think it would be a very good idea for Mupallydak-Tiamat to see ours."

"You have my permission to do that then," said the Captain. "Make it so. I have other matters to attend to."

Uncle Awil-Ishtar quickly escorted the group from the bridge.