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Episode #114:  The Guy in Sector 7-b    
Reel 1 
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	In the infirmary, Dr. Emma Sampson looked over compatibility charts. 
Her patient, the young communications officer whose brains had been fried
yesterday, needed blood, and she was trying to find the appropriate donor. 
She had failed in this miserably; there were none suitable.
 
	Was it really my fault, she thought, that my worst patient has one
of the rarest blood types in Homo sapiens sapiens?  Out of boredom, she
began cross-referencing the current open file of a man in engineering. 
That was the first flag in her mind; on a ship whose crew was overwhelmingly
female, men were a rarity.  She looked more closely at the information.
 
	Black hair, very close to two meters tall, average build.  Black
eyes, small nose.  All in all, a typical Japanese man.
 
	Which was, of course, a departure from their captain, who was not a
man, and was only fourth generation Japanese.  Not her fault, of course;
Sampson, as one of four blacks on the crew, was the last person to be
labeled a racist.  Then again, their entire bridge crew was abnormal.  It
was in the lower departments that people fit the typical Japanese motif.
 
	Like Eric Lunestes, Engineering Technician, Sector 7-b. 
 
*** 
 
	In her cabin, Sailor Orion picked up a rather nice crystal
paperweight.  It had been given to her as a graduation present from one of
her elementary school teachers.  It weighed about two kilograms, was a bit
less than the size of a fist, and refracted the light from the overheads
into a beautiful array of rainbows.
 
	She tossed it up and caught it, getting the feel of it.  Then she
wound up and hurled it at the opposite wall, dashing it to pieces.
 
	"That was hardly an effective show of emotions, Sailor Orion." 
 
	"Shut up, Antares." 
 
	"You know, I do have the equivalent of a degree in psychiatry-" 
 
	"And I'd thank you not to practice here." 
 
	"Orion, do you really think you could have done anything differently
to prevent Hanasu's injury?"
 
	"Yes."  As she was prone to do while upset, she began pacing.  "I
could have held regular drills, caught on to their intent earlier, any
number of things."
 
	"Any number of things that a more experienced commander would have
thought of without thinking?"
 
	"Exactly!" 
 
	"Sailor Orion, you are not an experienced commander.  You are, in
fact, as green as grass.  You've been in space for a matter of weeks."
 
	"Not an excuse." 
 
	"Fine, then I'll speak with you when you're more receptive." 
 
	She picked up another paperweight. 
 
*** 
 
	Orion jogged down the hallway, panting slightly.  After leaving the
infirmary on a sympathy visit, she had decided to make sure Hanasu's fate
would not be shared by anyone else.
 
	'Time,' she thought, 'for a surprise inspection.' 
 
	She reached Gangway B and started down the steps.  It had been a
couple of days since the attack, and things should have been put back
together.  Hence, the reason for the inspection: to make sure their job had
been done properly.
 
	Best to start with discipline.  She came to the end of the gangway
and came to the double doors that lead to the engineering department proper. 
Right now, the meter-thick doors were open, but during an emergency they
would be slammed shut.  Orion didn't know what good that was supposed to do
if the fusion reactors went bonkers, but the engineers must have had their
reasons.
 
	She grabbed a heavy-duty headset from a rack next to the door and
struggled to put it on.  It was a yellow model, designed to keep noise out
as well as provide audio from elsewhere. And much as the bridge had several
channels to itself, so did engineering.  With a headset, you could discuss a
problem with someone across the room without shouting, and with engineering
the size that it was, you needed to shout.
 
	On a ship where space was always at a premium, Engineering was
undoubtedly the largest open space on the ship, with amazingly high ceilings
that reached nearly a hundred meters in height.  Catwalks were everywhere,
with ladders, turbines, and all sorts of mechanical equipment that was great
to show on official tours.
 
	Scientists in the twentieth century had called it the Christmas tree
effect.  When dealing with the press, researchers often hauled out heavy,
complex looking equipment that often had nothing to do with why the press
was there.  It just made for good TV.  And all these machines made for a
good cosmetic look.
 
	But Sailor Orion didn't wear makeup. 
 
	"Commander Bennington," she said into her mike, knowing that the
message was going out to all engineering personnel with a headset.  "Could
you please come to gate 4-A?"
 
	"Sure," came the reply.  "I'll be right down." 
 
	Orion leaned against the doorsill, tapping her foot.  Engineering
had several doors, and they were more or less the only way to get in.  It
was like another country in here, with its own customs and jargon.  The
motto in the other departments was: "There's engineering, and there's
everything else."
 
	A few moments later, Lieutenant Commander Gustav Bennington came
from around a corner, along with another man and woman.  Orion arched an
eyebrow.
 
	"Oh, these are my two apprentices, sir," he explained in his slight 
German accent.  He hated Scots with a passion Orion hadn't understood.  Nor 
had she understood why her first officer had nearly fainted with relief upon 
finding that Bennington was of German descent, not Scottish. 
 
	"This is Lieutenant Ami Furahawa, and this is Lieutenant Eric
Lunestes. I'm teaching them the run of the department, since one of these
two'll be my right-hand man.  Or woman," he added with a cough.
 
	"Ah, I've heard a bit about you two.  I get reports constantly, and
Mr.  Bennington can't stop gushing about your prowess."
 
	Both had the grace to look embarrassed.  Bennington spoke up.  "Now,
sir, to what do we owe the honor of your visit here?"
 
	"Oh, an inspection.  Surprise, actually.  Would you like to show me
the department?"
 
	Bennington's jaw dropped.  "*All* of engineering, sir?  That's a
good part of the ship!"
 
	"I'm in no hurry." 
 
	"Mein Gott.  Eric, run and get some pressure suits; we'll need them
when we get to Power Central.  Captain, right this way, please."
 
	He conducted Orion to a monstrosity of metal and crystal.  "Welcome
to my office!"
 
*** 
 
	Some time later, Orion completed her tour at the Fold generators. 
They were about the size of an automobile, circular, and seemed to shimmer
as you looked at them.  She had seen that sort of effect before, in a small
girl with pink hair who popped up at the strangest times . . . .
 
	"You're to be commended, Bennington-san.  Everything is in perfect
order."
 
	"That's what we aim for, sir.  I'm sorry about the oil, though." 
 
	"It's okay, really."  She looked again at the spot of grease that
had landed on her bodice again.  "I'm pretty sure these things handle stains
easily." She hoped so; being a senshi could literally get bloody at times.
 
	"No, it was my fault sir.  Completely."  Bennington blamed the
problem on a leaky pipe, and claimed to have severely castigated the
perpetrator.  In actuality, he had just sent Ami along to tell him off, and
summoned Eric to accompany them.  "Sir, if I may make a suggestion?"
 
	She sighed, and caught a glance with Eric, who looked like he was
desperately trying to fight off sleep.  "Go ahead."
 
	"Sir, I could suggest that you take some 413p solution here, and try
to take that stain out?  We get our uniforms dirty all the time down here,
and it works wonders."
 
	"413p?"  She took the bottle and inspected it closely.  The fluid
within was clear, and bubbled slightly as she handled it.  "What's it made
out of?"
 
	"I made it," offered Eric.  "You see, it was kind of my invention. 
It won first prize at the Crystal Tokyo Science Fair of 4014."
 
	"4014? School district numbers in CT only go up to 2000." 
 
	"Oh, did I say 4014?"  He laughed uneasily, putting a hand behind
his head.  "I meant 3014.  Silly me, getting my millennia mixed up!"
 
	"Yeah."  She ached an eyebrow, and then a distinctly evil look
crossed her eyes.  "You sure you're not my son from the future here to save
me from a fate worse than death?"
 
	Eric fainted. 
 
	"I guess not." 
 
*** 
 
	In her room, Sailor Orion tended to Eric.  She had originally
thought that it would be closer than the infirmary, but she had been sadly
mistaken, and lugging the lieutenant's comatose body all over the ship had
not been enjoyable.
 
	The comments she had earned in doing so hadn't helped. 
 
	Considering the wisdom of allowing the crew to get so close and
familiar to her . . . after all, only Bennington religiously called her sir
anymore . . . she dumped Lunestes in her quarters, and decided to let him
sleep it off.  Besides, she didn't have any smelling salts.
 
	After giving the cleaning solution a crash test in the bathroom, she
went to the bridge.  She never questioned the wisdom of her decision.  Upon
reaching the bridge, she received the usual greeting.
 
	"Captain on the bridge!" 
 
	"As you were.  Sailor Moon, have we found anything of interest since
last check?  Any signs of Dark Kingdom activity?"
 
	"No, sir," answered the pink-haired woman.  She rose from the center
chair, yielding it to Orion.  She brushed by a rushing technician as she
went over to an empty computer station and began typing.  "Everything checks
out normal."
 
	"Very well.  I think it's high time we made sure everyone's ready,
though.  Antares?"
 
	"Yes?" 
 
	"Readiness drill, type two, duration . . . make it as long as
necessary."
 
	"Sure thing!" 
 
	The usual buzzers rang throughout the ship as Kim Young took over
talker responsibilities.  "General quarters, general quarters, all hands to
action stations.  Say again, general quarters."
 
	The hatch to the bridge slammed shut, and the red battle lights came
on.  "Status?"
 
	It was a typical drill.  Antares would invent an attack by the Dark
Kingdom, feeding simulated sensor data to all stations.  To the bridge crew,
it would be just like an actual emergency, minus the eminent danger of
death.  In every corner of the ship, the crew was treating it like one as
well: crew chiefs, having had just the barest bit of warning, had
stopwatches at the ready.
 
	Kim's voice was calm, but then again, it wasn't for real.  "Four DK
cruisers, designate targets Sierra-1, -2, -3, and -4, bearing zero-zero-zero
mark zero-zero, range five million kilometers, velocity three hundred meters
per second and slowing.  Formation is of pattern gamma-six-chi, I think."
 
	Moon raised an eyebrow.  "Think?" 
 
	Some of Kim's resolve began to shake at that.  "I believe so sir,
sensor data is a bit sketchy . . . "
 
	"I need some hard info here, Mister Young.  Do you confirm
gamma-six-chi formation?"
 
	Kim gulped, and then answered Sailor Moon.  "Aye, sir." 
 
	"Very well.  Tactical, prepare full spread of deep space probes and
fire at maximum velocity."
 
	"Aye, sir."  The probes were powered by tiny fusion plants; their
explosive power was next to nothing.  They had one thing going for them,
though, with their kinetic energy.  Being fired at high velocity gave them
an amount of energy that would hopefully be enough to give their enemy
some damage.
 
	From her chair, Orion merely observed events.  She had prearranged
for Sailor Moon to take over, since they had to be prepared for the
incapacitation of the CO.  Now, she merely observed.  It was the sort of
observation that Mare Serenitatis should have conducted before picking the
XO, but it was a tad late to worry about that sort of stuff now . . . .
 
*** 
 
	Orion sighed and opened the hatch to the bridge, letting some of the
smoke out.  Antares occasionally got too enthusiastic during battle
simulations, and the smoke and battle noises could get strikingly realistic. 
'Too realistic,' she thought, remembering back to Hanasu's injury.
 
	It had been the first attack from a more or less unknown foe, and
the crew was, in her opinion, taking it fairly hard.  None of them had known
to expect a combat situation, and few had expected significant injuries.
 
	It was true that Hanasu had been part of that exclusive group known
as the bridge crew.  Further, she had been an extraordinary telepath.  She'd
had to be, or else she couldn't function as long-range communications
officer.  Thus, she'd been a double outcast from the rest of the crew.  She
rarely socialized with others, and many didn't even know her surname.  But
her injury and subsequent coma had rocked the entire ship, and the crew was
recovering in their own particular ways.
 
	And it was to get that out of the way that Orion had held the drill. 
Or at least, that was that she told herself as she carried on down the
hallway to her cabin.
 
	She threw open the door and flopped down on the bed, letting out a
grunt as she landed.
 
	"Was that completely necessary?" 
 
	She leapt up with a shout of surprise, appalled at having sat on the
poor man.  "What the . . . oh, you.  What are you still doing here?" Her
surprise at seeing Eric in her room was slowly turning into anger.  "Didn't
you hear the alert sirens?  Why didn't you report to your post?"
 
	"Oh damn, can't get anything past you, eh Captain?"  He laughed
uncertainly.  "I'm sorry, but I'm a pretty heavy sleeper.  Funny story
behind that, you see.  My-"
 
	"Yes, yes, I'm quite sure, whatever.  Now how do you plan to explain
this in a court martial?"
 
	"Court martial?" 
 
	"Yes!  Dereliction of duty, Mister: sleeping during a call to
general quarters.  Do you know what the penalty for deserting one's post
during combat is, Mister Lunestes?"
 
	"Twenty lashes and a one-way trip out an airlock?" 
 
	"Don't I wish."  She pivoted on a heel and went to the tiny bathroom
sink to fix a cup of water.  She sipped at it and sat down opposite Eric. 
"Nowadays, you're more likely to be sentenced to community service and a
couple months of counseling." She sighed.  "The penalties for a senshi
breaking the rules are, of course, far more strict."
 
	"Of course." 
 
	"Yes.  Now, let's say you just get a handle on your sleeping
problem, Eric, and we can forget that all this ever happened, okay?" She
winked.
 
	"Aye, sir," he replied with a mirroring wink and a widening grin. 
He rose.
 
	A second after that, a wide variety of sirens went off.  In the
confusion that followed, with hatches slamming shut, Eric shouting, and the
bridge in the person of Vanessa giving orders, Pleiades's captain could
pick out the droning repeating cry of the general quarters alarm, the
ringing bell of the collision alarm, and the buzzer that denoted a serious
reactor leak.  A moment later it all stopped, and Antares spoke.
 
	"Lieutenant Lunestes, Captain, you have my condolences.  The bridge
has activated a battle readiness drill, and as a result we have been
attacked by three Dark Kingdom marauders.  This compartment was struck
first, and has been let out into space.  You are now dead.  I'll let you
know when the drill's over, okay?  Bye!"
 
	Orion dropped her glass and walked over to a corner of the room. 
Eric noticed that the floor in that corner was littered with shards and bits
of glass.  He also noticed her picking up a crystal candy dish.
 
	"Sir?" 
 
	"Yes?" said Orion threateningly, tossing and catching the dish with
her left hand.
 
	"Does that message mean that-" 
 
	"Yes.  We're dead, and right now the bridge crew is running around
like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to get things under control."
She finished her statement silently.  'And to insure that we don't interfere
with the drill, we're confined to quarters until Pleiades wins or loses. 
Great.'
 
	She put down the dish and slumped on the floor. 
 
	"Sir, I think you'll cut yourself there," he warned. 
 
	"You're right."  She got up to sit next to him, and put her booted
feet on the rather messy table.  "So, you get a private audience with the
captain.  Excited?"
 
	"It wasn't what I planned on, sir." 
 
	"It so rarely is.  So, anything you wanted to know?" 
 
	"Well sir, actually there is.  Your real name is Jennifer?" 
 
	"Yes, but try to avoid using it, okay?" 
 
	"Yes."  He took a deep breath; he couldn't figure out why she was
suddenly being so open.  Perhaps it was the lack of sexual tension; she
wouldn't have any interest in him as a partner, not unless he became a
woman.
 
	"Well, if that's your name, well where'd it come from?  You've got
to be pure Japanese; the Sakachi gives it away.  Where'd Jennifer come
from?"
 
	She looked into his eyes appraisingly, then answered.  "An old
relative, great-grandmother, actually.  Jennifer Talbot moved to Japan in
the early 2800s and married Kenji Sakachi.  The rest was history.  My
parents named me after her.  There's an old legend that the Talbots go even
further back, even stopping by Japan in the twentieth, but there are too
many inaccuracies, and no-one in our family believes it."
 
	"Impressive story." 
 
	"Yes, well I don't tell it to many people."  'And certainly not on
this ship,' she thought.  "Well, how about you?  Eric Lunestes isn't exactly
a common Japanese name."
 
	"Nope.  Well, to tell the truth, it's not my real name." 
 
	"Really?" 
 
	"Yes.  When I was seventeen, I really wanted to be in the Navy, but
I was too young, and my parents wouldn't let me.  They're the real
protective types, you know?  So I ran off and changed my name to something
that couldn't possibly be mistaken as Japanese."
 
	"Overprotective parents?"  Crystal Tokyo families were notorious for
being rather loose-knit and laid back.
 
	"Well, they were in a position of having a lot of power, and . . .
let's just say that they'd made a couple of mistakes with my sister . . .
their first child . . . , and they weren't planning to repeat them."
 
	They both had a rather good laugh at that, and it was at that that
Sailor Moon opened the door.
 
	"What is this?" 
 
	"Oh, I'm sorry, Sailor Moon.  We were dead." 
 
	"Oh."  She looked suspiciously at the two officers on the couch. 
She very nearly asked if the two had been smooching, but she had her limits. 
Instead, she settled for a disapproving frown.  It looked completely out of
place, framed as it was by long pink ponytails, and she knew it.
 
	She let out a sigh of disapproval and went on down the hall,
ignoring the peals of laughter from Orion's cabin.
 
	"Why does Orion get all the good ones?"