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Chapter 1 - The Wind at my Back, Stars at my feet[]
KCGS Mila Weintraub, Sampan III-Class Cutter
Navigational Training Cruise
Day Thirty one, Class 2/87
3084
"Ayeah Roshakka, you done yet deetyfet?" Cimbral asked.
Amanda didn't look up, "just almost, ******' Leherer didn't stow the line right and it's got bleed." she kept working. "Tell the baas we'll have sail clear to stow in...two minutes, and tell Leherer that next time he half-asses a sail extension I'll visit him on off-time with a razorblade."
she shoved the crowbar and moved the thick superconducting cable a few millimeters, and the residual tension released, flexing it back into alignment with the spool.
"Could be against regs, cutting a shipmate." Cimbral teased again.
"You don't need balls to work the ship." Amanda scowled in her helmet. "That wellwallah sombaj needs to keep that in mind."
"You're an innyahwallah yourself, Roshakka."
"Don't remind me."
"Heard from your dad?"
"Dad's supposed to make it for my birthday, but I think he's more coming for pat." she stood on the hull "Feed rates going right?"
"Take a look, you tell me?"
Amanda turned around and watched as the Cutter's solar sails drew closer, until they met the mast assembly, which folded together and began the traverse into the stowage mounted centrally between the maneuver engines.
She studied it. "Rates look evened out so far, sail's reefing normally from this end, what's the deck monitors showing?"
"Showing green and steady. You planning to hang out there on the hull, or you coming in so we can jump?"
Amanda mused, as the retracting sail vanished form sight and the vibration of the stowage door thrummed through her boots. "You know, I hear there's this prank people pull..."
"Oh shit, don't do that!"
"It's the end of the summer, Cimbral! this time next week, we're back in classrooms!"
"****** you innyawallah girl, I'll ask the Mum..." there was a pause on the channel, and then Lt. Commander Diamh's voice was on the air.
"Cadet Roshak, DC Cimbral says you want to try a Hull Surf for the ride back to Spider Moon, Over?"
"Yes mum, Over."
"Rig your line to the dorsal safety rail, and keep your head down, I'm inclined to permit it because you passed the safety course. You've got one minute to rig, Over."
Amanda walked up the spine of the ship to the shipyard tie-downs, aka 'safety rails' built on the catwalk leading to Airlock 2. she secured her line to it and knelt. "Line rigged, Mum."
A golden wash streaked across her vision, and she was bathed in colorless chaos..