Pat turned from her chair, the one on the right, and waved.Pat turned from her chair, the one on the right, and waved. "You're up early." "Yeah," he sighed, grabbing a mug of coffee from the wall-mounted dispensing station and then easing himself into the pilot's chair. "Pat, how long have we known each other?" "Almost two years, David. You picked me up as a junior engineer, remember?" "Think you're qualified to be senior engineer soon?" He smiled as he said it, giving her a glance out of the corner of her eye. Her expression was understandably surprised and pleased. "Of course!" she said. "Well, I mean, that is, if you think I am. I mean, if you have an opening for senior engineer and need one. I'm never going to go anywhere big without your qualifications, David, you know that." He nodded, sipping coffee thoughtfully. "I think there are three possible futures. You're not to not mention this to the rest of the crew, understood? Future one is that Dennielle leaves, and you move into the senior engineering post for the Asking. I think you're ready, despite my misgivings a month ago when we first hired her. Between you and me we should be able to keep this old girl running." He tapped the arm of the pilot's chair with his fist. He had first been tempted to stroke the command console, but he remembered that Tasha never locked it out for reasons that had finally become clear to David when the pirates had attacked them three weeks ago. "Future two is Denni stays for a while as chief engineer and you go on being my second of engineering and chief of accounting, two jobs you seem to be handling very well." Pat nodded. "Future three is Dennielle stays, becomes chief of accounting and second in command. She's got all the qualifications, Pat, and. |