Starship Armstrong - Season 3

Part 55 - Coincidence and Misunderstanding (XII)

"I think it would be smoother if I could speak to your Captain in person," said one Gibson.

"I don't see how that would be possible unless you went up to the ship," replied the other Gibson.

The delegation had been ushered right back into the presidential office. They were starting to get sick being ushered.

"That sounds like a most viable solution," replied the first Gibson. "We accept your offer. You can shuttle myself and a small retinue of no more than a dozen or so retainers up to your ship."

"That's not-" Gibson started to explain, but he was already being ushered away.

* * *

Roy and Parker were two sweaty members of the Presidential Guard who would, if they didn't pick up the pace and make it to their assignment on time, soon be ex-members of the Presidential Guard. They came tearing around a corner, running as fast as their legs could carry them, where they were suddenly smacked in the head by something they didn't even have time to see.

They fell to the ground unconscious, and their bodies were dragged away and stripped.

Agent Green and Agent Blue reported for Roy and Parker's duty shifts, respectively. They both got chewed out for being five minutes late but otherwise nobody noticed anything was amiss.

* * *

A bunch of thick-necked diplomats with mirrored sunglasses and bulging muscles piled into the Vostok, squashing Dr. Kang and Lieutenant Ngige together. Neither was amused by this turn of events.

Commander Gibson was kicked out of the co-pilot's chair so that President Gibson could sit.

Once they were uncomfortably loaded up and not a single additional human could be fit in the shuttle it took off.

* * *

Agent Blue and Agent Green sat on either side of Ensign Anhkbayar. She found their unbreaking gaze unnerving. The other diplomats packed every other available molecule of space inside the Voskhod.

Somewhere deep inside the mass of humanity McAfree was complaining.

Mitzner took off, hoping that the life support systems would hold out long enough to get this many people to the ship.

Because it was the Voshkhod, and it had enmity towards its operators but not murderous intent, the life support burnt out with enough time left for the shuttle to make it back to the Armstrong alright but not for it to do so without everyone having to smell each-other's farts.

The Voskhod pulled into the shuttle bay and came in for a lumpy landing worthy of the unpleasant little shuttle. Everyone came bursting out as quickly as they could.

Captain Littlecrow was waiting to greet them. There was no one else with her; the Armstrong was down to a skeleton crew as it was so she couldn't spare anyone else.

"Welcome to the Armstrong," she said with a smile.

President Gibson pushed his way to the front of the throng of people who had come piling out of the shuttle. His clothes were a little disheveled from the cramped ride up.

"It is a great honor, for you, I'm sure," said the President. "You have my permission to name this shuttle bay after me to commemorate this occasion."

"I'll think about it," said the Captain. "Would you like to come with me to the bridge? There's a view of your local star system that I think you'll find enlightening."

"What manner of gap do you have up here that requires a bridge?" asked the President.

The Captain led him and his entourage off towards the lift to the bridge, where everyone once again found themselves uncomfortably cramped.