Fool's Gold (The Wandering Engineer) Read Free

while the woman berated him. The boy, Junior glared balefully at
the intruders.
    His
mother caught his eye and he nodded his chin to the Admiral. "What is it?
Oh!" She turned on him.
    "This
is a series four short range tug? Samsonite engine or a Smythe series
three?" The Admiral looked the craft over.
    "Smythe."
A voice under the tug answered then swore in Spanish. He began to wiggle out
from under the tug. Sprite blipped an attention marker then overlaid a sensor
scan of the man. He was extensively injured.
    When
he came out the Admiral watched quietly as he pulled himself to his feet. He
winced as the woman tried to help but the man curtly shook it off. "Jorge
please!" she whispered fiercely. He shook it off with a small snarl and
grimace then patted her hand. His face was battered and bruised. His right arm
was in a sling. His right leg was braced and wrapped; it looked like his knee
had been injured. "These injuries are consistent with a beating
Admiral," Defender reported. The Admiral nodded.
    "Jorge
Valdez." Jorge wiped his left hand on his grimy coverall then held it out.
"Fleet Admiral John Irons," the Admiral replied and shook the
extended hand as his host's eyes widened.
    "Fleet
Admiral?" he asked dumbstruck.
     Irons
smiled. "Yes, though it is sort of redundant at the moment." He
shrugged as they broke the handshake.
    "Does
that outrank a Port Admiral?" Junior asked giving him another look.
    Irons
chuckled. "Yes. A Port Admiral is a civilian; usually the position is
created in a local system to handle traffic or an elaborate command
structure," he shrugged.
    "He
knows Juanita, Jorge; he said he taught her on her ship the Io." Mrs.
Valdez whispered.
    Jorge
smiled. "You've crossed paths with little Juanita?" His smile grew.
    "She's
grown well and strong. She's an EVA crew boss and H&A inspector on the
Io11. They are in port for a week." The Admiral waved to the door.
    "She's
here?" Jorge asked alarmed. Junior jumped down from his perch and looked
at the Admiral.
    "No,
she's on her ship. She won't leave it she said," the Admiral replied.
    "You
can send her a message or ask the captain for permission to visit her on
board," the Admiral advised. Mrs. Valdez nodded.
    "Momma!
It's boiling over!" The girl called urgently.
    "Excuse
me!" She rushed past them. Jorge chuckled.
    "How
did you get to be a fleet Admiral?" Junior asked curious.
    "I
was a full Admiral before I went into cryostasis. When I woke up I checked the
computer and it reported I had been promoted while I was asleep." Irons
smiled then shrugged off his explanation. "As I said, the rank doesn't
matter much now, I know." He glanced at Junior then returned his gaze to
the patriarch.
    "You’re
an engineer?" Jorge asked.
    "Yes,
I taught your daughter and the crew of Io 11 a lot of what they missed,"
Irons explained. "We rebuilt the ship from stem to stern; she's almost as
good as when she was first launched," the Admiral finished with quiet
pride.
    "I
bet they had their hands full," Junior shook his head. "No way could
anyone fix a ship..." Jorge waved him off then turned with a scowl.
    "Sergio,
why don't you go get cleaned up and ready for supper." He waved to the
door. Angrily the young man stomped off. Jorge sighed. "Ah the joys of
youth." He smiled then gave the Admiral a long measuring look. "I
take it Juanita sent you here to give us a hand?" he asked.
    Irons
smiled. "Something like that. I determined Pyrax is the next best place to
work so your daughter suggested I check in with you and your family." He
smiled as Jorge chuckled then gasped. His free hand clutched at his side.
    "Damn
ribs." He shook his head as he gathered up his crutches. "Damn leg
too. Let’s go get cleaned up before we get yelled at."
    He
smiled as the girl came out and waved at them urgently. "Come on!"
The Admiral chuckled and followed.
    They
came into the living room to see the girl setting the table. Junior came out of
another room held up damp hands for his mother's approval then