Hobey!” Spader punched his fist in the air in excitement. “Real duty!”
Tradco peered over Spader’s shoulder at the work rotation list posted at the aqua center. He let out a whistle. “Lucky you, mate. Loading dock. Where the action is.”
During the probationary period the juniors were cycled through different departments. Once they were full aquaneers, they’d spend most of their time at the docks, but Wu Yenza wanted them to understand how their work was supported by other departments, and how what they did was critical to the smooth running of Grallion.
“What did you pull?” Spader asked.
Tradco sighed. “The alt power depot.”
Spader’s forehead crinkled. “What’s alt power?” So far he’d been through the maintenance depot and the piloting depot, along with continued training on equipment and life-safety skills.
“Wind systems,” Tradco explained. He shook his head. “Probably hasn’t been used since the time of Faar, but still they make us learn how they work.”
“Wind?” Spader laughed. “I guess there’s a reason for it, but I can’t think what. Well, you have a party, mate. I know I will!” He clapped Tradco’s shoulders, then strode toward the loading docks and over to Wu Yenza, who stood studying her work sheet.
“Spader reporting, right and ready,” he said.
Yenza smiled at him. “Glad you’re so eager to work.”
Spader grinned back. “It’s what I’m here for!”
“It’s what we’re all here for,” Yenza reminded him with a smile. “I’ve got you on escort. Today we’ll have two of you working the dock here. It’s a busy day. The Jorsen habitat will be coming by for supplies—that’s a lot of load-out. And we’ve got the usual small cruisers, deliveries, and visitors to guide in. Your partner is also a junior, but there will be senior staff around too. If you run into trouble.”
“We won’t!” Spader assured her.
“Good. Here comes your partner now.”
Spader turned and his grin froze.
A sweet plum day just turned sour. He was paired with Per Watsu.
Clearly Per wasn’t overjoyed to see Spader, either.
Wu Yenza frowned. “Is there a problem here?” she asked.
“No, no problem,” Per said.
“Good to hear. Now let’s get to work. Smooth waters.”
“Smooth waters,” Per and Spader replied.
Per and Spader headed toward the dock where they’d sign out their skimmers. They gave their names to the worker who was checking out the equipment for the shift.
“Stay out of my way, Spader,” Per snarled while they waited.
“Isn’t that kind of the job?” Spader teased. “To be sure everyone stays out of everyone else’s way?”
The dockmen checking out their skimmers snickered. Per glared.
“I mean it,” Per snapped. “Steer clear.” He put on his air globe. As a safety measure everyone wore buoyancy compensator belts and globes, even though they were working above water.
“I always do,” Spader said. “But I have to say, I’m a little hurt. I was hoping we could work up a synchronized skimmer routine for Wu Yenza.”
Now the other workers in the area began to listen.
“I can see it now,” Spader said, enjoying the ridiculous image of performing with Per on skimmers. “We can start by crisscrossing a few times. Then we come to a sharp stop and do ever-widening circles. Can’t you see it?”
The other workers obviously could. They were all smiling and laughing.
“We should find out what her favorite music is and choreograph—”
“Are you capable of being serious?” Per’s face was growing red with frustration. “Everything’s always one big joke to you.”
“Not everything,” Spader retorted. “Just you.”
“Ooh, got you there,” someone called out.
“Get to work, Per. Why are you dawdling?” Spader hopped aboard his skimmer and peeled out, leaving Per in his wake.
“Slow down, young man!” a supervising aquaneer called to him from a nearby skimmer. “It’s not a race!”
Spader gave the woman a nod and a wave, and pulled back on the throttle. It was a race, only he and Per were the only ones who knew. And I just won! Spader gloated inwardly.
Once Per arrived at the marking buoy that established the perimeter Spader and he would be patrolling, the aquaneer supervising their area gave them their instructions. They were expecting a habitat to arrive. While the more senior staff would attend to the habitat, Per and Spader would escort the smaller ships in. Until then, they were to direct the usual vessels loading and unloading, and keep traffic running smoothly.
“It’s important you two stay in synch. We want to move quickly to keep everyone happy, but smartly, to keep everyone safe. Be aware of each other.”
Spader and Per exchanged a look. “Oh, I’d say we’re aware of each other,” Spader said with a smirk.
“Whether we want to be or not,” Per muttered.
Spader spotted a mid-size ship approaching the perimeter buoys. “I’m on it!” he declared.
“No, I am.” Per zipped in front of Spader, cutting him off.
Spader gaped after him.
“Your mate has initiative,” the aquaneer commented. “You take the next one.”
“He’s not my mate,” Spader said, “but if he wants to play that way, I’m game.” He quickly angled the skimmer toward another arriving vessel.
“Hobey, mates!” he called up to the people on board the cruiser. “I’m Spader, your Grallion welcoming committee!”
“Nice to meet you, lad,” the man on deck said with a grin. “Let’s take this in.”
“Sweet and smooth,” Spader said. And faster than Per, he thought. “Let’s give it some zip,” he said. “Best way to not get stuck behind a plugger.”
Spader took off at a quick clip, using his minispeaker to call back instructions to the pilot navigating through the busy waters. He glanced in Per’s direction. Excellent. A vessel towing a platform was crossing right in front of Per and the ship he was guiding. They were going to have to wait.
Spader kept his eyes peeled for traffic, but it was clear all the way in. As he was leaving the docking zone, he passed Per. “Even giving you a head start I beat you,” Spader said.
Per ignored him and Spader laughed. He had just brought in his first vessel and showed up Per at the same time. Pretty nice.
Spader passed a small craft that didn’t seem to be going anywhere. He went over to find out what was going on. “Not a good place to park,” he said.
“I can’t figure out why it’s stalled,” the woman at the controls said.
“Hang on, maybe I can help.”
He stopped the skimmer and dove below. He instantly saw the problem. Somehow she had gotten kelp in the intake, cutting off the supply of water that powered the engines.
He reached into his water boot and pulled out his trusty knife. It was a beaut—large, with a silver handle. His father had given it to him as a graduation present. Now he used it to cut away some kelp.
He resurfaced and held up the strands. “Got your culprit right here.”
The woman frowned. “I should have checked after I went through that patch on the way in. It’s an old system. It’s not self-regulating like the newer models.”
“I’ll get you a tow,” Spader suggested. “It would be a natty-do if the kelp tangled farther up into the works. I can’t do a serious cleanout here.”
“Thanks.” The woman looked relieved. “It’s embarrassing sitting here tying up traffic.”
“Just pretend you’re keeping watch on everyone,” Spader said with a wink. “Make ’em think you’re here supervising. Like this.” He scrambled back up onto the skimmer and draped the offending kelp over the handles. He gave a little nod to a passing vessel. “Keep up the good work!” he called to the pilot.
The woman laughed.
“Maybe you should get back to work,” Per said as he cruised by.
Spader watched as Per zipped to the supervisor at the buoy. They spoke for a moment, and then both turned and looked at Spader. Great. Per beat him back to the buoy and was probably bad-mouthing him besides.
Spader kicked the skimmer into high gear. “Lady needs a tow,” Spader told the supervisor. “How do I get one to her?”
“I’ll let them know,” the supervisor said. “Good work, checking on that disabled vessel.”
Per looked disgusted. Without a word he did a one-eighty and headed toward a new incoming.
“That’s really your lane,” the supervisor told Spader. “You need to jump to it a bit more. The crafts come in quick and can’t wait around while you boys decide who’s going to handle what.”
Spader’s jaw dropped, but then he shut it again. No sense in arguing with this guy—it was Per who was the problem.
For the rest of the afternoon Spader and Per went head-to-head over who could get to an incoming vessel faster, and then who could guide them into the docks first. They even raced back to the buoys. Very quickly they stopped bothering with lanes at all and crisscrossed the harbor, each determined to guide in the most ships.
A new vessel was coming in. Spader leaned forward, willing his skimmer to go even faster. He could see Per doing the same.
“Back off!” Per called. “This one’s mine!”
“Gotta beat me to it!” Spader called back.
They were each kicking up wake, and Spader ignored the shouts and curses he heard around him as he deftly scooted by the smaller crafts making their way around the loading docks.
That spinney head, Spader thought as he and Per both raced toward the bow of the vessel. He’s not going to back down. Well, neither am I.
“Get back to the buoy!” Per shouted, heading straight toward Spader.
“You go back,” Spader said. “It’s my turn!”
“There are no turns!” Per yelled. “Just the job!”
You want to play that way, fine, Spader thought. He knew any minute Per would have to change direction.
Only he didn’t.
He’s crazy! Spader thought, his heart racing.
At the last possible moment Spader made a sharp turn. The skimmer responded instantly and spun off out of Per’s way. The sudden shift and Spader’s unbalanced weight tipped the skimmer over sideways, throwing Spader into the water. The skimmer lay on its side like a misshapen buoy—right in the path of the oncoming vessel.