A stern-looking Sunbeam Yamata seemed so incongruous, even on short
acquaintance, that Corina purred briefly in amusement. "We came in on
Deck Zero, known as the Equator. Other decks are numbered away from
that, south being toward the drive pod, north toward the bow. The
Bridge is at the center of Deck Zero, fully protected. The rings are
numbered outward, toward the hull. There are twelve segments, numbered
clockwise from an arbitrary beginning, and compartments in each segment
are given alphabetic designations."
When she finished, Sunbeam was grinning again. "Not quite by the book,
but you're close, and you've got all the facts right. Are you a Navy
fan, or something?"
The shuttle door opened, and the two stepped out into a cool-looking
green corridor before Corina replied. "I would not use that term, but
you could say so."
"D . . . C . . . here we are." Sunbeam motioned Corina into the cabin.
"So was I. It makes a lot of the first year easier. But don't get
used to this--cadet quarters aren't anywhere near this nice, and
neither are junior officers' quarters. Which you probably already
know."
"Yes." Corina looked around. It was more like a small apartment than
a cabin, with the part they were in both lounge and office. A panel
labeled "Ship's Services" covered one wall above a table which had an
L-shaped extension housing a computer terminal and viewscreen. Storage
and display cabinets lined two other walls. The fourth was a
translucent screen with a curtained-off opening.
She brushed past the curtain into the sleeping area. A standard bed
covered in glimmercloth was the only furniture here; the clothing
storage and fabricator were both built into the wall across from the
bed. A door in the wall opposite the divider proved to lead to a small
but well-designed 'fresher room--though Corina remembered that aboard
Navy ships, for some obscure reason, they were called "heads".
She returned to the lounge area, testing one of the two armchairs it
held--yes, as soft as it looked--glad that if she was to spend some
appreciable amount of time on this ship, it would be in such pleasant
surroundings. A yellow light flashing on a panel beside the door caught
her attention, and she pointed to it. "What is--oh, I remember."
"Ship's status, right," Sunbeam said. "We're in Condition Yellow;
what's General Quarters?"
"Red, with a wavering buzz. I do not have a battle station, so I would
remain here unless told otherwise by a senior officer."
"Right again!" Sunbeam looked around. "I think that's all here. So
unless you need something else . . ." Her voice trailed off, and she
pointed to Corina's neck. "Is that blood?"
"Oh." Corina reached up and touched the spot. "I forgot, and I have
had no chance to wash it off before now. Excuse me for a moment,
please." She left, returning with her throat fur damp but clean, to
face a thorough scrutiny by the young Ensign.