John Ringo - To Sail a Darkling Sea

Robert Rusty Fulmer Bennett III wasnt a guy to just sit around if he could help out. But he also wasnt, still, in the best of shape.

When hed boarded the cruise ship Voyage Under Stars with his buddy, Ted, hed weighed 337 lbs, nekkid. By the time the rescue teams from Wolf Squadron found him, Ted had long before zombied and Rusty weighed 117 lbs and was naked, covered in bed sores and mostly unconscious on his filth covered bunk. Since he was still 6' 7", and, honestly, big boned, 117 was pretty bad. The one nurse Wolf had found so far, no doctors, said it was a miracle hed survived.

So he still wasnt in the best shape of his life when he sat down in the Wolf Squadron Human Resources office. In the four weeks since hed been found hed put on about twenty pounds but that wasnt much. And he could barely work out at all. He wasnt sure that he could hack it as a clearance specialist but he was all up for killing zombies.

He filled in his name on the clipboard and took a seat. Then he opened up a packet of sushi and started to munch.

Still putting on weight, huh? the guy next to him asked.

I never thought Id like sushi, Bennett said, offering some of the rolls. Anything is, like, the best food in the world, now. Except hummus. If I never eat hummus again Ill be so glad.

Gotta try fish eyeballs, the guy said, taking one and nodding. Mmmm tuna is sooo much better raw than dolphin. Brad Stevens.

Rusty Bennett, Rusty said. Actually, its Robert Fulmer Bennett Third. But everybody calls me Rusty. Like, you ate a dolphin?

Not the Flipper, ark, ark, kind, Stevens said. Its a kind of fish. But, hey, when thats what youve got. He shrugged. Id have eaten a, you know, dolphin, dolphin if I could have caught one. There were a couple of times Id have eaten the asshole of a dolphin

Id have eaten the asshole of an asshole, Rusty said.

Youre like a string-bean pole, Stevens said. How much did you lose?

Two hundred pounds, Rusty said. I was kinda big when we got locked down.

Oh, Stevens said, wincing. In one of the cabins on the Voyage?

Yep, Rusty said. One of the reasons I want to go do something is every time I walk in the damned cabin Im afraid the doors going to close behind me and never open again.

I thought Id lost weight. I cant believe they cleared you for work.

I just walked down here, Rusty said, shrugging. The worst they can do is say no

Stevens?

* * *

Youre still in very poor shape, Mister Bennett, the lady said. Like most hed seen, she was pregnant.

I really want to help out, Rusty said. And Ive got to get out of that fu forking cabin, maam. I keep having nightmares that the door wont open.

I took this job on the Grace because its the biggest boat I could get on, the lady said, smiling. Try having nightmares that youre back in a tropical storm in a life raft and youre suffering from morning sickness and starving.

Yes, maam, Rusty said. Im good with my hands. But Im not a mechanic or anything. I can shoot. Ive been shooting my whole life. And I want to fight zombies, maam.

Youd never make the medical requirements for clearance personnel, the lady said. They carry tons of gear when they clear.

I heard theres some thirteen-year-old girl that does it, maam, Rusty argued. If she can

Dont compare Shewolf to your normal thirteen-year-old girl, the woman said, laughing. You havent seen the video have you?

No, maam, Rusty said. I havent gotten out, much.

If you go up to the lounge, you can probably find somebody who can show it to you, the lady said. Shewolf led the boarding of the Voyage. She wasnt supposed to, but it happened. The Dallas had used a machine gun to clear some of the zombies but while she was going up more showed up. She went over the side, anyway. There was a Marine in a little bit better shape than you, not much but a little, who was supposed to go right after her and got bogged down climbing. One of the reasons they want people in the best possible shape for clearance. At that point, most of the copies You know that song, I get knocked down, but I get up again?

Sort of? Rusty said. Kinda before my time.

Go watch the video, the lady said, looking at her screen. Since you know she made it, its a hoot. But I mean you can go try to track down Nurse Schoenfeld and get her to clear you. But Id suggest something lighter. At least for now. And Id guess you dont like enclosed spaces

I dont mind if I know I can open the door, maam, Rusty said.

Being on a small boat is physically wearing, the lady said, but they need people for light clearance. Clearing life rafts and small craft. Not many people want to do it because you get beat up on those little boats. But

Maam, Rusty said. Being out in the air on a small boat Thatd be like heaven, maam.

How strong of a stomach do you have? the lady asked.

I pretty strong? Rusty said.

Youre on the assignment board, the lady said, making a definitive tap on her keyboard. Since you dont have a defined skill that anyone is looking for right now, youve got a week to find something. After that, you get put on boat cleaning or you can go into the hold with the lame and lazy. People who dont want to help out.

Cleaning? Rusty said.

Cleaning up a boat after zombies have trashed it.

* * *

I dont want to have to clean out a new boat, Sophia said, mulishly. Ive seen these boats. And Ive cleaned them up. Rather get knocked around on a thirty-five.

Sophia Seawolf Smith was one of the founding members of the Wolf Squadron. As such, despite being fifteen, she was a shareholder and not a minor one, as well as being a member of the Captains Board as skipper of the thirty-five-foot Worthy Endeavor. The boat had gotten beaten up by nearly six months at sea, not to mention the zombies that took it over, but it was still her boat.

You wont, Fred said. You, especially, wont.

Fred Burnell was the Vessel Preparation and Assignments Officer on the Grace Tan. The massive supply ship had an open center and rear deck. On it were, now, four cabin cruiser yachts on props in various stages of repair and refitting. Since all of them worked when they were brought alongside it was mostly a matter of cleaning them out.

Things change, Burnell said. Weve got crews cleaning them up, now. But were retiring the thirty-fives. Theyre just too small and dont have enough range.

So, what am I looking at? Sophia said.

You dont remember me, do you? Burnell said, smiling slightly.

No, Sophia said, frowning. Sorry. Should I?

No, Burnell said. I guess seen one cast-away, seen em all. The Endeavor plucked me off a life raft. So lets just say I owe you one even if you dont know it. Theres a very nice 65' Hatteras Custom sitting out there. Not too beat up by zombies. The only ones on it were below, and were changing out all the below materials. Good engines, low hours

I appreciate it, Sophia said. Sorry for snapping your head off.

Not a problem, Burnell said. Cant tell you how happy I was when you blew that foghorn. Oh, youll need two light clearance personnel and deck hands. Bigger boat.

I guess I need to go do some scrounging, Sophia said. What happens in the meantime?