The Stony Creek by Dan Bieger

(23 ratings) Rate this Story (5 best) 1 2 3 4 5   1 comments /

Hoodless fumed.
"And a nanowave cooker is not an interplanetary communications device but we managed to repair both of those." A murmur of support arose before the two women, the support evidently eroding from the Captain to the PO.
"But the manuals are locked down, restricted access to only those who have a need to know."
"I submit that we have a need to know," said H.M. Edward, the PO, and twenty voices rose in agreement.
Sensing a very possible mutiny, the Captain relented her opposition: "Well, how do you propose we circumvent the prohibitions?" she asked fully expecting her PO to stammer away ineffectively. The locks were nothing more than passwords but they were passwords generated by the men prior to their departure. It was highly improbable that any of the crucial men had told their spouses what those passwords might be and more improbable that any women that might have been told were now present on the Stony Creek.
"Weren't the passwords generated by Tristam Parlly? And wasn't that gentleman somewhat disagreeably separated from his family due to an uncontrolled temper matched only by an un-tempered temperance?"
"The same," the XO agreed.
"Then the password is easily deduced," the PO said.
"Really?" the Captain's sarcasm filled the galley to suffocation.
"Really!" H.M. Edward replied. "We just need to think like Mr. Parlly and everyone knows what he thought, that it was due to the W.I. that he been separated from his family."
"Yes, we all know that," the Captain agreed. "So what?"
"Well, then the password will obviously be something related to that calamity. I suggest ‘FTWI3099', 3099 being the year the judgment against him came down.
***
The Stony Creek joined the battle two months later contributing a devastating blow to an unsuspecting T'Dor flotilla whose commander believed himself very close to ultimate victory. Having surrounded all the male members of humanity, who was left to oppose him?