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No, you aren’t. The gag’s starting to wear thin. But there’s something unspoken that passes between the three of them. Geary sighs, and the woman snorts derisively. Now, you’re really curious. What the hell happened to the guy you’re replacing?
“Already a good start.” She gives you a one-over with an inscrutable gaze, then extends her hand. The nerve on this girl! “Elishani, Callsign Gully.”
Even as you stand up to return the gesture, you’re momentarily taken aback. The captain’s daughter? Out of the corner of your eye, you check for similarities…but beyond the sailor’s tan, there isn’t much in the way of family resemblance. Must either take after her mother, or some distant relation.
But no offered first name. Tactical sign only? Must be some new fad among the younger pilots.
“Sinleq Unami, like the captain said,” you reply, “Callsign Razor.”
Gully’s hand is similarly calloused as Geary’s and Elishani’s, but more thickened around the pads of her fingertips, joints and palm. Pilotpads is the slang term for them, thick from so many hours and ops to gripping the sticks and pushing buttons. Definitely an experienced pilot, even if you don’t know her certs.
For her part, she merely nods, and squeezes once before pulling back her hand. “You gonna be the Excel, then?”
Expedition Leader, shorthand Excel. The rank given to the senior-most pilot when deploying more than one PUEXO on a non-military op. It’s a flexible definition, depending on how one defines “senior most”: years as a pilot, or dives/op hours clocked in? A debate that’s caused more than its fair share of fights, both verbal and physical.
“That’s…a good question,” you answer.
You almost certainly qualify for both experience and seniority, but you’re not that old, dammit. Still, it’s been a hot minute since you’ve done salvage work. Gully could easily argue that she could hold the rank as the most adept salvage pilot.
But before you can make a decision, Geary cuts in. “Gully, if you could do me a favor, why don’t you show Mister Unami to his quarters? I’d normally show him around, but there’s still a mountain of paperwork that your father and I have to take care of.”
<span class="mu-i">Father and daughter, then,</span> you think to yourself. Nepotism isn’t unheard of in this line of work, but Elishani doesn’t strike you as that kind of parent. But only time will tell.
From the look on Gully’s face, that might’ve been the last thing she wanted to do. “Sir, with all due respect, I’ve still got a list of things that need doing.”
“Then I’ll make it a priority order,” says Elishani, dryly. “You said yourself that we’re ahead of schedule. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.”
Gully opens her mouth to protest, but thinks better of it. “…fine.” With a sigh, she runs her hands through pale blonde locks, then catches your gaze. “You need any help with those?”
(cont.)