You're it...for now

Zedd found Cormus in the shuttlebay, the young pilot already up to his elbows in one of the Type-11s. The bay lights reflected off the sleek hulls and the faint smell of plasma coolant and fresh lubricant hung in the air. Cormus had the access panel open on the impulse drive, tricorder balanced awkwardly against the lip of the housing and a spanner clenched in his other hand, humming some half remembered tune under his breath. It was off-key but enthusiastic.

Zedd leaned against the bulkhead near the ramp with his arms crossed and watched for a moment before saying anything.

"You always work this early," he said, "or is the Dutchman just that exciting?"

Cormus startled a little and looked up, smearing a line of grease across his forehead as he wiped sweat away with the back of his sleeve. A grin spread across his face when he saw who it was.

"Morning, Captain. Or whatever passes for morning when you don't have windows." He glanced back into the open panel. "Couldn't sleep. New ship jitters I guess. Plus this one was out of alignment by point three percent." He tapped the manifold lightly with the spanner. "Nothing catastrophic but it would've bugged me if I left it alone."

Zedd pushed off the wall and stepped closer, his eyes flicking briefly to the exposed components. "You catch things like that before they turn into problems. That's a good habit to have."

Cormus's grin softened a little at that. "I try. Ships talk, you know. You just have to listen long enough."

Zedd let out a breath that might have been a laugh. "We're going to need people who listen."

That caught Cormus's attention. He set the spanner down and straightened up, curiosity sparking in his eyes. "That sounds like there's news. The serious kind."

"There is." Zedd had a look around the bay. It was empty except for the two of them and the low steady hum of the Workerbees docked along the wall. He looked back at Cormus. "The crew's coming together faster than I expected. Lindsy's settled into astrometrics, Mei-Lin has already half claimed engineering as her personal kingdom, and I picked up a few maintenance bots to keep us from drowning in routine work."

Cormus nodded along. "Sounds like a solid start."

"It is," Zedd agreed. "But there's a gap. Right now we don't have a dedicated helmsman."

Cormus blinked once, then again. The silence hung there for a beat before his grin came back, slower this time and a little more cautious.

"So," he said, "you're telling me this because?"

"Well" Zedd replied "you are in fact the most experienced pilot we have. And the Dutchman needs someone at the conn who actually knows how to handle her. Not just point and go but real control. I'm not handing out permanent titles yet, we'll find someone long term when the right person comes along. Until then the helm is yours."

Cormus let out a low whistle and ran a hand through his hair. "Primary helm?"

"Primary helm," Zedd confirmed. "Flight control, navigation interface, evasive maneuvers when things get messy. You'll be in the big chair more often than not."

The excitement was obvious but it never tipped into anything reckless. Cormus nodded slowly instead. "I can do that. Honestly I was kind of hoping you'd say that." He chuckled a little. "I ran a few sims last night just to get a feel for her. She's responsive, tight, a little twitchy on the roll but I can compensate for it."

Zedd's mouth curved into a small smile. "I figured you'd already been poking around."

"Purely professional curiosity," Cormus said and held up his hands.

"Of course." Zedd paused for a second. "You'll also be auxiliary on the shuttles and runabout. If we need a hot extraction, a scout run, or anything that requires threading a needle through a debris field I want you flying it, not waiting on someone else to warm up."

Cormus laughed softly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Primary helm, auxiliary pilot, occasional shuttle jockey. That's a lot of hats."

"We're lean," Zedd said. "That means everyone wears more than one."

Cormus nodded again, firmer this time. "I can live with that. Keeps things interesting. And for what it's worth I won't screw this up."

Zedd stepped closer and clapped him once on the shoulder. "I know you won't. You prove you can handle the conn the way you handle these Type-11s and when we expand we'll talk about making it official."

Cormus met his eyes and the usual boyish energy settled into something a bit steadier. "You won't regret it, Zedd. She'll fly like she was born to."

Zedd nodded once. "Get her prepped for a test run once Mei-Lin gives the all clear on the core. Lindsy's plotted a few local routes we can shake down, nothing fancy, just enough to feel how she moves with a real pilot at the stick."

Cormus was already turning back to the open panel. "Say no more. I'll have her purring by lunch."

Zedd headed for the bay doors then paused. "And Cormus?"

Cormus glanced back. "Yeah?"

"Nice catch on the manifold."

Cormus smiled at that. "Thanks, Captain."

The doors hissed shut behind Zedd and Cormus turned back to the shuttle and had a look at what still needed doing.