"Please list all rules and regulations related to assumed command if the captain is unavailable or incapacitated," the electronic voice asked her.

"Oh fuck," Apollonia muttered.

"That is not a rule or regulation," it helpfully said. "If you would like to check your book, feel free now."

She was tempted, but it felt like a cowardly move. Surely this wasn't really supposed to help her learn when she could just check?

"You can look," Jaya noted, glancing up from her desk. "This is an early exam. The point is not to catch you being wrong, but to help you become comfortable navigating information, Ms. Nor. No one knows all the rules and regulations early on."

"I spent all last night studying," Apollonia replied. "I know this."

Ever since she'd told Jaya that she wanted to join the crew, the woman had been helping her to prepare for her Command Aptitude Test.

It was much more than simply a written test, she'd been told, but precisely what it would be was not something Jaya could tell her.

"Like with actual duty, we cannot prepare for every eventuality. We must learn precepts that prepare us to act in the face of calamity," the Commander had told her.

Looking back at the screen, Apollonia knew she could do it. She'd never had a lot of chance to get schooling, besides the automated programs for children on Vitriol.

But she'd wanted to learn. She began to input the answers to the question.

Regulation 71.a stipulated that the Executive Commander took charge if the Captain was out of action.

72.a stated that in absence of the Executive Commander, the Chief of Operations would take control.

That one had surprised her; Jaya was a serious woman, clearly at the top of her field. But Apollonia hadn't known she was third in line to command the ship.

It had to entail a lot of responsibility. But despite that, Jaya had taken the time, gone out of her way, to help a complete moron like herself.

Looking over her answers, Apollonia really didn't feel like she was doing a great job. These questions had just stuck in her mind, but she didn't think she'd really learned the rules that well yet.

She added two more. Each time she completed one, it noted her success, and showed the exact wording if she was off.

She'd missed two, but she'd gotten eight. That was good, right?

The next question was regarding rules about foreign nationals on the ship - another one she'd found herself interested in during her readings. It was lucky they were asking things she actually knew.

When the next question had also been on a topic she'd found interesting - that of rations for crew - she frowned.

"It seems like this is just asking me about the things I remember the best. But how can it know?"

Jaya glanced up again. "You are correct. Your system - all of our systems - notice where our eyes go, what catches our interest. Right now it is attempting to drill those aspects into your mind. It helps to form a core or basis for further learning."

Apollonia stared. "You mean it's watching me all the time?"

"Whenever you're looking at it. You need not worry; all personal biometric data is kept internally in your system. It is entirely normal."

"It's creepy," she said.

"Observation is universal and ubiquitous in the Sapient Union, Ms. Nor. We are an extremely open society, and we believe that it helps us all stay safe and free. Of course we have privacy at times it is appropriate, but-"

"Would it turn someone in? If they committed a crime," Apollonia asked.

"That is a complex question - but no, they do not do that. It is unnecessary and helps people feel comfortable with their privacy - and helps prevent people from tampering with them to gain some sort of 'edge'. But since many actions cause your system to connect to external systems, or you simply move within the scanning range of other systems, those ones will typically note illegal behaviour. It's not a common occurrence, however."

"But we are being monitored."

"Yes."

"Doesn't that ever bother you?" Apollonia asked.

"Perhaps if I had not grown up in it, it would. Or if our conditions were those of an exploited class, watched by rulers who only viewed us as sources of profit or potential criminals, yes. But for me, I feel a simple comfort knowing that we do not have terrorism, no one need live in fear. Not of attack, and not of want or privation." She hesitated, then nodded, as if admitting a caveat. "Save for in times of disaster."

"Does that happen often?" Apollonia asked, sitting back and watching the woman curiously.

"There are nearly 15,000 human-colonized systems, and many times that in the entire Sapient Union. By dint of the sheer scale of our civilization, yes, somewhere within it there is a crisis going on at this moment. Likely not a massive one, but perhaps a colony is having a problem with its fusion reactors, or miners believe they are being mistreated and someone is attempting to hide dirty deeds. When such things happen, we learn of them because of the openness of our society and are able to respond swiftly and effectively to make sure it is put right."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Okay," Apollonia said. What Jaya said made logical sense; without knowing about a problem it couldn't be fixed. But, even though the officers she had personally met so far had seemed to be good people, it seemed impossible to think that all of them, everywhere, were.

"So how do you make sure that-"

She was cut off by a beep from her tablet. Looking down, she saw a priority alert. She'd set her system to block anything less than that.

"You should take that," Jaya noted.

Clicking on the message, she just saw text.

"Your presence has been requested at Earth Command Headquarters," it read, and she saw that Captain Brooks was the sender.

"You are not required to go, but I highly recommend it. Transport will be provided. Pack your bags and be ready to leave by 1600 hours."

She looked up to Jaya, her face in shock.

"I'm going to see Earth," she breathed.

*******

"Y! I'm going to Earth!" Apollonia said excitedly over the comm.

"You seem quite excited," the doctor replied. "I am very happy for you, Nor! Is there someplace in particular you wish to experience?"

The question actually caught her off-guard. She hadn't given much thought to where she was going to go; she didn't really know of many particular places by name, barring some of the large Ark Cities.

"I . . . guess just to see the homeworld?" she replied. "Have you ever gone there? What would you recommend?"

Dr. Y seemed to hesitate in answering. "No, I have not been to Earth before. I hear nice things about it from members of the crew, however."

She would have thought he'd been everywhere.

"Well, I don't know if you have any free time or anything but . . . do you want to go with me?" she asked hopefully.

Dr. Y hesitated again. "I am sorry to say that that is not really an option for me at this time, Nor. I am still very busy with work."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," she said. "Hopefully I can see you before I go, at least."

"I am positive you will," he replied.

For a moment, she smiled. Then he continued.

"As you need to get several more vaccines if you are going down planetside."

"What? Why? You gave me so many already!"

"And those are all still valid," Y replied. "However, you will be exposed to yet more diseases on a planet. They are, after all, teeming with life."

Her brow furrowed and her mouth turned into a scowl. "Just how important is it that I get them?"

"You will not be allowed onto Earth without them," he said. "Some actually serve to kill off non-Earth microbes that you may be harboring that could pose a danger to the natural biome of Earth."

"Oh," she replied. "Just how many are we talking?"

"Only seven," Y replied happily.

"Dark take me," she moaned.

"This is to prevent that," Y said. "Now, I have you scheduled for a 1300 appointment. Will that work for you?"

*******

The Craton had a crew complement of nearly 20,000 beings.

Brooks looked over a tenth that number, arrayed before him in serried ranks. Their dress uniforms smart, metal gleaming. All at attention, waiting for his words.

He'd looked over a much different crowd not long ago, people joining into the Sapient Union. He'd felt a pride then, and he felt a different kind of pride now. The people of New Vitriol had been entering into something that would enable them to change their lives for the better.

These men and women had climbed higher still, joining the elite of the voidfleet and rising to join one of the finest crews on the finest ships in the Sapient Union.

"Before his official departure from duty, the Captain will be conducting an inspection," Urle said. His voice was artificially amplified, reaching every ear easily.

Those officers and crew who could not be in the room with them watched from elsewhere, only those on the most essential duty still at work.

It was rare for so many of the ship's crew to not be on duty. The infinite emptiness of space was hostile, and they could not let their guard down.

But now, with the ship in the home port, surrounded by pickets and friendlies uncountable, it was, they were, at long last, safe.

He'd have liked to stand before the entire crew, but there was no space on the entire ship large enough for all of them to comfortably fit. Even fitting a mere 2,000 filled the largest room on the ship. Normally it was a storage room, but it had been cleared to create temporary housing for the emigres from MS-29. With it emptied, its occupants now in queues to leave the ship, and the walls taken down in haste by Commander Sulp, there was just enough space.

Brooks stepped up as Urle moved aside. He said nothing, but walked down the row swiftly. Urle was surprised, and moved to follow him.

"Lt. Srul," Brooks said to a man, smiling. "You were on the bridge crew of the Kilimanjaro at Terris, weren't you?"

The man smiled. "Yes, sir. I was pulling my second shift when everything went south and you pulled us out."

"I recall you did well. I was saddened when you transferred to Quartermasters, though I'm sure you do them credit now."

He moved on. His system could have told him the name of every crew member he saw, but he knew many of them just from memory.

He stopped to speak to some - Sturmer, who'd been a midshipman on the Starburst, the first ship Brooks had served upon. May, who had been in his same year at the Voidfleet Academy. Chi, who he'd helped through the jitters of her first deployment. And so many others; Hensel, Inderhock, Postemsky, Nizami, Xiao, Anh, Keita . . .

He took care to look to every face he could, to show just the hint of a confident smile that calmed the nervous and bolstered the already-strong.

There were so many he could not hope to reach, no matter how much he wished. If only life had enough time that he could get to know all of them, he thought.

Every single face in that crowd - human or alien - had a story to their lives. Their own hopes and dreams and fears. Fully realized beings.

He reached the end of the row, gazing to the last face, then began a slower walk, returning to the middle.

"It is an honor to serve with you all," he said as he walked, his voice now amplified. "You are the finest crew I could ask for, serving on the best ship in the Sapient Union. I leave my station soon, to attend a hearing on Earth. But I shall return, one way or another.

"In my absence, you are in the hands of Acting-Captain Urle. He has my full confidence."

Stopping his stride, Brooks turned to face them all head on, and gave a slight bow.

"For the years we've served together and the years yet to come - I thank you all."

"Salute!" Urle cried.

As one, two thousand beings brought their hands to their brows to salute their captain.