Chapter Forty-Two
No sooner did North arrive on Hades, than he was
whisked off to the hospital where the Doctors retreated his wounds and
insisted he stay for a couple of days. Though North did not really like
hospitals, a couple of more days away from command and his hectic
family life did not really bother him that much.
2 He had visitors, the most pleasant one beusides his family was Morn.
As his old friend sat down North looked at him. "Read the report?"
North asked.
3 "Yes," Morn beamed, "also, your recommendations that no disciplinary
action be taken against the young Engineer for his actions before your
arrival. I have seen to it that the Merchant Fleet Board follow your
recommendations. It must have been rough out there."
4 "Not really that bad," sighed North, "I just wish we could have
gotten more of them back alive."
5 "What you did," continued Morn, "was miraculous in itself. No more
could have been asked of any crew."
6 "I have a question," North asked, "I think you might be able to
answer. How did I find that ship, and why?"
7 "You have," explained Morn, "powers you are not aware of, skills
others might not want you to develop. That is how you guided the scout
into position to pick up the signal. As to why, everything that happens
to us in our lives is a lesson, a chance to mature and grow, to learn.
8 I think you have learned a very valuable lesson from this adventure.
You took out there three raw young men, who, because of small mistakes,
were flunked out of The Academy. You know as well as I do some of The
Academy's procedures are wrong, too demanding. Some undeserving ones
pass by sheer luck, while many very deserving Officers are flunked and
because they are on the bottom of the promotion list never reach their
full