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A large main viewscreen took up one whole side of the Vehicle. The bathroom and a series of lockers were diametrically opposite it, wiring and pipes lay exposed on the roof, and a console ran around the edge of the mushroom-shaped module. Four seats sat where I was familiar with them sitting, and no room existed for more to be added.
It was remarkably similar to ours.
"Is that it?" Anderson asked. "How are we to get everyone inside it?"
"Exclusivity means we can charge more," I offered. "Two seats for customers, and two for the surgeons."
"No. No, that's no good," Anderson said, shaking his head. "Where does the overseer sit? Where does the security guard?"
"We could alter the toilet seat in the bathroom to accommodate one more, I suppose," I said, glancing at Rafe for confirmation.
"That'd be easy enough to do," Rafe offered. "The door retracts and can be kept open. They wouldn't be cut off from the rest of the occupants."
And they'd be out of the way if we needed to lock them up. I was liking that idea more and more.
"That's only one seat," Anderson sputtered. "If we have two paying passengers, an overseer and a security guard, as well as the flight team, we're one short."
"Then make it a single seat for the customer," I offered.
"That would hardly be practical. Most people would wish to take a loved one or, at the very least, a business associate they're wining and dining."
"Are we to offer up a picnic basket, too?" Rafe asked, but thankfully Anderson ignored him.
"No, we'll simply have to leave the Intern behind," Anderson said, speaking as if to himself and not to us.
"Say what now?" Rafe asked.
I shook my head at him in a request that he shut up. "If something happens to the Surgeon," I pointed out to Anderson, "you run the risk of stranding the Orion out of time."
"I'm sure an overseer could learn to hit a button as required."
"Time travel is more complicated than that." It wasn't when you considered a Return, but I was done giving this man any more information than he needed. "It would be better to leave either the overseer or the guard behind."
"There is no way any flight out of this Academy will not be observed by the government," Anderson snapped. "And the security of each flight must now be paramount to keeping our small stable of Orions safe."
I sincerely doubted Anderson's security personnel could keep us safe from Sergei. Even we didn't fly with Security. We left them at RATS to protect us from an attack back in our own time.
But I had to play this just right.
"Then teach your security personnel to oversee us. It's mere observation, after all."
"It is not mere observation, Dr Evans! We, the overseers, report to the Prime Minister himself. I would not have any reports to the PM be of a third-hand nature. We, also, have trained for many years to do what we do. Not just anyone can oversee the running of a government facility such as this!"
What a load of bollocks. I nodded my head rather than say that.
"In that case, Mr Anderson, what do you suggest?"
I would have held my breath, but that would be telling. I simply waited as if I hadn't a care in the world which way he'd go on this.
In the end, he played right into my hands. I didn't think that would always happen. Anderson was a wily foe.
"There's nothing else for it," he announced. "The overseers will go armed and provide the security."
A black-clad figure at the back of our group scoffed, but his objection was silenced by a hard look from Anderson.
Before anyone could change his mind, I said, "That's settled, then. Two flight crew, for their expertise and redundancy, two paying customers to bring in the much-needed cash, and an overseer to observe."
"And provide security," Anderson added.
"Of course," I said, smiling. "Would you care to undertake a test flight, Mr Anderson?"
He blinked and then straightened his suit jacket. My eyes met Rafe's over Anderson's head, so I saw his smirk when Anderson gave the go-ahead.
