Date: Sun, 4 Jan 2004 01:11:19 -0600
From: PNS KID <pnskid61@cox.net>
Subject: Sojourn ch 45

The author reserves all copyright privileges. This work may not be
reproduced, except for personal use, without permission of the author, and
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Author's note - Can you believe it a new chapter?  I promised we would
check in with the Sojourn folks from time to time.  There will be a few
chapters coming here in short order.  I hope you enjoy.  Drop me a note if
you'd like at pnskid61@cox.net

I have taken the liberty of mentioning some characters in this chapter that
are from another story I follow on Nifty.  It is an outstanding story and
was what originally inspired me to start Sojourn.  Check out Ron and Bryan
(now called Ron and Matt).  You can find it under Adult Friends here on
Nifty.  Chances are you are already a fan. It is an outstanding series.
Great job JETjt!


Chapter 45


About an hour into the flight from St John's to Pensacola, everyone had
settled in for a nap.  Adam was asleep next to Sarah.  Ethan and Rick had
gone to the bedroom and were asleep spooned together.  The mental and
physical exhaustion of the last few days clearly taking a toll on everyone.

Brian's announcement from the cockpit awakened everyone.  They were
beginning the decent into Pensacola.  A sense of excitement filled R-1 as
everyone realized that this was all about to be over.  Life would return to
normal soon.

As usual, the landing at Pensacola was hard and abrupt.  As nice as it was
to not have to drive over from Mobile, Ethan moaned each time about how
short the runway was in Pensacola.  Also he missed A-1.  The 777 was his
favorite airplane and while it was big and really too much for him to have
for his personal use, he couldn't help but want it back.  R-1 was nice and
a good size but A-1 would always be Ethan's baby.

After R-1 had powered down and everyone was off it was time for people to
go their separate ways.  Hugs were exchanged.  Tears were shed.  Emotions
were raw and close to the surface for everyone.  Kevin and Sean left to go
to Kevin's place.  Sheila left for her apartment.  A relief crew from
Compass was waiting to take R-1, Brian, the co-pilot, Sarah and Jane to Ft
Lauderdale.  Dan would be staying since he had to be at work back in
Crestview.  Ethan watched as Dan and Sarah held each other tightly.  He
knew their love was deep and real.  He was so happy for Sarah.  The old
bat.

Forty-five minutes after landing, Ethan, Rick, and Adam watched as R-1
taxied to the end of the runway, turned, and took flight towards Ft
Lauderdale.  Then the three piled into the car and headed home.

Adam had some nightmares the first few nights and would end up in bed with
Ethan and Rick.  They had many talks about what happened and soon Adam was
sleeping through the night.  Christmas was coming and they had a lot to do.

"Hun, I have been thinking about a few things I want to talk with you
about," Ethan said to Rick one morning after breakfast.

"Uh-oh, I am not sure I like the sound of that," Rick said with a smile.

"Well, as much as I hate to admit it, I think we are going to have to make
some changes.  Rick, I can't bear the thought of us going through something
like we did ever again.  I think we need to hire a security firm to put
together a plan to ensure our security and safety.  I have also been
thinking that this might not be the best place to raise Adam.  Living out
here in the condo on the beach is great but it doesn't give Adam a chance
to be with people his own age or a yard to play in.  I'd like to look at
some houses in Pensacola that will give us more space and more security."

"Pfew, I thought you were going to send me packing," Rick said laughing.
"I have to be honest, you know I love you but I do have Adam as my first
responsibility and I agree we have to be sure we give him the best
environment.  Unfortunately that means we have to have take extra
precautions because of who you are.  I don't like the idea of having
security people around but I think we have to do it."

"Well, what do you think about us getting in some help too.  I think we
need a nanny to help with Adam.  I know you are going stir crazy and need
something to do and that staying at home is not what you had in mind for
the next 20 years," Ethan added.

"Wow, you have been thinking," Rick said as he got up and went to where
Ethan was sitting taking him into his arms.  "I love you babe, thank you."

Ethan called Terry, the lady that had taken care of him while he was
recovering from his accident to ask if she knew any nannies.  She had said
that she did and would email him some names.  Ethan asked her if she was
available to come and sit with Adam for a few hours while he and Rick went
for some Christmas shopping.  She said she would be over at 2pm.  Ethan
also called Dan to see how he was doing and if he knew of any good
candidates.

It had been ages since Ethan and Rick had an afternoon together alone just
to run errands and do regular things.  They headed out in Ethan's BMW and
were headed for the mall. They stopped at Pier One, bought a bunch of
candles, pillows, picture frames, and some new wicker chairs for the
balcony.  After realizing they had no way to get the chairs home Ethan
suggested they needed to look at a SUV.  Rick shrugged, rolled his eyes,
and said, "boys with money and their toys."  This earned him a playful
punch in the arm.

Next stop was the mall.  As they were circling to find a parking space,
Ethan yelled out for Rick to look at something.

"Honey, look. It is fantastic," Ethan said pointing to a crap heap of a
car.

"Ethan West, that isn't like you.  You shouldn't make fun of people that
don't have as much as you.  That is all they can afford so leave them
alone," Rick said with a clear edge in his voice.

" Oh no, you don't understand.  I really do love it.  I always had cars
like that when I was in high school and college.  I know I can afford
anything I want but I yearn for the simple days when that is what I had.  I
love the cars in movies like Uncle Buck and The Blues Brothers.  I have
always said I would get one again but that probably isn't going to happen
now.  Can you imagine?"

"Ethan you are so full of shit.  We are sitting in a BMW 740, you just
talked about getting a new SUV, you have 5 ships soon to be 8, you have a
fleet of airplanes, and way too much money and now you are telling me you
want an Uncle Buck Car?  You are nuts!"

"No really hun, I am serious.  You remember my Honda in Ft Lauderdale. It
wasn't beat up enough but I loved that car.  I want a car that is about 20
years old, has all kinds of quirks, is beat up, makes a screeching noise
when you turn the wheel and sounds like it is going wanna wanna wanna when
it is moving along.  I really do!"

With that they went into the mall and managed to spend 4 hours and hundreds
of dollars on Christmas gifts.  They ate in the food court, watched people,
laughed, giggled, and had a great time.  They packed the beemer with the
goodies and headed home.  Adam was there to greet them at the door anxious
to know what was in all the bags!  That evening after tucking Adam into
bed, Ethan and Rick shared their love with each other.

Monday morning Ethan was on the phone with Sarah and the executive team at
Compass headquarters.  They had a lot of business to discuss.  The papers
for the deal with ASK would be signed in Athens and by Ethan in Pensacola
that afternoon.  Soon the Compass fleet would be growing by 3.  The ships
needed names and deployment plans.  The refurbishment of the ships would be
taking place in Mobile and Pascagoula and would take about 4 weeks after
they arrived.  That would mean that the 3 new ships would be ready for
service in mid February.  That left less than 2 months for all the
marketing campaigns to be launched.  It would be a massive task to do so.
They would have to do some major price cutting to get people on the ships
on such short notice.  This would anger Compass competitors but all is fair
in war - and business.

The refurbishment plans had been sent to Ethan for his review.  All in all
he was pleased.  The ships would have all new carpets and furnishings,
decks renamed to match the standard Compass naming scheme, public rooms
renamed.  The dining rooms would be broken down into smaller areas to
create multiple restaurants as opposed to 2 large rooms.  The three new
ships would launch the new flexible dining programs that Compass planned to
phase in fleet wide.  Guests could pick a different restaurant each night,
eat when they want, without pre-assigned table mates.  Each of the smaller
restaurants would have a different theme to give guests a different dining
experience in each room.  Of course Adam's Den and Rick's would be standard
features on each ship.  Staff had to be hired, berthing space secured,
itineraries planned, the tasks ahead were enormous.

Ethan had been thinking about the names for the new girls.  He had the
names prepared and he knew that the team was anxious to hear.  He steered
the conversation away from the names as long as he could.  He had to tease
them and he was having fun.

"OK, well I guess that is all we have to talk about regarding our new girls
for today.  Thanks everyone for your help now and during the next few
weeks.  It is going to be hard work but I know we can do it."

"Just a second mate, I know you are playing with us. Don't make me get R-1
in the air so I can come up there and beat it out of you.  Names, we want
names," Sarah demanded through the speakerphone.

"Oh that. Ok, well, you all know that it has been a tough time for me and
those that are close to me.  I have thought about the names and they
reflect some of the things I am feeling but also tie into the names of our
other girls."

"Ethan, I swear I am going to kick you butt if you don't spill it soon",
Sarah barked.

"Guys, make her leave the room.  She is getting too bossy!"

"Hrrrmph" could be heard coming from Sarah.

"Just kidding Boss.  You can stay.  Freedom, Spirit, Harmony, Sojourn, and
Tranquility's three new sisters are Liberty, Resolve, and Aspire."

A few seconds passed without anything being said.  This was when Ethan
hated conference calls.  He couldn't see faces. He couldn't sense how this
was going over.

"Hello.  Y'all still there?  Do y'all hate the names?"

Kevin, the Director for Sales and Marketing spoke.  "Nope, we are all
smiling.  Sorry you can't see that.  These names are great.  Thanks Ethan."

"Great.  I also have selected the God Mothers for the ships but I have some
calls to make first.  I also know where I want the ceremonies to take place
and I will fill you in on that soon.  Guys, I also want you to leave one
ship for me to plan her itinerary and her homeport.  I will give you
details on that soon.  The other two I want you to deploy based on the data
we have on where we have demand or where we think we can generate enough
demand.  Let's be creative.  I don't want more ships in Ft Lauderdale
unless we have to.  So, leave Resolve with me for now.  You guys take
Aspire and Liberty and get back to me in a few days with some ideas.  I'd
also like the timelines from Mobile and Pascagoula sent to me this
afternoon.  I plan to be over there visiting through-out the refurbishment
work."

"Sarah, I'd like you to get a call with Engineering lined up for this
afternoon.  I'd like you, Kevin, and the head of Engineering on the call
with me."

Ethan then addressed Ann, the director of HR, "Ann, I want all the crew
members from Quest that want to come back to work for us to be offered
positions.  I would also like you to talk with Phanos' people over in
Athens.  Any of the folks that worked on these ships when they were part of
the ASK family should be given priority consideration.  I don't want
anybody out of work that wants to work."

"Ethan, you are so predictable.  I have already done all you suggested.
Don't worry," Ann replied.

"Sarah, would you also call Geoff at Compass Air and tell him I will call
him after our call this afternoon.  He sent me an email about needing to
talk with me."

"Right Ethan. Now shall we all stick a broom up at arses and sweep the
floor too?  Crickey mate you have been issuing orders," Sarah said
laughingly.

"Be sure you don't miss that spot in the corner Sarah," Ethan jabbed back.
This was met with loud laughter and the call concluded.

Ethan then called the mayor's office to arrange a meeting about a few
things.  He also placed a call to Ron Turner in Las Vegas to talk about
some construction plans he thought Turner Construction would be well suited
for.  He had met Ron a couple of times. Ron too was a wealthy man so the
two of them understood a lot about what the other's life was like.  The
fact that Ron was also gay and had recently fallen deeply in love with a
wonderful guy named Matt was a further mirror to Ethan and Rick's life.
Ron had recently acquired Aztec Security and a meeting was arranged for
Sean to meet with them about security for Ethan and his family.

Ethan placed another call, this time to his old friend, Brent Connor.
Brent had been the representative for the area in Tallahassee for many
years before winning the seat as Representative in Congress in Washington
DC.  During the 6 years he had been in Washington he had quickly moved up
and now had seats on several key committees.

"Hey Brent, how are things up in Washington?"

"Cold and slow. I sure miss home.  How are you doing my friend?  I read
about what has been happening to you and Rick.  You hanging in there?"

"It has been hell but you know me.  Rick and Adam give me even more reason
to be strong.  They have changed my life Brent."

"Well it couldn't happen to a nicer guy.  I am very happy for you Ethan.  I
wish you and your guys all the best."

Ethan then went on to explain what he wanted to discuss.  Brent was excited
and they planned for Brent to join Ethan, Rick, and Adam at the condo the
next week for dinner since Brent would be back in town for the holiday
break.

It was now lunch time and Ethan joined Rick and Adam for some grilled
cheese sammiches as Adam called them.  Rick said he had some errands to run
in the afternoon and that he would take Adam with him.  Ethan asked for
more details but Rick wouldn't say more other than, "Christmas is coming."

The call with Engineering went for 2 hours.  Ethan was most adamant about
the environmental systems that would have to be installed on Aspire,
Liberty and Resolve.  While the ships met the current regulations, Compass
had always gone beyond the requirements with a zero tolerance for the
discharge of pollutants into the water.  Sarah was constantly amazed at
Ethan's knowledge.  They discussed electrical systems that would be
modified to suit the North American market, the installation of aft
thrusters since the ships had traditional propulsion systems and not the
Azipods that offer greater turning ability, and much more.  Ethan then
asked about Quest.  She was in Mobile.  The tugs would be arriving in two
weeks to begin her final voyage back to Europe for scrapping.

"Cancel the tugs.  Quest isn't going anywhere for now," Ethan ordered.

The head of engineering spoke, "Ethan, we know how you feel but she really
isn't salvageable.  The folks in Mobile want here removed as well.  We need
to get moving on this."

"No.  She remains where she is.  If Mobile has a problem with it then we
can find another place for all of our refurbishment work to take place.  I
will explain my plans to you in a few weeks."

"OK, guys.  Thank you Ethan.  Anything else," Sarah interjected sensing the
tension building. She knew the tone in Ethan's voice.  This wasn't open for
further discussion.

Geoff from Compass Air had several things to discuss with Ethan.  With the
addition of the new ships he was trying to plan on role Compass Air would
play getting passengers to and from the homeports for the new girls.  He
was anxious to know about the plans and seemed frustrated that more details
were not available.

"Ethan, I guess I will have to wait.  But I do need to run something by
you.  We have a lot of business we are turning away because we don't have
the capacity.  Also, the 777 is a fantastic plane but it is too large for
some of the business we are looking at.  We need to look at our fleet
plans.  I propose that we transition to a larger fleet of smaller planes.
That will give us operational flexibility.  I have talked with a large
airline that is looking at some fleet changes.  They sorely need the 777
for some international routes so the deal is this.  We can give them our
777s in exchange for fifteen 757s.  We can move quickly on this and begin
the swap in the next 60 days," Geoff explained.

"You know I love the 777 but I understand what you are saying.  The 757 is
a good plane but as you know Boeing just announced they are stopping
production.  Should we be concerned?"

"No, these 757s average 5-7 years old so they still have another 15 years
of operational life.  They are very fuel efficient and can operate into
smaller airports.  I think it is something we should do. I also like the
Airbus 321 which is similar to R-1 but we can't get our hands on them as
quickly as we can the 757s"

"OK, Geoff.  Make it happen. You can do the swaps of the 777s.  Except one.
She stays with me."

***************************
More to come soon