Crossbones by John L. Campbell

stay out for sixty days without replenishment. Its state-of-the-art radar and navigation systems, combined with a lethal weapons package, were testament to the fact that the cutter had been built to ninety percentmilitary specifications. The design made it a more valuable asset to the Department of Defense, and although the Coast Guard carried out a wide variety of missions—environmental and fisheries protection, drug interdiction, and search and rescue—the new class of cutter was primarily intended for the role of maritime security and patrol, interception, and counterterrorism.
    It should have been the perfect boat for the crisis unfolding around them, Elizabeth thought. Unfortunately, as she was quickly learning,
Joshua James
was so inadequately outfitted and crewed that saving lives, including those already aboard the ship, might be an impossibility.
    Liz and her two officers, Ensign Amy Liggett and LCDR Coseboom, were gathered in a small office just below the bridge, down the central passageway from officer berthing. Amy was giving the briefing, almost all of it bad news, and Boomer sat stone-faced, occasionally looking at his commanding officer with eyes that were difficult to read. The cutter was steaming northwest, with Mr. Waite at the conn.
    â€œOur supply trucks would have been arriving throughout today,” Amy said, “so most of what should be aboard for the cruise is not.” The cruise she was talking about was the ten days at sea that
Joshua James
had been scheduled to depart for the following morning. As part of the acceptance trials, it would have meant a full crew, a fully armed and supplied ship, steaming off the coast of the Pacific Northwest while contractors and technicians completed projects and went through a lengthy list of systems testing. “Almost everything is at a minimum, Captain,” the ensign said.
    â€œStores?” Liz asked.
    â€œThe galley can feed about twenty people for three days. I already ordered half rations to extend that.”
    â€œThe right decision, Amy,” Liz said.
    â€œFresh water is a problem,” the young woman went on. “The contractors report that the desalinization unit comes and goes, andit was on the testing schedule to find and work out the bugs. We have five cases of bottled water aboard, less than a three-day supply for current crew levels.”
    They wouldn’t last long without food and water, Liz thought. It would have to be a priority. “Systems readiness?”
    The ensign turned a page on her clipboard. “The bunkers for the diesels and gas turbine are full, and we’re topped off with JP-5. Diesel and turbine engines, as well as the propulsion system, are functioning at one hundred percent. Surface search radar is also performing at one hundred percent.” Amy swallowed, knowing this was the end of the good news.
    Liz saw the look on her officer’s face. “Continue.”
    â€œAir search radar, fire control, and electronic warfare systems are not fully functional, and the antimissile countermeasures are not functioning at all.” Amy went on to list another dozen systems that were not yet working: air conditioning units, warning systems, IT and medical equipment, galley appliances. All of it was to have come online through the natural course of the acceptance trials.
    â€œWeapons systems?” the captain asked.
    Amy shook her head. “The Bofors fifty-seven-millimeter gun is capable of firing, but there is no ammunition on board. The twenty-millimeter close-in weapon system is reported as functioning and was on the testing schedule for this cruise. Ten thousand rounds are aboard.”
    â€œAir operations?” Liz said, her frown deepening.
    â€œNothing, ma’am,” said the other woman. “We have zero out of two Dolphin helicopters, no pilots or rescue swimmers, no crew aboard with aviation-related ratings. We have two MQ-1 Predator drones.” One was