Interstellar Entrepreneur
annual small business
issue
This month
we caught up with passenger ship captain Danae Thompson Shepherd at the Mars
Station spaceport and were able to interview her about the pitfalls and rewards
of interstellar small businesses. Shepherd’s ship, the Ishmael, named for her late father who started the business back
in the early days of Mars Station, shuttles passengers between planets.
Martian
native Danae Shepherd appears much younger than thirty-seven with her pale, youthful
face scattered with freckles, short, tousled brown curls just beginning to show
a few strands of gray, and a piercing, blue-eyed, no-nonsense stare that
commands instant respect. The crushing handshake she offered was evidence of real
strength beneath her petite, one and a half meter frame. Shepherd is a graduate
of Mars Station Port District High School and Mars Flight Academy. She joined
the business with her father at the tender age of seventeen, and except for two
years at the flight academy, she’s always been at home aboard the Ishmael.
IE: Tell us how you came to take over your father’s
business.
DS: Well, I didn’t have a choice. Dad was murdered when I
was twenty-nine, and the Ishmael
became my ship whether I was ready or not.
IE: Murdered? We thought he committed suicide.
DS: That’s what’s in the ISP report, but he was definitely
murdered.
IE: But –
DS: Someone poisoned him. Next question?
IE: Was it difficult to assume responsibility for an
established business?
DS: Once I dealt with the legal headaches and the grief, of
course, it was relatively straightforward. My husband Alex was a genius at recruiting
passengers and keeping the finances in order. I couldn’t have done it without
his support.
IE: We heard that your husband recently succumbed to Zenethian
flu. We’re sorry for your loss.
DS: Thank you, but he wasn’t the only crewmember I lost to
the disease. I think these last few days of hiring new crew have been the most
difficult hurdle in running the business.
IE: Again, we’re sorry for your loss. So tell us about your
ship. Why would someone want to hire the Ishmael?
DS: The Class IV McConnell Velocity engines would probably
be the biggest draw. We can do Mars Station to any port on Earth in just under
70 hours. But the comfortable passenger cabins and four lounges – two on each
wing – plus our state-of-the-art infirmary and gourmet galley are what bring
people back for repeat journeys. It’s a comfortable ship with a little more
elbow room than the big transports. I’ve always thought of the Ishmael as a four-star hotel in space.
IE: We’ve heard the Class V McConnell engines are faster.
DS: If you don’t mind paying a couple hundred thousand extra
credits to shave a few hours off your trip, please feel free to hire one of the
newer ships.
IE: With so many passenger transports available, how can a
new traveler feel assured that a captain is competent?
DS: A good captain can do every job on the ship, from helm
to navigation to basic engine repair. About the only thing I don’t do is cook,
but that’s why I hire a chef. Another way you can tell the captain is competent
is by observing the crew. If they respect him or her and there’s a real sense
of teamwork among them, you’ll know you’ve chartered the right ship.
IE: Any other information you’d care to share with our readers,
Captain Shepherd?
DS: Yes, the Ishmael
has an A+ safety record with Mars Station spaceport registry. We dock here at
least once a month, and we’re always willing to travel to any station in the
Milky Way. Just look for our ads in the Martian
Chronicles. The ship can accommodate up to one hundred passengers, and we’re
well-equipped to offer comfortable passage for all ages, from infants to the elderly.
We have several family suites available, and I think you’ll find our fares to
be the most reasonable of all the small passenger ships.
IE: Thank you for taking time to talk to us today, Captain.
DS: Thank you, and happy star trails.
