William Forstchen - Article 23

"Well, the regs say that in an emergency situation, if the Captain feels his ship is threatened, he is authorized to wear a weapon."

"Threatened by whom?" Tanya snapped. "Us?"

"Maybe so, at least in his mind," Justin replied and he looked over at Matt.

"Who, me? What the heck are you talking about? I'm with the USMC. Sure, I might talk about the separatists, but I took the oath of loyalty to the USMC and until they do something that goes against the principles the service claims to stand for, I'm with you guys."

"Well, I wish you had a chance to go out into the lounge and make that pronouncement," Justin replied.

"What for?"

"Do you know that Colson is now the Captains steward for breakfast?"

"No?"

"O'Brian told me this morning. Said Colson came in and told him the Captain had requested his service. I wonder if Colson's been running forward, telling tales and now he's been given an official-looking assignment so he can go forward without people asking questions."

"Yeah, I just remembered," Madison interjected. "Marissa told me that she heard the shouting night before last when Matt here and Colson got into that argument. She said that about a half-hour later she was up in the lounge area and she saw Colson come out of the door leading to officer's country."

"That's not good," Justin said softly.

"So why the music, you want a sound track for your storytelling?" Matt laughed.

"So MacKenzie can't listen in on us, fiat's why," Tanya said.

"Come on, that's against the regs," Madison announced. "Aren't we getting a little paranoid around here?"

"Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get me," Justin replied.

A knock on the door interrupted them and surprised Justin looked up as the door started to slide open, wondering if MacKeuzie was going to come barging in. He groaned inwardly when he saw Wendell Colson coming iu, already suited up and carrying his sleeping net and duffel bag.

"I drew this room," Wendell announced.

"Oh great," Matt said, "just like home."

Either not catching or ignoring the sarcasm, Wendell looked around for someplace to hcok his net.

"Looks like we share hooks," Wendell said and reaching up he clipped the top of his net to where Tanya's was secured and stretched tho bottom over to Justin's clip. Justin wondered if it was deliberate, but let it pass.

"The Doc said get your suits on," Wendell said, "and instead you're in here listening to music. Get moving."

"Oh, yes, sir," Matt replied, putting on a high-pitched wheedling voice, "anything you say, sir."

Matt made a big show of disconnecting from the floor, then, while floating up, he slid his feet into the suit and after slowly bouncing off the ceiling he slid his arms in and zipped it shut. Turning end over end he came back to his feet and extended his hands like a circus acrobat.

"Cut the child's play, Everett, this is serious," Wendell snapped.

"Oh but it is serious, though nothing to be afraid of."

"Are you implying I'm afraid?"

"Why, no such thing, old man, not at all."

Wendell stepped closer to Matt.

"If you're calling me a coward, wise-ass, then have die guts to do it straight out. Typical off- worlder, a coward just like your buddies who took that ship."

Matt stopped grinning.

"First of all, stupid, they're not cowards."

Justin groaned, half-tempted to simply clobber his friend.

"Sneaking up and stealing a Fleet ship. MacKenzie was right, they're no better than pirates and deserve execution."

"We don't know the whole story," Matt shot back. "There might have been a justifiable reason for taking that ship."

"Remember what Thorsson said," Justin tried to interject, "no accusing or arguing about"

Matt put a hand out and pushed Justin aside.

"And another thing. If you wanna talk about executing you better be ready to do something about it. There might be friends of mine in that group and no one talks about killing a friend of mine and gets away with it. Death comes too easy out in space as is," Matt hesitated for an instant and then forged ahead, "especially when folks are given cheap equipment and then sent out to die. That's damn close to murder as far as I'm concerned."

"Hey, what the hell is going on in here?"

The group looked up to see Senior Cadet Petronovich in the doorway, hands resting on hips.

"Turn that damn music down!"

Leonov, who was closest to the computer, leaned back and hit the switch to shut it down.

"Now I want a straight answer what gives in here? You could hear shouting half-way down the corridor."

"Oh, nothing, sir," Madison quickly interjected. " Everett here was just telling one of his jokes."

Petronovich eyed her suspiciously. His gaze fell on Colson.

"Mr. Colson, is that true?"

Wendell hesitated for a moment. There was the code, of course, but the mere fact that he hesitated almost seemed to Justin to be a violation in and of itself. "Just a joke, sir," he finally replied coldly.

"All of you are on report, double watch tonight for skylarking around when you should be checking out your safety gear. I want everyone in here suited up in five minutes flat and ready for inspection."

He turned and walked away.

"Thanks a lot," Wendell hissed, "my first punishment detail ever thanks to you."

"No problem at all," Matt replied with a smile.

"Enter."

Justin slipped the door open, moving a bit clumsily due to his anti-radiation suit. MacKenzie was at his computer, the screen displaying a mass of static. Without waiting for orders Justin snapped the dinner on the table and stepped back.

MacKenzie finally stirred and looked up.

"We are cut off, Mr. Bell."

"Sir?"

MacKenzie pointed at the computer. "Totally cut off. Ever read Coleridge, cadet?"

"My grandfather read some to me."

'Alone, alone, all alone, alone on a windswept sea,' " MacKenzie intoned somberly. "Like the ancient days at sea. From the moment you weighed anchor till the chain rattled back down a captain was alone, the deck of his ship the entire span of the universe he controlled. Not like today, with some fat-butted bureaucrat of an admiral barking orders at you from seventy-five million kilometers away. He, safe in his office on Earth, most likely never stood a watch alone a hundred million kilometers from home. Never stood alone"

His voice trailed off.

Justin waited, knowing better than to stir or offer a comment in return.

"This is as it was, as it should be," MacKenzie said softly. "Forty years I've served, only as captain of a light cruiser, but still I served loyally while others far more glib and far better connected maneuvered behind me, gaining the rights and power that should be mine. But here here I am the power as it was and as it should be."

Sighing, he stood up and slowly moved to the table, walking as if his anti-radiation suit was the burden of a martyr. He sat down, leaning over to noisily sip his soup through a straw.

"This crisis, this separatist movement, never would have started if they had listened to me and other line officers. We were out there, patrolling the edges, watching the riffraff move in and take over. We protested and we tried to enforce the laws, but the bleeding-heart do-gooders at headquarters always blocked us. Men like your Thorsson."

Justin shifted uncomfortably. He wanted to voice a protest in defense of a man whom he considered to be his friend as well as his commanding officer. But, sensing that now was not the time, he dutifully remained silent.

"Even with my back turned I know you don't like what I said, Mr. Bell. A good Captain can sense such things. The way you drew your breath in. Do you have something to say to me, Bell?"

"No, sir."

MacKenzie chuckled softly. "Now I remember the name. Your father served under me. Not much older than you, then. Rare, an honest lad. Died well from what I heard. You must have inherited his traits. Blood will tell, Mr. Bell, it always does."