William Forstchen - Article 23

Justin turned and followed the last of the cadets down the corridor.

"Mr. Bell?"

Justin looked over at the galley door and saw O'Brian.

O'Brian motioned for him to come in. O'Brian held out a container and there was the faint whiff of hot chocolate.

"Always take care of my kitchen crew. Hot chocolate's just the thing to settle the nerves."

"Thanks," Justin said. He gladly took the container and sipped the brew through the straw.

"How'd it go with the Captain?"

Justin found himself wondering if he was going to be interrogated by the entire crew before he could finally get to his room and get some work done.

"OK, I guess."

"Ah, already the officer in training." O'Brian laughed. "All right, I won't pump you. But if you need someone to spill some beans to, know I've got a tight lip."

Justin smiled.

"Thanks, OBrian. I appreciate it. I better get into my room and try to get some studying in."

As he slid open the door to his room Justin instantly knew that something had gone horribly wrong. Wendell was hunched over in the far corner, features bright red, hands clenched over his face. A trickle of blood was floating out between his fingers; a tiny globule broke free and floated before him. For a second the scene almost looked comical to Justin, the way Wendell's eyes seemed to cross, focusing on the drop of blood as it floated away.

Matt was in the opposite corner, Madison on top of him, trying to hold his arms.

"He hit me," Wendell cried, " damn it, he hit me."

" like hell I did," Matt snarled. "You shoved me through the door and my foot caught you in the mouth as I tumbled so stop whining."

Justin could see a look of panic in Mart's eyes. If Wendell's accusation was true, then Matt's career at the Academy was finished.

" Madison, what happened?" Justin snapped.

"It's like Matt said. We were coming into the room. Matt suddenly tumbled into me and then hit the locker. I turned and saw Wendell going up against the wall. It looked like Matt kicked him by accident after Wendell pushed him."

"Where's Tanya?"

"She went to the head, she didn't see it."

"They're both lying," Wendell cried. "He turned and hit me as I came through the door."

"You're a bloody liar," Matt shouted. "If I'd really hit you, you'd be out like a light."

"Both of you, shut up," Justin snarled, surprised by the anger in his voice. Startled, both looked at him.

"Wendell, you lost your footing, broke free from the floor and banged into Matt. Matt, you accidentally connected with him. Now that's it. Do you understand me?"

The three were silent for a moment. Justin was surprised at himself for attempting to seize control of the situation before it got out of hand.

"I'm not going to ask you two to shake I think things are a bit too hot right now. But this is my room too and I want peace in it or I'll knock both your heads together and then all three of us can get kicked out of the Academy together."

"What's going on here?"

Tanya tried to slip into the room and stopped when she saw the blood.

"An accident," Justin quickly said, "just an accident."

Justin fixed his gaze on Wendell.

"Maybe you better go up to Doctor Zhing and get that bump taken care of."

Wendell opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He pushed off from the wall and went for the door. Grabbing the doorsill, he stopped and looked back.

"You'll see," he snarled, "you'll see."

Releasing his hold on the door, he disappeared.

Tanya shook her head and sighed. "He's dangerous."

"He's a coward," Matt snapped.

"I don't want to hear any talk like that, Matt. It'll just make it worse."

"Well, he tried to sucker punch me from behind, then make it look like an accident."

"Maybe he did lose his footing. Not everyone's as good at bouncing around in zero-gee as you are. Besides, hauling these suits around only makes it more difficult."

"I think it was deliberate," Madison announced. "He's still sore about the argument in the lounge."

"Look, guys. We're on a real ship here, not safe in the Academy. We're expected to act like officers, not a bunch of quarreling kids. Matt, you've got to cool it."

"Yeah, sure," Matt said morosely. "Look, I wasn't asking for an argument. He started it."

"He did," Madison interjected. "Matt and the others were minding their own business."

"Well, for the sake of everyone aboard, but especially you, I hope you end it when he comes back. Maybe the guy will cool down a bit by the time he gets back. Either way, just let him know you want to back off."

"That's a tall order, buddy."

"Matt, it's for your own good," Tanya said.

"OK, I'll try, but I think I'd rather be mining rocks on Ceres."

Justin slapped his friend on the shoulder and offered him the rest of his chocolate.

He went over to the computer terminal, settled down and punched up Moby Dick. The other three settled into their sleeping nets, Tanya and Madison studying on hand-held units while Matt simply stared off into space.

The loudspeaker, turned down for the nighttime watch, chimed ten o'clock, the signal for quiet hours. Justin looked at his watch. He was supposed to get up at four to help O'Brian prepare the morning meal. At least he didn't have to serve the Captain breakfast; that was Wendell's job. Browsing through the book, he got to the first sighting of Moby Dick and the pace picked up. He was surprised to find that he was actually getting into the story. The writing was a bit strange at times, but there was something about Ahab that was weirdly compelling. Finishing another chapter, he looked down at the clock at the corner of his screen. He suddenly realized that Wendell had been gone for over two hours.

Justin looked over his shoulder. All three of his roommates were asleep. Madison was scrunched up, curled almost into a ball, floating inside her sleeping net. There was something about the way she looked that aroused a childlike desire to pull a prank, to disconnect her netting, roll her up and then send her floating down the hall.

Matt, arms splayed wide, slowly tossed back and forth, rolling the netting in tight around himself so that he looked like an ungainly fly caught in a spider web. He mumbled something in his sleep and started to thrash around, then settled back down again.

What a trying friend you are, Justin thought. Half the time lately I'm ready to kill you, but there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you. He remembered how, when they had returned to Earth after scrub summer, Matt had stood by his side when he had to confront some of the bullies who had made life a torment in school. It was good to know, at a moment like that, that your best friend was by your side. He thought as well about how they had rescued Tanya and Sue from falling off the cliff on the Moon. He'd have gone over the edge rather than give up.

Strange how behavior in one place seemed innocent but here, aboard this sad ship, Mart's slightest utterances made him wince. Couldn't he sense that even the most idle comment about the separatists might be dangerous?

Tanya, floating in her net, sighed and interrupted Justin's musings. A stray wisp of hair had come out from under the protective cap Tanya was wearing. He watched as the black strands gently undulated back and forth on the currents of air wafting through the room. There was a faint scent of her soap and he smiled watching her. At least now he could look at her without worry that she might notice and take offense.

She stirred in her sleep; her eyes half-opened. She sighed, whispering something in Russian. For a moment he thought she was looking at him; her smile lingered, then her eyes gently closed.

Justin enjoyed the moment of watching her and his friends, glad for the quiet.