William Forstchen - Article 23

The door into the room slid open. Wendell returning, Justin thought. Maybe with the others asleep I can talk some sense into him.

Justin looked up and was so surprised that he completely forgot to stand as Captain Ian MacKenzie came into the room. He was wearing a sidearm, hand resting on the grip of the blaster. Behind him stood Frank Petronovich, similarly armed and looking decidedly uncomfortable with the weapon nervously poised in his hand.

"Matthew Everett!" MacKenzie barked.

"Huh? It ain't four o'clock yet," Matt groaned, "let me sleep."

MacKenzie stepped up to Mart's sleeping net and ripped it open. He reached in, grabbed Matt by the shoulder and tore him out of the net. Matt started to flail around, eyes half-open.

"Get your hands off of me, you creep," Matt yelled, still not fully awake.

"Hey, what's going on?" Madison cried as Matt bumped into her.

Justin was on his feet, trying to reach for Matt to calm him.

"He doesn't wake up easy," Justin shouted, "just give him a second!"

MacKenzie slammed Matt up against the wall.

"Colson, you creep!" Matt cried, and, flailing about, his left arm slammed against the side of MacKenzie's head.

A roar of outrage greeted the blow. Pushing Matt away with such violence that he bounced against the wall, the Captain drew his pistol and aimed it at Matt.

"Sir, don't!"

Justin moved to get between MacKenzie and Matt.

"Stay out of this, Cadet Bell," MacKenzie shouted.

"Sir, it was an accident!" MacKenzie shifted his weapon, pointing it straight at Justin. There was A frightening moment when Justin saw the Captain's finger curled around the trigger as if ready to shoot. Justin held his hands up and backed away.

Matt, now fully awake, looked around in obvious terror.

"Sir, I'm sorry, sir," Matt blurted out, "I thought Colson was hitting me. I was dreaming it, sir."

MacKenzie shifted his weapon back to Matt and looked at him coldly; then tie slightest of smiles creased his face.

"Mr. Everett. I am placing you under arrest. You too, Cadet Smith."

"Sir?" Surprised she looked at MacKenzie, her mouth open.

"Sir, I didn't mean to hit you," Matt cried, and Justin could see that his friend was almost at the point of tears.

"That only adds to it," MacKenzie announced. "Cadets Everett and Smith, you are under arrest for violation of Article Twenty-Three of the Fleet Code.

"As for the other charge of striking an officer Mr. Petronovich, Cadet Bell, and Cadet Colson, you were witnesses to that as well."

For the first time Justin saw Colson standing in the doorway, holding a pistol and grinning. Justin struggled with the urge to leap forward and smash the smirking grin off the cadet's face.

"Cadet Everett, you are also under arrest for striking a superior officer while he is executing his duty. Mr. Petronovich, take them away."

Justin came into the lounge and looked around. All were silent, staring at him. Saying nothing, he headed for the door to the forward section where Petronovich was standing again. There was one difference, though, and Justin found it disconcerting Petronovich was fully armed, laser assault gun by his side, a heavy blast jacket and helmet layered on top of his anti-radiation gear. The combination of equipment made Petronovich look sinister.

Justin stopped before Petronovich and formally saluted.

"Reporting as ordered by the Captain," Justin announced.

Petronovich pressed a communications tab on his collar and whispered into it. Several seconds later the door behind him unlatched and Justin stepped through. One of the enlisted men, armed and dressed like Petronovich, was on the other side of the door. He motioned Justin down the corridor to the Captain's cabin where yet another guard stood waiting.

The guard opened the door into that sanctum and Justin stepped through, snapping to attention at the sight of MacKenzie, who was standing and looking through the forward view port. Justin saw Doctor Zhing and the other two officers on board, the pilot and co-pilot, sitting at a table.

MacKenzie turned and looked at Justin.

"Stand at ease, Cadet Bell."

Justin did as ordered and waited nervously. He had gone without sleep for the entire night, trying to stay removed from the chaos that had reigned in the ship after the arrests of Matt, Madison, and all the other offworlders from the cadet unit. Wild talk had echoed through the corridors all night. Some of the cadets were stunned, claiming that MacKenzie was insane. Others, the circle who had followed Colson, argued back fiercely enough so that Petronovich, fully armed and under orders from the Captain, finally threatened to shoot anyone who set foot in the corridor for the rest of the night.

This incident had shown Justin yet again just how out of control the ship was. The thought of a senior cadet having to threaten violence in order to maintain control would have been almost beyond comprehension before shipping aboard the Somers,

"Mr. Bell, this is an informal inquiry to gather certain facts before proceeding," MacKenzie announced, his back still turned. "You are expected to answer truthfully. I hope they still teach honesty at your Academy."

"Yes, sir, that is part of the code of honor," Justin replied, trying to keep any hint of sarcasm out of his voice.

"Funny, it didn't seem to take with Everett and his fellow conspirators."

Justin looked around the room and noticed Colson sitting in the far corner. If he was being asked to give evidence, even for an informal inquiry, why was Colson allowed to be present?

Something was terribly wrong and then he realized that no vid was hooked up to record the testimony. Also, he had not been asked to swear an oath, nor had the actual purpose of the inquiry been formally stated. He remembered these requirements from his Procedures and Customs of the Fleet class; their instructor had been very specific about how such things worked.

MacKenzie turned and looked at Justin.

"You know your friend is a traitor, don't you?"

"Sir, he made nothing of the kind known to me."

"I doubt that," Colson announced.

MacKenzie turned and stared at Colson, who visibly wilted.

"Mr. Colson, I am a good judge of character and Mr. Bell here has been truthful with me in the past. I saw that in his eyes. His father served well and blood will tell Mr. Colson, blood will tell"

Justin wondered if there was some sort of veiled rebuke in MacKenzies comment, for Colson lowered his eyes.

"Now, let us continue."

Justin wanted to voice a protest but the look in MacKenzie's eyes stilled him. There was a grim purpose and he suddenly wondered if he protested would he wind up getting arrested as well? Already two of the cadets who had been so vocal with their opinion after Mart's arrest had not returned after being called forward to meet with the Captain. He was on relatively safe ground because of MacKenzie's strange internal reasoning, and he didn't want to damage MacKenzie's trust. There was no chance of helping Matt and the others if he was locked up along with them.

Justin stood silent. He looked at Zhing, who was staring straight ahead, as was the first pilot For a brief instant he caught the gaze of Maria Hemenez. There was a look of warning in her eyes.

"Mr. Bell, I have so far found you to be a reasonably trustworthy cadet, so don't disappoint me," MacKenzie began. Justin looked up at MacKenzie, who had drawn closer.

Justin remained silent. As he looked at MacKenzie his heart started to beat faster. The room seemed uncomfortably warm, and he felt a cold sweat breaking out, the clammy feeling made worse by the clinging bulk of the anti- rad suit. It was becoming increasingly intolerable and he wondered if everyone else was feeling the same way. Could the darn suits be one of the factors helping to drive this along he wondered.