Science, engineering – there weresimilarities, John knew. And he’d be surprised if anyone on board hadn’tlearned a skill beyond their own.
A glance to Lorraine. She washalfway to the door, her head lowered and her feet dragging.
“How’s the ship?” John asked. “Sam said we blew some crystals.”
Red shook his head. “She’s notfully operational, and won’t be unless we get parts. We’re sacrificing somesystems to keep others running. Life support’s back and we’ve got water. Drinking water only, I’ve had to shut it off elsewhere. Climate’s gone, whichputs water in doubt.”
Red wiped his sleeve down hisface.
“It’s already warming up inhere… And half speed, that’s all you’re going to get, sir. If nothing elsegoes wrong.”
John nodded. “What aboutoutside?”
“No hull breaches.”
“That’s something.”
“Yes, sir,” Red muttered almostto himself, “that’s something.”
As John turned to leave, he spiedKowalski again. He sighed then bent down and scooped the engineer up, carefulnot to wake him.
“Come on, Sam,” he spoke almostto himself. “Let’s get you into bed.”
“Commander?”
John turned back to Red. Kowalski wasn’t heavy, not yet anyway. He held him easily. “Yes?”
“The crystals. We’re not goingto get very far, and it’s going take us a long time to get there. They needreplacing, unless they can be recrystallised.”
He looked to John forconfirmation of a procedure he didn’t think was possible.
“I don’t know how and the kidcan’t do it.” He indicated Kowalski.
“No, I don’t suppose he can.”
“Then it is possible?”
“It was done once. A few yearsago.” John was beginning to feel Kowalski’s weight. “If we can get to thegate, we can get to Tricon. We’ll get them there.”
“But that’s where –”
John’s sombre look cut him off.
“Yes, sir, we won’t have anyworries getting there.”
Tricon was not somewhere anyonewanted to return to. John seriously doubted the mining authorities would letthem have the crystals they needed. He didn’t intend to ask. A rejection wasonly going to alert them. He also didn’t intend to let anyone know that he wasthere. A handful of crystals shouldn’t be missed, even if it meant they wouldhave to be refined on the ship.
He took Kowalski home, pullinghis boots off and putting him to bed. The engineer slept peacefully,completely unaware that he had been moved. Red was right; Kowalski was just akid. Half the crew weren’t much older than him. It wasn’t right to push themthis far. But then, John wondered, where would they be if he hadn’t?
* * *
McReidy returned to her quartersintent on having a shower and change. Her eyes opened wide as the door openedand she was met by the sight of what used to be her quarters. It still was –but that was not the way she had left it.
“Aaagh!” she screamed, her handsraising to her head. The place was a disaster area, as though someone had beenrifling through it. No, it was worse than that.
She tried to remain calm, tellingherself that the loss of gravity was to blame. Instead, she found it mucheasier to blame John. Of course it was his fault. Everything that had evergone wrong in her entire life was his fault. Things were just perfect untilshe had met him.
Later: she’d clean it up later. First, she wanted that shower, and to get out of the uniform that felt likeshe’d been living in for the past week! She should have known better beforeshe even turned the water on. Or didn’t turn it on as the case was. Of coursethere was no water. That was also his fault.
A clean uniform lay crumpled onthe floor of the wardrobe, unable to escape the closed door. At least it wasclean. The only thought that comforted her was that his quarters wouldn’t havebeen any better.
John hadn’t paid attentionearlier. Now he was aware of the mess in his quarters. He glanced at thebottle of rum. It looked tempting, but first he better do something abouttidying up. He hadn’t finished when McReidy arrived.
“I hope your place is every bitas bad as mine,” she greeted him moodily.
“Come in.” He didn’t want toargue.
“When you’ve finished here, youcan start on mine.”
“Really?” His face slowly litup.
“On second thought, you keepright away from there,” she warned.
The smile all but disappeared. Atiny trace remained and moved into his eyes.
“You know where the Coke is.” Hewasn’t about to wait on her hand and foot. She knew her way around.
It was a quiet and relaxedevening. Even the arrival of Gillespie didn’t change that.
“Do you want to join us?” Johnasked.
Gillespie was severely tempted. “No, thanks,” he declined. “Someone’s got to stay sober around here.”
“I’m perfectly sober.”
“You’re perfectly pickled. Oryou will be if you finish that off… Know where Kowalski is, by any chance?”
“I put him to bed. He’s exhausted.”
Gillespie nodded to himself. “He’s not the only one. I hear we’re heading to Tricon.”
“We are.”
McReidy bounced upright off thelounge.
“I suppose you want me to go downand get those crystals before the miners even know we’re there.”
“That is the general idea.”
Gillespie didn’t look happy. “Then I better see Kowalski.”
“Leave him.”
“We’re not invisible to sensors.”
“I said, leave him.” John wasfirm.
Gillespie frowned. He wanted tosay something then thought better of it. Instead, he glanced at his watch. “I’ll be back in about an hour,” he told no one in particular.
“Then you can join us, can’tyou?”
“I might just do that.”
The door no sooner closed behindGillespie when McReidy pounced on John. “We’re going back to Tricon? Ithought we were going to Copernicus.”
“We need the crystals.” Thedecision was made and he wasn’t going to be challenged by either McReidy orGillespie.
“Yes, but we can get them atCopernicus. And Tricon’s in the opposite direction.”
He swirled his drink around inhis glass and let out a low growl. “If we lose light speed, it’ll take us amonth to reach Tricon. It’ll take us six to get to Copernicus.”
She leaned back against thelounge and he downed the last mouthful. The rum was on the coffee table. Atthe moment, it looked far away to reach.
“Why won’t you make Kowalskichief engineer?”
“Excuse me?” The question caughthim by surprise.
“You heard.”
He thought about it for aminute. He knew why, but had never found it necessary to put it into words. “For a number of reasons.” He could tell by the look on McReidy’s face
