Andrew was getting impatient. “He knows I’m here?”
Ralph nodded.
Andrew felt humiliated, waiting outside the closed and locked door. It was unthinkable that he couldn’t go where and when he wanted, but he couldn’t. Peter’s pod, as it was know was off limits to anyone without permission. Heaven only knew what went on behind the closed doors: though he had a good idea. At last the door opened and Peter emerged. Gone was the over sickly show of friendship. “Andrew.” Peter said curtly. “I’ve probably wasted your time.”
Andrew couldn’t help feeling disappointed.”
“The present… has had a little too much to drink?”
Andrew looked back down the corridor; it was empty, nobody congregated outside the rooms with Ralph watching.
I know its been a time since we… lost Lucy, maybe if you come back tomorrow?”
Andrew stared at him but his legs didn’t move. He knew he should go, and not come back, but he didn’t. He hated the man he had become.
“Of course if you don’t mind?”
Andrew said nothing and at last Peter stepped to the side, only to immediately step back on front of him.
“Actually there was some station related matters I wanted to discuss with you?”
Andrew knew this was the price.
“The booze store… Look I’m not complaining but it’s taking a lot of time for the boys to keep it secure… I know it doesn’t sound much but every time somebody wants something they have to go and unlock it, let them in: make sure they only take what they are allowed to. Then they have to update the inventory; lock up, make sure it’s all secure. It doesn’t sound much, but it takes time, time that they should be doing their crew duties, after all they are you crew… you know what I mean?”
Andrew did and he also knew that ‘his boys’ hadn’t done a stroke of crew related work in a long time. “What are you suggesting?”
“The last thing any of us needs is another riot fueled by alcohol? It would be far easier to look after if all the stock was brought here to my pod, I’m sure you see the sense in that
‘My pod,’ Thought Andrew. “The boys would still have to look after it even then?”
“Yes but with the booze and the food in different areas it would save moving between?”
“I’m not sure it would go down that well?”
“No of course not but once everyone is told that booze has been disappearing?”
He was about to reply ‘how if your guarding it?’ “It’s being stolen?”
“The stock is going down quite frighteningly quickly”
“Who is taking it?”
“I only know of one of them, and I’m sorry to say it was my own wife that was seen?”
Andrew was surprised. “Jennifer?”
“Yes, Silvio saw her take a bottle of bourbon back to her room?”
“He’s sure she went to her room; couldn’t she have just been collecting it with good reason?”
“Andrew he’s one of your men; you have never found him to be a liar before?”
Andrew smiled cynically to himself: it was almost funny how his and my were interchangeable. “And if all the alcohol is here you will guarantee its safety?”
“One of the boys lets everyone out.”
“Give me time to think about it?”
“Not too long Andrew; or it could all be stashed away and stir up trouble?”
Andrew nodded, but Peter still didn’t move. “So… I can…”
Peter looked thoughtful. “I was going to see how things worked firstly but it makes sense if the food is stored here too?”
“Is that disappearing as well?”
“People object to rationing?”
“They were never going to accept it willingly.”
“No, there are too few pleasure available to us?” Peter smiled and his eyes indicated the door behind him. “I have my suspicions that Leeshia is running her own black market?”
“Leeshia? I find that hard to believe.”
“We’ll let us just say is turning a blind eye?”
“Anyway food could be the least of our problems if we go down to Mars?”
“You are assuming they will have enough food in store, have they?”
Andrew had never thought to ask. “I don’t know?”
“If we arrive and there is nothing we can eat it will not only be us that will be in a far worse situation?”
“They have the greenhouses?”
“Would you want to survive for two years on lettuce alone?”
Andrew didn’t reply.
“… In fact it makes sense that all our supplies secure; if everything, even the medical supplies were here. It would only need just a single guard on the airlock to cover them all?”
Andrew pushed his doubts to the back of his mind. “There are others in the pod?’
“Just a couple; for some reason most find my company… problematic?”
Andrew knew that for a fact.
“Moving them is an easily solved problem… Since our unfortunate accidents there is plenty of room; they could be moved elsewhere?”
Andrews mind was almost a blank, but he knew Peter would have all the answers. “Move them all? How do I tell everyone they have to move out of their rooms?”
“Tell them the truth; it makes sense to provide as few pods as necessary with air, light and heating; doesn’t it?”
It all made sense, and it all benefited Peter.
“So if we have that all agreed I’m sure Sara would love to spend a little time with you; of course you may prefer time to think over what we have discussed… you could come back… sometime; in the future?”
All the good that remained in Andrew screamed for him to walk away, instead he waited for Peter to step aside.
Colony - Orbit the Sun – Part 9 Page 3