He could have taken Lee’s armband somehow, to frame him.
But there was too much that just didn’t make sense. What about Lee’s injection he claimed not to have had? And why would Doctor Pearson want to keep us out of the galactic center? With only tracking out, it was possible that the culprit had wanted to get us into the galactic center, but why would someone take out our navigator if they planned for us to travel through those treacherous regions? No, whoever did this wanted us to get back to Earth. But Doctor Pearson must want that substance.
Mustn’t he?
The elevator stopped at B-Deck, and I strode towards sickbay.
August’s eyes were closed when I reached the door, but when I tip-toed in he opened them.
He just watched as I walked towards him, sat on the edge of his bed, and smiled. “Hi.”
He smiled back and quietly said, “Hi.”
His skin was pale, but it no longer showed even a hint of blue. “What’s going on out there?” he asked, his voice still a little weak, which made his accent even softer than usual.
I sighed. “Lee’s getting arrested…”
He pushed himself to a half-sitting position and frowned. “What? Why?”
I pressed a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to lay back down. “Well, not arrested exactly, I suppose. But held; in the brig.”
I explained the whole thing to him, and his eyebrows lowered over his brown eyes when I was done. “But I don’t think that Lee… could do that to me…”
“He didn’t know it would hurt you so bad. It wouldn’t have been so dangerous if it weren’t for your blood pressure—”
“No, I mean… I don’t think he could. I don’t think he has the ability.”
“I wondered about that. But everything points to him… although…” I paused for a moment.
“Although what?” he prompted.
“Who would have the codes for that station?”
He shrugged just perceptively. “I’m not sure. Anyone who might need to work it… maybe six people or so.”
“Would Unkrich have had it?”
His forehead crinkled, and he focused his eyes absently past me. “I’m not sure. Could be.”
“If he did… then whoever tampered with the life support probably got it from him.” I sighed.
“If the sabotage stops after Lee is locked up, that will tell us, won’t it?” August suggested.
“I guess so.”
As I said the word “so,” the lights flickered once, then twice, then went out entirely, leaving only the colored lights of monitors and displays to illuminate the long room.
I gasped involuntarily, then reached for August in the dark. His hand met mine, and I gripped it.
“What happened?” I asked, vaguely aware that it was an idiotic question.
He didn’t answer. Instead, as if reading my mind, he said “Go find out what’s going on. I’ll stay here, I promise.”
I gave his hand a squeeze, then breathed deeply, let go, and stood up. There was just enough light to make out the shapes of the beds and the monitors, and I made my way down the center aisle, feeling a sense of urgency but not daring to walk too fast in the dark.
“Be careful!” August called.
As I neared the door, I could hear chaos buzzing down the hall. Footsteps, yells, thumps, clicks, beeps, all in one big blur of noise.
It didn’t sound like anyone knew what was going on.
The hall was even darker than sickbay, with bits of starlight spilling from rooms along the side, and an occasional glow and flash of light as someone hurried by with an electric lantern.
Holding my hands out in front of me, I stepped down the hall, trying to discern how far I was going. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight steps and I was probably at the door to the lounge. Nine, ten, eleven, twelve…
Something rushed past me, pushing against my right shoulder, and knocking me off balance. I flailed my arms to remain standing, and saw a light hurtling towards me at eye level. I ducked, and something hard hit my left arm, knocking me to my hands and knees. I gasped for breath and began crawling and trying to stand up at the same time, as lights brightened and faded and shouts and running footsteps pounded in my ears.
“Help!” I screamed. I tried to stand up, but there seemed to be always someone hurrying past to knock me back down. “I can’t get up!” I tried again.
Hands gripped my arms from behind and pulled me up firmly but gently. A pair of strong arms held me tightly against a body that shielded me from the tide of people that rushed down the hall, and I was walked sideways. I was too surprised to move or speak, until my rescuer slipped me into the dark B-Deck lounge.
As soon as we were away from the crowd, the arms let go of me, and I stumbled forward, breathing heavily. “Thank you,” I gasped.
“You’re welcome,” said a voice that for one instant I thought was the Captain’s. But no, it was too soft. Lee.
I turned around, and sure enough he stood behind me, his navy suit blending into the darkness so that he was just a vague shape with only a head and hands to differentiate him.
“What’s happening?” I asked, subconsciously stepping back from him.
He shook his head. “I don’t know. I was in my quarters…”
The lights in the lounge flickered on, and I involuntarily squinted in the sudden brightness. Voices and motion still sounded from the hall, and Lee and I just blinked at each other for a moment.
I should ask him—something. This wasn’t right. Something didn’t make sense.
“Mr. Trent, I’m going to have to ask you to come with us,” came a deep masculine voice from the direction of the doorway. That was Mr. Downes, the head of security, unless I was much mistaken.
I wasn’t. I turned to see him standing in in the doorway, blaster drawn, with a security guard on either side of him.
“Is this an arrest?” Lee asked in slow, careful tones.
“No,” Mr. Downes readily replied. “We aren’t arresting you, only holding you. There are no formal charges, it’s merely a precautionary measure.”
“But…” I blurted out, then stopped.
Downes looked a bit coldly at me. He’d never approved of my unranked presence on the ship. “But?”
Heat crept into my cheeks. “He just saved me… I don’t think…”
“I believe it’s the Captain’s job to think, Miss Lloyd.”
I bit my lip, but said nothing more. Lee smiled a bit at me as he stepped towards the guards. Then they led him away, with Downes leading the way and the other two bringing up the rear.
This wasn’t right. It couldn’t be.
I stood still for a moment, then rushed out into the hall.
It was light now, and the chaos was no longer overwhelming, but still there were far more people in the hall than there should have been.
And most of them seemed to be heading for sickbay.
With a sigh, I started that way as well. Lee’s trouble could wait. The Doctor would need my help.
Chapter XVII
Sickbay was busy for hours, and all three of us were kept working until lunch was nearly over. There was a heaviness in my heart as I worked, tending to a dozen mild injuries caused by the mysterious power outage. The most serious thing was a cracked finger, and the Doctor took care of that himself. Olive and I divided most of the mild cases between the two of us.
When all the cots were finally empty again, she flopped onto one of them dramatically.
“What was that?” she panted.
I wearily began stripping sheets off the other cots. “Give me a hand,” I said heartlessly.
She stood up and cheerfully gripped a sheet by the corner and yanked it up. “I could ask Mac. If anybody knows, he will.”
My mind was still on Lee. It wasn’t hard to guess what the Captain would think. Lee had known that we were going to tell his brother about the evidence we had, so if he could cause chaos and hide under cover of darkness—
&nb
sp; But he hadn’t hidden. He hadn’t even tried.
“I’m starved,” the Doctor announced, coming back into sickbay after washing his hands. “Olive, take the rest of the afternoon off.”
“Thanks, Doc!” she called merrily, dumping her armful of sheets into the chute.
“You too,” he nodded at me. “If I really need you, I’ll call for you.”
“Not until I make up the cots,” I insisted.
“Andi…”
“Besides, I want to talk to you.”
He looked me in the eyes, then said, “Okay. See you later, Olive.”
She smiled, and as she walked by me, she reached out and squeezed my arm. I smiled back, and watched her walk gracefully out of the room.
Still turned towards the door, I felt the Doctor’s thin hand rest on my shoulder. “What is it?”
“Lee,” I sighed, and I told him what had happened.
His frown grew deeper and more concerned as he listened, and when I was finished he shook his head.
I rolled up my sleeves and started tucking sheets onto the cots, and he helped me, both of us working in silence. There were nine cots to do, and with each one we took hold of opposite corners of the fitted sheet, stretched it over the bed, and each tucked in one side until it was smooth.
He didn’t speak until we were done, and then he only said, “Let’s see if Almira has any lunch for us.”
“Okay.” I followed him out of sickbay, down the corridor to the empty mess hall, and to the snack bar. Most of the big brown room was dim now, but the snack bar was illuminated. Clinking and humming wafted from the brightly-lit galley behind it.
Just hearing that low, homey voice helped to ease my tension. I let out a brief involuntary sigh.
“Go on and see if she saved us dinner, would you?” the Doctor requested wearily, sliding onto a bar stool.
“Yes sir.”
I found her drying the last few plates and humming a simple tune I recognized from Earth, but didn’t know the name of.
“Any lunch for a weary but late doctor and his assistant?” I asked from the doorway.
She turned to me and smiled, just barely showing her teeth. “Of course, honey! You didn’t think I’d forget you?”
“No,” I smiled. “I’m sorry we’re late.”
“Oh, that blackout threw a kink in everybody’s afternoon, honey. Lunch was late, too.”
“Guess that makes us extra late,” I joked half-heartedly, taking the tray she handed me.
“Is your daddy out there?” she asked, hoisting the other covered tray into her arms.
“Yes. He’s at the bar.”
Nodding, she gestured her head towards the door and I went back to the Doctor. She followed, carrying his food.
He smiled and nodded at her as she set the tray down in front of him, and when she lifted the lid, his eyes brightened. “Almira, you didn’t.”
“I sure did, Doctor.” She wiped her hands on her apron and smiled, showing tiny wrinkles around her dark eyes.
“You’re trying to kill me, I’m sure of it.” The Doctor started to cut his fried chicken.
I whipped the lid off my own chicken and potatoes with gravy. While the Doctor normally wouldn’t approve of such a fattening meal for us, he had a soft spot for down-home cooking that reminded him of his southern upbringing.
“I figured everybody could use a little lightening after this afternoon,” she grinned, placing her hands on her hips.
“Nothing lightening about this meal,” he insisted gruffly, but with a gleam in his gray eyes as he tucked a napkin into his lap. He reached for my hand, bowed his head and offered a brief prayer, then dug into the creamy potatoes and gravy. I watched him visibly relax with each bite. “I’ll let it pass this time, Ms. Maslow.” He nodded at her with mock sternness, but she only laughed and turned to the temp regulator to get drinks for us.
Smiling, I began eating my own meal, savoring the warm, comfortable flavors and complimentary conflicting textures.
“Do you know anything about what happened?” the Doctor asked her as he munched.
She shook her head, frowning, and handed me a bottle of milk. “I heard something about it over the intercom about the Captain’s brother… not letting him get away.” She handed the Doctor an iced tea.
I glanced at him and saw his face darken again as he took it. “Lee’s been arrested.”
“Held,” I couldn’t help correcting.
He didn’t acknowledge it. “How much do you know about our mission?”
She shook her head again, flopping her thick, short ponytail from side to side. “Not very much. I heard that there was a change of plans, and that it was classified.”
There was a moment of silence as the two of us scarfed down our food, then she hesitantly said, “I’ve seen Mr. Guilders sitting around here more than usual. But he didn’t say anything about it, so I didn’t ask…”
The Doctor sighed.
“You’re all right, Miss Andi?” a pleasant voice said from behind me. “I was concerned that the recent chaos might have harmed you in some manner, but I’m quite pleased to see you safe and sound.”
I swiveled to find Napoleon just below my eye level. Somehow my elevated position on the bar stool didn’t interfere with his commanding, confident presence.
“I’m fine. Thank you.” I smiled at him, and watched his smooth face flash a naïve smile back.
“I’m pleased, so pleased.” He laid his cold, fleshy hand on my arm for a moment, and I felt goosebumps prickle there.
“Do you know exactly what happened earlier, Captain Holloway?” the Doctor asked, with a hint of coldness in his tones.
Napoleon lifted his hand, but I could still feel the moist pressure there for a moment after it was gone.
“Just Holloway, please. And I’m afraid not, Doctor.” He sighed sadly. “Your captain has not yet entrusted me with the details of the outage.” He shook his head. “But I fear that it will only be greater, well, perceived evidence against his brother… I am not pleased at all, not at all.” He continued shaking his head.
I looked over my shoulder for Almira, but she was gone.
“Where’s Doctor Pearson?” I asked, turning back to Napoleon.
“I’m not sure. I believe he’s in the lab, assisting in the examination of some evidence of some kind… I’m afraid I know nothing of such matters; I’m only a captain.” He extended his hands helplessly, and smiled.
Assisting in the examination of some evidence of some kind…
I remembered when Doctor Pearson had so clearly wanted me out of the computer room. He hadn’t wanted me to see whatever he was doing.
“It is too complex to explain here, but if you like I shall show you my calculations and charts later.”
Napoleon, the pleasant, the kind, the naïve, a small pawn in the hands of a scientist desperate to make his name known?
It could make sense.
Unkrich, August, and the lights… a scientist could figure out how to do all this. I remembered the Captain’s suggestion that tracking had been taken out so that ISA wouldn’t know where we were. The forced resignation of Guilders and taking August out of the picture left three important strategic positions open to Copernicus personnel.
Then the lights. It looked like Lee had caused it all to make his getaway. But what if Pearson had caused it in order to do something else?
But what? And what about Lee’s warp stomach injection?
I sighed. There seemed to be no solution that fully satisfied all the facts. Besides, Pearson wouldn’t need Copernicus personnel at the helm or tracking. The Captain was complying with the mission.
My head started to ache.
“…the poor chaplain,” Napoleon was saying. “He always seemed… such an upstanding man. I simply cannot understand it.”
The Doctor shook his head and dropped from the stool to the floor lightly. “I’m heading back to sickbay, Andi. When you’re finished, go check on August.”
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br /> “Yes sir,” I murmured, still trying to think, but failing. My body ached from being on my feet and bending over patients all afternoon, and from being knocked around in the darkness earlier.
He left the mess hall, but Napoleon stayed put, watching me.
“Something’s troubling you, Miss Lloyd,” he stated gently.
I didn’t answer. I just closed my eyes and sat very still.
He walked a step closer and laid his hand on mine again. I tried not to make a face as his cold, moist skin met mine, and I pulled my hand away slowly. He accepted it with perfect chivalry, and moved his hand nonchalantly away again, saying, “What is it, Miss Lloyd?”
“Nothing makes much sense,” I sighed.
A soft clattering of dishes sounded from the galley behind me.
He shook his head sadly. “I am afraid that I find myself rather perplexed also. The chaplain is a good man, I know he is. No one can blame him for wanting to be with his family, yes?”
“Yes.”
“And…” here a barely detectable change came over Napoleon’s face. A frown, far behind his eyes, as though born of a pity somewhere deep inside. “I’m sure he didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”
I agreed.
“One might say he has been a very unfortunate man,” he continued to muse aloud. “After all, there was no way he could have known about that poor man’s allergy, or your brother’s condition. He’d only been here a few days.”
The compassionate statement made me feel ever so slightly defensive. I spoke a bit coldly. “He might not be guilty. He’s not convicted of anything… only being held.”
Napoleon’s face brightened a shade. “Very true, my dear. How wrong of me to so quickly lose faith in my dear chaplain!” Then with a kind smile at me, he turned and left the room.
I leaned my elbows on the counter and rested my chin in my hands, then blew upward, puffing a lock of hair out of my face.
My thoughts drifted back to Doctor Pearson. The Doctor had always said I was an intuitive judge of character. Shouldn’t I at least explore explanations that allowed for Lee’s innocence and Pearson’s guilt?
The biggest difficulty was that warp stomach serum. I just could not figure out a way that Lee could be telling the truth about that.
Firmament: Machiavellian Page 13