Tramp Wars: The Enemy

by Larry Roberts

  Seeing Dick’s look of disbelief, Mark shook his head. “The incident report shows the insoles I made Criss buy were thrown into the corner of the top ladder compartment and were not in the boots during the autopsy. They matched the insoles to the receipt in his pocket.” Watching Dicks face as his mouth dropped open. “Only Criss’s finger prints are on the boots fasteners. Yours were rubbed off the top buckles when he took the boots completely off to take the insoles out and you never touched the ankle fasteners. Fact is Dick. If he had simply loosened the upper boot fasteners a little like you said you did, he probably would have made it with his feet still held tight with the insole and lower buckle in place providing the needed support.”

  “No, you’re a liar. You told him he had to buy those specific insoles or you wouldn’t let him use your boots. Why would he take them out?” Looking down at the pit far below. The light from the pit next to them and the ship being worked on casting shadows across the base of the ship. “You even told him you would destroy and throw the brake pads and guide hooks on the boots away if he didn’t buy and use the insoles, when he said he would just take them later if you didn’t’ let him use them now without the insoles.”

  “Ya he was a stubborn ass hole wasn’t he.” Mark took a deep breath. “Think Dick, you were there in the compartment when he insisted I go down to the airlock deck and wait for him. What happened after I left?”

  “No… Nothing happened…” Tears came to his eyes and then he whispered. “He told us to shut up about the insoles as he took them out. He said that you could just go fuck yourself. He didn’t need any stupid insoles with arches.” Wiping his nose on his sleeve. “How could I forget that?”

  “That is OK Dick. My mother told me the mind has a way of forgetting the unpleasant details when tragedy strikes. When you found out that Criss had died a half hour later when you couldn’t even get close to the lower decks at first because of the emergency crews, what happened in the upper ladder compartment had already faded as normal for Criss. So those memories were not included with your memories that were reinforced by the shock of learning he was dead and finally seeing the body. Though you all said something about the argument Criss and I had over the insoles in your interviews later. Most forgot all about the insoles in the ladder room and how Criss had taken them out of his or my boots since no one told you about the other details in the confidential report. Why they let you guys in to see his body is beyond me except maybe to make sure none of you would try it yourselves. You told me later the Officers and Sargent at Arms at the scene, were already blaming me since I was stupid enough to tell them right off that he had my boots on when he died. In your shock of seeing the body while hearing that I was to blame you forgot everything else that would contradict that. That is what your mind fixated on, forgetting the unpleasant facts as I did blaming myself all these years. Damn shame the fucking Master at Arms fools kept the facts about the insoles secret or maybe both of us would have stopped blaming the wrong people long ago.”

  Dick turned white at that memory as Mark kicked himself for going too far. Mark reached out to grab Dick to keep him from falling over the side as he scooted closer. His leg trying to stay where he was sitting a moment before until he reached down to his foot and pulled on something to let his leg swing under him.

  Color finally returned to Dick’s face and then he turned to Mark now sitting only a few inches away. “No. I still unfastened the boots for him so I am still at fault.”

  “You weren’t the only one there Dick. He would simply have gotten one of the others there to unfasten them for him. Anyone of the other kids would have blamed themselves and not me and jumped a long time before now. You kept your sanity by blaming me which is Ok since it kept you from jumping a long time ago. It truly isn’t your fault.” Taking a deep breath. “The only one at fault other than possible me, is Criss himself.” In desperation Mark remembered his father telling him that it is easy for trade clients to forget the simple points and that a good tradesman needed to go out of his way to repeat the obvious important facts. “You didn’t take out the insole or loosen up the ankle of the boot, he did. You did not cause Criss’s death.”

  “He is the one that took the insoles out, otherwise he would be alive today even with the upper calf loosened up. But possibly one of us wouldn’t, the next time he had gotten some fool notion like jumping between moving ships he kept talking about. Oh,, and remember the last time we jumped back to the ship from that big ass station around Omacrom 6 when Criss insisted on going even though the ship was 20 miles away. Criss telling everyone we could not miss that big ass two mile wide station and then Jolleen missed the ship on the way back after Criss accidentallytook her thruster pack and jumped off the station before Jolleen realized he had her pack.”

  “Ya man that was a blast until Jolleen ran out of juice on her thrust pack just before we hit the ship after Criss told her she was lined up perfect and didn’t need to use her thrusters like a baby even though he was using his constantly on the trip to the station and back again. If you had not daisy chained all our safety reel lines together and jumped using the last little bit of juice in your thrust pack to get to her, she could still be out there. Seems like you were always cleaning up his messes. Shame we haven’t done anything exciting like that since he died Mark. I miss him.”

  Shaking his head Dick looked away and then back at Mark. Mark suddenly realized that though he missed him, he, Mark Collins, probably would not still be alive with some of the harebrained schemes his best friend had been wanting him to try. Then Dick spoke up with tears running down his eyes. “You must really hate me for getting you beat up so many times since then but I don’t blame you since I hate myself for that even more now that I know. Godstar, I was trying to get you murdered because I thought it was your fault.”

  “Eaa. I will get over it. Besides, do you really think the only time they beat up on me was when you were around or that I had to do something to them before they beat on me or played keep the glasses away from the moron or all the other people in the hold and on the ship they terrorized. You have heard the rumors of Chet’s father throwing anyone that crossed him out a hatch in the middle of the night. Too many of the reported suicides were on the Greedly’s enemies list with no reason to commit suicide according to my mom’s files. Hell most had every reason to live except they crossed the Greedly’s. I hate Chet and his thugs even more and now that you have admitted to being present and witnessing a bunch of the times they beat me, you can testify and have them locked up for multiple assaults and battery and with the three strikes your off the ship rule, you can wave good bye to them with me.” Mark smiled as he nudged him with his shoulder. Then his smile turned to a frown. “I am sorry. That is right, you are going to jump aren’t you. To bad you won’t be around to see them kill me next time they get bored, now that Chet is telling everyone but mainly his father, that I trashed his father’s fancy monster airtruck. You shouldn’t have to wait long for me to join you.”

  Mark looked down and borrowing the school kids routine on the hatch a short couple days before. He did the descending whistle with the splat at the end while demonstrating with his hands. “I hear the body bounces when it hits concrete.”

  Dick’s face turned white and he backed up from the edge a little having to raise his lower legs until only his feet were hanging over the edge. “You know, I could hang around awhile if that would help put Chet and his goons away.”

  Mark turned bringing his closest leg up to lay across the taut net, bending his knee with his lower leg across in front of him. His other leg still dangling over the edge. “Would you. I so would appreciate not getting beaten up again or even killed. Their beatings got boring a long time ago. Gang up on the moron, steel his glasses then beat and kick and spit and strip and call him a bunch of stupid un original names I have heard a thousand times. You would think they would change the routine once in a while but then I got good at rolling with the punches. Though I have to admit I d
id get a few good licks in once in a while sending a few of them to Sickbay with broken bones and such even when I was blind.”

  Dick smiled at Marks statement. “You know I really don’t feel like jumping anymore. Fact is I feel kind of stupid about the whole thing know I remember Criss doing what he did. He almost got most of us killed at one time or another with you rescuing us at the last moment. And I guise I do owe you one for getting you beat up all those times.” Looking around at the crowed on the ramp and across the hatch barrier inside the hold. His head dropped down into his shoulders trying to hide. “Godstar this is so embarrassing. Everyone is going to think I am a crazy coward and...” Tears started streaming down his cheeks again as he edged closer to the side of the net not wanting to face the embarrassment.

  Then Mark’s mom’s voice spoke up from the edge of the ramp as she walked up with a couple of beers in her hands and handed one to Dick and then to Mark. “You two boys stay put while we clear the ramp and hold. No reason for everyone to get so upset at a couple of guys having a talk and a few beers out on the net. Not that you won’t get a ticket for it.” Though as she turned around to leave she grabbed Dick’s collar and dragged him another foot away from the ledge. “Now stay put or the Captain won’t take the time to clear the hold.”

  Mark took a look at his beer can not believing she had given him a beer and noticed it said (near beer). Smiling he popped the top and enjoyed the cold brew sliding down his throat as Dick did the same.

  An air truck circling the base of the ship as it quickly climb with its’ fans growling as they took huge gulps of air, suddenly quieted down to a loud pure as it started a wide sweeping turn around the ship no longer in a hurry. Mark had not noticed that the hatch to the next hold deck down below them had several marines with net guns standing far enough back to give time for their nets to deploy. Hooked lines ran down to the recessed tie down cleats from their guns at the ready to their shoulders and aimed at the two figures above. Knowing they only had a fraction of a second to fire to hit if either of them jumped or fell. Knowing the guns would also knock the two even farther out away from the lowered hatch to keep them from hitting the edge as they fell past the hatch before they engaged the brakes on the lines.

  The holds address system started blaring, telling everyone to go back to their cabins. That it was a false alarm. As some 30 Ship’s Patrolmen started clearing the hold. Though most of the emergency crews stayed on the ramp. Dick started to relax, no longer afraid of looking like a crazy fool. Looking forward to things going back to the way they had been without the huge guilty trauma of Criss’s death hanging over his head.

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  Chet left the railing of the walkway that ran along the edge of Tramptown facing the open hatch and the platform beyond. He could see Dick and Mark in the distance sitting on the safety net though it was far away. The huge image projected on the inside of the hold of Dick and Mark with their voices amplified echoing off the curved hull sides. Chet realizing the weasel was going to get him kicked off the ship unless he changed his mind and did jump. Or had some help.

  Leaving the crowd lining the walkway rail watching the distant show live, Chet made his way to the storage container they had managed to get placed in tramp town. One of the last to go up when construction was cut off. It hung at the end of the last Port side row of storage containers with a wonderful view of the hatch. Rummaging inside the average sized container that had a small fraction of the toys and tools the Maxi container had, Chet quickly found what he was looking for since he had helped move the arsenal.

  Taking out a long barreled shotgun, he loaded it with special bean bag (name only, no beans were included) military concussion rounds his father had bought for special occasions. Those special occasions included luring people out to the edge of the platforms, overriding the net controls to retract them and then shooting the victim from cover inside the hold with the long range special low temp explosive concussive rounds used to subdue heavily armored soldiers. The rounds spread the force of their explosive shells over a wide area so the tremendous force would shock the soldier inside his armor knocking him out for a few minutes without killing them but on an unarmored civilian body, they slammed the recipient with enough force to knock them across some thirty feet of deck while not leaving enough trace to be detected after the victim fell more than a few hundred feet. Usually several hundred feet. Leaving no witnesses and no evidence (since the shell was completely consumed), that the victim didn’t simply jump even if caught on most cameras from clear across the platform.

  Walking back along the row of containers with the gun hidden by his body until he was out of sight of the crowd at the railing (who all had their eyes on the hatch), he used a folding step ladder to climb up to the top of the container and into the space below the overhead of the hold. Being careful not to make noise even though he knew no one was inside any of them with everyone outside watching the moron’s. He quickly crawled up to his family’s container and peaked out to find everyone’s attention along the rail still on the screen on the hull with a few using hand held’s for personal close ups of the two morons making small talk about things they had done with Criss over the years before his death. Oblivious to the fact that half the ship was watching and hearing every word.

  Backing up to lose himself inside the shadows. His father had taught him well how to snip without being seen. Setting up the special sights on the long barreled 10 gage shot gun, he dialed in Mark’s height, since he knew after years of tormenting him exactly how tall he was. Then settled down to wait, hitting the laser just to make sure the sight had the correct distance and locking it in. With the bipod legs adjusted to the corrugated wave top of the container to hold the long barreled shotgun level and steady, Chet smiled. All they needed to do was stand up so he would have a clear shot at their bodies and it was all over. The silencer on the shot gun that lengthened the barrel only a couple inches and then ran half way back down its length to the stock, would keep even the people on the rails below him in the dark to what had happened.

  The hold was cleared out and then the Ship’s patrolmen showed up along Tramp town’s walkway edge rail and started clearing it off forcing the people back away toward the wide ladder at the entrance to Tramptown since all the pubs and restaurants had long been closed at 3 in the morning. Leaving Chet all alone on top of the container watching the show until the huge projection on the holds hull went silent as it disappeared, forcing him to turn his wrist phone on to keep track of what was happening out on the ramp. He could only see them in his sights, or to be more exact see the back of Dick’s head with him scooted back now from the edge with only Mark in full view as he sat sideways on the edge with one leg across in front of him. He had to rely on his wrist phone to hear what was going on. The occasional officer or emergency crewman crossing in front just below his line of sight did no help his state of mind as he started to get impatient.

  Finally Mark’s mother walked up to them smiling. “Everyone has gone home. Shall we go? It has been a long night and I need my beauty sleep boys.”

  Dick looked up at Mark’s mother smiling as he yawned. “Ya I am beat. Sorry for all the trouble Mrs. Collins, I was just a little confused and being stupid. My bed is sure going to feel so nice tonight.”

  “That is all right Dick. We all get a bit confused once in a while. Though you are going to have to come with me for a few minutes while we talk so I can reinforce your renewed memories and revelations before you forget a few of them with sleep and go back to thinking the way you were. Then the Chief is going to want to talk to you. You aren’t in any trouble. He won’t ask a single question about Criss. He just wants to get your statement about what you know and witnessed about the Greedly family’s doings.”

  The ramp hatch for the hold below suddenly started whining as it started closing. The marines on it turned looking at each other and then around to the open hold as the incline on the ramp started increasing. Looking
back up at the safety net with several people on it now around their targets. One marine shrugged his shoulders and then dropped his sights from above and bent down, unhooked the strap and started walking down the inclined ramp. The rest one by one followed suit knowing they had to get off the ramp before the 40 foot end extension finished retracting and it turned into a bulkhead.

  Dick stood up giving Mrs. Collins a hug. “Thanks, I just feel so stupid now. I don’t think I could have faced all those people right now.” Turning to Mark he watched Mark struggling with his legs. “Come on before you fall off the edge or do you want me to get you a safety harness first scarred Dee cat.” Smiling down at him even though Dick was staying as far away from the edge as possible now.

  Mark shook his head smiling as he rubbed his legs while moving his feet and toes. “It seems my legs went to sleep. Give me a minute to get some circulation back into them.”

  Dick shook his head sympathetically at Mark. Walking over staying well back from the edge, he extended his hand to help Mark up and away from the edge.

  Chet started to pull the trigger several times but the sight said “Target fault” over and over again. The words “Part of target hidden from sight. Designate solid. (Top), (Bottom). The smart sight knowing the target in sight was too short for the height of the target Chet had programmed into it. Chet in his haste thought the sight was asking for where the solid deck was. Not knowing it was asking for what part of target was solidly seen by the sight so it could calculate the targets chest. Chet hit the bottom and the sight calculate exactly where the center of Dick’s chest should be if the top of his body was masked in some way and laid the cross hairs on his head as Chet pulled the trigger again and again and again and again. Impatiently trying to make sure he hit the target. Chet had also failed to take the round off of armor penetrating. The setting used for incapacitating (Stunning) shoulders through their bullet and blaster proof armor.