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Mark walked into the crowded junior officers’ mess with Dian on his arm. Everyone that noticed them seemed to take a second look at them and then a third. Going out of their way to keep their distance. Mark just thought it was the Commanders Oak leaves and the bling on his Kakis, glancing at the news in the bulkhead about the poisoning the night before, showing hazmat medics and armored suited marines in the park on the Greedly deck. He was glad no one could tell who was who in that mad house. Though you could see the stenciled names on a few of the marines.
Then half way through their lunch the news came on again. This time showing Mark beating up three seemingly young innocent teenagers. And the disapproving talk and stares at him started again. Though if you looked hard you could see that the men he left on the deck were not the teenagers that was profiled only seconds before. But most people did not look that close in the fraction of a second the screen was on the actual fight before she showed close up pictures of their wounds that looked worse than they actually were using words to make it sound like they were on their death beds and then close ups of the young men in the sickbay examination beds looking more like little boys than the hulks they were with no one or thing around them to show their true sizes.. Hearing what the cute News Anchor was saying about the dastardly deeds of a bullying officer who the Captain had already threatened to kick out an airlock with the pictures of young teenagers back up on the screen again.
"Oh great!" Mark said. "I have to take command of an entire engine space tomorrow morning and now she is making it look like I am a crazy out of control officer." Then getting a confused hurt look on his face. "Why is she saying those lies about me? I am not the one that started that fight not to mention...”
Dian looked at Mark frowning. "She is the ships news Anchorwoman Mark. She must be telling the truth. You did start the fight last night. You did not have to beat them up so badly just because of a few spit wads and money you owed Chet."
"They were not spit wads Dian and I Don’t owe Chet anything let alone money. Damn it. I did not start that fight and you said yourself they were nowhere near that badly hurt let alone in the critical care unit like she said. You know half that shit she is saying or hinting at and making insinuations about is not the truth."
"Well yes, though she didn’t actually say they were in the critical care unit as she talked about the critical care unit but she is saying they could have died and it must be true.” Getting a confused look on her face since she knew it was not the truth. But then why did the famous trusted Page the news Anchor keep saying what she was saying. “I don't know anymore. And now most of Chet’s family is dead. Pore kid." Putting her fork down she pushed her Emergency, Meal Ready To Eat, in its still half-filled tray across the table and got up. "I have to get to work."
“Damn it Dian. He is not a kid and he is the one that murdered his friends, his own family and almost the entire ship’s crew.” The Ensigns around him staring as they argued.
The screen changed to showing a bereaved Chet and his father consoling each other in front of the armored hatch to their fortress as bodies were being removed. Tears streaming down their faces as Chet’s sister and his father’s daughter, was wheeled out of the big hatch and they were allowed to cluster around the gurney for a few seconds after the bubble came off. A tight white suited figure stopped in the background pulling back his helmet then taking off his breathing mask, few could miss who it was in the bulkhead sized ultra-definition screen. Page the news Anchor, with her boobs hanging half out of her low cut blows described the horrific pain and suffering the two men were going through because of the monster Commander Collins as she stared at the camera reading the Prompter. She then thanked the unnamed brave Ships Patrolmen standing behind the group for saving Miss. Greedly only seconds from death. Giving her his breathing mask, risking a horrible death himself from the gas to save her. Not realizing that it was Mark. She then talked about reports that the weasel Commander Collins was seen slippingout of the water tank deck where the poison had originated from, through a hidden hatch into the Truckdeck. That the low life trouble making Officer Collins must have been the cause of the poisoning and killing all those crewmen. She suddenly turned white, but no one else knew that the only reason she was alive was because she had worked late that night arranging to assassinate Mark on her news shows making her sick every time she had to face that fact. But it played well on the screen as reaction to the death of most of her and the Greedly’s families and friends.
That night after a very busy afternoon Dian and Mark eat in the Junior officers mess again though by that time the galley’s had been decontaminated and a basic dinner of Goulash was served. Becoming the norm for the next few months as the farm decks were regrown. A ring of empty tables around them. Mark did not want to worry about bumping into Chet and his father on the mess deck during dinner. Besides he had a lot on his mind with the assault planned and ready for the next morning. But with a constant stream of doubt and possible things that could go wrong flooding through his mind he picked at his bowl. Dian was unusually quiet. Finely Mark broke the silence. "There is a hundred things that can go wrong tomorrow Hun, so I don't want you to come down with your medical team until I give you the word.” Looking up at her from his bowl. "They may just kick me out on my keester five minutes after I walk through the hatch."
Looking up at the news screen with yet another report about the boot officer the Captain had talked about spacing for murdering another young teenager a few years before. Shaking his head. "Why is she saying all those nasty things about me? I simply don't understand it." And then under his breath. "Damn Godstar Admiral. Why are you letting her say and hint at all those lies about me?"
The Admiral voice came to Mark ears. "They are not complete lies. There is some truth in everything she says. Just all twisted around to look extremely bad for you."
"No da Admiral. Can't you at least turn her off for twisting facts and hell, I thought news was supposed to be all facts and not half twisted truths, derogatory names and editorializing about sweet innocent Chet and horrible vulgar Mr. Collins. That is not news."
The news cast suddenly when blank. A few seconds later the planetary news came on showing a raid on a ship junk yard by police rounding up suspected pirates. Mark went back to worrying about the next day while Dian brooded. After dinner Mark went to kiss her as they sat down on the couch and Dian turned her head.
"Ah Mark; you need to brush your teeth and I don't know what you have been doing all day but you need a shower." She pulled her feet up onto the couch, wrapped her arms around her legs pulling them against her chest as she rested her chin on her knees. Leaning as far away from Mark as she could get.
Mark frowned surprised but slowly said. "Ok... Ya I could use a shower. I have been climbing all over the engine and running from one shop to another all day. I feel like I have run a marathon." Undressing he grabbed a wraparound that most had started using in the dorms, a large towel and his kit, kissed her cold cheek and went out to shower. The ships news was still off the air with planetary shows and more news breaks of the massive crackdown on junkyards across the planet. With clips about the hold battle, a young officer risking his life against terrible odds to save his shipmates and even showing him on top of the loader disarming the Bomb. A special News report came on about the Star Queen being quarantined from hold fumigation poison leaking out into the air around the ship when two large cargo hatches were blown off the hull. The report continued about the deaths aboard the ship from poison leaking into a birthing section of the ship. The news castor finally turned to the camera. “This just in. Port Authorities are investigating several suspects in what may turn out to be a case of attempted murder and mass murder. Officers of the Tramp Transport Star Queen, have provided evidence that 3 ships civilian crewmen deliberately activated 2 poison canisters in an attempt to murder these two Officers. Clips of Mark during the hold battle and Dian while working on Miss Gree
dly in sickbay stayed on the screen for several seconds. Commander Mark Collins and Doctor in training Dian Abraham were assaulted while taking a swim late last night. According to official reports the Suspects murdered two of their compatriots deliberately as witnesses and accidentally killed up to a hundred of their own family members trapped inside their living cabins when the suspects left a hatch wide open to their isolated armored compartment in their escape. Port authorities have now issued arrest warrants for these three men across the State.” Pictures of Chet, his Father and the body guard appeared on the screen with the words “Wanted Suspects for Mass Murder.” Below each of them.
After a few seconds the screen flicked off and then back on and then off again. Then suddenly the ships news lady appeared screaming at a technician. “I want all outside news feeds cut. That garbage about my cousins is not going over our ships screens. I have not had time to doctor it up to make them look innocent and that bastard Collins to look like the guilty monster I want him to look like. By the time I get done, this ship’s moronic crew is going to believe my cousins are the Victims and lynch anyone that even thinks about turning them over to the Port Police. Now get busy or you will be the next one my cousin kicks out the air lock or off a cargo hatch.” Throwing her tumbler with ice and a drink in it across the little compartment and then staggering after it. “I can’t believe that damn bastard Collins is still alive as many times as my cousins have tried to kill him.” Slapping a technician across the head. “Find me that memslide with my cousins wedding on it and, and the one with my family vacation last year. By the time I get done with the saps on this ship, they will be balling their eyes out and think my whole family are saints. They will be demanding that fricking innocent baby faced Collins kid be shot before we lift.”
“Dian was more loving when he came back. Which was nice after the way he had been treated in the shower (someone had turned his hot water off half way through his shower), along with the comments in the commons room to and from the shower.
The ships 2300 news came on for a few minutes as Mark made love to a Dian that was already tearing his towel off as he came in. Page the News Anker launched into a slurred half unintelligible tirade about an out of control officer between drinks for a good 15 seconds before the screen went blank. Then a video of Chet and his now dead friends, peeing, then shitting over the rail into the tank below and then a series of clips showing Chet’s long drawn out confessions. Followed by clips of Chet’s friends sucking him off and then Chet arranging for their deaths, finally showing their long drawn out deaths as Dian and Mark started swimming for their lives. Both Mark and Dian where much too busy to notice. Even when clips of Dian and Mark running across the tanks ahead of the poison gas where put up mixed with repeated clips of Chet and is father setting up the poison canisters and the deaths of the two boys again and again.
Dian and Mark were much too busy to hear even if they could have as Mickey turned down the screens volume. Nor did they hear as most of those that watched the news (half the ship), cheered finely able to breath themselves when Mark managed to finally get the hatch open and the two of them were washed down out of the poison filled tank. Only for the ship to become deathly quiet as Dian and Mark fought again for their lives first from the cascading water and then from the effects of the poison until they were scooped up by the doctor and medics coming out of the elevator to cheers across the ship again.
Again the news room came back on the air for a few seconds showing an out of control female News Anchor screaming and threatening to kill or kick off the ship half the staff around her as she drank from a bottle in one hand, waving a weapon in her other.
Mark appeared on the screen again. This time he was crammed into a shower with a naked woman in his arms as he placed his breather over her nose and blood dripping mouth. The oxygen line running back to his oxygen pack. Her neck bleeding from two punctures as water ran down over the top of them. He finely got the cloth over his face for a few seconds taking several deep breaths but then the wet cloth slid down to reveal his face as he adjusted her mask and said. “No one else is dying here today. Got that? Damn it. Just hold on a little longer girl, help is on the way.” Coughs wracked his body with blood dripping down from the corner of his mouth as he put the wet cloth back over his face and took another deep breath.
The scarred green eyes of Chet’s sister stared at him and slowly turned to relief and then possibly love.
The screen switched back to the scheduled mundane planetary news as Mark and Dian finally took deep breaths and looked up at the boring planetary news. To happy and satisfied to care what was on the screen before it shut off as Dian fell asleep and Mark started yet more compressed months of training.
Chapter 22 Taking the Engine Deck
Mark walked down the narrow passageway from the elevator still trying to figure out why everyone was suddenly treating him like some kind of hero. The night before most wanted to spit at him. But he didn’t have time to think about it now, clearing his mind he stepped into the Engineering control room leaving the entrance hatch from the elevator passageway open. The name plates where again lined up down the side of the hatch leading to MP-3 with the top slot filled with a slide reading. “Ensign Bozo Collins.” Mark stepped in front of the Central Master Control console with the Duty Deck Officer behind it.
The Lieutenant behind the control console looked up and frowned. “You didn’t learn your lesson last time shit bag? And don’t think we haven’t seen you skulking around the engine room with a bunch of officers or ratings that don’t belong around here for protection over the last few days. Cutting locks, opening crates and stealing equipment. Though what you could be measuring and why is beyond me. What does it take to get through to that pea sized brain of yours that crap like you will not be tolerated in the engineering spaces?” A smile crossed the lieutenant’s face. “That is unless you want to clean the heads since you seem to like water tanks so well from what I heard yesterday.” Chuckling. “Hell I would not even let you suck my cock.” Half the officers and men scattered around the control room laughed. “Now take that sorry stinking butt of yours out of my engineering space back to your mommy before I kick the shit out of you and stuff your ugly face down the fucking head Ensign. We aren’t a bunch of cargo deck Garbage handlers and I don’t see your deck apes around.”
“Actually Lieutenant. I wouldn’t even need help to take you out but I don’t have time for this insolent crap from a pea brain moron like you.” Mark slide a name plate into the top slot that read Commander Collins then threw the Ensign Bozo Collins name plate in front of the lieutenant sitting behind the main control consol. “Now maybe you did not notice the Commander pips on my collar Lieutenant. So I will give you one chance to apologize to me.” Men and women were walking up to each of the 4 open engine room hatches to listen to the commotion with more arriving by the second, peering in through the armored view ports. While it was obvious that some were looking forward to the Commander getting his ass kicked, most from the other engine rooms were not smiling like all the MP #3 crew were. The majority in fact did not like what was going on in front of their eyes and showed it. A fact Mark was surprised but encouraged as he remembered that on the trips down to MP #3 over the last few days while out on the truck deck going to and from, most of the rest of the engine room crews including some officers had treated him like an officer; saluting and greeting him with cordial hello's and even friendly smiles. He had been too wrapped up in his problems, to more than notice. Mark now took the time to look more closely at the faces crowding the hatches, ratings and officers alike. Trying to gage which ones supported the crap he was getting and which did not seem too or was out right disgusted by it.
“My Godstar you are that stupid aren’t you boy. What I am going to do is have my men take you up to the top of number 3 engine and let you slip. Maybe that will get through that fucking thick scull of yours. Now get the hell out before you get hurt.”
“That does it! Give me te
n pushups Lieutenant.” Mark walked over to stand across the console from the Lieutenant.
The lieutenant’s jaw dropped in shock as he got up and leaned over the consol. “You can suck my dick moron.”
“Lieutenant that is an order given by a duly authorized and commissioned superior officer. Give me ten pushups on the deck with an apology now.” Two men slowly walked unnoticed into the control room from the elevator passageway hatch Mark had left open as the other passageway's hatch from the chain lift opened with two more stopping just inside the passageway watching the proceedings. Mark looked around the compartment again relieved at how many of the crew where showing disbelief or were down right upset by the proceedings. Though Mark could not tell if that meant support or for him or just shock at two officers having it out in public.
“Someone knock some sense into this pile of shit while you’re kicking him out and leave a few bruises while you're at it. Try not to break any bones.”
“With pleasure Lieutenant.” said one of two men stepping from MP-3's hatch. As they grabbed Mark by the arms from behind the two men where immediately hit with stun guns dropping them to the deck. The security Sgt.’s stood relaxed next to the hatches. The stun weapons back in their holsters.
“Lieutenant Reeves you are here by charged with Mutiny, inciting mutiny, threatening and then ordering an assault on a superior officer, disrespecting a superior officer, disobeying orders of a superior officer. And a half dozen other lesser charges to be added at a later date. As per ships military code section 13 article 13 you will accompany one of these Sgts’ to your quarters where you will wait under cabin arrest restrictions, for a court martial to be duly appointed. Possible sentences may include death by vacuum when we reach orbit, death by firing squad if you ask for it, death by hanging, death by walking the plank off the top cargo hatch while pitted, death by keel hauling or death by injection of a caustic poison that will kill you from the inside with unbelievable pain for a considerable amount of time if the Courtmartial Board convicts you under extreme circumstances. Such as ordering the possible death of a fellow officer. The shame is Lieutenant. I liked you.”
Tramp Wars: The Enemy Page 64