Earth's Last Angel

by Leon Castle

  She looks stricken. ‘There are no capsules in pink packets in any of the medical kits.’

  ‘That can’t be right.’

  ‘We checked all the way through the kits,’ Ben adds. ‘Someone has forgotten to put them in.’

  Kenny thinks. It’s more likely someone took them out. But who? Could Ben have done this? Denise was right. He will have to be careful. Then he remembers Helena had Davis’s ID door code, but surely she wouldn’t get help for him if she wanted him out of action? He decides it is time to keep Bekky safely close to him.

  Ben helps lift Davis onto the bed, then moved to the bedroom door. Davis has begun crying out in pain, and Helena is sobbing as she tries to comfort him.

  Kenny looks away. ‘I think the guys in the field should be called in, Ben, Davis will have to be taken back to the Sobek for treatment.’

  Ben nods. ‘I’ll call them in, now.’ He dashes off, leaving Kenny wondering if he should leave Helena to watch Davis. She seems to be falling apart. He decides he has no choice. He has to call Denise but first he wants to check something.

  When the news of Davis’s illness reaches Enzot and Drummer, there is no need for them to pack up. They’ve had been sitting in the packed up drill rig, waiting for the call.

  ‘Isn’t this risky?’ Drummer asks Enzot.

  ‘If you’ve done your job right, they will all be too busy running around helping Davis, to be watching the monitors.’

  Drummer thinks of the tube he poured into the coffee, he is hit by a pang of guilt.

  Enzot is watching his face. ‘You did do your job right, didn’t you?’

  ‘Oh, he got a dose alright, but maybe a little bit too much.’

  Enzot’s eyes narrow. ‘How much?’

  ‘The whole tube.’

  Enzot shakes his head, ‘What were you thinking, you idiot?’

  ‘I didn’t have a chance to think anything. Davis came back in the room.’

  ‘Well, you’d better hope it doesn’t kill him. You’ll have some explaining to do if it does.’

  ‘But you told me to do it.’

  ‘Says who?’

  Drummer feels his stomach churn as his predicament becomes obvious.

  Enzot laughs. ‘Take it easy, mate. If you’ve at least covered your tracks, you’ll be OK. That girlfriend of his will take the rap.’

  Drummer relaxes. Enzot is right. The systems technician was the last person with Davis before he was sick. Drummer smiles, Helena has just become the scapegoat.

  George is lining up another drill hole when Ben’s voice blares into the rig. ‘All crew return to prospecting vessel 013 immediately. This is an emergency! All crew return to PV 013 immediately! George, shut down your drill rig and bring it straight in.’

  Bekky hears it too and begins packing up. ‘What do you think this is about?’ she asks, once they are on their way back.

  George shakes his head and shrugs. ‘No idea.’

  As George exits the rig, he is surprised to see Kenny waiting anxiously. Enzot’s rig has already arrived and Ben is speaking quietly to him.

  George edges nearer, trying to hear what is being said but they kept their voices too low and he gives up, turning in time to see Kenny and Bekky embracing.

  ‘So, are you leaving me then, Bekky?’ asks George, with mock hurt, when the pair moved apart.

  ‘We can drop the pretense now, mate,’ says Kenny. ‘Davis is seriously ill so we’ll be going back to the Sobek.’

  ‘With Chaze flying us back?’

  Kenny gives a wry smile. ‘Well, unless you have a secret pilot’s license.’

  ‘I wish I did. What happened?’

  Kenny looks around him. ‘Not here,’ he says quietly, ‘in my quarters.’

  George gives a nod. He is now more certain than ever that something is going on.

  Kenny has already contacted Denise by the time George arrived. Since Denise already knows something is wrong, Kenny thinks it’s quicker to explain to her than the captain. Besides, this is not the time to reveal his suspicions for all to hear. Denise listens intently while he explains the events in detail. When he has finished, she is silent for a moment.

  ‘Do you think Helena can be trusted?’ asks Denise.

  Kenny looks beside him to Bekky. ‘I don’t know, but I’m not taking chances, and Bekky is staying with me, now.’

  ‘Good idea. I’ll explain to the captain what you have told me. Is there any way you can get that cup to your place without being seen? There’s always the chance it might be found in that drawer, especially if whoever did it goes looking for it.’

  ‘Yeah, well, I was in a rush at the time, but I should be able to bring it here somehow. I have to get back to Davis now to make sure Helena is coping. She seems too overwrought to take care of him.’

  ‘I’m not surprised, if they are that close. Yes, go help her. I’ll call the captain now but don’t be surprised if Ben already has. With something like this happening, he’ll be covering his rear. Are you going to tell Helena you hid the cup?’

  Kenny thinks for a moment and shakes his head. ‘I still can’t be certain she isn’t involved, even though it makes no sense for her to be involved, if you know what I mean.’

  ‘Yes, I know what you mean. Keep it just between the three of you for now and watch your backs.’

  Denise looks anxious before Kenny closes communications. He didn’t like worrying her, but it had got out of control so quickly and she is their only link to the outside.

  When Kenny enters Davis’s room, Davis lies with his legs drawn up in agony, beads of sweat rolling from his face. Chaze, Drummer and Ben are there too, kept at a distance by the wrath of Helena.

  As Chaze moves in closer, Helena screams at him. ‘Leave him alone. Can’t you see he’s sick?’

  Ben steps in, his voice calm and cajoling. ‘Now, Helena, I know how worried you are about Davis but you have to be reasonable. We can’t take him back without him giving official consent for Chaze to take flight command of the vessel.’

  Helena’s eyes are wild. ‘Who says?’

  ‘Well the captain, of course. I can have him explain the procedure to you, if you like but it’s going to make it harder on Davis. You can see he’s getting worse.’

  Helena looks at Davis, uncertainly, then she sees Kenny. ‘Is that true?’ she asks.

  It’s was clear to Kenny that Helena isn’t thinking clearly. Ben knows it, too.

  Kenny nods. ‘Yes, it’s the only way to help, Davis, Helena.’

  She sags a little then sits on the bed. ‘OK, just be quick.’

  Davis makes a cry like an animal and clutches at his stomach, but manages to focus on Chaze as he approaches. ‘Suppose you’re enjoying this,’ he forces out.

  Chaze shakes his head vehemently. ‘Of course not.’ giving a sly grin to Ben.

  ‘Going to be sick,’ gasps Davis. Helena passes Davis the bucket by the bed and Chaze steps back as Davis retches into the bucket, vomiting mostly bile and fluid. As Davis finishes, Chaze cautiously moves nearer again. ‘You’re getting worse, Davis. Stop delaying or we won’t be able to get you back to the Sobek in time.’

  ‘How dare you,’ Helena cuts in. ‘Do you think he’s deliberately doing this?’

  Davis grabs her arm. ‘He’s right. There’s no choice.’ He clutches his stomach again and groans. ‘OK, he says when the wave of pain lessens. I pass command of this vessel to Chaze, co-pilot. I relinquish command.’ Another wave of pain hits him and his eyes glaze. He loses his grip on consciousness.

  As they begin filing from the room, Kenny notices Enzot standing at the bathroom door. He follows the others, smiling at Kenny as he passed him.

  Chapter 59

  George had been about to leave his quarters to see what was happening when the monitor beeps. It has to be Kenny. Few people call George, he knows it’s is because he seems aloof, withdrawn from people. No-one would have guessed that a man his size could be shy. His wife had been amused by it. She was the com
plete opposite and all his friends were originally hers, but he didn’t mind. His thoughts are cut short by Kenny’s anxious face on screen.

  ‘Would you bring a stretcher to Davis’s quarters, please George? Those stupid mongrels just walked out when they got what they wanted.’

  George knows who he meant. ‘Sure, no problems. How is he?’

  ‘Asleep at present, just from sheer exhaustion, I think, poor bugger. I’ve sent Helena to the storeroom for more towels. I didn’t want her to hear us, and I wanted to check something. It seems I was right. Enzot was at the bottom of this.’

  ‘How do you know that?’

  ‘He was in the bathroom while we were all in Davis’s bedroom. When I went in there after they had gone I noticed he had laser cleaned the bathroom, but only as a cover for lasering the coffee cup clean.’

  ‘The one you hid?’

  Kenny nods. ‘I don’t suppose I hid it that well. Now I know why he smiled at me.’

  Worried George says, ‘That’s not good, you might be a target now.’

  ‘George, we could all be a target, but the most urgent thing right now is to get Davis strapped in for the takeoff. They seem keen to go as soon as possible.’

  ‘I have to say, I’m not happy having them in control.’

  ‘No, neither am I, but what choice do we have? The others may not be involved with Davis’s poisoning. Maybe it’s just a bit of power play with them’

  ‘So, you’re saying, just let them have their bit of fun until we get back?’

  ‘Yes, though don’t be too agreeable. We don’t want to get them suspicious.’

  George sighs. ‘I’ll get that stretcher.’

  He locates a hover stretcher on the dock near the medic room, and He begins wheeling it toward the door to the biosphere. Drummer opens the door from the other side and George moves the hover stretcher aside to let him through.

  Drummer stops inside the door. ‘Here, let me help you with that,’ he offers, reaching for the stretcher.

  George blocks him. ‘Do I look like I need your help?’

  He pushes the hover stretcher towards Drummer, forcing him to move from the doorway.

  ‘Hey, what’s with you?’ yelps Drummer, as George passes him. ‘I’m just trying to help.’

  He’s stuck silent by the fury on George’s face, his neck frill erect, color pulsing as it vibrates creating a fearsome sight as he turns to face Drummer. ‘Not one of you cared whether Davis lived or died in there.’ George sees the shock on Drummer’s face. ‘Yes…Kenny told me.’

  ‘He’s not going to die, is he?’ Drummer stammers.

  The fear on his face seems real to George. Could there really be some trace of conscience in him? George is still wary. It may just be a con act, he thinks.

  ‘I don’t know,’ says George, still enraged. ‘But it doesn’t take a doctor to know it’s serious.’

  ‘Well, he’ll be back on the Sobek, soon,’ calls out Drummer, trying hard to convince himself that Davis will be OK.

  George continues up the corridor with the stretcher.

  George arrives at Davis’s quarters to hear Helena’s excited voice. ‘I found them in with the towels!’ she says.

  Kenny holds up the pink packet to show George. ‘There’s only a few in here, but it’s better than nothing. ‘Either we weren’t meant to find them or they were planted so we would.’

  George sees Helena looking puzzled. ‘What do you mean, planted?’ she asks.

  Kenny is hesitant and glances at George, who nods. ‘She has to know. She could be at risk, too.’

  ‘What do you mean, at risk? What’s going on?’

  ‘Davis, was spiked with a powerful laxative, Helena. Deliberately.’

  ‘Who? Why?’

  ‘We don’t know why yet, but it looks like Enzot is at the bottom of it.’

  ‘Oh my…what is he still doing on the loose? You could make a civil arrest.’

  ‘Well, I did say, we think it might have been him. But we don’t have proof yet.

  ‘So, you’re just going to let a maniac roam around free on this vessel.’ Helena’s voice begins to rise and Kenny shuts the door. ‘Helena,’ he says sternly, ‘you must keep quiet. Davis’s safety, and the safety of all of us is at stake here.’

  ‘You mean more are involved?’

  ‘Possibly, well, it’s more probable they are.’

  Helena sits down and looks at Davis, still asleep. George hopes he remains asleep during takeoff but Davis stirs slightly, so it doesn’t look promising.

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me this before?’ she asks Kenny.

  ‘We weren’t sure if you were involved.’

  Helena looks hurt. ‘Kenny, how could I be involved? You know how much I love Davis.’

  ‘I know now, but I wasn’t sure of anything at that time.’

  ‘None of us were,’ George adds.

  ‘But now that we do, and now that you know, our aim is to get back to the Sobek safely, whatever that takes. OK?’

  Helena looks from Kenny to George. ‘OK,’ she agrees.

  Kenny takes some capsules from the pink packet. ‘Meanwhile, we’ll see if this helps Davis.’

  Helena smiles. Probably her first smile for quite a while, ‘She is quite attractive when she smiles,’ George thinks. He knows Helena had never married, and at a party once, after a few drinks, had declared that she is in her forties and would never marry.

  He hadn’t noticed the engagement ring on her finger before. How things change, he thinks. No one had the slightest inkling, the romance between her and Davis was going on long before this journey.

  Drummer has to restrain himself from looking back at Davis, strapped into the stretcher on the flight deck. The few times he does, his glance is met with a hateful glare from Helena. He’s had seen enough anyway. The hooks in the wall used to secure the stretcher allow for varying levels of recline. Davis has his head elevated just enough to prevent him choking, though the capsules appear to have settled him a little and he rests comfortably. Drummer smiles. No one mentioned the capsules but he knew they must have found them. He congratulates himself for having the foresight to know that sooner or later they would need more towels for Davis. He knows Enzot would have something to say about it, but even though he fears his reaction, he fears the penalty that comes with Davis’s death even more. Enzot is sitting in the co-pilots seat next to Chaze. Drummer had been there, but not for long. He had been about to argue for the position but Enzot’s knowing glance said it all. Drummer had retreated to a seat close by.

  ‘Hey, since when have drillers been taking the seats of co-pilots?’ Kenny protests.

  ‘Since there wasn’t a co-pilot to sit there,’ replies Ben, smoothly. ‘We were going to suggest Helena sit there but I’m sure she is too occupied at present.’

  Drummer looks back, expecting an argument over that comment, but there is silence. It seems as if Helena is about to say something but Kenny gives her a look Drummer can’t read, a warning perhaps. Drummer leans back into his seat as the automated countdown began. It’s all working out perfectly.

  With PV 013 now space borne, Kenny and George, unhook Davis’s stretcher from the wall, and Kenny wheels him back to his quarters, followed by Helena and Bekky. He and George had decided to keep an eye on what was happening on the flight deck, with George agreeing to take first watch.

  Kenny contacts Denise when he returns to his quarters, leaving Bekky and Helena with Davis. Kenny is relieved when Denise appears on monitor, he is beginning to feel the strain of the others looking to him for answers and guidance, and needs to hear her reassuring voice.

  ‘So, how is everything? Davis? You and Bekky?’

  ‘We’re fine. Davis, I don’t know about. We found capsules and they helped but I don’t know how much damage has been done to him internally.’

  ‘Don’t worry, Kenny, love. He’ll be in the medical center soon and you and Bekky will be safe. That’s all I’m worried about. The safety of you and Bek
ky.’ Her face softened. ‘You’re precious to me, you know.’

  Kenny smiles, ‘Likewise.’

  ‘By the way, did you manage to get that cup back to your quarters?’

  Kenny thumps his head with his hand. ‘Oh, I forgot to tell you, Enzot found it and lasered it clean.’

  ‘Oh no, does he know, that you know?’

  Kenny nods. ‘The mongrel gave me such a smug smile.’

  Denise’s eyes widen. ‘So, it was Enzot. I thought so.’

  ‘We can’t be sure, Denise. George said that when he went for the stretcher, Drummer was acting really strange and asking whether Davis was going to die or not.’

  Denise thinks for a moment, predicting Drummer is too stupid to organize something like that, and that he’s more likely to be a pawn. ‘It’s time to check up on this Enzot,’ she says, almost to herself. ‘Kenny, you take care, and give my love to that sweetheart of yours. I’m going to do some digging.’

  Kenny’s sorry to see the monitor go blank. His quarters suddenly seem empty, and he feels a sense of foreboding, sending a chill through him. He leaves to see Bekky.

  Tom answers Denise’s call to the Sobek. She doesn’t feel she knows him well enough to tell him all her fears, but there is no choice. As she pours out the details of the events on PV 013, he listens carefully without interruption. Denise begins to think that perhaps he is the right person to speak to after all. When she’s finished, he looks at her a moment without a word, then smiles. ‘Don’t worry, Denise. Leave it with me. I’ll check it out and get back to you.’

  She is so relieved, her face glows with her own smile. ‘Thank you, Tom. I really appreciate that.’

  After they end their call, Denise sits for a minute thinking. But what can they do about it now? Sure, they could arrest Enzot and Drummer when they return but Kenny and Bekky wouldn’t be safe until they were back on the Sobek. She is beginning to wish she had spoken to someone before. Perhaps someone could have gone there with another vessel and had their co-pilot fly it instead. No, that wouldn’t have worked, she thinks. She hears the familiar sound of the crew entering the dock on PV 005 and realizes just how preoccupied she is with Kenny and PV 013. She goes out to greet her crew.