Shades of Empire (ThreeCon)

by Carmen Webster Buxton

  Pause. “Maybe.”

  “Got your eye on a particular girl or are you going to shop around?”

  Pause.

  Alexander waited but the pause lengthened into a long silence. He looked at Thaddeus carefully and it seemed to him that there was some deep feeling hidden behind his eyes. It might be pain or it might be anger, but whatever it was, Thaddeus was trying hard not to let it show.

  “Don’t understand.”

  Now that, Alexander thought to himself, was a lie. He was more than ever convinced that there was more to Thaddeus Jenner than the man ever let on.

  “I was just wondering,” he said, trying for a light tone, “whether you plan to take advantage of the commercial establishments downside. They don’t ask any questions, you know, so long as your credit is good.”

  Thaddeus stared hard at him for a moment and then turned for the door. “Going now.”

  And then he was gone, and Alexander was left to ponder his peculiar roommate for a moment, before he awoke to the fact that he was due in the op center in two minutes.

  • • •

  Thaddeus returned without any sign that he had indulged himself in the iniquitous dens for which Tegallos was so famous. Alexander didn’t attempt to pry into his roommate’s adventures, but said good night as usual, and prayed that he himself wouldn’t have any nightmares.

  It didn’t work. As he slipped deeper and deeper into sleep, his mind roamed into his past and he was back on Lubar again. The sergeant had come to take him away from Dugan, and Alexander had barely been able to stumble away from the man’s quarters. The sergeant had gripped his arm the whole way back to the dorm, not to restrain him but to keep him from falling.

  The other boys stood, silent and unmoving when Alexander was brought back into the dorm. They waited until the sergeant was gone, and then they clustered around Alexander nervously, as if he were somehow a different kind of being from themselves—someone who had been to hell and back, he realized later.

  “Was it terrible, Alex?” someone asked in an awed voice.

  Alexander didn’t answer. They pressed closer as if they felt that proximity would add to their understanding, and suddenly he crumpled. He fell to the floor in a heap and begun to sob uncontrollably. The other boys stared and then somehow knew what to do. Two boys helped him to his bunk, and then they took turns staying with him. He was their turning point, in a way. After he had come back into their midst as helpless as a wounded animal, they had rallied into a team, almost a family, as they cared for their weakest member. For the remainder of their training, they had been a strong team, always helping each other in ways that the bureaucracy of the base had never anticipated and never really understood.

  Alexander had been heartened by their support, but there had been times at night when he had found himself in the grip of uncontrollable weeping. Usually, one of the others had held him until he stopped.

  Someone was holding him now. Alexander came awake suddenly, and felt strong arms around him. Thaddeus’ face peered down at him anxiously in the dim light.

  Alexander stared up at him, uncertain what this gesture meant. Thaddeus smiled and let go of him. He had been kneeling beside Alexander, and he tried to straighten up, but he bumped his head on the ceiling.

  “Ooof! Buddha, this space is cramped.”

  He maneuvered his way to the side of the bunk and slid down to the floor. After a quick glance at Alexander, he disappeared into his own bunk.

  “Good night,” he said with finality.

  Alexander turned up the lights and then hung over the side of his bunk and looked down at his roommate.

  “It’s not going to work,” he said. “I refuse to believe that day shift illumination makes you stupid. You can’t pass yourself off as a rational human at night and an idiot during the day.”

  There was no response. Thaddeus lay there and looked up at the bunk above him without speaking.

  “I won’t give you away,” Alexander said. “Why would I? I just came aboard this ship a month ago. My loyalty extends to doing a good job and keeping my mouth shut to ThreeCon and the Empire.”

  Still no reply.

  Alexander sighed and rolled back on his bunk. “I’m going to go insane stuck in here with you—if I’m not crazy already.”

  Another pause.

  “Ever think of going to a therapist?” Thaddeus’ voice came out of the dimness.

  Alexander smiled grimly at the ceiling. “In the Corps, if you ask for that kind of help, they make you run twenty kilometers in full kit, and then they assign you to Lubar.”

  “You’re not in the Corps anymore.”

  “Yeah, but I can’t see unburdening myself to Doc.”

  “That is a consideration,” Thaddeus said.

  “So what happened tonight? Was I screaming again?”

  “No. You were sobbing your heart out in your sleep. I couldn’t get you to wake up, so I was trying to make you stop crying.”

  “Thanks,” Alexander said, a trifle awkwardly. “I’m sorry I keep disturbing your sleep.”

  “It’s okay.”

  Alexander sighed and put one hand over his eyes. He might as well tell Thaddeus the reason for his dreams. Otherwise, he would just look crazy. “When I was fourteen,” he said, “the press gangs dragged me from my home and took me to Lubar. Shortly after my fifteenth birthday, I tried to escape. They caught me, and to make sure no one else would get any ideas, the Commandant punished me by giving me to a man who was a true sadist. It wasn’t that he liked boys or anything, it was just that he enjoyed making living things suffer. Men, women, animals—he wasn’t picky. The brothel the Army ran refused to allow him in as a customer because he hurt the whores so bad they couldn’t work.”

  Thaddeus’ voice came from below. “The Commandant sounds like a heartless bastard.”

  “He was. My sergeant wasn’t so bad, but he couldn’t help me this time. He took me to Dugan and the man tortured me until I begged for mercy, and then he raped me. I was there for a whole day. Dugan let me sleep for a few hours, and then he woke me up and it started all over again.”

  There was a short pause, but it wasn’t like the other pauses.

  “I’m sorry,” Thaddeus said. “It seems so inadequate to say it, but I am.”

  “Thanks. I thought I was over it, but watching Celia go through the same sort of thing brought it all back. I haven’t been this messed up in years.”

  “Maybe you were just better at hiding it?”

  “Maybe,” Alexander said. It seemed odd to converse with someone he couldn’t see. “What about you? Why do you pretend to be stupid?”

  Thaddeus sighed, a long drawn out exhalation filled with regret and fatigue. “I can’t tell you the truth, and I’d just as soon not lie. Can we just leave it that I have my own reasons for wanting people to think I’m not a threat to anyone?”

  Alexander considered. As alibis went, it was totally unconvincing. On the other hand, Thaddeus had been helpful, and Alexander had no real incentive to press this issue with him. “Okay. I won’t tell on you if you won’t tell on me.”

  “I already told Maddy you have nightmares,” Thaddeus said, sounding rueful.

  Alexander rolled over the side of the bunk again to look at the other man. “Maddy?”

  “The skipper.”

  “I know who you meant. I was just surprised to hear you call her by her name. I mean, you’re not even on the list.”

  Thaddeus gave him a sudden angry glare. “Shut up!”

  Alexander stared at him in surprise. After a moment’s consideration, a possible solution occurred to him. “You got the hots for the skipper or something?”

  “Shut your mouth,” Thaddeus said, suddenly grim, “or I’ll shut it for you.”

  “Don’t get in a snit. I won’t tell anyone.” Alexander rolled back onto his bunk and stared at the ceiling again. “Even if you did tell her I have nightmares. Why did you do that?”

  Thaddeus took a deep breath a
nd let it out. “I was worried about you. It’s pretty unnerving to be awakened from a sound sleep by someone who sounds like he’s being chased by the devil.”

  “I suppose in a way I was,” Alexander said. “If you already told her about the nightmares, I wonder if she’ll let me stay on board?”

  “Probably. If she asks, I’ll tell her you’re better.”

  “Thanks.

  “Don’t mention it. And I mean that.”

  Alexander grinned. “Okay.” He reached behind him and dimmed the lights again. “Good night.”

  “I doubt it,” Thaddeus said, “but thanks for the thought.”

  Alexander turned on his side and got comfortable. He fell asleep wondering what Thaddeus was really doing on board the Queen Bee, and his sleep was untroubled for the remainder of the night.

  Chapter Four

  “So,” Alexander asked one afternoon when he and Thad were both off duty, “what did we pick up on Decos?”

  Thad glanced up from putting away his laundry and shot him a calculating glance. “You have access to all the systems. Why don’t you check the manifest?”

  “I did. According to the official list, we took on three hundred thousand kilos of biomass and four hundred thousand of fertilizer.”

  “So?”

  “So, we’re nowhere near half full, and no one in this galaxy ever went all the way to Decos for biomass and fertilizer.”

  Thad smiled. “People have to eat—even in the Rim worlds.”

  “But we’re not going to a Rim world. We’re going back to the Degollado system—without picking up additional cargo.”

  “Maybe we are,” Thad said. “But in any event, it’s not your problem, Alex. Hang loose and mind your own business.”

  Alexander gave him a sour look. “I liked you better when you were pretending to be a dimwit.”

  Thad grinned and shut the bottom drawer. “Better to pretend than to be one.”

  Alexander perched on the edge of his bunk. “How about if I come down there and teach you a lesson?”

  Thad shook his head regretfully. “Not in this cubby. You couldn’t swing a cat in this confined space.”

  The animal idiom reminded Alexander of Thad’s supposed origins. “So are you really from Terra, or was that part of the act?”

  Thad threw himself down on his own bunk; there was nowhere else to sit unless he wanted to pop the folding chair out of the wall and thus eliminate most of the floor space. “Yeah, I’m really from Terra.”

  “What’s it like?”

  Thad pondered, much as his imbecile persona would have done, before answering. “It’s still beautiful in places. I’m from the western part of North America where it’s hot, dry desert, so there’s still some wildlife and natural settings you don’t find in too many other parts of Terra. For the rest of the planet, we’ve spent the last several centuries trying to restore what was ruined a millennia ago. It’s helped, but there’s still a lot to do.”

  “So why did you leave?” Alexander asked him, hanging over the bunk as he often did when they were conversing.

  Thad smiled slowly. “Believe it or not, I wanted to see more of the galaxy.”

  Watching him, Alexander could see how the Terran could maintain his imposture for so long; he had a natural slowness to his speech and his facial reactions. When he wasn’t pretending, it was more gentleness than anything else, but by exaggerating it, he had been able to suggest a lack of intelligence.

  “I hear Khan is up next on the list,” Alexander said abruptly. “He was talking about it at lunch. He’s looking forward to getting a call.”

  “Shut up.”

  “He’s afraid he might be on duty, though, because he’s on night shift this week. It’s been three days since it was Heddison’s turn, and Maddy doesn’t usually go much longer than that.”

  “Are you trying to get your neck broken?”

  Alexander snorted. “You and what army?”

  When Thad jumped out of bed energetically, Alexander pulled back out of his way.

  “Let’s go down to the gym,” Thad said. “If I can’t shut you up, maybe I can tire you out?”

  “Okay,” Alexander agreed, sliding down from his own bunk. “But don’t forget your stupid face.”

  Thad didn’t return this retort, but led the way. They passed Niels Trudeau in the corridor, and Alexander noted that Thad did indeed give the first mate his usual blank stare.

  After going down one level, they passed through the common room to the gym and found it moderately crowded. As Madeline required an hour-a-day workout from everyone, even the galley staff, the room was almost always busy.

  Alexander and Thad changed into workout clothes that including weighted shoes, a weighted belt, and wrist weights. Alexander chose to begin with a run on one of the treadmills, but Thad went straight to the punching wall and began to assault it hard enough to cause comment.

  “Hey, Thad,” Luong Khan said, “you trying to break through to the common room or something?”

  Thad didn’t answer, but the crew was used to his silence and Khan made no further remarks.

  When Alexander and Thad had finished their workouts, they showered, changed, and then headed for the common room. Holoflicks from various sources were played on a regular schedule, and Kerry Lineaus had told Alexander that this evening’s episode was a classic space opera.

  As soon as they stepped into the room, it was obvious that there was trouble. Four men stood in a loose half-circle around Joshua Gobeh, a young technician on the engineering staff. He wasn’t a Gaullian, and Alexander had found him something of a loner. Right now Gobeh had a wild look in his eye, while those around him were all frozen in indecisive poses.

  “Where’s Khan!” Gobeh shouted. “The bastard stole my turn! Damn it! Get him in here!”

  Thad paused where he stood, but Alexander walked up to the circle casually, as if he had noticed nothing amiss. Alexander had already decided that the situation was dangerous; the only thing to assess was how dangerous.

  “Hello, Gobeh,” Alexander said. “Something wrong?”

  “Damn right something’s wrong,” Gobeh said. “It should be my turn on the list. One of you go find Khan and tell him to get his tail in here!”

  Lineaus took a half step closer to Alexander and whispered under his breath. “I think he’s on something. He’s been talking wild, and it looks like he might have a weapon in his pocket.”

  Alexander nodded almost imperceptibly, but spoke to Gobeh. “Khan was having a workout next door. Shall we go look for him?”

  Gobeh stared at Alexander, hesitated, then uttered an obscenity. “Hell, no!” he added. “Let that bastard come to me. Or better yet, someone tell that bitch to come up here and give me my turn.”

  There was silence at this. Alexander was debating whether he should jump the man, when the door opened and Madeline Palestrino strode into the room. She wore workout clothes and headed for the door to the gym, but stopped abruptly when she saw the group of frozen figures still standing in a circle.

  “What’s going on here?” she demanded.

  Gobeh gave a little crow of triumph. “There you are, bitch.” He reached into his pocket. “Come over here and take off your clothes. We’ll just see whose turn it is.”

  Madeline stared at the weapon in his hand. It was quite small, but easily recognizable.

  “Jayzoos,” Lineaus said under his breath. “He’s got an energy pistol.”

  Alexander knew that an energy pistol worked by exciting the molecules in its target. Fired at living tissue for any length of time, the pistol cooked it from the inside out. There was no one directly in the way between Madeline and Gobeh, although Alexander was close to the line of fire, and Thad stood only a meter and a half away from Madeline. At this range, anything more than a glancing shot could easily be fatal.

  “Gobeh,” Madeline said, her tone as calm as if she were asking for a status report, “put that thing down, and we’ll go to my cabin and talk a
bout it—just the two of us.”

  Gobeh swayed on his feet, as if whatever was influencing his behavior was also interfering with his balance. “No way, bitch! You take your clothes off now. The rest of you get out of here. I’ll let you know when I’ve finished.”

  Madeline didn’t move.

  Gobeh waved his free hand at the men who stood around him. “I said get out! All of you!”

  His attention was distracted for a moment, and Alexander saw Madeline dart a quick glance at the other men in the room. Whatever she saw didn’t seem to reassure her.

  She took a step forward. “You heard him. Everyone out!”

  They all turned toward the door, but Alexander continued turning, accelerating as he spun around on one foot. He kicked Gobeh in the chest with so much force that the man slammed backwards against the bulkhead. Gobeh’s arm flew up and the weapon discharged, but the bolt didn’t hit Madeline, as Thad had instantly stepped between her and Gobeh, grabbing her around the waist as he lunged for the floor.

  Alexander stood over his opponent, but Gobeh didn’t move. Alexander became aware of Thad and Madeline on the floor to his right. Madeline was trying to wriggle out from under Thad but he wouldn’t let her up.

  “Stay down, damn it!” he ordered, pinning her down firmly. “Wait until Alex says it’s safe.”

  Madeline stared at him in surprise.

  Alexander prodded Gobeh with his foot, but the technician didn’t move. He bent down and felt for a pulse. “Damn! He’s dead.”

  “Let me up!” Madeline ordered. Thad rolled off of her, and she jumped to her feet.

  “Christo, what was he on?” Lineaus asked, as he stepped close to stare down at his former shipmate’s body.

  “I don’t know,” Madeline said. “But Doc will find out. Take the body down to the sick bay, LeFranc. Mahler, you take a couple of guys and search his quarters. Who does he room with?”

  “Chen,” Lineaus said. “They’re in the cubby next to LeFranc and Porter.”

  “Take Chen with you, Mahler,” Madeline said. “Get him to tell you whose stuff is which before you search, but then search everything. If anything looks suspicious, take it to Doc.”