“No, sir, I--yes, sir.” There was no right answer, and I fell silent.

I could understand their frustration. A hydrozine engine doesn’t overheat without cause. And if it did, the launch crew should have been able to shut it down within seconds, before it reached critical temperature. Accidents happen, but unexplained accidents made everyone uneasy. A glance out the porthole to the gaping wound in Celestina’shull was reason enough for that.

The Chief Engineer glanced at Doc Uburu, offered the Pilot another question. Both shook their heads. The Chief pursed his lips. “Mr. Seafort, did you dislike Mr. Cousins?”

My uniform was drenched, my throat impossibly dry. My answer could ruin me, but I had little choice when asked a direct question. I squared my shoulders, gritted my teeth.

“Yes, sir.”

Remorseless, he made me give my reasons. When I was done my ears were red from shame.

At last, dazed and exhausted, I was allowed to make my way out to the corridor. Shakily, I sat.

The master-at-arms appeared in the hatchway. “Mr.

Holser.” Stolidly, Vax strode to his inquisition.

The inquiry went on.

Though we’d not yet Fused, despite the turmoil Hiberniastill had to be crewed and managed. Even with Sandy released from the brig, we were shorthanded. Four hours after my grilling, needing far more sleep than I’d had, nerves frazzled, I reported to the bridge for my watch.

At my knock Captain Malstrom swiveled the camera, opened the hatch, waved me to my seat.

We passed half the watch before he broke the stiff silence.

“Have they found anything yet?”

It was obvious whom he meant. “Not that I know of, sir.”

“It couldn’t just happen. We have to find the cause.”

“Yes, sir.” It wasn’t my place to say more. My friend Harv had vanished forever; this was the Captain, in all his eminence. I was but a middy.

6

In a ship even as large as Hibernia,rumors true and false traveled faster than light. Within minutes, everyone knew that at the Chiefs insistence, the Board would review the case of every sailor sent to Captain’s Mast since we’d left port. That couldn’t be much of a task; on the whole, Hiberniahad been a happy ship, and had few problems the petty officers couldn’t settle belowdecks.

Vax went on watch. While I lounged in my bunk, grateful that Alexi hadn’t chosen to blare his usual slap music, Sandy Wilsky burst in, quivering with indignation. “Malstrom’s going to P and D the lot of us!”

“What?” Alexi jerked to a sitting position.

“All us middies, and the sailors who’ve been in the launch berth!”

“Why?”

“To rule out any possibility of sabotage, he told Doc.”

Alexi slammed a fist into his mattress. “That’s not fair.”

I growled, “You’ll get over it.” Poly and drug interrogation wasn’t pleasant, but the aftereffects didn’t last all that long.

Alexi said, “But we’ve none of us been charged!”

Sandy’s tone was sullen. “The grode hasn’t the right--”

I swarmed out of my bunk blurting the first thing that came into my head. “Wilsky, look at the scuff on those boots! One demerit! And that blanket!” My hand slapped his bed, found a tiny crease. “Another!”

Alexi gaped. “Why are you suddenly down on--”

I whirled. “And you! How many demerits now?” I knew Alexi was slow at working them off.

“Nine, Mr. Seaf--”

“Two more for your insolence!” Knowing it would send him to the barrel, I added after an ominous pause, “I won’t log them ‘til morning. Get started.”

“But, I--”

“NOW!”

They scrambled for the hatch.

“No talking while you exercise! One word and the demerits are doubled!”

“Aye aye, Mr. Seafort!” The hatch slammed. I sat on the side of my bed, head in hands, trembling.

Their hero worship was a thing of the past; from this moment, they’d hate me. But I’d had no choice.

It had been close.

Their resentment at P and D testing was no surprise. Polygraph and drug interrogation was allowed aboard ship, as at any trial. Since the Truth in Testimony Act of 2026, a defendant had no right to silence. If there were other evidence against him, he could be sent for P and D, and usually was.

If the tests proved he’d told the truth, charges were dismissed.

If he admitted the charges, as the sophisticated mix of drugs forced him to do, his confession was of course introduced as evidence.

However, two safeguards applied. The subject had to have been charged with a crime, and he had to have denied the charge.

Without those limitations, poly and drugs could become tools of a despot or, worse, of torture. The law didn’t allow the court a fishing expedition into a man’s mind to discover what crimes he might have committed.

I kept an eye on the time, not at all concerned that I’d left Alexi and Sandy alone. I’d given a direct order that they’d acknowledged. They would have no conversation while they toiled in the exercise room.

I dozed.

As the fourth hour neared its end I got wearily to my feet, trudged down to Level 2.

When I went in, Alexi was working the bars while Sandy jogged in place. Their undershirts were soaked through, their hair matted. Sandy’s breath came in a rasp. It took hard labor to cancel a demerit, as I well knew. “At ease, both of you.”

Alexi dismounted. Slowly Sandy came to a stop.

“Against the bulkhead.” For a moment I paced, then faced them with a glare. “Anything to say?”

“No, Mr. Seafort.” Sandy sounded every bit as young as he was, and scared.

“And you?”

Despite his physical weariness, Alexi smoldered. “Why did you turn on us?”

Inwardly, I groaned. With typical clumsiness, I’d allowed Alexi to open a conversation I couldn’t allow us to have.

“Mr. Wilsky, outside.” I followed Sandy into the corridor.

As casually as I could, I told him, “Griping is beneath you, Sandy. You’re an officer now, not a cadet. If you have complaints about how the ship is run, you’re expected to keep them to yourself.”

He colored. “Yes, Mr. Seafort.”

“Promise me you’ll do so in future.”

“Aye aye, Mr. Seafort. I’m sorry.” Despite my brutality, he seemed pathetically eager to please.

“It annoyed me enough to give you the demerits. Go take your shower.” I touched his damp shoulder. “Good lad.”

Hoping I’d struck the right note I went back to the exercise room and Alexi. My tone was harsh. “Idiot.”

“I--what?”

I leaned close, spoke barely above a whisper. “I’m trying to save your life!”

He said nothing, but his eyes showed his puzzlement.

“Captain Malstrom is free to investigate the death of his officers as he sees fit.”

“But the law says--”

“Alexi!” Even in shutting him up, I risked our safety; couldn’t he understand? “It’s the Captain!”I’d said all that was necessary. The indiscriminate testing Captain Malstrom ordered was in clear violation of the Truth in Testimony Act. When he brought Hiberniahome, Admiralty could beach him for it, or worse.

But aboard ship, none of that mattered. The Captain’s word was law. My duty was to carry out his orders, and to report seditious talk. To do else was to conspire in mutiny.

I said no more, and waited. At last, Alexi’s face showed he understood. Still standing at ease, he gave a faint nod.

I sighed with relief. “Sandy should be all right now. But if you hear him even thinking aloud about the subject, sit on him hard. Don’t hesitate.”

“Right.”

“Dismissed.”

As he left, he whispered, “Thank you.” I pretended I hadn’t heard.

The next day we went to our P and D, the middies first, then the sailors. I came out of Doc Uburu’s cubicle dizzy and nauseous, not quite sure what I’d babbled under the drugs’ irresistible influence. I crawled under my covers, trying not to be sick to my stomach.

The next day I still felt the effects, though they were much diminished.