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Updated: June 14, 2025
For a moment, Vaneski looked as though he'd suddenly developed a headache. "I know you're supposed to be off duty now," Mike said soothingly, "but I don't want to get myself killed wearing a leaky suit tomorrow. I'll help you work on it if " Vaneski grinned quickly. "Oh no, sir. That'll be all right. I'll give it a test, anyway, to check leaks. If it needs repair, it shouldn't take too long.
Before Mike the Angel could answer, Captain Quill's head jerked around. "That will do, Mister Vaneski!" he barked. "Boot ensigns don't snicker when their superiors and their betters are being reprimanded! I only use sarcasm on officers I respect. Until an officer earns my sarcasm, he gets nothing but blasting when he goofs off. Understand?" The last word was addressed to the whole group.
"Someone's going to get galloping claustrophobia before it's over, anyway," said Multhaus morosely as he followed Mike down the hallway in the direction from which Snookums had come. "Darkness and stuffy air touch off that sort of thing." "Who's Officer of the Watch tonight?" Mike wanted to know. "Ensign Vaneski, I think. His name was on the roster, as I remember."
Von Liegnitz looked up sleepily. "I could probably think of duller things, Mike, but not just immediately. How about bridge?" "We'll need a fourth," said Keku. "How about Pete?" Mike the Angel shook his head. "Black Bart is sleeping taking his beauty nap. So Pete has the duty. How about young Vaneski? He's not a bad partner." "He is out, too," said von Liegnitz. "He also is on duty."
"Snookums." Her voice was whispery. He shook his head. "No. Apparently he tried to jump Vaneski and got hit with a stun beam. It shouldn't have killed him but apparently it did." "God, God, God," she said softly. "Here I've been crying about a damned machine, and poor Lew has been lying up there dead." She buried her face in her hands, and her voice was muffled when she spoke again.
Mike had looked at his hand, figured that since he and Vaneski were vulnerable, while Keku and von Liegnitz were not, he bid a weakness pre-empt of three diamonds. Von Liegnitz passed, and Vaneski had answered back with five diamonds. Keku and Mike had both passed, and von Liegnitz had doubled. Now Mike was looking at Vaneski's dummy hand.
Mike spun to one side to avoid Vaneski's dive and came down with a balled fist aimed at the ensign's neck. He almost hit Lieutenant Keku. The big Hawaiian had leaped to his feet and landed a hard punch on Vaneski's nose. At the same time, Jeffers and von Liegnitz had jumped up and grabbed at Vaneski, who was between them.
I was lucky to get away. "The kid with Vaneski was shot by a police officer, but Vaneski got away after knifing a priest with a vibroblade. "It must have given him a hell of a shock to report back to duty and find that I was going to be one of his superior officers. "As soon as I linked things up in my own mind, I checked with Captain Quill. The boy's records show the names of his half-siblings.
"Snookums has, therefore," he continued, "been removed from Earth in order to protect the health of that planet, just as one would remove a potentially malignant tumor from a human body. "This is a medical ship. Q.E.D." And only then did he smile. "Aw, now...." Vaneski began. Then he shut his mouth again.
"Me," said Mike the Angel. Mike told Captain Quill what had happened as they made their way back up to the bridge. Ensign Vaneski, looking pale and worried, met them at the door. He snapped a salute. "I just reported to Commander Jeffers, sir. Something's wrong with the low-power circuits." "I had surmised as much," said Black Bart caustically. "Anything new? What did you find out? What happened?"
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