Article 23 Read online

  "Away from the door," Justin announced.

  There was a flicker of a smile.

  "It's OK, kid, just don't get jumpy."

  "I won't if you don't."

  "There are five enlisted personnel in there with MacKenzie, all of them armed," she continued. "Barge in and you'll get fried."

  "Thanks, but that's not the plan."

  He motioned her up against the bulkhead away from the door. Looking back down the corridor he saw the others come up and brace themselves against the wall to the lounge.

  Taking a deep breath, Justin put his hand on the door and slowly unlatched it. He cracked the door open and looked out into the lounge. All backs were to him, except for MacKenzie who was standing by the airlock door. Behind him were the enlisted men, all of them armed with weapons drawn, like MacKenzie. He could see O'Brian, armed as well and standing to one side. He wished he could somehow signal him, but knew he couldn't. Justin knew that just barging in would result in a slaughter. And in that instant, he heard MacKenzie speak.

  "Open the airlock, and may the Lord have mercy on his soul."

  There was a stirring among the cadets lined up to witness punishment. Some were crying, most stood with heads lowered.

  Through the airlock window, Justin saw his friend standing with his arms bound behind his back, head held high.

  "Madison, do it now!" Justin screamed and in the same instant he slammed the lounge door shut.

  Several long seconds passed and a mad panic seized Justin. Had Lewis overpowered her? If so, now what?

  And then the main engines kicked on with over three million pounds of thrust. Acceleration alarms sounded in the corridors, a massive shudder running through the ship. In an instant zero gravity was gone as Somers leapt forward. Apparent gravity was now directly astern, and the floor of the lounge was a wall.

  Justin could hear the screams of fear and confusion in the room as everyone was swept off their feet and dropped down the length of the room to the far wall. He counted to three; the seconds seemed like an eternity, the screams in the lounge echoing.

  The engines shut down, and Justin felt a surge in his stomach as zero gravity returned. He tore the door open and stepped into the lounge. Everyone was piled up on the far wall in a confused jumble.

  "Everyone freeze!" Justin screamed. "Tanya, guard them!"

  Justin bounded for the airlock door. To his horror the outer door was open and he could see the hunched over body of his friend floating in the chamber, drifting towards the opening. He reached the inner door and grabbed the handle, but it wouldn't budge; all the safety locks were on and the internal air pressure was just another safeguard keeping it closed.

  Seeing the pressurization button, he slapped it hard. Through the window he saw the outer port closing, Matt still on the inside.

  "Bell!"

  Justin turned and saw MacKenzie coming to his feet, raising his pistol.

  "Bell, drop that weapon!"

  "Sir," Justin cried. "I am relieving you of command of this ship as per Article Twenty-five regarding a Captain who has violated the Articles, sir. Drop your gun or I'll shoot!"

  There was a frozen instant. In the background Justin could hear the air rushing into the outer chamber, the alarm ringing. The cries of the cadets piled up against the wall echoed, yet all his attention was now focused on MacKenzie. He could see the Captain sighting down the barrel of his pistol, finger curled around the trigger. Justin had his weapon up as well, aimed straight at MacKenzie's head. It would only take the slightest amount of pressure and it would be over. Malady had said never draw a weapon unless you fully intend to use it, that bluffing with a gun was the surest way to get yourself killed.

  Yet he couldn't do it. Something stopped him in that instant and he wasn't sure what. Even as he saw MacKenzie's finger curling backward he held his fire.

  MacKenzie's laser blast struck Justin's helmet just above his brow. The ablative coating of the helmet vaporized, carrying away the intense heat, but the recoil from the exploding vapors jerked Justin's head back.

  Justin saw several of the enlisted men bringing their weapons up as well, some pointing at him, others aiming back towards the door while cadets scattered in every direction.

  MacKenzie fired again, and the recoil from the vaporized coating staggered Justin as if a blow had hit him squarely in the chest, the battle armor absorbing the blow.

  If I don't drop him, Justin realized, others will die. Justin's finger brushed against the trigger and then he saw MacKenzie go down, dropped by a roundhouse punch delivered by O'Brian, who grabbed the gun that fell from MacKenzie's hand. Another gun fired and he heard Tanya scream. The enlisted guard who fired started to draw a bead on Justin.

  "Vincennes, I'll kill you where you stand," O'Brian growled. "Now drop it."

  O'Brian was already up, MacKenzie's pistol and his own both aimed at the guard. The guard released his gun and pushed it away. Justin turned his weapon towards the other guards, several of them still trying to crawl their way out of the pile-up.

  "Grab their guns," someone shouted and in an instant half a dozen cadets were on the enlisted personnel, relieving them of their weapons. The only one still armed was Petronovich, who stood in the corner with his gun half-raised.

  "Come on, Petronovich," Justin said. "It's over. Now drop it."

  "It's not over, Bell," Petronovich replied coldly. "It's only just started."

  He let go of his gun and Iivollen, crossing the room, scooped it from the air.

  Justin turned back and saw Tanya curled up in the corner, hands wrapped around her leg. She looked at him and gave a thumbs-up sign.

  Grabbing hold of the airlock door, Justin tore it open. Matt was curled up in the corner, and with a cry Justin went to his friend.

  There was no movement as he grabbed Matt and pushed him through the airlock door and up against a bulkhead wall. Pulling Matt's head up, Justin clamped his mouth over Mart's and breathed hard into his friends lungs while fumbling to feel his throat for a pulse.

  "Get the doc!" Tanya screamed.

  Justin started to clamp his mouth on Matt again to give him another breath.

  "I don't kiss guys," Matt groaned, "but thanks for the thought."

  "Matt! You're alive!" Justin cried, clutching his friend.

  "Cold, space is so cold," Matt whispered.

  "Move aside, Bell."

  Justin looked up and saw Zhing.

  "Was this fair?" Justin screamed, reaching over to grab Zhing. Suddenly all his frustration and fear were exploding out.

  "Let me be the doc right now," Zhing said quietly. "You can shoot me later if you want. God knows I deserve it."

  Justin backed away from Zhing and Matt and saw all his comrades staring at him. A few were crying, some were standing in awe, others were angry, turning towards MacKenzie who was firmly held by O'Brian.

  "Mutiny! You're all mutinous scum now, and all of you will be spaced for this," MacKenzie cried.

  Justin walked over towards MacKenzie, who was still being held by O'Brian.

  "Yes, we did take this ship," Justin announced, "but we're not mutineers. This is an action taken under Article Twenty-five to resist any unlawful order given by a superior officer. And you, sir, are hereby relieved of command according to that Article."

  "We should space the bastard," someone cried. "Do it right now the way he wanted to do to Matt."

  Justin looked at MacKenzie and the rage he had felt for Zhing redoubled. At that instant he would have gladly pulled the lever to the airlock with MacKenzie on the outside for what he had done to Matt.

  "Well, Mr. Bell, is that what you want?" O'Brian asked and he made a gesture as if to shove MacKenzie forward. Several of the cadets cheered at the suggestion.

  MacKenzie looked at him, and Justin saw a flicker of fear in the man's eyes. There was a strange, intoxicating power to it. With a simple nod of his head MacKenzie would be dead in a matter of minutes. No begging, no appeals would stop it. He could
see the bloodlust in the eyes of several of his comrades; one of them, a cadet whom everyone knew had an interest in Livollen, was moving up as if to help O'Brian.

  And he could suddenly understand, as well, what MacKenzie was. The power was absolute out here, all contact gone, your voice the one authority that all must answer to. And then he remembered something he had read in the book MacKenzie had ordered him to read, "Who is the judge when the judge himself is dragged before the bar?"

  Justin turned away and saw Hemenez standing in the doorway, silently watching.

  Justin slowly went up to her, feeling infinitely tired. Drawing himself up formally, he saluted.

  "Lieutenant Hemenez, sir, I ask that you take command of this vessel as per regulations upon the removal of the Captain and First Officer and that you guide us to the nearest base at which time I will turn myself over to Fleet authorities for judgment. I surrender my weapon to you and place myself under your full authority."

  A flicker of a smile crossed Hemenez's face and then she grimaced as she took the pistol offered by Justin and without ceremony stuck it into her belt.

  "I take command of this ship USMCS Somers, by the authority of the Service as stated in Article Twenty-five, that a member of the Service is honor-bound to resist any unlawful order issued by a superior officer."

  She slowly looked around the room.

  "Please take Captain MacKenzie and Flight Officer Lewis and confine them below with Cadet Colson," and she nodded towards Livollen and several of the cadets. "And remember," she snapped, "all three are to be treated with respect."

  "Hemenez, you're dead for this," MacKenzie shouted.

  "Maybe we all are, sir," Hemenez replied, "but if so it will be done by a lawful court-martial and not an act of murder, as you attempted."

  Next she turned to Zhing.

  "Doctor, I am asking for your oath of honor as a physician that you will not attempt to intervene any further in the command of this ship. If you agree, sir, I will not be forced to confine you, and you may go about your duties."

  Zhing looked up from Matt and nodded. A cadet came back from sickbay and handed him an oxygen bottle; Zhing clamped it on Matt.

  "You and Leonov, you'll have to wait, as will the others," Zhing announced.

  Justin looked back and saw that there were a number of injured in the room. Some were nursing simple bumps and bruises, but one looked like she had a broken leg and another appeared to be unconscious.

  "Enlisted personnel, turn in your weapons," Hemenez said. "I will ask each of you to report to me in ten minutes. If you give your personal oath not to aid the former Captain you will have the freedom of the ship. O'Brian, you are Acting First Officer, see that the weapons are collected if you please."

  She now turned her attention to the cadets.

  "Well, you've received a hell of an education on this flight," she said, her voice cold and bitter. "I just pray that all of you learn from it. My first order is that you are forbidden to discuss anything regarding the separatists for the duration of this flight. Do I make myself clear?"

  There was a chorus of agreements.

  "Nor are there to be any recriminations. Debate as to who was on which side in this incident is finished for the duration of this flight."

  Justin could see Colson's followers looking about nervously, having already backed into a corner away from the rest of the cadets.

  "I remember Thorsson telling us we were comrades no matter where we came from or how we might one day be separated by choices made by our superiors, and I still believe that. Mars, Venus, Earth, sailors and habitat dwellers, you are first and foremost of the Service. What you saw here," and she nodded back towards the forward part of the ship, "that's not us.

  "Now to the business we must face. All of you are to write a fair and honest report of all things that you saw transpire from the moment you boarded this ship. You can write it any way you want, but it must be honest, with no hearsay. All of you are forbidden to utter another word to each other about what happened here until every last report is filed. You will deposit them with me, and you have my pledge that I will take your reports, seal them and not examine them in any way. I will turn these reports over to the appropriate authorities upon our arrival at Deimos. I shall offer the same opportunity to the former Captain, Flight Lieutenant Lewis, and Mr. Colson.

  "Finally," she said, and looked toward Justin and Tanya, "I regret to inform you two, along with Cadet Smith, that you are hereby under arrest on the charge of leading a mutiny."

  Justin looked at her, startled.

  "I'm sony, but in this case we're bound by tradition and law, and we will automatically face charges upon our arrival at the base on Deimos. If I have your pledge of honor you may have access to the galley, but for the duration you are confined to your quarters and no other cadet may speak to you. Upon arrival we will turn ourselves over to the commander of the Base, and that includes you, too, O'Brian. Do you understand me?"

  "Yes, sir," Justin replied.

  "Fine, all hands dismissed."

  The cadets started to leave the room, a sharp glance from Hemenez stilling all comments. She came up to Justin, hesitated, then finally extended her hand.

  "You have guts, Bell, more guts than I've ever seen before. Especially that last moment. I would have tried to stop you, I think O'Brian would have as well, but you could have killed the Captain a lot of them were ready to follow you."

  "I know, and it frightened me," Justin said.

  "I could see that too. I'm sorry to have to place you under arrest, but we have to follow procedure here, unlike that man we arrested."

  "I know that, sir."

  "Come on, let's get to the infirmary."

  "Me?"

  "You're wounded, too," and she pointed to his side. Under the battle jacket he felt a sharp pain for the first time, and he remembered that Colson had hit him.

  They went over to Tanya, who was sitting against the wall with weapon still in hand, helped her up and went through the door to the forward section. Madison greeted them.

  "I left it on auto-pilot at least I hope I did it right. Lewis is down below."

  "Fine, Madison," Hemenez said. "I'll be up in a moment to check."

  "What a kick to that engine," Madison announced. "I told Lewis to give us full power and he did I darn near cut his throat by accident when the engine came on. So everything's OK?"

  "Yeah, OK," Justin sighed.

  When he reached sickbay he saw Matt sitting up, an oxygen mask still strapped to his face. Zhing was putting drops into Mart's eyes. His hands and feet were wrapped in warming cuffs, and an IV was stuck into his arm.

  Justin could sense the smile under the mask, and in spite of Zhing's protest Matt pushed the mask aside.

  "Well, I figure it was forty seconds in the vacuum club this time," Matt gasped weakly.

  "Is he going to be all right?" Justin asked.

  "Possible frostbite to his extremities. Eyes were starting to freeze up, I think the drops will stabilize them, some freeze damage to his throat so he'll talk funny for awhile. No symptoms of nitrogen bubbling, though with forty seconds of vacuum we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed. I think, with luck, his lungs will heal up and be all right. Hearing might be off for awhile, looks like one eardrum ruptured, but he's anesthetized now and not feeling much pain."

  "Hell, pain," Matt mumbled, "this is nothing. Why, I remember the time" and his voice trailed off as he looked around at the group with a lopsided grin.

  "I'll be with you three in a minute," Zhing announced. "But for heaven's sake don't stand around there gawking, get your anti-radiation suits on right now."

  Justin suddenly realized that he had been getting a heavy exposure for nearly an hour.

  He stepped closer to Matt and clumsily took his friend's hand.

  "Thanks again, old buddy, I owe you one," Matt whispered.

  "No matter what, it was worth it, Matt, it was worth it."

  "Hard dock!"r />
  "All hands, all hands, proceed to the main airlock."

  Justin unstrapped from his seat and looked over at Tanya. The storm had finally abated the day before, allowing them to at least get out of the anti-radiation suits. Zhing estimated that their little one-hour jaunt free of protection had exposed them to over a year's acceptable level of radiation, which would mean either grounding or limited duty aboard a well-shielded habitat. The end of the storm had meant that communications had been reestablished as well, and when the USMC heard the news they had been ordered straight to the moon of Mars as Hemenez had assumed they would be. The base commander was undoubtedly waiting just on the other side of the airlock.

  The one great irony to the entire crisis was that the incident aboard Gustavus had been resolved without casualties; in fact, the first report of injuries was exaggerated, only one crew member of the ship had been injured, a tooth loosened in a scuffle, and one separatist slightly wounded. After holding the ship for only a day they had disembarked without incident and fled upon the approach of a Service heavy cruiser, which had not engaged in pursuit.

  He could well imagine, though, that with the Gustavus incident fading into the background what had happened aboard the Sotners would now be the center of attention.

  "Ready for this?' Justin asked, extending a hand to Tanya to help her up.

  "Got butterflies in my stomach. More scared now than when we stormed into the lounge."

  "You were one cool piece of work on that," Justin said.

  Tanya laughed. "You should've seen yourself wish I had a vid of it. My God, you looked ferocious."

  "Who, me?" and he suddenly felt even more nervous.

  "Yeah, you, Justin Wood Bell. I think you would have drilled MacKenzie without a second thought if it came to it."

  Justin wondered about that. He had, indeed, hesitated, letting MacKenzie get off two shots, and he wondered why. Yet for an instant there he really did want to kill him, especially after seeing Matt in the airlock, fully exposed to the vacuum of space. The whole thing was far too confusing to sort out right now.

  Madison gave Tanya a hand as well and die two pulled her up; together they headed out into the corridor. Those around them fell silent as they passed, a few whispering "good lucks" before hurrying on.