Two Rimmers

Chapter 4: Prisoner

"What do you mean Kryten?" Rimmer exclaimed, "She is an officer. She can help us and tell us about simulant technology."

"That may be the case sir but she must continue her sentence, it cannot be revoked."

"But, I'm the most senior position, I can..."

"Sir, she must complete her sentence on floor 14, nowhere else. You know procedure."

"But..."

"No sir. No more."

Rimmer sighed and left the room. He knew it would be useless him trying, and now he had proven it.

He glanced at Crystal who was waiting outside the room.

"Well?"

"It's no use. You must continue your sentence in the prison decks. You can't be classed as an Officer yet."

Crystal sighed, "Can't you revoke it? You're..."

"No. I can't. Kryten said it wouldn't work."

"Oh." Crystal sighed,

"I erm, best take you to the prison decks." Rimmer said, reluctantly leading Crystal to the prison decks.

The prison decks were dark and unclean. The floor hadn't been touched since the accident, so Rimmer wasn't quite sure what would be found on floor 14.

Crystal walked with Rimmer, remembering her time when she was first brought down. The prisoners seemed shocked and jeered her, throwing cans and other things at her to disgrace her. She didn't belong here, Hollister hadn't been fair, everyone knew that, but no one would argue with him.

Rimmer noticed her discomfort,

"You okay?"

"Yes." She said, clenching her fist tight,

"Remembering?"

"Yes."

"You want me to..."

"Just carry on." Crystal said, not wanting to cry.

Rimmer looked around for Crystal's cell. As they found it and unlocked the door, they both breathed in, unsure of how it would look now.

As they walked in, Rimmer was surprised at the condition of the place. It was relatively clean for something which had been involved in a fire; a white mark was on the wall where it seemed a forcefield had been.

Crystal sat on the bed and sighed, looking at the wall in front of her. It was charred, but some of her objects remained.

"Conditions don't look too bad." Rimmer said, still wanting her out of here,

"No, they don't." she said, admiring something in her hands but soon put it back.

Rimmer's eye caught a photo on the wall, it was of the officers in the space corps. Crystal was the smallest and in the centre of the photo.

"That's the photo of the officers in the Space Corps, before I was put down here."

"Oh." He continued to examine the photo, he then noticed the label at the back "Third class?"

Crystal sighed, " I could have got to first but, never had the opportunity."

"Oh." Rimmer felt somewhat pleased that she was telling him this; he could never do the same to someone he'd never met before.

After a few minutes of Crystal reciting their names, Rimmer decided to get back to the others so they didn't think anything bad was happening.

"I erm, best be off. The others may say something if I'm here too long."

"Okay." Crystal sighed, knowing his reason. She sat, holding her legs close to her,

"Will you be okay down here on your own?"

"I will be fine sir." She said, smiling; hiding how she truly felt.

"Sure?"

"Yes Rimmer."

"Alright." Rimmer said, unsure, he saluted her and left.

She returned it almost perfectly.

As he walked down the corridor, he wondered how Crystal must have felt being all alone here and seeing her father killed. Still, she was safe for now.