Traveler in the Dark

37

"Come on, Andrei, if we play in the lock, then we keep the robot entertained and Emery can play. Maybe Liu too," said Blick rattling the box of tokens.

Titov gave a begrudging nod. "All right. It's just so frigid in there."

Blick shrugged. "So grab an incubation cube from the lab."

"Nah. Liu will yell. The power relays on that side of the ship are old and faulty. Too much in that section will make the bridge consoles shut off. The whole ship is falling apart. Do you know we couldn't get the drain suction working the other day in the lab? And Oxwell swears the water lines have something living in them. They groan and sputter constantly."

"Shh," scolded Blick, patting the corridor wall, "it can hear you. Bad luck to criticize our ride."

"Superstitious nonsense."

"So, equipment lock or what?"

Titov thought for a moment. "I guess I can make a little heater. We'll have to sit on it, it's not very radiant— I need to borrow your blanket."

Blick snorted a laugh. "Why mine? Use yours."

"I will, but I need two."

"Yeah, okay, we're not going to need it after tomorrow anyway."

Titov grinned. "You get the others. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"All right, can't wait to take your last credits."

"You talk big," said Titov hurrying away, "but you play a lousy game."

"Hey, Andrei—" called Blick after him, "You aren't going to blow anything up, are you?"

"Nah," yelled Titov, "perfectly safe. Relax, I know what I'm doing."

Titov could see Dr. Cardiff through the lab windows. The doors slid open and she sneezed as he slid in. "Uh-oh," he said, "You better get Leroux to give you a check. Don't want to bring anything home."

The doctor shook her head. "It isn't a cold. It's only in here. The air is so dry."

Titov sniffed but shrugged. "Must be the air cycler. We got too used to wild air."

"Wild air?" asked Cardiff with a smile.

"Yeah, wild and free. Unrecycled."

Cardiff laughed. "You could probably market that. Titov's wild air."

He piled the blankets onto his workbench, clamping them in place. He began pulling out components, shaking the container of magnesium. Enough, but just. He felt a flash of guilt at using it for something so frivolous. Whole planet now, he told himself, won't have to rely on the printers anymore. "Where are Leroux and Oxwell?" he asked, mostly to distract himself.

"They went to bed, oh, almost two hours ago."

He turned to her. "Were you waiting for Leroux?"

Dr. Cardiff shook her head. "No, I needed her report on Hackford. And then I stayed because it was quieter here than on the bridge."

"Ah," he said turning back to find the iron shavings.

"But," Cardiff groaned with a stretch, "I think I'm done now. I've started a headache and I'm getting dizzy."

"Time for some sleep, I'd say," answered Titov. "We've still got forty hours, plenty of time for those reports."

"Yeah," yawned Cardiff, sucking in a deep breath. "You're probably right. I'll see you later." She wandered over to the door.

"Good night doc," Titov called. The door slid open and then shut again. He whipped out the bottom blanket in a fluttering billow over the floor to spread it out. Peter used to love that. He'd curl up in the center of his bed and Titov would pretend not to see him and make the bed around him, leaving a giggling lump that wriggled and untucked the corners. Titov smiled. Peter was too old for that game now. The blanket floated in front of him and Titov pushed it down toward the floor, tying the corners to the foot straps. He turned to grab the chemicals. When he returned to the blanket, he saw it darkening with moisture. Large clear bubbles of liquid hovered below his bent knees. He reached down and touched one and it splashed around his finger.

"Ah, Flaming Core," he sighed, "decrepit old flyer. Did you spring a leak?" Did the autocleaner malfunction? He glanced up at the misters, though he wasn't sure what he was looking for. Titov put his containers back on the workbench. No point mixing them now, the water would cause the reaction early. He had to dry the blanket first. An incubation cube sat near the infirmary cots. He grabbed it and connected it, spinning it on. It would take a few minutes to warm up, so he decided to find out what had leaked and followed the puddle of liquid. It stretched across the space, disappearing in the dark cubby below Oxwell's bench. He swam down toward the deck to look for the source.

"Earth's Holy Oceans, Alice, did you burst a hose?" he swore aloud. "You're a flaming waste of elements, Wolfinger. You hear that Blick? A flaming waste." He wedged himself under the countertop, his knees hitting the cold liquid. He pushed the drums of chemicals aside, checking the connectors with his fingers as he did. They felt whole but he couldn't see the water hose in the cramped dark space. He flipped on the filament but the light beam was just above where he needed it. Titov swore again and fumbled above his head with one hand for the equipment kit. The magnifier floated away from his fingers. "Soil and Rain, may the Galactic Void swallow it whole—" He fumbled with the filament pulling it left and then down before finally unwinding it from his head and angling it with his hand. The incubating cube began to hum softly as it reached temperature. A slow, comfortable warmth plumed from it and washed over Titov. He grunted and wriggled farther in, holding out the flimsy wire to light up the hoses in the back. They seemed intact. Titov sucked in a deep sigh and froze. The sharp tingle of alcohol had met his nostrils. He backed up suddenly. The incubating cube— A container beside him sloshed as his shoulder bumped it. He felt the chilly trickle of liquid on his arm just as he turned, jerking the light up to the deep slash in the drum. The light was shaking as he raised it farther to the patchy red label at the top.

Methanol. Oh, shi—