Crimson (Tristan Book 2) (Draft 1)

Chapter 17

Alex tried not to groan as he shifted on the bed. Six days of training, and he still hurt everywhere. Finally he found a sitting position that didn't press on the many sensitive spots, and he set about reading the new texts Marie had sent him.

Someone knocked on the door.

"Come on in!" Will yelled, not looking up from the game he was playing on his tablet.

The door opened to reveal the captain. He stepped in, and leaned back against the door once it closed. Alex put his tablet down. Will glanced up and went back to his game as the captain looked them over.

"Asyr tells me you've been working on fixing the computer." He said, looking over the shelf on Alex's side.

"Yes, sir." Alex hesitated. "I'm just working on the central processor right now, it shouldn't have affected any of the other systems."

"Nobody's complained." The captain leveled his gaze on Alex. "She said you're forcing it to get better."

Alex tentatively nodded, unable to judge if the captain thought that was a good thing or not. "I'm not a computer medic, and what I've been reading on that hasn't helped me. The computer on the ship is so far gone it would probably take an entire team of medics to be able to get any results in a reasonable time frame."

"So you're good at getting computers to do what you want?"

"Yeah, that used to be my job."

The captain nodded. "I have a job for you then. We're going to board a ship, and the job's going to be a lot easier if I don't have to worry about that ships defenses trying to stop my crew."

Alex stared at him. "You-you want me to help you rob a ship?"

"Yep."

"I can't do that."

"I thought you'd agreed to work your passage off."

"I am. I was cleaning the corridors, and now I'm healing the computer."

"I see. So you're not going to do it?"

"No." Alex didn't have to think about it, he wasn't going to coerce a system without corporate authorization. "I'm sorry, but I won't."

The captain's gaze stayed on him long enough Alex started squirming, then he turned and left.

Alex stared at the door for a moment, then looked at Will. "What did he expect me to say?" he asked.

Will shrugged. "No idea, I'm no mind reader."

"Does he really expect me to break the law for him?"

"It's his ship, he wants you to be useful. Got no use for you otherwise."

"But I am being useful."

Will put the game aside and turned to face Alex. "Doesn't matter if you are. The captain's got to feel that you are. Otherwise, why'd he want to keep you on the ship?"

Alex thought it over. "So it's a threat. If I don't do what he wants, he's going to space me."

"Nah. The captain don't space nobody without real good reasons. He'll wait till we're at dock before he kicks you off."

"But he can't ask me to do something illegal."

"Sure he can. Not like anyone here cares if you do it or not."

"But I'm not a-" he shut up.

"Just think it over for a while. Figure out what's good about it and bad."