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10
"Any idea what happened?"Slek flopped into a chair and propped his booted feet on the one in front of him. He spoke softly, so as to not wake the twenty or so sleeping passengers in the bunk room and the dozen who curled up on the floor.
J'avet rubbed his hands over his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sensors suggest an explosion. Cause unknown."
"There's nothing in that part of the ship to cause something catastrophic." Slek frowned. "Just a few conduits, computer banks… They should have been isolated automatically as soon as something went wrong."
"Assuming it was accidental," J'avet said. He lowered his hand and exhaled. "We won't know until IF can get out and tow her to port."
"The closest port is Dendra," Slek said. "But it will take weeks for IF to get around to sending anyone."
J'avet nodded, then scowled at me as if he'd just realised I was there.
I ignored the look and aimed a question at Slek. "Is there any chance it was sabotage?"
In the corner of my eye, J'avet twitched.
"What?" he snapped.
Slek's brow furrowed deeper in confusion. "What do you mean?"
I tried not to wilt under the scrutiny of them and Danec, who sat beside me still, his hands on his lap.
I told them about my encounter with Jones in the corridor and his claim to have needed to check his watch. It had seemed halfway plausible then. Now it sounded ludicrous.
If J'avet's face wasn't already red, I think he would have turned maroon. His eyes flashed, literally. I swear I saw sparks of electricity erupt in his irises.
"You were aware of a potentially dangerous dissenter on board and you said nothing?" he growled.
Part of me wanted to shrink back from his anger, but I didn't. Fuck him, I wasn't going to let him think I was weak.
I lifted my chin. "If I told security every time someone was angry at someone else for no apparent reason, I would waste a lot of their time."
J'avet's eyes narrowed. "Not everyone, just the ones who plan to destroy a ship and everyone on it."
I clenched my jaw. "I'm not telepathic," I said coolly. "Besides, Jones wouldn't be the first human who thought we should take better care of Earth and stand on our own two feet."
J'avet poked a thick finger in my direction. "And that's why Earth isn't ready to join the IF."
I wanted to swat his finger away. "That's not up to you."
"No. If it was, you'd be out, and all spacefaring craft ordered to stay away."
Slek looked as if he wanted to say something, but he closed his mouth. I guess he figured I could stick up for myself. He didn't seem to find J'avet intimidating in the least.
"You sound just like Jones," I told J'avet curtly. "Closed minded, just because people are different."
He spluttered for a moment before his expression turned cold. "I have no issue with people being different. I take exception to those who harbour resentment because other worlds are far more advanced."
"I wouldn't say far more," Slek said. Apparently he couldn't keep silent anymore.
J'avet glanced at him, then back at me. "If the IF finds an explosive device planted on Infinity, in the area of communications and navigation, with any trace of your friend on it, I will consider you complicit in the destruction of the ship."
Before I could do more than gape, he rose and stalked away, as far as he could go in such a small space.
"He's not my friend," I said to J'avet's back.
"Asshole-dickhead-prick," Danec whispered.
