The Armstrong Incident

"Do that, Number One," Alan said. Bull and Tabby turned and left. I couldn't help but notice that she never told me she loved me or that she would see me later. I turned and looked at Alice.

"This stinks to high heaven, Bill," she told me quietly. "I'll keep a loose tab on them down there."

"Thanks," I said. She smiled and patted my arm before she left.

"Well, I guess I'd better change into my work clothes," I said. "Which lasers have the problems?"

"Number two and number five, sir," Robinson said.

"Alright, I'll take number two if you can check five. We'll need to inspect them all, though," I said.

"On my way, sir," Robinson said. I turned to leave and saw Alan looking at the door that Bull and Tabby exited through earlier. I could see the wheels turning in his head.

"I'll change and meet you at laser station two, if that's alright, sir," I said.

"I'll meet you there in a few minutes," he said. I grabbed my tool bag and left the bridge. I had been at the station for a few minutes when Alan crawled next to me. I noticed that he had changed back into his work uniform.

"What's the word?" he asked.

"Just getting ready to remove the control box cover," I said. I pulled out a tool and began removing the cover. After I took the cover off, I looked inside and saw the problem. One of the gears that was part of the drive system had sheared and broken off. The "E" clip that held it in place was also missing. I looked to see if it was laying down in the bottom of the sealed unit, but it wasn't there. It was missing -- completely.

"Damn," I said.

"What?" Alan asked.

"Someone's been inside this unit, sir," I said. "The 'E' clip is gone and that drive gear is sheared and broken."

"What would've happened if the weapon was engaged?"

"The force of the drive unit would've completely destroyed the system. If the lasers were firing at the time, they could've sliced right through the hull," I said.

"Damn. How do you think something like this could've happened?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Someone had to have done it deliberately," I said. "I don't see any way that clip would've gone completely missing like that. Thing is, these are normally sealed units. The only way in is with a special tool. This one," I added, holding the tool in my hand.

"Can it be fixed?" he asked.

"Sure," I said. "There's spare control units in the armory. But this isn't a part that normally breaks and we only have two spare control units. Hopefully, none of the others have been damaged."

"How long will it take to fix?"

"The whole unit has to be disassembled, the new control box put in place, tested, realigned and calibrated. About eight to ten hours total. That's assuming there aren't any other problems."

"Damn," he said. "Alright, get the new control unit in. Do you need my help?" Although it was time-consuming, it was a one-man job, and I really didn't need his help. Nevertheless, the fact that he offered meant a lot and I found myself respecting him even more for it. I shook my head.

"No sir, I can manage this, but thanks for asking anyway," I said. "Besides, there's only room for one set of hands." Just then, my wrist communicator beeped. I looked and saw it was a call from Robinson.

"Jones here, go ahead, Robinson," I said, talking into the communicator.

"Boss, it looks like an 'E' clip has broken off and a drive gear is completely sheared," he said. I looked at Alan. "The whole control unit needs to be replaced."

"Alright," I said. "Get to it. Get with the armory and have them go over all the weapons platforms."

"On it," he said.

"What are the odds of two control units breaking like that at the same time?" Alan asked.

"Very slim," I said. "I've never seen one of these units break like that, let alone two at the same time. These are probably the most stable platforms in our inventory."

"Is it possible this is a manufacturing issue?" he asked.

"Highly unlikely, sir," I said. "These units go through extensive testing before being installed. I've worked with hundreds of these things and I've never seen this happen before."

"Okay. I'll need to report this to Houston," Alan said. "We'd better get the engineers in here from Mars Station and stand down for a complete level five diagnostic. Hard to believe a trillion-dollar spacecraft can be stopped by a 50-cent E-clip." I chuckled at that. "Report to me as soon as you're finished."

"Yes, sir," I said. I watched him back himself out of the cramped quarters and turned to my work. When I had the control unit completely removed, I looked closer to see what else I might find. There, on the inside of the case, was a dark smudge.

It didn't look like gear grease. As I examined it, I realized what it was -- blood. Whoever sabotaged this unit cut his -- or her -- hand on the case. I pulled a q-tip from my tool box and managed to get some of the substance. Then I put it into a small plastic bag, sealed it up and put it back into the tool bag. I intended to take it to medical for a DNA analysis.

By then, one of the armorers brought a new control unit and took the old one away. I turned to my work and tried to focus on what I was doing, but it was hard. I thought about who might've done this and why. Then it hit me.

Bull had done everything he could to keep Tabby and I apart during this voyage. First, there was the change in the shift schedule. Sure, he offered an explanation. Alan accepted it, but I wasn't buying it. Then this happened. And what was it he said as he and Tabby left for Huygens? Something about taking care of Tabby? Could it be...

The idea that Tabby would cheat on me with him made me mad and sick to my stomach at the same time. I knew Bull was her counselor in the Academy, and I also knew they had served together a couple times since then. Was she screwing him back then as well?

I finally finished installing the new control unit and ran a dry test. Everything seemed to be okay, so I made a note in the maintenance log. Ten hours of my life shot to hell. Ten hours I would never get back. Ten hours I should've been at Huygens with Tabby... I looked through the entire log when I finished, but saw nothing that would provide a clue. I saw Robinson as I climbed out of the access tube.

"How'd it go?" I asked him.

"The new unit is in place, sir," he said. "The armorers checked the other stations and reported no other problems."

"All the same, I want a complete visual inspection of everything, and I want a physical inventory of all weapons and missiles," I said. "I know this is gonna screw up your shore leave, but it's gotta be done."

"I understand, sir," he said. "I'll get right on it."

"Thanks," I said. He nodded his head, gave a smile and turned to his work. I stopped at sick bay on my way to the bridge and spoke to the corpsman on duty.

"What's up, Lt. Jones," the female chief petty officer asked when I came in.

"Are you guys set up to do DNA analysis?" I asked.

"Well, we do have the equipment, but the final analysis will have to be verified by a certified lab," she said. "Why do you ask?" I pulled out my sample and handed it to her.

"I need to know whose blood this is," I said. "Can you do that?"

"Sure," she said. "It'll take a few hours and we'll have to compare it to all the DNA we have on record. Why do you need this?"

"I really can't get into that right now, Chief," I said. "I just need to know whose it is. And I need you to keep this under your hat." She looked at me, surprised.

"Okay, Lieutenant," she said. "I'll get right on it and send you a text when I have something."

"Thanks, Chief, I owe you," I said.

"Damn right you do, sir," she said with a smile. She was quite attractive, and for a moment, I wondered what she looked like without that uniform. But only for a moment. From there, I headed to the bridge to make my report. Alan was standing outside the hatchway to his ready room as I got to the bridge.

"Got it fixed?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," I said. "Lt. Robinson is inspecting the rest of the systems now."

"Good. Step into my office if you would," he said. I walked into the ready room and saw Alice with Lt. Commander Carson, the ship's senior security officer. When Alan entered the small room, he closed the hatch and took his seat.

"Thank you for showing up on such short notice," he said, looking at Alice and Commander Carson. "I'm sorry to have interrupted your shore leave, Alice, but it seems we have a situation here and I need you and Commander Carson to get on it right away."

"No problem, sir," she said.

"It seems we may have a saboteur on board," Alan said. "Two of our weapons systems appear to have been sabotaged shortly before arriving at Mars Station, and Command has instructed me to perform an initial investigation. I've also been instructed to contact the Corps Criminal Investigation Unit at Huygens.

"They won't be able to have anyone here for at least 36 hours, so you have that time to find out what you can. I am temporarily giving you both access to all tracker history. I want to know who accessed those weapons units and I want to know ASAP. I want a thorough but discreet investigation. You understand me? I don't want word of this getting out to the crew," he said.

"We understand, sir," Commander Carson said.

"In the meantime, an engineering team from Mars Station is performing a full level five diagnostic on the ship. That will set us back about 72 hours. Command isn't comfortable seeing us under way with a possible saboteur on board, and I agree. It's possible the mission may get scrubbed," Alan said. "Any questions or comments?"

"Just one, sir," I said. All eyes turned to me.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" Alan asked.

"I found what I believe is blood on the case of the control unit I replaced. I took a sample to sick bay for DNA analysis," I said.

"Good thinking," Alan said. "I'll swing by sick bay. Who did oyu give the sample to?"

"Chief Benson, sir," I said. He nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"Alright. I'll speak to her when I get there. Thank you. Anything else?" We all shook our heads. "Dismissed. You have a job to get done."

"Yes, sir," Commander Carson said. We left the ready room and I locked my tool bag in the weapons console. I was about to leave the bridge when Alice called to me.

"Yes, ma'am," I said as I gave her my attention.

"Bill, I spent some time watching Tabby and Commander Travers. I'm sorry, but it looks to me like they're a... bit too familiar with each other, if you know what I mean," she said. She pulled out her mobile phone and showed me pictures.

I was shocked at what I saw. Tabby and Bull were arm-in-arm as they went into a club. Alice had photos of them dancing and drinking, acting like two teenagers on a date. There was the usual flirting and touching, and Alice had pictures of the two of them kissing. Then she showed me pictures of them walking into a hotel. It didn't take a scientist to figure out what they would be doing there.

"I'm sorry, Bill," she said quietly. "I thought you should know."

"Thank you, Alice," I said as I fought back tears. "Are you going to report this to the captain?"

"You know that I have no choice but to report this," she said. "But I thought you should know first."

"I appreciate that," I said. I left the bridge and caught up with Robinson. We finished going over the rest of the systems and pulled an inventory of everything. My shift over, I went to the galley and grabbed a bite to eat, then trudged back to my quarters and tried to sleep. It wasn't easy, with images of Tabby and Bull together, but I managed to log a few hours.

I woke up, showered, dressed and began to leave when Tabby walked into the cabin. She looked rested and her face had that glow it always has after sex. Part of me wanted to kill her.

"Have a good time?" I asked in a neutral tone of voice.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did," she said. "We just got back. I'm sorry you didn't get to join us. Maybe next time." I just looked at her. "What's going on? I saw all the station engineers."

"Maintenance," I said. "So, what's on your agenda?"

"Well, I'm going to hit the rack for a bit. I'm pretty tired and I'm off duty for the next 12 hours. Are you going on duty now?"

"Yes," I said.

"Did you ever get that little problem solved?"

"I believe so."

"Good," she said. "You know I missed you down there."

"Really? That's not what I heard," I said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I heard you and Bull had a good time without me," I said. "Is there anything you'd like to tell me?"

"We danced a bit," she said. "Had a couple of drinks. But that's all."

"Nothing else happened?" I asked.

"Of course not," she said, acting shocked. "Why would you think that?"

"Nothing," I said. "I have to get to work." I headed for the door, but Tabby stopped me. She tried to give me a kiss, but I turned my head and she ended up kissing my cheek.

"Bill, you know I love you," she said. "What's going on?"

"You tell me," I said. I left the cabin, not giving her a chance to respond. Who was this woman, I asked myself. Did she honestly think she could come to me right after screwing some other guy and expect me to act like there was no problem? Did she think I couldn't see through her lies?

I signed into my station and realized I hadn't seen Bull. I did my usual routine and turned to the ongoing diagnostics. About seven hours into my shift, I realized I hadn't eaten anything, so I signed out and took my lunch break. I decided to go to my cabin and see Tabby for a bit before going back on duty. I had planned to talk this out with her, but when I opened the hatch, I got hit with something no husband should ever see.

There, on the double bed Tabby and I shared, was Tabby, on her knees, straddling Bull. I felt the increased gravity and looked to see the gravity in the cabin was set to .9 G. Both of them turned to see who was standing in the open hatch. Tabby jumped up off Bull's dick as he turned to me, a smirk on his face.

"Close the goddamn hatch," he growled. "What are you, a pervert or something? You like to watch?"

"What's going on here?" I asked. Tabby found something interesting on the deck to stare at while Bull got on his feet.

"What's it look like, Lieutenant?" he asked as he pulled his clothes on. "Didn't they teach you sex-ed in high school?" He finished putting his flight suit on and started toward me. "Let's walk, Lieutenant. We need to talk." He turned to Tabby. "I'll be back and we can finish this... discussion later." Tabby looked at me with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry, Bill," she said quietly.

"We'll talk about this later," I said. Bull shook his head.

"No, you won't, Lieutenant," he said. "Let's go. Follow me." As we turned, I activated the video record function on my suit. All of our suits contained a body cam feature we could activate as necessary. I had a very bad feeling about this and wanted our encounter recorded.

"I must commend you, Lieutenant, that was an excellent idea you had, turning down the gravity in your cabin," Bull said as we walked down the corridor. "But you should know, I've been around a bit longer than you. Didn't take me long to figure out what you had done."

"How long?" I asked.

"You mean, 'how long, SIR,' don't you, Lieutenant?" he asked with a smirk. I said nothing, prompting him to continue. "Well, I suppose you have a right to know. It started during her second year at the Academy. I was her counselor, you know. She came to me with a problem. I was able to take care of it. But it cost her. And things progressed from there. You know, she almost broke it off with you a couple times during your stay at the Academy. You see, once women get a taste of the Bull, they can't let go."

He must've thought he was being funny, as he laughed at his own joke. I, however, felt nothing but rage. I wanted to kill him on the spot, but I had no desire to destroy my career over this piece of shit.

"So, you've been screwing her every chance you get, haven't you?" I asked.

"Of course, Lieutenant," he said. "You know, you should be a fucking investigator."

"And that's the real reason you changed the bridge schedule, isn't it?" I asked.

"Right again, Jones," he said.

"And the reason you sabotaged those weapons systems," I added.

"Just between you and me, yes," he said. "But you see, after the skipper informed me of the sabotage, I did a little 'investigating' of my own," he added, using air quotes around the word, "investigating."

"So, what do you intend to do now?" I asked. "Do you plan to beat me up or kill me?" He laughed at that as we turned a corner and entered a lift. He pressed the button for Deck Three and waited for the lift doors to close.

"Of course not, Lieutenant," he said. "You think I'd kill a highly-trained officer just for a piece of ass?"

"At this point, yes, I do," I said. The lift doors opened, and he stepped out, motioning for me to follow.

"Well, that's where you're wrong," he said. "You see, according to my investigation, which I'm just wrapping up, you walked in on your wife having sex. Distraught, you proceeded to sabotage the weapons systems, hoping to frame your wife's lover. When she told you that she intends to divorce you for him, you became despondent and took your own life."

He stopped walking and I saw that we were standing in front of the starboard airlock, an airlock that was on the opposite side of the station where we were docked. The inner hatch was open and I could see that all of the spacesuits in the airlock had been removed. I also saw the semiautomatic pistol in his hand, tethered to his right wrist. I wondered when he put that on and realized he must've had it stashed in his flight suit.

"Got it all figured out, don't you?" I asked.

"Yes," he said with a smirk on his face. "Don't worry, Lieutenant. After you're gone, I'll take real good care of her. Now, get in the airlock."

"You'll never get away with this, you know," I said. He laughed at that.

"Yeah? Who do you think Command is going to believe? A pipsqueak who can't even satisfy his own wife or a decorated space veteran of 20 years? Now, get in the airlock," he said. I looked around and took stock of the situation. Looking at the nearest grav control, I saw it was set to .8 G. Not perfect, but I figured it would have to do. It was now or never.

I jumped as high as I could and placed one hand against the bulkhead. I kicked as hard as I could, twice, and caught him unaware, hitting him both times in the face. The force of the kicks propelled him into the airlock, where he landed on the floor. I could see the blood on his face where I had kick him. When I landed, I rushed to the controls and quickly closed and locked the hatch.

He shook his head, surprised at what just happened. He looked at me, furious.

"Open the goddamn door, Lieutenant," he yelled.

"Just one question, Commander," I said.

"What?"

"Did Tabitha know what you planned to do?"

"Of course she did," he said. "It was her idea. Now, open the fucking door. I won't tell you again," he added, bringing up the pistol. He cocked the hammer and aimed it right at me. "NOW, GODDAMNIT!" I looked at the controls before answering.

"Yes, sir," I hissed, pressing a brightly-lit button. His eyes grew wide as he realized what I had done. The outer door hissed open and the air from the room rushed out into open space. Caught off-guard, he tripped over his own feet and was quickly thrust into the harshest environment known to man.

I watched his body tumble in space as it left the ship. I knew he would only last about 15 seconds out there without a suit. There is no pressure in space, and I knew that whatever air that remained in his lungs would quickly expand and painfully tear through the tissue in his lungs. He would either freeze to death or die of asphyxiation. I pressed the button to activate the comm.