Dangerous Tension

4 Assault

  A few weeks later the Kalar docked at Capella Space Station for some minor engineering repairs. The crew also took the opportunity to check out the recreational facilities and stock up on whatever luxury items they could afford. They departed again after three days, with an extra officer aboard. The additional officer was another Second Lieutenant, although he had no duties in the actual running of the Kalar. He was officially an Inspector.

  He inspected the space drive, not for its mechanical efficiency but for the procedures involved in operating it; the crew not for their own skills but for their attitudes to the job and to their officers; in short he inspected all the things for which the Captain was responsible. On ships where the Captain was capable these visits were treated almost as insults by the crew but on ships where there were problems, they were a godsend. The men of the Kalar generally treated these inspectors with polite contempt, knowing full well Matthews was one of the best. This particular officer, Second Lieutenant Harper, however, irritated them from the start.

  Usually the inspector was content to observe, asking occasional neutral questions, but Harper pried and insinuated. He lost no opportunity to disparage the Captain, though he was always careful to avoid actual criticism. Sergeant Jonson had slipped in the passage and bitten through his lip, yet Harper as good as told him he thought the Captain had hit him.

  “Likes to deal with problems himself, does he? So that nothing need go on the record. I knew a Captain like that once, used to whip his men in a quiet room or punch them around for minor offences, used to get a kick out of it or something I reckon—”

  “Captain Matthews has never done anything like that, sir!” Jonson interrupted, unable to restrain himself.

  “But I never said that he did, Sergeant! I was talking about the Captain of another ship entirely. I don’t know why that made you think of Captain Matthews!” And so it went on, invitations to tell him what really happened, reassurances that anything said to him was strictly confidential, little irritating, insulting barbs that set the men on edge.

  Lieutenant Kent was free from most of this although he gradually became aware of what was going on. After waiting in vain for the Captain or First Officer to step in, eventually he decided to take the affair in hand himself, as an officer of the same rank. He went along to Harper’s cabin one evening, after the man had retired for the night. He had carefully prepared what he wanted to say and came to the point quickly and quietly.

  “Lieutenant Harper, I’ve come here to give you a piece of advice. Perhaps you are new to the job but in any event it’s obvious that you haven’t correctly understood the crew’s attitude to Captain Matthews. He is held in extremely high respect and regard by everyone on board and several actually owe their lives to him, personally. They have found the tone of your questions very hard to take. I can’t be sure whether you are aware of the sort of things you are saying and of their effect, but as you are so consistent, I find it hard to believe that you’re not. The point of all this, Lieutenant, is that you have so antagonised the men that someone is very likely to lose his temper and hit you, and of course he would be punished for it. As a permanent officer of this ship, I won’t allow that situation to develop. Either you will change your attitude voluntarily or I will have to make you. I’m sorry to sound so aggressive, Lieutenant, but this is my crew and my Captain and I have certain responsibilities toward them. Now which is it going to be?”

  Harper had listened at first in rather startled silence, but soon recovered himself and arranged his features in mock concern.

  “That’s all very well, Lieutenant, but I think I know more about your precious Captain Matthews than you do, what sort of ‘man’ he really is! Actually, I think you and your whole crew have been taken in by a very clever front! What would you say if I told you I know for a fact that Matthews is a homosexual? An om?” He stopped, obviously expecting a huge reaction. He was staggered when all he got was a quiet, “Yes, I already know.”

  Kent continued, “In fact every man on the ship knows! They’ve known for a good two months now, and everything I’ve said still holds. Now, are you going to stop abusing the Captain?”

  Harper pulled himself together visibly. “You mean you don’t mind? No-one minds? What’s the matter with you, are you all queer too?”

  “Don’t be stupid! That’s nothing to do with the matter!”

  “Isn’t it though? Obviously you haven’t really thought about what an om does, you just think in your mind it doesn’t matter, but I bet if you were put to the test, if you actually saw him kissing another man, you’d realise how intolerably unnatural and disgusting it was, that no-one could be a real man if he acted like that!”

  Kent was trembling with too much fury to answer.

  “I can see that shakes you,” Harper observed in a satisfied voice. “Just imagine if it was ever you he fancied, how would you feel then?”

  Kent took a slow breath before he answered.

  “I am about the most intolerant man toward homosexuality on this ship and if the Captain ever w-wanted me, I...,” he squared his shoulders, “I would be honoured, Lieutenant, proud and honoured and if you ever say another word on this subject to anyone on board, I’ll beat the hell out of you!” He turned sharply on his heel and strode toward the door.

  “You’re sick, Kent, sick like your Captain. You’re—” Kent silenced him with a furious uppercut to the jaw and the smack echoed round the room. Harper slumped to the floor, unconscious. The lieutenant kicked him once in the stomach before he could control himself, then slammed the door behind him. He went straight to the gym to work off his fury.