Free Running With Argentine by William Lee Gordon

provision possible. He had
no idea what the future held but the only thing in life that really terrified
Argentine anymore was the thought of not eating.
     
    The Pelican wasn't really designed to store that much food,
so the floor of the passageways were now stacked three deep in cans with a
bunch of hard ceramic hull patches laid on top of them. The floor was still
smooth but it bugged Argentine to have to duck in the corridor. He actually
laughed to himself when he realized that Gossip was a full head taller than he
was.
     
    He’d known Sami long enough to know what was coming next. So
he was prepared for it.
     
    “First? Can I talk to you?”
     
    “Sure,” he said while gesturing her to come into his cabin.
     
    “It’s about that ship. He hasn’t started up his engines and
I don’t think he can. He gave it a helluva try but I don’t think he’s going to
make it.”
     
    “Are you suggesting that we should try and rescue him?”
     
    “Yes!” she said excitedly. “Thank you! I know it’s what
we’re supposed to do!”
     
    “Wait a minute; I haven’t said we’re going to do anything…
And what do you mean it’s what we’re supposed to do?”
     
    “It is… I mean, I just think it’s the right thing to do.
Don’t you?”
     
    “Sami, I have no idea. We’re kind of making up the rules as
we go here. How do we know what we might be sticking our nose into?”
     
    “We don’t! We just know it’s the right thing to do!”
     
    “No Sami, you know it’s the right thing to do. I don’t have
your confidence in that.”
     
    “But you’re the Captain! You have to know the right thing to
do!”
     
    “I’m not the Captain! I’m just a guy running for his life
along with a few friends,” he exclaimed. “And even if I was, being a captain
doesn’t mean I always know what’s right!”
     
    Sami got a confused look on her face and then shook her head
sharply. “You won’t know the right thing to do because you’re the captain;
you’re our Captain because you always know the right thing to do! Don’t you get
it? We believe in you.”
     
    She abruptly stood up and for a moment Argentine thought she
was going to cry.
     
    “So do the right thing!” she said as she walked out of his
cabin.
     
     
    ΔΔΔ
     
     
    It took them
four days to rendezvous with the unknown ship.
     
    It was the strangest looking thing that Argentine had ever
seen. Or maybe it was just because of all the damage, but its designers had
certainly taken a different engineering approach.
     
    Sensors showed that it had stopped venting much atmosphere
and that its engines were indeed cold, and probably dead. Besides a minute
battery trace there were no energy readings detectable.
     
    Lieutenant Stark and Chief West recovered the lone body from
the ship.
     
    The former pilot was in a funny looking spacesuit. Everyone
was gathered just inside the airlock when they brought the lifeless figure
inside.
     
    While the lieutenant and the chief removed their suits Argentine
bent down to get a look, but the pilot’s faceplate was opaque. It only took a
few moments to figure out the latches and he removed the helmet.
     
    Sami had been right; the pilot was male. With pasty skin,
sweat matted hair and that ugly smell that only spacesuits can give you…
Argentine contemplated throwing him right back out the hatch.
     
    As he started to stand up, however, the body gave a huge
gasping inhale of breath.
     
    Argentine was so surprised he almost stumbled. And he wasn’t
the only one; everyone took a step back.
     
    The man blinked his eyes open and in a croaky voice said,
“It took you long enough.”
     
    And after a moment he focused on Argentine and added, “Oh,
and thank you mate…”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
     

I’m In It For
The Prophet
     
     
    Adrift
in the Praxis System
     
    To say that the
Pelican had a sick bay was a misnomer. Instead there was a medical alcove just
off of the main passage with an office attached to