Free The Full Circle Six by Edward T. Anthony Page A

an ordeal. He had been through a lot with this captain, but had never been in quite a poignant state of affairs as losing the other oldest member of their team to the hands of death. However, Sammy shared a differing opinion on where to place the blame of Croxy’s death than Drake. True, Uciferi was wrong in taking the coffee break at that time, but there was no way that he could have somehow prevented the blood fountain of their beloved friend. No, the M.S.C. was not responsible, but Sammy could not convey this fact to Drake while considering the driver’s current mood in the matter.
    Within the hour, the two companions were hard at work on their tribute to the lost healer of old. Though the launch booster did provide some cover from the planet’s three suns, the heat was still more than stifling.
    The job was not as easy as Sammy had initially anticipated. Not only did they have to contend with the heat, but also it proved near to impossible to fasten this type of wood together by conventional means. Drake became infuriated, which, expectedly, agitated Sammy and caused him to lose concentration and, on one occasion, bash his own hand with one of the tools borrowed from the Armosan craftsmen. They toiled laboriously for two hours before Sammy finally came up with a solution to the connecting problem.
    Carving several notches at conflicting junctures in each slab of wood, he measured using his eyes, with precision at least equal to any measuring device, so that when integrated together, the notches had to be forced into a snug fit.
    When all the hard work of putting the casket together was complete, Drake began inscribing an epitaph on the cover of this personal token of respect. Never before had a captain built with his own hands, the sarcophagus of a dead team member, let alone include an epitaph to be displayed on the outside. What Drake had done was unprecedented in all of racing history. The inscription was a farewell, it read:
HERE LIES OLD CROXY
    BEST MEDICAL OPERATOR I EVER KNEW
    SO IT IS WITH YOUR BODY
    YOUR DREAMS DRIFT FOREVER
    NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN
    Instantaneously after finishing, Drake stood and headed back to the loading zone without one glance back to Sammy or what they had just created. The horrible abomination of reality had settled over Drake and he did not feel he could carry the casket inside. He would send Bruvold out to help with that unthinkable chore of putting the body to rest and preparing it for final remembrance. Sammy broke the moment the hatch closed behind Drake. Uncontrollably, he wept in giant, hoarse, and gasping sobs. No one was around to see or hear him and he had every intention of taking full advantage of the time alone to vent some of his own rage and grief. Barely two minutes had gone by when he began to pull himself out of the blissful remorse process and regain composure.
    Just then, Bruvold emerged from the racecraft and heartily greeted Sammy. “Captain is telling me to go with Sammy. I say is good. Sammy is real man … not for wearing dresses … is good for fighting and is strong, no weak.”
    â€œYeah … look, just take that end, and I’ll lead the way,” Sammy said, dismissing Bruvold’s boldness with a shrug.
    In his personal quarters, Drake Judge prepared the eulogy speech he would give before uttering the dreaded phrase which would trigger the release of one that he loved into outer space to coast along aimlessly. When he vacated the quarters he still had not finished, but planned to speak the rest as it came to him. Old Croxy had always been straight with him.
    Upon his entrance to the navigational command center, Drake ordered everyone to their positions to prepare for launch. He had previously had a gift of thanks made up of spare parts and various different other worldly items for the Armosans and had sent this out. The funeral would have to be quick so as to not lose any time, and this burned Drake even more, but nevertheless,