Article 23 (20 page)

"Right, General."

He looked back and saw her smile and motion for him to get going.

Livollen
, finished with gagging Colson and tying his hands using the collar torn off his uniform, shoved him into the open cell.

"We're not asking you to help," she announced to the three who had backed out, "but at least don't let this scum start screaming for five minutes."

"If we do that, we're part of the mutiny,"
came
the reply.

"I'll cut his throat if you don't," Tanya interjected. "You're protecting him from this terrible band of buccaneers."

Tanya closed the door and slipped the padlock back into place.

Moving quickly down the corridor, Justin stopped at the next bulkhead door leading upstairs and listened,
then
opened it up. No one was there.

He went up the stairs and came out on the small landing that branched off to the flight control center and the corridor that led to the
officers
quarters. Looking up into the flight area, he saw Lewis sitting in the pilot's chair staring straight ahead.

A plan instantly formed. He pointed towards Lewis and whispered into
Madison's ear, the thought of barging into the lounge with a single weapon forgotten. She nodded and slipped up die steps. Justin looked down the corridor and then back up.
Madison had the blade to the side of Lewis' throat and was already sliding into the copilot's chair.

"Tanya," he hissed softly. She poked her head around the side of the landing and he motioned for her to come up. He leaned over and whispered into her ear. Surprised, she nodded and went back down to the waiting group.

Justin then drifted down the corridor, stopping just at the edge of the turnoff to the doorway leading into the lounge. He could sense the guard standing by the door. Taking a deep breath he stepped forward, turned and jammed the barrel of the pistol between her eyes.

"I'm sorry, but move, make a sound, and you're history."

The guard looked at him, her eyes wide with astonishment. It was the same guard he had talked to earlier when he had gone to visit Matt.

"Cadet, are you nuts?" she whispered. "This really is a mutiny."

"You're damn right," Justin replied.

Tanya came up behind Justin. Reaching around, she pulled the guard's gun from her holster.

"Away from the door," Justin announced.

There was a flicker of a smile.

"It's OK, kid, just don't get jumpy."

"I won't if you don't."

"There are five enlisted personnel in there with
MacKenzie
, all of them armed," she continued. "Barge in and you'll get fried."

"Thanks, but that's not the plan."

He motioned her up against the bulkhead away from the door. Looking back down the corridor he saw the others come up and brace themselves against the wall to the lounge.

Taking a deep breath, Justin put his hand on the door and slowly unlatched it. He cracked the door open and looked out into the lounge. All backs were to him, except for
MacKenzie
who was standing by the airlock door. Behind him were the enlisted men, all of them armed with weapons drawn, like
MacKenzie
.
He could see O'Brian, armed as well and standing to one side. He wished he could somehow signal him, but knew he couldn't. Justin knew that just barging in would result in a slaughter. And in that instant, he heard
MacKenzie
speak.

"Open the airlock, and may the Lord have mercy on his soul."

There was a stirring among the cadets lined up to witness punishment. Some were crying, most stood with heads lowered.

Through the airlock window, Justin saw his friend standing with his arms bound behind his back, head held high.

"
Madison, do it now!" Justin screamed and in the same instant he slammed the lounge door shut.

Several long seconds passed and a mad panic seized Justin. Had Lewis overpowered her?
If so, now what?

And then the main engines kicked on with over three million pounds of thrust. Acceleration alarms sounded in the corridors, a massive shudder running through the ship. In an instant zero gravity was gone as Somers leapt forward. Apparent gravity was now directly astern, and the floor of the lounge was a wall.

Justin could hear the screams of fear and confusion in the room as everyone was swept off their feet and dropped down the length of the room to the far wall. He counted to three; the seconds seemed like an eternity, the screams in the lounge echoing.

The engines shut down, and Justin felt a surge in his stomach as zero gravity returned. He tore the door open and stepped into the lounge. Everyone was piled up on the far wall in a confused jumble.

"Everyone freeze!" Justin screamed. "Tanya, guard them!"

Justin bounded for the airlock door. To his horror the outer door was open and he could see the hunched over body of his friend floating in the chamber, drifting towards the opening. He reached the inner door and grabbed the handle, but it wouldn't budge; all the safety locks were on and the internal air pressure was just another safeguard keeping it closed.

Seeing the pressurization button, he slapped it hard. Through the window he saw the outer port closing, Matt still on the inside.

"
Bell!"

Justin turned and saw
MacKenzie
coming to his feet, raising his pistol.

"
Bell, drop that weapon!"

"Sir," Justin cried. "I am relieving you of command of this ship as per Article Twenty-five regarding a Captain who has violated the Articles, sir. Drop your gun or I'll shoot!"

There was a frozen instant. In the background Justin could hear the air rushing into the outer chamber, the alarm ringing. The cries of the cadets piled up against the wall echoed, yet all his attention was now focused on
MacKenzie
. He could see the Captain sighting down the barrel of his pistol, finger curled around the trigger. Justin had his weapon up as well, aimed straight at
MacKenzie's
head. It would only take the slightest amount of pressure and it would be over. Malady had said never draw a weapon unless you fully intend to use it, that bluffing with a gun was the surest way to get yourself killed.

Yet he couldn't do it. Something stopped him in that instant and he wasn't sure what. Even as he saw
MacKenzie's
finger curling backward he held his fire.

MacKenzie's
laser blast struck Justin's helmet just above his brow. The ablative coating of the helmet vaporized, carrying away the intense heat, but the recoil from the exploding vapors jerked Justin's head back.

Justin saw several of the enlisted men bringing their weapons up as well, some pointing at him, others aiming back towards the door while cadets scattered in every direction.

MacKenzie
fired again, and the recoil from the vaporized coating staggered Justin as if a blow had hit him squarely in the chest, the battle armor absorbing the blow.

If I don't drop him, Justin realized, others will die. Justin's finger brushed against the trigger and then he saw
MacKenzie
go down, dropped by a roundhouse punch delivered by O'Brian, who grabbed the gun that fell from
MacKenzie's
hand. Another gun fired and he heard Tanya scream. The enlisted guard who fired started to draw a bead on Justin.

"
Vincennes, I'll kill you where you stand," O'Brian growled. "Now drop it."

O'Brian was already up,
MacKenzie's
pistol and his own both aimed at the guard. The guard released his gun and pushed it away. Justin turned his weapon towards the other guards, several of them still trying to crawl their way out of the pile-up.

"Grab their guns," someone shouted and in an instant half a dozen cadets were on the enlisted personnel, relieving them of their weapons. The only one still armed was
Petronovich
, who stood in the corner with his gun half-raised.

"Come on,
Petronovich
," Justin said. "It's over. Now drop it."

"It's not over,
Bell,"
Petronovich
replied coldly. "It's only just started."

He let go of his gun and
Iivollen
, crossing the room, scooped it from the air.

Justin turned back and saw Tanya curled up in the corner, hands wrapped around her leg. She looked at him and gave a thumbs-up sign.

Grabbing hold of the airlock door, Justin tore it open. Matt was curled up in the corner, and with a cry Justin went to his friend.

There was no movement as he grabbed Matt and pushed him through the airlock door and up against a bulkhead wall. Pulling Matt's head up, Justin clamped his mouth over Mart's and breathed hard into his friends lungs while fumbling to feel his throat for a pulse.

"Get the doc!" Tanya screamed.

Justin started to clamp his mouth on Matt again to give him another breath.

"I don't kiss guys," Matt groaned, "but thanks for the thought."

"Matt! You're alive!" Justin cried, clutching his friend.

"Cold, space is so cold," Matt whispered.

"Move aside,
Bell."

Justin looked up and saw
Zhing
.

"Was this fair?" Justin screamed, reaching over to grab
Zhing
. Suddenly all his frustration and fear were exploding out.

"Let me be the doc right now,"
Zhing
said quietly. "You can shoot me later if you want. God knows I deserve it."

Justin backed away from
Zhing
and Matt and saw all his comrades staring at him. A few were crying, some were standing in
awe,
others were angry, turning towards
MacKenzie
who was firmly held by O'Brian.

"Mutiny!
You're all mutinous scum now, and all of you will be spaced for this,"
MacKenzie
cried.

Justin walked over towards
MacKenzie
, who was still being held by O'Brian.

"Yes, we did take this ship," Justin announced, "but we're not mutineers. This is an action taken under Article Twenty-five to resist any unlawful order given by a superior officer. And you, sir, are hereby relieved of command according to that Article."

"We should space the bastard," someone cried. "Do it right now the way he wanted to do to Matt."

Justin looked at
MacKenzie
and the rage he had felt for
Zhing
redoubled. At that instant he would have gladly pulled the lever to the airlock with
MacKenzie
on the outside for what he had done to Matt.

"Well, Mr. Bell, is that what you want?" O'Brian asked and he made a gesture as if to shove
MacKenzie
forward. Several of the cadets cheered at the suggestion.

MacKenzie
looked at him, and Justin saw a flicker of fear in the man's eyes. There was a strange, intoxicating power to it. With a simple nod of his head
MacKenzie
would be dead in a matter of minutes. No begging, no appeals would stop it. He could see the bloodlust in the eyes of several of his comrades; one of them, a cadet whom everyone knew had an interest in
Livollen
, was moving up as if to help O'Brian.

And he could suddenly understand, as well, what
MacKenzie
was. The power was absolute out here, all contact gone, your voice the one authority that all must answer to. And then he remembered something he had read in the book
MacKenzie
had ordered him to read, "Who is the judge when the judge himself is dragged before the bar?"

Justin turned away and saw
Hemenez
standing in the doorway, silently watching.

Justin slowly went up to her, feeling infinitely tired. Drawing himself up formally,
he
saluted.

"Lieutenant
Hemenez
, sir, I ask that you take command of this vessel as per regulations upon the removal of the Captain and First Officer and that you guide us to the nearest base at which time I will turn myself over to Fleet authorities for judgment. I surrender my weapon to you and place myself under your full authority."

A flicker of a smile crossed
Hemenez's
face and then she grimaced as she took the pistol offered by Justin and without ceremony stuck it into her belt.

"I take command of this ship USMCS Somers, by the authority of the Service as stated in Article Twenty-five, that a member of the Service is honor-bound to resist any unlawful order issued by a superior officer."

She slowly looked around the room.

"Please take Captain
MacKenzie
and Flight Officer Lewis and confine them below with Cadet Colson," and she nodded towards
Livollen
and several of the cadets. "And remember,"
she
snapped, "all three are to be treated with respect."