Silence fell on the large room. 

    "Well?" The captain asked.

    "Sampson, tried to rape the new guy, who shot him," someone said.

    The captain's hard soles on the metal floor were loud and approached Alex. The captain crouched before him, picking up the gun.

    "Where did you get that?"

    "On- on the floor." He indicated a spot with his good hand, then cradled his other one.

    The captain sighed. He eyed Alex again then stood. "Okay, looks like the sorry lot of you are getting a promotion."

    Cheers ran and Alex looked around, confused. Someone grabbed his arm and helped him up. It was Will.

    "Sorry I didn't help. Couldn't get through so I got the captain."

    "Will, you get the doc to look at his hand. When it's healed I want you to teach him how to defend himself, can't have him die before I drop him off."

    "Yes captain."

    "Also, I want you to keep scrubbing the decks and wall. I like the job you've been doing on that."

    "I'll be happy to keep at it, captain."

    Will pulled Alex along, and he was too stunned to resist, or pay attention to where they were going. the events replayed themselves against his will. The man, Sampson, someone called him, them fighting, the gun.

    They entered a bright room.

    "What happened to him?" A woman asked.

    "He killed Sampson," Will said. "And he hurt his hand."

    Hearing it out loud made his stomach turn. Alex lounged for the sink and threw up in it.

    "His first kill I take it? He doesn't look like the Captain's usual recruits."

    "He's a passenger."

    "And he killed the lug? why?"

    "It's Sampson. He ain't gonna take no for an answer." Alex felt a hand on his shoulder. "Are you done?"

    He waited a moment, then nodded. She handed him a cloth and he wiped his mouth.

    "I'm Doc. what's your name?" She patted the examination chair.

    "Alex, Alexander Crimson." He sat and looked at her. She was tall, a couple of inches taller than he was, dark skin, close cropped hair, and muscles. He'd never seen a woman with so much muscles on her. Instead of the smock he was used to seeing on doctor she wore a tight sleeveless shirt that hugged her breast. It took him a moment to pull his gaze away from them, her, and he noticed Will was eying them, her, too.

    "What happened?" She indicated his hand.

    "I sprained my wrist."

    "Sampson did that to you?" She took a hand scanner from the counter, then gently took his hand in hers.

    He closed his eyes as the image of the large man resurfaced, with his burned chest. "No," he whispered. "My hand fell on the gun and twisted." The flash of light from the gun has he startled.

    "A gun?"

    "Was lying around," Will offered.

    Alex's wrist warmed up and he looked. She was waving a device over it, and the pain receded. "What's that?"

    "General purpose mender. It'll stop the pain and help your writs heal." She continued a minute after the pain was gone.

    Then she wrapped his wrist in tension bands. "I want you to keep this on for two days. You should be fine by then. You should consider yourself lucky. the last time that lug hurt someone, it took a couple of weeks to get all the bones healed."

    "I killed him." He whispered it more for himself. His stomach twisted.

    She shrugged. "It was Sampson, it isn't like anyone's going to miss him."

    Alex looked at her in dismay. "I killed him. You can't just wave that aside."

    "Sure I can. He was a bully and an asshole. It was just a question of time until someone cut his air. I'm just surprised it was you."

    Will grabbed Alex's arm. "Come on. Gotta let Doc do her thing."

    "Remember," she said. "Keep the band on for two days, then come see me."

    As soon as the door closed Alex froze. "You have to take me to the prison."

    "The brig? why'd wanna go there?"

    "I'm a killer. I'm a criminal, I belong in prison." 

    The younger man sighed. "Come on."

    Alex followed him to a section of clean corridors, and then in a room. their room. Will closed the door behind him.

    "This is our room." 

    "I know."

    "It isn't the prison." 

    "Sit down."

    Not knowing what else to do, Alex did as instructed. Will sat opposite him. "You ain't going to the brig." 

    "I have to. I have to be punished for what I did."

    Will looked at him for a long moment. "What'd you think we do?"

    "What?"

    "What is it you think the captain does? The ship does? you think we go and buy stuff to sell?"

    Alex looked away. "I know what you do."

    "Good, then you know laws don't matter much to us." 

    "But-"

    Will raised a hand to silence him. "No one cares. No one liked Sampson. Like Doc said, he's a bully. Only reason no one did anything to me first was because he was one of the captain's favorite."

    Alex put his head in his hands. "Oh my god, He's going to space me."

    "Why?"

    "You said he was his favorite, I killed him. he's going to space me for that."

    Understanding lit Will's face. "He ain't gonna do that. The Captain didn't like Sampson anymore than anyone else. His favorite's only those who've been here long enough they don't have to do any of the work. Doesn't mean he likes them."

    "What are the others going to do to me then?"

    "Nothing." 

    Alex stared at the younger man, who sighed. 

    "You stood up for yourself. they're gonna respect that. he wanted to force himself on you, you killed him."

    "I didn't mean to do that."

    "Don't tell them that," Will stated. "They won't care it was an accident you got the gun. All they care is that you got the balls to use it. You say you didn't mean to, they ain't gonna respect you anymore."

    "Shit. I didn't want this. I just wanted to get to Samalia, save Jack."

    "Universe don't care what you want. You let it, and it's gonna stump down on you. Now, you better sleep. Like the captain said. when you're feeling better, I got to train you." 

    * * * * *

    Three days later Alex was in a room twice the size of his and Will's, and the younger man was showing him how to block blows. Alex had protested, but Will hadn't cared.

    "You think he's going to learn anything that way?" Anders said, leaning against the doorway.

    "Fuck off Anders. Stop bothering Crimson." Will jabbed lightly at Alex, who kept his arms up, looking over them for how the blows came at him.

    "He helped fix my problem, so I thought I'd pay him back and show him hot to really fight." Anders was behind Will and shoved him aside.

    Alex didn't have the time to protest. Anders struck him.

    Alex barely raised his arms in time to take the blow and he staggered to the side. A jab and another, forced him back.

    "Stop backing up, fatso." A jab, another step back. "You're suppose to learn how to fight, so hit me."

    Alex hit the wall and Anders continued to strike at him. The other man wasn't trying very hard, Alex thought. From what Will had said Anders knew how to fight. That didn't prevent his arms from hurting.

    "Leave him the fuck along, Anders." Will said, standing, but keeping his distance.

    "Come on, I'm not hurting him, I'm just helping him learn something."

    Alex could see the vicious grin on the man's face. he had no doubt that if he dropped his arms, the blows wouldn't stop. It didn't look like Will was willing to do anything. Possibly out of fear of Anders.

    Alex knew he'd have to get himself out of this, and he thought he knew how, if only he could convince himself to do it. He was amazed at how difficult it was to get himself to strike another person, even if they were hitting you.

    He looked at his target between his arms. he'd have to move fast and hard. If he hesitated, Anders was sure to see it coming and stop it. Then, he'd pound Alex into pulp.

    Alex wished he could close his eyes, but he needed to look, to adjust his arms. he calmed his breathing as best as he could. he saw the movement in his mind, precise and decisive. He told himself to strike, but nothing happened.

    "What's the matter fatso, you killed Sampson and you can't even defend yourself against me? You think you're going to survive on this ship just taking hits?"

    having Sampson's death shoved in his face made his stomach twist, but in anger, instead of revulsion. He hadn't meant to do that. He wasn't that kind of person. Anders' grin was wider.

    Fuck him. He's just another bully. Alex kicked out and his foot impacted right between Anders' legs.

    The man crumpled to the floor, holding his crotch and gasping. Alex slowly lowered his arms. Will was looking at him, eyes wide in surprise.

    "You fucker," Anders wheezed. "You told him to do that." 

    "You bet. First day he got here. Good thing he remembered too." Will crouched next to Anders. "You know. I'm thinking you set Sampson up."

    "Course I did." Anders' voice was steadier. "He was starting to think he could order me around."

    It took a moment for the words to sink in. "He was going to rape me."

    "And that would have pissed the boss off big time. If he didn't space him, he would have knocked him down a couple of pegs. But hey, you killed him, so that worked out for me."

    "I should kick you in the ball for that," Will said. "Crimson's a passenger. You got no business mixing him in."

    "That's bullshit and you know it. If he's a passenger how come the boss' having you teach him how to fight?"

    "Cause he's smarter than me, and he knows you're going to do something stupid like that again."

    Anders laughed. "Keep fatso in his place and I won't have to do anything." He stood and left them, walking funny.

    "I don't like him," Alex said, and somewhere deep inside him he found that he wanted to hurt that man, a lot.