Mutiny Read Free Page B

policy this dumb has to come from the very top."
    "You were right, Forrice," she said to the Molarian. "He has qualities. Commander Cole—Wilson—I think we're going to become great friends."
    "Good," said Cole. "I can use all the friends I can get."
    "Do you require anything else?"
    "I haven't made my request yet."
    "I thought you wanted to know the crew's racial breakdown," she said.
    "That was preamble. I want to be able to access everything you have on each crew member. I might as well learn what I can about the Men and aliens I'll be dealing with."
    "What's your security clearance?"
    He shrugged. "Probably a level or two below where it used to be," he said.
    "I'll find out, and let you access up to that level," she said.
    "Thanks," said Cole. "I've enjoyed meeting you, but I suppose I should continue with the chef's tour before I go to work."
    "We'll be seeing a lot of each other," said Sharon.
    "If I can ask, what's a competent officer like you doing on a ship like this?"
    "That's such a flattering way of putting it that I won't disappoint you by answering it."
    "What would you like to see next?" asked Forrice. "The bridge?"
    "One bridge looks pretty much like another," replied Cole. "Let's look at something else."
    "But you're going to be spending most of your time there," said the Molarian.
    "The hell I am." Forrice looked at him curiously. "You've got a pilot, you've got a gunnery officer, you've got an Officer On Deck. I can access whatever they're seeing or hearing from anywhere on the ship, and issue orders from anywhere. Why should I waste my time looking at viewscreens or at the backs of their heads for hours on end?"
    "No wonder you can't keep a command," said Sharon. "You make too much sense."
    "All right," said Forrice. "What would you like me to show you next?"
    "What kind of exercise facility has the Teddy R got?"
    "A small one, about half for Men and half for the rest of us."
    "Let's at least pass by it so I'll know where to find it. Then I'll want to see the infirmary."
    "Come along, then," said Forrice.
    He walked out into the corridor, led Cole to a different airlift, and ascended a level. They looked in at the exercise room—it was far too small and cramped to be called a gymnasium—and then went to the infirmary.
    "Nice," said Cole, looking at the small operating theater. "More up-to-date than I'd have expected." He walked through the even smaller recovery room to a room with four beds for humans, a near-invisible partition, and three beds of wildly varying shapes for non-humans. "Optimistic."
    "Optimistic?" repeated Forrice.
    "What if ten crew members get wounded—or if we get a bad batch of food?"
    "The Teddy R hasn't seen enough action for ten crew members to get wounded," replied the Molarian. "And we've never had a good batch of food. I think we're probably immune by now."
    "How many medics?"
    "It's going to sound like a bad joke," said Forrice.
    "Why am I not surprised?" said Cole. "How many?"
    "One—a Bedalian named Tzinto."
    "No human doctor?"
    "There was one."
    "And?" prompted Cole.
    "He had an attack of... of some useless organ only humans have."
    "A burst appendix?"
    "That's it!" said Forrice. "An appendix. He died on the operating table."
    "Thanks. I can't tell you how much confidence that gives me in this Tzinto."
    "It wasn't really his fault. His specialty is nonhuman physiology."
    "Have we requested a replacement for the human doctor?" asked Cole.
    "Yes, but there's a war going on," replied Forrice. "A real war, not a meaningless patrol like we're on out here. And they can't spare any more doctors."
    "Fujiama was wrong," said Cole. "You get decent medical care in a brig."
    "I don't know what you're talking about."
    "Nothing," said Cole. "Okay, I've seen enough. Let's continue the tour."
    "It's a pretty ordinary ship," said Forrice. "All that's left are the weapons sections, a couple of science labs that get almost no use, the crew's quarters, and the bridge."
    "Take me up and down