Young Writers Society

Janny hung up as he brought the tiny little craft to a stop, promising to explain later. He had important business to attend to - namely, getting to stand up straight.

"Interface: please open the door for the love of all Daer-Ta's gods," Janny said.

"Opening door," the interface said, "Going into sleep mode."

"Oh," Janny said, as the door popped open, "Goodbye then, I suppose."

He allowed himself a sharp breath in and out, then twisted around. He stuck one leg out, then the other, then dragged himself out carefully, horizontally, so he wouldn't hit his head ont he door frame. His legs folded beneath him as the rest of his body surged forward and he found himself crouching. He stood up, taking in the windowless box room around him full of parked crafts, then crossed the room to the heavy metal door that led onto one of the main corridors of the ship.

He was fairly certain he'd approached the ship from behind, so was on the port side, but the curve was so gradual that it was difficult to judge how far along he'd gone in that entry corridor. Luckily, not too far away, he saw some approaching Endoleons.

"Hey, a little help?" he called. They were within a few metres of him, but still jerked their heads around with wide eyes.

"Oh, hi there," one said, stopping in front of Janny. He looked at the other, who shrugged but also stopped.

"Was just wondering if you could tell me whereabouts I am? I've just come aboard and was hoping you could point me to the maintenance break room," Janny said, smiling as pleasantly as he could despite his quickly increasing desire to collapse into bed.

"Um... yeah, just go through that cross channel behind us, along the inner corridor to your left, then it's the second door on your right," the second Endoleon said, glancing again at her companion.

"Thank you..." Janny said, watching them carefully. "Sorry, is something the matter?"

The first Endoleon pursed his lips. "Honestly, mate, had no idea until how that you spoke Endoleon."

"Oh," Janny said. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I, er, like to think my Endoleon's rather decent."

The second Endoleon raised both hands. "No, no. It is. It's just that you spent an entire day fixing one of my computer's inputs once and you didn't say a word in Endoleon."

Janny frowned. "I'm always talking to myself."

"Yeah, I thought I heard you mumbling something every so often, when you were getting really confused," she said. "But in Fladian."

"Hmm..." Janny stopped rubbing his neck and put his hands in his pockets. "Interesting. Well, thank you for your time. I better be getting back to my team."

"Sure, of course," the second Endoleon said. Both Endoleons parted to let him through to the door behind them.

It led into one of those tunnels that connected the inner and outer corridors of the ship. Janny had always thought that was like stepping out into space itself, and was usually nervous about taking the cart down that way. Now he couldn't help but wish there were windows.

Stepping out into the inner corridor, Janny's brain clicked easily into a memory of doing so before and he found his way easily to the maintenance break room. Hopefully at least one of his team would be there rather than out on a job somewhere around the ship. If they weren't, that probably meant he had to go see Captain Corli immediately. He took a deep breath, knocked twice on the door, then pushed the handle down and let himself in.

The sight he was greeted with when he entered was intense glumness. Cri was sat at the lunch table with her head on one hand. There was a huge dent in her palm where her chin had dug in, and she was staring down at the table. There were papers scattered all over the table, and big printouts of some of Janny's schedules pinned up on the whiteboard with magnets. But Cri didn't seem to be reading any of them, just staring.

"Just go away," she muttered, not looking up, "I don't want to talk to Upumsel either. You're as bad as each other!"

Janny took a few steps forward and leaned over, curling his neck downwards to try and get on eye level with her. "Er, it's me... Janny."

Cri frowned, then slowly looked up. Her eyes widened and a grin split her face. Springing to her feet - and knocking her chair down behind her - she leaned across the table and wrapped her arms around him. The table was a bit long for her to do much more than place her hands on the back of his neck, but it was warm, so warm, so relaxing to not be worried about trying to get home.

"Hiya," he said as Cri leaned back, wiping her eyes. He dragged a nearby chair over to the table as she picked up her own from the ground.

"Oh, Janny! We - well, I - was worried you were never coming back," Cri said, slightly purplish hands gripping the edge of the table. "Upumsel said nobody would keep you from your mop for that long... then he started bossing us about. That's when the fighting started."

Janny tilted his head to the side and tried to keep his voice soft. "What fighting?"

"Upumself and Fri! They're constantly at each other's throats trying to decide who's in charge. Then they tried to involve me. Then I went to the captain and told on them. Then the captain waved his hand and said they had to share duties. But then they just started fighting again." Cri's shoulders slumped and she started tracing circles on the smooth laminate tabletop.

"I've been gone one cycle," Janny said. "How has a war broken out in the maintenance team?"

"I dunno," Cri mumbled, putting her chin back on her hand. Janny was about to offer her another hug, but a moment later a smile started to creep across her face again.

"What?" Janny said, peering at her face as she looked up.

"Tell me where you've been," Cri said. She bobbed up and down in her chair, the legs screeching against the floor. "Oh, please. Tell me everything. Then I promise I'll go unclog Captain Corli’s toilet.”

Janny had already opened his mouth to begin the tale of his adventure, but instead he said, “Okay, first of all, Upumsel can clean up his own mess. Secondly, have you ever heard of the SRA?”

He had only got as far as Ennet and Grescin feeding him baked beans because their purchase of high-security technology had bankrupted the rest of their budget, when the door flew open behind him, crashing into the wall.

Janny glanced around and raised his eyebrow ridges. Upumsel was standing in the hallway, with his hands on his hips.

"Cri! Why aren't you on your way to the captain's bathroom?" Upumsel shouted. His eyes were trained on her, but when she didn't answer they started to drift. They landed on Janny. "Uh - hi, sir. Janny, sir. You're back."

"I am," Janny said. He nodded and pursed his lips. "I'll tell you all about the cycle I've had once you get back from cleaning Captain Corli's toilet."

Upumsel glared at him, then seemed to remember himself. He flattened down his jumpsuit and cleared his throat. "Right. Yes. Of course. Right away."

His jumpsuit adjustment reminded Janny that he was still wearing a hat that didn't suit his colouring very well, and some trousers that were much too baggy for cleaning work. Not to mention this nice shirt, which was far too expensive-looking to get dirty. He wondered briefly where his own jumpsuit was, then remembered it was in the hotel, on the Hub, where they would soon be landing. Then he wondered how hungover Birt was.

As Upumsel disappeared out the door, Janny shook himself out of his wonderings to shout, "And tell Fri to give you a hand!"

"Will do!" Upumsel called back, already sounding like he was fairly far away.

Suddenly the whole ship juddered, and the low level of movement that you could always sense on board the ship ceased. They had landed on the Hub.

The loudspeaker beeped. A moment later the captain’s voice blared out. “Hello! This is your captain speaking. We will be moored on Hub Six for three cycles while we transfer trade supplies, then, as always, making the return trip to Daer-Ta. Please report to me within that window for a trading pass for Hub security measures.”

“You, um, were talking to yourself, just so you know,” Cri said, smiling up at Janny. “Before you took down Upumsel.”

“Oh. Yes. I would have been talking about…” Janny frowned. He’d got distracted by hearing the captain’s voice and wondered when he’d be asked to report in. The captain must have been busy with landing when Janny arrived, so it’d perhaps be soon now.

“The Hub. You were wondering how someone called Birt would be,” Cri said. She started bouncing again. “How far away are we from that part of the story?”

Janny grinned. “Well, first you have to hear about me running away from the Scentians and being saved by a very cross admin assistant.”

“Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!” Cri clapped her hands together in a blur.

Janny glanced up to the corner of the room, at the speaker that had just relayed the captain’s voice. “Okay, I’ll get as far as I can now. We’ll see when Captain Corli calls on me.”