Redshirts

said to Q’eeng. “You have some familiarity with the Forshan language, after all.”
    “I know what this is about,” Abernathy said.
    Dahl blinked. “Sir?” he said.
    “I know what this is about,” Abernathy repeated. “You were with me on the Nantes, Dill.”
    “Dahl,” said Dahl.
    “Dahl,” Abernathy said. “You were there when your friend was killed when that madman tried to assassinate me. You saw firsthand the risks of an away team. Now you’re being asked to lead an away team and you’re worried about the responsibility, you’re worried about someone dying on your watch.”
    “I’m pretty sure it’s not that,” Dahl said.
    “I’m telling you not to worry about that,” Abernathy said, not hearing Dahl. “You’re an officer, Dill. Dahl. Sorry. You’re an officer and you’ve been trained to lead. You don’t need me or Q’eeng or Kerensky to tell you what you already know. Just do it. I believe in you, damn it.”
    “You’re very inspiring, sir,” Dahl said, after a moment.
    “I see good things for you, Ensign,” Abernathy said. “It wouldn’t surprise me one day to have you as one of my senior staff.”
    “I should live so long,” Dahl said.
    “So,” Abernathy said. “Assemble your team, brief them and have them ready to go in four hours. Think you can handle that?”
    “I do, sir,” Dahl said. “Thank you, sir.” He stood and saluted. Abernathy returned the salute. Dahl nodded to Q’eeng and then left as quickly as he could, and then called Hester as soon as he was ten steps away from the briefing room.
    “So what happened?” Hester asked.
    “Our schedule just got drastically tightened,” Dahl said. “Listen, do you still have Finn’s effects?”
    “Are you talking about the same effects I think you’re talking about?” Hester asked, carefully.
    “Yeah,” Dahl said.
    “Then yes,” Hester said. “It would have been awkward to hand them over.”
    “Find a small blue oblong effect,” Dahl said. “And then meet me at Maia’s barracks. As quickly as you can.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
    Three hours and thirty minutes later, Dahl knocked on the door of Lieutenant Kerensky’s private berth. Hester and Hanson were behind him, storage crate and cargo cart in tow.
    The berth door slid open and Duvall was inside. “For God’s sake, get in here,” she said.
    Dahl looked into the berth. “We’re not all going to fit in there,” he said.
    “Then you get in here,” she said. “And bring the crate.” She looked at Hester and Hanson. “You two try to look like you’re not doing something that will get us shot.”
    “Swell,” Hester said. Dahl pushed the storage crate into the berth, followed it and then closed the door behind him.
    Inside was Lieutenant Kerensky, pantless and passed out.
    “You couldn’t put his pants back on him?” Dahl asked.
    “Andy, the next time you want to drug into unconsciousness the person you’re screwing, you can do it the way you want to,” Duvall said. “Which reminds me to reiterate that this is definitely a ‘you owe me a fuck’ level of favor.”
    “That’s ironic, considering,” Dahl said, nodding in the direction of Kerensky.
    “Very funny,” Duvall said.
    “How long has he been out?” Dahl asked.
    “Not even five minutes,” Duvall said. “It was completely unbelievable. I tried to get him to have a drink with me first—I put that little pill in his tumbler—but he just wanted to get at it. I could tell you what I had to do to get him to take a drink, but that’s more about me than I think you want to know.”
    “I’m trying to imagine what that could even mean and I have to tell you I’m drawing a blank,” Dahl said.
    “It’s better that way,” Duvall said. “Anyway. He’s out now and if I’m any indication of how effective these little pills are, he’ll be down for several hours at least.”
    “Good,” Dahl said. “Let’s get to work.” Duvall nodded and stripped Kerensky’s bunk, lining the bottom of the crate with the sheets and blanket.
    “Will he have enough air?” she asked.
    “It’s not airtight,” Dahl said. “But maybe you should put his pants back on him now.”
    “Not yet,” Duvall said.
    “I’m not sure where this is leading,” Dahl said.
    “Shut up and let’s get him into this thing,” Duvall said.
    Five minutes later, Dahl and Duvall had contorted Kerensky into the storage crate. Duvall took Kerensky’s pants and jacket and stuffed them into a duffel