Carpathia IV: Episode 30 - Bathroom Scuffle
Space, NCCS Shadowdancer
At barely 30% of its usual maximum speed, the Shadowdancer slowly made its way back to Polaris Deep. Ten days into the journey, and they were still less than halfway there. Neither the Shadowdancer nor anyone else detected any sign of the Vashta ship. Though nerves were understandably frayed and tension still ran high, it was a peaceful journey.
Almost.
Inside the the captain's ready room, it was uncomfortably silent. Aire sat behind the desk, carefully reading the computer monitor. On the other side of the desk sat Amenaru and Kit, both naked save for fluffy towels wrapped around their nethers with Amenaru still dripping wet and holding a washcloth over his bleeding eyebrow. Growing antsy with Aire's continued silence, Amenaru meekly raised his hand.
Amenaru: Um... Commander? This was my fault...
Aire turned his head momentarily and glared at Amenaru, who promptly put his hand down. More time passed in silence before Aire finally spoke, still looking at the screen.
Aire: Normally, I would have all three of you in here for this chat, but I'll have to see Teek later.
Aire turned his monitor to face Amenaru and Kit, pointing at an extensive list of medical jargon.
Aire: Four cracked ribs. A broken spike. Concussion. Deformed snout. Since we don't have any surveillance in the sento, I now have to ask what happened and your story damn well better gel with what I'm hearing from the witnesses.
A long pause lingered thick in the air before Amenaru determined that it was safe to speak again.
Amenaru: It was my fault...
Earlier
Though the officer's quarters on the Shadowdancer had shower stalls, the only place on the ship where one could have a good soak was in one of the ship's sento baths. Amenaru strolled slowly into the steamy sento and breathed deeply, taking in the heavy, humid fragrances wafting through the room. On the left was the soaking tub, much like a massive jacuzzi, made of small, sky-blue ceramic tiles and with jets swishing the steamy water around. Facing the outer hull of the ship, the soaking tub afforded its occupants a spectacular, relaxing view of the stars through the window.
On the right were the wash cubbies, where one must scrub themselves clean before soaking in the tub, because nobody wants to soak in each other's dissolved bodily scum. The wash cubbies were spartan, but functional. In each was a small stool, a mirror, and a sprayer with hot and cold taps. Each was separated by a small divider, just big enough to hide the naughty bits from accidental glances.
Late as it was, the only people around were the ones who had finished their evening shifts or who preferred a quiet, late-night soak. Just a few in the steamy tub and most of the wash cubbies were unoccupied. With nothing but a towel over his shoulder and his locker key tied to his ankle, Amenaru scouted the best place to sit down for his wash, and that's when he spotted a thick, green tail poking out from one of the dividers at the far end of the room. The next cubby over, he decided with a little grin, was where he would wash.
Amenaru plopped himself on the wooden stool and took the sprayer from its cradle and turned the taps. While waiting for the water to heat up, Amenaru stole a few glances at Teek, who was busy polishing his jaw spikes with a wire brush. With the sprayer water a pleasingly hot temperature, Amenaru wet his hair and took a squirt of shampoo from the dispenser.
Amenaru's ears fluttered while he skritched his head, sending little drops of water and shampoo flying in all directions. Teek seemed to take no notice of this as he put down his brush reached for a small, hook-shaped tool. With smooth, fluid scrapes, not unlike a human shaving his beard, Teek dug out the last several days worth of accumulated grime from the crevices where his spikes met his skin and occasionally turning his head to check his mirror for progress.
Turning on his sprayer once again, Amenaru rinsed his hair, sending his ears aflutter even more animatedly than before while Teek moved from a hook to a file to smooth and polish his spike. Amenaru decided now to speak, keeping his voice low in the echoey sento.
Amenaru: Hope you got a good night's sleep. Don't need you getting all weird on the bridge again.
Keeping his eyes straight ahead, Amenaru turned an ear toward Teek to listen for any changes. Momentarily, the sound of the file ceased and then began again.
Teek: I was woken up from hibernation. What's your excuse for being a flouncy idiot all the time?
Amenaru grumbled and took some body wash from the dispenser. While lathering up his body, he worked out a different approach.
Amenaru: Maybe I should write children's books. The Tale of the Insecure Dinosaur.
Amenaru paused, but the filing did not stop.
Amenaru: Or how about The Dinosaur Who Was a Terrible, Horrible, no Good, Very Bad Pilot.
This time, the filing stopped right away and Amenaru received his response.
Teek: I'd rather read The Kitty with the Electric Butt Vibe.
Amenaru's ears popped on his head and he immediately stopped scrubbing himself.
Amenaru: How did you know about that? You weren't even on the ship when that happened!
Teek: Everyone knows about that. Maybe you should pay more attention to your job than your butt when you're on duty.
Amenaru stood and raised his voice, which echoed throughout the sento. The few others inside stopped whatever they were doing and watched the unfolding drama.
Amenaru: Oh, that's right! You telling me to pay attention to my job?
Teek jumped to his feet, kicking away his stool, sending it clattering across the floor.
Teek: Somebody should, just to stop you making googley eyes across the bridge!
Amenaru: What are you blabbering about?
Teek stomped forward, thrusting his arms into Amenaru's chest, sending him staggering back.
Teek: You know what I mean, making lovey eyes at your little bunny friend all the time!
Amenaru flushed and pushed back on Teek.
Amenaru: I am not making "lovey eyes!"
Behind Amenaru, but in full view of Teek, the door to the sento slid open and Kit stepped in with a fluffy little towel tied around his waist and clutching a little wooden bucket containing his favorite washing products. Kit paused, clearly noticing that something strange was going on while Teek leaned to the side to get a better look over Amenaru's shoulder.
Teek: And there's the ship's pet now!
Amenaru only had a brief moment to turn his head and glance before Teek shoved him out of the way, marching toward a very confused Kit.
Teek: What are you even doing on this ship anyway?
Teek thrust out his hands and shoved Kit, sending him staggering backward while his bucket of toiletries tumbled from his arms and skittered across the floor. Kit held his arms close to his chest and looked away.
Teek: Just here to be captain's pet?
Now recovered, Amenaru rushed to Teek and grabbed his shoulder.
Amenaru: Hey! Leave him alone!
Teek took Amenaru's wrist tightly in his hand and pushed him away again. This time, Amenaru slipped and hit his forehead on a divider between the wash cubbies.
Teek: Why don't you let him defend himself for a change?
When Teek turned his attention back to Kit, he only had a split second to register what he saw. Kit's eyes blazed with a brilliant blue fire and visible through his sneer were his clenched teeth. Teek didn't even have time to register his surprise before Kit's fist connected with Teek's snout. Staggering backward, Teek clutched his nose while Kit dropped backward onto his hands and coiled his legs like a spring, the force of which he released into Teek's chest. Teek launched into the air and landed with a thud, sliding clear across the sento before colliding with the back wall. One of his sickle-shaped horns now broken, spun across the floor, sending blood flying all around, mixing with the condensation on the floor. Some flipped into the bath itself, sending its occupants hurtling themselves out of it.
Back in the ready room, Kit was still silent while Amenaru wrapped up the story.
Amenaru: Security showed up right after that. I guess someone called them when we started yelling at each other.
Aire sat in silence, mouth cocked to the side and tapping his fingers on the desk. What was probably seconds seemed like minutes to Kit and Amenaru waiting for Aire to speak.
Aire: Points for honesty, if nothing else. If I have this right, you started it, Teek escalated, and Kit ended it, right?
Amenaru quickly nodded his head.
Amenaru: Yes, Commander. That is the short version.
Aire scooted his chair closer to the desk and leaned in with his elbows on the desk.
Aire: All three of you are barred from all recreational facilities until we return to Polaris Deep. This brings us to the sento. The starboard sento is now contaminated. Instead of a cleanup crew, the three of you are going to drain it, dismantle every single part, and sanitize the entire area, top to bottom. We've got 15 days until we arrive at Polaris Deep. I expect you to be finished by then.
Amenaru: Yes, Commander.
Kit: Yes, Commander.
Aire: Dismissed.
Kit jumped out of his chair immediately and scurried out of the room. Amenaru, by contrast, took his time. He took only a few steps to the door before he paused and addressed Aire with a wavering voice.
Amenaru: Permission to speak, Commander?
Aire looked up, his stern expression which he used during the disciplinary proceedings melting away.
Aire: What's on your mind, Ensign?
Amenaru: When Teek was on the bridge and you were trying to get his helm password from him... when he was acting all silly... I was about to take a video of everything to post on the ship's public network. Kit stopped me and said he doesn't deserve that. Kit is a good person. Better than me, really. I was stupid.
Aire: Thank you for that, Ensign. You are right. You were stupid. As the most senior of the junior officers on the bridge, I expect you to set a better example. This sort of behavior is something you should be long past by now. As for Kit, his actions are almost understandable, but he needs to learn to control himself. A punch in the snout is one thing, but a tokki kick is quite another. Teek could have been hurt much worse than he was.
Amenaru: Yes, Commander.
Aire: Now, you have a lot of work to do. I suggest you visit sick bay and get that cut on your head taken care of before you get started.
Amenaru: Yes, Commander.
Amenaru sulked out of the room, his tail hanging like a limp noodle behind him. After the door slid shut, Aire leaned back in his chair and sighed before tapping at the comm panel.
Aire: Nalma, please report to the ready room.
Seconds later came the response.
Nalma: Right away, Commander.
Aire barely had to wait for Nalma to arrive, as he was on the bridge already. Upon entering, Nalma took two steps in and addressed Aire.
Nalma: What can I do for you, Commander?
Aire gestured at the chair on the other side of the desk.
Aire: Have a seat, Lieutenant. I would like to know more things about Kit that are not in his file. Tell me how you two met.
Commissioned art in this episode from:
Jenova87
Zelbunnii
Less_End
Thatwildmary
Colourbrand
