Mary McPrince was administering throat soothers to those who claimed they had nearly suffocated. Automatically, without bothering to enquire, she handed Miriam several lozenges.
“Mother, I nearly died,” wept Miriam, freed herself of Laura’s supporting arm, and collapsed over McPrince,
“I am not your mother,” said McPrince pushing her off, “Take your medicine. I’m very busy,”
“She fall. Hit ear,” explained Laura. “Sleep.”
McPrince surveyed the drooping Miriam.
“Oh? Let me look.” She turned Miriam’s head a trifle sharply and tears started from Miriam’s eyes. Without a word McPrince got a prophylactic gun and sprayed the bump. “Get some sleep. Let me know if any sickness develops. Off you go.”
Feeling as if the whole universe had forsaken her Miriam returned to her cabin with Laura and cried herself to sleep.
The following day Miriam tried to approach McPrince in the surgery on a non-medical matter and was severely repelled. The next day, almost desperate for lack of motherly solace, she went to McPrince’s private cabin and without knocking opened the door and stared within.
She was horrified and terrified to discover a scene between her new mother and Captain Ronald Able the like of which she had never seen before and which she would not have imagined the human body capable of performing. Both were unaware of her and she was able to close the door and totter back to her own bed before she collapsed amongst the wreckage of a world, Her new mother was depraved, cared nothing for her, loved another, was incapable of understanding pure love. There was no reason to go on living.
When the alarm bells began ringing on the third day she welcomed them as if they heralded angels of vengeance. Laura was out of the cabin playing chess in the common room. Miriam threw open the cabin door then reeled back as a three-foot high wall of cold water collapsed inward upon her. Overhead in the corridor water cascaded from the fire dampers like escaping monsoons. Shrieks could be heard dimly above the roar of moving water.
Miriam tripped over something in the water swirling round the room and fell loudly into the whirlpool. Like flotsam she circled the room and then out into the river coursing down the corridor. She had no spirit to fight, nor strength to stand upright in the rush of water that was traveling round the vessel in reverse direction to the permanent centrifugal motion giving gravity to the ship.
She went under, hit her head on a corner, and breathed in. It was nasty at first; it hurt, and enormous booming noises sounded in her ears. Then suddenly two claws gripped her hard and tore her loose from the comfortable womb. The hands threw her painfully on to a hard, flat surface and then began crushing her in and out so that water spurted from her and air that burned like acid rushed into her lungs.
“Oh. Oh,” she moaned, and the claws allowed her to turn over and look upwards into the face of her tormentor.
It was a beautiful face, young, sun burned, sensuously intense, set now in lines of concern for her. Bending close to her to hear her words, full lips not more than three inches from hers. Quite unable to resist the vision she raised herself three inches and pressed her wet lips to his. His hands so recently manipulating her back made convulsive clutches at her front, the shock of which forced air from her and broke the kiss.
“Oh, Oh,” breathed steward Tony Bellini, and remained transfixed six inches above her. Gently she removed his hands and swiveled herself so that she could sit up on the tabletop on which he had deposited her for his ministrations. He straightened and put a warm arm around her shoulders.
“You saved my life,” she whispered. “How can I thank you enough!”
“You already have,” he said hoarsely.
“Silly. I can never repay you.” She lowered her eyes and looked around. “Where has all the water gone?”
The flood was at this moment roaring down corridors on the other side of the ship like a freak tidal bore on the rubber flooring. Bellini seemed to awake.
“Quick,” he commanded. “Into my cabin. The wave will be back any second now.” His strong arm swept her from the table and together they ran across the dining hall to a door in one wall. Already the hollow roar of water pounding down the restricting tunnels of the corridors came to their ears. Even as they fell into the little cabin and slammed shut the airtight door the roar swept into the dining room and pummeled on their door. Miriam clung to Bellini. He gently bent her to the neat bunk and comforted her. The frenzy without (and within) rose to a climax and passed.
“Oh, my love!” he sighed. She stroked his damp hair and let her thoughts wander into more mundane channels. His body kept her warm: she was very comfortable. “Tony,” she said, “Where did all the water come from?”
His one free hand wandered over her like a sleepy puppy over its mother, “Eh?” he muttered into her ear.
She smiled to herself and repeated the question.
“The water tanks.”
She thought this over. “How do you know?”
“Captain’s orders. Always happens.” He was almost asleep,
“Silly. How can it always happen? Such a waste of water…and dangerous, too!”
“All goes back. Nothing to it. And I was there to save you, wasn’t I?” He roused. “You wont tell anyone, will you?” His face paled.
“Tell them?”
“About it being a put-up job.” He got up on one elbow and looked down directly into her eyes. “I’d be fed to the reactor if the Captain heard.”
Miriam studied him in disbelief. “You mean it? It was done deliberately?”
He nodded and twisted away to sit on the bunk edge. “You’ll be on restricted water from now on. There’ll be other things, too. It’s supposed to make you girls ready for Mars: you know, used to less water, cope with danger and to stop you moping on the journey.”
“Other things?” Miriam stared at his back with her brow frowning but her lips twitching in a half smile. “What sort of things, Tony?”
He jerked his shoulders, “There’ll be a three day power failure next week. For God’s sake don’t say anything to anyone You’re not supposed to know.” He began straightening his clothes and then the few items of furniture in the little room,
“I don’t believe you,” laughed Miriam. “You’re having a joke with me. Naughty boy!” She leapt from the bunk and planted a. vicious kiss on his flinching lips.
“Ha ha,” he agreed. “Yes, a joke.” He held her off. “Better get going. Never do to be found here together. The water will be gone now.”
He opened the door, and it was true, the rubber floor of the dining area was already clear and nearly dry. Hot air poured through the ship. A calm voice came over the public address:
The Captain’s apologies to passengers for any damage done to personal belongings by the accidental release of the water tanks. Please bring any articles requiring drying out to the main common room where third officer Bancroft will arrange for this to be done. The situation is now in hand. There must, however, be a strictly rationed use of water from now on and an announcement regarding this will be made as soon as we have been able to measure the amount saved.’
“There,” said Miriam at the open door. “An accident,”
“Yes,” agreed Bellini. “Yes, an accident. I was joking.”
She gave him another kiss then ran off to see if any of her personal things had got wet. Bellini ran off in the other direction to establish an alibi to cover his dereliction of duty.