A Spaceman

Chapter 24--A Card Game

TRIGGER WARNING: A CHARACTER IS ENCOURAGED TO COMMIT SUICIDE 

"They're going to catch us you know," I say, walking slowly around the table in our commons room of the barracks. Tyrell is at the water fountain, innocently refilling his hydration system. I take off my oxygen mask and tank, won't need that for a while. I have no intention of spending the night outside. I was made for finer things. I may not have experienced them yet, but I know I was.

"What?" he asks, backing away.

"Tsegi, Tim, Peter, all of them," I say, leaning against a sofa. He's going nowhere.

"I didn't have anything to do with Peter," he says, defensively.

"You were there," I say, "You saw him with the body, next day he's setting himself on fire. Wonder why that was? Couldn't have had anything to do with anything you did?"

"No, I didn't say two words to him. I don't know what you're talking about," he says.

"What're you doing in here?" I ask.

"I have late duties," he says bluffs. Baldy.

"You don't. who was next, Leavitt? A tempting choice I must admit, in fact, the only likely one, considering he's got to come back here for his kit," I say, nodding at the barracks, "He'd be a trick to garret, wouldn't he?"

"You're mental."

"So're you. I would have thought we established that when we skinned Tim."

"Yes," he says, leaning against a sofa.

"Why Tsegi?" I ask.

"No reason, just wanted to get away with it," he says.

"You fancied her and she kissed that leviathan Leavitt," I say since he's apparently not going to.

"How did you know?" he asks.

"I saw you in the woods, I see everything," I guessed really well, I guess well all the time.

"So I just did it. they don't know it was me," he says.

"They found DNA on her—"

"That's impossible---"

"I was up there with Kip, it's what they were saying. They were going to get you from late duties," I explain. I was supposed to be up there with Kip. I've no idea if he left DNA he probably did the stupid bugger.

"I can't have---I used gloves she never----no, I can't have," he says, shaking his head, "You're lying."

"I'm not but, you don't have to believe me," I say, "Because, they do."

"What?" he asks, his voice shaking, "What do you mean they do? You told them---you can't have. they'd get you for Tim."

"They won't ever catch me," that's true.

"Did you tell them?" he asks.

"I told them everything, I told them about Tim, I told them about what we did to Peter, I told them about Tsegi, hell,I told them I was involved, might as well, they'll never get me," I say.

"No---we didn't do anything to Peter you did-----I didn't I swear I didn't---"

"Yes since that redeems you so much considering you already chopped somebody up---"

"It still---it's different it's different it's---oh god---wait, you're lying, if you'd told them, then you wouldn't be here they'd've locked you up by now, and they'd be coming to get me," he blusters, finally dropping his hydration system and coming to circle me, "You're lying. You never told them."