Starship Armstrong - Season 3

Part 41 - Family Ties (XIX)

Mitzner and McAfree were escorted under heavy guard straight from the water tunnels to the shuttle bay. They loaded up into the shuttle and blasted off into space.

As soon as the shuttle made it a few astronomical units away from the planet they were free of the communications jamming field and could contact the Armstrong for pickup.

"I almost forgot to tell you," said Mitzner, once she had a course laid in, "I said a funny line while you were unconscious back there. I said that at least this time-"

"You bretrayed me," said McAfree. She didn't sound angry she sounded cold. Detached.

"What?" said Mitzner, turning her head.

"You heard me," said McAfree, turning her chair around to face Mitzner. "You talked the people who kidnapped and tortured me out of their due punishment. You betrayed me."

"McAfree..." pleaded Mitzner, "it's not like that. They were set up."

"Nobody held a gun to their head and made them do what they did. They deserved whatever your sister was going to do them."

"I saved you, though, didn't I?"

"You're the reason I was down there in the first place!" snapped McAfree. "You put this entire chain of events into motion. Then, when the people who had hurt me were just about to get their just deserts you decided you were on their side and got them all pardoned."

Mitzner had never seen McAfree angry like this. This wasn't her usual ranting, she seemed so uncharacteristically vulnerable.

"Do you have any idea what they put me through? How helpless they made me feel? And now I get no catharsis. No justice. They get a free pass this time. Everyone will have to wait until they kidnap someone else before they're finally dealt with. I guess what I went through wasn't enough to condemn them."

"McAfree I'm sorry... I didn't know how you felt..." said Mitzner.

"You didn't guess I held a grudge against the people who grabbed me kicking and screaming from a party, beat me up, hog tied me, and then spent all day stunning me over and over?" McAfree was trying very hard not to cry, and the effort was evident. "You don't think I might hold some animosity over that?"

McAfree spun her chair back facing the viewing screen so she didn't have to look at Mitzner.

"Don't ever ask me to go on one of your stupid 'adventures' again. I don't trust you anymore."

Mitzner didn't know what to say. Neither of them did, so they said nothing all the way back to the ship.

End: Family Ties