Page 22 of Savage Union

“So those are the showers?” I tried to keep my voice level but the tiled room looked like a nightmare waiting to happen.

“So they are, so they are!” Snuffy said, nodding. “Every night an hour before lights out we’re all down here getting nice and clean.” He shot a glance at Gurflug as he spoke. “Captain’s orders, don’t you know,” he added. “Nobody’s allowed to be smelly when we all live together so close-like. No they aren’t.No, they are not.”

“And…nobody’s ever excused?” I asked, feeling faint.

“Nobody.No-bo-dy,”Snuffy emphasized, still looking at Gurflug. “The Captain showers his own self too, you know—just in his own private shower, is all,” he added. “The Illyrian is fitted with the finest water recyclers so we never have to worry about running out of water—even in deep space, don’t you know.”

“Uh, that’s nice,” I said weakly. Somehow I was just going to have to endure this. I would have to get in and get out as fast asI could and hope that nobody messed with me. But the idea of being naked and wet in a roomful of strange males was enough to make my skin crawl, even with the Synth in my arm providing cover. All it would take for me to be exposed was to brush against someone the wrong way. If they felt my breasts…

“Come now, lad—we’re running behind. So we are.So we are!”Snuffy exclaimed. “Let’s hurry now—we’re almost to your cabin.”

We followed him again and I saw a door labeled, “Crew Quarters” up ahead on the right. As we came up to it, the plain white metal door slid open and a male who was obviously full-blooded Brute came out. He was tall and thin and he was wearing the standard uniform but with silver braid on his shoulders. I also noted that he had silver horns—a sign of a high-ranking officer in a Brutal Clan family. He stared at us with yellow eyes and an arrogant look on his narrow face.

“Well, well, Snuffy—I’ve finished with the pre-flight crew inspection. Now who are these two rejects from aFrothiandumpster?” he asked, sneering at me and Gurflug.

“Two new navvies, Frux. So they are.So they are,”Snuffy said, nodding at us.

“What?Two?Who said we needed two?” the male whose name was Frux demanded.

Snuffy shrugged his narrow shoulders.

“Captain Turk said. He hired ‘em both.”

“But why does a ship needtwo navigators?This is ridiculous—what the Hell does Turk think he’s doing? I’m going to talk to the Clan Chief about this!” Frux exclaimed importantly.

“Better hurry if you want to make a call—we’re lifting off soon. So we are.So we are,”Snuffy said neutrally, but I got the feeling he didn’t much like Frux, who seemed like an entitled ass.

“My good man, I assure you…” Gurflug burbled, putting out a hand to Frux, but I wasn’t about to let him get the jump on me again.

“Captain Turk hired me to navigate because I have no blind spots,” I said quickly.

Frux turned his yellow gaze on me and raised one eyebrow disdainfully.

“No blind spots? Is that right?”

“The boy lies,” Gurflug burbled. “Ofcoursehe has blind spots—all navigators do.”

“You might,” I said crisply. “I don’t.”

Gurflug’s face went dark.

“Why, you littlesnot.You?—”

“Enough!” Frux raised a hand. “I’ll speak to Turk myself.AfterI speak to the Chief of Clan Savage.”

“I don’t think Captain Turk will be very happy with you second guessing him, Frux. Even if you are the Union Rep. No I don’t.No I do not,”Snuffy said, his nose wiggling.

Frux sniffed.

“You don’t worry about me,cabin boy.Just go about your business. I’ll straighten things out.”

He started to move down the corridor, but of course we were in the way. He squeezed past me and Snuffy, but there was no getting around Gurflug.

“Make way, can’t you?” he demanded, glaring up at the Galafruxian. “Ugh—you stink!”

Gurflug frowned.

“My aroma is part of my cultural heritage. As a Galafruxian?—”

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