Part I, XII

  Three hours later Carter was getting tired of being cleared out.  He had a very bad poker face.  Twitchy hadn’t done too bad, but she hadn’t bluffed once.  Batnter and I could hold our own, but Rimana was clearly the best.

  “I wonder what the other people on this ship are doing,” Carter yawned.

  “Let’s find out,” I said, looking at Twitchy.  “Call the doctor.”  Twitchy went to her station and nodded at me after hitting a few buttons.  “Doctor Bayou,” I called.

  “Er, yes, hello?” his voice answered.

  “What are you doing right now?” I demanded.

  “I, ah, was, that is…  Watching a movie?”

  “I see.  Which movie?”

  “Fate of Earth, the second one,” he admitted.  A sci-fi/horror movie.  There were five of them, and another was going to be released in the next year.

  “Very good,” I said.  “Carry on.”  I motioned for Twitchy to cut him off.  She nodded.  “Now call Gazook.”  She nodded again.  A horrible rumbling filled my ears.  “Gazook?” I called.  “Gazook!”  There was a pause, and the noise started up again.

  “He’s snoring,” Twitchy said.

  “Are you sure?  Hello!  Hello!”  A pause.  “No one is answering.”

  “We had better go down there,” Rimana said as the noise grew.

  “I agree.  Twitchy, Rimana, come with me,” I decided.  We went to the elevator.