human
All right, said the Captain irritably.
gpt
I'll tell you.
human
I was wondering, _who's next?_
gpt
Why does it have to be you?
human
I didn't say it would be me!
gpt
Didn't you? When the Captain had no answer, Paresi asked him,
human
Then why wonder about a thing like that?
gpt
Oh ... I see what you mean. When you start to be afraid, you start to be unsure--not of anyone else's weaknesses, but of your own. That what you mean?
human
Yup. His dark-framed grin flashed suddenly.
gpt
But you're not afraid, Cap'n.
human
The hell I'm not.
gpt
Johnny was afraid, and fled. Ives was afraid, and fought. There's only one fear that's a real fear, and that's the one that brings you to your breaking point. Any other fear is small potatoes compared with a terror like that. Small enough so no one but me has to worry about it.
human
Why you, then?
gpt
I'm the M. O., remember? Symptoms are my business. Let me watch 'em, Captain. Give me orders, but don't crowd me in my specialty.
human
You're insubordinate, Paresi, said Anderson,
gpt
His slight smile faded, and horizontal furrows appeared over his eyes.
human
Tell me why I had that nasty little phase of doubt about myself.
gpt
You think I can?
human
Yes.
gpt
That's half the reason. The other half is Hoskins.
human
What are you talking about?
gpt
Johnny broke. Ives broke. Your question was, 'who's next?' You doubt that it will be me, because I'm _de facto_ the boy with all the answers. You doubt it will be Hoskins, because you can't extrapolate how he might break--or even if he would. So that leaves you.
human
I hadn't exactly reasoned it out like that--
gpt
Oh yes you had, said Paresi, and thumped the Captain's shoulder.
human
Now forget it. Confucius say he who turn gaze inward wind up crosseyed. Can't afford to have a crosseyed Captain. Our friends out there are due to make another move.
gpt
No they're not.
human
What does that mean, Hoskins?
gpt
They've moved. From the bottom drawer he pulled out a folded chessboard and a rectangular box. Only then did he look directly at them.
human
The food's gone.
gpt
Food?... gone where?
human
Where's the port? Where's the outboard bulkhead? That black stuff has covered it up--heating units, foodlockers, disposal unit, everything. He pulled a couple of chairs from their clips on the bulkhead and carried them across the cabin to the sheet of blackness.
gpt
There's water, he said as he unfolded the chairs. On the seat of one he placed the chessboard. He sat on the other and pushed the board close to the darkness.
human
The scuttlebutt's inboard, and still available. His voice seemed to get fainter and fainter as he talked, as if he were going slowly away from them.
gpt
But there's no food. No food.