Starfire

Chapter 11: Violence Breeds More Violence

The bunks really weren't bunks at all. Rather, a wide swatch of ground had been cleared and dedicated to a small forest of rolls of bedding. They stretched like carpet over the hard rock, just enough space between each one for someone to walk between them. A small crate held more folds of bedding, and when no one showed up like a ghost to explain things before disappearing just as suddenly, Najma took the initiative, spurred on my his own fatigue, and walked over to grab one of the rolls. It felt stiff and smelled like a sharply chemical soap. At least he knew it was clean.

   He found an empty patch of ground and claimed it by unrolling the scratchy blanket. But no matter how heavy his eyes were, he needed to change as soon as possible. His clothing was no longer soaked, but he still smelled like rancid drink, vomit, and sweat. The closest shelter was a stack of crates, each of them taller than him. No one showed up to interrupt, and he was soon heading back to his 'bunk,' clothed in the fresh uniform and more tired than ever.

   Once he was lying down, however, he found that he couldn't sleep. There was too much light and even more noise. People passed by and their shadows startled him when he got close to drifting off. Not to mention his unease, gnawing at the pit of his stomach. It might have been his imagination, but he thought he could see it mirrored in the movements of the various crews. They were all going so quick, almost frantic in their haste. People shouted, rushed, prepared. For what?

   Thith's words pried into his thoughts, unwelcome and unbidden: tomorrow is going to be a big day.

   He propped his head up on his hands and watched the activity with one eye opened. There seemed to be a concentration of effort on the starships. Clusters of workers and soldiers lingered around the various crafts. Most of them had lightspeed capabilities, if he could trust his memory.

   He finally drifted off as his thoughts recited the models of starships, clogging his dreams with information that he almost surely would not use.

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   Najma was suddenly very aware that he was surrounded by people. There has been the darkness of sleep, but now he could feel the crowding. He rolled over, sat up, and ignored the reluctance with which his muscles moved. The lights had been shut off, with just a few stray exceptions, winking at him in the darkness and casting odd shadows across the uneven walls and ceiling. The sounds of breathing filled the air, far too close for his liking.

   He stood up and inched his way out of the maze of bodies, flinching away every time he accidentally brushed too close to any of the bundles.

   For one unsteady moment, as he surveyed his surroundings, his feet were rooted to the spot. The way the lights seemed so far away, set in a tall stone ceiling. It reminded him too vividly of a different cavern, now gone forever. Of course, he knew that even the courthouse alone would hardly fit in this cave, of course he knew that it wasn't even remotely the same shape or even the same color of stone...

   The rest of the lights suddenly blinked on, flooding the cavern with light and shattering what little illusion there had been. Najma could see now that a good chunk of the work force had not gone to the bunks at all. They had been working by the scant light of the few bulbs that had stayed on. A noise like an alarm sounded, crisp and echoing through the whole cavern.

   The bunks came alive as those that had managed to sleep shot to their feet, awake in a flash. Najma stifled the jittery feeling of shock as they arrayed themselves into some sort of formation and began to march their way across the cavern. The last notes of the alarm faded into silence. He had just enough time to notice that they had split themselves into roughly fourteen groups—the same as the number of starships. Then he was shoved into his own position in the formation and had no choice but to follow along or get run over.