Now circling at a safe distance from the black hole, everyone’s into their research. They do take rare breaks… Jessup and Lassiter, discover they’re both from Texas, and from colleges with a long, long history of competition, and Lassiter and his roommate, Saixa, are over in the quarters Jessup and his girlfriend, Jane, share. Having drinks, the two women start talking shop, Previous excerpt at https://mrw.5-cent.us/?p=425, and the excerpts start at https://mrw.5-cent.us/?p=387
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Jessup looked at them for a minute or two, then turned to Lassiter. “You’re on the astronomy team. Did that Nigerian get grief from your chief?”
“Guy’s not that kind of manager, to jump down someone’s throat. I did hear he gave Ehi a talking to, though.” Lassiter saw an unpleasant, pleased look on Jessup’s face, and mentally shook his head.
Later, after he and Saixa got back to their quarters, she turned to him.
“Jessup doesn’t seem like a very nice person. He’s rude, and I don’t think he treats Jane respectfully.”
“He was just lit,” seeing her look of incomprehension, “Drunk. I come from his home state, and I know people like him, my grandparents would call him a ‘good ol’ boy.’ He’s probably got real nice manners, when he wants to put them on.”
She shook her head. “There are things about him that disturb me.”
“Me, too, but we’re all so busy, I figure he’s just blowing off steam.”
He said good night, and went to his room.
S everal weeks later , Lassiter and Saixa had finished eating dinner in their quarters and were talking shop, when they heard loud voices outside their door, and then a heavy thump. The door opened for them as they ran through, to see Jessup and Jane a few steps down the corridor, in an argument. Jane, facing away from them, was wearing pants and a top, both disarranged, the top looking slightly torn. Jessup was in front of her, red-faced, cursing her out. She started to answer him rudely, and he took a swung with his fist and hit her. She fell backwards to the deck, a hand over her face, and bleeding from her nose.
Leaving Saixa at the door, hand to her mouth in shock, Lassiter ran to stand between Jessup and Jane.
“What the hell you doin’, man? That what your folks teach you, to hit a woman?” Lassiter yelled, his language falling into the back country speech of his older relatives.
“This ain’t none of your business,” Jessup snarled.
They stood there for a minute, facing each other, when Winslow and another crew member came running around the corner into the side corridor where they stood.
“What’s going on here?” Winslow asked in a loud voice.
“Jus’ a disagreement with my woman, and he’s sticking his nose in,” Jessup said harshly, nodding at Lassiter.
Winslow looked at the scene, then down at Jane. “Are you all right? Is that what happened?”
By now, Saixa had come up with a towel, and had given it to Jane, who looked up at Winslow. “This bastard had some ideas that I didn’t care for at the time, and the next thing he chases me out of our compartment, then curses and hits me.” She looked straight at Jessup. “I ain’t your woman, and never will be.”
“Damn straight,” he barked back.
“That will be enough,” said Winslow. He paused for a minute in mesh, then looked at Jessup. “Captain says you go back to your quarters, and he’ll see you first thing in the morning.” Jessup snarled again, stood for a minute, then turned and stalked away. Turning to Jane, Winslow said, “You don’t want to go back there tonight.”
“Hell, no…” Jane started to say, when Saixa spoke up.
“Please, you stay with us this evening. We will make room for you,” Saixa said, looking at Jane.
Jane and Saixa both looked at Lassiter, who had watched Jessup leave. He was turning when he heard Saixa, and looked at them. “Damn straight we want you to stay with us.” He offered Jane a hand up, seeing that she was unsteady, and the three of them started back to their quarters, when the other, younger crew member spoke up.
“Will you need to go to medbay?”
“Nah, I’ve run into trees harder than that, but thanks,” Jane said, and the three went through the door, leaving the two crew members shaking their heads.
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