"Wow!" said Adrian Nichol. He stretched out his arms — he could almost touch either wall of his cubicle. "My cabin on the ship's bigger than this."
Julia Coyne, slightly taller than him, held her own arms out and her fingertips brushed the walls. "See what you mean," she said. "Mine's the same."
They went out into the corridor where there was more room. Ark Royal's crew had six rooms all together on the Dome's second level, doors facing towards the translucent white panels of the Dome's outer edge.
"I see what he meant about the decorating," Adrian said, looking back at the cubicle's garish colours.
Hannah Dereshev came out of her own room. All the cubicles were singles, which wasn't yet an issue as Samad was on orbit watch with Peter Kirton. "I think they based it on the decoration in a typical four star hotel, like they saw on Earth," she said, "but without our own idea of what would be tasteful."
"And the cells?" Julia said.
"This place was built by Rusties who'd been told what humans were like but never actually met any," Hannah said. "I think they did quite well, considering."
More humans were coming around the curve of the corridor, in the uniform of the American ship Enterprise.
"Hey, we've got the Naffies next to us," Adrian said in his most diplomatic manner, referring to the North American Federation. "You'd have thought they'd have put us in alphabetical order, or something."
"Maybe they did. Which alphabet were you thinking of?" said Hannah.
Adrian smiled at the nearest American who took the room next to his. "Hi there," he said.
"Hi," the American grunted. He was tall, broad shouldered and had crew cut blond hair — the picture of the all-American boy. Adrian opened his mouth to introduce himself and the American pointedly went in and shut his door.
"Friendly," Adrian said.
"You coming with us?" Julia said. "Apparently there's a bar on the ground level."
"Sure. I'll freshen up first."
"See you later, then," she said.
Adrian went back to his room to get wash things and a change of clothes, then set out to look for the nearest washroom.
There was another Enterprise man in there, splashing water on his face. Adrian decided to try again. "Hi," he said. "Adrian Nichol, Ark Royal."
The man's appearance was identical to his comrade, down to his sour expression, but he seemed prepared to be more civil. "Carl Pieri, Enterprise."
"Glad to meet you." Adrian was putting two and two together. The crew cut, the muscles ...
"You'll be one of the marines, yeah?" he said. The next moment he was pinned against the wall, his feet off the floor and Pieri's face inches from his own.
"Who told you about that?" Pieri shook him. "Who?"
Adrian wheezed, the breath knocked out of him. The American's tight hold on his collar didn't help.
"What the hell are you doing?" said another voice, with the accent of the American Deep South.
Adrian was dropped and Pieri jumped to attention. "Sir!"
Adrian rubbed his neck and took in the newcomer. He had a captain's stripes.
"Sir! He asked if I was a marine, sir!" Pieri said.
The captain grinned. "And you wouldn't tell him if you were, would you?"
"Sir! No, sir!"
The captain waved a hand at the door. "Get out of here, Pieri."
"Sir! Yes, sir!"
The other two were left together. "McLaughlin, Enterprise," the captain said. "I'm sorry about that, son." He glanced around — at the mirror, at the ceiling, at the corners of the room — and put a hand on Adrian's shoulder. "Come on out, will you?"
Out in the corridor, he said, "who are you?"
"Nichol," Adrian said, just getting his breath back. "Sir. Sub-lieutenant Nichol, HMSS Ark Royal."
"Sub-lieutenant? You could get Pieri on a charge of assaulting an officer, if you wanted. If he was a marine, that is. Which of course, he isn't. You get the picture, sub?"
"It's ... um ... common knowledge on Ark Royal, sir," Adrian said.
McLaughlin grinned again. "And they're convinced no one notices 'em." Again, he glanced around him: it was beginning to dawn on Adrian that he thought the area might be bugged. "Well, son, it wasn't the humans knowing that I'm worried about. No hard feelings, I hope?"
"No, sir." Adrian felt it was expected of him. "We're ... well, we're all in the same boat, aren't we, sir?"
"Sure," McLaughlin said with a nod. "One happy family. Just remember that, Sub. Oh, and sorry, again."
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