42

Back and Ge Ge were the only members of the crew who spent any time around the exercise equipment. Neither of them had the energy or stamina to actually use the machines, but something about their proximity was soothing to both men.

‘Hey, Ge Ge,’ Back called from across the room. ‘Can you help me with this running machine?’

‘What? You aren’t trying to use it, are you?’

‘No,’ said Back. ‘Well, yes, actually. I was trying to make the belt go slower—even the walking pace is kinda tough. But it’s stuck or something.’

Ge Ge was doubtful, but it seems that something of what Back said appealed to his training, and he roused himself, moving closer to Back.

Back showed him where he had removed one of the panels from the machine.

‘It feels like something’s blocking it, but I can’t get it out.’

‘Let’s have a look,’ said Ge Ge, pulling himself down to the level of the floor and reaching into the belt mechanism.

‘I was afraid to reach in there too far,’ said Back. ‘I didn’t want to get stuck.’

‘Someone would have to turn the power on for that to happen,’ said Ge Ge. ‘I don’t feel anything wrong. It seems like it can move.’

Back turned on the power to the machine, and Ge Ge’s arm was rolled up under the belt.

‘Hey!’ said Ge Ge. ‘Turn it off!’

He wasn’t in pain, but his arm was firmly caught and he couldn’t move his body to see Back.

‘Turn it off, George,’ he called again. It occurred to Ge Ge that the weakened state of malnutrition from which they all suffered may have caused Back to pass out. He would have yelled for help, but Back slid a plastic bag over Ge Ge’s head and cinched it tight around his neck.

Ge Ge had the presence of mind to try to tear a hole in the bag with his free hand, but he missed it at first, and then Back seized his arm. The bag made a slight flipping noise as Ge Ge desperately tried to find air where there wasn’t any. He stretched his mouth wide several times, and slowly died. Back did not let go of him until he was sure he was dead.

Back reversed the belt, freeing Ge Ge’s arm. He floated to the door into the corridor and slid it open. No one was in sight; he heard Greenstockings and Richards conversing, but it didn’t sound like either of them was going to leave their bunk. He descended to the galley, and peaked in. No one was there, either. He retrieved Ge Ge’s body, brought it through the galley and over to the access tube door that led to the depressurized storage pod.

Back pulled Ge Ge’s body into the access tube with him, and shut the door. He took out his knife and cut off Ge Ge’s clothing, exposing his emaciated frame. As was the case with both Lu and Akaitcho, he was startled by how small the body was—almost like a child’s. Back butchered Ge Ge’s body there, packing the meat and organs away in his wet bag, which he had placed in the access tube earlier, along with one of the Investigator’s space suits.

When he had removed as much meat as he could from Ge Ge’s body, he pushed it to the far end of the access tube, against the door that opened onto the wrecked storage pod. Back shoved the spacesuit towards the body and slipped out the door to the galley with his wet bag. Securing the door in place once more, he vented the access tube by opening the other end. The unusable parts of Ge Ge’s body, the spacesuit, and all the carnage of butchery were blown out of the tube and into the wrecked storage pod. Back reasoned that the others were all so debilitated that none of them would attempt donning a space suit and going to look for Ge Ge.

Back went down to the shower with his wetbag. When he emerged, he was clean, and deliciously full.