Ouch. I sure hope my insurance covers this.

Hamilton wakes up in a hospital.

beep beep beep beep beep beep…

As he looks around there’s a nurse moving about and a police officer sitting in a chair. 

Hamilton weakly says,“hello”

“Ah, you’re conscious. The detectives will want to talk to you”.

Three guys come in. Two of them in suits. One in a uniform of some sort. 

“So. You are Mr. Hamilton Leeds. We have a couple of questions for you. You went to the MOJ earlier yesterday and reported a strange phone call. And then you went to the Top Of The World. What happened after that?”

“I was shot at by several people. I think they were human. I think I managed to kill one of them but I know I knocked one out.”

“What were you doing there? Can you tell us the sequence of events?” 

“well….after I got no help from the MoJ I decide to go to the place and see what was happeneing.

I came in and no one was there. I sat down at a table and ordered a drink.

as I was waiting, either my glass or a fixture on the table exploded and I heard a CRACK like from a pistol or rifle.

I ducked under the table and, after a few minutes, ran out from under it and I threw a….glass or…something…i can’t remember what

at the person who was shooting at me. He went down and I ran over to him with the intent of rendering him/her/it unconscious.

I heard more people coming so, seeing as the person was unconscious anyway, I grabbed the shooters gun and aimed it at the doorway.

When someone came through, and not wearing a MoJ uniform, I shot at them.

I don’t remember if I hit that person or not cause I was hit myself and went unconscious.

I woke up Here just a few minutes ago. That’s all I know.

umm….where’s my hat?”

“Wait, so there was someone else in there? Where was he?” 

“Who took your drink order?”

“I don’t remember who took my order but I remember ordering…..that’s weird….

the only people I remember being in there was the shooter, who I knocked unconscious

and someone else who came in from the doorway and shot me unconscious.”

“my boots are still here right?”

“OH NO! Did my ship leave without me!?!”

The lead detective continues, “All your belongings are in a bag. You’ll be released from here later on today. Your ship is still here. With everything that happened, your departure has been delayed. We feel the two incidents are related. We spoke with the agents you met with earlier at the MOJ. And yes, they were no help. They remember talking to you but not much else. On the plus side, ordinarily, I would expect your captain to be pissed. However, we’ve made arrangements to have several more cargo pods added to your ship’s cargo. So the extra income should offset the delay. One of those pods will be a personnel transport pod. Which will include Supervising Officer Gordon Strong. Of the Security Branch of the IISS (imperial interstellar scout service) He will stay with your ship as the investigation continues. Otherwise, we’ll have to hold the ship in port until everything is resolved.” 

"There is another thing. We found no other bodies. One of the shots from your mysterious assailant shattered a window and set off a security alarm. When station security got there, you were the only thing we found. We did find evidence of a struggle. We also found the staff locked in a freezer. They were unconscious and could not give us any information." 

Hamilton gets back to the ship with some help. 

He's in a kind of anti grav wheel chair. And the first thing is, he gets taken to the captain. Who has a few things to talk to him about. 

Hamilton gets taken to his office where he, the first mate, and the head purser are waiting for you. Gordon Strong is also there. 

The captain says,“Well, first thing, you left the ship without authorization. That in itself is grounds for firing. But, there are extenuating circumstances. Lucky for you,  with the mysterious body and the ongoing investigation, you will be required to stay with the ship. And then, you getting injured. The second thing is, why didn’t you tell anyone you were leaving the ship? You had decent enough grounds. In as much as you had information in an ongoing investigation. The purser or someone else should have gone with you to ensure you returning to the ship on time. We almost left without you. And then you were injured while away.  And that’s another issue. We were delayed in our departure due to all of this. Lucky for you, once again, it was made worth our while. In any case, you will return to duty when the ship’s doctor clears you. Which I think will be in time for your early shift tomorrow. (oh the wonders of SF medicine). Until then, remain in your cabin except for meals and hygiene. You are not to talk to the rest of the crew about it. Understood?” 

‘Yes, sir’

“If I might speak with you and the first mate privately ,sir?”

Once everyone else leaves the room the captain says, “Sorry, but we can’t be sure no one else in the crew is involved in whatever is going on. Bill is off ship. Maybe it was him. Or maybe he was a dupe. Anyway, you were going to say something?”

“I was going to say that the reason I didn’t say anything about leaving the ship was to ensure the innocence of the crew.”

“and not to hurt anyone’s feelings in regard to Bill. I’m pretty sure he’s involved in all this but I don’t know what it’s all about or if he is being framed.”

“unfortunately, I didn’t recognize Anyone who shot at me. And I’m sorry if I screwed things up.”

“I met someone in the restaurant just as I was getting shot at”

I describe the guy I met under the table

“Does he sound like someone either of you know? or might have met?”

“I don’t know Why he was there. I didn’t get chance to talk to him."

The captain says,“Regardless, you still should have come to me about this before leaving the ship.” 

“We altho have thome quethtions regarding your former cabinmate. We just got a methage from the Agni, the ship Bill was thupposed to report to. He never thowed up. They are athking uth where he went.” Glick continues. “He’th been on the thip a while but was thomewhat of a loner. Maybe now we know why. But who ith the dead guy?” 

“still don’t know who it is. and are we even Sure it’s a Guy?”

“anyway, I will report to the medical center and get the doctor to check me out then to my cabin. I AM restricted to my cabin correct?

except for meals & hygiene?”

As for the guy under the table, they all say no or shake their heads. 

“Yes. The forensics said its a male about 30 years of age. Its not so much you are restricted as a punishment, but rather for your own safety. "

Hamilton is dismissed and proceeds to sick bay to see the doctor he checks Hamilton out and sees he is healing nicely. "You are OK to return to duty. Oh, we jump in 4 hours." 

Hmilton goes back to his cabin and goes to sleep. Just before he nods off “All hands, prepare for jump”   “Jump!”