Spinward Fringe Broadcast 7: Framework by Randolph Lalonde

though he despised
what the Freegrounders called 'built-in plumbing,' which took care
of human waste. He recalled Ashley talking about it in the galley,
when she managed to explain the mystery of the built-in plumbing
perfectly to a newer crewmember. "No, no," she said. "You don't
figure the private bits of your vacsuit out. They figure YOU out.
You shoulda seen my face the first time I put on a - how did
Captain put it? Right, a fully equipped suit." He laughed along
then, but as he wandered the ship, he couldn't help but miss using
a toilet.
    When he thought of Ashley or Oz – and he
thought of them often – it was with some regret. He never let Oz
know his role aboard; it would have gone against his orders, but
Larry was sure it would have been to his benefit. When he let
Ashley in on his secret, he mismanaged the whole thing. He could
have had her trust, selectively let other important crewmembers
know his real position, and a diplomatic solution would have been
found when the Carthans took possession. The Triton would be
crewed. Unfortunately, his hands were still tied. He was an
observer, and he’d broken enough rules by killing several West
Keepers. Even if the ship was stuck in port for five years, his
duty was to watch human behaviour and chronicle the story of the
ship.
    Even still, he wished he could just engage
the computer core and reveal to the galaxy that he was the true
master of the Triton. He missed the crew, especially members like
Agameg and Finn, though he was starting to like Jason, who reminded
him of his brother. Even if he wanted to turn the lights on, it
took two command level codes to bring the primary computer core
online, a fact that he’d kept from Ashley, and the main reason why
it hadn’t been active since the ship was allowed to be stolen from
Kuiper Drydock. If another officer were assigned to the Triton and
made the journey from Earth, then they would bring the main
computer core online, and they’d begin a new mission.
    It was something Larry sometimes caught
himself dreaming of. The chances of that were slim. He fully
expected to be aboard or near the Triton for the next thirty years
before being summoned home. The fantasy he let himself indulge in
sometimes was of the crew who had adopted and honoured her
returning to take the Triton back. With Terry Ozark McPatrick in
the lead, they’d break through the Carthan seals, start the ship up
again, and to everyone’s surprise, he and Ashley would bring the
Triton back to full functionality for the first time in
decades.
    It was nothing more than a fantasy. Any
attempt would be a brash display of heroism and stupidity, but it
didn't stop him from wishing something would happen. The fantasy
didn’t hold boredom off for long. Sometimes he’d retract the
headpiece of his vacsuit and come out of stealth just to see if the
Carthan guards would come running, or even step out of the shadows
in stealth suits of their own. No one was watching. They had the
ship locked down tight, sealed along every hatch and seam.
    No one would scold him for not leaving the
ship and send him down to Tamber, where he could reunite with the
Triton crew and offer the good news. If he did so on purpose, it
would be a severe breach of orders with Citadel Command. Leaving
was not an option. He’d have to wait and hope that Ashley found her
way back to him. He’d apologise and find a way to tell her how to
issue a command code to someone he trusted. That way he could be
indirectly responsible for the revival of the Triton, and perhaps
avoid a harsh sentence from Citadel.
    No matter how he planned, or how he
fantasised, he was still stuck aboard. The ship began to take on an
entirely new character after the lights went out. The slightest
sound echoed down the darkened halls. Thick bulkhead doors sounded
like rolling thunder, bringing on a fresh wave of hyper-vigilance.
Every time he thought he'd made enough noise to trip a passive port
sensor, he was wrong. The ship