Discipline

Discipline. This ship was crumbling to pieces because its crew lacked disciple. Last night attempt at mutiny proved it, how did they dare to send him to bed without dinner?. But he was going to solve this problem. Oh, yes. Space knew he was going to solve it.

Someone knocked in the door. “Let's get started then”, thought Captain Mosley. “Come in”, he called. The door opened showing the silhouette of a man in the darkness of the corridor. The man stepped inside.

“Please take a seat, Navigator”, invited the Captain. “I have called you here for you recent mistakes at finding a suitable planet for us to land”. His voice was quiet, nearly friendly. Navigator Presley began to tremble, his mind picturing the most horrible punishments. “I... I swear, sir. I did my best but without...”.

“Silence! I haven't called you here to hear your excuses, Mr Presley. Besides, I don't have time for this. You are the first in a long line which begins at my door and ends near the back of this ship, so please, save your breath”, Mosley sighed, Presley held his breath. “You punishment shall be... clean the WC outside this ship for a period of time of a month”.

Presley exhaled, clearly relaxed. “Please sign this document to declare your agreement with the punishment”, said the Captain in a business-like voice. The Navigator did so quickly. Just when he had added the last dot to his signature an ethereal voice spoke though the comm. “Captain this is Chief Medical. I have just recently been informed that last night's dinner has been poisoned. Probably the Chef and his ideas. Anyway, the crew shall have a severe diarrhea for approximately three weeks”.

Captain Mosley looked at Presley. The face of the Navigator was white, his hands were shaking so hard that the pen he was holding flew until it hit a wall. Mosley smiled, “looks your job has become more interesting. You are free to go, Mr Presley. Please tell the next one to enter”.

Navigator Presley nearly crawled to the door. Then he left. “Captain”, he called. “I think you'd better come out. There is no one here”. And certainly, there was no one there. But Mosley knew where the crew was. His suspicions became true when he reached the hatch which communicated with the exterior. The crew was engaged in a very stimulating activity... fighting for a place in the queue. Commander Lewis was securing the helmet of the only spacesuit of the ship when Mosley interrupted him.

“Commander! You have an appointment with me. Please come to my office now!”, his voiced echoed in the suddenly silent corridor. Having a laser in your hand tends to have that effect. However Lewis ignored him. “Commander!”, called again. “Come to my office or I shall have to put a hole in that suit.”

“You wouldn't”, replied the Commander. “Try me”, was the answer.

However, it was not necessary for the Captain to use his weapon. Just before he knew it, Commander Lewis was stripped by his comrades and dragged in his underwear to Mosley's office. “It looks that your crewmates here don't wish to be left without bathroom. Well, I can understand that, after all, I carefully selected what to add to yesterday's dinner”. Said the Captain after the door closed.

Lewis jumped to his feet. “It was you!!, he screamed. “You poisoned your own crew? You are crazy”.

“Of course I am not crazy. I just thought that all of you needed to remember who is in charge here”, Mosley sat in his chair behind the desk. “Now, about the matter that occupies us. You shall be punished for your attempt at mutiny last night. And for the kick too. I think you learned quite a bit about the ship's drive the past few weeks. It would be a pity let that knowledge to go waste, so you'll have to work in the Corps Engineer for three weeks.”

Lewis dropped to his knees. “Please, I beg you!”, he pleaded. “Kill me now, if you want, but don't send me there!”. The Commander began to weep. Mosley approached him and placed a pen in his hand. “Please, sign this document to show your agreement with the punishment”.

The young officer shook his head. “No, I will not sign it”, he run to the door. “Please, help me!”. Suddenly he felt something cold in his back. “Sign it or I shall have to train a new first officer”.

Finally Commander Lewis gave up. Slowly, he took the pen and sign the document.

“Very well Commander, you are free to go. Please tell the next one to come in.”