"There must be men who could have been sent. I've been wondering why a
girl."
"I don't know why, Captain. You tried to stop her before. Age and
experience were all that mattered to the brass."
"It's a bad thing to do."
"I suppose. The mission stated one chemist."
"What is the mission of this ship?" I asked.
He held up his hand. "We'd better wait, sir. Everything was supposed to
be all right on this end. First you, then Carl, sick to his stomach."
"Okay. I'll hold the questions until we see about her."
We were out of luck with the girl. She woke up and she was frightened.
We questioned her and she was coherent but she couldn't remember. I
tried to smile as I sat on the cot, wondering what she was thinking.
"How do you feel?" I asked.
Her face was a mask of wide-eyed fear as she shook her head.
"Can you remember?"
"I don't know." Blue eyes stared at me in fear. Her voice was low.
"Do you know my name?"
The question frightened her. "Should I? I feel so strange. Give me a
minute to think."