CHAPTER 11Stacey woke to the blare of the alarm and rolled from his bunk, cursing, his minor irritation deepening to anger as he banged his elbow. Damn Varl and his endless drills! He had not had a clear off-watch since they had reached the asteroids, and neither had anyone else. Fatigue was beginning to show in heightened tension, mounting irritation, and general discourtesy among the crew. Maintained, such fatigue could lead to verbal abuse and physical violence; already it had led to quarrels and a loss of comradeship. A hell of a way to maintain morale!
As he reached the passage the clangour died to be replaced by a harsh voice from the speakers.
“Lower hold penetrated. Power loss in forward section! Attack in upper right quadrant! Battle alert! Move!”
Varl playing god, he thought.
