Lunar Affair (LGBT - Sci-Fi - Romance)

Chapter 4

Chapter Four 

Lieutenant Alexander was thinking frantically as he walked through the ship. His first instinct had been to tell as much of the truth as he knew, after all, he wanted Fraser caught more than most men. But it was gradually dawning on him that he didn't actually know the particulars that Pattisson would want to hear. Ryan's exact words for example, any details about him apart from the superficial, he hadn't even known his eyes were grey until Pattisson had told him. He was beginning to realize he had got himself in an almighty mess. What on Earth had he been thinking? Well to be honest he hadn't thought at all, he had just reacted to protect the man he loved, and now he was stuck with the consequences. 

He didn't allow himself to wonder how Marc was reacting to his decision, he had to concentrate on what he was going to say, or not say, to the Major. 

XXX 

Duran looked at his white face in the mirror. He had never felt so much shame in his life. How could he not own up to his mistake? How could he sit there in silence and let Jack take the blame? Even worse, why was he still wondering if he could get away with it, if he kept his mouth shut? He threw up again. 

XXX 

Major Pattisson gestured for Alexander to precede him into the small bare room. It was furnished with a desk and two chairs, all fixed to the floor. The room next to it contained a bed, bolted to the wall and a sanitary unit. Occasionally they transported a prisoner to the nearest space station but Jack couldn't remember the last time they had had to use it for one of the crew. He sat down and waited for the Major to speak. Pattisson seated himself opposite and Chan took up a position, standing against the wall near the door, so that he could watch him. Jack almost smiled, did they seriously think he was going to make a run for it? Where could you run to on a space ship? 

"Alright, Lieutenant, let's have the whole story. Start from the beginning, how long have you known Billy Ryan?" 

Jack took a deep breath, he had decided the only way to play it was to tell them a simple version of what had happened. 

"I met him for the first, and only, time on Saturday night, the 28th of February." He looked straight at Pattisson. "I'm an om, sir. I went to the Purple Heart looking for a pickup, it's a well known om friendly bar. I saw Ryan there and bought him a drink. I propositioned him and he agreed, so we went to a nearby hotel, I don't remember the name, one of those nearby that rents a room for a couple of hours. We had sex and I asked if I could see him again next time I was on leave. That's when I made the mistake of telling him I would be back this weekend because we had an important operation going down on the Friday. I guess I wanted to impress him, but I swear that's all I said. I didn't give any details." 

" The only thing is," he paused and Pattisson motioned to him to continue. "At the time I thought I was the one who approached him, but looking back, I wonder if it was the other way around." 

"How do you mean?" Pattisson looked interested despite himself. 

"Well, he was sitting at the bar by himself and he turned away at least two other men before M-, er me, before me," he hoped Pattisson hadn't noticed the near slip. 

"OK, that gives me the big picture, now we need to go through the whole thing again, step by step." Major Pattisson adjusted the camcorder on the table in front of him. 

Jack cleared his throat. "I'm sorry sir but that is all I am going to say. I've told you what happened to the best of my ability, I'm not going to go over and over it." He spoke as politely and firmly as he could. Chan stared at him in disbelief. 

Not surprisingly, the Major did not leave it at that and continued to question him for another hour, alternatively attacking and cajoling. Jack remained silent, trying not to react and to keep his body language as neutral as possible. In the end it was Pattisson who temporarily lost his cool, "I can order you flogged if you don't co-operate you know, up to ten strokes!"