told him something bad was coming and something
he didn't want to hear.
14 North swallowed. "All right, Morn," he said, "Don't hold it back.
Whatever it is, tell me now!"
15 "There's been an accident, North. Your mother's dead. Your wife has
been hurt real bad. We haven't got all the details yet. They'll send
them along as soon as they know."
16 "Why?" North screamed, "Why? Why, every damned time I'm happy? Why?"
17 With the last word he drove his fist into the viewscreen mounted on
the end of the table, with the result of breaking the unbreakable
screen, and three knuckles in his hand. Morn rushed forward and grabbed
him, as the screen smoldered and spat sparks. "Damn!" cursed North.
"That was dumb!"
18 "No comment!" sighed Morn. The door slid open and the Briefing
Commander rushed in. "Get a Medic! " Morn screamed, "Hurry up!"
19 The man rushed out. In minutes North's hand was repaired, put in
splints, and he was pacing back and forth in communications waiting for
some word. Doc Astra arrived, inspected the sickbay's work and declared
it satisfactory. A few moments later, he was called away to be briefed
while another Officer told North what had happened.
20 The daughter of the system's Governor had chartered a flight to the
archaeological dig. As the ship arrived, a bus came up to bring them
down. But it could only carry one-hundred people and had to make two
trips. Morn's mother, his wife, and the Governor's daughter went down
with the first group.
21 As the bus took off, one of its engines blew clean out of its
chamber, and the bus came crashing down square in the middle of the
crowd. Sixty-eight had been killed instantly, North's mother and the
Governor's