Joshua sat at the combination console and desk in his cabin. A small gray electronics chip sat in his hands. Idly, he turned it over and over, as here-read the report from Friar Mendel.

"Gallium." He frowned. Punching up a definition on the console, he read:

Gallium (n) A soft bluish white metal : element 31 on the periodic table. Mass 69.72. It has a low melting point, (29.75 C). See Gallium arsenide, Gallium arsenide-phosphide.

He punched up the definitions of these common semi-conductor materials, and then put the chip back down on his desk amidst the small handful of its brethren, stirring them about with his fingers. Why would Arlyis bring aboard a device full of trashed chips? According to Mendel, the chips were completely non-functional, apparently missing the Ga/As compound that allowed them to work. All the equipment brought aboard should have been thoroughly tested as a matter of routine. Yet according to Mendel, the device containing these examples could never have worked, ever.

There were other, so far minor, equipment failures too. Colmer's suit had exhibited a minor malfunction during his walk, according to Ammens and Wile, giving them both a start when they had watched it. Just the kinds of minor things that pinched at Joshua, and gave his office staff heartburn. However, he justified, little things have an annoying habit of growing up and having litters. Joshua's attention to detail often made a difference, and he tended to heed any premonitions about them.

A sudden thump shook the cabin wall, disrupting his musings. Following that, came muted shouting and other noises. Startled, Joshua left his compartment to listen down the hallway. Street and Eldon occupied the adjoining cabin.The commotion, obviously a tussle of some sort. So Joshua banged heavily on their cabin door. The noise stopped and after a few seconds, the door opened. The sheepish, and concussed, face of Brian Street poked out from the room. Ronald Eldon, in no better condition, sat on one of the room's cots.

"What," asked Joshua, "is going on in here?"

"Nothing Sir, eh, Your Worship. Just ah, an accident. All settled now. Sorry, yer worship."

Joshua eyed the soldiers. Both wore apologetic, hang-dog expressions, and seemed to find more interest in scanning the floor, than returning his gaze. Obviously nothing more was going to be volunteered by the two, so Joshua nodded. "Very well then, as long as you are both alright; just let's be more... careful in the future, or at least quieter."

Eldon apologized again and closed the door. Joshua stared at the closed door for a few moments, then continued down the corridor to Colonel Colmer's room, where he recounted the events between Street and Eldon. Colmer nodded, sighed, and sat, motioning Joshua to the sole other chair the small cabin afforded.

"Aw, it's the boots again," said Sir Colmer.

"The boots?"

"Yes," continued Sir Colmer, "the damn boots. Sorry your Grace, but this will be the second time today I've had to deal with 'em. Both of 'em own pairs of military issue boots, the same type."

Joshua considered this.

"Yes, that follows. Military issue boots would be identical. Very sturdy. Own a similar pair myself. Completely self-sanitizing insoles and virtually indestructible. Meant to outlast the soldier to whom they are issued. What of it?"

"Well, they both have the same size foot. After they came back from setting out the equipment array, one of the boys grabbed up the wrong pair, and this is what happens. Evidently my earlier talk with them didn't take. Another mix-up, sounds like. They have both been off their strides since they finished the mounting detail. Don't know what's got into them -two peas in a pod, most times. I'll talk with them again. It will take this time, I can promise you that."

Joshua thought for a moment. "They fought over their boots? But they are the same utilitarian boots, exactly the same. What possible difference could it make if they did pick up the wrong pair? Can't they mark their names in them or something?"

Sir Colmer looked shocked."Absolutely not! Military personnel may not mark, deform, modify, or customize any issued item of military equipment or dress. Both men will be disciplined, of course. A soldier's boots are to be stored on the left side of his pallet sixteen centimeters from the wall and 8 centimeters apart, laces wrapped and tucked neatly to the right inside of each boot tongue. There should be no doubt as to whose boots are whose. Those two are getting sloppy, and this is the kind of thing that comes of it, apparently." Colmer unconsciously rubbed at his healing wrist, momentarily distracted.

Joshua started to comment further, then thought better of it. Instead he noted, "I don't mean to intrude in military matters, Colonel. However, it would be best if this sort of thing not be repeated. We may all be rubbing elbows aboard this vessel for quite a while. I leave it to you."

Something about the incident between the two privates seemed out of focus. Joshua did not know them well, but they had seemed reasonably laid back types, and he considered himself a fair judge of character. They just didn't seem to be the sort to start such a ruckus.

"Oh, yes, while I am here, you retrieved the malfunctioning communications box from one of Ms. Denis' signal collectors a few hours ago, correct?"

Colmer nodded. "Yes about eight bells ship time. Arlyis needed it replaced, evidently, before she could run her scans. Is there a problem?"

"Just curious Colonel, did you notice any damage when removing the module? Did you find anything abnormal at all?"

Sir Colmer lowered his eyes to his wrist again, and slowly shook his head. "No...Arlyis just indicated it wasn't working right and asked if I might retrieve it. I saw no external signs of damage, or shorting scores, if that's what you want to know. There was that minor equipment failure I had with the suit light, and a damaged wrist seal, bit of a mystery about the light, those rare earth units almost never fail, but I can't see how that could have anything to do with Miss Denies' equipment."

"Rare earth unit?"

"The suit light power unit." Colmer raised his right hand cross chest, waving approximately over his left shoulder with a wince. "The lights are powered through a fail-safe shunt. A circuit that senses the current fed to the light. If it drops or is cut-off, it switches power to it through another line, or from a different power pack, as appropriate."

"We thought it was just a battery failure. So it was some electronic fault?"

Colmer nodded. "You could say that. A battery failure alone wouldn't cause the suit light to fail-good lord man, it's a space suit! What kind of equipment do you think we have?"

"And the suit seal problem?"

Colmer sighed. "Spacewalks are dangerous. Moving around in null-G is an art, and I was out of training too long. I should have let Eldon handle it. My fault. I let...other concerns...affect my judgment, I'm afraid. I have no excuse."

Joshua filed away the information as Colmer continued.

"I didn't make a concerted effort to examine the site; working in a suit is cumbersome business, makes one concentrate on paying attention to one thing at a time, and I was distracted by suit problems as it was. Still, nothing smacked me in the face about the site or the box. It had just been mounted, by Private Rossiter, barely two bells before. Really all I can say about it."

"I have to ask, would there be any Gallium derivative involved in the suit circuit,Colonel?

Sir Colmer lifted his shoulders slightly. "Can't say. I can have Rossiter report to you on the suit problem to you if you like. I assigned him to equipment maintenance duty after."

"If you would, Colonel."

Sir Colmer hesitated, raising his good hand, and said, "Wait, I, I have something to ask - nothing to do with what we were saying before. Something personal. Do you mind?"

Joshua shifted in his chair. "Honored to be taken into your confidences, Colonel, how can I help?"

Colmer straightened, took a breath, and with some obvious discomfort, managed to make a start. "There have been some...rumors aboard ship, about my relationship with Arlyis Denies. First, I want you to know that there have been no improprieties committed, that our conversations have been casual, or business oriented only, your worship."

"I put little faith in rumor, Colonel."

"Yes, well, I must admit to an interest in Miss Denies, though. She is a wonderful girl. I would be honored if she did take an interest in me, rumor aside."

"Yes? Oh, I see. A bit outside my area of expertise, Colonel; what is your question?"

"Well, I just wondered if she had mentioned anything untoward to you. She seems a bit more reserved, ah, quiet in my presence of late. I am a little worried it might have been something I said. I hope the rumors haven't affected our relations."

Joshua watched a flicker of concern pass over the Colonel, and realized the man was more than just interested in Arlyis.

Oh dear, exactly the sort of problems I don't want to deal with. Out loud, he replied, "I haven't heard anything, Fredric. My advice would be just to ignore the rumors, or to bring them up to Arlyis directly, and get them out into the open between the two of you. As long as your public interactions are respectful, and don't interfere with our work, your personal lives are your own, as well they should be."

Joshua smiled. "I will keep my ears open, however. Good luck. Arlyis is one of the good ones; she would make a fine companion."

"Good advice, your worship, best to meet the problem head on. I'll do that."

"Very good then; I am sorry to have intruded, Sir Colmer." Joshua retraced his steps back to his cabin.

The defect in Colmer's suit and the chips from the assembly were tied together somehow, bet credit on it, frowned Joshua.

He almost passed his room to go forward and check to see if there were any messages from Dio, but checking the time, a quick calculation told him that on Earth, the commander would be sleeping. So he pulled himself up short and turned to reenter the cabin.