Up Against It - M. J. Locke [49]
Ian scoffed. “Hundreds of thousands of people in this cluster, and you think a couple tons of sugar-rock is going to matter? It’ll be used up in a day or less. And they’ve put a cap on the price! It’s nowhere near what the ice is worth. We’ll lose everything. We’ll be stuck out here forever.”
Being stuck on a backwater stroid for the rest of his days wasn’t Geoff’s idea of a good time, either. Joey had handed him the granddaddy of all good fortune, and now it was about to be snatched away by the same disaster that had stolen his big brother.
“I say we hold on to it,” Ian said. “My dad says that a big ice shipment is coming Down even now. Lots of people are hoarding till it gets here. Why should we give up our ice when nobody else is?”
No one said anything.
“Don’t you get it?” Ian demanded. “This is our very own sugar rock! Like the Eros sugar rockers!”
Kam said, “Uh … didn’t the original sugar rockers actually donate their ice to the cluster?”
“Whatever! You get what I mean.”
The compulsion was powerful to just go along with what Ian was saying. But Geoff kept picturing Carl’s face. He knew what he would say.
“It won’t wash, Ian.”
“Oh, I get it. You’re the big hero now. You saved the day and so you get to call all the ops.”
Geoff didn’t ordinarily lose his temper with Ian, but today his words grated. “It’s my ice. It’s my decision.”
Ian’s fists clenched. “You said we were going to share. The ice is mine, too. And Kamal’s, and Amaya’s. You can’t go back on that now.”
Geoff felt shaky all over. He felt like he had with his dad, back at the memorial. No, he thought. Not this time. “Too bad you didn’t get it in writing, because that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
“You bastard! Traitor!”
“Who’s the traitor? You’re the one holding out on the cluster.”
Ian launched himself at Geoff with a yell, and slammed him into one of the bug tanks, next to the piping. Geoff shoved him back, and leapt high into the chamber—bounced off the ceiling, tumbled to the floor. Ian had landed in a crouch. They both panted, glowering.
Ian said, “You’re a wuss. Cunt. Coward.”
“Hey!” Amaya said, indignant.
“I can see you about to piss in your pants from over here. You think you can beat me? Your brother fought all your fights for you. Who’s going to fight for you this time? Amaya? Maybe Kam.”
At the mention of his brother, Geoff felt something snap. Red washed across his vision. He had always thought that was just a figure of speech. He launched himself at Ian, barely registering his friend’s startled look, and grabbed him in a choke hold. In grim silence, he pummeled Ian’s head and face.
Ian fought back. They went into a wild, flailing tumble. Ian was bigger than he was, but that did not matter today. Three times Geoff struck furniture, equipment, walls, but he did not feel it. He rammed Ian into a corner and pinned him there, and hit him till Ian stopped fighting and started crying for him to stop. Kamal and Amaya finally managed to get Geoff off Ian, who bolted away, trailing small blood globules that tumbled, steaming, in the cool air.
Ian eyed Geoff from across the way, breathing heavily. Then he sprang over to his suit. Kamal went over and tried to calm him down, but Ian turned and spat blood in Kam’s face. The three of them just watched as Ian grabbed his bike and shoved off, blasting fumes into their faces as he headed for the airlock.
Amaya shook her head as the airlock door closed on Ian. “What a loser.” She tossed Geoff a shop rag. “Here. You’ve got a bloody nose.”
Geoff swiped the blood from his face. They all heard the outer lock release. The rage was fading and Geoff felt sick to his stomach. Kamal came over. “You OK?”
Geoff nodded, trying to staunch the blood. Now that the fight was over, the chamber’s cold draughts made him shiver. One of Joey Spud’s old vacubots hoovered through the air, humming as it sucked up the blood, spit, and debris that their fight had stirred up.
“He shouldn’t have said that,” Amaya said.
Kamal nodded. “He was out of line.”
Rather than reply, Geoff shoved off over to his