1.08

Battle

I had no clue what came over me: me versus Argonaut, let alone two people as well, what was I thinking? There was no way I was gonna win. At least Argonaut gave me the choice of when we were gonna fight. I knew four martial arts, not including Capoeira, which I haven't mastered, and I was up against three masters of every martial art known to man. Dear God, what was I thinking?

I got up from the bunk in my cell and headed over to the engine room where I was sure to find Aequitas – maybe he could help me. How could he help me, though? There was no way that I could receive help from anybody regarding this, but it was better'n sulking by myself.

I didn't find Aequitas like I hoped, but I found Graft scrubbing rust off of the floor. She looked up at me, and gave me a warm smile. God, how I wished I was Aequitas!

"Mornin', Sparky. How goes it?" She said.

"Meh," I sat down next to her, grabbing a scrubber, "I think I did something kinda dumb."

"Oh? What d'ya do?"

"Me an' Argonaut got a 'bout planned."

She dropped her scrubber. "You're fighting Argonaut?"

I shook my head. "I'm fighting Argonaut and two other people, three against one." I then told her about what happened during the training session.

Graft and I looked at each other for the longest time. It was if she was looking through my eyes into the very back of my head, looking for my unasked questions. Finally, she said, "You're right. What you did was dumb." I lowered my head in resignation. "But," I looked up, "I have faith in you." She put her hand on my shoulder.

"So, you think I can win?"

"No, but I think you'll get your point across. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm hungrier than fuck. Care to come with?"

"Nah, I don't think eating's a good idea right now."

I went back to work on the rust, but gave up after battling with a spot that was keen on staying attached. What was I gonna do? I dug myself a hole, and I dug it deep.

Getting off of the floor, I looked for Jiom. We didn't talk much, but he was good at helping people. Maybe he could help me. I saw Felix snoring in front of the monitors.

"Hey, Felix." I whispered in his ear.

"Huh, what?" He looked at me. "Damnit, guy, I was workin'."

"Of course. Hey, y'know where Jiom is?"

"I dunno," he yawned, "Check the Café."

"Thanks." I started walking off, stopped, and turned around, "Oh and Felix?"

"Yeah?"

"Get back to work." I hadn't walked four steps when the sound of snoring echoed the room.

On the last table in "The Café" sat a burly man with brown hair resembling a lion's mane playing with a deck of makeshift cards. He looked up when he heard the door open and raised his arm in a kind of greeting. He had a beard that looked like it was trimmed with a piece of sharpened scrap metal, and a scar running down his left arm.

"Howdy, Shotokan! Care for a game or two before I head off to scrub the bathroom? Or maybe I should wait for you t' do it for me."

"Hey, Jiom. I guess you heard then."

"Heard? Boy, there aint nobody on this damned ship who hasn't heard!"

"What am I gonna do, Jiom? I can't take on three people who can fight better'n me."

Jiom leaned back up against the wall behind him. "Sounds like you're lost your confidence there. Listen," he leaned fore ward again, "The last thing you wanna do is lose your head thinkin' that you're gonna lose, 'cause if ya do, then you already lost. Besides, I think you had a point: none of us here know the internal mechanisms that you know. We're fighters, Shotokan, but you're something different. Did ya ever see the Movie Braveheart before you was unplugged? Y'know, the one where they had blue face paint?"

"No, why?"

"'Cause I heard one 'dem guys reference to somethin' called a 'warrior poet.' You are a warrior poet, Shotokan, which means ya got that extra special somethin' that we aint got."

"What's that 'extra special something?'"

He shrugged his shoulders, "Hell, I dunno; I aint the one who's got it. Be sure to tell me when you figure it out, though."

"Will do. Hey Jiom. Y'know who's gonna be fighting 'gainst me?"

Jiom thought, "Well, I don't know about the other guy, but I know I'm gonna fight."

I blanched, "You? Well isn't that just dandy?"

"You did say his two best fighters, if the gossip's correct."

"Yeah, I did," god, what was I thinking! I might as well have told him to beat me with a shovel in my sleep.

Jiom left me to my brooding self, while I tried to figure out what I was gonna do. Should I just fight him and get it over with, or wait a while?

My decision made, I walked to the bridge where Argonaut was piloting.

"Argonaut. You and me. We got a 'bout to do."