"Let's see what else this station has. Take notes, we can improve on whatever they have." Fischler floated off through the gravity ring.

John took a deep breath, ignoring the pain in his chest, and let it out slowly. He had a bad feeling about this.

"Do you want me to keep an eye on them?"

"Please do EOS."

Scott's voice came over the comms, slightly strained but you couldn't tell, not unless you knew him well. "I've called Orbital Patrol, they're on their way to collect Fischler."

"Thanks Scott."

Orbital Patrol would be fifteen minutes at best. Fifteen minutes with Fischler on his station. He left the comm open, if he was going to suffer, they'd have to suffer too.

This is going to be Hell.

"EOS do a system check, and don't let him touch anything."

EOS's camera whirled above him. "He might get a few shocks."

"Keep the voltage low."

"John!"

"Come on Scott, like you don't want to give him an electric shock." At least Gordon was on his side. Though Gordon was always up for giving people minor electric shocks.

"Guys I'm putting you on the main comm, so don't say anything…you know."

"Oh, we know."

"John, the coffee maker has been disconnected, you'll have to reconnected it manually."

Reconnecting it manually meant picking it up and switching it off and on again. Then hitting it against the worktop when that didn't work. There were more technical methods but why bother fiddling with wires when a good old-fashioned whack would work just as well.

"Reconnected. I'd recommend that you drink something."

"Am I allowed coffee?"

There was a yelp from the next compartment. "You seem to have a few loose circuits here Mr Tracy. That's not very 'safety conscious' of you, is it?"

"You c-can't lecture us on the m-merits of safety."

"May I point out that my weather station did not catch fire because of faulty wiring."

It probably would have if it had been left any longer.

"Ignore him Brains, he's not worth it." Virgil said.

"John can I up the voltage?" EOS's voice was at its most pleading.

"Just don't kill him, or main him, or cause him any serious damage."

"I don't know if anyone will notice the difference."

Scott made a spluttering sound but that was as far as his protest went. Alan and Gordon were sniggering in the background.

Five minutes later John was seriously considering murder. An unexplained airlock malfunction would be the easiest, easy to cover up as well. His head was starting to throb at the temples, and he was feeling snappish.

"What do you do up here all day, Mr Tracy? It must be pretty boring, floating around by yourself."

"I'm afraid that's classified."

"Everything's classified," Fischler blew a raspberry. "You probably just connect calls."

John rolled his eyes and reminded himself (again) that murder was illegal. Even if it was Fischler. Besides his employees were witnesses, not that they seemed particularly invested in anything he was saying or proposing.

"Why don't you fly your big red rocket up here to collect me?"

John counted to three before Alan's voice exploded over the comms.

"Because your stupid weather station damaged it and it needs extensive repairs!"

"Ooooh! Touchy, touchy."

Alan growled.

"EOS, find the compartment where they'll do the least damage and lock them in."

"John," Scott's voice came over his personal comm. "You can't-"

"Well, I'm not doing it. EOS is."

"EOS has." Her lights flickered for a moment. "I'm not sure if it's fair towards his companions."

"They've put up with him for this long, ten more minutes won't kill them," he switched to the main comm. "We seem to have had a malfunction with the doors, I'll see if I can get them working again before Orbital Patrol get here. Don't touch anything."

Fischler started complaining, and he didn't stop.

John retreated to the other side of the gravity ring to take some painkillers and tried to tune Fischler out and listen to his family instead. It did nothing for his headache.

"Orbital Patrol will be docking in thirty seconds."

"Thank goodness."

"I'll release them in ten seconds."

"Good news, I've repaired the doors, and your lift had just arrived."

"It's about bloody time."

John's façade dropped the moment the shuttle had gone.

"Good riddance, what an awful man."

"My thoughts exactly EOS."

"I hope we never have to rescue him again."

That John considered highly unlikely, but you could always hope.