It was either early the next morning or late that night. Whichever way you looked at it, it was still not a good time to be awake. Rimmer and Lister stood moodily in the engine room, their arms folded across their chests.
Holly was on the screen behind them in a nightcap, looking tired and bored.
Rimmer gave Lister a look. Somehow, he was a lot less angry with Lister than he should have been, "What were you thinking?" he asked with a suppressed sigh.
The Scouser, practically head-to-foot in engine grease, what with the streaks of it up his trousers, the stains on his shirt and the smears of it on his arms, hands and face, sighed in return and threw a spanner into the toolbox.
"It was an accident," he said, "How was I supposed to know we hadn't fixed them properly…"
Rimmer shook his head and paced the floor, one hand holding his chin, a slender finger to his lips, "Lister," he began, "I wouldn't mind half as much if it wasn't for the fact that it's the middle of the night…"
Lister sighed and sat down, "Look, I'm sorry, okay? It's just I can hear that smeggin' storm an' it's remindin' me of what happened…I just wanted to get off the planet is all…"
Rimmer rubbed his face exasperatedly, and regretted the action as he smeared grease on his face and guessed that he probably looked like he was wearing war paint, "Well, let's hope we've fixed them right this time…" he rubbed his lower back; this malarkey had made it start hurting all over again, just when it had started to lessen.
At that moment, Kryten appeared in the doorway, "Sirs, might I just ask what you are doing? You look like a bad re-enactment of the Blue Man Group,"
"Hey, what are all you crazy monkeys playing at?" The Cat yowled, stalking into the room in a red and gold padded dressing gown, "I'm trying to sleep!"
"Aren't we all," Holly said, "You guys have got more rabbit than the entire Sainsbury's Branch,"
"Mr Lister Sir," Kryten fussed, "I suggest you take a shower at once! I've left fresh towels for you in the shower room,"
"Er, I hope you've done some for me too Kryten," Rimmer said, regarding the mechanoid with slight disdain.
"You can use them after Mr Lister, Sir," Kryten said, giving his silent laugh as he turned to leave the room.
"Don't think I didn't see that Kryten!" Rimmer snapped.
"Right, I'm off for me nice, hot, shower," Lister said, rubbing his hands in anticipation and surprising his own self at his eagerness for a wash, "Can't remember the last time I had one o' those,"
"I can," Holly said, "It was your birthday. Nearly a year ago now,"
Rimmer made a face.
"Holly, it weren't that long ago man!" Lister protested.
"Wish I could have a shower," Holly moped, "But I ain't got no body,"
Rimmer rolled his eyes and looked around at the various tools strewn around the engine room, "Right, I suppose 'muggings' here will have to clear up this mess because no-one else is going to bother…" he gave Cat a disregarding look, "Are you going to make yourself of some use and help me?"
"Me?" the Cat gave the hologram a look, "Are you crazy? I'm wearing my best night clothes!" he stalked out of the room.
"Thanks a bunch," Rimmer sighed, making a face behind his back.
"Arnold, Dave's finished his shower," Holly said a while later, "You can have yours now, and perhaps I can finally get some kip,"
Rimmer yawned and sighed. He had been lying on the floor, almost asleep; he had finished tidying up ages ago and spent the rest of the time waiting for Lister to hurry up. He struggled up, his back now even worse, and dragged himself off to the shower room.
When Rimmer returned, he found Lister sprawled out in his bunk fast asleep, lager can still in his hand. Rimmer sighed, and gently prised it out so as not to wake him, because he was obviously having a good dream by the smile on his face.
"Sweet dreams Listy…" Rimmer murmured, as he crawled into his own bunk.
They gathered in the cockpit after breakfast the next morning, to discuss the final stage in their plan.
"There won't be too much bother with digging Starbug out of the snow will there?" Rimmer said for confirmation, "I mean we can clear it on takeoff?"
"Yeh," Lister replied.
"I can assure you it will be fine Sirs," Kryten added.
Holly appeared on the screen, "Alright dudes? Cor, it's a bit like the A-Team this, ennit?"
"What," Rimmer replied, "A hologram that needs courage, a human that wants to go home, a mechanoid who wants a heart and a Cat that needs a brain? I'd say we were more like The Wizard of Oz,"
"Come on guys, this is it," Lister rubbed his hands together.
"Men, resume your positions," Rimmer ordered haughtily.
"We're looking good bud," Cat grinned.
"Brutal man, hit the retros," Lister replied, checking the panels.
"Sirs," Kryten began, "I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but we still have a slight problem,"
Rimmer rolled his eyes and gave Kryten a look, "You just had to say it didn't you? You couldn't let us have five minutes of glory…"
"Well Sir…" Kryten grimaced, "I…"
"What a total, total killjoy-"
Lister looked behind him, "Alright Rimmer man, leave it out, he's only tellin' us the truth. It's no point us gettin' all happy-clappy yet-"
"Says the man that's always happy-clappy?" Rimmer instantly regretted the words the second they left his mouth, as did Kryten, Holly and the Cat.
Lister frowned, "Look don't start-"
"I'm not starting anything Lister!"
"Sirs, now let's not fight, hm?" Kryten attempted.
"We're not fighting Kryten," Rimmer said through clenched teeth, "We're merely having a discussion,"
"No," Lister shook his head, then leaned out of his seat to look at Rimmer squarely, "We're not smeggin' havin' one; you know what'll happen. I'm not sayin' another word man,"
"Will you guys keep quiet?" The Cat snapped, "You're distracting the driver!"
"All I was trying to say Sirs," Kryten sighed, "Is that we should shut off all unnecessary systems so we have silent running, just in case there is something still following us. After all, whatever it was may still have got the data it needed even though the tracking device exploded,"
"Fine," Lister replied.
Later, Kryten left to prepare lunch, and the Cat was left in the awkward atmosphere.
"Man," he made a face, "I'm going for a nap! Switching to autopilot…" he sprang from his seat and slunk down into the midsection.
Lister stared ahead through the screen.
"…Lister…" Rimmer muttered.
"Not even a day… still, this long's a record for us eh?"
"It was my fault again. I'm sorry I'm a git,"
Lister spun his seat around to face Rimmer, "Why'd you always put yerself down? You'd probably be a bit more cheery if ya stopped that,"
"…"
"I think ya spend so much time thinking that yer a smegger or smeg knows what else that you don't realise the people that like ya,"
Rimmer looked at his boots, "Well that's because no-one ever has, I mean not really, not as much as- as…"
"Sirs," Kryten waddled into the room, "Supper is ready!"
Lister jumped up from his seat, and Rimmer stood too.
"Not as much as who…?" Lister asked Rimmer before he moved to follow the mechanoid.
The hologram shook his head, "Doesn't matter…"
Lister smiled to show that he hoped they were still in a truce, "What d'you think Krytie's made us eh? Are ya scared?"
Rimmer smiled slightly in return and made a long-suffering face.
They both laughed.
"C'mon Smeghead,"
The Cat was irritable all through lunch, and by the end of it was more than a little bit smegged off.
"What's wrong wi' you?" Lister asked.
The Cat frowned, "Something's not right…"
"What's not right?" Rimmer asked, as Kryten cleaned the table.
"I don't know, but something's wrong…" Cat growled, moving from the table to stalk around the midsection.
Lister stood too, feeling slightly on edge, and Rimmer stood so as not to be the only one sitting at the table.
Cat growled.
"Sirs?" Kryten joined them.
There was suddenly a very eerie atmosphere. Cat continued to growl and look around.
Lister felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, "Cat man…" he laughed nervously, "Stop freakin' us all out man…"
"I can smell that smell again!" Cat sprang into the cockpit and checked the screens, "It's real close!"
Holly appeared on the screen, "There's nothing out there dudes…"
"I'm telling you bud!" Cat hissed, "It's even closer now!"
Rimmer froze suddenly, the hologramatic equivalent of his blood turning to ice in his veins. The others were too busy checking scans and screens to notice.
Rimmer had heard a voice say his name, as clearly as if it was standing right beside him.