The seven FOGmen who were still alive barricaded themselves in a landing bay. After making a loud show of beating down the tunnel door, the AWOL rebels left two men to watch it and slunk back to the Hokudo Maru’s landing bay.

“Who are you people?” Ishikawa wondered, looking them over.

They shifted uneasily. “That makes no sense, sir. We’re your crew.”

“I don’t think so,” Ishikawa said, hands on his hips. “My crew is in the City, identifying the bodies of their wives and children and decontaminating.”. He closed his eyes for an instant and thought; Shigecko. He was about to fly apart like a wet clay pot that’s spun too fast; but not while disciplining his men. “Now I’ll have to ask you to leave the port. This is a combat zone and I can’t be responsible for your safety.”

“What do we have to do, sir?” One asked.

“Ask Reyes if he’ll reenlist you. He’s in the baggage room. The door seems to be broken; we could only raise it two feet from the floor.”