From: THE SPECIALIST      
To: APPRENTICE          
Subject: ...close call  
Date & Time: 04/01/91 19:07:36
Message Number 14539

  The bar is a mess.  Here and there people are picking up the mess, 
but overall it is quite apparent the something went down here last 
night.   Across the room, a man dressed in a shabby robe jumps up and
points his finger at me...no, he holds his fist out to me.  I stand for
a moment, not quite sure what he is doing.  He stand like that, watching
me, and I wonder vaguely if I should return his strange salute.  Before
I can react, however, he has sat back down.   Across from him, a small
morph is trying to pay attention to what he says next..."...farmers...
buzz...buzz...buzz...Nazi...buzz"  I realize that I am eaves dropping,
and I put my ears back down.  I haven't moved yet.  A glance to the bar
reveals two other sailors, human types and the uniform they wear 
identifys thier ship and service.   If the captain knew that thier ship 
was here, there'd be a lot of planning and trashing going on...but I 
have no way to get word to the captain, and don't even know if I really 
feel that loyal to him anymore, anyway.  Most likely, the Chief has 
seen fit to escalate himself to my position.  I reach up and pull the 
epaulits from my shoulders...and toss them in a handy wastebasket.  
Looks like it's time to find a new ship.  I check in my pockets for 
money, and find enough to last me for a while.  I glance back up, the
man in the booth is still looking at me strangely.  I walk up to the
bar.
  "Some ale, if you please," I say to the bartendress.  "And something
for that man who saluted me over there.  He looks like he could use a
drink."