Part 81: INTERLUDE: NEWPORT ACADEMY - THE INQUEST

Har-Hi sat there motionless with and with expression as hard as stone. Wetmouth’s mask looked the same as ever. But her shaking shoulders told everyone she was crying. Elfi held her close; her thick black Saran style eye make-up she was always wearing had partially dissolved and ran in smears down her cheeks. Mao had his head buried between his fists and he too was crying. Hans held a wadded towel in his fists and his chin kept trembling whenever he looked at the Reagan trophy that stood before them on a low table.

Shaka appeared completely withdrawn and did not react to anything that went on around him. Cirruit stood in the back, his machine face completely incapable of emotions somehow looked endlessly sad, even to someone who never seen an X101 before.

Krabbel was all balled up, not even touching the ice cream someone had put on the table simply rocked back and forth.

They had seen Eric’s suit burn up as his suit failed and the ISAH pod on his back overloaded.

Har Hi had pressed them on, screamed and told them to win the damn trophy in honor of their friend for he knew that is what he would have wanted.

Har-Hi had rung the Academy bell and they all were escorted to this room.

Dent was more than annoyed that they had won, despite their loss and actually argued that only a full team should be able to win. Since there was no such rule in the conditions, Admiral Mc Elligott had handed them the trophy and Har-Hi could swear there were tears in the Old Mans eyes as he did.

The Admirals and the other high ranking Officers then retreated behind the door before they were sitting to make an official inquiry into the death of Midshipman Olafson.

Wetmouth whispered but they all heard it. “I can’t believe he is dead. I simply can’t”

Hans broke down again and cried bitterly.” I never heard of a Quasimodo fail in that way.”

Har-Hi drew the sacred knife of revenge, only to be drawn in case of the death of a close family member, and not to be put back into its scabbard until it drank the blood of the killer. “I don’t believe it was an accident, no matter what they come up with in there.”

Elfi sobbed.”What now? What are we going to do now?

None of her friends had an answer for her.