There was an observatory tucked away far above the ship's bridge, a tiny place where the navigator could get a star fix in an emergency, and the chief engineer could visually inspect thirty percent of the ship's hull. The observatory was hardly ever used and had become Molly's secret hideaway.
At the moment there was nothing to see since the ship was in hyperspace. Still, it was comforting to have a space of her own, where she could think and, if necessary, cry.
She sat on the circular bench, arms around her knees, and stared at the opposite bulkhead.
The headband was tight around her forehead, a constant reminder of Pong and what he could do to her.
The security officer had been a small man, with a shaved head and a walrus-style mustache. As he pulled the loyalty-band around Molly's head and locked it in place, he described how it would work.
"Most o' the time it ain't nuthin', just a headband like ya might wear to keep the hair outta your eyes. But ya try to take it off, or do somethun' the Pong don't like, and blamo! You're history.
"Yasee it's full o' OS-3, carefully shaped ta explode inward, liftin' the top of your head off, but keepin' everyone else neat and tidy! It all works off that ring on his right pinky."
The security officer thought he was doing Molly a favor, warning her so she wouldn't mess around with the band and get herself killed, but his lecture had given her regular nightmares.
Every time Molly went to sleep she had the same recurring dream.
It began as she stepped off a shuttle. She could see Mommy and Daddy on the far side of the landing pad. They were alive! Then she ran across the pad, shouting her happiness, waiting to feel their arms around her.
And then, when she was only feet away, something horrible would happen. She would see the bands around their heads, hear Pong laughing, and wake up crying.
It was horrible and caused her to stay awake as long as she could.
But if the headband was terrifying, it conferred benefits too. Molly was allowed to go anywhere she wanted. By order of Pong himself she was accorded the respect shown a junior officer.
She thought it was a joke at first, a strange way to tease her, but now she knew it was real.
On three different occasions she'd given orders and they'd been obeyed. It had been a thrill at first, to suddenly have power, but that feeling quickly disappeared. Now the power troubled her . . . and she didn't know what to do.
Her first impulse was to help the others, but thanks to their already improved circumstances, there wasn't much she could do.
Still, she did what she could, and was able to get them some nicer clothes and holo cubes.
The girls seemed to appreciate Molly's efforts at first, until Lia told them she was a spy, and they turned against her. Now they wouldn't even talk to her.
And that had led to a strange and disturbing encounter. During each twenty-six-hour cycle it was Pong's wish that she spend two hours with him.
Molly didn't see the point of this, because he spent most of the time working and rarely even spoke to her. But her presence seemed to give him pleasure, and Molly had no choice in the matter, so that's how it was.
This particular cycle Pong decided to inspect the ship, an activity he usually left to others, but sometimes did himself.
So with Molly at his side, and the Melcetian mind slug riding his shoulder, Pong started in the bow and worked his way toward the stern.
Most of the inspection was a long succession of worried-looking faces, boring conversation, and trips into odd nooks and crannies.
Molly spent most of the time eyeing the signet ring on Pong's little finger. The ring that gave him the power of life and death over her.
But then something strange happened. They were walking down one of the ship's main corridors when they encountered Lia. She was on hands and knees, polishing the long metal strip that ran along the point where bulkhead met deck. There was no one else in sight.
Later, Molly would wonder how Lia came to be in that particular place at that particular time, and why Pong would know her name. But it seemed natural at the time and she accepted it.
Pong stopped. Lia looked frightened and polished twice as fast as she had before.
"So," Pong said, "this is Lia."
Molly looked from Lia to Pong. What was he doing? Why the sudden interest in Lia? Did it have anything to do with her?
"Correct me if I'm wrong, child," Pong said thoughtfully, "but Lia's the one who turned you in. Not only that, she did so without any knowledge of what the consequences might be. For all Lia knew, I might torture you or have you killed."
Molly struggled for an answer. Pong knew Lia had ratted on her, so why ask the question? And given the fact that Lia had acted without any thought for the possible consequences, why protect her? Emotions surged. Come to think of it, Lia was still doing everything she could to isolate Molly and make her life miserable.
Still, to confirm Lia's guilt seemed disloyal somehow so Molly said nothing.
Pong nodded, as if he understood exactly what had passed through Molly's mind.
"Loyalty. A fine quality when deserved. But ask yourself the following question. Does Lia deserve your loyalty? What would she say if your positions were reversed?"
Molly had a pretty good idea what the answer to that was. Lia would condemn her without a second's thought.
Lia knew too, and had forgotten to work, staring upward in abject terror. Her eyes pleaded for mercy.
"Right," Pong said as if Molly had spoken. "She would betray you in a second. Not just now, but later too if she gets the chance. She's jealous of you, and wants to dominate the other girls.
"So, here's the problem. Should you forgive her? Knowing that she'll betray you if given the chance? Or kill her, and remove the threat?"
Lia made a mewing noise and started to back away.
Molly felt resentment bubble up from deep inside her, resentment at what Lia had done, would do if she got the chance.
Molly's emotions demanded one thing, and her mind another. Her mind won. "No, killing Lia would be wrong."
Pong nodded agreeably. "I understand, and might agree if you were home, dealing with childish squabbles.
"But remember, child, you aren't home anymore. It's unlikely that you'll ever see your mother and father again. I know what that's like . . . I too lost my parents at an early age.
"So the decision is up to you. What do you want of life? What it gives you, or what you can take? Will you be victim or victor? The choice is yours. Just say the word, and Lia will die."
And with that Pong had continued on his way, running a finger along a piece of conduit looking for dust, whistling through his teeth.
Molly had followed, looking backward over her shoulder at a terrified Lia, not knowing what to do or say.
And now Molly felt horrible, because she knew that for one brief moment, Lia had been very close to death.