still recall Dobrynin and Orlov, which is encouraging. Hopefully everyone else made it through safely this time, and we have no more business for you with the engineers. Lenkov was more than enough.”
“Lenkov… That’s twice you mention him now. Well he hasn’t been in either. Last I heard of him he was down in the galley complaining again. That man rattles his pots and pans like a woman. Do you know, the crew tells me he has a little scheme going on down there—something about trading cigarettes for extra portions in the mess hall. I’ll have to speak with him. Someone should tell him cigarettes are bad for his health. Then again, some of the men say his soup is bad for your health too, so perhaps he’s making an even trade.” Zolkin smiled, pleased with his quip, but the look on Fedorov’s face now gave him pause.
“Something wrong again, Mister Fedorov? Has the dizziness and nausea returned?”
“No… I’m quite fine, but Doctor… I realize that affair with Lenkov was very difficult, but you and I both know Lenkov isn’t smoking cigarettes any longer.”
“Oh? Then perhaps he has wised up. Or maybe Orlov knocked some sense into him, which is more than likely.”
“Doctor Zolkin…” Fedorov was caught off guard, suddenly thinking Zolkin’s memory must have been affected after all.
Now Zolkin’s eyes narrowed. “Why do I get the feeling that you are sitting there examining me, Mister Fedorov? I’m the Doctor here, and you’re starting to sound just a little confused. Are you certain there is no further dizziness?”
Fedorov blinked, a strange unsettling feeling sweeping over him that was not nausea or dizziness. Something was wrong here. He could feel it. Zolkin seems to have forgotten all about Lenkov! I can see how he might wish to get that out of his mind, but still… He clearly remembers Dobrynin and Orlov. And yet… The way he’s been speaking of them… It was as if he thought they were still aboard—Lenkov too. Could that be so.?Was it just a phasing issue?
“Lenkov,” he said. “Don’t you remember him? And Orlov… When was the last time you saw him?”
“He checks in every morning to see the shift assignments are in order, Fedorov. You know the Chief’s work as well as I do. His nose is everywhere.”
“Are you saying he checked in here this morning?”
“As usual. What of it?”
“Did he say anything? Did he report any odd effects?”
“No, he seemed his old surly self. That man always seems to have a headache that no medicine can cure, and of course he takes it out on everyone else.”
So Orlov was here before he went to the bridge. Now Fedorov remembered the compass that Orlov had given him, and he reached into his pocket to find it had finally settled down, its fitful spinning stilled, which gave him heart. The ship may have settled with it, and the crew as well. Perhaps the shift they initiated had helped them to sync properly this time, but where were they now?
Looking at that compass, he realized they should have done something to acknowledge the loss of the man, as they did with Lenkov. Yes, there was no body they could wrap in a flag and commit to the sea, but perhaps a ceremony of some kind would be appropriate.
“We might want to do something for Orlov and Dobrynin,” he said glumly. As difficult as Orlov was, he had a great deal to do with the running of this ship. The men may not ever have warmed to him, but they respected him. I think another ceremony might be in order.”
“Ceremony? What, Fedorov? Don’t tell me it’s Orlov’s birthday. What are you talking about?”
Fedorov gave the doctor a long look, his hopes sinking for a moment. What was going on here? Zolkin clearly seems to be suffering the memory lapse. He remembers some things, forgets others. My god, he thought. This could be happening all over the ship! It could be affecting every man aboard, myself included. I have no way of really knowing if I’ve forgotten anyone else. It took Nikolin to help me even remember Tasarov, a man I served with on the bridge every day. So yes, the Doctor would not be immune to any of these effects either. I had better find out if anyone else is suffering memory loss. It could be getting progressively worse. If you can get to someone early on after the shift, and jog their memory, things might be saved. But