No Longer Classified as Human

3d 8h 14m 16s

Not a soul spoke. Each sat for what seemed to Curtix like hours. Each all too eager to accuse another of being a Martian yet too afraid to pay the price of being wrong. No one had any suggestions. Eventually, the voice came over the speakers announcing that it was time for the nighttime cycle aboard the dart and the regularly scheduled sleep time for human occupants. Presently, Clayton was speaking from the bottom bunk to Curtix above.

"I'm sorry for blaming you for what happened today," Clayton whispered. "I shouldn't have. It was an act of cowardice."

"Why'd you do it?" asked Curtix

"What? I don't know what you-"

"The only reason you're apologizing right now is because you know for certain I didn't do it. The only way you can know that is because you did it yourself."

"But I didn't. I swear!" Clayton's voice grew louder.

"I'm giving you five seconds to give me a plausible reason for me to believe you. Otherwise, I'm turning you over to Rachel. Five."

"I'm telling you I didn't do it!"

"Four," Curtix leaped down from his bunk and turned back toward Clayton. "You'd better come up with something better than that."

Clayton sprang from his bed with speed Curtix didn't know was possible. In an instant, Clayton was between him and the door. "Please don't do this. If you tell Rachel, she'll never believe I'm innocent. It doesn't matter what I tell her!"

"That's the idea. Three."

"Curtix, please. I'm begging you. You have to believe me."

"Two."

"Ok ok. I did it just keep your voice down and I can explain everything."

Curtix smirked, "I knew you'd come around. Now give me one good reason I shouldn't kill you right now, Martian."

Now it was Clayton's turn to smirk, "Come now Curtix. Let's not make false accusations. Also, we both know you won't do that."

"And why not?" Curtix was shocked how quickly Clayton had gone from desperately defending myself to a position of power in the conversation.

"Think about it. The others wake up to you standing over my corpse. What's more believable, that you figured out I was the Martian and denied to tell them until after the fact, or that you're the Martian and you're picking them off one by one."

Curtix relaxed. Clayton was right. They were at a stalemate.

"Now Curtix, I suggest you get back in bed and we forget any of this ever happened. And, in case you didn't know, Rachel is the Martian. Instead of going against each other, I suggest we start coming up with a plan to bring her into the light."