He doesn't need anything- except to live his own way without others hindering him. All he wants to do is live and be left alone and in this one thing ... think I can help.I asked him this morning how long before he would consider my training complete, he just laughed and replied that he "would see". I feel within myself that I am ready and I will talk it over with him tonight after his medicinal scotch when he will be little more tractable. Just before I go to bed with my fingers for company,. Despite that I couldn’t wait for rest periods to be over so I could be back on the bridge. This was real. No test, no school, not a simulation but a real ship in real space and real consequences.After we had visited the Vanderstraat Nebulae we got orders to patrol a region known for its Shiss raider activity. Escort a convoy of sensitive materials to Sares and then took part in a life fire exercise with the rest of the 41st fleet the Hyperion was part of.It was according to Zezzh, routine. They paused for a while. Grigori released Alexandra from her cuffs and, after she had rubbed the numbness from her wrists, ordered her to bring ice and serve bottles of mineral water. She hurried to and fro, déshabillé and debauched. Marie-Claude lifted her head from the table when Grigori forced an ice cube into her arsehole.“Merci” she breathed, trembling. He unfastened the leather cuffs that held her thighs chained to the table-legs and made her kneel on the top with her head almost between. . except twice ... three times ... I get in trouble.“It’s the ringing in my ears, Doc. I keep trying to answer it.” That didn’t help one single bit.Instantly, he said, “Mr. Austin, we’d like to keep you for a few days ... observation.” He turned to Wendy, “Mrs. Austin, would you agree to ... oh ... say ... three days?”Wendy swiftly nodded ... any harder and her head would break off.Shit!“She’s not my wife!”“How about five days?” said the doc.Wendy grinned.“Five days it is,” agreed the doc.“How.