Feeling a bit down.

[Corsair]

[font=Times New Roman]Matthias and Jack were given separate living quarters, but they were still relatively near. They began working the day after they disembarked, and Matthias found that shipbuilding was harder than he gave credit for. He worked very closely with Jack, who turned out to be his supervisor. But Jack didn't just sit around and bark orders. He assisted with a lot of the physical labor, and often held the metal that Matthias was welding in place. They worked ten hour shifts and then spent fourteen hours off. Matthias and Jack would head to the shipyard's recreation room where the dirty workers could shower. There was one shower for his section of the shipyard, a large, central co-ed shower where metal spigots stuck out from the wall above your head. The floors and walls were white and cream-colored tile. The workers would strip down outside, toss their dirty clothes in the hamper and pad into the shower room. Naked men and women ignored each other for the most part, choosing instead to wash themselves in silence. Regardless, Matthias observed a wide variety of body types, some more attractive than others. When he had the energy, he made simple observations. Jannette, a woman who worked on engines, had bruises and scars on her sides and back that weren't caused by accidents. When he talked with Jannette, she always had a veil over her emotions. She smiled and spoke normally, but as a trained liar Matthias could see through it.

Jack was less appealing without clothes than Matthias had hoped. The supervisor had a strong, muscular build but his chest and arms were scarred and flabby from a poor diet and almost no aerobic exercise. And he didn't shave. Matthias almost considered dropping the romantic farce between them, but Jack was in the perfect position for Matthias to exploit. His access codes and trust could go a long way when it came time to plant the demolition charges; however, Jack would not work as a patsy. He simply had no motive, no prior experience with drastic loss or trauma. It simply wouldn't be believable.

Matthias turned his thoughts to Jannette. Out of all of the workers he had talked to, she seemed the most obvious to set up as a patsy. She was outwardly emotionally stable- but rigid. She's been through enough hardship to harden her exterior but with the right leverage her shell would fall and she could be blamed without anybody doubting her guilt. The hard part would be to get to be her confidant while still pursuing a relationship with Jack. It would have been easy if he'd had six months, not just eight weeks.

Matthias ducked his head back into the steaming water and felt the grime of the day was off him. He started slightly when he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Jack, holding some soap. Matthias smiled and nodded as Jack began to wash his back.

Everything was going according to plan. This was going to work.

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