Terry, this is brilliant as usual. I love the way you string words together, like this:
"Here's your badge. You are now fully authorized to snoop where you're not wanted, poke your nose into other people's business, and make a general nuisance of yourself in the pursuit of your duties."
Please note, people, how incredibly satisfying it is read this passage aloud and listen to the sound of the deliciously arranged vowels and consonants. Listen to the allitteration of the recurring p's, and note how words placed closed to one another tend to repeat each other's vowel sounds, which is a trick called assonance. But not only does this sentence sound like poetry, it's so darn funny, too!
And it's Karen - dear old Major Vukovich - who utters these mellifluous sounds. I don't trust her, Terry, uh-uh! Particularly not after she made Lois swear she'd obey
the lawful orders of the officers assigned to said law enforcement and security division
- which is to say, Lois has just sworn to obey Major Vukovich, probably no matter what.
Ah, well, but at least Major Vukovich is sufficiently ambiguous and richly-textured to be a very satisfying and interesting villain, if a villain is what she is. There are other possible whodunnits, you know, because you've really created such a fantastic gallery of idiosyncratic suspects! That Lana gym instructor had me rolling on the floor in the previous part, the resident Amazon, as she is called here. And there's Mark Wayne, of course, the poor guy whose girlfriend committed suicide because of Claude. He misses her so terribly, and this line actually choked me up a little:
"Fourteen weeks, three days, six hours since he killed her."
And the way Mark Wayne feels about Claude is neatly summed up in this sentence:
"You're defending that sorry excuse for a non-sentient life form?"
And then there's the Louisiana woman who calls Major Vukovich a pig (and a honey) and who speaks that inimitable Cajun variety of the English language:
Hey, honey, I done told you I don't know where she be!
(Remind me not to let you hear me speak English with a Swedish accent, OK?)
And there's Maria Zimmerman, née Gomez, the mousy brunette lawyer, and her new young husband, Ben Zimmerman, the twentysomething rather naive boy who looks unimpressive in a towel. I actually found it quite touching the way this somewhat unlikely couple were still so right for one another and seemingly so much in love:
by the time I'd entered law school I'd convinced myself that I was too plain and undesirable for any man."
"I don't think so!" Ben interjected. "I think you're beautiful, Maria!"
Awww.... And then listen to this:
Lois nodded shortly. "And you, Mrs. Zimmerman."
To Lois's surprise, the woman beamed. "Yes, I am, am I not? It is quite wonderful to hear myself addressed in that fashion. Thank you. I believe you are the first to call me 'Mrs. Zimmerman.'"
Awww....!!!! (melts) Terry, don't let these two lovebirds be the murderers, OK?
And then that Claude....!!!! Honestly, I knew he was a swine, but this exceeds my worst expectations. After Maria tells Lois and Katrina how she had sex with Claude absolutely all over the space station, she adds:
For some reason, he was convinced that our behavior was the norm on the station.
Yeah, I'll bet it was - where Claude was part of the action! Honestly, you send that slime of a low-life Casanova to the space station, have him seduce all the women there (though I actually don't understand how they'd all fall for him, Terry), have him make them couple with him like bunny rabbits in a sex-crazed heat, and then you make him write a book about what behavior is the norm on the space station?
And, Terry, you say his name is - well, was - Claude Guilliot. Obviously I'm anything but an expert on the L&C TV show, but I really, really thought that his name was DuBois. Guilliot, eh? Are you sure about that, or have you just invented that name for your story because it's ominous-sounding and reminds one of the word "guillotine"?
Ah, but there's that Karen again. Always that Karen! She gets upset when she realizes she and Lois will have to contact Clark again! I'm willing to bet she doesn't want Lois to talk to Clark! ARRGGHH! I don't trust that Major Vukovich, not for a moment!
Ah... but you know, Terry, I think that is probably the only thing that is missing from your story - a bit of Lois and Clark interaction! Well, there are still five parts to go, so I'm counting on you to supply that before this ride is over. Meanwhile, I'm definitely happy to savour all the great space station stuff, the wonderful gallery of characters, the incredible, snappy, every-line's-a-quote dialogue, the splendid portrait of Lois, and your amazing, graceful command of the English language!
Ann
Darn! Sorry! This reply ended up in the wrong place. Might any of you mighty moderators put it in its proper place, please?
LabRat: Reason for edit - sorry, Ann, missed a few of those quotes after I moved the post. I have to resurrect them manually, along with any emoticons because they don't transfer. So took a few edits before I got them all. <g> 
