Daith left her quarters, determined to shift her focus from her frustration with Dru. She knew from the schematics the ship had five floors—one above her and three below. Since she didn’t have the desire to run into Dru downstairs near his quarters, she headed up a floor instead. Dr. Ludd had always been kind to her and right now she could use some of that kindness.
“Why hello, Miss Tocc!” Dr. Ludd said when she strolled into his office. “What brings you here? Nothing wrong, I hope.”
“Not at all,” Daith said before he could ask her a dozen questions. “I thought I’d stretch my legs.”
“If you’re bored, you can always go to one of the simulation rooms. There are some fascinating programs available.”
Daith thought of all the work she’d been doing there. Somehow, the simulation rooms didn’t sound relaxing. “I think I need a break from those for today.”
Dr. Ludd rested his mushy pink chin on his flipper. “Tough session?”
Daith rolled her eyes. “To say the least. I failed miserably. And Dru completely dismissed me like I was only his patient and not....”
And not what?
“And not,” she continued, “like someone with feelings. He seemed distracted and I can tell he’s keeping something from me, like Trey, and—” Daith shut her mouth. What if Dr. Ludd told Trey she was complaining? She would seem so ungrateful after he’d saved her life. And what if Dru found out she was talking behind his back? Would he stop his work with her?
“Don’t worry,” Dr. Ludd said. “I won’t tell either of them.”
Daith breathed a mental sigh of relief. She took a seat in the plush, green chair in front of his desk when he gestured for her to sit. The cushion molded to her body, as the chair had done when she’d gone out to dinner with Dru. Daith pushed the pleasant memory from her mind, wanting to remain angry with him.
“Besides,” Dr. Ludd continued, “your irritation with Commander Xiven is completely warranted, as is your annoyance with his brother. Both of them have offered you little information and in return they ask for complete trust and unquestioning obedience, which of course is completely unfair to anyone, but especially someone vulnerable like you; not meaning you’re incapable of handling yourself, but without your memories you have nothing to fall back on.”
Daith felt stunned.
Dr. Ludd gently flapped the back of her hand with his flipper. “First and foremost, I’m your doctor, not their employee.”
“How did you know I felt all that?”
A gurgle resembling a laugh resonated in Dr. Ludd’s throat. “I’m the physician on this ship. I know the moods, habits, and medical history of every member of the crew. And I’ve dealt with memory loss patients before.
“It seemed pretty obvious to me,” Dr. Ludd went on, “you would begin to get irritated at not knowing any more about yourself, nor having access to anything to give you information, and on top of that, I’m sure you feel as though you’re being treated like a child, constantly being told what to do and when to do it.”
“Amazing. And it’s refreshing to have someone be straightforward with me for a change,” she said, probing.
Dr. Ludd didn’t take the bait. “Please don’t expect me to tell you things Commander Xiven hasn’t because it’s not my place to divulge things he doesn’t think you should know. I am in charge of your healthcare, not Commander Xiven’s goals. But—!” Dr. Ludd said quickly before Daith could protest, “there are many things I can tell you. And since you seem keen on stretching your legs, have you toured the ship yet? I’d love to take you around, although I don’t have legs of my own to stretch, so to speak,” he joked, wobbling deliberately on his gravlift.
Daith smiled, her headache dissipating. “Sounds wonderful. I haven’t exactly had crewmembers begging to be my friends. In fact, most of them seem intent on avoiding me at all costs.”
“This crew has been through a lot. They have reasons not to trust. But that is not your fault, nor should they treat you as if it is.”
As the two of them left his office, Daith told the doctor she’d explored her floor with the mess hall and the one below her with the simulation rooms and meeting rooms.
“Oh good,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “You’ve left me with the interesting decks. In fact, let’s head all the way downstairs to the first level and start with Engineering.”
They reached the engineering bay, which sat in the center of the first floor. The large door slid open and Dr. Ludd introduced Daith to Chief Engineer Byot. He was about a head shorter than her and his ashen skin matched his white hair.
“Welcome, welcome, to the cave of wonders,” Byot said. The room’s floor opened like a concave bubble, with the floor carved out below them. The ceiling hung just above their heads. They headed down a ramp toward the center of the floor, which glowed amber. “Well, more like a cave of loud machinery.”
Daith laughed and craned her neck, peering around. Dark coppery walls surrounded them, smooth and shiny. Bundles of black wires snaked their way across the sleekness, winding down into the ship’s belly below them. Blue electrical currents sparked where panels had been removed for repairs. “I bet you know every nut and bolt in this place.”
“Actually, I got promoted a few days ago, so I’m a bit new to the whole ‘Chief’ thing, but I’m getting the hang of it.” He turned toward Dr. Ludd. “It appears you are having a few difficulties yourself.”
Dr. Ludd struggled in the doorway with his gravlift, desperately trying to keep his balance.
“Too many currents all at once, I suppose, not that you aren’t keeping things in tip top shape, of course, I just mean—”
“I understand,” Byot said, interrupting. “I have no problem giving Daith a quick once over of our engines if you want to wait outside?”
“I’d be grateful.” Dr. Ludd turned abruptly. His left side slid off the edge of the seat, but he managed to shift sideways as he floated from the room.
“He’s definitely a character,” Byot said. “But he’s an amazing doctor. Although he couldn’t be anything else.”
“What do you mean?” Daith asked. She raised her voice to be heard over the humming-chunk noise of the machinery.
Byot continued down the ramp. “I don’t know the exact details, but I guess on his homeworld, he knew he would be a doctor from the day he was born, or I guess concocted? I don’t know if it’s a genetic thing or what, but I guess he can’t be anything else. You’d have to ask him for specifics, but whatever way you slice it, he’s a great doctor.”
Byot gestured for Daith to follow him. Relief washed over her at how comfortable he seemed around her. She hated everyone tiptoeing around her, making up excuses to avoid her, changing directions when they recognized her in the corridors.
Byot stopped in front of her, at the edge of a large, circular pool. “This is what we call the Engineering Bubble. And these,” Byot said, motioning toward two long, spiraled machines on either side of the pool, “are our engines. I call them Bola and Bida, which are the names of my two daughters back home, and boy, they sure do act like them. Bola always needs more silari gel and Bida—”
“More what gel?” Daith interrupted.
“Silari.”
“What is that?”
Byot indicated she should lean her head over the side of the railing next to the first engine. A deep pool, at the lowest point of the bubble, glowed a rusty orange. The substance rippled in a seemingly random pattern, quivering from the motions of the ship. Long tubes carried the gel into the spiraled engines, casting the amber hue to the underside of the mechanical beasts. The edges of the pool were overhung with huge roots. Sap bled into the container from two large, violet-orange trees towering behind the engines.
“So what does the gel do?”
“Fuels the engines,” Byot answered. “It’s a fairly new discovery—only about fifty standard years old. This ship was one of the first designed to use it. The gel is processed from Silari trees, grown on Sintaur. T
his fuel is what gives us the ability to travel the distances between planets a thousand times faster than normal space travel, even without a TimeSphere.
“The trees have been protected ever since, but the Allied Planets have decided to attempt growing Silari in other places and see if they’ll flourish, so this gel can be used more often.”
“Is that what the aroma is?”
“Yep,” Byot said, inhaling deeply. “Sort of a nutty, wet-dirt smell. It’s the best smelling engineering section I’ve ever worked in, I can guarantee you.” Byot hummed a sigh. “You know, I used to hate space travel—all recycled air. It got to me. I always felt so closed in, surrounded by machines. But this room?” He took in another deep breath. “It’s alive, you know?”
Daith nodded. Even though she’d been in several simulations, there was something different about the reality of two beautiful, living trees.
Byot and Daith made their way back to the main door so she could exit.
“If you don’t mind my asking,” Byot said before Daith could leave, “how are you doing here?”
Daith’s heart felt close to bursting. Someone actually cared about her. And not a doctor. A myriad of thoughts whirled through Daith’s mind. She wanted to tell him everything, open up about all her problems, her worries about the crew, but she bit her tongue. She thought it best not to have their first real conversation be a mass of complaints. “Fine, I suppose.”
“Well, I can’t say I know everything you’re going through, but if you ever want to take a break, feel free to come and visit.”
Daith blinked back her tears. Byot could never understand how much those few words meant to her.
“Thanks, Chief. I appreciate that. Although, truth be told, I don’t know how long I’ll be on this ship.” She hesitated, but the words spilled out. “Dru and Trey have been wonderful, but if they can’t help me get my memories back, I’ll think I’ll go back home. Even though my house was destroyed and my family killed, maybe I can find something or someone to tell me who I am.”
“Then you’re not staying to help us?”
Daith’s eyebrows rose. “Help you? With what?”
Byot jerked his knobby fingers through his short, white hair. “Oh. I guess I heard wrong. Forget I said anything.”
Before Daith could protest, the door opened, where Dr. Ludd waited on the other side.
“Enjoy the rest of your tour.” The door closed.
Daith stood for a moment, incensed. Did that really happen? She’d finally felt she’d met a crewmember willing to talk to her and then he closed off, too? What was with this place?
“Are you ready to continue with our tour?” Dr. Ludd asked.
“Yeah. Sure. Whatever.” The two of them circled around Engineering, but Daith’s attention wandered. They visited the cargo holds, which were mostly empty. Single-pilot and four-passenger shuttles occupied the shuttle bays. Since Daith didn’t understand half the technical jargon Dr. Ludd explained to her, she simply felt more irked.
The two of them left the first level and made their way up to the second. They began with the bridge, located in the center. Daith watched surprise cross the faces of everyone there, except Lieutenant Koye, who scowled.
“Doctor Ludd and Daith Tocc, why are you on the bridge?” Koye demanded.
“I am giving Miss Tocc a tour. Would our presence be too much of an inconvenience if I show her around?”
Koye eyed Daith suspiciously, but made no protest. His was not the only gaze Daith felt follow her around the room.
“Ignore them,” Dr. Ludd whispered. “They aren’t used to civilians, especially on the bridge.”
“Sure. I bet that’s the reason.” She noticed the red-haired, bronze-skinned woman at the piloting console—the one who’d snubbed her in the mess hall.
Dr. Ludd pointed out consoles which controlled different aspects of the ship: weapons, engines, navigation, shields, and communications. He then indicated the six screens in front of the center chair.
“Each of these screens connect to six different transmitters on the outside of the ship; one on the bottom, outside of engineering, one on each of the four ends of the third level, and one above the fifth level, which I’ll show you when we get up there.”
“You are taking her to the observatory? But wouldn’t you have to go through the—restricted area?” Lieutenant Koye asked. This was the first time Daith had ever heard the Lieutenant falter with his words.
“I plan to use the side access tunnel, Lieutenant. Don’t worry.” Dr. Ludd said.
Another restricted area? What a surprise.
Dr. Ludd continued explaining the six screens. “Each screen receives a one-hundred-and-eighty degree view of space from its transmitter. The advantage of this is the ship doesn’t have to reorient itself when at a new arrival point. Most of our dealings are in the vacuum of space so there’s no need for an aerodynamic ship. When we have any dealings planetside, we take a shuttle.”
“Uh-huh.”
Dr. Ludd must have noticed her lack of interest. He stopped talking and led her off the bridge. They moved quickly past Armories A and B, since Dr. Ludd didn’t have security clearance to access the rooms. They made their way around the bend and came upon Trey’s office. Daith rang the chime, but no one answered so they moved on.
Since Daith had previously explored the third and fourth levels, the two of them made their way up to the fifth. Daith assumed they would start with the center room again, but was surprised when Dr. Ludd started at the medical wing and worked his way around, skipping the center.
“These sections are Holding Blocks A and B and the ones on the other side of the center are Holding Blocks C and D. These are our prison cells and they hold one hundred individuals per Block. Each cell is half the size of your quarters so the section can accommodate twice as many individuals. The ship holds a compliment of four hundred crewmembers, but we are also capable of carrying four hundred prisoners. Of course, all the cells are vacant right now since adding extra guard duties on top of everything else would be impossible.”
Holding cells? Prisoners? What kind of ship is this?
“We’ve never filled all the cells at once,” Dr. Ludd rambled on, “although at one point we carried over two hundred and fifty prisoners. The noise was so obnoxious up here I could hardly keep my patients resting. Honestly! Whoever built this ship lacked a medical degree, I can assure you, but I suppose if they did capture someone and that someone sustained an injury, the easiest thing would be to treat them and then move them quickly to a cell on the same floor, instead of transferring them to another part of the ship. I suppose that’s why they put the center room up here, too. Easier for me to go in and work on someone and then transport them to the medical wing, claiming illness or injury, than to move them about through the ship and have other crewmembers ask questions. But still, I could have used all the space in the center for my own equipment, instead of the monstrosity they set up in there.”
“What is in the center room?” Daith asked.
Dr. Ludd whipped his head around, tottering on his lift. “What? Oh! Nothing. Nothing at all. Just ah—cargo space.”
Daith clenched her teeth. “I should have figured. Probably something you can’t tell me about, right?”
“Of course not! It’s cargo space. I would show you, but I don’t have access. Remember, Lieutenant Koye said it was restricted.”
Daith glared at the doctor. “If you can’t tell me what’s in there, fine. But don’t lie to me.”
“I’m not lying,” Dr. Ludd said softly.
“And I am not stupid. You just finished telling me you have gone into that room, worked on someone, and then transported them to the medical wing. So you obviously have access and it’s obviously not cargo space. Stop treating me like some kind of naive child!” Daith’s hands flew to her head. Pain pounded inside her skull. She squeezed her scalp to try and muffle the sound.
“I’m sorry,” he told her, his voice trembling. “And
you are absolutely right. I should have been honest with you.” He paused when she let out a ragged breath. “Are you all right?”
Daith’s trembling hands moved to cover her face. She felt so embarrassed, having blown up at the doctor when he’d been so nice to show her around the ship. She slid her hands away to apologize, when Dr. Ludd’s expression made her stop.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Your nose is bleeding.”
Daith brushed her fingers across her face. They came away bloody.
Dr. Ludd got her to his office and gave her something bitter to drink. By the time the flow of blood had stopped, Daith had gone from slightly embarrassed to completely humiliated. Dr. Ludd suggested taking a break from her sessions with Dru for a day.
At first Daith wanted to tell him she felt fine, but truthfully a break sounded wonderful. Once she returned to her quarters, drowsiness hit her. She had meant to go see Dru and tell him Dr. Ludd ordered to take tomorrow off, but the thought of making her way down another floor to his office sounded unbearable. Instead, she popped one of the pills from her small vial and slid into bed.
Chapter 21
“Come in!” Trey barked at the door chime. He forced his balled-up hands to relax. Dr. Ludd’s bulbous figure floated through his office door.
“You wanted to see me, Commander?” Dr. Ludd asked. He maneuvered his gravlift next to the chair across from the commander’s desk.
“Yes, Doctor. I wondered why you thought taking Miss Tocc on an unauthorized tour of my ship was appropriate.” Trey’s words held an icy tone.
Dr. Ludd cleared his saggy throat. “Miss Tocc approached my office, Commander, and seemed distraught. She felt considerably bored and troubled by the lack of progress in some of her sessions. I realized some of this irritability could be a side effect of the dream-deflector pills and since she’d already explored part of the ship on her own, I believed a supervised tour would be a better alternative. I didn’t want to call for your permission because Miss Tocc was waiting, and it would have damaged the concept of trust if she felt she had to ask to investigate the ship. We even stopped at your office to see if you were in—”
Eomix Galaxy Books: Illusion Page 14