Shen Ark: Departure

One of her nurses held up the weapon.

  “Oh, just a sword,” said Dr. Li. “At least it’s not a live grenade, like some. Put it in the cabinet with his clothes.”

  The surgeon’s medical instructions were precise. She continued to examine her patient and finally directed the nurses. “Prepare him for full tank immersion.”

  Her intensive care staff was trained and efficient and the nurses carried out their tasks with very little unnecessary conversation. They attached data leads to parts of the patient’s body and connected them to various diagnostic, monitoring and pharmaceutical dispenser units, which would measure and report vital signs, monitor recovery progress and insert medication into the tank and into the patient. The patient was prepped in less than a minute. One of the nurses used a remote device to control the bed unit, moving it towards the immersion tank. The unit automatically slid the patient into the tank, where his now naked body slowly sank into the warm and welcoming liquid.

  The surgeon used an intensive care workstation to enter a set of instructions for the immersion process, based on her assessment, together with the AI triage details. She entered her patient’s name using the identity tag on his uniform, and added his DNA sample via an attached input unit. Small and highly accurate pumps added more fluid and measured medication, as the immersion tank followed its new program. The surgeon checked the reported details of her patient’s vital signs and then, satisfied that everything was working as she required, closed the lid of the tank and secured it firmly. She expected, given the nature of her patient’s head injuries that he would remain in the tank for at least a month. Her only worry was the likelihood of brain damage, caused by what she assessed as particle beam energy impact, probably from some type of blaster weapon. She and her team would continue to monitor their patient continually, day and night, during the recovery process.

  The gurney, its task completed, had reversed out of the intensive care unit. A one-time external program wiped the AI’s memory of the last thirty minutes, as the gurney automatically returned to its charging station. It halted in position over the ceramic power supply, now unaware of any of its recent activities.

  ~~~

  “Captain de Coeur?”

  Steg raised his head off the pillow to look at his visitor. “Yes?” His voice was a croak. His head fell back onto the pillow.

  “I am Lieutenant Carson, Imperial Security. I have some questions for you.”

  Steg tried to focus on the officer. His vision was blurred and his eyes watered. “Yes?” His voice had not improved.

  “Tell me about your uniform. We do not have that design in our records.”

  “Wha—?” Steg did not hide his confusion.

  “Your uniform. Where did you get it?”

  “Issued—to me.”

  “By whom?”

  “Imp—Imperial Intelligence Agency.” Steg was finding it difficult to speak.

  “There’s no such agency.” The questioner’s voice held a challenging tone.

  Steg’s eyes closed. His awareness faded as he lost consciousness and he did not hear the conversation that followed when his doctor entered the ICU.

  “Lieutenant, what are you doing here?”

  “Doctor Li, this is none of your business.”

  “If you interfere with the well-being and recovery of one of my patients, it certainly is my business. Now get out of this unit.”

  “You can’t order me—”

  Doctor Li was diminutive; however, her fury compensated for her tiny build. She arm-twisted the Imperial Security officer and marched him to the ICU doorway. She was a colonel and was not going permit a lieutenant to lecture her, even if he was wearing ImpSec colors.

  “You can’t do this to me. I’m Imperial Security,” protested the young lieutenant, rubbing his wrist. His expression was petulant. He straightened his cuff, shaking out the crease resulting from the surgeon’s grip.

  “Lieutenant Marius, you’re banned from any ward where I have authority. In future, if you wish to interview one of my patients, you must ask my permission first. Also, you will need to bring one of your senior officers with you, understand?” She dusted her hands and turned away—she had concluded her conversation.

  ~~~

  The ImpSec officer left, attempting to slam the air-cushioned ICU doors all the while silently vowing revenge for his humiliation. He was far more accustomed to a very different reaction; typically his target was some young and naive recruit, easy to bully and browbeat. His report to his commanding officer would detail this encounter with Dr. Li both as an unwarranted assault on his person, and as an insult to Imperial Security. He was annoyed at having his intentions frustrated by those whom he considered beneath him. It was a family and house failing, although he did not recognize it as such.

  ~~~

  In the meantime Dr. Li had stepped back into the ICU and was checking the condition of her patient. He had been out of the tank for less than a day and was not yet in any condition to cope with questions, let alone unnecessary ones from ImpSec with their rough, guilty anyway, approach.

  Dr. Li was pleased with the results of her prescribed medical treatment. The young captain was making progress. Oh yes, she thought, he has an ugly scar on the side of his face; however, it would fade over time. If necessary, Fleet would arrange surgery to reduce or remove his disfigurement. Her final concern was the possibility of at least some memory loss or reduced mental functioning as a result her patient’s injuries. She would not know if there was a real concern until he was further into his recovery process. She recorded her comments at the ICU workstation.

  ~~~

  Steg sensed the presence of someone and tried to open his eyes. His eyelids flickered and then finally he was able to hold them open. Judging by her uniform and shoulder tabs, a medical colonel was standing beside his bed, observing him.

  “Good morning, Captain de Coeur,” said Dr. Li. “How do you feel this morning?”

  “I’m—not sure.” His voice still croaked.

  The doctor looked at the monitoring readouts along the top of the ICU bed. Her patient was recovering, perhaps faster than she had anticipated.

  “Your signs are good, your condition is improving.” She held his wrist. “What are you able to remember—can you tell me what happened to you?”

  Steg thought for a moment and frowned. “It’s all blank—I don’t know. Where am I?” He tried to raise himself off the pillow.

  “Gently, don’t agitate yourself,” the doctor cautioned, as she gently pushed him back. “You’re onboard hs xTaur, a hospital ship. I’m Dr. Li. You’ll meet my nursing team soon. We’ve been treating you for five weeks, now.”

  “A hospital starship? Imperial?”

  “Of course. Now tell me about yourself—I need to make notes for our medical records. Who’s your commanding officer?”

  “I report to—to—Colonel—Denke. My CO is—General Boston.” His eyes closed and his voice faded.

  Dr. Li entered the brief details supplied by her patient. The ship system could not find a match to the officers he had mentioned. The doctor frowned; perhaps she had misheard the names.

  ~~~

  “This is an official enquiry, Dr. Li,” reminded Colonel Richmond, the senior Imperial Security officer presiding. He was sitting behind a courtroom-like bench together with two other ImpSec officers, both majors. The three officers wore the green fatigues of serving military officers. Dr. Li stood before the tribunal. She wore her white uniform, with all the medals she had earned on the battlefield—it was an impressive collection, reflecting amongst other awards, medals for her bravery in treating wounded personnel while under fire, and for her dedication to her patients.

  “I’m aware of ImpSec and its enquiries,” said the doctor.

  “Then you should know we have wide-reaching powers.”

  “Your powers don’t allow ImpSec to question my patients and endanger their recovery, without my consent and my presence. That’s well established—if
you want, I can quote the articles of war and supporting legal decisions.”

  “No, that won’t be necessary, thank you. We are trying to discover how—your patient, this de Coeur—managed to board the hs xTaur. There is no record anywhere of his presence, until you commenced his treatment.”

  “That’s not correct,” replied Dr. Li. Her expression did not waver from its serious, professional mien. “I received a medsys notification, a standard medical alert, which included reservation of my ICU, fifteen minutes prior to Captain de Coeur’s delivery to my unit. And the gurney’s AI had established an initial diagnosis of his injury, some seven or eight minutes before delivery of the patient to my care. So there were ship system records prior to my treatment of my patient.”

  One of the two ImpSec majors spoke up. “Agreed, Dr. Li. We checked the medical alerts, and yes, a message had been delivered to you, at the same time the ICU was reserved. However, we don’t know—”

  The ImpSec colonel interrupted. “So, Dr. Li, you contend you had no prior knowledge of this patient? None at all?”

  “That is correct.”

  “Do you know anything about this so-called Imperial Intelligence Agency?”

  “I know nothing about the agency.”

  “Yet you entered the details into the ship system?” interjected the other major.

  “Of course. I entered the details advised by my patient.”

  “So you enter anything your patients tell you?”

  “Why not? I don’t have in-depth knowledge of Imperial military and quasi-military structures. I’m a surgeon, and may I remind you, a senior officer in the Imperial Medical Corps.”

  There was silence for a long moment.

  “Thank you, Dr. Li. That will be all, for now,” informed the ImpSec colonel.

  Dr. Li turned and exited the ImpSec office. She did not salute. The attitude of the ImpSec Tribunal irritated her. They obviously had a problem because they were unable to identify her patient, and they were reaching out to trap anyone they could, to find someone other than ImpSec to blame for their security lapse. When she reached her office she was met by an anxious nurse.

  “Dr. Li, they’re arresting Captain de Coeur,” she said.

  “Come,” commanded the doctor, heading to the ICU. She reached the unit, fifty yards from her office, just as the ImpSec team were preparing to move her patient out of the room. She stood in the doorway, blocking their exit.

  “Lieutenant Marius,” Dr. Li identified the officer who was leading the small team. She noted her other ICU nurse was holding a bruised wrist. “Please return my patient to his bed. You’ve committed at least one offense under Imperial articles of war, and now will be arrested, and charged. Is that understood?” Without waiting for an acknowledgement, she turned to her senior nurse. “Nurse Rowe, please contact Military Police; the duty officer is Major Reid. Tell him we need his presence here, immediately, and that ImpSec, in the person of Lieutenant Marius, is attempting to kidnap one of my patients. Quote articles of war section 3015, subsection 25—he’ll understand.” She did not add that she already had discussed this very possibility with the major. The doctor turned back to the stunned ImpSec team. “Well?”

  “Sir, he’s a spy, that’s what the lieutenant said. We’re just following orders—,” a young ImpSec sergeant tried to explain. Lieutenant Marius remained silent. It appeared his plan to remove the doctor’s patient, while the tribunal was questioning her, had totally unraveled.

  “And since when is a colonel outranked by a lieutenant?” Dr. Li demanded. “Are you refusing to obey my lawful command? We’re still in a state of war, and your court martial—and yours, Lieutenant—will make the headlines. You are fortunate because the accepted sentence for your offense—as we’re not on an active battlefield where it would be execution—is life imprisonment.”

  The sergeant signaled his men, a corporal and two privates, who were holding Captain de Coeur. The doctor watched from the doorway as they returned her patient to his bed. He was almost unconscious, and was in no condition to be removed from intensive care. While she was waiting, she heard, behind her, the arrival of Major Reid and his team of military police. She did not move from her position, and turned her head to address the new arrivals.

  “Major, I’m charging Lieutenant Marius for refusal to obey a lawful command, for conspiracy, and for breaching articles of war regarding removal of a patient under treatment of an authorized medic. His team members are to be charged with conspiracy, and similarly, for breaching articles of war. I suspect they assaulted one of my nurses, and if so, that too, is to be added to their list of offenses.”

  The major moved forward and Dr. Li stepped out of his way. He signaled his men to move into the ICU, which was then almost overcrowded. Two nurses checked their patient while Dr. Li waited for their comments.

  “Dr. Li, are you certain—?” asked the major.

  “Yes. I warned this officer, I gave him a precise and clear order—I have a recording—everything in my ICU is recorded. He disobeyed my order. I cannot, as a senior officer in service of the Emperor, ignore an outright refusal by a junior officer to obey a lawful command. His men may not have known of my order; however, they’re aware—or should be aware—that their actions were unlawful.”

  “Very well. Lieutenant Marius, I’m placing you under arrest. Are you carrying any weapons?”

  “I’ll have you broken for this, Li,” snarled the lieutenant. “And you too, Reid, if you proceed with this farce. Now back off, and release me, and my team. That’s an order, a real order.”

  “It’s time you realized,”—said the major—“your bullying tactics won’t work. Either co-operate, or I’ll order my men to treat you as a hostile offender. Your choice.”

  Her action was sure to result in her appearance at another ImpSec tribunal, thought Dr. Li, as she watched Major Reid arrest the lieutenant and his team. She was confident ImpSec would not condone the activities of this junior officer. Of course, she mused, they could, in future, place barriers to hinder my career, in which case retirement would be a very attractive option.

  ***

  Chapter Two

  “Good morning, Captain de Coeur. How’s my patient today?” Dr. Li smiled as she reached for Steg’s wrist. A week prior, she had authorized his release from the ICU and continued to be impressed at the continuing speed of his recovery. Her patient now occupied a standard hospital ward which held beds for four patients, although Steg currently was the only occupant. The beds were utilitarian, the furniture basic and clean, and the walls and ceiling were painted a light blue. The floor was highly polished. There was a slight odor of hospital disinfectant. She had not checked but she was confident there was no dust anywhere in the room—the hospital staff onboard xTaur ensured its reputation for clinical cleanliness was always maintained.

  “Improving, thank you,” said Steg.

  “Very good. Yes. I agree, all your signs show a steady improvement.” She tugged her AIpad out of a deep pocket as sat on the chair beside the bed. “Now, are you up to answering some questions for me?”

  “Yes.” Steg was cautious.

  “Oh, I’m not nearly as aggressive as ImpSec. Just understand, I can’t guarantee how long I can hold them off,” Dr. Li said.

  “Very well. Can I ask questions, as well?”

  “Of course. I have you listed as Captain de Coeur—is that correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “First name and planet of origin?”

  “Steg. I’m from Homeworld.”

  “Good. This is the interesting part—how were you wounded?”

  “I—I recall someone warning me, and then everything went black. When I woke up, I was here, onboard xTaur.”

  “Where were you when you were attacked?”

  Steg’s expression reflected his anxiety. “I don’t know. I’ve tried to remember. I can recall general things—names of planets, for example. But when I try to recall my personal details—almost everything is a bla
nk.”

  “Hmm. As far as I can determine, an energy beam hit the side of your head, and it caused numerous minor fractures to your skull. It was very nearly fatal. Fortunately, our tests so far do not indicate any permanent brain damage. Memory loss? Yes, and it could be temporary or permanent. I cannot predict what will happen there. My best suggestion is don’t struggle to remember; try to keep a relaxed attitude, and your mind should, at some stage, open the floodgates, so to speak. I can arrange some suitable therapy for you, if you wish. You had questions for me?”

  “Yes, Dr. Li. My first question’s simple—where is xTaur headed?”

  “Our next stop is Althere, where we will discharge our remaining patients. Then we’ll continue on to our home base, Freedom.”

  “I think my next question’s just as simple—what is the date?”

  The doctor smiled. “In standard, it’s the twentieth day of the sixth month, 1575. Post Diatonic, of course.” The Diatonic Era represented the period when the newly formed Empire fought against aliens, the Triads. They had almost overwhelmed the Empire. She noted Steg’s reaction. “Why, is that a problem?”

  “I—I thought it would be closer to 1900 PD.”

  “Now that’s interesting. I have heard of memory losses creating such a contradiction, where the amnesia victim is somehow out of phase with his current time and place. I need to do some research.” She tapped another entry into her small AIpad. “Yes, indeed, our head of therapy will be interested in this, as well.” She smiled again. “Now tell me about your sword—it appears to be a very old.”

  Steg looked startled. “My sword? I had almost forgotten—Ebony, it’s called. Is it here?”

  “Why yes, my nurses stowed it in your locker.” Dr. Li indicated the metal cabinet against the wall opposite Steg’s bed. “It’s at the back, I think, out of the way.”

  “Please convey my thanks. I appreciate—I thought I’d lost Ebony. It’s very old and very valuable to me.”

  “And now it’s scarred, at least on the hilt. Before I leave—do you have any more questions for me?”

  “No, thank you. Are you sure—?”