Shadows In Still Water
Page 26
It was easy to pretend not to care. There were always more lives to save. Some she saved, some she lost. She went on. In the solitude of her soul, she remembered every one.
This one she would never forgive herself for.
***
Jak answered the call on audio only. “What is it?” he asked.
“This is Labage from Pathology, Dr. Rialus,” replied a thick, sandpaper voice. “We need to know your requirements for disposition of the body.”
Jak recalled some of the funerals and memorial services he had attended over the years. None of them would substitute for not getting to say goodbye.
“Incinerate it,” he replied.
He was only one quarter human after all.
He almost didn’t answer the next call. The beep was persistent however. It turned out to be orders for immediate deployment of his army unit.
He ordered the computer to give him information on Sclarian anatomy. He could figure out a number of ways to kill them by the time he joined his unit.
***
Aurelia rubbed her shoulder. It no longer hurt but LRuh was overzealous in her application of derma-flesh. Stopping in the hall, she realized she had unconsciously arrived at the mess hall. The door was open and she could see it was filled with her crew. She didn’t want to go in. She wasn’t hungry.
Stepping across the threshold, Aurelia sat down on a stool at the counter, not making eye contact with anyone at the tables. She drew a fork from the container and absently drew imaginary lines on the countertop. A glass of water and bowl of gualano soup was set down in front of her. She stared at the rising steam and followed it up to see the Pasteur’s chief cook, Bortil, watching her.
“Am I getting that predictable, Bortil?” she asked, spooning up a mouthful of soup. It was good and warm and salty. And settling to her stomach.
The little, fat man grinned. “You’ll never be predictable, Doc. That’s why I live in hope that you will accept my marriage proposal some day.
Aurelia half-smiled. The knot in her stomach began to unwind. Bortil was almost exactly as wide as he was tall and had been the Pasteur’s chief cook since its maiden voyage almost twenty-five years ago. After Aurelia’s first week aboard as general surgeon, he had come to her office and quite seriously asked her to marry him. Just as seriously she had refused. Someone later told her that Bortil proposed to every new female no matter what species. She was the only one who had not reacted with disgust. He had continued to ask her at regular intervals ever since.
“If I’m ever in the market you are definitely my first choice,” she told him.
Bortil grinned again. He busily scrubbed the counter as his ears turned pink.
“With my luck, some beautiful girl will come along and snap you up,” Aurelia added.
Shaking his head, Bortil replied, “You’re the only girl for me, Doc.”
“Oh?” She lifted an eyebrow, teasingly. “I heard Bridget was proposed to the first day. That wasn’t you?”
Bortil shrugged, “Just trying to make her feel welcome.” He grinned once more, his cheeks now a shade of rose and started to mop the floor.
Aurelia finished her soup listening to Bortil’s off key whistle. He hadn’t asked her about Conlin or the governor or the black cuff that still encircled her wrist. He had fed the Pasteur’s crew for twenty five years and that’s what he would do the rest of his life. Business as usual in the mess hall. Normal. Aurelia reached in her pocket for the three messages that had just come in from the C.C. and glanced at them. Bortil was the only bit of normalcy left.
Finishing the soup, Aurelia left with a wave from Bortil and walked toward the shuttle bay. She reread the messages for the hundredth time. The first read: The Louis Pasteur, as of 080922 NA-Mars Date, is recalled to Earth. Investigation to follow. Signed, Sub-Director Franklin.
Franklin was Meng’s right hand. Not unusual for him to sign orders, but this one bothered her for some reason.
The second message was a return of one of Dr. LRuh’s. LRuh had requested information from Snuffy’s cousin on Jidal IV. Across the message was stamped the red letters: Unable to Deliver. Communications to Jidal IV had been completely cut off. The little Sclarian would have to stay on board for awhile at least.
The third message was a forwarded communique from a news service. Berellia had recalled all of its citizens in the wake of the war between Kaprine and Sclaria. Her Berellian nurses were already preparing to leave the ship, transferring to the Phoenix. Faster than the Pasteur, the Phoenix would drop them off at Berellia and catch up with the Pasteur before they reached Earth.
Reaching the shuttle bay, Aurelia stuffed the messages back in her pocket and watched the activity. Unfortunately, she couldn’t see Radif among the group of Berellians waiting to be transported to the Phoenix.
She hated losing them. They were among her best nurses and technicians.
Zimbin approached. “I hate to go, Doc. But I’ll lose my citizenship if I don’t.” The big nurse looked apologetic.
“I know. If you need any kind of recommendation, let me know,” Aurelia told him.
“Is that all you’re going to give him?” Millie demanded as she walked in.
Aurelia had declared her fit enough to return to light duty, but still had her on syntholin. She eyeballed the head nurse’s wrist. Millie was obediently wearing her medicine patch.
Holding out her arms, Millie hugged the big Berellian. It was like a rag doll hugging a grizzly bear.
Zimbin looked pleased.
“We’ll miss you,” Millie told him. Her eyes were a little too bright.
Aurelia looked away.
Radif and Neil Sanders entered the far door together. Sanders had a suitcase with him.
Sanders nodded at Aurelia, smiled at Millie. “Radif has turned Conlin and Captain Zelan over to my custody. They’re already on board. We’ll take the Phoenix back.”
Radif held up a key. “Dr. Rialus related some pertinent information to me about the murder of Robert Miller. It is only third hand but enough to throw doubt on my case. I have no way of gathering more evidence. I will never be able to get into court.” It was the longest he had spoken. Reaching out, he took the cuff off Aurelia’s wrist.
She resisted the urge to cheer. She was quite sure he still suspected her.
Sanders put an arm around Millie’s shoulder, “I hate to leave, but I will be calling.”
Smiling, Millie stood on tiptoe to kiss him. “I’ll be waiting.”
Sanders shook Aurelia’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Doctor. Goodbye.” He and Radif walked to the shuttle.
The alarm sounded. Aurelia and Millie stepped back of the line.
When the shuttle had lifted off, Aurelia watched the huge doors slowly close. It reminded her of the beginning of all their problems. This one had been fixed but what of the others?
The all clear bell rang. A faint smell of ozone wafted over them. She turned and saw Jak in the doorway. He too carried a case.
“My unit’s been called up,” he announced.
“Oh, Jak,” Millie breathed.
His antennae stood stiffly at attention.
“Where are you going?” Millie asked.
Jak shrugged. “I don’t know. There’s been some fighting on Ordel VII.” He laughed without amusement, “The fastest I’ve ever heard the Kaprinian army work.”
“But...well...how long?” Millie seemed to be having trouble getting her words out.
Again he shrugged.
Aurelia wanted to shake him.
“Could be a long time.”
“You’ll call us,” Millie demanded.
“Of course. My ride is waiting.”
Millie wrapped her arms around his neck. He folded his arms around her. Millie said something to him. Aurelia couldn’t hear the words. Millie touched his cheek, kissed him. When she let him go, her tears spilled over.
Jak’s antennae went down slightly. He
looked at Aurelia. “Bye, Doc.”
She nodded. Once.
They watched him walk to the shuttle.
The alarm sounded. Aurelia waved at the tech in the control booth. The all clear rang. She ran as fast as she could to the shuttle. Grasping the edges of the hatchway, she leaned halfway in. “Come back alive, Ja-ka-thon Rialus.”
His lips held the slightest curve upward. “Okay.”
She closed the hatch then ran for the door. Millie would watch him go. Aurelia couldn’t see at the moment.
***
Aurelia’s eyes looked as red as Millie’s felt.
They were in the observation lounge. Aurelia sat in the big blue arm chair with her feet propped on the table. Slipping off her shoes, Millie tucked her feet under her. She was in her favorite Baxi chair.
She had decided not to bother Aurelia with her odd trip to the engine room. Aurelia had enough to worry about. Besides she was feeling much better. It had probably been just a case of sleep walking. So she told herself.
Millie leaned over to rustle through the empty wrappers in the candy box on the table between them.
“I like these mint ones,” she said, coming up with two of the candies marked with a green stripe.
“You can have them. Too minty for me,” Aurelia replied around a yawn.
Nibbling at the edges, Millie thought about the tale Aurelia had just finished telling. It seemed she had missed quite a lot.
“You know,” she said, “After everything that’s happened, I have just one question. What happened to Fredrichs’s super duper hyperspace drive?”
Aurelia smiled.
About the Author
D.T. LeClaire lives in Wisconsin with her wonderful husband and three boys. She likes science fiction, historical romance, mystery and classics.
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