When she’d mentioned it, Kurt just said they could handle it. She wasn’t so sure and didn’t want to tell him his business. And every night, when they opened, they reminded each patron no weapons or they would be banned.
Still she thought that would only hold them for so long when emotions and drink got the better of them. Her people were on alert, the slighting inkling of trouble and Kurt was sent in to deal with it or she asked the troublemaker to join her in a ‘quiet’ drink. Both diversions worked so far. But, sooner or later someone was likely to realise how much they were taking, or want the business or even try to take it. The tolls had already gone up without a real reason. They’d complained but got nowhere. She wanted to challenge it, but Kurt said to let it go. Business was good for once.
He was right, but she wondered how long it would last before someone poked their oar in.
Other bars and businesses were taking a beating. They had more than just their usual customers. Once they realised why, they’d come calling to check it out. Some had started taking a leaf out of their book and improved their places. But it wasn’t as good as Jamie’s.
With the name change came interest she didn’t need or want. Suddenly she was all sparkly and new and everyone wanted to know her. Be her, ‘friend’. Jamie wasn’t daft. A foot in with the owner, a good word here or there, could go a long way. Kurt wasn’t a push over, so they thought they’d try her. She caught him laughing at her expense while someone was trying to charm her badly across the bar. More than once she’d had to say it how it was. Not interested dude move on.
Did they get the message? Not always and rarely the first time.
But as with everything, if you said something often enough, they eventually got the message. She wasn’t looking for more ‘friends’. And that put a serious kink in her dating habits. Where she’d been careful before, now she was practically a nun. It was killing her mojo. Anyone who recognised her thought it an opportunity to score. She’d got burnt that first time after the reopening. Picked a quiet one, had a fair night and kicked him out. Thank you very much. Next night he didn’t show and that was cool with her, but his mate did. Wanting the ‘special service’ he’s mate had got.
She couldn’t deny what had happened and she wasn’t the type to try lying about it. So, she told him straight. She gave him a free drink telling him she’d be more discerning in future and walked away to his confused look.
She wasn’t pretending to be what she wasn’t. She was healthy and young and had needs. She just needed a source she could tap without any blow back. Sadly that was easier said than done.
Jamie scanned the room. Her wrist pad pinged 1am and they were bursting at the seams. The girls had just done their second set on stage to much applause. Bar staff were busy waiting tables and getting refills. No one seemed out of it yet. Making her way to the stage she climbed the stairs and walked on. Applause and whistling called out. She gave them her best, bored, don’t fuck with me look. Telling them to settle down. One called out asking if she was going to give them a dance. To laughter, Jamie told him she’d give him something alright if he didn’t shut up and they settled down.
“Right gents, seeing as you like the ladies so much and they’ve been a bit hit. We’ve added a third and final set each evening to start at 1.45am. So, if you want to see um, get those orders in quick, hit the tables, get some food and the show starts in 45. Good luck.” More applause and cat calling followed her off stage.
She nodded and talked to several punters as she walked back to the gaming area. Kurt met her halfway. “All good?” he asked.
Jamie nodded. “Looks like the right move. Its popular.”
“We’ve some VIPs in the quiet room. They want a chat.”
Jamie frowned. “Now?” He nodded. “Can’t you deal with it?”
“No can do,” he told her hiking up his trousers.
“Why not?”
Kurt smiled. She knew she was not going to like what came next. “They want to speak with Jamie.” Bastard he was enjoying this!
“Bloody hell,” she hissed. “You know I hate politics as much as you do. You’re just loving this,” she told him narrowing her eyes.
Kurt smiled wider and nodded. “Yep.”
Jamie rolled her eyes. “Ok.” She nodded to indicate table 4. “Keep an eye on that one. Three of them came in together and keep looking around checking the place out.”
Kurt sobered. “Will do,” and moved off.
She was glad for once that she’d dressed a little finer than normal. She’d kept to her black pants, added a little gliz to her blouse and waistcoat. Grabbing a waitress, she told her to bring drinks into the quiet area, bring her a water on the rocks. Parting ways, Jamie checked out a couple more tables. Whoever it was could wait a bit longer she decided, making eye contact with each of the croupiers making sure they had no problems, she finally headed into the quite salon.
Six men were standing in one corner. The VIPs. She recognised a couple of them. Bloody politics, she thought glancing around at several others that were sitting in chairs reading, drinking or quietly talking.
Damn it. “Gentleman, my apologises,” she called out, “but could you excuse us for a short time.” Each of those sitting, got up and walked out. She spoke to each one apologising again offering them a free drink at the bar. Then turned to face the six who’d asked to see her. The waitress came in with the drinks. She took hers and took a now vacant seat. The waitress bent down and whispered that Kurt had dealt with the table and was standing outside if she needed him. Jamie gave her a nod as she stood back up and walked over to the gentleman giving out the drinks.
Jamie indicated the other vacant seats around her. “So,” she told them looking at each one. “Have a seat gentleman. You asked to see me.”
There was more than a bit of surprise in the faces of those she didn’t know. They probably expected a man. They each took a drink and a seat. The waitress remained standing close by. “This is private.” Canister told her. She knew him. Leader of Sector 3.
“Is it?” Jamie took a sip of her water. “I can’t guarantee your secrets remain secrets and, in any event, my staff stay. If they don’t honour my business they’re sacked. They know the rules. And we wouldn’t want a different story being told about this meeting, now would we?” she smiled as she said it. Message sent, she needed a witness to these events in case they got ‘creative’.
She waited and no one seemed willing to start. Jamie shook her head. “My times valuable, do you want something or not?”
Felps sat forward. Leader of Sector 8. “You’re doing well here. Have people wanting to come from all sectors to have a look and spend their credits. It seems unfair that our people are coming to Sector 5 to enjoy all this and we, don’t get a look in on their credits coming back into our communities.”
Jamie put her hand up to stop him. “Computer record conversation. Present are Jamie, she looked at Felps.
“Felps Sector 8” he told her begrudgingly. She looked at the next one.
“Cannister Sector 3”
“Smith Sector 9”
“Daffern Sector 4”
“Milne Sector 1”
“Xian Sector 7”
“So gentleman, Felps has suggested that the success of Jamie’s is an unfair situation for the other Sectors. In which case, why exactly are you here?”
It didn’t take long to get the picture. They wanted a cut of the take that represented their people coming to her. Jamie sipped her water. Listening to their argument giving the impression she was amenable. Saying nothing until they were finished.
She smiled. “What I’m not clear on here, is why exactly you thought coming here and demanding a percentage of our business profits was going to happen.” There were some stony faces looking at her. “I mean, Cannister you have three bars that I know of and some other trades that I’d rather not mention. Felps, you have four businesses that I know of. Xian, you’ve got fingers in more pies than I’ve eaten, and I
can guess the rest of you are about the same. You don’t see me or Kurt coming to you and demanding what, 10% of your trade for the people in this Sector using you.” She pretended to think about it. “Come to think about it, that’s not a bad idea. I’ll give you each 10% of mine and you in return, cos we’re all equals here right? You’ll give me 10% of all your business’s, combined.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Felps told her stuttering. “That’s more money that you’d be giving us, and our businesses are nothing to do with you.”
Jamie looked at him shrewdly and cracked a smile. “I see. We’re not equals then. And as you just said, our business is nothing to do with you.” Jamie stood. “If you’d like to buy a franchise of Jamie’s for your Sector’s I’m open to offers, otherwise, thank you for coming enjoy your drink, no charge. You know the way out.” She turned and the waitress left with her.
Kurt met her outside. “Franchise? Are we expanding already?” He asked with a chuckle. “You did good girl.”
Jamie nodded looking around the main bar telling the men they could go back in. “Maybe, maybe not. That’s going to be trouble. I guess we’ll see. Make sure they leave.” Kurt gave her a nod. She felt sure they needed that security now more than ever.
Heading backstage she talked with a couple of the girls getting ready to go on for the final set. It was a little more risqué than the first two. They’d discussed it and the girls were happy to go for it. She’d invested in some interesting clothing. Showed more leg and a bit more gliz. Through the curtain she watched her six guests leave. They didn’t look happy. She knew there would be trouble. They’d be back that kind always were. The music started and she walked out on stage. The men clapped and whistled.
“Settle down you reprobates! Here they are, for the final time this evening. Our very own……..Dream girls.”
***
RedX looked at the medical supplies. It was old school but well cared for. This was a known world and he’d expected more. Sutures, bandages, gorse. Creams, tonics, liquid and tablet medicine. Some pre-colony technology, hand-held scanners. Data pads. All old tech. No med beds at all and some really outdated equipment that was still in good repair, also well looked after.
People were waiting outside, and some old-fashioned doctoring was going on in the emergency room. These people were doing their best with very little. RedX knew with the technology the Empire could offer, people here were suffering needlessly.
He turned to Regan the medical Director. “We have a lot of newer technologies that can help you here. I can have a med bed brought down that will deal with most of the illnesses and injuries that I can hear going on in the consultation rooms. They are made for human illnesses. I can send you the specs and you can decide. In the meantime, I’d like to get a feel for the people and the situations you are facing here. I’ll work with your team for a few weeks, get to know them and the people. I’ll use my own equipment and I normally start by doing updated scans of all the staff to make sure they have no undiagnosed underlying medical problems.”
Regan’s body language told RedX the man was relieved. “I’d welcome that,” he told him. “We’ve not had any updated medical for some time and what has come through has been small stuff. Nothing major.”
RedX was honest with him. “Much of what you have here is very old but well maintained. You have done well to keep it going. Let me show you what I have on me that will make a big difference. Do you have your own last scans?” Regan gave him a nod and went to his desk using an outdated datapad. Old and bulky but it still worked. He turned the screen to face him and it showed his body map and degenerative proportions. The doctor had broken an ankle 32 years earlier. He looked healthy. RedX, picked up his kit bag and emptied out his equipment. Taking the latest body scanner and finger diagnostic over to him. “I will scan you with this and then ask you to put your finger on the indicated icon. It will break down the enzymes in your skin cells and sweat and together test for hydration, circulation, internal organ functionality, heart rate, blood content and sense if there is a problem we don’t know about.”
Regan looked shocked and looked at the two pieces of equipment. “It can do all that without drawing blood and fluids?”
RedX nodded. “That and more. The med beds can rebuild lost limbs, irradiate poisons from the biological system, fix damage that is life threatening or build new organs and make the repairs.”
Regan was shaking his head. “That will save so many lives.”
“Are you ready?” RedX asked him.
Regan nodded easily. RedX used the scanner and ran it full length and asked him to turn around slowly and ran it again. Then showed him where to place his finger. “Hold it there for a count of 3.”
Regan did. “Ok. Its done. It will need a minute to calibrate and give us the results. Can you put up your old scans on that vid screen?” RedX pointed to the one on the wall. Regan turned it on and worked his old data pad. Scans came up. RedX went over studying them. “It doesn’t tell us much. I can see an old break that has mended fairly well. It doesn’t show your system working so it’s hard to tell if those organs are working at optimum level or not. There doesn’t seem to be any organ damage that I can see.” RedX used his optic to zoom in closer and increase the verification. You’ve had a heart valve replaced manually. Clean work.”
Regan stood next to him. “You mentioned that its not a live scan, can you do that now?”
RedX connected to the software running the vid screen and found nothing too technical. Connecting to it, he loaded the images from his scanner. They came up next to the old one. Regan took an intake of breath. “Holy shit, it’s like its real.”
“It is,” RedX told him. “A true captured scan of everything that was going on in real time. You could see the skeletal outlay, the circulatory system and the muscle tone. Removing layers gives you a different insight. He moved through them for the Doctor to see.
“Amazing…”
“To the left is the comparison between the two images and the update on your medical status. The items flagged in red, are concerns that need action.”
RedX could read it all clearly. The Doctor moved closer for a better look. It was clear to RedX the Doctors heart was failing even with the replacement valve. He needed a new one.
Regan sighed and turned around to face him. “I thought so. How much time do you think I have?”
RedX could scent the fear and resignation in the air. The reaction only made sense if the Doctor felt he was dying. “You are not dying if you have the corrective treatment,” he told him.
Regan frowned. “What treatment?”
“A new heart. The med bed can do that. It’s a simple procedure.”
Regan looked wide eyed and shocked. “Seriously, you can do that?”
RedX gave him a sharp nod. “That, is simple.”
Things moved quickly after that. Regan spoke with the community leaders, explained how technology and medical advances could have an increased benefit to the people, asking for permission to bring down a med bed and other equipment that would be tested with a view to trade. It was agreed and RedX gave the order. While they waited, RedX asked for permission to view hospital records. Regan agreed giving full access.
Within a day, a new section had been set up with his equipment and Regan had gone into the med bed to have his heart replaced. Before going in RedX had taken the time to explained how it all worked. That the building blocks of life were added in nutrient form along with reusing those already present but faulty in the patient. The med was able to keep the patient alive while it broke down the damaged part of the body and rebuilt a new one. Often, the current materials were sufficient, but where there were shortfalls, the med bed could manufacture them with no harmful side effects. They were after all the building blocks of life.
RedX showed Regan how to use the equipment, take the diagnostic and program the machine to fix any damage.
It all went well. Knowing Regan would be under for a several
hours and recover completely, with his permission, RedX started working with the patients and files. He watched over the work currently being carried out in the Emergency room and wards. Offering newer solutions if there were any. Humans were naturally cautious around him. He took no offence. It was a wasted emotion that used up energy better spent elsewhere.
It was logical. Humans didn’t like the unknown. And he was unknown to them. Whether the Empire worked with this world or not, it made no difference to his job. While he was here, he would treat those that needed it. If the world was rejected by the Empire, he would leave with his equipment. If the world rejected the Empire, they would respect their decision and be leaving either way. But while he could he would work his mission and save the ones he could.
He wasn’t here just to bring medicine. There was more he needed to do. More he needed to find out. Rumours that needed verifying. RedX moved on to the next patient and picked up his data pad. The fact that he was a medic, gave him the best cover there was.
***
Two weeks later and things were getting rowdier. They’d not had another visit from the other Sectors, but it was clear to both her and Kurt trouble was brewing. Small things would trigger an altercation. Generally, someone she didn’t know with a regular and it wasn’t the regular starting it either. It was beginning to grate. Last night had been no different. If it hadn’t of been for several of the regulars holding the newer guy back, it would have got serious.
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