by Jim Rudnick
She blew her nose, sobbed a couple of more times, and then slowly settled.
He sat quietly beside her and waited to find out what the story was, and it didn't take much longer.
"Captain—I am so, so sorry, but I know no one else here on the Hospital Ship that I can tell this to—who'd understand, as well as be able to take charge. Sir, but it' a long story ..." she said and she couldn't look at him, he noted.
He slid a hand up and down her forearm and patted her arm gently.
"Tell me the story and start at the beginning, Nancy," he said, his voice calm, and surprisingly, so was he. No tapping fingers for me, at least not yet which was a wonder.
"Captain, you know my fiancé, Nathan, works with the research on that vaccine for the Barony secret labs, right?"
And she went on, not even waiting for him to acknowledge that she'd told him all of this days ago.
"Well—and I am so embarrassed, Sir, that I have to say this, but he is a 'recovering' gambling addict. We are both involved in paying off his Caliphate Casino debts, and we're on track and haven't been late a single payment. But that's not the real issue," she said.
She sat up a bit straighter and sucked in her cheeks for a moment, and her green eyes now looked directly into Tanner's blue eyes.
"Well, there is a doctor here-Doctor Bassem, who approached him and offered on behalf of the casino to waive all his debts. He'd owe them nothing if he just did one simple thing," she said and her voice cracked then.
He took that moment's respite to think on the fact that gambling was much like alcoholism—the addiction was more than almost anyone could handle, yet he knew there was probably no gene therapy that could cure the lure of the dice.
He nodded, and she took another moment before she went on.
"All he had to do was to give the doctor a tested and working sample of the vaccine. Hand over a mouse is how he put it ... and ... and he agreed, Sir."
There was a real tone of exasperation in her voice, Tanner thought, that and some kind of pity or something like it.
He nodded and said, "So a mouse for the debts. No one would ever know and he'd—well, you both—would not owe a dime."
He patted her arm again. "If you're asking me to understand this, then the simple answer is yes, I get it, Nancy. Remember that I was an alcoholic for ten years, so I understand the lure of an addiction. And I also understand how that kind of a lure—a mouse for a wiping clean of debts could be made—and accepted too. I don't like it—but I'm assuming that if you're telling me, then you and he have talked about this and you've rescinded his decision—I am right, yes?"
She grabbed his hand as it was patting her forearm and squeezed it sharply.
"And that's the real problem, Captain. Just a few hours ago, Nathan told the doctor—and he didn't take it well at all. In fact, he said that Nathan would rue his decision and then he threatened us both ... well, mostly me, I'd guess. He said that Nathan would never be able to protect me—" She sobbed loudly. Her hand had turned into a claw, and her nails dug right into his palm and he winced.
"That's not good," he said and he meant to take a soft approach with her—but he was fuming. One of his crew had just been threatened, and again, the Caliphate was involved. His mind was whirling on that and what it might mean overall.
He knew about the vaccine, of course, seeing as he was one of the RIM Navy men who had greeted the Ikarians and had learned, as they all had, about the virus the aliens carried. The virus made them live—at least so far—hundreds and hundreds of years past their normal lifespans. The Baroness had worked a deal trading a fallow world named Throth for the chance to clone the Ikarian virus. Hence the secret labs here and their work, and Nathan's too, it appeared. And now the Caliph wanted a working sample of the vaccine too, and he had threatened Nathan and Nancy with harm if Nathan didn't follow through on the deal.
"Dumb move by Nathan, but then I'd be the first to understand, Nancy, about the lure of no debts to a gambler. Having said that, changing his mind—I'm pretty sure with your help was a good idea, but the Caliph still wants the vaccine. Threats notwithstanding, there is really little else that they can do here on the Hospital Ship, other than threaten you both. May I ask on how soon the vaccine might be a real live working sample?"
She nodded. "Right now, it's successful with both chemical tests and animal testing, Nathan said. So a mouse carries the virus—and if cloning its genes will work during the last stage of human trials, then the virus has been cloned," she said as she looked unhappier.
Tanner thought on that for a moment. A successful vaccine could mean much to anyone who got their hands on a mouse ... all to live longer. He just about smiled at that thought, and he noted then that down on one knee, his fingers were doing the old "one, two ... one, two" tapping to help him cope with his feelings.
He took his dented hand back and patted her once more.
"Okay, Lieutenant, here's what's going to happen. I'll EYES ONLY down to Marine command on Neres and get a team up here STAT to look over you and Nathan—they'll be here in less than a couple of hours. You follow—you both follow their commands too, Lieutenant, as their job is just to keep you safe, got that?" and she nodded to him.
"I'm going to dig into this a bit more—when the Caliph realizes that he can't pressure Nathan into stealing a virus sample, he'll make other plans, and that's something that some enhanced security will help prevent, I'd hope," he said.
He didn't tell her, but he also wanted to see what he could do, if anything, to help. Not to be stupid about this, but as a new Barony citizen, he felt a small tinge of pride in protecting the realm, and that was a good thing, he thought.
He helped her to gain back some degree of calmness, and they walked closely together from the weight room over the long gym floor to the doorway and said goodnight.
"Now," Tanner said to himself, "I need a gun."
CHAPTER NINE
Jocko had a new PDA file which was on as he went down the hallway away from the curved central corridor. The first test was at the entry panel that was AI controlled to read his palm and then match it to a list of allowed individuals for entry. He twisted the PDA to one side, and as he'd been shown by Bassem, he shone the image onto his own hand for a few seconds and then gently placed his hand on the panel. It beeped and he grunted at how dumb the AI was for something called the "Secret" labs. Or, as he thought more about it, maybe he should be happy the app he'd just used had changed his own palm prints for a moment to get by the AI. Both work for me—and I'm in. He nodded and the door slid closed behind him.
This late at night, there were so few people around that he shouldn't bump into anyone, but in case he did, he had a small palm Stunner to use. He was happy to see there was no guard on duty at the lab security station at this ungodly hour, and he kept on walking. He went by the unused conference room and then lab door after lab door. During daytime hours, scientists would be working, but all was dark now.
Eventually he reached the end of the major pod corridor and entered the last room.
As he had no reason to change, he went straight through the changing room, and following the map on his PDA, he went down a side corridor to the airlock area. Again, he palmed the security panel after treating his palm with the PDA app, which let him in. He didn't own one of those suits, and he noted there was no Caliphate citizen sized one, so he knew a VacJump was going to be needed. He took a spare helmet off the rack and carried it with him as he went on. This jump wouldn't test the limits of his ability to last in the vacuum but would get him across the way to the labs. He checked his utility belt and made sure all his items were secure and nothing could float out and get caught during his jump. He walked over to the doorway.
The AI in the room noted his access and opened the door ahead of him. After he entered, it closed the door behind him.
Jocko stepped around the big red "X" but quickly placed the helmet on that mark and leapt back as a jet of spray came out of the ceiling, walls
, and floor all at once. He squished his thin body up against one of the side walls, and he had to stand there as long as the spray was on, which he knew was five whole minutes, and he ran over his plan once he got into the labs.
The spray ended, and he slid a little on the wet floor as he walked to the end of the room.
He waited as a light from the ceiling scanned him up and down. He heard the three chimes. He had no idea what that scan was for—but it obviously wasn't reading any kind of an issue as ahead of him, the airlock door opened up as the force field shot up behind him to protect the room's air.
He faced a fifty-foot corridor of clear-plas that ended with the outer door of the secure labs where he was aiming. As his map indicated, there was a large gap in the ceiling part of the plas-tube at the halfway mark that was open to space, and he'd fit through that gap with no problem.
He walked slowly along the corridor and was glad that partial grav had been thought of too. Ahead of him lay the lab, the most secure on the Hospital Ship. "Wasn't that a hoot," he said to himself.
Cold. It was still cold. Vacuum was always cold, and he strode briskly across the corridor to the far side. Off to his right, he could see the pods that held the Caliphate, Randi, and Skoggians too. Wonder if anyone is watching, he thought, but from here, he could see nothing.
At the corridor's end was a simple access plate, and he slapped it with a palm and the airlock opened. Stepping in, he was happy to see that the airlock door slid closed behind him and the air flooded in. Wasn't out there for fifteen seconds, he thought, and that's not much of a jump. He shrugged and slowly warmed back up.
Moments later, he cautiously left the airlock as the door slid open, and he moved quietly down the new hallway to the first door on his left side. Double-checking that the Animal Testing Lab sign was there, he entered the lab door that slid closed behind him, and he looked for a place to hide until morning.
####
"Captain Scott, I'm sorry but your appointment is not 'til later this afternoon," Dr. Etter's secretary said, and she went back to her console screen to double-check. She was a bit disconcerted, and she was scrolling her screen and shaking her head at him.
"Yes, I know about my time later—but I needed just a moment with the doctor—can you see if he could see me right now?" Tanner said and she stopped her screen searching and looked up at him.
"I am sorry, Captain, but the doctor has a patient right now so I'm afraid—"
He walked right by her, and in the moments it took her to sputter out "Wait, Captain," he was at the inner office door. He opened it without knocking and closed it behind him.
The doctor was once again typing on his tablet as the chair opposite him had a patient who Tanner actually knew from his group sessions; it was Rezak, the foreman of the farmers over on Gazaya, the Barony agricultural world. He was pointing a finger at the doctor and berating him about something, and as his eyes shifted to his left to see Tanner, he began to jab his finger at the doctor.
"And sure, Doc ... you book us two at a time to try to up efficiency and get double billings, right, Doc? Doesn't take a genius to be able to see that, Doc. And you and the Barony give me hell just trying to—"
"Shut up, Rezak," Tanner said roughly and he walked up to the side of the desk to speak directly to Doctor Etter.
"Captain, this is just not a good way to finish off your stay with us, and I'm afraid that I'm going to have to—"
"Can it, Doctor. I'm not here 'cause I want your help—as a doctor. It's as an Ishtar citizen that I need your help," Tanner said with purpose and that shut them both up.
The doctor reacted by pulling his head back at an angle and his eyelids fluttered.
"Captain, yes, I'm an Ishtarian—but what does that have to do with your entry to my office—an entry that is both not appreciated—"
"Can it, Doc. Every single Ishtar citizen owns a gun—and I want yours right now," he said more loudly. And as he had thought it would happen, the doctor's eyes jumped up above his head to the top shelf of the big bookcase behind Tanner. "Got it," he said and before anyone else could move, he took two steps back. Putting a foot on a lower shelf, he hoisted himself up and grabbed the only place a gun could lie—in a wooden display box that had been on the top shelf.
The doctor rose behind his desk, and Tanner cautioned him with a simple "Sit, Doctor—remember why I got sent here," and his psychiatrist who was shaking his head sat back down.
"Tanner, no, you do not have any need for arms, and that is the—"
"Doctor—not for you to worry, but there is going to be a force—how big I don't know, but still an invasion of the secret labs by Caliphate forces. Or at least some of same. I have few details," he admitted as he worked at getting the lid of the wooden box open.
It took a moment and as the doctor continued to try to sell Tanner on leaving the box alone, Tanner was able to get it open. Sure enough, inside was an automatic weapon. "Slug thrower," Tanner said to himself, as he reached in and took it out. Mag is in the grip, dunno the brand but safety is ... yup, safety is under the right thumb area. He worked the action once and a bullet popped out onto his doctor's desk, but he was quicker than the doctor and grabbed it up right away.
"Loaded. Good size slug—.41 maybe," he asked and the doctor nodded.
"Captain, yes, it's my automatic from years ago—ammo is probably stale though, but she holds eleven. But why in the world would you need a gun? And one more thing, Tanner ... I do not see any EMDR being used either—so I'd say you're under little stress at all," he said.
He pointed at Tanner.
"And so why now—right now—do you need a gun? Why now when a simple phone call to the ship Provost Security Corps will do just nicely?"
Tanner tilted his head to his psychiatrist and gently tugged on one ear lobe.
"Doc, if it's one thing I know—it's how to handle bad situations. Ship's Provost was called, and they've got folks all over that entry module to the secret labs pod. I also called down to friends on Neres, and a full company of Marines arrived about half an hour ago and has taken over security around our secret lab personnel. Hospital Ship staff, from Doctor Mendoza down to the lowest interns, have a marine buddy right now too. Your own outer office door has a brace of Barony marines too. We've not been un-busy, Doc. But I need a weapon and so I'd like to use yours. That okay with you," Tanner said but he really didn't expect an answer.
Doctor Etter stared at him and then said, "Wait a minute then." He got up to go around Tanner to that bookcase, and on the far right side, he opened up a door. Reaching in deeply, he took out a holster and handed it over too.
"Then you might as well have a way to carry my gun—and take care of it too," he said and Tanner nodded as he quickly hooked the holster over his belt and the automatic slid in nicely.
He slapped it a couple of times and then nodded. "Doc, you're a prince," he said and he spun on his heel and left the office.
####
Nathan entered his Animal Lab as normal and wondered if his loose mouse—he actually had named him Fred—he wondered if Fred had eaten his food last night. He walked over to the three racks of cages and moved around the side of the third one.
"Fred ... where's my little Fred," he called out and went over to the table to grab a handful of kibble. He went around the back of the cages and over toward the pantry area and dropped the kibble in the empty bowl.
"So you're, what, 171 days old and you're old, old, old, and yet you can still hide from me! Fred, where are you?" he said as he looked around.
No mouse could be seen. But there was a pile of kibble that lay on the floor like the bowl had been kicked over. So instead of the mouse eating his food, he'd just spilled it all over the floor. "Odd," Nathan said to himself, "but then isn't that what mice were all about, making a mess?"
He sighed and knew he had to clean up. As he swung the cage to his left to make some space between the supplies pantry and the rack, the door to the pantry flew open, and he was
facing a Caliphate citizen.
Tall, tall and very thin the citizen was, and as Nathan was about to yell at him, he noticed the stunner pointed directly at his chest.
He held out a hand with his palm facing Jocko, which was meant to stop him from actually shooting.
But it did not, and Nathan felt the ray. Even though he tried to yell out, his chest was frozen and he couldn't use his diaphragm to push out the words. As the ray slid down to his legs, he slouched to the floor.
Jocko sprayed him one more time. At this dosage, the scientist would be out for almost an hour. Thin as he was, he had the strength of a Nerian Prime miner, so he was able to manhandle Nathan's body into the pantry, and he closed the door on him.
Sliding that third rack of cages over to jam the door closed was his final move to keep Nathan sealed up.
Where was Fred, that missing mouse? But then why did it matter which mouse he took—all he'd been told was to get a few samples, which was what he'd do.
He went over to the racks and picked the three across the top.
While he was no scientist, he could read the displays and noted they were all more than forty-five percent above their lifespan day counts.
Old mice. I'm stealing old mice for the Caliph ... but by doing so, I'll finally become a true Caliphate citizen. Full citizen. What could be better. He almost grinned at himself, and he pulled out a folded storage bag. He helped himself to three mice, emptying each of the mice into the bag. He'd been given a couple of small cylinders to throw into the bag, and he did that, sealed it up, and made sure to keep it as full of air as he could.
He smiled. This had been pretty easy. Stealing mice was certainly something he was good at.
All he needed to do now was to make it twenty feet up the hallway into the airlock and then out of these secret labs.
He smiled and slid up against the Animal Lab door and listened as carefully as he could.