"Oh.” Matt's eyes seemed to lose focus, and it was a moment before he said, “I'm sorry."
"Being here, working, is the best thing for me. Like I said, I'll take good care of Sarbin. More likely, he'll take good care of me."
"Thank you for being here, then. One more thing...."
"What is it?"
"Something I have to tell you before we allow Varis in on our datalink transmissions. Even Sarbin isn't hearing this. It's about what I might have to do if the two of you get into trouble while you're inside Varis."
"What you might have to do?"
Matt shook his head. “I'm a deeply spiritual man. The idea of killing anyone is disgusting to me. But my orders from the Unity say that if Varis gets worse—if the seizures grow worse enough that it's clear she's dying, and you're in trouble, I'm to use the submersible's disruptors to cut you out of there."
"Me? What about Sarbin?"
"I don't have any orders regarding him. But I consider his life as important as yours."
"As you should,” Carrie said. “But I wouldn't want you killing Varis and her child to save me."
"I don't claim to know how anyone might choose to face death. I can't even say how far my faith could take me if I were in there and in danger. But my orders are independent of your wishes . . . or . . . Sarbin's."
He was about to say, “even” Sarbin's, Carrie thought. She said, “Then I guess Sarbin and I will just have to make sure Varis and her child live."
* * * *
Carrie stood at the entrance to the cargo bay as Matt continued holding the submersible steady, just behind and beneath Varis. She touched her left middle finger into her palm and her lifesuit tech activated, at a lower level than the usual spacesuit function. It covered her entire body and provided her with a bubble helmet.
Sarbin was in the water-filled cargo bay now. He wore a tight-fitting Aquatile variation on her lifesuit. “Varis is still nervous about this,” he said. “She's decided to speak only to me."
"Is she only listening to you, as well?"
"That's right."
"That's good to know. You've got the medical pouch?"
Sarbin flipped over, faster than Carrie suspected would have been possible for someone of his bulk. “Strapped right to my belly,” he said. The pouch also contained some simple medical instruments in case either she or Sarbin had to perform an incision or seal up a wound.
"Sounds great,” Carrie said, and slipped into the cargo hold.
Carrie couldn't help grinning as Sarbin nuzzled her with his snout. Her body began adapting to the watery environment even within her lifesuit. Her chest expanded (Not that Matt would let himself notice, she thought) to allow her to take in more oxygen, her blood coursed more quickly through her veins, and her skin thickened slightly. As usual when her body underwent its transformation, she felt more alive than she ever did on land.
Sarbin emitted a series of clicks, and Carrie's datalink translated: “I'm so eager to leave—Matt, are we over Varis yet?"
"Just about,” came the answer from the submersible's control cabin.
"Over’ Varis?” Carrie asked.
"She's submerging,” Matt said, “and I'm going to settle us down so we're just touching her back. Ah—we're there."
"So now what?"
"So now this.” A circular portal about two and a half meters wide irised open in the bottom of the cargo deck, and Carrie saw Varis's skin rippling slightly at the bottom of it. “The edges of that portal are rimmed with medical tech. It'll anesthetize that area of her skin and provide an entryway into her bloodstream at the same time—she shouldn't feel more than a pinprick."
That's what doctors always say, Carrie thought. And they're always lying. “How thick is her blubber?"
"The better part of a meter. But don't worry. You'll zip through it in an flash. And an anticoagulant follows you, so she shouldn't bleed much."
"How will we get out when we're done?"
Carrie could hear the tension in Matt's voice even over the datalink. “Just the same way. But we'll have to pick a spot. Your datalinks will let me keep a position on you at all times. I'll be your capcom, right here the whole time."
Sarbin said, “Varis is ready, though she's still fearful."
She's not the only one, Carrie thought. “Let's get started."
Matt said, “Both of you, float facing the incision area. Carrie first, Sarbin right behind her. You're positioned right above a vein in Varis's back. At the moment of injection, I'll create a burst of positive pressure in the water around you."
"Which should pop us right into the vein."
"It should be quite a ride. And don't worry, I won't do any jokes about Jonah. Hold on . . . in three, two—"
I hate countdowns, Carrie thought.
"—one!"
A flash of light blinded her, a giant hand threatened to squeeze the life out of her, and Carrie felt as if she were falling from a high tower while simultaneously being pummeled by giants.
And, as promised, in a flash it was over and she was riding within a smoothly flowing current down a pink tunnel filled with bright red liquid.
Damned if it didn't work, Carrie thought. She checked the size of the vein by extending her arms to either side—she couldn't quite touch them as long as she stayed in the middle. Sarbin was a tighter fit, but still had room to move back and forth.
Her suit glowed, providing just enough illumination to let her see a few meters in any direction. It also helped that Carrie's bioengi- neering included increased light sensitivity and an echolocation sense. But as Matt had said, everything was pretty blurry. “Sarbin, are you okay?"
"I'm right with you."
Then came another push from behind them, and the vein's walls rushed past that much faster for a while before they slowed again. “What the hell was that?"
Matt spoke up over the datalink. “Just a little boost from Varis's pulse. You'll feel it every twelve seconds or so."
Carrie realized she must be blushing about as red as the rich oxygenated blood all around her. “Sorry. Wasn't thinking."
"Perfectly understandable. You and Sarbin are on a good path from Varis's back to her belly. But it's not a straight route—it curves around her body. It could become a bit of a roller coaster ride."
Carrie encountered one of those curves and slammed a shoulder against one side of the vein, bounced off it, and nearly tumbled out of control. Only her bio-engineered reactions and strength let her straighten out and force her way back into the middle of the steadily pumping bloodstream. “It already has,” she gasped.
Sarbin asked, “Are you all right, Carrie?"
"Getting there,” she said, trying to anticipate the vein's next curve as she approached it—she took the bounce with her right arm and her hip this time. “That was better. You have to let the impact work for you. The sides are actually pretty resilient."
"It's too bad you don't have a fluke,” the Aqua-tile said. “It makes the journey much easier."
"It's hard to tell how much progress we're making."
Matt's voice came over Carrie's datalink: “You're not traveling as quickly as you might think. But it's constant."
"With that little boost from Varis's pulse. Sarbin, how's Varis doing?"
"Fortunately, she cannot feel us inside her. But the very idea still worries—"
Sarbin's voice broke off as Carrie was tossed against one side of the vein, then the other, as a vast, deep rumbling assaulted her ears. A third collision knocked Carrie's breath out of her, and for a while she let the bloodstream take her as it would, accepted the pummeling it gave her.
Matt's voice over the datalink: “Carrie, Sar-bin—Varis is having a seizure. Are you all right?"
Carrie had her breath back and started anticipating each collision with the vein walls. “I'm starting to get the hang of it,” she said over the persistent reverberation that surrounded her. “It's just rolling with the punches—except they don't stop. Sarbin, what about you?"
&
nbsp; The Aquatile replied, “In different circumstances, this could even be . . . fun."
"Your idea of fun and mine are considerably different."
"Really, Carrie? What's fun for you?"
Some wine, some cheese, and a healthy specimen of manhood who is . . . “Let's not worry about that right now, Sarbin. Matt, how long do these seizures last?"
"It depends. Sometimes several minutes."
Carrie took another hard blow against the side of the vein wall. “Well, I wish this one would hurry up and—"
The rumbling ceased and Varis's bloodstream quit trying to pummel her against the vein's walls.
"—finish."
Sarbin caught up with Carrie nearly effortlessly. “You really should consider having that fluke installed."
Carrie couldn't help grinning. “Matt—how close are we to the child?"
"You're most of the way there. The trick's going to be holding yourself against the blood flow while you insert the pouch."
Sarbin said, “That's another reason I'm here, Carrie—to brace you as you work."
Matt said, “I wanted to be there with you."
That jealousy again, Carrie thought. “Matt, I know you've worked quite a bit with Sarbin. But you couldn't have done this. You don't have the swimming skills or the body strength. Please realize I'm not bragging. I was made this way."
No response for a moment, then Matt said, “Point taken. I'm glad you're there to help Sarbin in ways I couldn't."
Can't fault his loyalty, Carrie thought. “Thanks. How's the baby doing?"
"Vitals are a bit rocky. We need to get that pouch to her."
"By we,’ you mean me and Sarbin."
"Well, uh—"
"Just giving you a hard time, Matt. How close are we?"
"About fifteen meters."
Sarbin said, “I'm going to move ahead of you, Carrie, to get into position to steady you."
"Sounds great. Uh-oh, hang on!"
Varis's body roiled again, and Carrie found herself crashing hard against Sarbin before she could dodge him. She rebounded off the Aquatile and found herself getting into the rhythm she'd discovered earlier—bounce off the vein wall, try to stay in the middle of the bloodstream, anticipate an upcoming curve...
I'm starting to get the hang of it, she thought. It could be worse—
Varis's body jerked again, Carrie struck the vein wall—
And it gave way and she went tumbling head-over-heels and crash-landed against something smooth and rubbery. Whatever it is, at least it cushioned the blow, she thought. But blood spurted from the hole in the vein, covering her and whatever body part she was lying against.
* * * *
Sarbin's voice came over her datalink: “Carrie, are you all right?"
"I'm fine.” More low noises all around, and Carrie laid herself flat against the rubbery flesh beneath her. Last thing I want is to start bouncing around inside Varis. Then the Leviathan's body grew still again. “I'm worried about the hole in this vein—it looks like Varis is losing a lot of blood.” She rolled to one side to get clear of the flow.
Matt broke in. “It looks like you landed against Varis's bladder."
"Oh, great,” Carrie said. “I'm going to forgo the obvious jokes. Sarbin, can you get to that hole in the vein?"
"I'm fighting against the current. It's easier between pulses."
Their surroundings rumbled again, but not nearly as strongly as before. “What the hell's that?” Carrie asked.
Matt said, “Varis is eating. Mama-to-be gets hungry, especially after one of those seizures."
Carrie tried to stand, but couldn't get sure footing—the giant bladder gave at each step, leaving Carrie wobbling from side to side before falling back down. I wonder if Varis feels this unexpected urge to go, now, she thought. “I can't reach back up toward the vein. Can't stand up."
Matt asked, “Can you follow the vein's path? Is there some place where it's closer to you?"
Carrie peered down the vein's path. “It's hard to see very far ahead of me. I don't think so."
"How about behind you?"
"Didn't think of that. Didn't want to consider backtracking, I suppose. Yeah, I see a place I can grab hold."
Matt said, “You and Sarbin listen carefully. Sarbin, you've got to patch up the hole already in the vein. Carrie, while he's doing that, you climb up onto that vein."
"Onto it?"
"Look at the force of that blood flow—can you climb back into the vein against it?"
"Point taken again. So Sarbin fixes the already-existing hole in the vein—"
"And I create a new one for you to fall into rather than have to push against,” the Aquatile said.
"All right,” Carrie said, “I'm headed that way.” After another attempt to get to her feet, she gave up and crawled along the wobbly surface of the Leviathan's bladder. Not the most dignified way of getting around, she thought. If I get killed in here, I sure hope Matt or Sarbin can get my body out.
Carrie concentrated hard enough on moving forward that she bumped her head against the bottom of the vein. Great. It's huge, of course. Got to see if I can get myself up on it.
She moved to one side of the vein and tried to pull herself up with her hands, but her fingers couldn't find purchase—its sides were too slippery, and she wasn't tall enough to reach to the top.
Then the bladder beneath her gave way in different directions beneath her feet and she fell on her butt.
Damn, I hate this, Carrie thought. I don't want people to have to place their hands over their mouths to hide their compulsive laughter as they explain how I died, trying to stand up on a Leviathan's bladder, walking around like a drunk on a trampoline.
Trampoline? Damn. I need to catch on faster.
Carrie pushed herself up yet again, balanced carefully, then bent her knees and jumped straight up.
About ten centimeters at best. That's all right, Carrie, she thought. Get the rhythm going. You can do this—it's just like great sex. Another bounce, and another, and Carrie managed a bit more height each time.
At the third bounce, Matt's voice came through her datalink: “Carrie, what are you doing over there?"
She grunted at the effort of another couple bounces. “Trying to jump high enough to get on top of this vein. What's happening?"
"Varis is urinating up a storm—it's like a yellow cloud behind her."
Unexpected laughter burst from Carrie and she lost her rhythm and almost fell. So she did feel the urge. “I'm using her bladder as a trampoline—uh-oh.” The bladder was quickly growing flaccid, providing less bounce with each jump. Continuing the sex analogy, I guess. Well, now or never.
A final thrust with her legs, and she leaped toward the curved side of the vein, grasped its rubbery flesh as high up as she could, and scrambled up with her legs until she was lying on top of it.
Yeah, just like great sex, all right. Worn out now. If I were a man, I'd be ready for a nap. I have to keep going, though.
Sarbin said, “I've sealed the hole you fell through, Carrie."
"Great. You see where I am now?"
"I do. Are you ready?"
"Ready as I'm going to—” A hole opened up right in front of Carrie and she fell into Varis's bloodstream again. An immediate pulse started her on her previous path once more.
"Carrie, wait—I have to seal this hole."
Carrie flipped around and fought to swim against the current. The Leviathan's pulse shot her backwards that much more every ten seconds or so. She watched in amazement as Sarbin's stubby arms and hands aimed a suture beam and sealed up the hole she'd fallen through. With that accomplished, the Aquatile deftly folded up the device and returned it to the pouch. “Ready?” he asked.
"Sure am,” Carrie said, and flipped around to proceed on their previous path. It was only when she relaxed to let the Leviathan's steady pulse propel her through the bloodstream that she realized how out of breath she was, how much her leg muscles burned, how badly
her ribs ached from one of the many blows she'd taken against the vein walls. She said, “Matt, please tell me we're near the baby."
"You are, actually. In fact, Sarbin needs to get in front of you to hold you in place."
"Here I go,” the Aquatile said, and easily glided past Carrie to precede her in the Levia-than's vein.
"Just a little farther, Sarbin,” Matt said. “I'm going to try to position you and Carrie at a spot where the vein presses right up against the womb."
"Just tell us when,” Carrie said.
"Just a moment. Now, Sarbin—hold her right there."
The Aquatile flipped around in an instant even as Carrie tried her best to paddle against the bloodstream. Once again she was impressed with how quickly such a large being could move. But when Sarbin pressed the tip of his snout against her back, his fluke flapping insistently to keep them both in place, she groaned with pain. “Can you turn your head a bit? You're killing my kidneys."
"Sorry. How's that?"
"Much better. Lemme reach down and grab that medpack from your belly. Okay, got it. All its systems check out, Matt—which way should I point it?"
"That would be to your right, directly in the middle of the vein."
I've got to get this done quickly, Carrie thought. Even my endurance has its limits, and I'm reaching them pretty quickly. She pressed the medpack against the smooth flesh of the vein, with Sarbin adjusting his position to keep her in place as she moved. She raised her hand to depress the control that would deliver the pouch and—
"Stop!” Sarbin said.
Carrie jerked her hand away from the pack. “What is it?"
"It's Varis. She doesn't trust you. She's afraid of what you might be injecting into her child."
"Isn't this a hell of a time to decide that?"
Matt piped in: “Sarbin, you've got to convince her we're doing what's best."
Or I could just go ahead and hit the button, Carrie thought.
But what would happen then? If Varis became upset enough, agitated enough, she could hurt herself and her baby. And if Sarbin and I were in danger, and Matt ended up following his orders to cut us out if necessary . . .
* * * *
Carrie kept one hand pressed against the medpack, and the other well away from the control that would activate it. She looked down at Sarbin. “What if you did it?"
Analog SFF, October 2010 Page 10