After spending the previous five years working his way from moon to moon, planet to planet and system to system, on ships of every shape and size, in search of something, 36-year-old Sciberran Healer Terrell Vorton stood next to a Stroller on the surface of Alwi with two companions.
One was a
human who was a holy man, a Visitor, who was somewhere beyond fifty with long
white hair and a short, trimmed beard.
He was tall
and disproportionately thin, and he wore a full length pale blue robe tied at
the waist with a royal blue cord and a full length dark blue leather jerkin
over the top, and he carried a simple rough-hewn staff which was undecorated
but for a carved cruciform relief a few inches from the top.
His other
companion was a Vann telepath who was a much smaller being called Shiyne, who
like the rest of the Vann women was completely bald, and she had cerise
coloured skin and purple eyes.
They were
waiting in silence for the arrival of the freighter Tornado and they were all
wearing grave expressions as there were two wounded people on board which was
why Terrell was there,
He was a
small stout man standing 5 foot 5 and was quite striking in appearance with
chalk white skin, short hair of midnight blue and violet eyes.
Terrell was
a quiet studious man who apart from medicine, loved science, and had a
fascination for off world travel, although it would have remained just that had
it not been for the deaths of his wife and child.
He had been
on Alwi for about three weeks and was staying at the
Ambassadors
Lodge, while he waited for a suitable berth, which was where he met the
Visitor.
There were
no shortage of offers for a Healer but in the weeks, he had been there all the
vessels were either going back the way he had come or were leaving Legion space
for Mehreen systems.
He had
managed to pick up work as a medic at one of the mines, but it wasn’t well paid
and so he was eager to move on and he hoped that this might be his opportunity
to leave Alwi as the Tornado was bound for Delta 500.
“Here they
come” Shiyne said a full two minutes before the other two laid eyes on the ship
despite the fact they were scanning the skies intently.
“Now I see
it” Bagg said and Terrell agreed but in truth it was another thirty seconds
before he actually could.
It wasn’t a
huge ship as freighters go but pound for pound the Tempests had the highest
freight to fuel ratio yield of their class.
The front
section comprised of a sizable pressurized hold for large freight accessed via
a front loading ramp, above which was the flight deck, living and sleeping
quarters, mess facilities and bath rooms, at the rear was the main propulsion
and amidships were the universal pod bays, which allowed for a mixed cargo
option, which Allowed for quick inspection and loading, although sometimes pods
were sealed which meant it was either very valuable or very illegal, either way
freighter Captains didn’t mind as transporting sealed cargo paid much much
better.
The Tornado
always flew with at least one pod but then that was because it was where they
stowed their gear and where the hidden compartments could be found, or not,
which was where they hid the contraband.
The moment
the Tornado touched down the loading ramp started to lower and before it hit
the dirt Malena had run down it and headed towards them and shouted
“Where’s
the Doctor?”
“I’m here”
Terrell responded
“Ok follow
me”
As Malena
and Terrell went up the ramp, she was firing information at him about the
patients and then the new engineers, Pulsat Rad and Vanzyl hurried down the
other way.
It was
their job to make sure the ship was ready to take off again the next day and as
they had been in a skirmish with Scav Raiders they had to make sure there was
no external damage.
Vanzyl was
Kesslerian and his species had evolved from fish and he possessed silver scaled
skin, a sleek form, large opaque eyes, pursed lips, and gills.
As he
passed Shiyne he made a series of clicks, whirls, and whistles which she didn’t
understand.
So, the Prinsloovian
engineer Pulsat translated
“We load
Stroller now?”
Although he
was the only one of the crew who could understand Kesslerian he was a man of
few words and his appearance was a little intimidating.
He was
heavy set and had a rough bony skull which raised up like a crown which receded
to give way to a Mahogany scaled brow, cheekbones and jawline which framed an ivory-coloured
face, and he had yellow eyes and his entire countenance betrayed his reptilian
ancestry.
He was
incredibly strong and looked quite menacing but inside he was a gentle soul.
“Ok” she
replied “Come on Bagg, then I’ll help you with the provisions”
Shiyne
drove the Stroller up the ramp into the cargo hold and then she helped Bagg
unload the provisions, some into the galley and the rest into storage while
Healer Terrell tended to the wounded men beneath Malena Endia watchful gaze,
but her interest was focused on Zerrad’s treatment.
Lyris Skeet
had regained consciousness quite soon and his wound proved to be superficial
and there was no resulting concussion, Zerrad on the other hand was in a much
worse way and needed Healer Terrell’s very best attention and every ounce of
his skill.
The Pulsar
wound was so severe that even after Terrell had spent four hours repairing the damage,
he had to keep Zerrad in a coma and Malena again sat at his bedside holding his
hand, up until the moment she was summoned by the Captain, so she left Healer
Terrell to watch over him.
She found
Merri and Shiyne sitting at the mess table drinking coffee in silence while the
new cook, Bagg was preparing vegetables for the evening meal
“How are
they?” Merri asked immediately Malena walked in.
After
Malena had explained to them at length what the Healer had done and the
prognosis for both patients and the aftercare that would be required for
Zerrad.
“I’m glad
they’ve both survived” Merri said with relief
“The
question is what to do now, we clearly can’t abandon the Skeets, they have lost
everything, but we need the job Shiyne has secured for us”
There was
no response to her soliloquy only thoughtful expressions, so she asked.
“What about
you Bagg any suggestions?”
“Are you
asking the cook or the Visitor?” he retorted
Visitors
were a Christian sect who took to the stars with the first migrants to visit
new worlds, spreading the word while seeking enlightenment, and they had
established Visitor enclaves in every corner of the known universe, they even
thrived in Mehreen space and they were the least spiritual beings to ever draw
breath.
The
difference between Visitors and the established Christian Church on earth was
its spontaneity, they didn’t wait until Sunday to worship, they did it wherever
and whenever it was desired and it didn’t need to happen in a church, Visitors
worshipped everywhere.
But Visitor
Parham had been taken aboard the Tornado as the much-needed cook, but as a holy
man he was unable to turn off his spiritual philosophy.
“Both”
Merri replied
“Well as
Visitor I cannot advise abandonment” he replied “but as cook I can concoct
medicinal broths and soups to raise Lazarus himself from only a breath from
death”
“Yes, but
what do we do about the cargo?” Malena asked
“I don’t
know” Merri replied and went thoughtful for a moment then added “Can we trust
the Doctor?”
Shiyne had
read him when they were outside the Ambassador’s Lodge and found no dark
thoughts or malevolence, she found sadness, regret, guilt, but mainly just a
noble desire to do good.
“Yes, he’s
dependable” Shiyne replied and Merri was thoughtful again
“That’s as
maybe but we don’t even know if he wants to leave” Merri said
“We do, and
he does” Shiyne corrected her
“Ok we pick
up the cargo for Delta 500 and take the Doc along for the ride, then if Zerrad
is no better by the time we get there then we can take him to the hospital”
“I don’t
think he’ll get better care than Terrell is giving him” Shiyne said
“Maybe not
but Terrell doesn’t have access to the equipment the hospital does” Merri
pointed out
“Let’s
cross that bridge when we come to it” Malena said and got up from the table
“I’ll go and check on the patient before dinner”
“Don’t you
mean Patients” Bagg said
“That’s
what I said” Malena snapped and left the room
“Well, I
think with Terrell’s healing hands, Bagg’s reviving broths and Nurse Malena
there will be no need of Hospitals” Merri said, and they all laughed.
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