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 a 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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