Please, please, please…”
Dana left half of the second drink. She waved to the bartender then touched the voice-badge on her collar. “Get me Ambassador Cray?”
She felt foolish, doing this based on a telepathic plea from a man she knew for all of fourteen hours or less. Yet, she put her whole career on the line.
A male voice responded to her request. “This is Ambassador Cray’s aide. How may I help you?”
The voice sounded mechanical. She wondered if it was an android. “Doctor Cartwright here. There’s a problem with SSID transferring Colonel Kieran Jai out of my jurisdiction. I am very concerned he is in danger.”
At the word ‘danger’ the aide reacted. “Oh, indeed.” Then the man counseled, “Please stand by for MAT transfer.”
Dana stepped away from the bar table, surprised by the nearly immediate transport.
She faced a little humanoid droid, just slightly smaller than Dana in size.
He offered a stilted bow. “This way, Doctor.” She followed from the public MAT station at Spaceport Bravo, the orbital space resort used by non-military traffic as an off-world hotel, to a private guest room antechamber.
“Wait here,” the aide advised. It left hurriedly and the door closed behind.
Though sparsely furnished, with a sofa, occasional chair, plus a few artificial plants, the antechamber seemed comfortable enough. It had no viewports and no view screens. Not even any artwork on the walls.
Dana wondered if all Ambassadors had such skimpy accommodations. She heard the door to the adjoining room whoosh open.
Cray stepped through. He looked like Kieran. Well, Kieran, with a white longhair wig and a beard. He was no stranger. “Doctor Cartwright.” He offered both hands and took both of hers, the gesture, and patter reminding her of the usual ‘receiving line’ after one of his lectures, rather impersonal, stilted, and formal. “Hello and nice to see you again.”
She wasted no time getting to the point, speaking in Alphan for his convenience. He seemed honored.
“Sir, Kieran Jai was seriously injured during the crash of your shuttle. SSID took him from my care to the SS Navitor . I…”
“That’s strange,” Cray commented. “No one told me.”
“I fear for his…”
“Do you realize,” Cray mumbled, “this is the fifth assassination attempt on an Alphan Ambassador since the new treaty with the Imperium?”
Dana stared, “Fifth?”
“Not all on Earth, of course,” Cray added.
Dana felt his train of thought a distraction. “Back to Colonel Jai, Ambassador. I’m worried about my patient.”
Cray nodded understandingly. “I am, too. Let’s pay Navitor a visit. Shall we?”
Dana readily agreed.
The aide reappeared and without a word, the threesome dematerialized, arriving aboard ship on a MAT station.
“Welcome aboard Navitor ,” a female Ensign invited, “This way, please.”
The trim young woman, not much older than Dana, indicated the door and led down several corridors to sickbay, where she abandoned them just inside the entry.
Doctor Garcia looked up from his work desk, stood, and then rushed around to give the Ambassador the traditional greeting, just as Dana had.
“Welcome back, Mister Ambassador.” Garcia then stared at her. “You must be Doctor Cartwright. Looking for your missing patient?”
Dana nodded.
“He’s resting in the coffin. I just ran a neuro scan. It’s not very good, I’m afraid,” Garcia indicated his desktop viewer.
Ambassador Cray interrupted, “I’d like to see my bodyguard. You can talk shop, so to speak, later.”
“Certainly, come this way.” Garcia led around a corner to a large ward with a dozen diagnostic beds. Off in the corner was the C-FIIN unit with the sides and top up.
Dana immediately moved to check the data screen. “He’s very claustrophobic, Doctor,” she cautioned. “Did he not tell you?”
“Oh?” Garcia seemed surprised. “You know Colonel Jai?”
“I was the first responder to the
Dana left half of the second drink. She waved to the bartender then touched the voice-badge on her collar. “Get me Ambassador Cray?”
She felt foolish, doing this based on a telepathic plea from a man she knew for all of fourteen hours or less. Yet, she put her whole career on the line.
A male voice responded to her request. “This is Ambassador Cray’s aide. How may I help you?”
The voice sounded mechanical. She wondered if it was an android. “Doctor Cartwright here. There’s a problem with SSID transferring Colonel Kieran Jai out of my jurisdiction. I am very concerned he is in danger.”
At the word ‘danger’ the aide reacted. “Oh, indeed.” Then the man counseled, “Please stand by for MAT transfer.”
Dana stepped away from the bar table, surprised by the nearly immediate transport.
She faced a little humanoid droid, just slightly smaller than Dana in size.
He offered a stilted bow. “This way, Doctor.” She followed from the public MAT station at Spaceport Bravo, the orbital space resort used by non-military traffic as an off-world hotel, to a private guest room antechamber.
“Wait here,” the aide advised. It left hurriedly and the door closed behind.
Though sparsely furnished, with a sofa, occasional chair, plus a few artificial plants, the antechamber seemed comfortable enough. It had no viewports and no view screens. Not even any artwork on the walls.
Dana wondered if all Ambassadors had such skimpy accommodations. She heard the door to the adjoining room whoosh open.
Cray stepped through. He looked like Kieran. Well, Kieran, with a white longhair wig and a beard. He was no stranger. “Doctor Cartwright.” He offered both hands and took both of hers, the gesture, and patter reminding her of the usual ‘receiving line’ after one of his lectures, rather impersonal, stilted, and formal. “Hello and nice to see you again.”
She wasted no time getting to the point, speaking in Alphan for his convenience. He seemed honored.
“Sir, Kieran Jai was seriously injured during the crash of your shuttle. SSID took him from my care to the SS Navitor . I…”
“That’s strange,” Cray commented. “No one told me.”
“I fear for his…”
“Do you realize,” Cray mumbled, “this is the fifth assassination attempt on an Alphan Ambassador since the new treaty with the Imperium?”
Dana stared, “Fifth?”
“Not all on Earth, of course,” Cray added.
Dana felt his train of thought a distraction. “Back to Colonel Jai, Ambassador. I’m worried about my patient.”
Cray nodded understandingly. “I am, too. Let’s pay Navitor a visit. Shall we?”
Dana readily agreed.
The aide reappeared and without a word, the threesome dematerialized, arriving aboard ship on a MAT station.
“Welcome aboard Navitor ,” a female Ensign invited, “This way, please.”
The trim young woman, not much older than Dana, indicated the door and led down several corridors to sickbay, where she abandoned them just inside the entry.
Doctor Garcia looked up from his work desk, stood, and then rushed around to give the Ambassador the traditional greeting, just as Dana had.
“Welcome back, Mister Ambassador.” Garcia then stared at her. “You must be Doctor Cartwright. Looking for your missing patient?”
Dana nodded.
“He’s resting in the coffin. I just ran a neuro scan. It’s not very good, I’m afraid,” Garcia indicated his desktop viewer.
Ambassador Cray interrupted, “I’d like to see my bodyguard. You can talk shop, so to speak, later.”
“Certainly, come this way.” Garcia led around a corner to a large ward with a dozen diagnostic beds. Off in the corner was the C-FIIN unit with the sides and top up.
Dana immediately moved to check the data screen. “He’s very claustrophobic, Doctor,” she cautioned. “Did he not tell you?”
“Oh?” Garcia seemed surprised. “You know Colonel Jai?”
“I was the first responder to the
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