turned to look up at the
Overseer. It was gone.
“He leaves.” A woman stood. “If he is not needed, or cannot
help. He stays away.” She was a tall, bony woman. Bird-like and old, hair still
red as a burning fire. She tied it back in an exquisite knitted shawl. A
slender, pale hand, knuckles thick with arthritis, was offered with the majesty
of an empress. “Galina Annakova.”
“Adrienne Parker. How many are sick?”
Dark eyes fixed on hers. “Two thirds of the village. It has
been this way since the last of our drugs were taken.”
“Taken? What drugs?” She felt the neck of the nearest child.
She was a pretty little thing, very blond. Her pulse was low, and sweat dripped
from her chin to the wooden table below.
“Amenoperithol. The new favorite antibiotic among Rim-World
black markets. It catches high price these days. Overseer gave us enough for
fifty years, but it was stolen. And he needs sample to make more.”
“Amenoperithol treats biological agents, not viral or
bacterial. You know what’s causing this?” Swollen lymph glands. The girl’s
fever was very high.
“Amoeba. Similar to Earth bug causes giardia. Only in later
stages this has overtone of Lassa.” She smiled at Adry’s sharp look. “I was
doctor, Dr. Parker.” The woman smiled. “Now I am just Galina.”
“The Overseers took it away, huh?” Adrienne asked, fishing
an antibiotic popper out of a pocket and holding it under the girl’s nose. The
child giggled fearlessly, and snapped it open on her own. Green-amber mist rose
around her nose and mouth, inhaled on a laugh. God bless children.
“I am trained in surgery with laser, not knife. I know no
drug older than Amenoperithol. I cannot sterilize a bandage without a
rad-field. Since we lost ours, many have died of sepsis.”
“I’m sure being dinner for an Overseer isn’t helping with
that. How many people has it killed?”
“None.”
Adrienne almost dropped the poppers. “Excuse me? It feeds on
you. On you .” She pointed at a scar under the old woman’s breast bone.
“I trade for clean water. I think it give us a bottle. It
give us a machine instead. All things need to live. And he feeds shallow. No
one dies.” Galina smiled. “He give us the enzyme for free. I do not think this
fair, so I give him the shirt and pants you wear. Value for value.”
Adry didn’t want to discuss this. It didn’t fit with her
accepted world view. “Here’s two more poppers. Give her one tomorrow, and one
the next day. And I’m going to see if I can’t get my hands on more...”
Movement from behind. Both women turned fast. The Overseer
was back, an alien box in its pale hands. The objects inside were oddly shaped,
but their function was obvious. Alien Amenoperithol poppers. She rolled her
eyes.
“Will it suit?” Galina asked. Her hands moved restlessly
over the child’s, almost possessively. The family resemblance was pretty
strong.
“It takes three of mine to clear up basic biological
infection.” She raised an eyebrow at the Overseer.
“These are chemically the same.”
“It should work, then. As long as nobody else gets sick.”
She turned to Galina. “It gave you a purification system, are you using it for
washing and cooking, or just drinking water?”
“Cooking, yes. But we should not use potable water for
washing. It is too valuable.”
“So are your lives. Dirty water gets in your mouth when you
bathe, the bug gets on your skin from your clothes. If you can’t use the
purification system for washing, at least boil the water before you use it.
Same goes for sterilizing bandages. Boil purified water, put the bandages in,
and keep them…” she trailed off. Where the bloody hell could someone store
bandages in this swamp?
“Sterile boxes,” Galina turned to the Overseer. “I am sure I
can find two donors, perhaps three, to trade for--”
“They are outside, with more medical supplies.” It looked to
Adrienne. “There is a limit to my
Overseer. It was gone.
“He leaves.” A woman stood. “If he is not needed, or cannot
help. He stays away.” She was a tall, bony woman. Bird-like and old, hair still
red as a burning fire. She tied it back in an exquisite knitted shawl. A
slender, pale hand, knuckles thick with arthritis, was offered with the majesty
of an empress. “Galina Annakova.”
“Adrienne Parker. How many are sick?”
Dark eyes fixed on hers. “Two thirds of the village. It has
been this way since the last of our drugs were taken.”
“Taken? What drugs?” She felt the neck of the nearest child.
She was a pretty little thing, very blond. Her pulse was low, and sweat dripped
from her chin to the wooden table below.
“Amenoperithol. The new favorite antibiotic among Rim-World
black markets. It catches high price these days. Overseer gave us enough for
fifty years, but it was stolen. And he needs sample to make more.”
“Amenoperithol treats biological agents, not viral or
bacterial. You know what’s causing this?” Swollen lymph glands. The girl’s
fever was very high.
“Amoeba. Similar to Earth bug causes giardia. Only in later
stages this has overtone of Lassa.” She smiled at Adry’s sharp look. “I was
doctor, Dr. Parker.” The woman smiled. “Now I am just Galina.”
“The Overseers took it away, huh?” Adrienne asked, fishing
an antibiotic popper out of a pocket and holding it under the girl’s nose. The
child giggled fearlessly, and snapped it open on her own. Green-amber mist rose
around her nose and mouth, inhaled on a laugh. God bless children.
“I am trained in surgery with laser, not knife. I know no
drug older than Amenoperithol. I cannot sterilize a bandage without a
rad-field. Since we lost ours, many have died of sepsis.”
“I’m sure being dinner for an Overseer isn’t helping with
that. How many people has it killed?”
“None.”
Adrienne almost dropped the poppers. “Excuse me? It feeds on
you. On you .” She pointed at a scar under the old woman’s breast bone.
“I trade for clean water. I think it give us a bottle. It
give us a machine instead. All things need to live. And he feeds shallow. No
one dies.” Galina smiled. “He give us the enzyme for free. I do not think this
fair, so I give him the shirt and pants you wear. Value for value.”
Adry didn’t want to discuss this. It didn’t fit with her
accepted world view. “Here’s two more poppers. Give her one tomorrow, and one
the next day. And I’m going to see if I can’t get my hands on more...”
Movement from behind. Both women turned fast. The Overseer
was back, an alien box in its pale hands. The objects inside were oddly shaped,
but their function was obvious. Alien Amenoperithol poppers. She rolled her
eyes.
“Will it suit?” Galina asked. Her hands moved restlessly
over the child’s, almost possessively. The family resemblance was pretty
strong.
“It takes three of mine to clear up basic biological
infection.” She raised an eyebrow at the Overseer.
“These are chemically the same.”
“It should work, then. As long as nobody else gets sick.”
She turned to Galina. “It gave you a purification system, are you using it for
washing and cooking, or just drinking water?”
“Cooking, yes. But we should not use potable water for
washing. It is too valuable.”
“So are your lives. Dirty water gets in your mouth when you
bathe, the bug gets on your skin from your clothes. If you can’t use the
purification system for washing, at least boil the water before you use it.
Same goes for sterilizing bandages. Boil purified water, put the bandages in,
and keep them…” she trailed off. Where the bloody hell could someone store
bandages in this swamp?
“Sterile boxes,” Galina turned to the Overseer. “I am sure I
can find two donors, perhaps three, to trade for--”
“They are outside, with more medical supplies.” It looked to
Adrienne. “There is a limit to my
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