Walk the Plank by John Scalzi

Episode Two: Walk the Plank
     
    CHENZIRA EL-MASRI: —okay, I’m not really interested in who you have in the medical bay, Aurel. Right now I’m focused on finding those damn cargo containers. If we don’t track those down, it’s not going to be a very happy next few months around here.
    AUREL SPURLEA: If I didn’t think the two of them were related, I wouldn’t be bothering you, Chen. Are you recording this, Magda?
    MAGDA GANAS: Just started the recorder.
    SPURLEA: Chen, the guy in the sick bay isn’t from around here.
    EL-MASRI: What do you mean, “not from around here”? We’re a wildcat colony. It’s not like there’s anywhere else to be from around here.
    SPURLEA: He says he’s from the Erie Morningstar .
    EL-MASRI: That doesn’t make any sense. The Erie Morningstar isn’t supposed to be landing anyone. It’s supposed to be sending down the containers on autopilot. The whole point of doing it this way is to take humans out of it.
    GANAS: We know that, Chen. We were there when the cargo schedules were drawn up, too. That’s why you need to see this guy. No matter what else, he’s not one of us. He’s come from somewhere . And since the Erie Morningstar was supposed to deliver two days ago, and he’s here today, it’s not a bad guess that he’s telling the truth when he says he’s from there.
    EL-MASRI: So you think he came down on one of the containers.
    GANAS: It seems likely.
    EL-MASRI: That wouldn’t have been a fun ride.
    SPURLEA: Here we are. Chen, a couple of things real quick. One, he’s messed up physically and we have him on pain relievers.
    EL-MASRI: I thought I gave orders—
    SPURLEA: Before you bitch at me, we’ve watered them down as much as we can and still have them have any effect. But believe me, this guy needs something . Two, he’s got the Rot in his leg.
    EL-MASRI: How bad?
    SPURLEA: Real bad. I cleaned it out best I can, but it’s a pretty good chance it’s in the bloodstream by now, and you know what that means. But he’s not from around here and he doesn’t know what that means, and I don’t see much point in telling him at this point. My goal is to keep him coherent long enough for you to talk to him and then keep him from too much pain while we figure out what to do with him after that.
    EL-MASRI: Christ, Aurel. If he’s got the Rot, I think you know what to do with him.
    SPURLEA: I’m still waiting for the blood work to come back. If it’s not set in there, we can take the leg and save him.
    EL-MASRI: And then do what with him? Look around, Aurel. It’s not like we can support anyone else here, much less a recovering amputee who can’t do any work.
    GANAS: Maybe you should talk to him first before deciding to leave him out for the packs.
    EL-MASRI: I’m not unsympathetic to his situation, Magda. But my job is to think about the whole colony.
    GANAS: What the whole colony needs right now is for you to hear this guy’s story. Then you’ll have a better idea what to think.
    EL-MASRI: What’s this guy’s name?
    SPURLEA: Malik Damanis.
    EL-MASRI: Malik. Fine.

     
    [Door opening, stops.]

     
    EL-MASRI (quietly): Lovely.
    SPURLEA: There’s a reason we call it the Rot.
    EL-MASRI: Yeah.

     
    [Door opens all the way.]

     
    EL-MASRI: Malik…Hey, Malik.
    MALIK DAMANIS: Yes. Sorry, I was dozing.
    EL-MASRI: That’s fine.
    DAMANIS: Is Doctor Spurlea here? I think the pain is coming back.
    SPURLEA: I’m here. I’ll give you another shot, Malik, but it’s going to have to wait for a few minutes. I need you to be all here for your conversation with our colony leader.
    DAMANIS: That’s you?
    EL-MASRI: That’s me. My name is Chenzira El-Masri.
    DAMANIS: Malik Damanis. Uh, I guess you knew that.
    EL-MASRI: I did. Malik, Aurel and Magda here tell me that you say you’re from the Erie Morningstar .
    DAMANIS: I am.
    EL-MASRI: What do you do there?
    DAMANIS: I’m an ordinary deckhand. I mostly work loading and unloading cargo.
    EL-MASRI: You look pretty young. This