The Galaxy, and the Ground Within Page 24

  ‘That’s a chair,’ Pei said.

  ‘If you say so.’ The doctor unsnapped her exosuit, stepped out of it, tossed it into a corner, and sat down, looking mildly perturbed as the chair shaped itself around her. ‘Well, that’s weird,’ she said in a flat voice as she pulled the bot scanner her way. She stared at the colour screen swirling back at her. ‘Right. I’m gonna use mine.’ She opened her medical bag and began pulling out various tools. ‘Anything on xyr scans raise any flags in the last few hours?’

  ‘Not that we noticed,’ Speaker said. ‘But we don’t really know.’

  ‘Neither of our fields of expertise,’ Pei said.

  ‘Well, you did the right thing by keeping an eye.’ Dr Miriyam pressed her own scanner against Tupo’s wristpatch, entered a flurry of commands, and studied the results closely. Ouloo began to rub her toepads against Tupo’s fur nervously, her breath tight and halting.

  Roveg tapped Pei on the shoulder with one of his legs. ‘Captain, if I may?’ he said, indicating that he wished to enter the room. Pei let him past, and Roveg walked up behind Ouloo. He wrapped his thoracic legs around her shoulders and torso gently, holding her steady, letting her know he was there. ‘It’s going to be all right,’ he said in a soft voice. ‘The doctor’s here.’

  Ouloo took a deep breath, bobbing her neck in acknowledgement. She reached a paw toward her shoulder and patted Roveg’s toes.

  Dr Miriyam nodded her head up and down as she read from her own scanner, and Pei knew this to be a promising gesture. ‘Okay,’ the doctor said. She looked up at Ouloo, her eyes serious but kind. ‘I’m going to need to conduct a full tip-to-toe exam once xe’s awake, but so far, this is looking good.’

  ‘Oh,’ Ouloo gasped. ‘Oh, that’s – oh, good.’

  ‘We’re not out of the woods yet,’ Dr Miriyam cautioned. ‘But the procedure I need to do won’t take long. I’ll be using xyr imubots to kick xyr brain back into gear. From what I’m seeing, there’s low risk of complications here. But … you may not want to be in the room for this.’

  ‘Why not?’ Ouloo asked.

  Dr Miriyam pressed her lips together. ‘Xe’ll likely twitch while I’m doing this. Might thrash around, make some involuntary sounds.’

  ‘Will it hurt?’

  ‘Mmm, that’s hard to say. It probably does hurt, but xe either won’t be conscious enough to register it, or xe won’t remember it afterward. But it does look … upsetting. So, if you want to step out—’

  ‘Like hell,’ Ouloo huffed. She glanced back at Roveg. ‘Will you stay, too?’

  ‘Yes, of course,’ he said, squeezing her shoulders.

  ‘We’ll all stay,’ Speaker said.

  ‘Thank you,’ Ouloo said timidly.

  Dr Miriyam looked around, still processing her surroundings. ‘Do you have a bucket? A large bowl? Anything like that?’

  Pei was not keen on where this question was going. ‘I think so, why?’

  The doctor made an apologetic face. ‘Our friend here will probably, ah, purge xyr stomach contents once xe wakes up.’

  ‘I saw a bucket in the storage closet,’ Speaker said. ‘I’ll go get it.’ She walked her suit down the hall.

  ‘And actually, on that note,’ Dr Miriyam said, ‘we should get that mask off before we start. Don’t want it hurting xyr if xe wakes up hard.’ She dug around in her bag and pulled out a pair of oddly shaped scissors. She looked around the remaining group, and pointed at Pei’s hands. ‘Do you think you can hold these?’

  ‘Maybe,’ Pei said. She took the scissors, which were made for five fingers, not four, but she found she could manage (a bit uncomfortably, but whatever).

  ‘Can you work on the mask while I get this procedure lined up?’

  ‘Yeah, sure.’ Pei scootched past and leaned over Tupo’s limp, lifeless head. ‘Sorry about this, kid,’ she said as she began to cut hunks of fur away, exposing the dark skin beneath.

  ‘So you’ve done this before?’ Ouloo said.

  Dr Miriyam paused in typing out her imubot commands. ‘I’ve done this in sims,’ she said frankly. ‘But this will be my first time with a live patient. I can’t say I’ve ever had a call for olotohen before.’

  The bit of calm that Ouloo had managed to scrape back visibly evaporated. She didn’t make a sound, but her whole body tensed.

  Roveg’s eyes shifted in their hard sockets. ‘Doctor, just out of curiosity, what sims did you train on?’

  ‘You mean the title?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘The Sapient Scholar Medical Training Suite. Version eight, I think.’

  ‘Ah!’ Roveg said. He patted Ouloo’s shoulders and leaned his head closer to hers. ‘I know the head of the studio who makes those. Delightful Aandrisk woman. Her team has a very good reputation in our industry. I hear their medical sims are practically indistinguishable from the real thing.’

  The fur around Ouloo’s ears lowered just a touch. ‘I’m sorry, Doctor, I’m just—’

  ‘It’s okay,’ the Human said. ‘I know it’s been a stressful night. But we’re gonna fix that soon.’ She entered in one more command and sat back. ‘All right, that needs a minute to compile, and then we’ll be ready to go. How are we doing with that mask?’ She got up and took a look. ‘Nice, good stuff. Want me to take over?’

  ‘If you don’t mind,’ Pei said, relinquishing the scissors and shaking out her cramping hand.

  Dr Miriyam pushed up her sleeve and got to it. As she did so, Pei noticed an ornate tattoo on her inner forearm, white ink leaping off of brown skin. The image was in the shape of an Exodan homestead ship, with a sentence in Ensk woven around it. Most of it meant nothing to her, but Pei picked out the words for fly and … and death? Not death – there was something else added to the word that she couldn’t parse. Stars, she needed to learn more Ensk.

  ‘Which homesteader are you from?’ Pei asked.

  ‘Hmm? Oh,’ Dr Miriyam said with a glance at her arm. ‘You know what this is.’

  ‘I do.’

  The doctor smiled as she worked. ‘I’m from the Ratri.’

  Pei smiled blue. She knew the name. ‘I have a friend from the Asteria.’

  The Exodan gave her a quick look and a wry smile. ‘Our waterball team is better.’

  The blue in Pei’s cheeks freckled with green. ‘He’d fight you on that.’

  ‘Yeah, well, he’d lose, just like his team does under pressure.’ She gave one final snip and pulled the mask free. ‘Sorry about your new look, Tupo, but it’ll grow back.’ Pei agreed with the doctor’s assessment; the kid now had a wide, patchy border of bare skin circling xyr nose. It looked like xe’d stuck xyr face into a hedge trimmer.

  Speaker returned to the room, carrying a maintenance bucket in the suit’s hands. ‘Will this do?’

  Dr Miriyam took the bucket with a nod. ‘It’ll do,’ she said. She set the bucket on the floor next to the bed, then turned her attention to the bot scanner. ‘Okay. We’re ready to go.’ She looked at Ouloo. ‘Are you ready?’

  Ouloo waggled her neck vigorously. Roveg stayed with her, his many legs holding tight.

  ‘All right,’ Dr Miriyam said, exhaling. ‘Starting neural stimulation in three … two … one.’

  The doctor had been right: Tupo started twitching, and the sight was indeed upsetting. The kid looked like a glitching bot, or something out of a horror vid. There was no life in the movements, no intention or purpose. Pei had so rarely seen Tupo holding still, but this wasn’t the youngster who couldn’t keep xyr paws on the ground for ten seconds. This wasn’t a goofy kid who’d had too much sugar. This was a monster, a puppet, a science experiment gone wrong.

  ‘Oh, I can’t,’ Ouloo gasped. She remained standing where she was, but whipped her neck around so she could bury her face against Roveg’s shell. ‘I thought I could, but I can’t.’

  ‘It’s all right,’ Dr Miriyam said, her eyes moving back and forth between patient and scanner screen. ‘I know it’s hard, but Tupo’s doing great. Ju
st a few more minutes.’

  Roveg angled his head up toward the ceiling so he didn’t have to look, either. Pei found herself glancing aside as well. She’d seen some real shit, but there was something about this that got right under her scales. But as she turned her gaze from the med bed, she noticed Speaker. The Akarak looked uncomfortable, but she hadn’t turned away. She watched the grim procedure with intensity, her beak moving with muttered words too soft for Pei’s implant to pick up.

  What her implant did catch was the sudden, drowning gasp that ripped itself from Tupo’s throat. The kid’s eyes shot open, and xyr whole body bucked.

  Dr Miriyam grabbed Tupo’s arms, keeping xyr from falling off the table. ‘Get xyr head,’ Dr Miriyam ordered Pei.

  Pei did as she was told, taking Tupo’s head firmly between her hands. This, she’d done before – not with a head this fuzzy or a neck this long, but still.

  Tupo stopped thrashing almost as soon as xe’d started, and xyr eyes darted wildly around the unfamiliar space. ‘What—’ xe croaked. The question was left unfinished. Alien as xyr face was, the panicked, urgent expression that flooded it could be understood by anyone who possessed a stomach.

  Under the circumstances, Pei wouldn’t have minded cleaning the floor, but all the same, she was glad they had a bucket.

  Tupo flopped back against the med bed once xe’d finished, panting shakily. The rest of the room held their breath. Finally, the kid quieted, licked the edges of xyr mouth, and with effort, craned xyr head up.

  ‘Mom?’ xe called in a trembling voice.

  Ouloo let out a long, cooing wail. Roveg let go of her, and in a split second, she was up on the bed with Tupo, wrapping all her long limbs around her child and babbling in Piloom.

  ‘That’s—’ Dr Miriyam started to object to the ferocious hug, but she paused, looked at her scanner, and leaned back. ‘Yeah, that’s fine.’ She smiled to herself with a nod.

  Pei put her hand on the doctor’s shoulder. ‘Pretty good first time,’ she said.

  Dr Miriyam gave a soft laugh. ‘Yeah,’ she said. ‘Pretty good.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Speaker said. She nodded her head with respect, Human style.

  Roveg exhaled noisily through his spiracles. ‘Stars and fire,’ he said. ‘Oh, fuck, that was a lot, wasn’t it? If you all don’t mind, I’m going to get some air.’ He exited the room, making relieved, weary sounds.

  On the bed, Ouloo nuzzled Tupo as though the universe would end if she didn’t. Tupo looked drained and confused, but as the seconds went on, a look of concern filled xyr face, as though crucial pieces of what was happening were falling into place. ‘Mom?’ xe said slowly.

  ‘Yes, Tupo?’ Ouloo asked, switching into Klip.

  Tupo chewed on xyr lips. ‘Don’t be mad, but I think … I think I did something really stupid.’

  Ouloo exploded in laughter. ‘Oh, you did, baby,’ she cackled. ‘You certainly did.’ She rubbed her forehead against Tupo’s. ‘But I’m not mad. I’m not mad at all.’

  Day 240, GC Standard 307

  ALL CLEAR

  Received message

  Encryption: 0

  From: GC Transit Authority – Gora System (path: 487-45411-479-4)

  To: Ooli Oht Ouloo (path: 5787-598-66)

  Subject: URGENT UPDATE

  This is an urgent message from the Emergency Response Team aboard the GC Transit Authority Regional Management Orbiter (Gora System). Though the temporary communications satellite fleet is currently in operation, standard ansible and Linking channels are still unavailable. We will continue to communicate via the emergency beacon network until all communications are restored. Please continue to leave your scribs locked to this channel.

  PLEASE READ THIS MESSAGE IN FULL.

  We are pleased to inform you that we have restored safe launch and landing conditions above Gora’s settled regions. While the clean-up efforts will continue for several days, the airspace above all Neighbourhoods (North and South) now meets our requirements for normal space traffic.

  We will be contacting each ship owner to assign you a new launch time and slot in the tunnel queue based on your current travel plans. As all vessels on Gora’s surface cannot launch at once, we will be rolling out launch times in stages. Provided that all ship owners follow these temporary procedures accordingly, we are confident that we can have everyone back in transit by the end of the day (240/307).

  Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

  EVERYONE

  Roveg didn’t know how it was possible for his ship to have fallen into such disarray in only five days, but he’d certainly managed it. He bustled about his projection room, picking up empty cups and pillows and sim gear with each of his thoracic legs. He usually kept his belongings organised, but he lacked the mind for it in that moment. Everything he collected was shoved unceremoniously into a cupboard and strapped securely for take-off, with no regard for what was being stored with what. He could sort it all out once he was on his way. It would give him something to do, other than fret.

  The wall vox switched on. ‘You have an incoming call from the ground host,’ Friend said.

  ‘Thank you, Friend,’ Roveg said. ‘Please put it through in here.’

  There was a pause as the connection was made. ‘Hi Roveg,’ said a raspy voice. ‘It’s me, Tupo.’

  ‘Tupo, my friend!’ Roveg said. ‘Very good to hear you up and about. How are you feeling?’

  ‘Fine,’ Tupo mumbled, sounding as though xe was embarrassed about the question and wanted to move past it as quickly as possible. ‘Hey, um, what time are you leaving?’

  ‘I’m scheduled for a late night hop, so I’ll be launching in about three hours.’

  ‘Okay, um, just so you know, you’re invited to a goodbye party. My mom’s not doing it. I mean, she’s helping, but it’s my party. It’s so I can say thank you for, um, helping me.’

  Roveg could practically hear the little Laru’s paws shuffling. ‘Tupo, I would be delighted,’ he said. ‘When should I be there?’

  ‘Oh, just, um, whenever you want. I guess not yet, because it’s not ready.’

  Ouloo’s voice appeared in the background, calling from somewhere in the house. ‘Stars, Tupo. Tell him 16:00.’

  ‘It’s at 16:00,’ Tupo said.

  ‘In the garden,’ Ouloo called.

  ‘In the garden,’ Tupo said.

  ‘Splendid,’ Roveg said. ‘I’ll see you then.’

  The child had stopped talking, but xe hadn’t ended the call. Roveg could hear Tupo still breathing through the vox. ‘Can I ask you a question?’ Tupo asked in a hush.

  ‘Of course,’ Roveg said.

  Another pause. ‘How did you bring breakfast to Speaker? Because I know you did, and I want her to have party food, but, um … obviously I kind of don’t want to do that again.’

  Roveg replied with gentle patience. ‘I used a drone, Tupo. I didn’t go inside her ship.’

  ‘Oh,’ Tupo said. Xe was quiet a moment more. ‘That makes way more sense.’

  Pei wasn’t going to miss the garden, exactly. She was glad to know that she’d be in the air in a little over an hour, leaving Gora far behind. But with a tenday and a half of transit in front of her, one last touch of grass before she left was welcome.

  Everybody else was already on the lawn, seated in a circle. The same decorations as the previous gatherings flocked the bushes, but they were more haphazard than before, and didn’t reach as high up. A similar state of almost-but-not-quite applied to the tray of mellow-mallow puddings that lay on the grass in between everyone. The fluff on the top was shaped inexpertly, and the colourful sugary swirls that dusted them were heaped in some spots and nonexistent in others. There could be no mistake whose party this was.

  The evening’s host sat on xyr back haunches, leaned up against xyr mother, who was seated in the same manner. Ouloo cuddled Tupo close, and Tupo rested against her heavily. Whether xe was doing so out of physical weariness or emotional fragility was
immaterial. The kid needed xyr mom. That much was obvious.

  ‘Hi, Captain Tem,’ Tupo said with a smile. The patchy fur around xyr nose somehow looked even worse than it had when the glue had first been cut, but that was neither here nor there.

  ‘Hey, Tupo,’ she said. ‘You know, you can call me Pei, if you want. I’d say we’re buds now, right?’

  ‘Oh,’ Tupo said. Xyr smile widened. ‘Okay.’ Xe reached forward, picked up a pudding bowl, and offered it to her. ‘They’re not as good as my mom’s, but …’

  ‘I think they’re very good,’ Roveg said, balancing a bowl between two legs and wielding a spoon with a third. ‘You certainly didn’t skimp on the sugar.’

  ‘Wouldn’t be dessert without sugar, would it?’ Speaker said. She was eating a helping of the fluffy stuff within her cockpit, using her beak and nothing but. Her pudding, however, wasn’t the same as the others. Rather than a plex bowl, Speaker’s portion had been served in a measuring cup. The most Akarak-sized receptacle Tupo could find in xyr mother’s kitchen, presumably.

  Pei kicked off her boots, hugged the grass with her toes for a second, then sat down cross-legged and accepted the pudding.

  ‘Whoa,’ Tupo said, slinking xyr neck down toward Pei’s feet. ‘That’s so cool.’

  ‘Don’t stare,’ Ouloo scolded.

  ‘It’s okay,’ Pei said. She knew what the kid was looking at. Her shimmer was unmissable, and the golden light of an ending day brought the swimming flecks of blue, pink, and green out brightly. She thought it looked kind of cool, too.

  ‘Can I touch it?’ Tupo asked.

  ‘Tupo,’ Ouloo said.

  ‘I’d rather you didn’t,’ Pei said. ‘I’m pretty ticklish.’

  Roveg lowered his spoon. ‘Can you explain being ticklish to me?’ he asked. ‘I have never understood the concept.’

  ‘Yeah, it’s—’ Pei started to answer authoritatively, but got no further than that. How did you explain being ticklish?