Dana Cartwright Mission 1: Stiletto (26 page)

Finally, they reacted, taking care of Korwin.

As they loaded him into the coffin, Dana took a moment to survey the injuries of the other two men. Neither was walking away anytime soon. “Sir, we need campus security.”

“Already summoned,” Quayle assured. “You take care of the Prince.”

Dana nodded and accompanied the EMTs and coffin to the waiting shuttle, already calling ahead via her voice-badge, requesting a surgeon. They protested that she had no credentials. Dana countered, commanding, “I have full staff privileges at all Medical Centers. Check with Doctor Calagura at MCE!”

By the time they reached MCW, the permissions were confirmed.

She went through decontamination and prepped with another doctor, dressing in scrubs and securing her braided hair into a cap, all while bringing Doctor Johns current on Korwin’s eye injury.

Though they both desperately wanted to save his eye, it was too badly injured. Doctor Johns asked her to make the final call.
 

“We’ve lost it?”

Dana agreed, but protested, “We could transplant another eye.”

“I’m not certified for a transplant.”

“I am! If you will assist,” Dana assured.

She called the organ bank and specified what she needed. It just so happened that Ensign Alley Song had died recently at MCE and donated her organs. The eye was delivered just as Doctor Johns finished the surgical prep.

The surgery took six hours. Dana stayed with Doctor Johns until Korwin recovered from the anesthesia.

When he opened his eyes, they were both blue.

“Hi!” Dana said with a smile.

He blinked.

She watched him struggle with his focus. “It may take a few days to settle in.”

He blinked again. “What happened?”

“Sargento and Roark...”

“I know, but... My eye?”

“We couldn’t save your right eye, Korwin, so I did a transplant. It may tear up for several days, but that’s entirely normal.”

He blinked again.

Dana nodded in the face of his disbelief.
 

He demanded a mirror. One of the Android Nurses provided a small one.

“Oh!” Korwin focused on Dana. “Blue!”

She shrugged. “The only donor eye available was blue.”

Korwin fought back emotion.

Doctor Johns was called to another case, leaving Dana to prep Korwin for admission.

He protested. She overruled.
 

“You’ve just had transplant surgery, Korwin! You need to stay twenty-four hours for observation.”

Korwin again protested, “I’m a Prince of the Elect, Dana. I can’t...”

She promised to call security to watch over him during the night.

He still resisted. And then the nurses arrived to transfer him to a private room. Dana offered to administer another sedative and did so even though he protested that, too.

She stayed until he was settled into a patient room and the Alphan delegation security officers arrived to take up posts at his side. She changed into her uniform then stepped out to the lobby of the Medical Center, and called for a MAT transfer to her home. Completely exhausted from the events of the day, she fell asleep on the sofa, with her medical kit and homework on her lap.

Dana went to class alone in the morning, expecting a normal lecture. Instead, she was summoned to the Commandant’s office and faced a three-man panel. Quayle was there, being interrogated.
 

All the rhetoric focused on Korwin Kord having a weapon on campus.

Quayle reiterated that the two attackers acted first and that it was totally self-defense.

After he was dismissed, they called Dana and demanded answers. She responded factually. It wasn’t her first time before interrogators but she wasn’t at all afraid.

After the hearing was adjourned, the Commandant of the Star Service called her to step forward. She faced the Admiral squarely, not the least intimidated by his long-winded rant about the incident. In comparison to DOC’s tirades, Admiral Cartwright was timid. The lecture centered on Korwin’s use of a disrupter weapon that incapacitated the two cadets, possession was a clear violation of Academy rules.

She waited her turn to speak, albeit impatiently, but turned on the logic and charm.

“With all due respect, Admiral, Korwin is a Prince of the Elect, and entitled to a full security detail. He dispensed with it, rather than disrupt campus life. He had every right to use force, since he was attacked without provocation, was wounded, and feared for my safety. Great galaxy, Admiral, had I not had the medical expertise, he might have died there on the lawn. As it is, he lost an eye!”

She cited the page number and recited the rule from the student handbook, quoting word-for-word the manner of self-defense a Cadet could use against a threat. “Korwin should receive honors for protecting me and being wounded in the performance of his duty. After all, I am a higher ranking officer.”

The Admiral snorted and held up his hand to stop her. “Were you really in danger?”

“Quayle witnessed the assault. Sargento attacked Korwin and Roark went after me. I have very little self-defense training. I’m a doctor, not a bone-breaker. Korwin did the right thing, sir. And the Alphan delegation will surely reward him for his bravery. So should the Academy.”

Dana waited for the Admiral’s response. He didn’t dare fault her logic. In fact, she gave him the perfect response to the situation and smiled when he finally concurred. Though the Commandant of the Star Service rarely recapitulated, Admiral Cartwright did so.

“Very well, Doctor. Prince Korwin Kord is absolved of wrong doing.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Dana?”

She stiffened at the change of tone.
 

“Are you sure you want to give up medicine? You’re an incredibly talented surgeon.”

She offered a smile. “Sir, I want to fly.”

Admiral Cartwright nodded. “Very well… Dismissed.”

Dana stayed a moment. “Sir?”

He snorted. “Yes?”

“Might Prince Korwin be granted the privilege of off-campus housing? There’s an apartment in my building which would offer him far better security.”

The Admiral groaned.

“The Galaxean twins have been granted such privileges,” Dana reminded.

Admiral Cartwright scowled. “If the Alphan delegation was to request such a waiver, it would be granted.”

Dana responded, “Thank you, sir,” before turning to the exit.

Once out on the lawn, she sought out Quayle to thank him for his fair, observant, unbiased recount before the review board.

The old man motioned her to sit on the bench with him, under a winter-bare oak. “Doctor, you have a very promising future in the Star Service, but there is something you must address.”

She stared, puzzled.

“You need to toughen up.”

“Sir?”

“Martial arts… Hand-to-hand combat… Self-defense…”

“Oh,” she sighed, “but I’m so small.”

Quayle nodded. “The Oriental methods would probably be my recommendation.” He handed her a memory chip. “Prince Korwin could use a refresher, too.”

Dana held the cube in her left palm.

“That was some weapon he used,” Quayle commented. “I’ve never seen anything like it before. Neither had SSID…”

Dana shrugged.
 

Quayle nodded, “Enroll in marksmanship, too. You’ll never regret it.” He jumped up from the bench. “Give Prince Korwin my regards.”

“He should be released from the hospital later today,” Dana offered, “and be back to classes tomorrow morning… With matching blues eyes.”

“Blue?”

Dana shrugged. “He was proud of his heterochromia iridia…of being two in three million.”

Quayle grinned. “His unusual eyes aren’t what made him special. It’s what’s behind them. And yours…” The old man patted her arm. “Well-done. You behaved impeccably.”

She blushed. “Thank you, sir.” She looked down at her boots, but soon realized he was already gone.

She held the memory chip for a long moment in silence then took from her medical kit the new padlet and reviewed the information on the chip.

It sparked an interest.

She requested a MAT transfer to the dojo and slipped quietly inside, taking a seat in the gallery so as not to disturb the class in progress.

The students were barely teens; some were nearly as petite as she. Others were giants — all with white gis and colored belts tied at their waists.

Some of the form they practiced seemed familiar, perhaps from the match at the Meeting of the Masters.

The Sensei also seemed familiar. He appeared very old and wise, slender and graying, showing great concern as he demonstrated correct posture and execution.

At the top of the hour, he dismissed the students with a bow. They and most of the onlookers scattered, leaving Dana starkly alone in the bleachers.

“Come?” the Master invited.

“Mister Quayle sent me,” Dana nervously blurted out.

The old man guessed, accurately, her height and weight. “Quayle is a wise man. I am Sensei Nishada,” he offered, bowing ceremoniously.

“Dana Cartwright,” she returned, timidly bowing in returning feeling extremely out of place.

“Ah, DOC’s girl.”

Amazed that he made the connection, she nodded. “You know DOC?”

“I taught Gregory. However, you are…different.”

“I’m a doctor, too,” Dana said.

Nishada made a point of staring, though he did not comment on her mismatched eyes. “Are you afraid, Doctor Dana?”

She admitted, “Yes.”

“Do you swim?”

She nodded.

“Are you afraid of the water, too?”

“No,” she shook her head.
 

“Then why do you fear this?”

After a heavy sigh, she admitted, “I was wounded by a man with a knife. I was helpless to…”

Nishada nodded and gave a knowing smile. “So, the fear is only because you lack knowledge? That I can remedy. Twice a week would be beneficial.”

“I have classes at the Academy,” she returned.

“Many cadets come after class,” Nishada assured. He instructed her on the rules and gave her a gi and a beginner’s white belt and explained the color system.

“Come tomorrow after class.”

She nodded. “Can I bring a friend?”

“Watchers are always welcome,” Nishada returned.

“Thank you, Sensei.” Dana bowed respectfully.

Nishada bowed and smiled.

She took her newly acquired items, and requested a MAT transfer home to her apartment building lobby.

The maintenance supervisor robot, a tottering stack of tubs resembling LittleJohn, only taller, was in the lobby.

“Is 12-C still vacant,” Dana asked.

“Yes.”

“I have a friend who might…”

“Excellent.”

Dana waited a respectful moment but the droid said nothing more. She continued up on the lift to her place, set down her gear, and went to the viewer.

There was one message from Korwin begging, “Call me, please?” He looked and sounded distressed in the recording.

Dana frowned. “Hope he’s alright…”

Korwin’s image filled the viewer screen. Dana could tell he was agitated. “What’s wrong?”

“Inspector Regis came to campus and accused me of sabotaging Cray’s shuttle!”

“What?”

“Because I designed a personal field disrupter box — the one I used on Sargento?”

Dana nodded. “Oh!” She sank down into her chair. “But… Why?”

“He thinks I used it. I would never! I did sell several and he demanded I tell him who I sold them to, but I only sold them to Alphan delegation members. And now he’s blaming me for the shuttle crashing. I could get expelled from academy and even banned. My father will kill me.”

Dana cautioned, “Calm down. You invented something. You cannot be held responsible for how it was used. Regis is threatening, hoping to get you to cave. You need legal counsel.”
 

Korwin moaned, “My whole career could be ruined.”

Dana held up her palm to stop him. “Korwin! Just cooperate with him and it could make you a hero! Stay focused.”

“Hero? I’m no hero, Dana.”

“Oh, but you are. Korwin, you saved my life yesterday. And you could solve this crime. You and Regis can pinpoint the criminals.”

He didn’t understand.

“Korwin, help him solve the crime. You may get a full scholarship out of this. If you invented the devices, you can invent a “detector” or some device that can find them by their signature.”

His face lit up. “Oh! You’re right. I actually did that already. Each device has a signature — and a code. If we look at the debris from the shuttle crash, I should be able to identify the signature from the device used. Dana! You’re brilliant!”

She shrugged. “Just calm down. Be logical!”

He chuckled. “Yeah, maybe I need to practice my Mastery training…”

They both laughed.

“Did I miss anything in class?”

“I never got there. The Commandant called me to a hearing. Quayle was there. They asked a lot of questions about the assault.”

Korwin scowled. “Well?”

“You will be absolved of wrongdoing… In fact, Admiral Cartwright says if the Alphan delegation requests it, you can live off-campus. There happens to be a vacancy right next door to my place. You could move right in. It’s furnished. Pretty tame in comparison to your dorm room.”

Korwin’s face brightened. “That’d be great.”

She grinned. “Quayle took me aside and told me to learn martial arts and take marksmanship.”

“Never hurts to know both.”

“I start at the dojo tomorrow. Want to come?”

“What about classes?”

“We’re scheduled for the flight simulators tomorrow morning. Nishada asked me to come after classes to the dojo. You can come.”

“That’d be great. He taught my father, you know.”

Dana grinned. “Who taught you?”

“My brother.” Korwin blinked. “My eyes are still very tired. I really appreciate your taking care of me. My father wants to meet you. We’re invited to The Viewery once he returns from Alpha.”

Dana nodded. “Great.”

Korwin signed off.

She stared at the blank screen. Sometimes she did feel brilliant, but this time she just felt it logical. As she reviewed her response, a second call came in…From DOC. Dana did the illogical thing. She let the system record a message thinking to avoid a confrontation. The decision troubled her.