Dana Cartwright Mission 1: Stiletto (32 page)

Doctor Johns assured, “We will take all necessary precautions.”

The Ambassador nodded to them both then consulted his security officers. One of the three was appointed to stay.

“If you suspect anything — any danger whatsoever — MAT to the spaceport and institute a security event,” the Ambassador ordered, as much to Dana and Doctor Johns as to the security officers.

Then the Ambassador transported away with two of the men, leaving the others.

Doctor Johns pointed at the newer guardsman. “You haven’t been through decontamination, so don’t touch him. Understood.”

The man nodded and took up a defensive position by the door.

Dana returned her focus to Korwin, retesting. “Ph is up to 7.”

“Let’s do another saline irrigation.” Johns suggested.

They were nearly finished when the COM system sounded. “Doctor Johns to intake. Doctor Barton Johns to intake. Code orange.”

Dana nodded to him. “I can manage. Don’t need the nurses either.”

Johns thanked her then left at a run, with both of the ANs trailing.

After another retest, Dana felt satisfied with a ph of 7.2. She ordered the lights dimmed to forty percent as Korwin gradually returned to consciousness.

His face contorted at first as he coped with the initial pain of opening his eyelids.

Dana administered a few tetracaine drops for pain relief. “Blink as much as you can.” She offered.

“That helped some…” He mumbled, “What’s with the coffin?”

She patted his shoulder. “You were exposed to an eye contaminant. A cleaning fluid called TSP. Did you use any eye drops or splash another? Or spray anything?”

“No. I used the sonic shower and dressed as I normally would.” He focused on the newer of the security officers. “Jad? Was my father here?”

The man nodded.

Korwin winced.

“He wants you to wear your N-link,” Dana said, “Once you’re out of the C-FIIN.”

“That’s odd,” Korwin mused. “He usually scoffs at it. Do you still have it?”

She nodded.

Korwin blinked and blinked.
 

“Still blurry?”

“A little… And still scratchy…” He struggled to keep his eyes open. “Sorry we missed the assembly.”

Dana shrugged. “We didn’t miss much, I’m guessing. Mostly upperclassmen involved.”

Korwin motioned her closer. “When I took off the N-link, I sensed something — just before we transported. Something big is in the works. Something clandestine.” He heaved a sigh. “We live in interesting times.”

Dana nodded agreement. “And they’re getting even more interesting all the time. Rest, my friend.”

He promised. “I’ll try. Are you going to file a report with the Academy?”

“I will…”

She took out her padlet and typed a memo to the Student Counselor Myrtis, reporting the reason for the emergency transfer and their absence from the assembly.

An immediate response came back via memo, “I will file the correct forms. Please give Cadet Kord my best wishes for a full recovery.”

Dana patted Korwin’s shoulder after reading her response.
 

“I really like Counselor Myrtis. Did you know she’s an empath?”

Dana shook her head. “No, I didn’t. I wonder what training she goes through?”

“You might benefit,” Korwin suggested. “She’s half-human, half-Eridani.”

“I noticed her eyes,” Dana recalled.

“Yes, somewhat larger than most human’s. I’m paying a lot more attention to eyes lately,” Korwin said with a chuckle.

“I wonder why,” Dana teased.

“I’ve read about the Eridani. They’re a lot like Alphans. The paracortex lobe of their brain is devoted specifically to telepathy and they tend to be more empathic than Alphans. They can sense emotions much the way you can. Unlike Alphans, they do not mate for life, but they do establish a strong bond.”

“I don’t recall there being many here on Earth however,” Dana answered.

“It’s too noisy. In fact, without my N-link, I find it very noisy.” Korwin pointed at the two devices hanging about her neck. “With two of them, you probably can’t sense a thing.”

She nodded and they both laughed.

But Korwin grew quite serious. “I wonder if she sensed anything at the assembly? I’ll have to ask her.”

“Korwin, what does your father do?”

“To block the connections? Oh, he’s a thirty-third degree High Prince of the Elect. He can handle the noise. He’s like a Galaxean Master. He and Solon could stare at each other for hours and not detect a single thought one from the other.” Korwin chuckled. “Someday, I’ll be that disciplined.” He blinked a few more times. “My eyes feel better. Still a little out of focus.”

Dana took more readings. “I may have to run a full brain scan. Could still be a fourth cranial nerve palsy? Just rest for now.”

“Okay.” He exhaled fully and closed both eyes, yawning. “I did not sleep well. Kept dreaming of a lab rat in a maze.”

“That’s interesting, so did I,” she patted his shoulder. “Maybe you were picking up my thoughts.”

He smiled.

Doctor Johns returned after a few hours, trailing two more ANs. “Oh, the Prince is awake. Good.” He went straight to the coffin display. “Wondered if you are ready to escape your confinement. Eyes feeling better?”

Korwin blinked. “Much… and yes.”

Doctor Johns conferred with Dana and then ordered the android nurses to assist freeing Korwin from the hook-ups.

Dana ordered a uniform from the digitizer and affixed his voice-badge to the collar, setting it out for the ANs to help him dress.

She offered to step down the hall and left for a quick break, desperate for water after the decontamination.

MCW had a completely different layout to MCE, but she found her way to the doctors’ lounge, ordered a glass of cold water and cup of hot, green tea, taking both to a corner table in the deserted lounge.

She closed her eyes and focused on relaxing her stiff neck and tense shoulders, both of which were uncommon. After a moment of deliberation, she decided it could only be because Korwin’s eye transplant and follow-up were post decision to change careers. And giving up her medical practice meant stopping such activities.

With all her heart she wanted to focus on the new Dana - not keep repeating the old pattern.

But for Korwin’s sake, this time, she had acted correctly.

When she returned to his patient room, she knocked then stepped inside. Korwin was stretched out on a diagnostic table, with his hands threaded together behind his head.

“You look comfortable,” she teased.

Only one of the security officers remained in the room; the one Korwin had called Jad.

“Doctor Johns suggested I not return to my apartment until a thorough scan has been completed.”

“Where would you go?” She wondered.

“
Trident
…”

“I don’t recommend you do any flying.”

“I’ll rest, I promise,” he answered rather sheepishly. “We don’t have classes, or simulator tomorrow.”

Dana agreed.

“I’ll be fine,” he assured. “But I will need my N-link.”

She pulled one of the devices off, over her head, untangling the cord from her braid.

He slipped it on after she handed it over. “Jad will stay with me,” Korwin said. “
Trident
has seven cabins if you would like to…”

“I need some rest, too,” she decided, “but if you experience any residual pain, we can give you some drops to put in your eyes. A single drop — no more than once every four hours.”
 

Doctor Johns programmed the digitizer and a dropper bottle appeared.

Korwin smiled and nodded to the instructions as he handed it over. “Thank you, DJ… and thank you, DD.”

She chuckled at his choice of anachronism. “Rest, PK,” she returned and winked.

He grinned and blinked, sliding down off the exam bed.

Jad stepped forward to order their transfer.

Dana watched as they disappeared, giving the room a quick scan. She spotted hers and Korwin’s padlets and took them up along with her medical kit.

Doctor Johns offered, “A pleasure working with you again, Doctor Cartwright.”

“And with you,” Dana returned then she called to the computer and logged out of the MCW system. “I hope he does rest.”

Doctor Johns shrugged. “He’s young.”

She laughed.

Dana MAT’d to Patriarchs for a drink before going home. Taylor greeted her happily. “Wow, Doctor, great to see you. How’s Academy?”

The bar was deserted, so Dana slipped onto a stool right at Taylor’s station and ordered a martini. While he concocted one, she set her things upon the stool to her left. “Life is amazing and annoying, all at the same time,” she admitted.

Taylor chuckled and nodded agreement. “That about covers it.”

She told him select bits from events, like landing at the Presidential Palace in Paris, which made him bob his head in appreciation. “I’m also studying martial arts now at the dojo.”

“You?” Taylor teased.

She nodded. “Have to toughen up.”

“Can’t hurt,” Taylor grinned as he set her martini on a coaster at her left.

Dana sipped then stared into the glass.

Taylor pegged her expression. “Not exactly over your ‘dream lover’ yet though.”

She blushed, but had to nod. She deliberated telling — no boasting — about finding her father but thought better of it. No one else really cared.

Taylor busied himself washing wine glasses by hand and made casual conversation. “What do you hear on this Imperial situation?”

“Looks like they’re sending
Starlight
.”

“Waste of time,” Taylor mumbled. “Imperials never change.”

Dana had to admit, “I’ve never met one.”

“Always wanted to steal a ship. Ever met a Castellan?”

She shrugged. “No, only Galaxeans, Alphans, Enturians and Kentorians.”

“The Republic is changing,” he commented. “Lots of new races are joining. Perhaps it is for the best?”

“It will be a long time before we can judge,” Dana returned. “I just want to fly. That Alphan shuttle was incredible! It was identical to the one that crashed at the Observatory. Smooth… My first landing — light as a feather.”

Taylor grinned at her and lifted a glass in salute. “Congratulations, Doctor.” Taylor offered her a second martini but she declined.

“Thank you, but I need to get home.”

“Stop in anytime,” Taylor said as she gathered up her med-kit and the two padlets.

“Good to see you. I’ll charge your account for the drink.”

Dana nodded then MAT’d home.

She didn’t let on to Taylor but she felt worse than before. “Maybe visiting the old haunts is not a good idea.”

She left Korwin’s padlet on the counter and took hers and a blanket out to the patio, settling down all bundled up, staring at the image of her father, wishing she had gone with Tracy and Gage wherever they were taking him.

She slid the N-link off over her head and set it aside, taking a deep breath. Though she closed her eyes, she sensed nothing.

And then she recalled Doctor Tracy’s tome on
The
Calvary
Incident
and reviewed bits about the resolution, wondering how she could use it to deal with the EVA-Stress Evaluation Module.

She fell asleep trying.

Dana awoke from her dream shivering. Her left, blue eye focused on Jad. The security officer was standing on Korwin’s patio, staring out at the city lights across the bay.

Korwin smiled at her from under a blanket. He was stretched out on the other chaise lounge.

“Mystery solved,” he offered with a grin. “The maintenance crew was cleaning the sonic shower upstairs from my apartment and the fumes came down through the vent to my unit. All clear now.”

“That’s a banned chemical,” Dana countered.

“Apparently it is permitted as an additive in certain other diluted solutions.” Korwin blinked. “Maintenance said they would discontinue use. They also suggested that my eyes are more sensitive than most.”

“Well, that’s certainly true,” Dana returned. “You’re Alphan.”

“Anyway, I’m home,” he said with a grin. “And for the moment, experiencing no pain or residual effects.” However, his smile faded. “Did I wake you?”

“I was dreaming,” she said. “Dreaming about swimming in a warm water pool, deep down in a cavern with crystals that glowed and pulsed. Beautiful place!”

“There are caverns like that out at the Terrines, in the GCE. Saw a travelogue about them.”

“I was thinking of my father,” Dana admitted. “Maybe I should have gone with him?”

Korwin shook his head. “You have a dream to accomplish first. You would regret quitting academy before completing flight training.”

“True.”

“Besides, it won’t be long and you’ll have your pilot’s certification and then, who knows where you’ll be off to,” Korwin said with a wink. “Let’s celebrate tomorrow and have dinner at The Viewery.”

Dana nodded readily.

Korwin sighed and she noticed something about the way his expression changed.

“Do you dream?” She wondered.

“Oh, yes. I have a recurring dream.” He seemed very reluctant to speak of it.
 

“A good one?”

Korwin glanced toward the security officer then whispered, “I’ll tell you tomorrow when we have dinner.”

He gathered up his blanket and got up from the chaise.

“Your padlet is in on the my counter.”

“Oh, thank you so much.” He went inside her apartment to retrieve it then started toward his patio door. “Dana?”

She looked his way.

“It’s going to turn cold tonight. You might want to go inside.”

She smiled, teasing him, “I will. Good night, PK…”
 

“Good night, DD…”

Dana took her breakfast tea and her padlet out to the patio, where Korwin was already ensconced huddled in a blanket, studying for a threatened comprehensive test in astronavigation.

“I wish I had a photographic memory,” he complained as he took a break from reading to rest his eyes.

Dana shrugged. “It doesn’t help with comprehension. Still have to read for content.”

“Does it work for star charts and spelling?” He teased.