Before leaving the large shuttle, they stored the med units holding Al Benson and Max Kolbe, and then put two new med units in the small shuttle. Mike realized that they needed names for the different shuttles and a host of other items, such as the Mother Ship. All of that was of little concern, as he told his friends whom he was going to pick up, at the next stop.
Mike removed his military blouse and donned a light blue collared shirt. Over that, he wore a white doctor’s smock, which he had grabbed at the VA hospital. It even had a name badge, Dr. Edmund Curry. As they flew to Richmond, he had Bambi access the hospital computers and enter the Name of Dr. Curry as an associate of that facility.
It was nearly sunrise, when they hovered over the Hospital. It was a busy scene, as people scurried about, arriving for an early shift, or going home after a late one. He found an abandoned building, four blocks away, and had them set down behind it. He walked the rest of the way.
Once in the hospital, he discovered that Mary was in ICU and nothing was being done for her, because she wasn’t expected to live more than a day or so. Wayne was also in intensive care, as his condition was monitored by machines. The hospital had done all they could for him. He was only two days out of surgery and would be transferred to a recovery center in a week to ten days, where he would begin his rehabilitation.
Mike remembered his experience of learning to walk without legs and it was a painful memory. The depression he experienced was as bad, if not worse, than the pain of his wounds. He hated to think of his son going through something similar.
When he entered the boy’s room, he saw that Wayne was sleeping and probably sedated. When he shook his son’s shoulder, there was no response. He thought perhaps it was best that Wayne was out of it. Now he could retrieve him, without any loss of time. This had to be conducted like a military strike…quick in and quick out.
After grabbing a nearby gurney, he placed Wayne on it, covered him with a sheet and began wheeling him down the hall. No one stopped him, no doubt due to the white smock, the badge and the confident attitude that Mike projected.
However, when he attempted to gain access to the hospital landing pad on top of the building, a security guard stopped him. The man was more of a rent-a-cop actually. Mike told the guy that this patient and one more were due to be picked up and transported by air to a facility that specialized in severe burn cases. The guard never questioned Dr. Curry.
Mike asked the man to watch his patient as he retrieved the other one. The guy was reluctant, explaining that he wasn’t qualified to provide medical care.
“Damn it, don’t you think I know that? This place is so undermanned, due to budget cuts; we never have enough nurses’ aids. Hell, you should know that. Now do as your told.”
“OK Doctor. Just be quick.”
An awkward twelve minutes later, Mike rolled Mary out to the helipad. He turned to the guard and told him, “They had a call for security, down on the second floor. The girl said it was an emergency.”
The guard took off running, as he mumbled, “Oh shit!”
Fifteen seconds out, Captain.
Bambi was right on top of it, thank God.
Because of Mary’s terrible condition, he put her in a med unit first, then his son; but not before kissing his forehead and saying a short prayer for both of them. With that done, there was nothing else he could do at the moment.
Captain, I’ve done a quick check of the woman and I won’t promise I can save her. Your son is repairable. I must tell you that the quicker we get them back to the Mother Ship, the better their chances are going to be for a full recovery. The med units there have a greater rage of healing options than portable units.
“Then go. We’ll leave behind that new beacon and take the larger shuttle to the Ship. Go as fast as you can, but don’t over do it. I don’t want to upset any of the military forces on the planet.”
Yes sir.
The trip back was agonizing for him. Bambi assured him his son would be fine, in a week. But it would be a close call for the boy’s wife.
He looked through the clear cover of his son’s med unit and saw the face of a grown man. Wayne was thirty-nine years old now. It had been so long since they had talked in person that Mike had nearly forgotten his little boy was a mature, middle aged man and a veteran combat pilot. They would need men like him. The thought of having his son on board, as a member of the crew, was a welcome relief for Mike. No matter how old his son was, Wayne would always be that little kid who went running to Sherry, when daddy was angry with him.
Wayne as crew…it could work. Wayne couldn’t go back to being Wayne on Earth and neither could Mary, if she pulled through. His son would have to have a new identity and have his mind altered, so he would have no memory of being in space. At least if Wayne opted to stay on board, he would retain his memories and possibly his wife.
Mary had been a mechanical engineering major in college. She worked at a manufacturing company that produced large pieces of earth moving equipment. Perhaps, with an upgrade to both her body and her mind, the additional alien knowledge could be put to good use in designing equipment for human use. Mary would not only be a wife for Wayne, she would be an important member of the crew.
That pleasant thought allowed Mike to spend a few hours reminiscing about the fun times he had spent with Wayne, when he was a little kid. Some of the good times involved Mary, when his wife and he had visited them.
Sherry adored Wayne’s wife. Like most women, they bonded together, while shopping. On rare occasions, they wouldn’t buy a thing. They just enjoyed being together and chatting about their men and other more important topics, such as the latest styles.
Mary had been a great comfort for Mike, when Sherry passed away. She displayed empathy for his grief that she also felt. She provided a shoulder for him to cry on, as she quietly wept with him. He came to realize what a tremendous source of strength she had been for him, at the moment of his greatest need.
Jo and Bambi gave him some space, allowing him to deal with his emotions. He was grateful to them for that and he told them so, several hours later.
There was one additional good thing acquired from the trip to Earth, the coffee. The replicator was working out well. The coffee it produced was good and the food was a close match for whatever he threw in the thing. Even though it looked odd, it tasted OK.
As they made their way back out to the Mother Ship, he had several long chats with Jo. He found it therapeutical to talk about Wayne and his wife, as he overcame his fear of losing two more loved ones. Jo shared a few pleasant memories of his wife, displaying a love for her that sounded, to Mike, very human.
Jo’s description of the times he enjoyed with his wife sounded similar to Mike’s with Sherry. The places they went and the sights they shared were so different than anything Mike could imagine, because they took place on foreign worlds and involved seemingly bizarre circumstances. Yet, by the look on his friends face and the emotion revealed in his words, there could be no doubt as to the depth of Jo’s love for his deceased wife.
Time wore on and a few days later they were nearly at the Mother Ship.
A few hours away from docking, Bambi asked, Captain, I need to ask about your son. I’m fixing the damaged nerve in his neck and a few other things as well. My question is, how much should I do for him? Is he going to get the full upgrade? Do you want me to give him the full combat upgrade?
I learned a lot about human physiology, when I did it for you. So, I know I can make it easier for him and do it far faster. But it’s still going to be very painful for him. Jo helped you to prepare for it emotionally. Are going to give your son the same time frame for making the decision, or are you just going to have it done now?
Mike truly appreciated her delicate approach. It showed how far she had come, as an individual. She demonstrated tenderness and sincere concern, as she approached the subject, which had to be addressed.
He w
as very tempted to have Bambi take care of Wayne all at once. But that wouldn’t be fair to him and it would deny his son the mental preparation for the aguish of the process. He had no intention of putting anyone else through that horror, without first allowing them to decline the offer. If his son refused, Bambi would have to remove his memory and return him and probably Mary to a new identity on Earth. It was a decision he would not make for anyone else, and he certainly wasn’t going to deny his son the opportunity to decide for himself.
“Bambi, do everything you can for my son and his wife. When they’re able to comprehend the pluses and minuses of the upgrade procedure, it will be their decision.”
Yes, sir. There is another problem, which I’ve taken the liberty to remedy. On the hospital records, I listed both your son and wife as having lost their lives as a result of the accident. No matter what decision is made regarding joining you, or returning to Earth, they wouldn’t be able to return as Mr. and Mrs. Hurst.
Bambi, that was good thinking. I appreciate you seeing the obvious and dealing with it. Thank You.
Bambi didn’t offer any clever quips or make any attempt to be cute and funny. He felt she was aging rapidly. What would happen, when she surpassed human levels of consciousness? Would she find humans to be unworthy of her company? He hoped she would not lose her personality. He rather liked the current version of Bambi. But, was version 2 going to be an ally, or a threat to humanity?
Mike’s mind was operating at a speed he’d never had before. He was just beginning to appreciate how much information he could process at one time; and now he had so many different thoughts and new concerns to ponder. It was exciting, frightening and frustrating.
He was not tired physically, but he did feel tired emotionally. He felt drained by seeing Wayne in such a terrible state. Yet there was more to his concerns than just his son.
Before they had gone to Earth, he had failed to think his actions through in depth. The lack of specific details had cost them valuable time and nearly got him shot. It was just one more example of why he shouldn’t be the leader of this operation. He was convinced that Maximilian Kolbe shouldn’t be in charge either. But the man would definitely be a huge help in the preparation stage of any operation.
They needed more senior officers on the staff. They needed men with experience in logistics, navigation, communications, personnel, weapons, engineering, and medical. The good Lord only knew what else he had missed. Most important of all, he had to find an old warrior who could lead them, yet do so without getting them all killed in the process.
Of all people, he should have known that you couldn’t win a war with warriors alone. Although, he understood how Jo might have seen this as a winnable proposition. Jo lacked exposure to the vastness of a complete command structure, which would define the objectives and limit those objectives to realistic possibilities, based on available resources.
All Jo had seen was the rear elements of a brutal, hostile, yet effective group of Saurans, who achieved success in spite of their incompetence. In his mind, Jo saw the Saurans as a juggernaut that used its overwhelming numbers and technical knowledge to win victories in every battle. So, Jo assumed the only way to defeat them would be with the use of greater numbers of warriors who had enhanced muscles and mental ability. It was a logical assumption for him to presume, but not necessarily accurate.
He mumbled, “I need a break.”
Bambi asked, How can I help you, Captain? What should I do?
He had forgotten that she monitored everything.
“Bambi, I’m just getting used to all of the various things we need to address. Sometimes, a human needs to back away from it for while. It helps to clear his head. I feel a need for something physical. I need to see what my new body can do.”
Jo mentioned that a while ago. Maybe this would be a good time for you two to practice your combat programs, once we’re back on the Mother Ship.
“What would that entail?”
Fighting. Trying to kill each other. When you guys are finished beating up each other, I’ll get you into a med unit and patch you up. Want me to comm Jo?
“Yes. We both need to determine what we’re capable of.”
A thought struck him. “Is there any way we could test our skills against a Sauran?”
There is a warrior program that the Saurans used to maintain a minimum level of hand-to-hand combat. It’s just that they so rarely allowed the enemy to get that close to them that they didn’t think it was practical. The only reason they did any practice at all was because their War Doctrine required it.
“Is the War Doctrine in your system and is it complete? I’d like to review it later.”
I have a copy of it. But, it is only that portion that applies to transports in non-war zones. If I had been assigned to a war zone, then the latest version of the combat zone doctrine would have been included in the orders.
He sighed. “Before we face them in combat, we sure have a lot to learn about them. Bambi, call Jo for me and see if wants to fight, in a little while.”
I already have. He wants to see you, too.
A few minutes later, Jo showed up. The alien announced, “We are about to dock, Mike. We should have your son and the others in a full scale medical unit in a few more minutes.”
“Thanks, Jo”
Captain, I have robots waiting and lifts on site in the hanger. As soon as we are anchored, the injured will be taken off first and transported to sickbay.
There’s something else you need to know, sir. General Kolbe has been repaired. I have kept him sedated and I have placed a suggestion in his subconscious mind that you are his superior out here. It isn’t the same as altering his thought process entirely. When would you like to speak with him?
“After we get my son and daughter-in-law situated. Jo and I will want to speak with him together. I suppose we can do that in my quarters.”
With all due respect, sir, I’d recommend that you meet him on neutral ground. I have prepared a nearby room for small conferences. At the meeting, I’ll have coffee and human snacks ready for you.
“Why do you think I should meet him on neutral ground and where did you get that term?”
I’ve been reading about several meetings that took place in Earth’s past. It seems these considerations were standard practice for thousands of years and still are. Most beings place great value on initial perception and humans are no exception. If you bring him into your private quarters too soon, he might see that as a sign of weakness. When you first begin to explain his position here, do so as the leader you are, so he will more easily accept you in that role.
It occurred to Mike that Bambi might have already acceded humans in maturity. Her observation was wise and beyond Mike’s normal way of gauging things.
Jo was ahead of the curve on this topic. He said, “Bambi, you have come a long way since that time, a few days ago, when you were just happy to be free. Frankly, you’re a little scary.”
It has occurred to me that both of you would see that I was progressing at a remarkable rate, compared to the growth of children of either of your races. I’ve spent most of this time, learning about the history of Earth. I’ve been reading, watching news footage and listening to speeches.
Captain, your people have a terrible history of self destruction. Yet, you always come back stronger for it. I know of no other planet that has had to deal with so many different races and religious beliefs. I admit it was confusing…almost agonizing to see.
It is my opinion that your people are going in the right direction. But, there are still so many differences to be settled. I don’t think your people will survive the Saurans, because they will be too busy killing each other. They just don’t have the centuries needed to overcome the problems they face, before the Saurans arrive.
Mike told her, “I fear you are right, but I hope you are wrong. I know one thing for sure, we humans will fight.”
That is my assessment as well, sir.
The sound of the shuttle touching down on the hanger deck, announced their arrival. Mike and Jo waited, as the robots quickly handled the med units, taking them to sickbay.
We’re home, Mike thought…and this ship is truly my home now. How fucking crazy is that? A little over two months ago, I was fishing, while standing on artificial legs. Now I have legs and control an alien spaceship along with an alien and a sentient computer. I am six inches taller, God only knows how much stronger and I’m able to crunch numbers like nothing I ever could have imagined.
The people of Earth have no idea what is headed their way and this trio of losers is their primary defense. It could be worse, he thought. I could have drowned when I was fishing.
Chapter 13