The Galactic Circle Veterinary Service

by Stephen Benjamin

  “You have to understand animals,” I said. “They can sense fear, in their own kind and in humans. If you are calm, they will get that vibe. By standing firm without fear, it caused the lead cattle to come up short. You only have to stop one, then the others will calm themselves.”

  Levi shook his head in disbelief. “That does not seem possible.”

  “Well, seeing is believing, right?” I paused to look back at the condemned herd. “But, you know, the most interesting part of the whole thing was examining the cattle. I’ve never seen a disease like epidemic pustular dermatitis. Just like the name says, the early lesions often get infected, and then they get all pussy—the thick greenish-yellow kind of pus. If it goes on too long, they can develop gangrene. We could use samples for lab testing, and you can help me collect those.”

  Levi paled and turned an unattractive shade of green. His queasiness added to my already unsettled stomach, so I cut my fun short.

  I glanced at Roxanne, whose brow creased in a quizzical expression. I shrugged.

  We finished up with a few pleasantries, and then Lieutenant Clarrett herded us toward the whirlydrone. I was relieved that he showed no interest in Dr. Simon other than as our guide. I hung back as we boarded, long enough to say goodbye.

  I hemmed and hawed, felt my face heat, but finally got out, “Um, Roxanne, do you think it would be okay if I contacted you...if I come back through here? I mean if you’re not, er, taken...or anything.”

  God. I felt like a buffoon. I braced myself for a response that could wither a cactus, what I usually got in such circumstances. Either that or outright laughter.

  I had a pleasant surprise when she gave me a delightful smile—she had very cute dimples and I didn’t even notice the soot on her nose any longer—and said, “I’d like that.”

  I was at a loss for words. My weird performance had not put her off. Her aura was actually positive toward me. It did not even cause me a hiccup.

  “I have to be in Sammarak tomorrow morning, after we wrap up here.” She touched my arm. “How about getting together for dinner?”

  I could hardly believe my ears. I nodded, once, twice, three times, then stopped my head before it bobbed right off my shoulders. “Um, great,” I exclaimed. “Tomorrow. Evening. Right.”

  She laughed, and I heard Fur snigger behind me.

  “I’ll call when I get done with my meetings. Where are you staying?”

  I couldn’t recall the name of the place, but Clarrett jumped in and rescued me. I don’t remember much about the flight back, but I do recall what I had sensed from her.

  She liked me.

  ***

  Back in town, Reb Levi made a big deal about his transmission of a message back to Dovid’s World. He looked at me as he spoke. “I have discussed our visit here with the Rebbinical Council, Dr. Berger. They are very pleased with what I accomplished. I did inform them of your effort with the cattle. They were impressed. They feel that gives our world a good name. They also indicated that your continued assistance in my efforts will be helpful in assuring the, ah, favorable treatment of your family. You want to make sure that is the case, right, Berger? You may give me a message for your parents, if you like, and I will send that.”

  His smirk signaled not humor but satisfaction at making me squirm. I might have throttled him right then, if not for the consequences to my family. My pulse pounded in my temple, my thoughts warring between ignoring him or getting a message to my folks. I took a deep breath to gain control. “Tell them I’m fine and I miss them. And that I hope they are fine, too.” I turned and strode away before I stuck my foot in my mouth. I trusted this guy as much as an angry cobra.

  ***

  “Good morning.” Reb Levi beamed as he walked up to our table in the dining room. His good mood, no doubt, related to his report to the Test-Lit Rebbinical Council. They probably thought he was a super spy and collected all sorts of great intelligence data. I wished he could break his arm from patting himself on the back. I was sure the Sammarans had fed him a load of drek.

  I did not respond. Levi’s sadistic threats against my family had eaten at me all night. He enjoyed my reactions. The putz.

  Fur returned the rebbe’s greeting and kicked me under the table.

  “Fuck off,” I muttered under my breath, just loud enough for Fur to hear, but not Levi, who now stood at the buffet. He poured enough cream in his coffee to support Sammara’s dairy industry single-handedly.

  I could not do anything about Levi, but I sure didn’t have to talk with him. I got up and left, my breakfast half-eaten on the table.

  I heard Levi’s grating voice as I walked away.

  “What is wrong with Berger? Is he not well this morning?”

  I did not hear Fur’s response, if any.

  ***

  I had one more charge to dispense with before we left Sammara. I needed to put in place the system that sought candidates for our veterinary college. I looked forward to this, as I saw no downside to recruitment of good students for my profession. Until the invasion, Sammara had relied on my home world for their veterinary education. Now, they had to send students farther afield, and that we might accept, and even support, Sammaran students was something I could use effectively, I hoped.

  I had two meetings set up for that day. I met with the local veterinary association, told them what we sought, and asked them for their assistance. I was not surprised at their minimal enthusiasm for the Dovidian educational system, but I made my case and left it at that.

  I then met with guidance counselors and advisors from the local secondary schools and colleges. I spoke of the opportunities at our Academy and had a similar negative response. However, when I described the scholarships available, faces of my audience began to light up. Perhaps this would work. I left them with the contact information for the Academy and set up a session with interested students for the following day.

  ***

  The door opened on a vision of beauty that exceeded the recollection of my hormone fogged brain. Roxanne wore an ankle-length emerald dress that hugged her body in just the right places. A white shawl draped across her bare, shapely shoulders and covered a demure neckline. The dress matched her eyes and turned her auburn hair into a crown. I’m not sure how long I stood in the hall, mouth open, but long enough that she had to prompt me.

  “Good evening, Cy. Are you going to come in, or do we order dinner to eat in the hall?”

  “Um, what? Oh, sorry. Sorry.”

  I moved into the room as she stepped away from the door. “You...you are lovely this evening.”

  Her smile dimpled as she responded. “Hmm. Meaning I wasn’t yesterday?”

  “No. That’s not what I meant.”

  She laughed. “I know. I’m just teasing you. Thank you very much.” She made a mock curtsey. “And you look very...dashing.”

  I looked down at my garb, a midnight purple tunic with lots of gold braid, and grimaced. “Sorry. This was the best I could do. It’s my Captain’s ceremonial dress. It’s supposed to impress the residents of all the worlds we’ll visit.” I shrugged.

  She wrinkled her nose delightfully. “Please have a seat.” She motioned to a divan. “I’ll just be a few moments.”

  I sat as she moved out of the room. I felt like a total idiot. Pull yourself together, Berger. She’ll think you are a loser. My mouth was dry and my heart pounded a staccato beat. I took a deep breath and tried to think of what to say next. I wished I could change my clothes; coveralls would be better.

  Lost in my thoughts, I started when she said, “Ready.” I had not noticed her return. She had added an emerald pendant with matching earrings to her ensemble.

  As I jumped up, I almost knocked over a floor lamp. Oh God, what was I going to do next? “Oh, sure. Let’s go.” I paused heading for the door. “Where’re we going?”

  She laughed again.

  I didn’t need to be an empath to feel her amusement. What a fool I was making of myself.

 
“I have reservations at the Pinnacle. It’s one of our nicest restaurants. The food is excellent, but the view is even better. You’ll see.”

  ***

  The restaurant stood atop one of the tallest buildings in the city, and was the kind that revolved. Our window seats afforded a three hundred-sixty degree view of the capitol and countryside. We settled in and sipped at martinis while we watched the sunset go from tangerine to lavender and finally to night’s indigo. The red and green safety beacons of aircraft flitted across the darkening sky as the myriad lights of the city winked into being.

  “Beautiful,” I breathed.

  “Told you so.” Roxanne smiled and picked up a menu.

  I followed suit and perused the selections. “This menu is overwhelming. Why don’t you order for both of us?”

  She arched an eyebrow and nodded. “I’ll be happy to.” To the waiter, “We’ll have the smoked whitefish for the appetizer, and then the Cenurian pepper beef with baby roasted potatoes and grilled asparagus for the entree. A bottle of the ‘07 South Coast Cabernet Sauvignon would go well with the beef.” She looked at me. “That okay?”

  “Sounds great.”

  “Excellent selections, Madame. I will serve the wine and appetizer right away.”

  “No hurry,” Roxanne said. “We would like a leisurely dinner.”

  “Certainly.” The waiter moved away.

  “I’ve never heard of Cenurian peppers,” I said.

  “Cenurus is a tropical world that exports a dozen different peppers and tropical fruits, all delicious.”

  I shook my head. “I’m afraid Dovid’s World has been pretty well insulated from the galaxy for a long time. We don’t see much in the way of imports.”

  Roxanne was quiet, brows drawn together, as the waiter delivered our smoked fish and poured the wine. We let the wine breathe as we finished our martinis and dug into the fish. It was even better than I expected, the flesh white and flaky, the smoke flavor subtle. I smiled and nodded to Roxanne, my mouth full.

  “It is good,” she replied. “May I ask you something? I’m puzzled. Just why are you here on Sammara? I know you’re on a recruiting trip for your vet college, but the cost of outfitting a medical spaceship for that purpose alone seems prohibitive.”

  I swallowed and hesitated before I spoke. “This is sort of a trial balloon, if you get my meaning. See if we can get enough interest in our university to make the trip worthwhile. And I hope to bring in enough credits by our veterinary services to make it pay.” I sensed uncertainty.

  She frowned. “And something else, if you don’t mind?”

  I took another bite of fish and nodded.

  “Your relationship with your assistant, Levi, seemed...uncomfortable. He was rather uninterested and...squeamish for a veterinary technician, and he was peremptory and...belligerent. Can you tell me what’s going on? If you can’t, I understand.”

  Roxanne was not in the loop with respect to our arrangements with the Sammaran government. I sensed that her questions were honest and believed she was trustworthy and on our side, but that might have been my hormones talking. I desperately wanted her to like and respect me, so I made an impulsive decision, even as my brain urged caution. I hoped the consequences of revealing my story would not ruin our wonderful dinner.

  I leaned toward Roxanne—not a distasteful act in of itself. “This is sort of complicated, but I’ll be honest with you and trust you to keep this to yourself. You’re familiar with the political system on Dovid’s World, right?”

  She nodded.

  “It started the day I met Fur...” I told her the whole story, about Levi, the Test-Lits, the Inquisition, my folks, Fur and the SOD, everything, as we ate our appetizers.

  When the main course arrived, that shut me up for a while. My first bite of the Cenurian pepper beef set my mouth ablaze. It hurt just as much sliding down my esophagus and into my stomach. Two glasses of wine later—alcohol is a better emollient for the hot oils of peppers than water—I took a deep breath.

  “Oh, I am so sorry, Cy. I didn’t realize the peppers would be as hot as this. They usually aren’t. They must have used a different variety this time.”

  “S’okay,” I breathed. The depth of her concern added another ingredient to the cauldron that passed for my stomach. “I shouldn’t have shoveled in a mouthful without tasting first.”

  I ate around the peppers and we polished off what was left of the wine. After the martinis, no doubt that helped loosen my tongue, an all-too-common effect on me. A credit to the restaurant, they made us feel like there was no rush to get out, despite the fact that all the tables were full.

  Roxanne shook her head and took a deep breath. “You’re a surprising person.”

  I felt my face get warm.

  “You downplay your role in all this, saying that you’ve been forced to act as you have, but I don’t see it that way. Even the way you responded to Levi today is not the response of someone who is beaten down, cowed by the oppression of the Test-Lits. You’re selling yourself short.”

  I hung my head. “Shit. I’ve done nothing but accede to their demands, do whatever they want.”

  “That’s not true. Just by having Mr. Cohen onboard with you and not disclosing his mission is a challenge to their government. And I don’t believe you won’t fight back. I just don’t believe it.”

  I looked at the magnificent woman across the table but could not meet her eyes. “I’d like to believe that. All I feel now is fear for my family. I can’t afford to make any missteps. They could be killed.” I tapped the tabletop in frustration.

  She reached across the table and grasped my hand. A thrill coursed through my body, unfortunately accompanied by my usual negative reaction to her admittedly positive response to me. Talk about mixed emotions!

  “There are few people who wouldn’t feel that way. Remember that you have allies. I can’t believe they won’t look out for your parents.” She squeezed my hand before she released it.

  The waiter reappeared. “Can I interest you in some dessert and coffee?”

  I was happy to break off the uncomfortable conversation. Roxanne recommended a crème brulee for me and a fruit plate for herself.

  “Well, what about you?” I asked. “You’ve heard my life story. You deserve equal time. Why did you become a vet?”

  She thought for a moment before answering. “It took me a while to make that decision. I had no obvious talents like yours. Like you, my folks were farmers. I loved animals, especially horses, as a girl, but that made me no different from half the girls on this or any other world. Science and medicine fascinated me, but again, those were not the only things that held my interest. I made my choice before my last undergraduate year. My interests in medicine and animals were the deciding factors. Since I had to go offworld to vet school, I needed a sponsor; I couldn’t afford it otherwise. One of my professors hooked me up with a philanthropist, and he footed the bill. I studied on Setaa III with the proviso that I return here to Sammara to ply my trade in public service, otherwise I would have to pay everything back. It would have taken me twenty years to break even.” She snorted.

  “I can’t say that my life has been even a tiny bit as exciting as yours.” She smiled. “Not that I need that kind of stress. I started this job about a year ago and it has been much more interesting and more of a challenge than I feared.” The corners of her mouth pulled down. “I suppose a major epidemic will do that. Oh, here’s our dessert.”

  I polished off my crème brulee and sat back. “That was fabulous. Thank you for your suggestions.” I wiped my lips and put down the napkin.

  She smiled. “I thought the crème brulee would be a bit more soothing after the peppers.”

  I chuckled. “I wonder about something else, if you don’t mind my being nosy.”

  “No. Go ahead. It’s only fair for you to have a turn.”

  “How long has your family lived on Sammara? They predated the Test-Lit invasion, right?”

  �
��Yes. My great-great-great-grandparents emigrated to Sammara from Cantos, one of the Aldebaran worlds. They had a small farm there, but saw the opportunity to expand their opportunities on a less densely populated world. Sammara offered land for a pittance if the family agreed to farm it for at least two generations. My brothers have every intention of continuing that heritage.”

  “Then the Test-Lits haven’t had the kind of impact on you—”

  “Not true. I had an uncle killed in the Test-Lit invasion. So even my family has a bone to pick.”

  “Sorry to hear that.”

  The waiter returned with the check and I reached for it, but Roxanne was faster.

  “This is mine. It’s on the government veterinary service tab. Orders from my boss. He was quite impressed when I told him about your exploits. That was the last farm quarantined in the area. If those cattle had gotten loose and spread the epidemic even more, we would have really been in trouble. As it is, we got the region under control quickly.”

  I felt my face heat again. “So long as you’re not paying. You didn’t tell him about—”

  “Your empathic ability?” She shook her head. “You said not to, and I could tell you didn’t want Levi to know. Now that you’ve explained, I understand why.”

  “Thanks.”

  “But I’m not quite buying your story.” She frowned.

  “Wha—?”

  “Come on. You couldn’t have been more transparent when you denied that you could sense human emotions like you can for animals.”

  She was not happy and my stomach and head felt it. “But I can’t—”

  She put up a hand. “Please. This has been a delightful evening. Let’s not spoil it with lies.”

  My head and heart pounded like triphammers. I’d just blown everything. I could not leave it like this. The thought that she might hate me for my talent took my breath away.

  After too long a silence, I said, “Roxanne, this is something I never reveal. There are only three people who know I’m empathic for humans, my parents and the psychiatrist I mentioned. Four, now.” I hesitated. “I perceive emotions. Rarely, I get a flash of an image accompanying a very strong emotion from someone, but I don’t read minds. I can’t tell what you are thinking.”