Tramp Wars: The Enemy

by Larry Roberts

  His wife looked at him perplexed but again Mark missed the look as he starred at the Doctor. The human eye had a remarkable ability to reroute optical nerve imputes to overcome any shortcomings of the implant socket connection to the nerves. Yes the recipient would have blurred vision after the implant was first finished but in time the brain would compensate for most flaws and produce a grainy picture to start with that would in a few days turn into crystal sharp images if the implant could provide them. Then it hit her like a brick wall almost knocking her back out of the chair as she tried to keep from fainting. Her husband had taken a liking to the boy as she realized he looked more than a little like the son they had lost in the war, even the same age he had been. Bighting her lip she fought down the tears welling up in her eyes as she turned around to hide the pain until she could recover. The boy was not just another patient. She knew why her husband had dragged the old crystal case out but after trying it on hundreds of patients 10 years before, she knew he was grasping at straws to save the boy's eyes.

  “I would like to offer you an alternative that has no risk and may actually work better for you.” Mark’s baffled expression changed to skepticism. Ready for a load of crap but waiting to hear what was said. “I found this case in the packing crate of the optical surgical machine I bought from the Imperial Battle Ship at the auction10 years ago. It is a special pair of glasses that is supposed to do everything you want, as good as the military implants with the addition of an A.I. assistant the eye implants don’t have as well as hearing amplification amongst other things. You can still see them on you but they will look a hundred times better than those big thick black plastic rimmed things you have now with the colored patches.”

  Opening the lid of the box he took out a clear thin set of glasses a fraction of the size of the monsters Mark had been wearing and were almost invisible. “I think they look...” Pausing as he tried to find the right word. “Spaced!” One single peace, the set curved to fit tight around a person’s head had wide side earpieces without any hinges visible as he handed them to Mark.

  Taking them as if they could break Mark gingerly looked at them. Then sitting his black framed glasses on his lap. They started glowing softly to his surprise as he placed them on his nose and over his ears snug against his face and temples. They quickly conformed themselves to fit tight around his eyes and back along his temple over his ears. It only took a few seconds before leaving no noticeable break between the glasses and his skin though all he saw was a vague blob as he looked at himself in the mirror and then around the room. The fact that the hard feeling stiff glasses moved to fit him surprised him under his touch.

  The old woman's eyes grew big as gulf balls as she watched the glasses do things it had never done before as it continued to glow.

  The Doctor read from a manual that had appeared on the lid of the crystal box. “Personal computer, phone, movie player, encyclopedia, teaching programs, telescope, microscope, even what looks to me like some kick ass 3D games according to the instruction’s chapter list.” The Doctor said. “What looks like a very sophisticated main frame computer is attached to them with abilities that no implant will ever have son.” Jolleen started smiling from the door. Tom looked baffled as he looked around still not really seeing anything.

  “Oh sure. Another piece of shit for the normal people. I can’t see a thing and they won’t fit over my old glasses.” Mark said as he tried putting his black glasses on over them only to have them flash a bright light from the glasses already on him briefly into the old lenses. Besides the first time I drop them they are going to shatter.” Dropping his old glasses back onto his lap.

  The Doctor turned and smiled. “After a hundred people have handled them trying them on and testing them I would not worry about that young man. They have been dropped and stepped on and sat on. The tests say they are made of a very dense diamond material that is flexible and will not break. Though I have not tried hitting them with a hammer. I found out later that a moron tech did try scratching the lens with a knife and another tried to drill it using a diamond tipped drill while another shot it with a laser without seeming to harm them.” The Doctor shook his head in disbelief as he tapped through the pages that flashed on the lid. “The instructions here say that the glasses will conform to the wearer's eye prescription if needed when bonding takes place. If you want to try bonding with these glasses I will give them to you for free if it is successful. That is with a few caveats and conditions.”

  With a look of suspicion trying to hide curiosity. “Why would you give me this for free?” As he looked up at the doctor trying to figure him out; he did not notice the doctor’s face slowly came into focus.

  “For one thing, it has sat on my shelf for 9 years without a peep. Never did anything or work on even one of the hundreds of patients I tried it on a decade ago or light up like it did for you as you walked by it after tens of thousands have walked by it since I put it up on that shelf 9 years ago. So it is just junk and no good to me. And it is not quite free. The caveat is that you send back a video diary of the places you visit and your life aboard your ship in your travels across the stars. Something my son wanted to do before he was killed in the war serving on a battleship. A way for me and my wife to see the universe the way he wanted to and I can't.”

  Mark felt sorry for the Doctor but he did not like having to be beholding to anyone. Especially a dirt dog even if he was a Doctor. Besides he wanted the Implants. Especially now that he knew how spaced they were with the red eyes. “Sorry Doc but I came in here to get rid of stupid glasses and not get a new pair. Besides, you ever tried to wear glasses in a space suit. They fog up minutes after you seal up.”

  “Listen Mr. Collins. Once I cut your eyes out there is no going back. It is forever. The rest of your life. Possibly blind in both eyes and probably blind in one and dead if the surgery goes terribly wrong for any of a dozen reasons considering your condition. Which I have had happen more than once with patients that don't have all the problems that may be associated with your handicap. Try these glasses for a week giving me time to study up on your condition and if it does not work for you; come back and I will gouge your eyes out and stuff in the implants.” The Doctor said in desperation. “And if you go blind so be it.” Slapping down the case the glasses came in onto the counter with a loud clap. Mark was surprised that the case did not shatter.

  Mark was taken aback by the Doctors outburst. Watching the Doctor turn around and start putting instruments away. He realized that he could see the Doctor fairly well with his black plastic framed glasses still lying on his lap. Shaking his head he reached up to touch the glasses wrapped around his face. He could barely feel them. Looking up into the mirror on the wall Mark frowned. He could barely see the clear seaming frameless lenses. They did not look bad or as noticeable but being self-conscious remembering the past; they still looked like monsters.

  “I like the way they look Mark." Jolleen said with a big smile.

  “My dad always said you get what you pay for.” Tom shrugged.

  The Doctor turned to Tom giving him a look of exasperation as Jolleen kicked him in the shin.

  Tom‘s face suddenly bloomed with understanding. “But then he also said don’t look a gift horse in the mouth; whatever that meant. Hey it’s free isn’t it? Go for it. We can always come back. Besides they kind of grow on you. Looking better by the minute buddy.”

  “No! We can’t come back! In a couple of weeks we will be half way to the next system.” Shaking his head he reached for the glasses trying to feel for something to grab. “Thanks for the offer but I don’t have the time to screw around. If I don’t get the implants now, I probably won't be able to get them at all. I will take the implants now.” Mark said stubbornly as his face hardened.

  The Doctor turned around and with a grim expression. “No you won’t! I am putting out a bolo on you forbidding surgery anywhere in this system until I have time to study the effects of surgery on your eyes with your gene defe
ct so no one in this star system can legally do it either. I am keeping your money for now as well to make sure you do not get it done on the black market.” Taking a deep breath as Mark starred at him in shock. “Try the glasses for a few days, a week and the day before you lift come back and I will put in the implants if you are that fucking stupid and unhappy with the new glasses.”

  Mark's stubbornness was turning to being royally pissed. How dare this dirt bag tell him that he could not do what he wanted to do? What he had been waiting and dreaming about for a decade. And this little shit head was going to keep him from getting the implants. Mark reached down for the little torch on his belt. It only had a range of a foot max, but for close in fighting it was a man killer. The thought of taking the torch to the Doctor to threaten him flashed through his mind and stopped him cold when the Doctors body fell at his feet in his imagination with a hole burned through his heart.

  Shocked. The memory of his best friend's headless body falling through the overhead hatch and splattering blood all over the deck and Marks legs as it bounced slapped him down completely. Besides he realized a dead or even pissed off Doctor would not do the surgery even if he tried to force him. Mark realized he had to try another approach; he got his temper under control. After being told as long as he could remember that he could not do things by people in authority and being slapped down if he bucked them directly, sometimes painfully; he knew he had no choice but to give in and try and think of a roundabout way of getting what he wanted. And sometimes reasoning worked.

  Taking a deep breath to calm down Mark tried his best to smile. “Are you kidding? I am probably going to get thrown in the brig for coming here in the first place let alone make a return trip before we lift.” He realized as he said it that it was probably true. He was probably going to be lucky to get off the ship again for a year if not detention for six months as well. Knowing his luck they would probably throw away the key.

  The Doctor looked at Mark thinking. “Ok? Then I will come to you. Your ship. All you have to do is call and tell me when to show up.”

  Marks mouth opened wide in disbelief as he mulled the possibility that it would solve a lot of problems including not having to drive home blind if it failed. It would make it possible even if he got thrown in the brig. But there was many possible new problems. What if he could not get a hold of the Doctor let alone permission before he called? But if the Doctor just showed up it would be harder for the officers to say no. But then looking around at the equipment that was probably needed to do the surgery, he realized just signing him on board as a friend was not going to do it.

  “I won’t even charge you for the implant if you decide you want it, since I am sure you won’t want it once you get used to these new glasses.” Then noticing Mark looking around at the equipment. "I can bring everything I need in a small suitcase."

  Mark looked back around at the Doctor studying his eyes. Suddenly realizing that he could see every pore and line in his face as he continued. “The implant free as well? That is one hell of a gamble Doctor.” The thought of having all that extra money to spend on a new air car to impress the girls was inviting. Especially if he got the implants as well. But that was the rub. The possibility that the officers on the ship would let him get the implants was not good if they got involved and he was not getting any good ideas on how to do it without telling someone that could stop it. Unless someone important was getting upgrades.

  Suddenly he knew what to do. “Doctor. If my implants are free; then I want to spend the money on new upgraded implants for the Chief. You can come to the ship and put them in and then you can do mine.” Seeing the Doctor’s face. “If I decide I want them. You will already be there for the Chief.”

  Mark was still trying to get a grip on the glasses to take them off but as he talked with his mind elsewhere, he let his hand fall. Looking around not having the big thick black frames restricting his view was nice as his eyes wondered around the room seeing everything sharper than he had ever seen them before, his mind racing. He sat up finely focusing on the crystal box sitting open on the counter. Except for an indentation for the glasses, the box was completely filled with small slides a half inch wide, 1/16th thick and an inch long as Mark found out when he reached over to take one out and examined it. Out of habit he moved it closer and then farther away as he normally did so he could get it focused enough to read the fine print and realized that it did not matter how far away it was. He could easily see and read the fine print etched on the top, no matter how far away it was and with it close only an inch away he could see inside the fine etching of each letter with more detail the longer he looked. As he dropped down into the etched valley of one of the letters showing the dust particles his mouth dropped open as he jerked back away from it to keep from falling into the chasm.

  So surprised he forgot what it said. Putting it back into its slot his mind could not believe what had just happened and he went back to thinking about the implants, resigning himself to being stuck with the glasses for a few days. “Ok Doctor how am I supposed to control these and all the wonderful things they are supposed to do?” He said sarcastically. Thinking it was a waste of time but that he had to go through the motions to please the Doctor.

  Looking at Mark for a few seconds the Doctor turned to the box. “You bond with them and tell it what you want. Simple.” He went back to reading the lid as he tapped on the edge to turn the pages.

  A half hour later after Mark had answered a hundred questions the Doctor had red from the boxes lid he turned to Mark. "Ok it is all yours now. Try it out. Tell it to do something."

  Mark looked around and said. "Infrared sight."

  Nothing happened as Mark continued to look around. "Ok. Let’s try zooming in on the passageway poster… Glasses! Zoom in." Nothing happened as he sat there. "Glasses. Magnification times 4 please." Again nothing happened bringing a frown to Mark's face.

  "Try touching the sides of the glasses Mark." Tom said from the stool in the corner by the door. "Maybe there is a switch or control or something."

  Mark tried touching the wide ear pieces on both sides running his hands down each side trying not to miss any spots but still, nothing happened.

  The Doctor coughed as a frown crossed his face. "Try touching or tapping the top and bottom rims."

  An hour later Mark walked out of the back room of the shop with his new glasses wrapped around his face but a little disappointed as they had not done a damn thing the whole time he had been sitting there. Though he seemed able to see damn good other than that. As he looked around catching sight of the planets orbiting the room. Things started jumping out at him as he looked at them even in the darkened corners without realizing he should not have been able to see them. Then he caught sight of himself in one of the wall mirrors. The pair formed a gold bubble around each eye between the lenses and around across his ears. They seemed to touch the skin around the edges with the inside lens of the bubble barely missing his eye lashes.

  “The gold color should clear to be almost invisible in time according to the directions.” The Doctor had said a few minutes earlier as he read from the lid. “Though they will darken with the gold color being the best to protect your eyes from any radiation as well as bright light. Super shades if you like. They are self-cleaning and you never have to worry about them fogging up. Even in your pressure suit. At least according to the manual.” The Doctor turned with a smile knowing Mark used as space suit.

  “Doctor. I can see better but I can’t do anything with them like you promised. Even after all the exercise games you’ve had me trying most for the last hour.” Mark scratched again the itch at his temples. But the itch seemed to be covered by the gold crystal ear pieces though moving the earpieces back and forth seamed to help for a while. "Seems like a pretty stupid pair of glasses to me."

  “Just give it time Mark. The fact that you can see better than 99% of the population and a 130% better than you did before as well as the color, says they are working.
You just have to give them time to get used to the way your mind works. It has to learn how to communicate with you evidentially. After all it says that most of the recipients don’t get these glasses until they have had years of mind training and you have just started. Though I don't understand why you cannot tell it what to do right now but just give it time. It may be something as simple as the A.I. needs time to recharge it's power source after sitting in that box on that dark shelf for 9 years.” The old man walked Mark, Jolleen and Tom to the entranced and unlocked the door.

  “Ya sure Doc. We will just have to see how things go I guise. You just be sure to be at the ship in 5 days.” Smiling up at the old man and his wife as he took the box from the old man. They left the Doctor shutting the door behind them to the clattering dings of the hanging door bells. Mark smiled as they walked toward the bus.

  Tom kicked Mark in the butt. "You scarred the shit out of me almost getting those Implants buddy." Looking up into the sky. "Thank Godstar you finely came to your senses and the Doctor had these new glasses."

  Jolleen looked on smiling from ear to ear. To relieved to say much.

  As Tom took a few steps ahead toward the bus, Mark kicked him in his butt. I am not going to wait years to be able to use these stupid things if they ever do work and in a few days I am going to get those implants if it kills me."