I was surprised to find that the ship had its own hospital, not just a medical facility but an actual hospital with an operating theater and several rooms with beds for the sick or injured to recover in. Kala said this was not uncommon of many of the larger ships, and that our Estate had a hospital in it as well. I asked her about doctors and nurses only to discover there was no word for doctor in Federation language, though there was for medic, and something like a nurse existed only they were called medical aids. Medics were basically persons trained to read the computer readings and to issue orders to the medical aids. The computer diagnosed the conditions and indicated treatments and medications would carry out treatments with different instruments. The medic was responsible for issuing the orders for the treatments that could not be provided by the computer and the medical aids saw to the basic care and needs of the patient. If surgery was required the person was taken to an operating room where a machine much like the one in the infirmary on the TRITYTE, performed any medical procedure that was required.
I was told that on some of the more outback and primitive planets they did have medical personnel trained to do operations and the like if need be, but every planet in the system had at least one major hospital and if necessary a person would be flown from anywhere on the planet to the center for care. All medical treatment in the Federation was free and no one was denied medical care or treatment unlike back on Earth.
It was two days after the docking of the passenger liner at the ship yard at Nibaria that we began interviews with the crew members looking for jobs. Piesew was still aboard the NEW ORLEANS as Wanoll and Captain Maxette both believed it would be better not to have any ships flying back and forth until the situation on both ships was resolved. Piesew only had a few days left on his tour of duty with the DUSTEN and Captain Maxette said he could finish out his time on the New Orleans, so Piesew was conducting the interviewing for staff for the accommodations. Captain Stonbersa, Lunnie, Marranalis, and Kerabac were all interviewing potential crew members and Kala administered computer psychological and loyalty tests. To our pleasant surprise only one person failed the loyalty test out of almost three hundred and surprisingly they all seemed to be highly qualified. We ended up hiring all the ones that passed the loyalty test.
We spent the next three days training everyone on their jobs, and on the fourth day we decided to take the Back to Megelleon and park her in high orbit over the estate. Later in the day Kala came to me.
“Tib you asked me a few weeks ago to arrange a meeting with some of the scientists or manufactures of the leaning headbands. With all that has been taking place I sort of forgot about them and I just got a call from my assistant at the Estate that three of them are there now. What do you want me to do?”
“Tell your assistant I want to buy their services starting today for, oh let’s say a week. Tell her to tell them it’s very important, to name their price and then tell them we will triple that amount. Let her know that we are on our way back to Megelleon and to put the scientists in a luxury suite with full accommodations and to see to their needs until we arrive later today. We’ll need a shuttle to get down to the planet. I’m leaving the TRITYTE here hooked into the RMFF grid on the NEW ORLEANS for safe keeping.”
While Kala was making those arrangements I contacted Captain Stonbersa and instructed him to move the ship to Megelleon and that some of us would be going down to the surface. I told him to keep the RMFF shields up at all times and not to let ships through the shield without clearing it through myself or Kala. I also told him the TRITYTE would be staying on the NEW ORLEANS as well as Lunnie, Reidecor and Kerabac but Marranalis would be going with Kala and me to the surface. I then contacted Piesew.
“Piesew,” I began, “I would like for you to contact a clothing designer and have them create uniforms for the crew, especially for Captain Stonbersa. I don’t want something over stated and gaudy but I would like something smart and recognizable while not over stated. I would also like to see the designs before we commission any being made.”
“I think I know just the people to contact,” Piesew said, “it’s a team on Megelleon and they are noted for their designs throughout the universe. I will contact them immediately, when I tell them the uniforms are for your people they will jump at the opportunity to do them simply for the fame it will bring them.”
Next I spoke to Lt. Commander Wanoll, who was still in charge of the Federation troopers on the ship. “Some of us are going down to the planet on business; I anticipate being there for a few days. Lunnie and Reidecor will be staying here and aboard the TRITYTE to maintain the connection for the RMFF. I think it would be a wise idea to have extra security in the hangar around the TRITYTE.”
“I agree Tibby,” Wanoll said. “It will be much easier to protect the TRITYTE from here.”
I had one more task to take care of before leaving and I went to the hangar to talk to Lunnie.
“Hey lover boy,” Lunnie said with her typical sense of humor, “how things going with you and my sister? She’s keeping you happy I hope.”
“Lunnie, your sister does nothing but make me happy, I just wish I had more time to show her how happy she makes me.” I said.
“Hey Tib don’t worry about it, I can tell you that you have made my sister happier than I have ever seen her in my life. You’re the best thing that has ever happened to her. But I don’t imagine that you came here to talk about Kala, so what’s up?” She said while she wiped her hands on a rag.
“I have a task for you to look into, but I need for you to do it without anyone else knowing my intentions. I want to investigate what it would take to move the Solbidyum reactor from the TRITYTE to the NEW ORLEANS.”
“WHAT!?” Lunnie exclaimed, “If you do that you would have to gut the TRITYTE and install a new engine room., It would be cheaper to just buy another patrol ship.”
“I don’t want the TRITYTE gutted, but I don’t expect it to fly after the Solbidyum reactor is removed. I’ve decided is retire the TRITYTE and to make a flying museum that will take the TRITYTE on tour around the Federation so everyone can see it and appreciate it for what it was. When I saw Captain Stonbersa reaction to the TRITYTE the other day I realized just how important it is to the people of the Federation and I think everyone should have a chance to see it. But it’s too huge a temptation for any one or any planet wanting to obtain it’s Solbidyum heart, so we remove that, put it in the NEW ORLEANS which is equipped to protect itself and make the TRITYTE available for everyone to see and walk through. We build a flying museum with exhibits and the story of Solbidyum and the wars, the rediscovery of the TRITYTE, everything right up to today and we fly it to them so everyone on every planet gets a change to see it.” I looked at Lunnie and I saw tears in her eyes and she walked over to me and gave me a hug, “Kala is very lucky to have you Tibby, you truly are a great and caring man, one of a kind I would say. I’ll look into your request and let you know what I figure out.”
The trip from the NEW ORLEANS down to the planet went smoothly, I was surprised when the shuttle arrived and had a Galetils Industry logo on it. “What’s with the logo on the ship,” I asked Kala, “and where did it come from?”. Kala spoke to the pilot and returned to tell me, “The shuttle came with the estate, there’s a fleet of about a dozen of them in the hangar at the Estate and Lodge. I guess the logo is on there from Galetils. You will probably want them removed.”
“I was just thinking that perhaps it would not hurt if we had our own logo,” I said. “Something simple that people would quickly identify as being uniquely ours, but I have no idea what it should be or look like.”
It was only moments after we landed that I stood in my office staring into the fish tank with Kala when a young woman on Kala’s staff announced the arrival of out three guests.
“Tibby, may I present Dakko of Tarola, Rivez of Koeis, and Cantolla from the University on Essen, honored guests may I to present you to Tibby the Recoverer and Major Kalana of the Federation.” Then s
he stepped back and waited by the door for further instructions.
Dakko was a rather short and squatty man, with short stubby fingers and a hair style right out of the Wizard of OZ, even his attire reminded me of the old Earth movie. He wore a bright yellow coat with a red vest, had brown trousers and shoes that looked way too large for his frame. Rives was tall, about 1.6m I would guess, and thin about 81.6kg, unlike Dakko he had long thin fingers and had an aura about him that made me think of Abraham Lincoln. He had dark wavy hair and a sad look in his eyes. Cantolla on the other hand was a strikingly beautiful woman of about 1.75m, she had green eyes and long chestnut colored hair that caught the light and reminded me of the horses on farm next to my grandfathers after they had just been currycombed and brushed. She was dressed in a rather form fitting outfit that reminded me of brushed green suede and had calf high boots that accented the outfit perfectly. I could feel Kala tense up momentarily when she entered the room.
“Greetings to you all please be seated,” I said indicating the leather sofa and chairs in the room. They seated themselves, Dakko and Koeis taking seats on the sofa while Cantolla selected one of the comfortable and plush leather like chairs. Kala and I sat across from them in chairs similar to the one Cantolla was seated in. Between us was a low table that could be raised and lowered if needed, but in this occasion it was kept low like a coffee table. “Would anyone care for something to drink?” I asked. Both Dakko and Koeis indicated they would appreciate some foccee while Cantolla indicated she would take a “dayere,” a drink I had never heard of before. Kala indicated to her aid that we would be having four foccee and one dayere and the aid went to the wall and opened the drink dispenser and got the drinks serving them to everyone and then at a nod from Kala left the room.
“I trust everyone is comfortable and happy with your accommodations and the compensation you will be receiving for your time?” I inquired. “Oh my, oh my yes,” Dakko responded excitedly, “The accommodations are most exquisite, luxurious, beyond belief actually and your generosity, oh my, oh my! What can I say? It’s more than ample, yes more than ample.”
“I must agree with Dakko,” Koeis said, “The suite you put me in is larger than my house and far more lavish as well. The food has been divine.”
“I’m satisfied with my rooms,” Cantolla said coolly, “they are adequate for my needs, though perhaps a bit large for just ONE person, but then these suites are not designed for just one person now are they?” There was a definitely emphasis on “ONE” that begged to question what her inference was, but I decided not to pursue it.
“I’m sure you all are wondering why I have brought you here and since I am sure you all are very busy people, so I will get right to the point. My knowledge of the learning head bands is very limited, so please bear with my ignorance and do not hesitate to correct me if I am wrong. As I understand it you can transfer knowledge to a person on an intellectual level, but not physical skills, such as with art, you could give a person all the knowledge of mixing colors and styles, but you could not transfer to them the psychical dexterity with which to do the painting? Am I correct?”
“Oh my, oh my, yes you are ever so correct,” Dakko blurted out, “basic knowledge can be implanted into the mind, but the physical components must be practiced and learned, they cannot be transferred.”
“Yes, I agree with Dakko on that,” Rivez said a bit less enthusiastic than Dakko. “We have been trying for years only to find a way around that one with no success.”
I glanced at Cantolla who was sitting in her chair coolly staring at Kala and I while tracing her finger around the edge of her glass, she seemed to be in thought and then suddenly seemed to snap to the moment, “I’ve been doing some research along this area, and I believe it can be accomplished, but it will be tricky. Unlike conventional information, movements and coordination rely on multiple senses, sound, vision, balance as dictated by many other factors in the brain. The body needs to access all that information to know how to match the knowledge with the body it is in and the information used by the body for physical movements. I think it can be done, with more research, time and above all funding.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that Cantolla,” I responded, “because that’s exactly what I need you all to work on for me. Cost is of no matter, but time is. A laboratory will be set up for you here at the estate, any materials you need let us know and they will be delivered to you in an expedited fashion. The sooner you can complete the task the better. Cantolla, how long do you think it will take you to be able to accomplish the task if you have all the resources you need and no interruptions?” Cantolla looked at me in a frozen look momentarily and said, “I honestly don’t know, a week, a month, a year, and maybe years. I honestly have no idea.”
“Do it in a month and you each get one million credits as a bonus, three weeks and you get a two million credits bonus and if you can accomplish it in two weeks I will make it ten million credits each. Cantolla I want you to head up the project, but you all are on it.”
“Why are you putting Cantolla in charge?” Rivez asked in a slightly challenging tone? “Why not one of us?” Rivez was sitting forward in his chair in a challenging fashion while Dakko was sitting back in his with his arms crossed in a somewhat pouting fashion.
“Because of the three of you she is the only one who said she thought it could be done and presented information that made sense to me. If you do not like the arrangement you are free to leave and will still pay you the agreed upon amount for your time when you accepted the offer to come here.”
“What about the patent rights if we do pull it off, who gets those?” Dakko wanted to know.
“Don’t be stupid Dakko,” Rivez said, “You know as well as I do that if we discovered it at our companies the company would get the patent and you or I might get a bonus check equal to a month’s pay if we were lucky. What Tibby is offering us is way more than we’d ever get any other way.” As I was watching the dialog play out I noticed Cantolla coolly sitting back in her chair still tracing her finger on the edge of her glass with a look of mild amusement on her face at Dakko and Rivez arguing.
“I for one,” Rivez began, “accept your offer.”
“Ok, count me in too, you’re offering a much bigger reward then I could ever hope for anyplace else!” Dakko said. “I will need to contact my company to take an extended leave of absence. It should be no problem as I have personal leave time available and work is slack at the moment.”
I looked at Cantolla who had not shifted in position all the while and still bore the slight trace of a grin on her lips. She sighed and then with all the grace of cat sat forward slightly and said. “Ok, I’ll do it, and you get the patent rights if it works, but just one question, what do you want to teach with it?”
“Martial arts!” I responded, knowing that they would not be as familiar with it as my group had become. I noted both Dakko’s and Rivez’s eyes widen with curiosity while Cantolla’s seemed to squint in contemplation just a bit.
After the meeting, when everyone else had left, Kala and I relaxed on a small settee by the aquarium. I had my arm about her holding her close when she asked, “What did you think of Cantolla?”
“I think she is very shrewd and intelligent, controlled and methodical. I think she will do a good job trying to get the learning bands where we need them to be.” I answered.
“That’s not what I mean. I know you noted her movements and actions, her body language, didn’t her flirting bother you?”
“Bother me? Kala I have no interest in anyone but you, my interests in Cantolla are purely professional. You need not worry I have no interest in her sexual wiles.” Kala began laughing hysterically.
“What?” I said, “What’s so funny?” It took Kala a few minutes to regain her composure and then finally through smaller laughs she choked out, “I guess you didn’t know, or realize it, but Cantolla was flirting with me! She’s a lesbian; the University on Essen is a school for lesbians only.”
“Well,” I muttered, “In that case we will have to see to it your duties keep you far away from their research lab I guess.” Kala laughed and put her arms around me, “Do not worry my love,” she whispered in my ear, “You fulfill all of my desires.”
The next few days I spent working with Marranalis and the martial arts trainees, both our own and those of the Federation. Progress was terribly slow and I was praying that Cantolla and her team would come through with a breakthrough with the learning head bands. Marranalis had been able to recruit nearly one hundred ex-troopers for our security force, and we had an additional fifty trainees from the Federation that would eventually become instructors. Our classes were way too big and we had divided them up into three separate classes, one in the morning, two in the afternoon. However, progress was slow and the size of the classes meant that personal attention to the students was a fraction of what it should be.
On the third day I received a message from Cantolla saying they needed me in the lab. They needed to record my mental actions while performing various martial arts moves. At first I just went through various moves in a shadow boxing manner announcing each move as I did them while wearing a learning headband, only this one was set to record my mental signals instead of implanting information. After doing this for about an hour, we called Marranalis in to help assist with hand to hand combat. When we finished we called in a new recruit who had no training at all and a head band was placed on his head in the teaching mode. After that he was asked to display certain moves that the head band hopefully had taught him. The results were not terribly promising, for while he knew the moves, his reflexes and coordination were way off he went through the motions clumsily. When Marranalis attacked him, he nearly flattened the poor guy and it was obvious that very little had been accomplished. On a whim, however I asked that they place the band on Marranalis head and see if it improved his skills any since he already had some knowledge of martial arts. Much to my pleasure I saw major improvements in his skills leading me to believe that at the very least there would be some merit to using the headbands in teaching the martial arts to the troopers. Dakko and Rivez both were rather pessimistic about the lack of progress and lamented that it was next to impossible. Cantolla, however, seemed more optimistic saying that she felt progress had been made and that by installing more receptors and transmitters into the headband she thought they could improve the bands significantly. I asked if in the mean time we could have all the trainees come in for a quick session with the band because it would greatly enhances their leaning time. Cantolla said she saw no problem to that and that it might even help in her calibration of the bands.
Solbidyum Wars Saga Book 1: Battle of the New Orleans Page 25
