Star Cruise - Outbreak

by Veronica Scott

  “Dr. Shane,” Jake prompted, breaking into her panicky train of thought, left over from the anxiety-inducing encounter with the crowd outside. “Her Highness is waiting.”

  The first patient is a princess? That sure sets the tone for the trip. Emily swung around and walked toward the group, unsure who the patient was. Gripping her bag tightly, she hoped someone spoke Basic. Or any language she’d been hypnotrained in.

  Only one person was seated—a young girl, long black hair elaborately dressed in braids and curls anchored with jeweled pins. Her pearlescent, ruffled robes shimmered in the lights. She resembled a doll, a miniature version of a queen, lacking only the crown. Emily guessed she was perhaps ten standard years, if she had a Terran heritage. Surrounding the child were three much older women and two massive bodyguards. No one in the party looked ill or in distress. One of the men took a protective stance in front of the girl as Emily approached.

  She paid no attention to him but kept walking. The guard moved aside at the last second. Addressing the oldest woman standing directly behind the girl’s chair and seemingly in charge of this odd party, Emily introduced herself. “I’m Dr. Shane. Is the child unwell?”

  “The Hereditary Princess Falyn of Tregallovan is quite well, thank you,” answered the woman, frowning as the little girl sneezed with perfect timing.

  “Then what brings you to sickbay today? How may I be of assistance?”

  “It’s my pet, Doctor, she’s sick.” Brown eyes glinting with unshed tears, the girl left her chair and glided around the bodyguard with steps so smooth she might have been on an antigrav cushion. She pulled a small creature of indeterminate origin from one heavily embroidered, bell-shaped sleeve and cuddled the animal close to her chest. “You must make her well for me.”

  “I’m not a veterinarian,” Emily protested. Surprised, she turned to Jake. “You allow animals on board?”

  He came to join her, also ignoring the bodyguards. “Good afternoon, Lady Scorsshyn.” He nodded to the old woman before answering Emily’s question. “Sometimes our guests bring their pets along with them, yes. As long as the ICC regulations about inoculations are observed, no worries.” He got down on one knee to address the child. Emily couldn’t decide if he was trying to be nice about not towering over Falyn, or showing deference to her rank. “What seems to be the problem, Your Highness?” Running one hand lightly over the animal’s fur, he said, “Your pet is soft.”

  “She sneezes and won’t play or eat or anything.”

  “Sounds like a virus. What do you think, Doc? Or maybe an allergy?” Jake gave Emily a meaningful glance. Lowering his voice as he rose, he spoke close to her ear. “You’re going to have to treat the little fluff, veterinarian or not.”

  “Well of course. I’m not going to allow any creature to suffer if I can prevent it.” Emily was over her surprise now. At least this trip wasn’t going to be boring. “Bring the animal into the examination room where I can attempt to check the vital signs, see what, if anything, is wrong.”

  Scorsshyn opened her mouth, but before she could object to a mere ship’s doctor ordering a princess around, Falyn obediently carried her pet into the smaller chamber. Her five companions had no choice but to follow.

  “As her regent, I shall of course be close at hand in the examining room,” said the elderly lady, pushing past the others. Without making a protest, Jake, the two ladies and the guards clustered around the open portal. The ship’s AI smoothly extruded a waist-high table from the wall, and Falyn set her unusual pet on the gleaming surface.

  Looking closely at the furry green creature as it shivered on the table, Emily counted six impressively clawed feet, a bushy tail stubbornly curled around the animal’s body, and two golden eyes glaring at her. The pet’s glossy fur, alert attitude and clear eyes projected a reassuring impression of good health so far. “Do we know what kind of animal this is?”

  “The Hereditary Princess acquired the creature on the planet three days ago, from a street vendor who gained entry to the hotel lobby,” said the nearest bodyguard.

  “Great,” Emily muttered. “How about those up-to-date inoculations now?”

  “This animal is not native to the planet we are recently departed from,” announced the cool voice of the ship’s AI. “Nor is it any species in my database.”

  “Less and less helpful by the minute.” Emily was wondering what placebo she could risk giving the little animal, to reassure the worried princess, when the pet in question sat up and proceeded to sneeze without stopping for about two minutes. All the humans in the room and at the door retreated with varying expressions of disgust and dismay. Only Falyn and Emily stayed close to the table.

  Emily didn’t see any expelled matter, but of course germs, viruses and subnanos weren’t visible to the naked eye. She went to wash her hands, saying over her shoulder, “We could put the animal in quarantine for the flight.”

  “No! You can’t take Midorri away from me—she’ll die.” Stamping her foot for emphasis, Hereditary Princess Falyn launched into a shrieking tantrum that had her attendants cringing and attempting to placate her wrath. Tears coursing down her cheeks, she pushed the ladies and bodyguards aside and pointed her shaking finger at Emily. “Make Midorri well so she’ll play with me.”

  “A small application of synthsteroi will most likely quell the symptoms in a mammalian being and allow it to continue healing on its own,” the AI said. “Delivering recommended veterinary medication now.”

  A miniature inject clattered into a tray attached to the wall next to the sink. Jake fished it out, handing the medication to Emily. She gave the pet a shot in what appeared to be its hindquarters, close to the tail, while the big bodyguard held it immobilized. A long green tongue snaked out and licked her hand, as if to show the pet bore her no ill will. Petting the animal’s emerald green fur for a moment, Emily said apologetically, “Sorry, Midorri, I know that wasn’t any fun for you. We’re done now, I promise.”

  Apparently bearing her no permanent animosity, her unusual patient butted its head against Emily’s hand while crooning a low pitched humming sound.

  Gathering the beast up, the guard deposited the fluff into Falyn’s waiting arms while the princess tapped her foot impatiently.

  “I’ll want to know how Midorri is doing in a day or so,” Emily said.

  “You’ll be summoned to the princess’s suite as required.” Lady Scorsshyn raised her eyebrows to the edge of her receding hairline. “Her Highness insisted it was only prudent to bring the creature here for its first examination, but such condescension on her part won’t be necessary in the future.”

  “Do you require extra security to make your way to the cabin?” Jake asked, his voice deferential.

  “I believe our own forces are sufficient.” Scorsshyn rested her hand on the princess’s shoulder and gave her a subtle push toward the door.

  The Tregallovan royalty left with a great deal of conversation in their own language. Emily had been hypnotrained in a few of the Sectors’ common dialects but nothing as rarefied as Falyn’s native tongue. She turned to Jake. “I’m off to a great first day—undoubtedly broke fifteen or twenty regulations, not to mention a few medical canons.”

  “Little girl with a sick pet.” He shrugged. “What could you do?”

  “You don’t even need me for this situation. The AI is obviously prepared to diagnose and treat on its own.” Emily washed her hands again.

  “Maeve.” His voice held a hint of impatience.

  “What?”

  “I did mention several times that the ship’s AI has a name—Maeve. She prefers to be addressed by name.”

  “Not Nebula Zephyr?” She smiled at the absurdity of the naming conventions.

  “No. Fleming brought Maeve over with us from the ship he commanded in our military days,” Jake said.

  “How is that even possible?” Emily struggled to imagine what it would take to transfer an AI, let alone to implant an experienced one into a new ship. No o
ne knew for sure, but scuttlebutt said the proprietary company that created an AI euthanized it when its ship was decommissioned or scrapped. Of course, most AI’s lived for centuries before meeting that fate.

  Jake wasn’t forthcoming on details of the intriguing tale. “Long story. Tell you over drinks sometime if you like.”

  When she walked into the reception area, there were now several more people clustered at the desk, waiting to check in. “We’ll be right with you, folks,” she said.

  Another passenger entered, and as the door opened, Emily heard raised voices from the corridor. “What’s going on out there?”

  “Some nut is yelling at a little girl,” said the newcomer.

  Jake drew his stunner. “Where?”

  “In front of the casino.” Staring as Jake rushed from the lobby, the man spoke in amusement, apparently to himself. “Ship’s security was already there. What’s he going to do?”

  “His job. Take a seat, please, and we’ll be with you as soon as we can.” Emily walked to the door and stepped into the corridor, relieved to see Jake striding toward her. “Problem?”

  He shook his head. “One blowhard showing off. My team was already on it, didn’t need me.”

  “Who yells at a kid?”

  “Someone whose family was dispossessed by hers ten generations ago or so. Feuds run deep on Falyn’s planet. She has those big bodyguards and a sourpuss guardian for a reason, unfortunately.”

  Overwhelmed by too much happening too fast, nerves tightening, Emily walked through sickbay, trying to look too busy to be accosted by the waiting patients. It was as if the ship leaving orbit around Harilon was a signal for people to come seek medical advice. She fled into the tiny office, Jake following her. Over her shoulder, she asked, “Are any of my staff on duty right now?”

  “Sickbay’s open around the clock. There should be a nurse.”

  “Why isn’t that person screening the intake, then? I don’t need to see every individual who comes to the sickbay. I should focus on the most urgent cases.” She picked up a small winged statue and examined it for a second before moving it off the desk to a side shelf.

  He frowned. “We’re a luxury cruiser, Doctor. Most people will expect to see you.”

  Patience fraying, she took refuge in the hot flare of anger. “Are you telling me how to run a medical office?”

  He backed off. “No, of course not.”

  “Then I suggest you go about your own duties and leave me to mine.” Opening the wall cabinets, one after another, more to stay in motion than because she cared what the previous doctor had stored there, she found a traditional white coat with the CLC logo on the pocket below the caduceus insignia. She grabbed it, tugging the garment on over her simple outfit. Twining her hair into a casual ponytail, she picked her personal AI out of her pants’ pocket and pushed past him, marching into the open reception area. She could do this. It was just like the ER on Harilon and nothing remotely like her military experiences. Therefore safe. “Who was here first?”

  “Me, Doctor.” A young woman slumped in a chair raised her hand, while her male companion hovered. “I have a terrible headache.”

  “Please go into Exam Room 1, and I’ll be right there.” Emily pivoted from the passengers as a young woman in a CLC uniform with a nurse’s insignia rushed into the clinic. “Glad to see I have some support today—I’m Dr. Shane, just arrived aboard. Are you the nurse on duty?”

  Eyes wide, visibly surprised to see Emily instead of whoever she’d expected, the newcomer smoothed her uniform tunic with one hand and her hair with the other. “Relba Gittan, day shift, yes, ma’am. Sorry I’m late returning from my break, Doctor.”

  “If you could triage these patients for me and notify me when the woman in Room 1 is ready for me to examine, we won’t worry about it.” Emily smiled. She really didn’t want to be too much of a stickler on her first day in charge of Sickbay. “I understand sometimes unexpected things happen. I’ll be in my office.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  “See you later, Doc.” Jake left the sickbay with a wave of his hand.

  As he made his way toward the bridge, where Captain Fleming was overseeing the ship’s exit from Harilon and entry into hyperspace, his own second-in-command, Red Thomsill, fell into step with him.

  “So, how was the doc? Did meeting your angel go the way you expected? You were pretty excited about it at coffee this morning.”

  Wishing he’d kept his mouth shut about the subject of his fascination with Dr. Emily Shane, Jake said, “She’s strung pretty tight. I never even told her we’d met before.” He gave Red a sideways glance. “I’d appreciate it if you don’t mention it to her when you meet her. She obviously didn’t remember, and why would she?”

  “Yeah, conditions weren’t optimal at the time,” Red said. “Not to mention you were bleeding out, according to Jayna. I won’t breathe a word. Anything we should be worried about?”

  “I’m sure the doctor’s fine. I don’t think she ever expected to return to space. And her father apparently didn’t get her to agree to this temp job before he told his friend on the Line’s Board that she’d do it. She was still pissed at her dad when I showed up on her doorstep.”

  Red made a face. “Awkward.”

  “Yeah, the timing didn’t help the situation any, but I talked her into signing on. Then we get on board, she wants to see sickbay and her nurse isn’t on duty. She had patients waiting, including a sick pet, no less. All in all, not a good beginning. She handled it fine—she’s a pro, but not the best way to join a ship.”

  “Are you bringing her to the party tonight? Maybe we can show her a better side of being Nebula Zephyr crew. Everyone’s eager to meet your Dr. Shane.”

  “She’s hardly my anything, except the doctor who saved my life—watch that kind of talk.” He gave Red a glare to emphasize he was serious about the warning. “I’d appreciate it if she continues to talk to me for the rest of the cruise. I did mention the party to Dr. Shane, but I don’t know if she’ll remember. I’ll check with her toward the end of the afternoon. She’s pretty much all business, hasn’t even been to her cabin yet.”

  “Nothing like Meers, then.”

  “Totally different. The medical staff’ll have to up their game while Dr. Shane’s in charge. She’s used to military hospitals, where people jump at an order. Not sure how the chain of command approach’ll go over with the passengers, since she can’t pull rank on them.” He switched subjects as they arrived at the crew gravlift. “Did you check out the person who was heckling Princess Falyn?”

  “No priors, just a hothead. Saw her with her handlers in the corridor and took his chance to show off to his buddies, act tough. Guess he figured he’d be safe on board the ship. I gave him a stern warning. Do you want me to set an extra guard on Her Highness’s quarters?”

  “Her regent doesn’t want any visible support from us. She’s afraid it’ll send a message Falyn’s forces are weak. The old harridan was very clear in our preflight briefing.” Jake rolled his shoulders. “I hate seeing a kid used as a political pawn, and I sure don’t want anything happening to her on our watch.”

  “So I’ll tell Jayna and Clint to run surveillance with Maeve’s help.” Red was matter-of-fact. “Why in the seven hells did Falyn’s people take her to the sickbay? Shouldn’t the doc go to her? Royalty and all?”

  “Supposedly, the pet was sick. I think the princess wanted an excuse to get out of her suite.”

  Red made a face. “I would if I was locked in there with Lady Scorsshyn twenty-four seven. She gives me the shivers.”

  “And I’m assuming the regent wasn’t averse to making it clear Falyn is well guarded and can travel safely.” Jake shook his head. “I hope the hotheads don’t pull any more stunts. We don’t have specific intel on terrorist activity, or a presence on the Zephyr, but reports have been wrong before. She may look like a little girl, but she’s the figurehead for a massive, entrenched power structure.” He checked his wrist chrono
. “Captain’s expecting me. See you later.”

  Red continued on his way with a wave as Jake stepped into the restricted-access gravlift to the bridge.

  When he arrived, Jake found the command crew working efficiently around Captain Fleming, who acknowledged Jake’s arrival with a level stare and a salute with his raised mug of genuine Terran coffee. “Well? Is the new doc settled in?” Fleming took a sip.

  “She gives off an intense attitude, but she’ll fill the position fine for a few weeks, satisfy the regulations.” Jake kept his concerns about Dr. Shane to himself for now. Surely the military wouldn’t have allowed her to resign and transported her home without at least minimum treatment for wartime horrors. She’d seemed pretty anxious more than once, especially in the crowd by the casino, but got herself under control fast. And her manner with Princess Falyn and the pet had been pleasant enough, once she accepted the idea of playing veterinarian.

  As if reading his mind, the captain said, “I’d be intense too if I’d seen the frontline service our new doctor has on her record.” Fleming eyed him over the lip of the chipped mug, which bore the insignia of his last military command. “We have a schedule to keep, and even if this is a continuation of the shakedown cruise, there are passengers who want to reach their destination. Meers better have a solid-gold excuse, or he’s banned from setting foot on my ship again. Sorry to drop this problem on your shoulders, Jake, but you’re responsible for making sure the new doc sticks it out with us until we get a permanent replacement.”

  “No problem, sir.” He hoped to get to know her better. At a minimum, he wanted a chance to thank her properly for saving his life. The assignment from Captain Fleming was no hardship.

  “Now tell me about the incident with Princess Falyn today outside the casino.”

  The afternoon passed fairly rapidly. Emily was surprised at how many minor complaints the passengers had, although some people wanted only a friendly ear to talk to about old maladies, or reassurance that a new bump or lump wasn’t the harbinger of a deadly, alien disease. Only in the trideo adventures.