by Rebel West
“So do we.” The alien doctor presses a slim silver tube against Maxxon’s arm. “Numbing solution, then a quick stab. And... all done.” He pushes a button and slides the tube into his case. “We’ll get this back to the lab.”
“Any new ideas? Any progress?” Maxxon’s face is eager. His eyelid flickers as if it were a strobe light.
Dr. Amakka’s expression is neutral. “We are continuing to do what we can. We will let you know as soon as we learn something.”
“Of course.” Maxxon’s face falls. “I... have been meeting with my brother and my advisors. We are putting together a succession plan for when—if—I am unable to continue on as prince.” He looks at both of us in turn. “Are you sure we cannot try the plasmapheresis again?”
The doctor shakes his head. “The first time had no effect on the progress of the disease, and the side effects were powerful. I prefer to wait to try new treatments until we uncover the root cause of your ailment.”
“It must be genetic.” Maxxon’s hand shakes and he grabs it with the other one. “You’ve ruled out every known disease on this planet. And yours, isn’t that correct, Dr. Taylor?”
I nod. “Yes. It doesn’t match any known Earth disease, Your Highness.”
“I’m tainted goods.” The prince smiles, but there’s no humor in his eyes. “The rebels might have gotten one thing right, after all.”
Dr. Amakka’s voice is calm. “We will figure this out, Prince. I promise you.”
We take our leave, and Dr. Amakka escorts me back to my lab. “I will run this sample under the STEM, and upload the pictures as soon as possible. I’ll contact you on your holo when it’s ready. Then you may request the sample for your lab for studies as well, of course. It will be available in the sample system for you. I wish you the best of luck.” The look he gives me, sad and a little fearful, makes my heart swell.
“Thank you. I will do what I can.” I want to take his hand, but most aliens don’t shake like we do on Earth, so I bow slightly to him.
I can barely wait for the data, and when the doctor summons me to say the pictures are ready, I pull them up on my holo as quickly as possible. But to my disappointment, all I see is the same even pitting, maybe a little worse. I thought... well, I don’t know what I thought.
I call Dr. Amakka. “So it looks the same, yes? Just even more progression, I suppose?” I’m confused.
He sounds tired and has bags under his eyes. “Yes, unfortunately.” He sighs.
“What if we try to re-myelinate using genetic engineering on his DNA?” My voice rises with excitement. “It’s a new area, but it’s worth a shot.”
The doctor shakes his head. “Impossible. It’s still at least ten cycles out from even being ready for animal testing.” He looks away from me and tenses his hands.
“I see.” I swallow my disappointment. “So your son, how’s he doing? Is he enjoying camp?”
The doctor makes a small noise and his whole body tightens. “I need to go.”
“I’d be willing to help with any research, if you and Dr. Jayya have ideas. I’m here to help, honestly. I’m willing to do anything I can.”
“I understand, and I appreciate that. I’ll be in touch.”
He ends the connection, and I sit there quietly for a few minutes, thinking. Well, the pitting must be normal. So odd. Something makes me uncomfortable, though... like I’m missing something big, something right in front of my eyes.
* * *
Later, sitting in my quarters, I summarize. Maxxon has muscle twitches. The zebb have muscle twitches caused by contaminated water. The paramecium in the water that hurts the zebb isn’t supposed to harm Luminarians. But what if Maxxon has some kind of extra sensitivity? What if the water is damaging him? He swam there in the past—not in the recent year, or so he said. But what if he was infected and it’s just now, for some reason, affecting him?
I stare out the glass at the life going by below, knowing that my window is just a silver flash to them all, if they bother to look up.
I don’t like Dr. Jayya, but maybe if I level with the doctor and tell her what I think, we could travel together to get a sample of the water for testing. I imagine dropping some water onto a slide with Maxxon’s tissue and watching under the scope to see if the organisms attack his tissue.
I try to summon the doctor, but once again, Dr. Jayya doesn’t respond, so I try Dr. Amakka.
He answers immediately. “What is it?”
“I want to get a sample of water from Aileron spring.” I nod.
“Why?” He frowns and touches his cheek, his eyes darting around.
I lower my voice, although he’s alone. “I’ve been thinking. You know the zebb are prone to neurological issues from the Albotons C, and that’s in the Aileron spring. I know Maxxon used to swim there. I’d like to get a sample of the water with the organism in it and test it on his tissue. Maybe he has a sensitivity to it that most Luminarians don’t have.”
“No.” The doctor stands, his voice rough. He swallows and I watched in fascination as the tendons jerk in his silvery neck.
“No?” Surprised, I blink. “Why not?”
“Ah, there is no need. That is a test we’ve already done.”
“I don’t remember seeing it in the documents.” I know it’s not there—I searched to make sure it’s a new idea.
“Oh. That’s because…” The doctor pauses and glances around the room. “It’s under a file called Environmental Factors.” He looks to the side and brings up a separate, shielded holo screen in his quarters and types rapidly.
“I see. But I know I looked at that one, and…”
“You must have missed it.” His tone is curt and his fingers dance in the air. My screen pings with a message. “Here it is, Dr. Taylor. You will see that the water sample testing is there under soaps, detergents, and grasses.”
I scan down. “Oh, there it is. On the last page. I suppose I must have missed it.”
I fell asleep during my reading last night, but still, I don’t forget things like this.
I read aloud. “Tested two independent samples of spring water from Aileron.” It lists the date and some reference numbers. “Added samples of Albotons C to Maxxon’s muscle tissue to see if it matched animal studies. Negative, no reaction of any kind.”
The doctor taps his foot. “Is that all for now, Dr. Taylor?”
“Yes.” Disappointment engulfs me and to my horror, tears of frustration well in my eyes. “I’m sorry. I was hoping I’d discovered something useful.”
“We have been very thorough.”
I tilt my head. “Do you have the samples of the slides in the system? Can I see them?”
The doctor’s eyes widen. “Ah... that was early on in our testing and those might not have been salvaged. I will check and holo you later if I locate them, certainly. But they showed no reaction, so you will see a slide with just muscle tissue on it.”
“I understand, but I’d still like to see it.”
“Certainly. Good sun.”
The doctor ends the transmission abruptly, leaving me nonplussed.
I spend a few hours reading medical documents, trying to focus, but my whole mood is affected and I keep getting up to look out the window and pace.
Later, I head to my lab for a change of pace, hoping to stimulate my brain into new thoughts. But as I disembark from the pod and enter the lab, voices ring out from the corner in the anteroom, the one with the MFD. Startled, I almost leap back into the pod, but then I recognize the tone of Dr. Amakka. He is talking with someone over his holo.
Chapter Eighteen
I call out, “Dr. Amakka?” just as I hear, “…asking about Aileron spring and the organisms in it, so you need to be more careful…”
The doctor breaks off speaking immediately. “Dr. Taylor!” His face is bluer than usual as he rounds the corner to face me, a tinge of darker color on his cheeks. “Did you just arrive?” He frowns, looks at my pod.
“Yes, I wante
d to spend time in here. Did you locate those samples we talked about?”
He blinks. “I did. I was, ah, just dropping them off.” He points at a small silver box on the table. “So you may examine them at your leisure. I’m sorry your idea was not more promising.”
“Were you talking about me?” My heart pounds but I don’t want to have awkward secrets. “We just talked about the water, and you said something about it just now.” My face burns but I train my eyes on him.
He shrugs. “I told Dr. Jayya that you are interesting in tracing leads we’ve already discovered, so it’s important, ah, for her to help you stay on target. Spend more time with you to reiterate what we’ve already done. We don’t have time to waste redoing things.” He nods, his voice gaining fluency. “As you know, she is very adamant that we don’t wish to waste time. And I agree.”
“I see. Thank you for the samples.” I gesture at the box.
He lifts one hand and gives me a stiff bow. “Until later.”
As I examine the slides, my holo blinks with an incoming comm from Dr. Jayya. “Dr. Taylor, you summoned me?” Her voice is irritable, and she appears to be walking down a path in the city center. I can see tall, swooping buildings around her, and craft zoom by in the distance.
“Yes, but it’s been resolved. I talked to Dr. Amakka. Shortly before he called you.”
“I haven’t talked to him all sun. To which call are you referring?” Dr. Jayya pauses and the holo blanks out for a moment, then reappears. “Sorry, I had to speak to a colleague. What do you need? More samples of some kind?”
Confused, I cock my head. “You weren’t just talking to him on the holo?”
“Dr. Taylor, I assure you that I’m aware of my actions, and this sun I’ve been taking care of long overdue personal necessities. I suggest you focus on the work, if you are so determined to stay here.”
“I need to know about water samples.”
“We tested the water in the palace, all of the drinking water in all of the MFDs, and all of the water sources the prince uses for drinking, cleansing, clothing prep, and otherwise. All came back negative. All reports are in the system, and Dr. Amakka would have any samples we saved.”
“Thank you. Then no, I don’t need anything.”
* * *
When I end the call, I stare into the distance, not seeing the silvery walls of my lab. Something isn’t right, and I don’t know whom I can trust.
If I could just get a sample of that water now, I could… what? Test it? An idea flashes. What if I got a sample of the water and added it to Maxxon’s newest muscle tissue to compare, and see what it does?
But there is no way I can get there unassisted. I can’t even leave my quarters without permission.
I tap my wrist, blink up the holo, and summon Lock. When he answers—right away, for once—he smiles at me. “How is research going?”
I bite my lip. “Interesting.” Everything is so complicated. “How well do you trust Dr. Jayya and Dr. Amakka?”
He frowns. “With my life. With my brother’s life. Why do you ask such a thing?”
I hesitate, worrying the bracelet on my wrist. “I feel they are hiding data.”
There. I said it.
“Hiding data? How so?” He stares.
“I asked Dr. Amakka about a water sample, and he... well, he gave it to me. But I think it wasn’t in the system before. I think he added some data after he talked to me.”
Saying it aloud makes me realize how crazy it sounds. I flush. “And then I heard him talking on the holo about me, I think, and he said he was talking to Dr. Jayya, but she said she hadn’t talked to him, and it’s just making me uncomfortable.”
Lock clears his throat. “Dr. Taylor.”
“Yes?” My stomach twists.
“You’re making nonsensical accusations with no evidence.”
“I recognize that, but it’s my duty to be honest with you, and frankly—”
“And it’s my duty to ensure that my brother is getting the best help possible,” he counters, his voice firm.
“I need to get to Aileron spring for a water sample.”
“And the doctors don’t have that in their database?”
“Well, they do. They said they’ve done it already and ruled it out. Yes. But I’d feel more confident with a fresh sample, to repeat the test.”
“Do they agree?”
“No.”
He sighs. “Dr. Taylor, I trust Dr. Jayya and Dr. Amakka. I urge you to work with them.”
“Just one trip. It will be quick.”
“Dr. Taylor, Dr. Jayya has already complained several times to me about your inefficient use of resources. Please speak with her or Dr. Amakka to organize such an event. I will be in contact later. You will explain your reasoning to me and them together, and if I agree, I will escort you to get your sample. But it will only happen if the other doctors agree. It’s not appropriate for you to work on your own without them.”
He ends the trans and I shout out with irritation. “Ugh. Fuck! Dammit.”
The hoverpod glints with a purple in the soft overhead lights, and I give it an appraising glance. It is only supposed to go to the lab and back, but I saw Lock enter an override code, and I remember what it is: 53365, the same thing as on his Bakkari bag. Heart pounding, I climb into the sleek craft and go to the lab, stopping only to grab a few items, then settle back in the comfortable seat, bring up my holo screen, and type “53365” in the air on the “override destination” block.
It flashes red, then green, and a new screen glows in front of my face: “Enter or speak location.”
“Take me to the Aileron spring in the high hills. The place where Maxxon likes to swim.” Shit. I don’t know how to identify the location.
“Please be more specific. Which location do you wish?”
A selection of three glows. Something by the ocean—no. A building downtown called “Aileron Spring Café.” Nope again. The third is more promising. Based on the map overlay, it’s definitely a spring up in the hills.
I blink-click on that option, then select “mask windows for privacy” and the hovercraft is off.
I blow out a shaky breath as the craft zips through the building and out of the main exit pod station, attracting little, if any attention. Are pod movements tracked? Is mine tracked? If so, hopefully I’ll have some good data to use when I ask for forgiveness, later.
As the pod skims the rolling purple hills, exultation swells—I’m out here alone on an alien planet. An equal dose of terror roils up. I’m all alone on an alien planet, breaking rules again, doing something that could get me sent back to Earth.
It takes about twenty minutes to get to the hillside, and I’m relieved to see there is no other traffic around when my pod glides to an easy stop.
“Location reached. Main area of Aileron spring in the high hills.”
It’s obvious why Maxxon likes coming here, if this is indeed his special place. The grass is tall and wavy, and a small meadow of Jibbi blossom wildflowers glows in a brilliant orange, their heads as large as dinner plates, stretched out to the left. The creek bounces over rocks in a small waterfall, and then a larger waterfall, which ends in the silver pool below. Graceful bending Makko trees make the place secure and serene, and it smelled like citrus blossoms in spring.
I grab my gear and climb down, looking around to make sure I’m alone. It’s the work of just a few minutes to glove up, put on the mask, and scoop a sample of water. Then I place the water tube into a decon box and drop the gloves and mask into a waste con that does an immediate seal. “Got it,” I call to the general area, although nobody is around.
A bird chirps and clicks, sounds I’ve never heard on Earth, and when I glance up at the purple tree, there is a magnificent creature, the size of a parrot, with a pink crest and an impossibly blue tail. Gorgeous! It cocks its head and regards me with a beady green eye, and scans me in a way that seems intelligent, like it knows what I’m doing. Then I think about the h
orrible bugs I saw on that vid, and I quickly get into the pod and set the coordinates for the palace and my lab.
I don’t know what I’ll learn from this water sample, if anything. But I have a duty to my sense of honor and my commitment to helping the prince to do anything and everything to figure this out. If I can’t trust the alien doctors, I have to do it on my own, fallout be damned. Like Lock said, it’s a matter of life and death.
Chapter Nineteen
I drop the sample off in my lab and put it into an unmarked container, knowing I need to take some time to research how best to analyze and test it. I only have a little of the water, and I don’t want to waste it.
Back in my quarters, I find Lock waiting for me with a disappointed expression on his face.
His voice is curt. “Imagine my surprise—I’m in a critical meeting about quashing rebellion outbreaks in the North, and I get a transmission that your pod has taken an unauthorized trip. I had to leave, have my advisors do a drone scan to locate you and ensure you weren’t injured, and then wait for you here. Many segs of resources were wasted following up on your impromptu outing.”
“Lock.” I lick my lips. “I needed to get that water sample so I can retest on my own. The doctors didn’t want to help me get it, and I think it’s necessary.” I stick up my chin. “Time is of the essence.”
“You won’t help my brother by gallivanting around the planet unchaperoned and getting yourself into trouble.”
“But I didn’t get into trouble.” I push my hands together. “Look, I was in the pod. I gathered water. Then I was back in the pod. It was simple, easy, and nobody saw me. And it was important.” I cross my arms. “The pods never break down and it was all on palace property. I know it was safe.”
“The point, once again, is not what did happen, but what could have happened.” He shakes his head. “And the trouble you caused.”
“But other humans drive pods around,” I argue. “I read it in the news, and on the holo site. In fact, over fifty humans do it. And they go to places far more dangerous on a regular bas—”
