A Calm Mind

by Ruairí Cinéad Ducantlin

  Corb, Michelle, and the Plentari attacker are in the medical lab. After placing Michelle on the medical table, Corb turned to the Plentari assassin and telekinetically pulled the laser saber from her hand. The Plentari fell to her knees and placed her forehead on deck. Her skin was a dark blue, with almost no hint of green. Corb understood the blue was not the result of stress. The Plentari was pleased with what she had done but feared she was about to die.

  The crew is pushing in to the small medical bay to see if they could assist.

  “NT, please go to my quarters, bring back the small wooden box. You will find it in the drawer, under the clothes, at the bottom of the closet. Landry open the door to my quarters for NT. Lock my quarters when he returns with the box.”

  “Done.”

  NT rushes to retrieve the box, returning in under a minute to the medical lab.

  Taking a small, opalescent, vial from the box, Corb sprinkles a thin line of metallic looking powder along the length of Michelle’s wound. Returning the vial to the box, he hands it to NT with instructions.

  “No one looks in the box.”

  “Understood.”

  “Landry translate this next couple of sentences for the assassin.”

  “Will do.”

  “Ragnar, Chief, cuff the assassin and strap her to my console on the bridge. If she resists, kill her with her own sword.”

  The Plentari looks up, wide-eyed and smiling. Ragnar and the chief move to comply. Ragnar picks up the laser saber from where Corb laid it on the counter. The assassin does not resist.

  “Landry lock out my console on the bridge. Lock out anything the assassin might be able to reach.”

  “Done.”

  Turning back to Michelle, while placing an oxygen mask on her face, Corb commands the medical lab’s automated medical technician to stitch the wound closed.

  “Landry, what is the status of the crew on the planet.”

  “Mister Johnson, they are unharmed and are in the Open Meeting Hall. There is a significant increase in the number of security guards in the Open Meeting Hall.”

  “Landry, please inform Captain Turner of our status.”

  “Done.”

  The chief returns to the medical lab after cuffing the Plentari to the console on the bridge.

  “Ragnar is standing guard.”

  When the automated medical assistant completes the last staple in Michelle’s torso, Corb issues a series of commands.

  “Landry, please open the ship-wide intercom and link in the Marissa.”

  “Done.”

  “Everyone, this is not a drill. This is either an assassination to get to me or it is a test of our resolve. Either way, it will not go unpunished. Captain Turner is in command of both ships until Lucinda returns. Captain Turner, I believe general order number three is needed. Do you concur?”

  “I concur. Computer, alert status one. Corb you bring them back, I am not leaving without you.”

  “Josh, I will bring them back with the trade agreement. Everyone, the Plentari on the bridge does not get cut loose until this is resolved, or she is dead. Landry instruct the medical lab to continue Michelle’s life support indefinitely.”

  “I had to override the medical protocols, but it is done. The life support will continue until you terminate it or there is no more power.”

  “Ragnar?”

  “Yes, Corb?”

  “I want you to stand by with the sword. If I give the word, she dies. If you are not okay with that, I will find someone else.”

  “Corb, it will not be a problem.”

  “Thank you.”

  No one present could remember not seeing Corb with a smile on his face. Corb looked at Michelle’s lifeless body, turned to the crew, his face hard, before teleporting back to the Open Meeting Hall.

  The Open Meeting Hall on Plentari

  Lucinda, Himari, Cassandra, and Janish have remained seated. Now they are surrounded by formal-looking guards wielding laser sabers.

  Waving his hands, the guards are flung away from his crew. The Plentari fall to their knees and put their foreheads on the floor. Only the Madame Negotiator remained undaunted and continued staring at Corb.

  “Junell is your name. In our language, your title translates to Madame Negotiator. Negotiations in our culture demand a common respect for the safety of the negotiators. It is the highest form of deceit and dishonesty to harm a negotiator to whom you have offered protection. There is no lower form of life than one who kills under the promise of safety. I understood you were briefed on our culture and customs, but you let one of my people be killed for exhibiting a kindness toward a male.”

  “Enlightened One, females do not serve males.”

  “That is an excuse to ignore our customs and values. In our culture we attempt to treat all persons equally. You waited until you were sure who among us was of the lowest rank and you had her killed. This treachery will not go unpunished.”

  “Where is Junella?”

  “Your assassin is with my crew awaiting my orders. She still breaths. The assassin’s life, your daughter’s life, will be weighed against your words, Madam Negotiator.”

  “You know much. I see that you are truly the Enlightened One. We agree to all your terms. You will be provided the technology in return for the materials we desire.”

  Pressing several spots on a pad, the Madam Negotiator spun the pad and slid it across the table, so Lucinda could read the results. Pressing the spot, she knew would translate the script to English, Lucinda read the agreement.

  “It is all there, Corb.”

  “Press the agreement sequence, Lucinda. Wait! Lucinda, please re-read the third section of part two.”

  After a moment, Lucinda looked up, wide-eyed.

  “How did you know?”

  “Madame Negotiator, your terms are not acceptable. You attempted a further dishonesty. Lucinda, you have Cassandra. Janish, you have Himari. If the Madame Negotiator next words are not acceptable, we leave.”

  Lucinda reached over and grabbed Cassandra’s arm while Janish did the same with Himari.

  “I will replace the wording and increase the ore credits by ten percent.”

  Lucinda handed back the pad. Once again, pressing several spots on a pad, the Madam Negotiator spun the pad, so Lucinda could read the results. Pressing the translator spot, Lucinda read every word in the agreement. Passing the pad to Janish who also read every word before anyone spoke.

  “It is as she stated, the wording is correct, and the ore credit has increased by ten percent.”

  “Thank you, Janish. Lucinda, if you concur, and the Madame Negotiator agrees to my next request, sign the agreement.”

  “Madame Negotiator, under your laws, you must state the changes to this agreement are made in accordance with your laws and duties. The assassination was an attempt to receive more favorable terms. If you do not say these words are truthful, we will leave, and the assassin will die.”

  “Enlightened One, you know our ways. It is true, the agreement is in accordance with our laws and duties. The assassination was an attempt to receive more favorable terms. I concur with the new terms of the agreement.”

  Corb nodded approval to Lucinda who reached for and received the pad from Janish. She began pressing the sequence of buttons effectuating the agreement.

  Waiting for the confirmation tones to conclude the deal, Corb and the Madam Negotiator did not look from each other nor did either blink. None of the prone Plentari had moved from their positions of subservience. When the pad issued the tones of approval, Junell spoke.

  “Enlightened One, I offer my life for the life of my daughter. She acted on my orders and should not be punished for my commands.”

  Junell pushed back her chair and with an air of confidence, the Madame Negotiator stepped off her throne like chair and placed her forehead on the floor.

  Striding around the table, behind his crewmates, Corb stood next to and towered over the prone Madam Negotiator. Bowing to a
male was punishable by death for a female Plentari. Bowing to the ancient story come to life was permitted. Bowing to the Enlightened One was Junell’s only hope to save her daughter.

  “No Madam Negotiator, we are operating under our customs, not yours. In our culture, those who commit a crime are held accountable. Many on our world consider payment for this heinous act to be death. They refer to it as An Eye for An Eye. However, we do not live with the ways of our fathers. We have grown. We will consider this and decide. I will give you my decision after three rotations.”

  The team from Earth all teleported to the Jenny’s bridge then raced to the medical lab.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Earth is not the only Blue Dot.

  “The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are. You trade in your reality for a role. You give up your ability to feel, and in exchange, put on a mask.”

  Jim Morrison

  Aboard the Jenny

  “Nothing has changed.”

  “Thanks, Chief. Janish, please take Himari to the Marissa.”

  Janish and Himari teleported out with Janish returning in just a few seconds. The crew of the Jenny were crowded into the medical lab or standing in the corridor peering in to the lab. Ragnar and the assassin remained on the bridge. So many people crowded the small medical lab, the air handlers were diverting cooled air from other parts of the ship to keep the medical lab cool. No one spoke, waiting for Corb.

  Michelle was laying on the table, covered in a medical sheet, only her face and hands were visible. The monitor above her head indicated minimal physiological activity. The medical computer was providing life support and keeping her body functioning and cool. A pseudo-pulse and an oxygenated respiratory rhythm was being induced by the medical computer. Despite the computer-aided life support, her face and hands had the pale look of death.

  “Landry, an update please?”

  “The medical lab computer determined the cause of death was severe cardiac trauma. The medical computer also assessed the cauterized wound prevented the patient from dying due to loss of blood. The body’s blood supply remained intact. The medical computer concluded the cauterized wounds would not heal correctly. Consequently, the computer decided the wound edges needed to be incised. The staples were removed, the wound edges were opened, incised, and then stapled together using vascular repair techniques. The process of incising the wound edges has facilitated the healing process.

  Before I approved the medical computer to proceed, I conferred with Captain Turner and Chief Symington. They concurred, and we let the computer perform the incise procedure. Otherwise, there is no change.”

  “Thank you, Landry. It appears, the incise procedure was performed quickly? Was it thorough?”

  “Yes, Mister Johnson, I was able to augment the medical computer. The incise process required three minutes.”

  “Thank you, Landry.”

  “What happened?”

  “It was a test, Chief. The Madame Negotiator wanted to see what I would do if she assassinated one of our negotiators. She was testing me and using the assassination as a bargaining point in the negotiations. It is not an uncommon technique for Plentari to create chaos during negotiations.

  They waited, Cassandra saw it coming but she was too late. They waited for the slightest infraction of protocol, or violation of their laws, before they acted. Females are forbidden to serve males. Michelle’s kindness, in bringing me a drink, violated their law. The assassin acted because she knew their law would protect her. She did not count on being teleported from the room before her people could protect her. The assassin thinks she is going to be executed.

  Their self-imposed aura of superiority controls their thought processes. They think chaos is an opportunity to change the rules and get a more favorable agreement. Madame Negotiator tried to pull a fast-one and change the wording in the agreement.”

  “She was testing you?”

  “Yes, it was a test for me, Nick. It was also a test for humans. Remember, everyone thinks we are children. Some want, the Madame Negotiator wanted, to see if they can bully the children. They learned a lesson today. News of the lesson will travel far and wide.”

  “What about the assassin handcuffed to the bridge?”

  “If Michelle does not come back to us, the assassin will die. Chief, we will lose our ability to negotiate with the Plentari and many other species if we do not respond according to the Plentari cultural norms and to human norms. It was murder. Murder is punishable by death.”

  “What do you mean come back to us?”

  Corb ignored Janish’s question

  “We have three days until we make a decision. Lucinda, I need you and Joshua to assist me. Landry will help you both understand the Plentari culture. If you agree, if I understand the culture correctly, the assassin will die if Michelle does not return.”

  “I can do that.”

  “As will I.”

  Everyone had forgotten the link to the Marissa was open, not being terminated when Corb appeared and the chaos began.

  “Thank you, Josh. Keep listening in, we need your input. Landry get them the files, they have a lot to read.”

  “Confirmed. I will highlight the relevant sections of the briefing materials. Also, Ragnar is ignoring the Assassin’s request to relieve herself.”

  “I will take care of that in a moment. First, everyone, please clear the medical bay. I think you should be back on the bridge in case one of those Plentari fighter pilots is the assassin’s sister.”

  “I am monitoring the Plentari fighters, Mister Johnson. They have not broken their patrol pattern. Their communications have been instructions to remain on station but not to engage. The fighters are not controlled by the Madame Negotiator. They are under the control of the planetary defense group. We have not shown ourselves to be a threat, therefore, they are remaining alert but cautious.”

  Corb’s last comment, and Landry’s situation report, shocked everyone back to business. They rushed to the bridge to ensure the Jenny and Marissa remained safe.

  “Captain Turner?”

  “Yes, Landry?

  “The effective range of those fighters is just over two-billion kilometers, or one-billion kilometers for a round-trip. The Plentari defensive fighters do not possess an FTL drive. It would be wise to move the Marissa to a position beyond the outer planet.”

  “Lucinda?”

  “Move the ship, Josh. We got your back. Landry, can you keep this link open between the ships?”

  “Yes, Captain Raitt. I will reestablish the micro worm-hole when the Marissa reaches her station.”

  “Helm, plot a course. I want to be three-billion kilometers above the elliptical plane. Follow the orbit of Plentari, keep us three-billion kilometers from the planet. Plot a return slip-stream jump to one-thousand meters from the Jenny. Alert condition one. We will stand ready to jump back in if needed.”

  “Aye, plotting now. Stand by.”

  “Engage when ready.”

  The Marissa’s maneuvering thrusters lit up and indicated to the escort fighters the big ship was moving. Several fighters altered course and created an opening for the behemoth. The Marissa moved forward then up, away from the planet and the elliptical plane. Several of the escort fighters repositioned themselves to continue to monitor the Marissa. The sub-light engines kicked in and the ship began to accelerate away from the Planet and the Jenny.

  “As soon as we are free of the planet’s gravity bubble, I want us out of here.”

  “Aye, slip-stream in two-minutes, eighteen seconds.”

  “Captain Turner, if the escorts do not back off, they could be caught in our wash or the slip-stream. Twenty percent sub-light, ready for the transition.”

  “If they are caught in our wash, good, let them fry. If they enter the slip-stream with us, they can negotiate a ride home.”

  The main monitor showed the slip-stream forming. The vortex surrounded by a blue-hued ring of collapsing plasma.

&
nbsp; The Marissa entered the slip-stream and reappeared outside the range of the Plentari fighters.

  “Jump successful.”

  “Thank you, helm. Sensors?”

  “No escorts came through with us. We are just under three-billion kilometers from the Jenny.”

  “Comm link reestablished.”

  “Thank you. We are keeping the link open. Landry you are ordered to inform me of any changes, not matter the time or status, I want to be informed.”

  “Confirmed, Captain Turner.”

  “Good luck, Lucinda.”

  “Thank you, Josh, we will keep you posted.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ground Control to Major Tom.

  “You'll be tested every single day.”

  John Ratzenberger

  “Corb, the third day is about to dawn. Michelle is gone. We need you. The Madame Negotiator is demanding to have her daughter’s body returned. I lost the connection to Michelle. You lost it too. I can feel it. We can all feel it. Your connection wavers in and out. We feel your pain. Lucinda and Janish said they can feel your broken heart. Please, we need you.”

  For three days, Corb had stayed with Michelle’s body in the medical lab. Cassandra was trying for the third time to talk Corb into letting go. Her efforts were not successful. Lucinda and Janish had also been unsuccessful in talking Corb into letting go. The crews were devastated at the loss of Michelle. Corb remained calm and poker-faced. Cassandra, everyone, missed his grin and bright blue eyes. As she turned to leave, after trying one more time, Corb finally spoke.

  “Cassandra, please ask Ragnar and Lucinda to join me, here in the medical lab. I need their help. Tell Nick to take a rail gun and replace Ragnar. Nick is not to release the assassin or harm her in any manner. Tell Nick not to speak to the assassin.”

  Cassandra not being sure what to say or how to respond, nodded affirmative, turned, and left the medical lab.

  “Landry?”

  “Yes, Mister Johnson?”

  “When Lucinda and Ragnar arrive, lock and seal the medical lab. Do not open it until I tell you. Also, terminate all communications into or out of the medical lab. I want isolation when they arrive.”