Scene 1: the
lifeboat
Judith:
You left her! I can't believe you left her!
Paul:
Judi, Judi, Judi...no no, calm, please, calm.
Gordon:
What was I supposed to do? The moment I turned the engines
on, we shot out of the bay. The door shut on its own.
Max:
Lifeboats on deep flight ships do a quick burn to get us away
from the wreckage as quickly as possible. You could have waited.
Paul:
Unless you didn’t know that...
Captain Wainwright:
Franz, I'm rendering Gorsky to your care. Keep him out of the way. There may be criminal charges, once we get to Peg-51...
Gordon:
If we get to
Peg-51! We're still eighteen days out and that's
on a freighter, not some dinky lifeboat. Who knows if our field will hold or if
the snapback will even work right? We're in the middle of nowhere and
those...things might still be after
us.
Stella:
Shut up, you ass.
CAPTAIN WAINWRIGHT:
You are no longer our junior pilot. You are now cargo. As
steward, Franz will be in charge of--
GORDON:
I'm still a human-being! That's more that you can say for--
CAPTAIN WAINWRIGHT:
If I could throw you out of an air-lock right now, I would.
Paul:
Evie managed to get the ship turned after we left...so we shouldn't have to worry about any pursuit. We're still headed the right direction to get to our destination. We might get...eight days? There should be enough ships coming in and out that someone will pick us up.
Max:
We'll make it.
Stella:
We can do a general distress for now. The scoop will get us
there as long as the field holds. Once we get close enough, we'll switch to a
narrow beam.
Franz:
We're stocked enough for half-rations, so we might get a
little hungry at the end. There's enough water for...six days for...seven of us.
Gordon:
You can't.
Franz:
As steward, it's my duty to maintain the crew. Those duties
do not extend to cargo.
Gordon:
It was an honest mistake. I didn't know...
Max:
Ignorance is no excuse.
Narrator:
Franz swam in behind Gordon and twisted his arms behind him.
Max found some zip-ties.
Gordon:
You can't be serious! You need every able hand you have on
board! Beks!
Becca:
Able hands. And don't call me Beks.
SOUND: Max punches gordon
Max:
You'll be quiet or I'll gag you.
CAPTAIN WAINWRIGHT:
Enough! I'm not going to be the captain of a life-boat that
comes into port full of corpses!
Franz:
We're going to be here a while. Let's not start in on that.
MAX:
He left the Chief behind! You can't just--
FRANZ:
We're going to be here a
while. These are tight quarters.
Swing too wide, you might hit the wrong person.
JUDITH:
Max, honey, it's OK. Come here and sit next to me. Let Franz
handle it.
MAX:
They've had one fight already; who's to say he didn't mean to leave her behind?
JUDITH:
Max, please. We won't make it if we go on like this.
FRANZ:
Listen to your fiancee. Girlie's a fielder and knows it on a
ship. There's no walk to blow off steam here.
MAX:
He's a murderous bastard!
FRANZ:
Every time you lose your cool, you use up twenty-five percent
more oxygen.
Stella:
Are we settled?
MAX:
(giving up) We're settled.
CAPTAIN WAINWRIGHT:
Paul and I will share pilot duty.
Stella:
Judith and I can swap as navigator.
Narrator:
Max and Franz
guarded Gordon. Becca slept and tried to stay out of the way. She checked
Gordon over a couple
of times to make sure he wasn't too badly dehydrated.
MUSIC:
Scene 2: the
sick bay
Narrator:
It had been maybe a couple weeks prior on the Tong Dizhou, Becca was in the bay writing a
letter to her cousin.
Becca:
The trip thus far has had the usual list of complaints common
on a ship. There was a round of the sniffles the first week while everyone
adjusted to the
recirculated air; that was handled with antihistamines and saline sprays.
There were three cases of dry eyes: Stella, Paul, and Judith; simple drops
and swabs handled that. Gordon got food poisoning once. Franz had cut his
thumb. Max had sustained a first-degree burn.
And Evie...oh, Evie's twisted an ankle, bumped her head, bruised her thigh,
broken a toe, and dislocated a finger. She might as well be berthing in my sick
bay. She has a ten-centimeter
difference between one leg and the other and the longer leg usually suffers
the most injury.
She always wants to know what
was going on. "What's this called?" "What does this do?" "How does this work?"
Maybe we're kindred spirits: one maintaining the crew and the other
maintaining the ship.
Paul:
(radio)I need you in bay six. Bring something for a broken
nose and some busted knuckles.
Scene 3: a
cargo bay
Narrator:
Bay six was in the third section of the ship and didn't
hold spin because crew rarely went there.
Becca floated into the hold to a regular welcoming committee. Franz was holding
back Gordon and Max was holding Evie in her bright red jumpsuit.
Evie:
I don't care what you think! I've had as much as I can take!
Gordon:
(nasally) You think you're all that! You aren’t anything. You’re just here because you failed there!
Becca:
What’s going on here? Why is everyone down here?
MAX:
Evie came back here to work on one of the connection
linkages. I was here to assist.
FRANZ:
I was doing back here to do an inventory.
Paul:
I came back here when Franz called the bridge.
Max:
Gordon came down here and started razzing on Evie...again.
Paul:
Captain asked me to handle this for him.
BECCA:
(internal) How unnerving, that he always calls his parents by
their function and not their name. Maybe his father is preparing him for his
own ship...
Gordon:
OK, OK, you don't have to pin me.
Franz:
I'll free a fool, but you'll just make me regret it.
BECCA:
If that's the case, then maybe--
Gordon:
So how's that, huh? You can't take a little ribbing? You're a
danger, ya know? I don't know why anyone would let such a hot-head on a ship.
Evie:
Ribbing is one thing. Constant harassment is another.
Gordon:
Oh, come on! One little joke and you start popping noses.
This might never set straight.
Becca:
We can just go to the bay and--
Gordon:
I've got it, Beks. I just want to know why wonder-star here
thinks it's OK to start smashing faces when they--
Evie:
I'm dreadfully clumsy. Things close to me tend to get whacked.
MAX:
It's not that bad, Chief.
Gordon:
Oh no, I see how it is. You're the great equalizer, aren't
you? You won't be happy until we'll all lop-sided, myopic, emotionally-stunted--
NARRATOR:
Evie bent her knees, just so, and landed a double-footed kick
to Gordon's pelvis.
Becca:
(internal) She's not wearing any shoes. How easily she moves down her. He might have the advantage up front, but back here, she’s in control.
Paul:
Enough!
Evie:
He started it.
Gordon:
Who swung first? What crippled little freak decided to take
a punch rather that talk through her issues?
MAX:
It wasn't a swing as much as it was a head-butt. She actually
busted the knuckles when a wrench slipped.
Evie:
I'm not dealing with this. Not today. You got that? Not today!
Franz:
No one's dealing with anything.
Paul:
No fighting on the ship! Enough is enough! You two have been
at each other the whole trip! I'm tired of hearing Dad complain about it!
Becca:
Paul, can you two get him out of here? Get Gordon in the bay
and I’ll meet you there.
Paul:
I have to take him up anyway for a dressing down. Captain’s
irritated there was a fight. You better get Evie ready for a little 'talk' as
well.(then shouting) Gorsky! You, me, them, out, now!
Max:
Hey, Becca, Chief's been distracted all day.
Becca:
I understand. (pause) Evie, did you get that connection
linkage fixed?
Evie:
Yes...No thanks to that JACKASS who snuck up on me.
Becca:
Are you going to come down or do I have to go up there? I've
done field medicine before. I'll patch you up right here if I have to.
Evie:
(muttering) Eight three two seven nine five zero two...
Becca:
Measuring something?
Evie:
Just a thing I do to calm myself down.
Becca:
So, let me see those knuckles....Oh, this doesn't even need
any antesthetic, it's just a couple of butterfly sutures. (sigh) Are you two
really that bored? There's got to be a better way of dealing with things than
this. This is the kind of thing that looks bad on a--
Evie:
I can't stand him, Becca.
Becca:
(chuckles)I think he's jealous of you.
Evie:
How could he possibly be jealous of me? He's good looking
and--
Becca:
I think he envies your skill. How many runs have you done?
Evie:
Fifteen. Seven were long haul.
Becca:
That's a lot. This is my fourth. There we go...All patched
up. (pause) I didn't
think you were that old.
Evie:
I'm not. I just don't take extended breaks like everyone else
does.
Becca:
So, you just go from one ship to the next. You don't take any
dwell-time?
Evie:
I've flown with a guy like Gordon before.
Becca:
How'd that turn out?
Evie:
He came in too fast and wrecked a port in Cancri-55. It took
two weeks to fix the damage. Lucky no one got spaced.
Becca:
You think Gordon's like that?
Evie:
I think he's the kind to make a dumb mistake. He's going to
forget some little detail and it's going to cost someone their life.
Becca:
Max said you've been distracted all day.
Evie:
A little. It's no big deal.
Becca:
No big deal? I understand that's why I had to patch up your
hand. Again.
Evie:
I'm just thinking about stuff.
Becca:
You want talk about it?
Evie:
It doesn't matter anymore. (sniffs and rubs nose) That was a
long time ago.
Becca:
Evie, if something is bothering you, please, let me know. I'm
not asking as your doctor. I'm asking as your friend.
Evie:
I don't want to talk about it. I have to go report to the
bridge. Maybe later, OK?
MUSIC:
Scene 4:
Lifeboat
Narrator:
The second day on the lifeboat, Becca realized Evie's
quick-bag was on board. It was filled with data-storage stiks, some tools, what
looked like a paper-journal of mechanical drawings, and—-at the bottom of the
bag—-a tiny automation.
Becca:
Franz, this is for you.
Franz:
What is it?
Becca:
Evie was making it for you, to help you pick up. It's a model.
Franz:
A tiny helper for a tiny ship.
Scene 5:
Evie's Workroom
Narrator:
It had been a month before the Vencume came on board;
Becca had stopped by Evie's workshop after dinner to return a data stik she had
borrowed two days prior.
Evie was sitting on the floor in a loose-fitting blue smock, tinkering with a
tiny automaton. It only stood twenty centimeters high and moved in fits and
spurts.
Becca:
Here's that thing back. What are you messing with?
Evie:
I was thinking about how Franz has to do so much cleaning up
after us, so I decided to work out a model of something that could pick up
trash. The movements aren't smooth yet.
Becca:
This is what you do with your spare time?
Evie:
This was easy. What I really want to do is work on ship
design. Everyone tells me that no one could ever fly in one, because of how
quickly I make them move....I've decided to go with a Brooksian model on the
programming for this little guy, so it's only going to need about six commands.
(changing the subject) What
did you think of Francis Bacon?
Becca:
Uh...I wasn't sure. The language was pretty stodgy.
Evie:
You read medical texts drier than that.
Becca:
Maybe, but a pharmaceutical white-paper holds my attention
more because it's something I can use.
Evie:
Are you only interested in things you can use?
Becca:
You make it sound so cold.
Evie:
I was just curious.
Becca:
It's not that I'm only interested in things I can use, but I
suppose I am a little more forgiving of the prose when the material is
something that affects my life.
Evie:
(quoting) I confess that I have vast contemplative ends, for
I have taken all knowledge to be my province. This, whether it be curiosity or
nature, is so fixed in my mind as it cannot be removed.
Becca:
How do you remember things like that?
Evie:
Things like white papers are a mental paste; everything is
pre-digested. Sure, I have to read those and commit parts to memory, but
there's no joy to it. Writers like Bacon, on the other hand, are like fiber for
your brain. It takes a bit more effort to cut it up, chew it, and digest it,
but it's more rewarding in the end.
Becca:
You're wasted on this ship.
Evie:
It's work I enjoy. I have enough time to think about things.
People don't bother me all the time. (pause) Oh, look, that's a little
smoother. He can
walk smoothly now.
Becca:
You seem to get along with people OK.
Evie:
(sigh) I'm judged here on what I know and what I can do,
not...how I look.
Becca:
I think you look fine. Why would you worry about that?
Evie:
It still matters to some...Let's see what happens if I knock
it over....
Becca:
Evie, you're not some horribly disfigured monster.
Evie:
I'm fat and I'm clumsy and I have crooked teeth and a
lopsided skull that puts weird pressure on my eyes.
Becca:
You're also clever and knowledgeable and generous--
Evie:
(mockingly) She has a lovely personality! (suddenly) The arms
are too short; it can't right itself.
Becca:
You're distracting yourself.
Evie:
It amuses me.
Becca:
Look at that automaton...I could never do that. You think up
a thing and make it. I don’t think anyone on the ship can do that except you.
Evie:
If it was only that easy, to take a thing apart and fix what
was wrong with it. Here, look at how small this arm is. I can just take it off
and make it again but make it better. Maybe that's why I like to work with
machines. I can do for them what...what no one can do for me. I wish I could do
it for myself.
Becca:
So you hide yourself in an engine room on a ship and hope no
one will look at you?
Evie:
(laughing) Well, that, and I get to fly here. You have
no
idea how liberating that is.
MUSIC:
Scene 6:
Lifeboat
Narrator:
The third day on the lifeboat, the captain and his wife were
speaking in low tones.
Stella:
Oh, David. What are we going to do now?
Captain Wainwright:
We'll be OK. It's not the end of the world. Brian is still
out there. Jason is doing OK. His wife is going to have a baby soon.
Stella:
Yes, I read that. Maybe Paul and Judith can book passage
with one of them.
Captain Wainwright:
We'll be all right. You'll see. We still have family out
there.
Scene 7:
wave-tank
NARRATOR:
Two days before the Vencume had come on board, Evie was swimming in the wave-tank, her uneven legs thrashing behind her gracelessly. Becca checked the timer on the side and took a note on the force of the water.
SOUND: Splashing
Becca:
According to this, that's been ten kilometers. That's more
than enough. Evie? Evie, did you hear? That's enough!
SOUND: Beeps. The splashing stops.
Evie:
I didn't know you were here. You told me to get in this, so...
Becca:
If you're shy, I'll turn around.
SOUND: Splashing
Evie:
OK. Where are my glasses? Jeeze, I can't see anything.
Becca:
Here, and your watch. I'm glad to see you're taking my advice.
Evie:
If I have to do it, I have to do it...It's almost time for
lunch; let's go see what that's going to be.
Scene 8:
Galley
Evie:
Something smells good.
BECCA:
That's new.
NARRATOR:
Franz was grinning madly, grilling a piece of previously frozen soy-chicken.
Franz:
(laughing) I love this thing!
Evie:
Glad it could be of some use. A happy cook is a happy ship.
Franz:
You should patent it!
Evie:
(quoting) Not for money or for fame, but out of the belief
that we all of us have the right to live, to dream, as we choose.
Franz:
Spare me the philosophizing and pull up a chair.
Becca:
How much do you read, that you can pull quotes like that?
Evie:
Deep flights give you a lot of time to think. We're like
floating monasteries.
Becca:
I've been using time to write a letter to my cousin. Do you
have anyone back home?
Evie:
(darkly) No. Not
anymore.
Scene 9:
lifeboat
Narrator:
The fourth day on the lifeboat, Gordon was begging Franz.
Gordon:
Please, please, just a little. It hurts. You've got to give
me something
Franz:
I gave you something.
Gordon:
It hurts to swallow. You've got to give me some water.
Franz:
I'll give you water when we get picked up.
Gordon:
I'll die before then. Are you guys going to eat me when you
run out of stocks?
Franz:
What a noble sacrifice. (a hollow chuckle) I hadn't
considered it, but we might get desperate enough.
Becca:
(sleepily) Save me his right hand.
MUSIC:
Narrator:
The fifth day, Judith was staring at her display and chattering excitedly. The crew was clustered around the chittering comm system.
Judith:
This is the lifeboat from the freighter Tong Dizhou and we are in field. Lifeboat from freighter Tong Dizhou and we are in field. Eight souls on board. We are five days out. Do you copy?
SOUND: Rummaging
FRANZ:
Where's that blasted translator?
Max:
There should be one built in.
SOUND: Chittering. Then a click
Female Translator:
Human ship. Vencume recognize. Matching field. No snapback
failure. Understanding. Vencume gratitude. Human help.
Stella:
There it is on radar.
Paul:
It's huge.
Judith:
We are five days out and supplies are low. On route to
Peg-51. Eight souls on board and in need of pick-up.
Female translator:
Understanding. Vencume recognize. Human help. Vencume help.
Franz:
Found it! I knew we had a translator on board.
Gordon:
(weakly) Does this mean we're saved? Does this mean we're
going to make it?
Captain Wainwright:
You're not off the hook yet.
Stella:
Look at it! What's that? Eleven sections at least!
Max:
That section that's slowing down... That’s where they’ll
bring
us in...Once the spin has stopped.
Stella:
It's stopped. Three craft just left.
Becca:
Are those recovery craft?
Stella:
No, they flew past us. Look here. Maybe they're making room.
Paul:
They certainly are fast.
Captain Wainwright:
Looks like they're sending out a couple of lines. Hold on.
MAX:
Standard operating procedures. Two
rocket-assisted electro-magnets and we're about to--
SOUND: Clang
Max:
Hold on. One wall is about to become "down".
SOUND: clang
Max:
There goes our false gravity.
Captain Wainwright:
We're on board. They're starting the spin.
Scene 10:
Vencume Bay
SOUND: A grinding. A squawk. the "prime knock"...
2...3...5...7...
The pod bay opens.
Male Translator:
Much gratitude. Human ship broken. Welcome Human.
Captain Wainwright:
We don't have suits.
Male Translator:
Understanding. No infection. Lab ship. New Vencume.
Understanding.
Judith:
What's a 'new Vencume'?
Stella:
Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to us.
Narrator:
These Vencume were taller than any Becca had met before, by
an extra half-meter. They clustered around the crew and ran their fingers over
everything.
One Vencume peered into the lifeboat. Its entire mass wriggled and its color
shifted to a deep-violet.
Male Translator:
Human fix ship missing. No core. Missing Human fix ship.
Captain Wainwright:
Our chief engineer, yes.
Male Translator:
Human fix ship fix Human ship.
Captain Wainwright:
Maybe, I...we don't know.
Male Translator:
Understanding. Human follow. Vencume transport. Peg-51. Have
both Human ship now. Feed Human.
Gordon:
Hey! What are you...?
Male Translator:
Human broken. Human fix Human.
Becca:
I'm the ship's doctor. He's OK.
Male Translator:
Human fix Human.
Becca:
He's fixed enough. He...He'll be OK.
Male Translator:
Human fix Human. Fix arms. Human arms broken.
Max:
They aren't broken, we just had to...to keep him from
hurting himself. (whispering to Gordon) You keep your trap shut. The Vencume
might space you if they find out what you did.
Narrator:
As Max undid Gordon's hands, Gordon nodded and
rubbed his wrists. A Vencume approached and ran fingers over Becca. It
wasn't an unpleasant sensation. She had never felt actual Vencume skin
before; it had always been through a suit. It was soft, smooth,
cool, and thin. There was also a smell that she couldn't place. It
reminded her of miso soup.
Scene 11:
Vencume Hallway
Narrator:
The Vencume
led
them down a long tunnel, shuffling and chittering the entire
time. Becca thought they spun as they walked, rotating from one foot to the
other. This was a much quicker way of moving than the usual five-footed
shuffle.
Male Translator:
Human outside ring. Understanding. Stay Human outside ring.
Understanding. Vencume inner ring.
SOUND: Vencume chittering
Becca:
They want to keep us separated?
Max:
The centrifugal force is greater on the exterior of the spin.
Upper levels, closer to the center, will have a lighter pull. It's just like on
the stations.
Franz:
How do I work this translator?
Becca:
You just turn it on, really. This one is only for Vencume,
so...
SOUND: Click
Female Translator:
Much damage. Uprising. Tzikzik control. Extension. (pause)
Human fix Human. Translator. Human translator. Human fix Human. Human device.
Becca:
Sorry. I was only showing...Franz...how it worked....
Captain Wainwright:
Dr. Tabib, turn that off. We are guests. Let our hosts speak
in private.
SOUND: Click, Vencume chittering, click
Male Translator:
No malice. Understanding. Human translator. Human fix Human
no malice. (pause) Understanding. Human fix Human curiosity. No malice.
Understanding.
Scene 12:
Crew's Quarters
Narrator:
A Vencume stopped and opened a door. It was a lift with a complicated lever and they all went down what looked like two levels, based on the lights. Then left, then right, then another door. It was a large room with five doors. There was a table in the center with seven chairs. To one side was counter with three displays, like comms. Five doors opened to rooms with two pallets each.
Max:
Looks like beds.
Judith:
Were they expecting us?
Male Translator:
Human place. Understanding. Human stay with Human. Understanding. Outside ring Human place.
Becca:
Wait, Vencume....We have Human waste. Humans make waste. We
need to clean.
Male Translator:
Understanding. Human fix Human follow Vencume.
Narrator:
The Vencume led Becca across the hallway to another room of
smooth plastic. There were nozzles on the walls. The Vencume pressed a button
on the floor with one of its feet and the room was filled with spray. It turned
the spray off and pointed to a hose attachment. It pressed another button and
waved a set of fingers over the opening so Becca could hear the suction.
Male Translator:
Human fix Human. Understanding. Human waste. Human clean.
Understanding.
Becca:
I understand. It will work.
Male Translator:
Acceptable. Human fix Human. Understanding.
Becca:
Yes. (laughing) It's acceptable.
Male Translator:
Human fix Human. Understanding. Human acceptable. Vencume
similar. Understanding. (pause)
Stella:
How bad is it?
Becca:
It's primitive, but it will work.
Male Translator:
Human feed. Vencume return. Human stay Human. Human lead Human follow Vencume. Broadcast Peg-51. Other broadcast. Understanding.
Captain Wainwright:
I'll be back soon.
Narrator:
Stella handed out the rations, saving one for her husband. Franz did not sit, but loomed over Gordon. Franz grabbed the ration from Gordon, but Stella made him hand it back. After a while, the captain returned with the Vencume.
Captain Wainwright:
I let Peg-51 know that we're not coming in with that
shipment. The
Shipping Authority's making arrangements. I also sent a burst so Jason
or Brian will know what's going on.
Judith:
Maybe we'll get to see Jason and his wife.
Captain Wainwright:
The squiddies are checking to see what's left of our ship.
This ship picked up our first lifeboat, the one we gave those four the other
day. Once everything was sorted out, they had adjusted course to return it.
They knew we were headed to Peg-51, so it was a little surprising that there
was no freighter there. After they picked us up in the second lifeboat and
found out what had happened...Well, they'll let us know if they find anything.
The news may not be good, so try to come to grips with it now.
Stella:
I know we're all thinking about Evelyn. She may be
maintaining the wreckage of the Tong Dizhou
but we can't be sure. We all know how resourceful she was.
Max:
Is. We all know how
resourceful she is.
Stella:
Is, yes. Of course.
Captain Wainwright:
The point is, the last leg of this trip is going to be a
little unusual. Humans haven't berthed on a squiddy ship before, so this is a
rare honor for all of us. We've been given free rein, so we're welcome to
wander a bit as long as we stay on the outer three rings of this section. Do
not abuse this.
Stella:
It may be best if we get some rest for now.
Narrator:
Rooms were assigned. The captain and Stella in one room. Max
and Judith in another. Both Paul and Becca had their own rooms and Franz shared
the last one with Gordon.
A Vencume
entered the room with a plastic box. It handed out clothes to the crew: loose
fitting shirts, practically smocks. The pants were long with drawstring waists.
There were no shoes.
Male Translator:
Vencume make new skin for Human. Understanding. Human clean.
Human put on new skin.
Max:
What's it talking about?
Franz:
He's saying we stink and need to put on clean clothes.
Male Translator:
Vencume take old skin. Vencume clean old skin. Understanding.
Return.
Max:
So we get our old digs back.
Narrator:
The Vencume waited to collect each person’s stinking pants and shirts and became agitated when the crew insisted on washing one at a time. The crew made allowances and went two at a time instead: the captain and his wife, Max and Judith, Franz and Gordon, then Paul, then Becca. As Becca undressed, neatly folding her five-day stinking clothes, she noticed she was still wearing Evie's watch. She knelt on the floor and watched the ancient-style second-hand sweep across the dial. The long hand pointed to an II and the short hand to a V.
Becca:
(internal) I'll never see her again. I don't even know how to
take care of this thing. This is nothing but time. The battery will run out. It
will stop. Why couldn't she get a quiet watch? Why couldn’t she get a
watch that just tells you the time?
Narrator:
There was no soap, but the water
was under pressure and served as a massage and shower. Becca stood in the
steamy spray and cried, knowing the noise and the tears would be washed away.
MUSIC: Music
Narrator:
Becca found it hard to sleep. Her new clothes itched. It was
abnormally quiet on the Vencume ship. The watch kept ticking. When she finally
did drift off, strange dreams woke her. The room was disorienting. She finally
got up and went into the main room. Max was fiddling with one of the displays.
Becca:
You can't sleep either.
Max:
I have a puzzle to keep me occupied....It's a primitive
keyboard. But there's no markings on it, just these raised bumps.
Becca:
Like Braille. (pause) Do you think the Vencume can see?
Max:
They must. There are lights on the ship.
Becca:
Maybe they can't see that well.
Max:
This is a system, like any other. There has to be a pattern
to it. I only have to figure it out.
Becca:
Find out how long the rest of the trip will take.
Max:
Oh, we'll be there two days after schedule.
Becca:
How can you be so sure?
Max:
Follow me.
Scene 13:
Observation Deck
Narrator:
Down the corridor from their quarters was an observation deck of sorts. As the section they were in did its lazy spin, other sections rotated at the same rate. They watched the spinning sections for a while. It looked like the rolling clouds of an impending thunder-storm.
Max:
See that green nebula and faint red spiral? Those two will
get
closer as we approach Peg-51.
Back home, they're on opposite sides of the sky.
Becca:
Did Evie teach you that?
Max:
(sheepishly) No. Judith.
Becca:
(after a pause) I miss rain.
Max:
So do I. Sometimes, I tune in static. It sounds the same.
(they laugh, but it's only to put each other at ease)
Becca:
How did we get here?
MAX:
Because we had to. Evie used to talk about it. ‘We’re looking
for a back-door to the garden of Eden.’ I think she might have been religious.
Becca:
She had me reading Francis Bacon.
Max:
(quoting) God forbid that we should give out a dream of our
imagination for a pattern of the world.
Becca:
Do all engineers do that? Memorize obscure and ancient quotes?
Max:
No, just the good ones.
MUSIC:
Narrator:
Becca woke up to the sound of a muffled struggle from the
next room. Paul was already next door, helping Franz subdue Gordon.
Gordon:
We have to get out of here! They're going to eat us!
Franz:
No one's going to eat you, you squirrelly bastard.
Paul:
Please, tell me you have sedatives in your quick-bag.
Becca:
Enough to put us all to sleep forever.
Paul:
Morbid. (a slight laugh) Pragmatic...But a bit more than we
need.
Becca:
It's regulation...oh!
Captain Wainwright:
Where are you going in such a rush?
Becca:
Our quick-bags are still on the lifeboat. I'm running down to
the bay to get some sedatives.
NARRATOR:
A Vencume had spun into the room, but it was too interested
to see the struggle between Gordon and the other members of the crew to notice
her leaving.
Becca:
(internal) He would freak
out.
Never
should
have
been
brought
on
board.
Cracked
under pressure. Can't
deal with guilt.
Narrator:
She turned right, no, left, down the hall and sprinted down
the featureless corridor. Then the lift and its complicated lever, up two
levels, or
was it three? Each level looked the same.
Down a hallway. Right?
She was lost. How embarrassing. It was best to just go back to the others at
this point.
Back to the lift. Down three levels. Was this right? Down a hallway and left...
No, not this floor. How far was the room from the lift? Up one level. Then
right?
This floor looked right. There was a room with an open door down the hall, so
that must have been it. The other Vencume must have come and helped.
No. Not this room. Curiosity got the better of her. This room had what looked
like an operating table, but wide and short. The lips curled up and there were
slots along the sides. The floors curved up to form a smooth surface with the
walls. Easier to clean up...
Another room. There were empty core containers here. Becca looked in one and
thought about the thick, insulated walls. There were cylindrical tanks here
filled with a dark liquid.
Another room. Mostly empty except for thick columns throughout.
In the next room, there was another tank of some sort, roughly two meters long
and a meter tall. Tubes and wires fed into it, surrounded by pumps and other
devices. Before Becca could get any closer, a door opened and two Vencume came
spinning into the room with a third shuffling slowly behind. Becca hid behind a
column and quickly turned off the translator, hoping for the camouflage of
silence.
Unable to see anything, she had to deduce events from the sounds she heard:
SOUND:
Excited Vencume chittering. A splash, maybe something being taken out of the
tank or put into it. Some metal device clattering. A monitor beeping at an
increasing rate. More chittering. A splash, and then what sounds like
thrashing.
a cry, near-Human.
NARRATOR:
Becca jumped.
SOUND: a tongueless sound: a hollow moan that
ends with a gurgle. additional clicking, but machine-made, like a translator.
The thrashing stops and more metal clatter.
The moan starts again. It sounds almost like a baby—-an incomprehensible wail
of
pain and fear. Some kind of squishing sound.
BECCA:
(internal) No, I know that
sound.
That surgery I assisted on...
SOUND: The thing in pain moans and mechanical chittering starts anew. Metal on metal, near-Human groan, mechanical chitter, Vencume chitter, splashing, monitor beeping.
Narrator:
It went on like this for an eternity.
Finally, the Vencume left. The room was silent save for the
monitor's beep.
Becca peered around the column. There was only the tank, the
surface still
settling. She approached it carefully. It was full of some dark liquid,
so she couldn't see the contents.
Becca:
Heh-hello? I'm turning on my translator.
SOUND: click. metallic
chittering.
Female Translator:
Tzzzzackack who chichichichi not allowed who no one tzzzz
not here ckckckckck.
Becca:
My name is Doctor Rebecca Tabib of the freighter Tong Dizhou. Our ship was destroyed and the
Vencume picked up our lifeboat. What were they doing to you?
Female Translator:
Buh buh buh bekkkkkkakakaka kakakaka eyezzzztz not allowed
guh guh ggggggogogogo.
Becca:
Are you in any pain? There are eight of us. If you need our
help, we might be able to do something for you. We're going to Peg-51. There
are others like us there. We might be able to—-
Female Translator:
Chichchichi peg peg peg zzzzzzzekkretetetetet not allowed
bekakakaka gogogogogo.
Becca:
(internal) The liquid in that tank is so dark, but if I put
my hand in it, what will I feel? There's something in there, but something in
pain. If I just roll up my sleeve...ew. It's thick, slimy.
Female Translator:
Nonononono tzzzk gogogogo bekkkkkakakakaka not here gogogogo.
SOUND: a shuffling. a clatter.
Female Translator:
Human fix Human.
Narrator:
Becca pulled her hand out quickly. The liquid was viscous
enough to roll off in salty-sweet smelling drops. Her hand was going numb. She
swung around to see a Vencume behind her. It set down a
covered tray and approached her quickly, long digits wiggling.
Female Translator:
No Human here. Understanding. Stay with other Human.
Understanding. Not safe. Understanding.
Becca:
What's in there? What are you doing to it?
Female Translator:
Other Human. Human fix ship. Recovered pod. Vencume fix Human.
Becca:
That's Evie? You found Evie?
Female translator:
Human fix ship. Understanding. Vencume fix. Not safe.
Understanding. Stay with other Human.
Becca:
No no no! If that's Evie I have to stay here. I'm a doctor. I
fix Humans, OK? I have to stay here and fix her, I have to see how you're
trying to fix her, OK?
Female Translator:
Great damage. Not safe. Understanding. Stay other Human.
No Human here.
Becca:
You want me to stay, don't you, Evie? You need me to stay.
Female Translator:
Bekkakakakaka puhpuhpuhlezzzzahahah gogogogo.
Captain Wainwright:
Doctor Tabib! Get away from that. Come here right now!
Becca:
But, Captain...
Captain Wainwright:
I know what you're thinking and it doesn't matter. There's
nothing you can do for her right now, so come here and leave her alone. She has
to rest. Now, come on!
Becca:
But, sir...she must be in incredible--
Captain Wainwright:
Rebecca... Come with me. I'll explain it all to you.
MUSIC: Music
Captain Wainwright:
Those three recovery craft the squiddies... Vencume...sent
to
find what was left of the Tong Dizhou...they
only
found
a
trail
of
debris,
but
it
looks
like the Tzikzik had left behind the
Vencume pod we had picked up. At least they could at least retrieve their own
property. They towed it back and found Evie inside. She was in pretty bad
shape; how bad, they won't say. But, because we had helped out those other
four, they agreed to help as best they could. All in the spirit of
inter-species good-will, right? I guess they felt responsible for her
predicament, seeing as how we had given up a lifeboat for them, so they decided
to alter some of their stem-tech and see if they could 'fix a Human'. I don't
know what's left in that tank and I don't know what we'll be facing when it
comes out, so I'm asking you to be quiet about this. There isn't anything you
can do for her at this point; the Vencume decided this for us. If it fails,
well...I don't want the others to get their hopes up.
Becca:
So this is an experiment for them?
Captain Wainwright:
This ship we're on is a floating laboratory. Turns out the
Vencume have hundreds of them throughout their empire. It's part of why they're
able to accommodate us. You may have noticed that no one has insisted on
bio-suits for us. They're probably exposing themselves to infection so they can
work out what anti-bodies or whatever is needed. I imagine once all of this is
over, we'll never have to use suits with a Vencume again.
Becca:
They're preparing to use us as allies in their war against
the Tzikzik.
Captain Wainwright:
That may be true. And it may be justified. The Tzikzik have
already shown some pretty strong aggression against us.
Becca:
I can't leave her in there alone! It's obvious she's in pain.
If I could only explain to them how Humans work. They have to know how to stop
the pain.
Female Translator:
Human fix Human. Understanding. Human fix Human follow
Vencume.
Captain Wainwright:
Looks like you're going to have an opportunity. Go with them
and see what you can find out.
Female Translator:
Human fix Human understanding Human.
Scene: 13:
Vencume Lab
Narrator:
The Vencume led Rebecca down the corridor to a darkened room with a model of a Human skeleton in the center. Multiple Vencume clustered around it, running their fingers over it.
SOUND: Clatter
NARRATOR:
The model
changed into a circulatory system.
SOUND: Clatter
NARRATOR:
The form shifted to a nervous system. Becca stared at it in wonder. As she got closer to it, she could see it was made up of many, tiny, metal balls, like the display screen.
Female Translator:
Human fix Human answer Vencume questions. Human fix Human fix
Human fix ship.
Becca:
Yes, I'll tell you how to fix her right.
Female Translator:
Human fix Human understanding structure. Human fix Human
understanding broken structure.
SOUND: Clatter
Female Translator:
Helix for one shape. Vencume find broken shape. Human fix
Human understand shape.
Becca:
Her pelvis. Yes, there was an accident. It was broken and
didn’t
heal correctly. That's why it looks like that.
Female Translator:
Vencume fix shape. Match helix.
SOUND: Clatter
Female Translator:
Broken shape. Helix shape. Human fix Human understand broken
shape.
Becca:
The same accident. It broke her skull in several places.
That's why the eyes and skull are a different shape.
Female Translator:
Broken shape break sensor. Helix shape fix sensor. Vencume
device fix.
SOUND: Clatter
Female Translator:
Helix create extra shape. No evidence shape.
Becca:
Her wisdom teeth. They were probably removed. That's why the
jaw looks different.
Female Translator:
Common remove shape. Vencume misunderstanding. Extra shape
from helix Human remove.
Becca:
It’s quite common to remove wisdom teeth.
SOUND: Clatter
Female Translator:
Misunderstanding helix shape. Vencume find missing shape.
Helix creates shape.
Becca:
That's the appendix. It’s like the wisdom teeth: a leftover
from our
evolution. She probably had it removed as well.
Female Translator:
Human fix Human fix helix.
Becca:
Yes, a doctor would have removed it with surgery. It was
probably infected and had to be removed.
Female Translator:
Helix create shape for infection. Misunderstanding. Human fix
Human explain missing shape.
Becca:
We can live without them, so it's not vital. Some animals
don't have them at all.
Female Translator:
Human fix Human not fix helix. Misunderstanding. Helix broken.
Becca:
It’s not broken, we just still have them.
Female Translator:
Vencume fix helix.
Narrator:
And it went on like that for several hours. Becca was
reminded of all the questions Evie had asked her in the bay. Why did the knees
work that way? What were toenails for? Why is the lower back submitted to so
much pressure? Why did belly-buttons scar the way they did? Why do Humans have
so many filtration and excretion systems? How do Humans eat and breathe through
the same tube?
When Becca finally crawled onto her pallet to sleep, she couldn’t help but
think it was a wonder the Human body worked at all.