Shading her eyes, Bridget watched the shuttle lift smoothly off the ground. She felt Miguel move to her side and spoke, “This is so weird. Millie was fine just a little bit ago.”
“I know,” Miguel replied. “What the heck is a Code D? When Dr. Aurelia yelled at me I just figured Dr. Michaelson would know.”
“You’re supposed to memorize the list of codes on your cabin door,” Bridget said in her most self-righteous tone.
“Oh. I didn’t read all that junk.”
“I think D just means you need help right away. What did Dr. Aurelia say was wrong with her? I couldn’t hear.”
“Risanthum? I’ve never heard of it,” Miguel said with a shake of his head. “I used to think six years to be a doctor was a long time. Now I don’t think it’s going to be enough.”
Torp Nevad made them jump as he clapped his hands on both their shoulders. “Hey, you two, bodies for breakfast, sudden diseases for lunch, hunh?”
“It’s nothing to joke about,” said Bridget.
His expression was immediately contrite. “I didn’t mean it like that. I like Millie. I hope she’ll be all right.”
“How did you know about the body?” Miguel questioned.
“Everybody knows. I’ll bet that big Berellian will arrest Dr. Aurelia for murder.”
“Do you really think she killed someone?” Bridget asked.
Torp shrugged, “From what I’ve seen of her, I’m surprised bodies aren’t stacked up all over.”
“Oh come on. She’s a doctor. She’s supposed to save lives.” Bridget argued.
Torp shrugged again, “I’ve been hearing some pretty wild tales.”
“I don’t know,” Miguel said slowly, “I’ve been trying to figure out the timing on this murder. What time did you hear all the commotion, Brid?”
Bridget thought for a moment, “I’m not real sure. About 0130 I guess.”
“Okay. I went in the dome just before 2300, and Aurelia was still there. So that gives her roughly two and a half hours.”
“Plenty of time,” said Torp.
“I can see it if she met the guy, had a fight with him and killed him,” Miguel continued. “But what about the body bag? You don’t carry bags around on the off chance you might kill someone.”
Torp raised an eyebrow, “So she planned it.”
Bridget shook her head, beginning to follow Miguel’s thought processes, “Why plan a murder after working all day? She was really dragged out yesterday.”
“And,” Miguel added, “if she did plan it why would she leave her boots behind?”
Bridget nodded, “It’s possible but just doesn’t seem quite probable.”
“You two sound like a detective novel.”
Bridget’s eyes lighted, “I love a good mystery. Wouldn’t it be fun to figure it out?”
“I think we better get back to work,” Miguel said in his most discouraging voice.
Bridget caught the look that passed between the two men and flipped her hair off her shoulder. “Why? Do you realize there’s no one left in charge?” She counted off on her fingers,” Aurelia, Millie, Michaelson and Zimbin just left. Dr. Rialus hasn’t been here all day. Who does that leave? Rob Keller is the head tech but I haven’t seen him all day either.”
“Speaking of not seeing people, where’s Miller?” Torp interrupted.
“Oh, man, that guy is going to be in nova trouble,” Miguel said, shaking his head.
Bridget snapped her fingers, “I heard his name last night. Maybe he knows something. Let’s go find him.”
Grabbing her arm, Miguel pulled her back, “Wait a minute. We can’t just leave.”
“Why not?”
“We’re supposed to be here.”
“We can’t really do anything. They won’t let us give vaccinations. And we won’t be gone very long.”
Miguel looked hesitant, but Bridget was determined. That body on the beach had captured her imagination and her mind seethed with possibilities. She added the clincher, “Besides, we haven’t had a chance to see much of Zarnek yet.”
“Well, okay. But we’re not going to be gone very long,” Miguel warned.
“Yes, oh, Master. Torp?”
“Count me in,” the Raman said with a grin.
After informing Lak Zanin that they would be back shortly, the three walked to the end of Linden Court.
They hadn’t gone far before they realized how quiet and empty the streets were. Only a handful of people standing in the doorway of a bar at the corner could be seen. “Is today some kind of Jidal IV holiday?” Bridget asked.
“I don’t know,” said Miguel. “Kinda spooky isn’t it?”
“Here comes Steve now,” Torp exclaimed, pointing to three men coming towards them.
“And Dr. Rialus,” added Bridget. “I don’t know the other one.” They waited for the men to approach. “We were just going looking for you,” Bridget called to them.
Dr. Rialus nodded, introducing their companion as Peter Fredrichs. Steve’s greeting was subdued.
Looking into his face, Bridget saw his eyes were red and puffy, either from allergy or crying. “You okay, Steve?” she asked.
He seemed to hesitate then said in a flat, stiff voice, “My dad is dead.”
“Oh, Steve. I’m so sorry. What happened?” exclaimed Bridget.
“Tough break,” Miguel mumbled. Torp added his condolences.
“He was murdered. They found his...him on the beach this morning.”
Bridget knew her mouth was hanging open as she realized he must be talking about the body they had found. Glancing at Miguel, she saw he looked just as stunned and put her hand on his arm.
“We’re the ones who found him. Bridget and I,” Miguel said. “I’m sorry, man.”
Steve looked like he was going to cry again, so Bridget quickly turned to Dr. Rialus. “You’re the only one left in charge, doctor,” she told him.
“What are you talking about?”
She told him about Millie’s sudden illness. She had never seen antennae go completely limp before.
“Millie’s sick? What is it, do you know?”
Miguel replied, “Dr. Aurelia said it was Risanthum.”
Jak’s face turned completely white. He groped for his comm link as if he couldn’t see. When the comm tech answered the call, it took him several seconds to reply. “Rialus here. How’s Millie?”
“She’s stable.”
“Is it Risanthum?”
“I’m sorry, Doctor. That’s the only information I’ve had from Dr. Aurelia.”
“Well, call her and find out,” Jak demanded.
A slight pause on the other end then the tech said timidly, “A lot of people have been calling in. And the last time I asked Aurelia, she practically bit my head off.”
“It’s bad then. Let me know as soon as you find out anything.” Jak signed off and ran his fingers through his hair.
“What is Risanthum?” Bridget ventured to ask.
“We think it originated from the planet Risan, thus the name. It probably mutated from engineered bacteria. Part of what it does is over stimulate the production of white cells until even normal cells are producing them. Patients usually die from their lungs filling up with pus.”
“That’s disgusting!” It was the first word they heard from Fredrichs. He had set down the huge box he was carrying with an anti-gravity unit and now sat on top of it, mopping his pink, sweaty face. “What a horrible way to die,” he added, with a shiver and a glance around as if he expected the disease to be sneaking up on him.
“There has to be a treatment,” Bridget exclaimed.
“A syntholin agent works if it’s caught early enough. The later stages are resistant to just about everything.”
The little group stood in glum silence. Bridget was sure there was not a soul from the
Pasteur
who did not like Millie. She was the one everyone depended on. Maybe too much, Bridget thought, but Millie was the kind of person you expected to be around forever.
“What’s that noise?” Jak asked, his antennae straightening.
“Sounds like shouting,” said Torp, turning to look down the street.
“It’s a stampede,” exclaimed Miguel.
Coming towards them was a string of panicked beings of all races.
“Everybody move!” Jak yelled, giving Torp a shove forward.
Bridget’s heart jumped into high gear as she turned to run. She fell over Fredrichs’s box, feeling the sting as her hands struck into the graveled pavement. Strong hands grabbed the back of her shirt. She was on her feet then, running to the shelter of a hardware store. Once inside, she turned to look. Miguel and Torp pounded in right behind her.
Jak and Fredrichs struggled with the box. They made it to the store just as the first of the crowd overran the spot where they had been standing. The first wave passed like a swift Chellian breeze. The second came more slowly with a number of people limping or nursing various appendages. Jak stepped out and hailed a Gaphite with his long snout covered in a bloody rag. Miguel held the door open so they could all hear.
“What happened?” Jak asked.
The Gaphite shook his head. His breath came in short heaves as he spoke. “The Sclarians just started shooting Kaprinians. They’ve got them pushed all the way to the Rotunda. The rest of us just ran.”
“Gedden!” Jak’s face had gone white again as he turned to the five in the doorway. “You kids get back to Linden Court. I have to go to the Rotunda.” He turned to sprint back against the flow of the crowd.
“You can’t go there!” Bridget protested. She felt Miguel tug at her hand.
“Come on , Brid, we have to move,” he said. “Look,” he added, pointing at the sky, “you can see the smoke.”
A black, roiling cloud was forming over the cityscape. She tried to swallow but her throat had tightened. “I’m coming,” she managed to say.
“Hey, don’t leave me!” protested Fredrichs, his last word coming out in a squeak. Torp, his face set in grim lines, gave the fat man a shove and picked up the handle of the anti-grav unit. The five moved as fast as they could back to Linden Court.
Aurelia leaned back in the gray mod-chair and tried to relax. It didn’t work. She felt as wired as if she had eaten a three pound box of chocolates. Sitting up, she checked Millie’s wrist monitor for the eight hundredth time.
The head nurse lay still in the life support module. Tubes feeding her oxygen and syntholin agents. Other tubes pumping fluid from her lungs.
Aurelia rubbed her eyes. Waking up in the envirodome that morning seemed like a very long time ago.
“Monnie,” she spoke to the silver-haired nurse who was puttering about the room. “Call down to the surface and make sure that booth gets disinfected.”
Monnie nodded.
Walking to the door, Aurelia added, “Call me immediately if there’s any change at all.”
Her other nightmare waited in the hall. Radif pushed away from the wall to walk beside her.
“Are you going to loom over me all day?” Aurelia asked, hands on her hips.
The Berellian held up a small, black ring and connected bracelet. “If you would wear this voluntarily it will warn me if you try to leave the ship.”
“If I refuse?”
“I will arrest you now.”
“You don’t have enough proof.”
“Under Intergalactic law, I do. I prefer to be more thorough before I make an arrest but I don’t like to lose suspects either.” Radif grinned or bared his teeth.
Being charged with a crime under Intergalactic law was always a nightmare even for the innocent. And not being cooperative was always a heavy mark against you. Aurelia knew of one case where the defendant was found not guilty but spent ten years in prison for resisting arrest.
Aurelia held out her hand. “I guess I volunteer.”
Radif slipped the bracelet over her right wrist while the ring went over her index finger. It locked into place snugly against her skin.
Aurelia started to walk away from him then turned back to ask, “Who is it I’m supposed to have killed?”
“His name was Robert Miller.”
“Steve Miller’s...?”
“Father.”
Aurelia turned blindly away. Steve Miller’s father. She could see Steve’s pale face of last night, hear him saying “They’ve got my dad. Maybe he’s already dead!”
Did Steve know now? He must know. And they were accusing her. She didn’t even know the man, had only met Steve a few days ago. Her muscles began twitching again.
The red letters LOUNGE burned an afterimage into her brain, she stared at them so long. They appeared briefly on the far wall when she finally opened the door.
Snuffy pounced.
“Read this to me,” the young Sclarian demanded, tugging at her hand with one paw and waving a com-book in her face with the other. “I can’t read it. It’s English. I like the pictures.”
Aurelia almost tripped over the scattered pile of com-books and toys on the floor before Snuffy shoved her onto the couch. Clambering into her lap, he curled up his legs and wrapped one arm around her neck, his bristles prickling her skin. He poked the com-book into Aurelia’s left hand. He smelled of lemon toothpoppers but she decided not to mention it. Instead, she asked, “Are you supposed to be in here?”
Snuffy nodded, “Dr. LRuh gave me all these com-books and told me to stay in here.”
Poor LRuh. She wasn’t very good with children of any species. Studying his round face and bright black eyes, Aurelia said, “Are you ready to go home?”
Snuffy pulled his face into a frown. “A cousin of mine lives on Jidal. He’s supposed to come get me.”
“Will you live with him?”
“Yeah. I never seen him before. He’s got four kids all bigger than me.”
“Sounds like fun.” Aurelia tried to be cheerful, thinking it didn’t sound like fun at all.
“I wanna stay with you. Can’t I?” He wrapped his other arm around her neck in almost a choke hold.
Dropping the com-book, Aurelia gently pulled his paw loose, keeping his warm fingers clasped in her cold ones. “A ship is no place to grow up, Snuffy.”
“Why not? I like you. I don’t want to live with my cousin.”
“I know it’s scary, going to live with people you’ve never met before. But they are family. They’ll take good care of you.”
“What if they’re mean,” Snuffy wailed. “I want to live with you. You can take care of me.”
Cool steel burned into her flesh. He hadn’t yet noticed the handcuff. Aurelia closed her eyes. “Snuffy...I can’t...I don’t know what might happen...Do you want me to read this com-book or not?”
“Yes.”
Stretching until her arm ached, she retrieved the com-book, reading the title out loud, “We were there when the Cubs won the World Series.”
“What’s the World Series?”
“I don’t know.” Aurelia looked up as the overhead intercomm buzzed.
“Dr. Aurelia call the C.C. Stat. Dr. Aurelia please call the C.C. stat.”
Millie! Her heart took off racing again. Radif had re confiscated her comm link. She patted Snuffy’s back. “Hop up,” she said. Snuffy slid off her lap. Going to the monitor on the kanic table, Aurelia called the communications center.
Fran, the comm tech, answered. Untangling mouse colored hair from her thin, square face, she said, “Oh, Dr. Aurelia, Jidal IV is blowing up that is the people are I mean I think it’s the Sclarians they’re not blowing up themselves they’re blowing up everyone else except the Kaprinians are fighting back but I’m getting all kinds of calls and I think we need to get everyone back on board as soon as we can.” She drew in a breath.
Aurelia slapped the hold button. Looking down into Snuffy’s wide, scared eyes, she spoke gently. “It’s all right, Snuffy, I’m sure it’s not like it sounds. Fran gets overexcited sometimes.”
“Is my cousin gonna be all right?”
“I’m sure everything will be fine. I want you to go back to the ward now, okay? I’ll come by and see you in a little bit.” She handed him the World Series com-book. “Look at the pictures some more and I’ll read it to you later.” With her hand on his shoulder, she ushered him to the door, making sure he was well on his way to the ward.
Back at the monitor, Aurelia hit the hold button again, “Dammit, Fran, don’t ever give me a message like that in front of a child.”
“Sorry. What do you want me to do?” Fran asked.
“I’m on my way up there. Get someone on the line who knows what’s going on. And find Rekhaan. We’ve got to get those bay doors open. Move it, Fran.” Aurelia clicked off the monitor and hit the door running. She would have to find time later to throw up.