Jackson Kez - Space Diplomat Ch. 04

"Is Ace going to be okay?" Vera asked.

"I don't know, honestly. A datacore has enough storage space for her, but... AIs aren't like normal programs. We won't be able to activate her until we find another system with enough processing power." Jackson stood up and held out his hand to help Vera to her feet. "Come on, let's get that stasis injection ready."

Vera didn't need any help standing up, but she took his hand anyway. "Thanks for cleaning up," she said, "you taste like yourself again."

He pulled her up to her feet. "I try to be at least moderately professional."

"Moderate is a stretch," Vera said. She held his hand a second longer, then let go. "Lead on."

"Can you start reading the instructions so I know what chemicals we need?" Jackson turned as he spoke, heading directly for the medbay. "The chemical processor can handle mixing, synthesizing, and packaging, it's designed for one medically inept solo passenger to take care of themselves," Jackson looked back at Vera and pointed at his chest, "that's me."

Vera laughed, "Sure, I've got the list. Is it really... that easy? From how Ace was talking about putting Tinoqa in stasis earlier it sounded... tricky."

The two of them entered the medbay, the only room on the ship still lit by the overhead lights. Tinoqa had turned a pale white, her body completely immobile in a hemispherical shape. Jackson stared at the crystals embedded in her formless body. He shuddered as he imagined what it must feel like to have those growths within herself.

"Jackson?" Vera put one hand on his arm, just above the elbow. She still felt cold.

"Sorry," he said, "got lost in thought for a moment there. You asked if it's that easy. Based on what Ace told me, I think the challenge will be getting her out of stasis. The injection we give her here should work fine, it's just extending the effects of the stasis module. The revival serum is a riskier proposition. We... might also need something to carry her in."

"Oh, I've got it," Vera said. "Here, take this." She reached up and unhooked her necklace, passing the data jewelry to Jackson. As soon as he touched it, a holoscreen popped up and displayed the chemicals needed for both injections.

"Thanks," Jackson said. He moved to the supply cabinet and started gathering what they'd need, putting it on the small counter space next to the chemical processor. Fortunately for him, the whole system had been built from the ground up for maximum user friendliness, and no medical expertise was required. He tapped on the control panel for the processor, inputting the components and recipe exactly as Ace had described it, then plugged the vials in. Each one had a self-sealing membrane that would only dispense the exact amount requested by the chemical processor. He watched as the contents of the vials dipped in sequence, then the processor began humming. It would only take a few minutes.

Meanwhile, Vera left the medbay and darted into the guest quarters she'd been in. There was a loud crack, and she came back holding a vat-like object about 2 feet tall and 3 feet in diameter. It was widest at the base, with a flat bottom, and it narrowed slightly toward the top, about 2 feet across at the smallest point. It had been painted a uniform eggshell white in color, and it was totally opaque. Jackson saw what looked like a valve mechanism built into the opening so it could be sealed.

"Sleeping pod!" She said, in answer to Jackson's unasked question. "Ace had the ship fabricate this for me. Normally Sela like some compression when we sleep, but... that might hurt Tinoqa if those shards get crammed together. So..."

Vera set the pod down and starting tapping on the control panel for the intensive care bed. It had a laser cutter usually reserved for amputations. She programmed something in and then picked the pod up, crouching down and holding it over her head. The laser cutter whirred to life, glowing bright red. It sliced across the top of the pod, removing the part that narrowed and leaving it as an open container. The now-detached piece clattered onto the floor, making a prolonged rattling noise as it spun faster and faster until it settled flat on the floor.

"That was fast," Jackson said.

"We're short on time, right? I'm just getting it done." Vera set the pod on the ground next to its recently removed top portion.

"I wasn't complaining, just didn't know you were so good in a crisis."

"I'm full of surprises," Vera said. "What's next?"

Jackson watched timer counting down on the chemical processor. "We'll have the doses ready soon," he said, looking back at Vera, "then we need to apply the stasis dose, transfer Tinoqa into the... vessel, and get everything into the escape pod."

Vera stepped up behind Jackson and put a hand on his shoulder. She gave him a light squeeze, but her grip felt weak, and it just worried Jackson.

"Hey," Jackson said, "are you sure you're okay?"

Vera sighed. "I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty weak. But I'm not going to keel over and die, so don't worry about me, okay? I just need rest, and I don't know when I'll get it."

Jackson nodded. "I'll try. But even if I can't stop worrying, I can stop asking you about it. I trust you."

She gave him a weak smile. Jackson looked back at the processor. Only a few more seconds. He felt Vera take another step closer to him and her arms wrapped around his waist. She put her head on his back.

"You are really warm," Vera mumbled into his shirt.

Despite everything going on, Jackson felt the first stirrings of arousal. Something about being held by Vera just seemed so right. He put one hand on top of hers and ran his thumb along her soft skin. She was cold to the touch. Colder than earlier. Jackson wished he could ask Ace for advice about caring for a Sela. Then the chemical processor emitted a series of beeps and chimes, and Vera let go of him.

Jackson popped the top hatch open. He saw the two injections. One a dark blue, the other a vibrant orange. But also a third syringe, filled with pink liquid. Fortunately the chemical processor put labels on each one. Dark blue, stasis. Bright orange, revival. Pink... 'For Vera - Emergencies Only'. Ace hadn't said anything about this, and the vague description didn't offer any clues. He could ask Vera about it once they'd gotten Tinoqa safely in the escape pod.

Jackson slipped the orange revival injection and the mysterious pink compound into his flightsuit's chest pocket. The universal applicator meant they didn't rely on needles, a huge relief to Jackson. He'd always hated getting shots when he was a kid, and practically jumped for joy when the universal applicator became the norm during his teenage years. He knew reflecting was only a way of avoiding the next step: injecting Tinoqa and hoping it worked. He went to the intensive car bed, injector in hand.

Tinoqa waited, silent and still. Jackson looked to Vera. She nodded. He readied himself for something to go disastrously wrong. Then he popped the cap off the stasis injection and applied it to Tinoqa. When the applicator made contact with Tinoqa's body it emitted a quiet hiss. The contents of the syringe drained and he watched as the blue cloud spread throughout her, dissipating slowly. He checked the care bed's monitors. Everything looked good. Stasis condition stable. She was ready for transport.

"That's it," Jackons said. "It worked. Well, this part worked. Do you know the best way to move her?"

"Yeah," Vera said. She picked up the modified pod and placed it on its side in the intensive care bed, next to Tinoqa. "Can you... look away?" She asked. "I need to... there's some shapeshifting involved in moving Tinoqa and I don't want you to watch."

"Of course," Jackson said, turning around. He heard the sounds of gelatinous movement and shifting slime, then a slight suction sound. Vera grunted, and Jackson resisted the urge to look.

"Done," Vera said after a few more seconds.

Jackson turned, and couldn't stop himself from frowning. Vera looked paler. Her somber blue fading into a white-ish teal. He'd never seen her be that color before. Tinoqa sat in the now upright sleeping pod. He noted that she wasn't moving at all, whereas before there had been a slight vibration with each of the ship's movements.

Perhaps noticing his inquisitive look, or eager to divert attention from her condition, Vera said, "the pods are designed for stability, it helps us sleep more soundly. It should keep every little bump and shake on the way down from agitating her."

Even her voice sounded weak. Jackson stepped forward, reaching out to hoist the pod out of the bed. It was bulky, but Tinoqa was as light as all the Sela he'd encountered and he had no trouble with the weight.

"You got it?" Vera asked.

"Yeah," Jackson said, shifting his hands to try to get a better hold on the pod. The smooth sides meant he had to put his arms under it, and he could barely see over Tinoqa. "Just lead me to the access hatch. Don't worry, I switched it to lift mode."

"How about I help, instead," Vera put her hands under the pod and held it steady. Then she started backing up. "I can see behind me, remember?"

"Oh, right."

Vera giggled, quiet and short. She guided them out of the medbay and toward the access hatch. The lift was just a square section of the floor that could raise and lower, with a single rail for stability if needed. It had been designed for one person at a time, since only the pilot needed to go to the upper deck, so Jackson took the pod from Vera and turned around. He stood on the edge of the lift, holding the pod as close to center as possible. Vera stepped up right behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist again.

The lift began to rise, smooth and easy, and Vera nuzzled her head into Jackson's back. "I think I'm very sleepy, Jackson. You feel like comfort."

"We're almost there, just hang on."

With a soft whoosh, the lift stopped at the upper deck. Vera released her grip on Jackson and followed him to the door on the left side, opposite Jackson's quarters.

"Can you hit that?" Jackson inclined his head toward the small panel near the door.

Vera opened it and pulled the release lever. Counterweights in the walls sprang loose and the door to the escape pod shot open. It had only one seat, designed to get the diplomat out fast. The quarters below weren't intended for use in transit, just for hosting negotiations while the ship was landed. And, in defense of the designers, this was the first time Jackson had company during a trip.

The escape pod itself was only about 10 feet in length, and aside from the one seat at the front, facing forward, its distinguishing features were limited to an array of storage lockers on both sides. They held all the survival gear needed to keep Jackson alive until he could be found, he was pretty sure the briefing on this class of ship said he could go for 1 month just off these supplies, extended to 3 months if supplemented with local resources.

"Where..." Vera started.

"Don't worry," Jackson said, "I have a plan." He set the sleeping pod down gently, and Tinoqa didn't move at all. "Wait here." Jackson ran back to the access hatch and stepped onto the lift. It began to descend immediately. He thought he heard Vera whispering something soothing to Tinoqa, but he couldn't make out what she said.

When the lift docked at the bottom deck, Jackson half-jogged to the storage room. It had several collapsible specimen crates in case of... well, Jackson wasn't sure what. A lot of the stuff in here was just part of a mass produced checklist designed to cover as many eventualities as possible. Jackson grabbed one that would expand into a 3-foot cube. That should be enough for Vera. Now he'd need something to secure in the escape pod. His flight instructor's voice echoed in his mind: loose objects during descent are one of the leading causes of death and bodily harm.

Asking Ace for help would make this so much easier. Jackson was not good at this fieldwork stuff, he'd much rather be in a tense negotiation any day. There was a climbing kit in the escape pod, maybe that would work? Satisfied he wasn't going to think of anything better, Jackson left the medbay. He stopped for a moment in front of the open access panel, staring at the crystals within. This whole situation had gotten totally out of control. He shook his head and returned to the access lift, waiting as it laboriously took him back to the upper deck.

As soon as it stopped, he stepped off and made a quick run to the captain's chair. He disconnected his tablet and put it a zippered pocket on the flightsuit, then reached down to the base of chair and opened the compartment concealed there. Every Stellar Alliance ship had what was informally called a drop-kit for each crewmember. The contents varied, Jackon's drop-kit held four items.

First, a medical diagnostic bracelet, about the size of a typical watch. Jackson locked it around his wrist and tiny servos automatically winched it tight. It let him monitor his condition more effectively and would also help anyone who found him provide first-aid in case a bad landing rendered him unconscious.

Second, a tightly folded nanoweave blanket. It was thinner than paper, but sturdy enough it would dull a steel knife, and it offered 99% thermal insulation. Fully compact it took up less than a cubic inch of space, but it could be unfolded to cover enough area that it would serve a makeshift tent if needed. Jackson tucked it into another pocket on his flightsuit.

Third, a stunner. A small device with a short barrel and a pistol grip capable of projecting a wide spectrum of neuro-disruptive energy frequencies. One shot would render almost anything unconscious for a short time, and the stuff that stayed awake would be dazed and disoriented. A small holster held it ready for easy access, and Jackson hooked it to the flightsuit's belt. He'd never had to use one before, and he hoped to keep it that way.

And fourth, a nanotech utility tool. Just a handle in its dormant form, a dial on the hilt commanded the nanites within to assemble in a variety of useful forms. Knife blades, screwdrivers, hammers, just about anything you could imagine. Each one took months of concerted effort and precise machining to manufacture. Everything in the drop-kit did. But the Stellar Alliance's believed no price was too high to save someone's life. He put it into a side pocket and double checked the zipper had closed tightly.

Putting the empty drop-kit on the captain's chair, Jackson took a moment to say goodbye to his ship. A very brief moment. Then he walked over to the main console and pulled open a small hatch. Inside was the datacore, a 2 inch cube with a single orange light indicating it was ready for removal. Ace was coming with him, no matter what. Jackson wasn't about to lose the only coworker he'd ever liked. He popped the datacore out and took it with him to the escape pod. He saw Vera sitting on the floor next to Tinoqa, speaking softly.

"...and I don't know what Yucce and Amasa are planning, but I trust—" she stopped as Jackson returned and smiled at him. "She may not be able to hear me, but it makes me feel better to tell her what's going on."

Jackson nodded. "I'm sure she can hear you, and I'm sure she appreciates it." He opened one of the lockers in the pod wall and stored the datacore within. Then he set the collapsible storage cube on the floor and opened the cover of the activation switch. It popped in with a light push and Jackson stepped back, watching as the metal siding flipped, flopped, and unfolded into a three-foot cube with a hatched lid. "Your chariot awaits," he said to Vera. He tried to offer an encouraging smile, but it just looked sheepish.

"You're stuffing me in a box?" Vera sounded legitimately concerned. "I don't want to go in a box, Jackson." She stared up at him, her voice weak.

"We don't have a lot of options, Vera. I'm going to secure the box," as Jackson spoke he opened one of the lockers and pulled out climbing gear, looping sturdy rope through parts of the escape pod's chair and around the box. The storage crate was intended for mass transport, so it had loops for connecting it to other crates. With a bit of elbow grease, Jackson got the rope threaded through and tied off. After lashing the cube to the back of the seat, he gave it a perfunctory kick to show its stability. It wiggled a little.

Vera frowned at him. "I don't like it."

"Look, the reality is that the escape pod is going to be a gentle landing. We're doing a controlled launch during level flight, this is just a precaution."

She sighed. "I can't believe you're stuffing me in a box, why did I think you were nice?" She was partly teasing him, but only partly. She stood up and Jackson held out a hand to stop her.

"We have a few minutes before we're in position." He moved over to the seat in the escape pod and sat down. "Come on," he said, patting his thigh to invite Vera to sit on his lap.

Vera said nothing and sat down, immediately curling up and leaning on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.

"Okay," Vera muttered, her voice barely a whisper. "I remember why I thought you were nice."

Jackson put his chin lightly on the top of her head. "I know this is stressful and hard, and I'm sorry you have to go through all this. But I'm glad you're with me. I don't know what I'd do if I was alone."

"Probably crash," Vera said, mumbling.

"Yeah," Jackson said. He chuckled. "Can I ask you a weird question?"

"All your questions are weird," Vera said. She was in that drowsy state where everything was a half-joke.

"Fair, but this one is important. Ace's recipe included another syringe, it's this weird pink liquid and it says 'For Vera - Emergencies Only' on it."

Vera wiggled and Jackson loosed his grip, taking his chin off her head so she could turn to stare at him.

"Can I see it?" Vera asked. She sounded more curious than anything else.

"Sure." Jackson grabbed the third injector from his flightsuit pocket and showed it to Vera.

Vera took it from him and rotated it, looking at the ingredients listed in small print on the label. "Wow, Ace is either really smart or really careless. This is like an adrenaline shot, but... way more. Our military used to use them, but they stopped because it's so dangerous. Yucce must have sent this over with her information, you can't just find this formula lying around in public records." She turned back to Jackson, worry clear on her face. "If I took this I could do... a lot."

"A lot?" Jackson repeated.

"Massive boosts to strength, speed, shapeshifting, that sort of thing."

He rubbed her upper back with one hand. "And the catch?"

She sighed. "That energy has to come from somewhere, if I don't get enough food... my body would start consuming itself."

"Yikes." It wasn't the best thing he could've said, but it made Vera giggle, so it was good enough. "Well you don't have to do anything you don't want to, okay? Whatever happens, we can find other ways to deal with—"

Vera kissed him, interrupting his reassuring words with her soft, cool lips. Jackson closed his eyes and held her tight against him. Vera kissed him slowly and gently, as though they had all the time in the world. Both of them knew they didn't. She broke the embrace and smiled at him.

"You're very sweet, Jackson. A good man." She put the injector back in his flightsuit pocket and zipped it shut. "Hold on to that." She reached up and put her hand on his cheek. He shivered a little. "I know, I'm cold. But you're warm, so deal with it."

"It's okay," he said softly. "We're going to be okay."

"I don't believe you, but I'm committed. And... I think what you said this morning was really dumb. Easily your worst idea yet."