
Chapter 7: It's All in the Wrist
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
Arthur C. Clarke
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Dylan groaned. He felt a hand resting on his shoulder. He looked up to see an old man in a white suit.
"Welcome back to the land of the living." Commented the man.
"Where am I?" Asked Dylan, the man barely heard him.
"You're on Lurdes Three. I'm Chief Surgeon Hank McCoy. And you are?"
"Dylan Hunt, Captain. Serial number.." The doctor waved him off,
"I just needed your name." He turned towards the door and signalled a medic to open the door. Rommie and Beka came rushing in.
"Hello sailor. Enjoy your vacation?" Remarked Beka. Dylan smiled then groaned as pain shot up his back,
"Lovely scenery but the host was a bit impolite." Both Beka and Rommie were relieved to see he was OK.
"Don't worry about him." Said Rommie, "I've been informed he had a nasty accident."
"Couldn't happen to a nicer man." Dylan seemed to stare off into space,
"Rommie, how did we get here? The last thing I remember was landing on the cell floor."
"Well you missed our great escape act." Rommie was smiling as Tyr came walking in.
"So the good captain lives. Pity, I was hoping for a promotion." While Tyr was smiling, the look in his eyes still disturbed Dylan after nearly two years.
"How did you and Rommie manage to escape?"
"We had help from the Knights of the Round Table." Catching Dylans bemused look Rommie interrupted,
"In other words Arthur and a platoon of Lancers entered the facility and carried out a tactical extraction. The details are in the report on your desk."
"Which I hope one of your crew brings you Captain as you are confined to the medical facilities for the next forty-eight hours." Only Tyr didn't shoot evil looks at the doctor.
"Were is Arthur anyway? I'd like to thank him for the rescue."
"He's with Trance in one of the gardens." Answered Beka, "It seems they know each other from before she joined my crew."
"And Harper?" The crew suddenly realised they were missing one of their number.
"Is he blond, mid twenties with a data-port?"
"Yes." Beka was almost sacred to get an answer.
"He's currently in a detention cell. Something about public lewdness towards several young nurses." Beka and Dylan both cringed while Tyr shook his head.
"Oh really." Remarked Rommie, "I'd like to talk to him." McCoy merely shrugged,
"I don't see a problem, go see the Director in section twenty-six alpha." With that Rommie stormed out muttering about 'having eyes for only me'. Beka smiled,
"Harper's in trouble now." Dylan looked up at McCoy,
"Am I allowed to wander the facilities." McCoy looked at him bemused.
"You're like my son. Never does what's good for him. Very well, but someone must be with you all times and wear this." He handed Dylan a small circular device, "It will monitor your vitals. Just in case." With some help Dylan managed to stand and followed by his friends left the medical ward.
As the trio entered the garden they found Arthur and the recently goldenised Trance sitting on a small lawn enjoying some food.
"A picnic?" Remarked Dylan as they approached, Trance looked up and smiled while Arthur didn't acknowledge their presence.
"I see they let patients roam freely here." Commented Arthur between mouthfuls of a sandwich. "I really must talk to Berti about that."
"Berti?" Asked Beka,
"Sorry. Director Sevesson. He's an old friend and head of the planetary council." Beka nodded in understanding.
"Arthur, I owe you a debt for saving my life that those of my crew." Arthur waved of Dylans' comment and indicated for the trio to sit.
"The debt has already been repaid."
"Oh?"
"The Andromeda has the most wonderful sense of timing I have ever seen." Catching Dylan's bemused look Tyr decided to explain,
"After our departure from Carbis, Arthur decided to drop the injured off here at Lurdes."
"My understanding was Lurdes doesn't let military ships land." Interrupted Tyr. Arthur smiled,
"A half-truth." Everyone looked at him sceptically before Tyr continued,
"After dropping the injured off he," Tyr threw a malicious look at Arthur, "decided to play kamikaze with a Nietzschean destroyer."
"What ship were you in?" Arthur put down his sandwich with a look of mild disgust.
"Given that I only had maybe a day before you were moved to a secure location a used one of my tactical squads to rescue you. They were using the Hidden Surprise, a Low Observable Special Warfare Ship." Dylan looked on in shock,
"An LSW? You hand what ten PDLs."
"Six actually." Corrected Tyr. Dylan looked at Tyr then back at Arthur,
"You were outweighed twenty to one in sheer mass alone. Did you have any kind of plan?" Non perplexed Arthur took a sip of his drink before answering.
"I was planing a game of chicken until the Andromeda came charging in." He raised his drink to Beka and Trance. "Who said the cavalry's never on time." Dylan seemed to accept that.
"I have a question, well two actually." Said Trance.
"Go on."
"Why do you eat? I thought Avatars didn't need to."
"Actually I do." Noticing the looks he continued, "Instead of an internal battery that needs recharging every week or so at best. Quite a problem when you go looking for fun."
"You mean trouble." Observed Tyr. Arthur shrugged.
"You say to-mat-o I say to-mate-o. What ever you call it, the drain on my batteries was excessive. So my engineers fashioned am internal energy chamber. In essence the same as living beings use food for energy except I'm able to gain ninety-four point five percent of all possible energy." As they digested this he turned back to Trance, "your second question?"
"Chicken? Isn't that an Earth animal?" Arthur smiled at her with a parental look.
"On old Earth the game chicken was were two competitors charged at each other. The first to pull away was a chicken i.e. Frightened." A look of understanding passed over Trances' face. At that moment Rommie came in with Harper in tow.
"Rommie that hurts let go." She was dragging him along with a firm grip on his ear. In response she just tugged harder which drew a series of moans. She walked right up to Arthur.
"Does your ship need repairs?"
"Nothing major." He replied. "Check with Master Sergeant Chambers, he'll know what repairs are necessary." Rommie turned to look at Harper.
"You here that. First we're going to the see the Master Sergeant and you'll do any repairs he suggests. Then we'll head back to the Andromeda where you'll scrub the air filters until I can see my reflection in them." Before Harper could respond he was dragged off.
"HELP!" He yelled.
"Sorry Harper you're on your own." Answered Beka. She turned to face Arthur, "On a different subject, how do you know Trance."
"Well I knew the pixie Trance." Trance slapped him around they head.
"Hello, I told you why I changed." In response he messed her hair. "Not the Hair!" Everyone bar Tyr laughed before Arthur answered,
"It was on Picrion Three. At the time the planet was a thriving slave trade centre. While there I noticed this little cage with a big crowd. Wondering what was inside, I approached to see this purple biped being poked and prodded by passers by. Something in her eyes intrigued me so I had my guards clear away the crowd and we had a little talk." While he was talking Trance hand moved behind him and began playing with his hair. "After about ten minutes we were interrupted by the jailer, a portly little Chichin by the name of Rashur."
"So you bought her then?" Asked Tyr, who was becoming increasingly bored. Both Arthur and Trance smiled,
"Actually I went back that night to rescue her but by the time a found her cell she had escaped. From what the guard told me before he went back to sleep, she used her tail to pick the lock."
"That's our Trance." Said Beka, a broad grin on her face.
"Anyway. When I returned the next day she had been recaptured. So I bought her."
"How much?" Asked Dylan. Until now nothing of Trance's past was known.
"The final figure was ten point two million credits." Pausing while the number set in he turned and ran his forefinger along her cheek. "And worth every penny." A small giggle escaped her lips.
"Trance?" Questioned Beka. Trance waved her off as Arthur continued,
"Unknown to anyone but me was that my account chip contained a simple virus which sent the account numbers of everyone present back to my ship. The total amount taken that day was Thirty-four point six billion credits."
"Billion?"
"Yes billion. The virus was remarkably effective. As the computers planet-wide crashed, most of the bigger traders and buyers in the 'industry' decided to leave the planet. But they couldn't take their slaves due to technical difficulties." Arthur smiled at the memory. "By startling coincidence, they all suffered drive failures while exiting slipstream."
"Effective method." Commented Tyr, "How did manage to sabotage all the ships?" A menacing glint appeared in Arthurs' eyes.
"Actually, it was the planets' own computers, with a little rewriting they changed the exit points for the drive computers to a nearby red giant. Ashes to ashes and all that." Tyr nodded while mentally adjusting Arthurs' treat potential. "Soon after the planet established a new democratic government."
"Thanks to an anonymous donation of two billion." Added Trance. Everyone smiled at the 'anonymous' individual.
"As I recall Rashur had a spiritual awakening and, after turning evidence for the state, joined a wayist monastery."
"Did you threaten him?" Asked Dylan. Arthur began to inspect his nails.
"Heaven forbid." He replied nonchalantly, "I have people for that." Before anyone could ask further questions, a Perseid approached.
"Admiral Pendragon, Captain Hunt and crew, your presence is requested in the council chambers." Dylan nodded to the man and he left. As the group followed, Beka pulled Dylan to the back.
"Dylan. I recognise the planet he was talking about."
"Is there a problem Beka?" She stopped.
"The slave trade fell on Picrion over fifty years ago."
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Hope no-one fell asleep. I could skip the background scenes but I find they add something to the story.
Anyone dis/agree.