They asked us to keep journals. Something to pass the time while we travel through subspace to the next galaxy I guess. I ain’t never been one much for writing though. Guess I got bored enough to try, huh? Bet you’re wondering who I am, or maybe you ain’t. I wasn’t a volunteer like a lot of them others, this is my life sentence. Death by boredom for good ol’ Te’chik. Well, there’s worse ways to go.
-Log Fragment 1-A. Te’chik
Maggie barely felt the gentle pressure of the device Doctor Tomas pressed against her neck, or the sting of the chemicals it injected into her, straight through the skin. But she felt the sudden relief from the pain, and the startling calmness that followed.
“Take some slow, deep breaths for me Maggie.” Doctor Tomas’ voice sounded as if it came from far away, even though he was right next to her.
She took in a ragged breath, shaking as she tried to breath slowly. It felt like there was a vice around her chest still, keeping her from taking in a full breath. But it got easier as she took a second breath, and then a third. Muscles that had been tense since she woke up started to loosen, and she slowly sat up straight.
Well, kind of straight. She listed a bit to one side for a moment as the room took its time steadying. “How do you feel?” Doctor Tomas peered into her eyes, shining a light he had gotten from somewhere into them.
Maggie sat silently for a moment, staring at him. The tears had started to dry up, but she knew her face must be a mess from them. She remained convinced that there was no such thing as a pretty crier. “The- the pain is gone.”
“Good. And? How else do you feel?”
“Better? I think. Like I just took a weed gummy, but without the munchies.” As she said that, she thought of the pizza left on Theseus’ ship, and the brookie that she hadn’t touched. “Maybe a little bit of the munchies. Does anyone make pizza out here?”
“I am certain we can find you some pizza. I’m sorry I had to administer so strong a dose, but the key was reacting to your emotions.” Doctor Tomas said gently. He pulled bandages and something that looked like a tube of toothpaste out of a drawer in the wall. “But I believe it helped speed up your healing as well.”
“It did?” Maggie tried to sit up straight, but it just kept feeling like she was listing to the side. She looked down at her hand, the wound still as ugly as ever. But the blisters had burst, leaving wounds that seeped silver and crystal into the deep gouges left by the original explosion. “Ew....”
Doctor Tomas chuckled. “Yes, ew. It isn’t pretty, but it is healing faster now. For better or for worse.”
“Why would it be worse?” She started to drift to the side again, her mind slipping away from the subject as he squeezed some kind of cream onto her hand from the tube. He didn’t rub it in, but instead just started to bandage over it.
“Because it means that the bonding progression has accelerated as well. I’m going to suggest you wear long sleeves and gloves when out in public. There’s no sense advertising what you have. Especially not here. Tell me, what did you do before you came here?”
“I was a student, and worked at a laundromat.” At least her words didn’t slur, that was a good thing! “And I helped at my aunts coffee shop.”
“What did you study?”
“I was taking Philosophy of World History 132. But it was so boring. I would have rather been taking Aerial Yoga, but I needed something to fill the humanities credit slot. You know how it is, you’re a doctor. I bet you had to take a bunch of boring classes.”
“Not as such, no. I’m going to give Theseus your medicines and some extra bandages. Do you have a place to stay while you’re here?” Doctor Tomas helped Maggie off the exam table, holding her steady until she could do it on her own.
“I don’t think so. I mean, Theseus’ ship has some bunk beds but it smells like old socks.” The words spilled out of her without thought, and she started towards the door. A few steps away she stopped, turning back to Doctor Tomas. “Wait! They said something about a translator.”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“Ah, yes.” Doctor Tomas hesitated for a moment that felt long to Maggie, but was really only a couple of minutes. “Give it a few days to acclimate to your body, and you’ll be able to understand what others are saying, even if they don’t speak English.”
“Alright.” And that was enough for Maggie right now. She turned back to the door, and Doctor Tomas followed her out. Maggie felt pretty good now, no more talking behind her back right in front of her! She’d be able to understand them just like they were speaking English, like a translator app in her head.
Doctor Tomas took her arm, gently guiding her the correct way to the waiting room. “This way Maggie. I’ll make sure Theseus knows to arrange you proper lodging, I know there’s empty pods so that you can have your own space.”
“Pods? Are there pod people here?” Maggie looked at the doctor, a giggle bubbling up in her throat.
Doctor Tomas sighed and shook his head. “No, there are not pod people here.” He stepped into the waiting room, where Theseus and Nurse Veela were still glaring at each other. Theseus stood up as they came out, looking at the doctor expectantly.
“Can you take it out?” He asked, earning another stern glare from Nurse Veela.
“Not so loud you fool.” She hissed, her ears laying back against her skull. “You’ll disturb the other people waiting politely to be seen.”
Theseus shot another glare at Nurse Veela. But he did lower his voice, moving closer to Maggie and the doctor as he repeated the question. “Can you take it out, Doc?”
“It’s unlikely. I gave her something to help with the pain, and something to keep her calm for now.” Tomas looked at Maggie, frowning slightly. “I may have given her a touch too much, but that will work in our favor right now. She should sleep well tonight. Take her to R-38 and arrange a pod for her. I’ll speak with Flame about our next steps.”
“Shit... alright. Can you try to keep her from flying off the handle? This mess is my fault, not Maggie’s, she shouldn’t have to pay for it.” Theseus spoke so softly that Maggie could barely hear him. She thought maybe she had misheard, but her thoughts slid away from the others conversation, drifting over to the ‘I Love Lucy’ episode on the television. It was less depressing, and she didn’t want that peaceful, sleepy glow to fade already.
Oh she knew she’d have to deal with Flame, the key, and all that other nonsense. But for now she was content to put that off, it had been an exhausting couple of days and all she really wanted to do was curl up with some junk food and watch old TV shows.
“Come on Maggie, lets get you set up with a room.” Theseus put a hand on her shoulder, and Maggie jumped a little.
She looked up at him, feeling for a moment like she was falling backwards. “You’re really tall.”
“So I’ve been told. Doc, will this stuff wear off soon? I’m not a good babysitter.”
“She’ll likely be a little bit loopy for the rest of the day. But I doubt you need to babysit her. As soon as her head hits the pillow I imagine she’ll fall asleep.” Doctor Tomas chuckled. He nodded to Nurse Veela. “Give me half an hour to talk with Flame before sending the next patient back.”
“Yes Doctor Tomas.” Nurse Veela said.
Theseus sighed and guided Maggie out of the waiting room, into the plain blue halls of the medical sector. “R-38 isn’t far from here, not with the lifts. It’s not in the towers, but underneath the laundromat.”
“Laundromat? A laundromat in space? Does it have super high tech washers and dryers? Will it fold your clothes too?” Bobbys dad would have a laugh at that! Who would have thought? A laundromat in space! Maggie giggled, picturing little green men folding their little clothes fresh out of the dryer.
“It does. I’ll show it to you tomorrow when some of those drugs wear off. Or maybe I’ll have Robin show you, he’s a better babysitter than me.” Theseus grumbled.
“I don’t need a babysitter. I’m fine!” Maggie paused as the words seemed to echo back in her head. She shook her head as if to clear it, stumbling a little in the process.
Theseus grabbed her arm so she wouldn’t fall. “Of course you’re fine. But you don’t know your way around, and you don’t know who not to talk to. So you need- lets call it a guide. Is that better? Not a babysitter but a guide.”
“That’s better.” She said firmly.
They stopped in a small circular room, the ceiling domed above them, decorated with stained glass. Maggie leaned back against the wall, staring up at the beautiful colors as Theseus programmed in their destination. “This is one of the lifts. They all follow the same routes, and they can move pretty fast. You just program in your destination... why am I trying to explain this to you? You’re not going to remember in the morning. God I need a drink.” Theseus ran his hand across his face.
“Do they have beer out in space? Space beer?” She mused. The door to the lift slid shut, sealing with the barest whisper of sound before shooting off through its tube.
“Where there are people, there will be booze. Or other mind altering substances. Do you really think over all these centuries they didn’t abduct someone that knew how to make a still?” Theseus said.
Maggie nodded. He had a good point there, humans had a talent for finding ways to make themselves drunk, regardless of what they used to get there: corn, potatoes, barley, hops, where there was a will, there was a way. And she was sure that there was plenty of will after being abducted into space.
“Hey. The doctor called you Goodfellow. What’s up with that?” Maggie focused on Theseus, caught by a sudden curiousity.
“That’s my last name. Goodfellow.” Theseus actually blushed, shooting her an anxious look.
“Does that mean that your brother is Robin Goodfellow?” She started to grin, the memory of where she had heard the name before surfacing through the haze.
Theseus groaned and buried his head in his hands. “God I really need a drink.”
Maggie started to giggle, finally getting the jokes about A Midsummer Nights Wet Dream. “As you like it.”
“I hate you so much right now.” Theseus muttered.