“Luk has not regained consciousness. Let me see if there’s a doctor available to talk with you.”
Jal waited at the counter for nearly an hour before a nurse asked whether she could help it. Jal repeated the request for an update on Luk’s condition. “You were going to see if a doctor were available.”
Again, Jal waited. Patients were admitted, treated and released.
“Please be seated in the waiting room,” a nurse addressed Jal. Jal repeated its request once again.
“Give me one moment.”
One moment turned into an hour, then two. A new set of nursing staff came in and took their places. A young man asked Jal how he could be of assistance.
“I waited several hours in the waiting room, and over three hours standing here. I’d like to speak to the doctor who’s treating Luk van Djik.”
“That patient has been moved from the emergency area to the intensive care unit on the seventh floor.”
“Is there a cafeteria here in the hospital?”
“There is, but it’s for families of patients and staff members.”
“I’m not familiar with Pejaru,” Jal told her. “Are there eating places nearby?”
“I am not a visitor information booth.”
Jal wandered down the hallway. At what appeared to be the main entrance, Jal stopped at the information desk. It asked about local eateries and was told to look it up on a tablet. When it asked how to find the ICU, the person at the desk told it to look it up on a tablet.
In a waiting room, Jal found a row of tablets lined up on a rack. Jal hit the power button. The tablet’s battery had no charge. Jal went through the tablets, discovering that each held no battery charge, and plugged them in.
Its irritation growing, Jal found an elevator and went up to the seventh floor. While wandering around, it finally found the ICU.
“How can I help you?” a young man with black hair, dark skin, and very white teeth smiled at Jal. Jal explained who it was, how it had come from the emergency area, and that it was looking for Luk. “He has not regained consciousness,” the young man read from the screen.
“He hit his head. Is it concussed?”
“It is. Also, the patient broke a bone in his shoulder when he fell.”
“Is there someone on his records that I can call to notify? I’m visiting in the area and think his family should be here with him.”
The attendant scrolled through the record. “He has no next of kin.”
“That’s odd. I thought he said he had a brother and a sister.”
“He has biological family members listed in the world directory. However, his medical records state that they are not to be contacted.”
“I see. I’ll be in the waiting room. I’d like to see him when he wakes up.”
“You’re not a family member.”
“You’re right. I’m not. I’m the friend who brought him here. I want to ensure that he’s taken care of when he’s released.” Jal gazed steadily at the attendant. “Unless you’re planning to stay by his side over the next few weeks.”
“That is not in my job description!”
“It’s not in mine either!” Jal retorted. “You will notify me when he’s awake. I’ll be in the waiting room.”
Jal found an empty corner and set its backpack on a chair. It dug to the bottom and pulled out a bag of bokan jerky. As it chewed, it studied the city’s restaurants, inns, and street map. It glanced at its timepiece and pressed the button on its communicator.
“Hey, Jal! I just got home from Nik. Let’s practice fighting.”
“Jan, I’m not on the peninsula.” Jal explained what had happened and that it had been waiting all day to talk to Luk.
“I think you should let the medical staff take care of him and come home.”
“Jan, the man has no family to help him go through this. I thought I’d talk to him and see if he has a friend or neighbor that I should talk with.”
“Should I join you there?”
“You don’t need to. I’m in the waiting room. I’ll stay here until I can talk to him.”
In the middle of the night, Jal was woken by a medical attendant who said that Luk was awake. “Luk, I’m Jal Jomari. You may not remember, but I was visiting you before you fell. You went to the cellar to get biscuits for tea. I found you and brought you here.”
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I was afraid that you’d say that. Is there a friend or neighbor that I can let know that you’re here? Someone who can organize help for you when you return home?”
“Yes, yes, of course. Riet Kortz owns the flowershop in Kilfront. Tell her that I sent you.”
“Luk, I’d like to visit you again, when you’re feeling better. I’ll leave my contact information with Riet.”
“Thanks, Jal. I appreciate what you’ve done for me.”
***
“If we want twelve people on the expedition team, we need to have about thirty people go through the mountain-climbing training,” Jal sat explaining his reasoning for the budget it was looking over with Dr. Gyasi. Jal repeated what Sali had said about people dropping out.
“That’s ridiculous,” the scientist argued.
“It’s not,” Jal said adamantly. “If we have only ten people, and seven drop out because they aren’t physically able to tolerate the terrain, there would be only three. The smaller the group, the less likely we will accomplish the goals we set out.”
“You’re thinking we need ten people.”
“Preferably more.”
“If more people are going, there will be an increasing chance of arguments and discord.”
“We’re all adults. We can figure out how to get along,” Jal pointed out.
“Who will get the final word, if there’s a conflict that splits the group?”
They looked at one another. “I think you should,” they said simultaneously.
“Why?” Dr. Gyasi asked.
“Because you’re more logical.”
“But you work with Sage Elvan! You are an apprentice to a diplomat. This expedition is your idea. You’re doing all the work to set things up. You’re invested in its success.”
“Maybe we should make any final decisions together,” Jal proposed.
“I will agree to that,” Dr. Gyasi nodded. “Now, we need to make a list of people that we think would be interested in the goals we’re trying to achieve.”
“They need to be physically able to make the journey.”
The two made a list of desired characteristics and began a list of who to approach. When they finished, they split the list so they could make the initial contacts.
“Here’s the list of supplies we need,” Jal told him.
“You left off food,” Dr. Gyasi pointed out. “And a way for any androids to recharge.”
Jal added solar battery rechargers. They talked about hunting fresh game versus carrying supplies in.
“We can have supplies brought in to the enclave after we get there,” Dr. Gyasi said.
“That’s assuming we can make the transport equipment work.”
“Guns and ammunition? We’ll have to learn how to use them.”
“Yes.”
“Are we asking people to do too much?” Dr. Gyasi asked.
“It’s a serious commitment.”
Dr. Gyasi looked again at the budget. “You left this salary line blank. We need to fill it in.”
“I don’t know what to base it on.”
“Hm. An average salary around the globe is...” he typed into the computer. A number appeared on the screen.
“That can’t be right,” Jal said in disbelief. “It seems ridiculously low.”
“Most people on the planet live in very simple conditions.”
“The people who go on the expedition are working in specialized fields. They have far more training and knowledge than an average resident of this planet.” Dr. Gyasi looked at Jal doubtfully and changed the number to match his pay grade.
“We need to add hazard pay to that,” Jal said. “I wasn’t sure how much.”
“How would we determine that?”
“I would think it would be a certain percentage of the pay, say twenty percent.” The number on the screen changed. “It doesn’t seem like much,” Jal commented.
“It doesn’t?”
“I want the expedition members to be committed to the success of the expedition.”
“Do you? Or do you just want more money?”
“I don’t think you understand how hazardous the conditions could be. Whoever goes will be putting their life at risk. This has never been about the money. It’s been about connecting the Stafriez on Shifos to the rest of our people, and making sure their needs are being met.”
They filled in the final numbers for the budget. “You’re taking about a 2.5 million mu-tok budget,” Dr. Gyasi observed. “The Protectors will deny it.”
“I don’t think so,” Jal responded. “Be sure to tell them that it’s a proposed budget. Expenses may be more or less, depending on how many people go and what supplies are available.”
***
“Thanks for seeing me again.” Jal sat at the table with Luk. “Have you recovered fully?”
“I have,” Luk grumbled. “I can go out mountain-climbing and not have a problem, but I fall down my own cellar steps. So ridiculous. You came to talk to me about giving lessons?”
“Actually,” Jal hesitated. “I’m here to ask you to consider something.” It struggled to find the words. “Putting it simply, I’m putting together an expedition to go over the mountains, and across the continent of Shifos to the west coast.”
“Why on earth would you do a crazy thing like that?” Luk demanded.
“Because there are people there.” Jal explained its project paper and the research it had done. “I understand that you are one of the best outdoorsmen on Shifos. I’d like you to be part of the group.”
“I don’t know, Jal. I’ve never been all the way through the mountains. I’ve never even been to the highest peaks.”
“It doesn’t matter if you’ve not been to the highest peaks. What we want is the safest, easiest route. I can show you a map of the potential route.”
The two talked for a long time about what a journey like this would be like. Luk was not convinced about the fact that there were human inhabitants. Nor was he persuaded that the folk tales he had heard weren’t true.
“Would you read a copy of my research paper, if I left it with you?”
“Probably not. I’m not a big reader. I climb certain mountains to search for certain rocks and gems. I don’t really do that much camping. If I go out, I usually pack all my food and leave it at a campsite while I’m climbing.”
“What do you do with the rocks and gems?”
“I’m a jeweler. I make a lot of rings, necklaces, and bracelets. I’m connected with resale shops in Nik and Pejaru.”
“Do you sell to magic shops?”
“Magic shops?”
“Many stones have special qualities. They can be used for protection, healing, and so forth.”
“That, my friend, is a bunch of hogwash.”
“You’ve not been trained to use magic,” Jal said slowly. “Many people of Aphyxian descent on Iragos have not been trained.”
“There is no such thing as magic,” Luk declared. “If there is, prove it.”
Jal hesitated. It would become harder to convince Luk to join the expedition if they disagreed. “What kind of stones do you collect?”
“Various types of quartz, calcite, and gold. The area that I usually climb has rocks that are igneous. There’s quite a wide variety. Come and see.” He led Jal to a crafting room. Long lines of rings sat on shelves. Necklaces lay in open boxes. One shelf held piles of various types of rocks.
“Is there a certain type of rock that you prefer to work with?” Jal asked.
“My favorites are rubies and sapphires.” Luk picked one up. “Aren’t they beautiful?”
Jal nodded and wondered what price a ruby would be worth in a magician’s shop. “Would you change your mind if you had first choice of all the rocks and gems that you could carry?”