Episode 121. Part 3

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Arden tells them that the boy’s family are the Johansens and are influential in Larson. The hospital counters that with a reiteration of their triage policy. Arden practically shouts down the phone the little boy is dying. If he doesn’t get proper treatment, he will die.

The hospital’s response: people die all the time.

Furthermore, the hospital asserts that the meds and equipment Arden needs for Kevin would be best obtained from the military base on Ares. Perhaps Arden should try calling the ships up at Ares directly. Arden asks if he shows up with the boy at the hospital, would they be able to help or not? The hospital will do what it can, of course, but ….

Arden hangs up on them. He knows a runaround when he hears it. Arden hails the shuttle, still en route to the hospital.

Arden: Rina. Patch me through to the shuttle were Nika is.
Rina: (Come again?!) We didn’t exactly exchange calling cards.
Arden: Whatever. I need to talk to the people there.
Rina: All right. Give me a minute.

Rina doesn’t know the exact frequency she needs to call Swordsman’s vessel directly, but she does know the ship’s ID number: T8405. Using that, she can patch through to them via their navigational beacon. All ships have them and they are all in effect a communications wave, designed to talk to buoys and other ships while traveling the Black, exchanging call numbers and ship telemetry. Given built-in redundancy signals, the bandwidth should be wide enough for voice communication. She puts the shuttle on autopilot for the few minutes it takes to hack into the nav systems and rig up her comm to it. That done, she resumes control of the shuttle, takes a deep breath and pings Swordsman’s vessel. There’s some static, but her patch works. Swordsman’s nav chatter comes through on the speakers. She pings them again and a Fed crewman answers.

Fed: This is T8405. Roger, copy.

Rina replies in her best military voice.

Rina: This is Shuttle One of Summer’s Gift. I have a doctor on the line—
Fed: This is a military frequency. We have a—
Rina: I have a doctor who needs to talk to your commanding officer on board that ship and I believe you have two of our crew being interrogated by him right now.
Fed: (cowed) Hold on.

Static replaces speech on the channel. Then:

Sun: This is Commander Sun. This is a military frequency. I ask you to cease communications.
Rina: (military crisp) Commander, I have a doctor on-line who needs to talk to the gentleman you have on board your ship. It has bearing on the two people that he’s interrogating right now. Over.

Again with the silence, punctuated by static. Damned military runaround. Rina grits her teeth and flies on. There’s a slight squeal as the comm is picked up at the other end and a familiar voice issues from the console speakers. It’s a little older, a little more sophisticated, but she recognizes it.

Swordsman: Shuttle, this is…(a beat) Captain Liu.
Rina: Sir, I have a gentleman who needs to speak to you right away. It has bearing on the case. If you’ll hold one moment, I’ll patch you right through. Over.

Rina puts the military vessel on hold, patches the two lines and before she releases Arden to the call, she says:

Rina: Arden. I’ve got Swordsman on the line.
Arden: You’ve got …what?
Rina: Your older brother. On the line. He’s an Operative of Parliament.
Arden: I know, I know. I need to talk to him.
Rina: Fine. I’ll patch you through.

A flip of the switch and it’s done.

Arden: Is this, I guess, my older brother?
Swordsman: Of sorts. So. Is there something you’d like?
Arden: Well, you have two of my friends.
Swordsman: That is true.
Arden: I am willing…actually, no. I’m not willing to do much of anything, but I have a medical emergency and I need your help.
Swordsman: What kind of help?
Arden: Nika’s nephew. Kevin. Kevin Johansen is suffering from an overdose of a rare psychotropic medicine and the hospital is refusing to treat him without …more pull than I have.
Swordsman: Hm. I probably have more pull than you, that’s true.
Arden: Can you help me with this?
Swordsman: Almost certainly.
Arden: Will you help me with this?
Swordsman: Now, that is a good question. Why don’t you come in and we’ll discuss it?
Arden: Why don’t you let my friends go? Then I’ll come in and you can do it.
Swordsman: Hm. I like my idea better.
Arden: I don’t. It leaves no poker chips on my side of the table.
Swordsman: True. I’ll have to think about it.
Arden: I’ll let you think about it. It won’t happen any other way.
Swordsman: Actually, I don’t think it’ll be difficult to bring you in.
Arden: I didn’t say if it’s difficult or not. I’m asking you a favor, to prevent bloodshed and chaos to get what you want. Without anybody getting hurt. If you try to bring me in violently, people will get hurt.
Swordsman: Oh, that’s possible, I’m sure. Starting with your friends.
Arden: I don’t want anyone to get hurt.
Swordsman: Perhaps you need a demonstration as to how serious I am in this.
Arden: Oh, please. I already know how serious you are.
Swordsman: I think you need a demonstration.
Arden: No. I don’t need a demonstration.
Swordsman: We’ll start with your friend, Mr. Edge. He’s right here. Would you like to talk to him before…?
Arden: Before what?
Swordsman: Before you have your…information.
Arden: Before I have my infor—? What are you—? Look, I just want this kid to receive medical care.

Arden grips the comm and glares at it when Swordsman puts the channel on hold.

Aboard Swordsman’s vessel, the Operative rises from his chair and walks down the corridor to the med bay where Christian and Nika are still waiting. Swordsman nods to the guard, steps inside, and says:

Swordsman: Mr. Edge. May I see you?
Christian: (rising) Certainly.
Swordsman: I have Dr. Arden on the line. He seems to believe that he has ‘poker chips’ with regards to you.
Nika: What’s happening?
Swordsman: What’s happening? Your friend is going to dissuade Dr. Arden that there is any hand dealt to anyone.
Christian: Just a moment. (takes the hand comm from Swordsman) What’s up, Arden?

Christian walks into the corridor and Swordsman shuts the door behind him before Nika can overhear any more.

Arden: Kevin needs medical care. The hospital’s refusing to give it. And—

Swordsman stands beside Christian, drawing his sword with a steely hiss.

Arden: What was that noise?
Christian: (eyeing the blade) Nothing. Door closing.
Arden: I would like my older brother to grease the wheels to make sure this kid gets care and I’m willing to give him my freedom for it.
Christian: Okay. Give me a moment.
Swordsman: Arden, please stay on the line. You should hear this.

Swordsman regards at Christian carefully, blade held at the ready, looking for the perfect spot to sink his sword.

Christian: (evenly) We’ll give you Beaumonde. In exchange for the treatment for the child.
Swordsman: Actually, Beaumonde is not my primary interest.
Christian: What is your primary interest? You haven’t actually told us, yet. I can’t give it to you if I don’t know.
Swordsman: I’ve told Dr. Arden about it.
Arden: (Breaking in) He wants me to come in, which I’m offering to do.
Swordsman: That’s all I need right now.
Christian: You just want Arden.
Swordsman: Well. It’s not very much to ask for.
Christian: And the only thing you’ll bargain for?
Swordsman: At the moment, that is all I’m interested in. I may be interested in your Beaumonde information…later.
Christian: But. Going past the ideals of the Alliance of better lives for everyone, I’m guessing one child’s life is all right if it saves thousands of others. Which I’m sure you think this will do. One two year old boy’s life.
Arden: Who was accidentally poisoned.
Christian: Who—.
Swordsman: Yes, I understand. Little boys are precious commodities that we can’t produce with two drunk people in some bar somewhere.
Christian: (undeterred) Certainly. You could. But who knows? If he lives, he may be able to offer the Alliance something.
Swordsman: Or perhaps he’ll be another Mike Carter. The important thing is that my brother comes in.
Christian: And if he doesn’t?

Swordsman moves lightning fast and nicks Christian with his sword.

Christian: (deadpan) Ow.

Christian stands his ground, maintaining his trademark steady calm. His bicep burns. He can feel the warmth of his blood flowing down his arm and he ignores it. He has more important issues at hand. He regards Swordsman a moment.

Christian: (evenly) You’re not making this any easier. The only thing you’ll take in exchange for his life is Arden.

It’s not really a question, and Swordsman’s response is not really an answer.

Swordsman: At the moment.
Christian: At the moment.
Swordsman: I haven’t been offered anything better.
Christian: Unfortunately, we don’t have anything better to offer. Arden. You heard that?

Arden comes in loud and clear.

Arden: I’ve already offered it to him. I just want you all let go and the kid to—
Christian: Arden. You can’t ask for two things.
Arden: Yes, I can.
Christian: No, you can’t.
Arden: Yes, I can—.
Christian: Arden, will you please trust me for once in a negotiation—you cannot ask for two things here.

Christian stands and bleeds as he waits for it to sink in past Arden’s obstinacy.

Arden: I can. It’s just hard to get it.

Christian suppresses a yelp as Swordsman nicks him again, this time on his side, over his ribs.

Christian: Arden. Now would be a very good time to accept his turns.
Arden: What are his terms?
Christian: You come in. And the boy gets treated.
Arden: I didn’t hear him say that the boy gets treated.

Swordsman lowers his blade.

Swordsman: The boy will be treated.
Arden: Promise?
Swordsman: (pleased) Oh, yes.
Arden: The boy will be treated.
Swordsman: I swear to God.
Arden: The boy will be treated for the overdose that he has at the current moment. (A beat) I hate lawyers. I just want you to know that.
Swordsman: I’m not a lawyer.
Arden: (fed up) Then quit acting like one and treat the kid for the medical stuff that needs to be done.
Swordsman: You’re coming in?
Arden: Yes.
Swordsman: Your shuttle should be arriving shortly.
Arden: Yes. We’ll leave as soon as I get on board. Can you go ahead and grease the wheels so the kid can get treatment?
Christian: As soon as you’re here.
Swordsman: As soon as you’re here.
Arden: All right, all right, all right.

Swordsman takes the comm from Christian and cuts the channel. He looks at Christian as if surprised the man is still alive. Then he takes Christian back inside the med bay and orders a medic to tend Christian’s wounds. Christian doesn’t argue but sits still and lets the medic do his job. For his part, the medic doesn’t really give a good goddamn about the prisoner and sets to do the minimum required for the job. Swordsman bows out, closing the door behind him.

Christian: (to Nika) We’ve arranged treatment for your nephew.
Nika: (eyeing the blood) At what cost?
Christian: Arden’s coming in. It’s the only thing he would accept. The good news is, Arden agreed to it before he started slicing into my major organs. (hooks a thumb at the door, towards Swordsman) I had a client like him, once. I remember what happened to him.

When the medic finishes, he leaves and Christian takes his seat next to Nika again.

Nika: (eyeing the closed door) He still hasn’t told us what he wants.
Christian: (agreeing) No. He’s playing games.
Nika: I don’t do games.
Christian: He wants Arden. For some reason, he really wants Arden.
Nika: And this is why I didn’t take Carter up on that job offer back in the war. I’m not good at this.
Christian: For some reason that Arden doesn’t understand, he really wants Arden. He’s on his way, but no matter what else happens—and you’re going to have to take this on faith, I’m afraid—your nephew is going to live. And I think that’s worth all of our lives, in the long run. Not that I’m saying it’s going to cost that.
Nika: (quietly) You won’t get any argument out me, but I wouldn’t have asked that of you guys.
Christian: (agreeing) No. Of course not. I understand. But that doesn’t matter. (plucks at his bloodstained shirt) Now, I want to say that his sword is very sharp. It hurt less than I thought it would. I assume he knows exactly where to cut, by now. Being, you know, he’s got Arden’s abilities.

Christian sobers and leans in close.

Christian: I told him I’d give him Beaumonde in exchange for your nephew and he wasn’t interested. Beaumonde doesn’t have anything he wanted. All he wanted was Arden.

There being nothing for it, they sit and wait for Arden to arrive.

Back at Cheyenne hospital, Arden meets Rina in the hallway as she comes in to find him. Arden fills her in as he runs for the shuttle Rina’s parked outside. She follows him aboard and asks him if she should stay with Kevin as Arden straps in. Arden says he doesn’t think it would make any difference, one way or the other. Rina takes the pilot seat again and starts the engines.

When they arrive, Arden tells Rina to stay aboard the shuttle and she agrees. The less Swordsman sees of her the better, she’s thinking. Of everyone on the Gift, she knows the most about Mike and Rina’s not eager to fall into Swordsman’s clutches for that reason. Arden disembarks and is met by a couple of guards who do a double take at his uncanny resemblance to the man in charge. Then they shrug and escort him aboard Swordsman’s vessel—it’s not their job to suss out genetic anomalies.

The Lieutenant meets him in the airlock and apologizes, but he’s going to have to search Arden and any bags he’s carrying. Arden submits without complaint. He leaves his doctor’s bag behind as ordered. He’s shown to the Captain’s wardroom and Swordsman is sitting there waiting for him. He really does look like Arden, and Arden judges the man looks now what Arden himself would look like in another twenty years.

Swordsman: Well.
Arden: Treatment. Kid. Now, please.

Swordsman punches a button on the com panel.

Swordsman: Captain, use my code to authorize the transportation of Kevin Johansen and give him the medicine he needs. Make sure it’s an adequate supply.

The Captain confirms and Swordsman closes the call.

Swordsman: All right.
Arden: Thank you.

Arden sits down. They look at each other. Swordsman speaks first.

Swordsman: So…tell me about yourself, Arden. Or do you prefer Dr. Arden?
Arden: Why? You already know my life.
Swordsman: Do I really?
Arden: I’m sure you have a file on me someplace.
Swordsman: (shrugs a gesture) A small one. Mostly what I know about is of the last year or so. I know you went to medical school.
Arden: (ticking points off on his fingers) I went to medical school. Came back to the planet. Worked for a few months. Then things went…wonky.
Swordsman: Yes. What do you make of that?
Arden: I have no idea. That’s why I left.
Swordsman: (disappointed) And that’s the best you could come up with? Leaving?
Arden: It seemed adequate at the time.
Swordsman: And you agree with this life? (gestures toward our shuttle)
Arden: It’s….liberating if nothing else.
Swordsman: Do you feel ‘liberated’ at this present time?
Arden: Mm-hm.
Swordsman: (dubious) Really.
Arden: (yes) Really.
Swordsman: In this room. You feel liberated.
Arden: Well…overall. Here? Right now, this moment? No. But: overall, I wouldn’t trade it.
Swordsman: So you think these events are unrelated?
Arden: Which events?
Swordsman: The events on Sophie, and your being in here right now.
Arden: (verbal shrug) I have no idea.
Swordsman: (quietly) Put that very expensive brain to work and you might.
Arden: (All right, fine.) Yes. They’re related.
Swordsman: How so?
Arden: No, they’re not related.
Swordsman: You’re not being very thoughtful.
Arden: I don’t care. You’re missing the point: I. Don’t. Care. Someone tried to kill me. I didn’t want to stay around to be killed. So, therefore, I left. Now you’re here, talking to me, while I’m under control—
Swordsman: (breaking in) It sounds like to me that you may have had bad influences influencing you.
Arden: Ya think?

Looks like Nika and Rina have rubbed off on Arden. Lord knows, Christian hasn’t. But then again, Christian’s brand of diplomacy only works for Christian.

Arden: I’m not saying I didn’t have bad influences or if I did have bad influences, but when I came back to Sophie, life was not….. Life on Sophie was not for me.
Swordsman: Hm. When did you give it a chance to?
Arden: (flatly) It was boring. It didn’t take me more than a day to find that out and I was there seven. Sophie was just…you know? (a beat) Maybe you don’t.
Swordsman: Maybe Sophie wasn’t meant for you.
Arden: Probably not. At least, I like to think it wasn’t.
Swordsman: Well, most of your crèche mates felt the same.
Arden: (Oh, really) Did they?
Swordsman: (Really) Did they?
Arden: I don’t know.
Swordsman: Where are they?
Arden: They all disappeared.
Swordsman: Did you find them?
Arden: No.
Swordsman: No? Why not?
Arden: Because…I haven’t really looked for them.
Swordsman: Why not?
Arden: (buh-duh!) Because the ones I did look for, I didn’t find?

Swordsman sits back and considers it.

Swordsman: I see. You didn’t look for them.
Arden: I looked on Sophie while I was there.
Swordsman: I see.
Arden: (glaring at Swordsman) And since I left Sophie, I’ve been having other things on my mind like people shooting at me and factories blowing up and kidnapping attempts and virulent drugs being put inside our environmental systems.
Swordsman: It’s not a very good resume, is it?
Arden: But it’s not boring.
Swordsman: Well…I imagine it would get to be a bit of a grind after a while.
Arden: No. If it ever becomes a grind, it won’t matter anymore, because I’ll be dead.
Swordsman: Well, perhaps.
Arden: Unless, of course, you’re going to inject me with the Chempliance.
Swordsman: Oh, I think Chempliance would be horribly wasted on you.
Arden: I think it would be wasted on anybody.
Swordsman: I must say, I don’t think that all the engineering that went into you has properly…
Arden: What?
Swordsman: (continuing) Paid off yet.
Arden: Okay. (Not!) Perhaps you should try to talk to the ones who tried to kill me.

Swordsman leans forward.

Swordsman: That ship of yours, Summer’s Gift?
Arden: (wary) Yes?
Swordsman: Can I see it?
Arden: If I can meet you there, sure.
Swordsman: Oh?
Arden: I don’t know where it is.
Swordsman: Really?
Arden: It’s somewhere on the planet, but I didn’t fly it—.
Swordsman: I could tell you. I could tell you where it is.
Arden: Well, then. Fine. You’ve seen it. What do you need me for?
Swordsman: (slowly) What do you think you’re alive for?
Arden: What?
Swordsman: What are you for?
Arden: They needed a doctor. They bred one.
Swordsman: Is that what you think?
Arden: (Hello!) Yes.
Swordsman: And yet….everyone in your crèche is gone. If they were so desperately needed, why are they gone?
Arden: Bad batch?
Swordsman: You think? Do you really think that?
Arden: (fed up) Why do you keep saying that?
Swordsman: The reason why I ask is because you’re supposed to be this great influence. Carefully engineered. So tell me, great intellect, what are you for? Are you a failure? Or are you a success?
Arden: I guess it depends on your point of view.
Swordsman: And right now, from a purely financial-political point of view, you’re a bit of a failure. Here you have an Osiris education, and you’re messing around on a tramp…freighter…flying the Rim. (shrugs broadly) I mean, it’s not exactly….
Arden: I’m happy with it.
Swordsman: It sounds to me like you’re scared. But where does fear come from? It comes from ignorance, right?
Arden: Okay. Enlighten me. As you pointed out, from a monetary and political view, I am a failure. But I think from your point of view, I’m a salvageable experiment.
Swordsman: That has yet to be seen.
Arden: I said ‘from your point of view’, I could be a salvageable experiment.
Swordsman: You’ll get to disprove that, that’s true. But you’ll have ample opportunity.
Arden: To disprove it? I’m sure.

They stare at each other across the table. Then:

Swordsman: Would you like to see your crewmates?
Arden: I’d like you to let them go.
Swordsman: Sure. Let’s go see them.

Swordsman rises from the table easily, opens the wardroom door and walks down the corridor. Arden looks quickly around the wardroom for a weapon and finding nothing but a name plaque engraved with the name ‘Commander Sun’, he quits his chair and follows his inquisitor. The Operative is waiting for him by the med bay door, guarded by an armored military grunt.

The door is opened. They step through. The occupants look up.

Christian: Hello, Arden.






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