Episode 313: Trade Off, Part 3
Not a robot, indeed.
The wire’s about half a centimeter long. It looks like speaker cable. Arden has her get on the table and he turns on the overhead lamp to examine her more closely. Underneath the bright light, he can see surgical scars around the wire. Obviously this wire implanted and though he looks, Arden cannot find any other scars or implantations in Valerie’s head. There is no interface on the end of the wire, nothing like a plug or a jack. It’s hard to tell just by looking just what that wire is supposed to do. An x-ray shows him that the wire doesn’t go into Valerie’s head very far but it does connect to something of a density very similar to brain matter. If he had to hazard a guess it’s wetware, a biological interface of some kind.
He shares the findings with Valerie.
Valerie: So I assume this has something to do with….?
Arden: I have no idea what that has anything to do with. Only that I have been running into people that have a propensity for mind altering surgeries.
Valerie: (slowly) I don’t understand. It seems too crazy for all this stuff to have happened.
Arden: (sighing) Tell me about it.
Lady, you don’t know the half of it.
Arden: Let me do some research on it and I’ll let you know in the morning what I think. But until then, this information is only between you and I.
Valerie: If you think somebody else knows what it means, they’re not going to put me in the jail or….what do you call it, the space jail on this ship….?
Arden: Brig.
Valerie: The brig, because I’ve got a wire in my head…?
Arden: No. If all it took was a wire in the head to get in the brig, then everybody would be there.
Valerie: Then you’ve never seen anything like this before?
Arden: Nuh, uh. I’ll do some research and see.
Valerie: So….I’ve seen wet ware computers used for people with ALS and Parkinson’s Disease, but…um…usually…
Arden: Is this the part of the brain Chempliant would usually affect?
Valerie: Well, yeah. Parts of your voluntary behaviors is located in that area.
Arden: It’s possible that this is what gave you back your free will after the Chempliant dosage that you received.
Valerie looks….well, how anyone would look on making this discovery.
Arden: But why is a wire sticking out, that’s….. yeah.
Valerie: (agreeing) It’s pretty sloppy.
Either that or it’s a device that records everything that Valeries sees and hears.
Outside in the passenger lounge the others wait for Arden and Valerie return. Joshua wants to know what happened during the time he’d lost while under Blue Sun control. Nika tells Rina to fill him in and turns for the bridge. Rick follows her in and once the hatch is closed, he has a private talk with her about what he’d discovered while separated from the rest of the crew.
Rick: What I’m going to tell you I don’t want you to tell anyone else for now. I’m pretty sure that I know who sent the photo that Valerie’s a robot and people will be waiting for us on Rubicon. I don’t know if they will be bad or good. I was freed from the jail by the blonde Blue Hand agent—.
Nika: What?
Rick: And then I had to fake that I attacked her and knocked her out. She told me that you guys were in danger.
Nika: And she sent you to us.
Rick: She sent me, yes. Right now I don’t think anybody needs to know. Especially since we don’t know if Joshua would say anything and also the fact that we have the robot aboard.
Nika: Oh, Jesus.
Rick: This could be a Blue Sun trick that she was playing on me. Or other stuff. Or it could be real.
Nika: The Rubicon stuff came through with Joshua in the first place. So, the thing about what happened to him was supposed to be found on Rubicon anyway. Why do you think they’re going to be waiting for us on Rubicon?
Rick: Because I was told to meet her on Rubicon.
Nika can only stare at him.
Rick: She also said that I had outlived my usefulness to the company and I had done everything they wanted me to. So I don’t know what that means.
Stare.
Rick: To the best of my knowledge, I’m not a crazy robot.
Nika: So-ooooooooo…..what you’re telling me is: You’re on somebody’s payroll and you don’t know about it.
Rick: Apparently. I don’t know if I’ve been on the payroll but clearly they’ve been keeping tabs on us.
Shite.
Nika: I’m getting like….a migraine….like my brain feels about yea big and I don’t even know what to say to that.
Rick: Part of me thinks she really did want to help us.
Nika: Why?
Rick: They had everything they wanted. They already had everything they wanted. I killed the other Blue Hands agent. I shot him in the head. He’s dead. When I flashbanged everyone. He’s gone. So they already had what they wanted. I don’t know why they would free us, free me, so I could rescue you guys, so that we can then go to Rubicon.
Nika: They wouldn’t. So why would she?
Rick: Because she didn’t want to kill me.
And he smiles his best smile ever. Nika gives him a knowing look.
Rick tells Nika that Blondie was the woman who called in the rape in the first place, claiming he had raped her, in order to keep him out of the way while all the other stuff was happening. Nika tells him that we’ve suspected as much.
Rick: But she was sent to kill me. But she didn’t.
Nika: Whatever it is that you’ve been up to, fit their plans.
Rick: Uh-huh. And I’ve outlived my usefulness. But I assume that’s what everyone else on the ship had done. I wager they would have killed you guys eventually even if they had gotten Arden and Joshua. So….
Nika: They were not at all interested in just doing away with us when they had Joshua holding a gun on all of us. Which sort of surprised me, actually.
Rick: Yeah. So we need to not tell anyone about that. I’m only letting you know because when we go to Rubicon we’re going to have to keep an eye out. And we definitely need to keep an eye on Joshua.
Nika: (sighing) We’ll keep it between us for now.
Rick: Okay.
Nika: That also means no telling Faria.
Rick: I’m not going to tell him. He’s not my dad.
Nika: Mm-hm. No, but you’ve been doing a few things that are on his agenda, which makes me now wonder if you’ve done all the things on someone’s agenda—that’s a little convenient, don’t you think?
Rick: What? Now you’re questioning me?
Nika: I’m not questioning you. I’m questioning him.
Rick: No. I don’t think that has anything to do with us killing people or capturing people that used to be part of my unit. I don’t think that Blue Sun gives a shit about that.
Nika: How do you know that’s all he’s doing, though? That’s what he says he’s doing.
Rick: That’s all we’ve done. What else have we done? We’ve captured Escobar and what else. Transported some people? I’m sure that Blue Sun has freaking ridiculous cruisers that can nuke places from orbit.
Nika: Well what do you think you’ve done that Blue Sun thinks is useful?
Rick: What have we done?
Nika: Aside from pissing them off. What have we done that’s useful?
Rick: Doing whatever it took to get Joshua and Arden together and whatever else on Arden’s journey…who knows? But it’s definitely something to do with Arden and/or Joshua. And Robot Girl? What the hell’s that all about? Now we’ve got Robot—what is this? The Trinity of Death?
Nika: Do not—do not—even remotely make that suggestion where Rina might hear you. Not at all.
Rick: I’m not going to talk to her about the Trinity of Death.
Nika: Oh my god….If you even suggest such a thing I will never sleep again. (deep breath) All right. It’s ours. Stays on the bridge.
Rick adds one last log on the pyre: Blondie may be dead. They may kill her if they found out what she did, and it was part of the reason he had to hurt her.
Nika: You actually look like you give a damn.
Rick: (mumbles) Well, she did kill off four officers….
Nika: She what?!?
Killed four police officers. Nika gets this very astonished look on her face—even more astonished than before, if that’s possible.
Nika: Oh my fuckin’ God, she did what?!?!
Rick: She liquefied some officers’ brains to help me escape.
Nika: Wow. You must make quite an impression.
Rick: (agreeing) I got to grab some of that ass.
Nika: I’m really glad you’re taking time out of your busy schedule rescuing us to grab some ass.
Rick: At least I got some guns too and I did kick some ass.
Nika: I like that. That’s fabulous. Thank you.
Rick: I grabbed some ass and then I kicked some ass. Anyways, we need to keep this quiet.
Nika: Right. Jesus. Take the conn for a few minutes while I go find an analgesic.
Because right now, God help her, her head’s about to explode. She couldn’t’ve picked a better time to assume full Captaincy, nope. Not a better frikkin’ time.
Back in the passenger lounge, it’s just Faria, Joshua and Rina. Faria’s been sitting and watching the entire drama unfold in front of him without contributing to debate or conversation. He waits while Joshua washes out Arden’s coffee cup and when the steward’s settled in his seat, Faria says to him:
Faria: So here we are. A soulful bunch if I ever saw one. (slyly) So….
Joshua: So?
Faria: So you are a programmed robotic killer.
Joshua: Yeah, it seems that way, doesn’t it?
Faria: (lightly) Who would’a thought?
Joshua: You did.
Faria: Well, I just had a hunch.
Joshua: (bitterly) Well, I’m glad you were right on target.
Faria: You seem better now.
Joshua: What?
Faria: You seem better now.
Joshua: Oh, yeah….
Most everyone has drifted back to the table during this little exchange.
Rick: Living robot. Where’s the robot robot?
Valerie is walking up as he says this and she responds quietly.
Valerie: I probably need a simple scan, a brain scan.
Arden: Don’t we all?
Joshua: Join the club.
Nika: (snerking) ‘Don’t we all?’ Yes! Lately.
Valerie: I have a friend at St. Lucy’s on Ariel, who might be able to get us in.
Arden: Okay. That would be cool.
Rina: (grimly) Arden. Put me on the list.
Joshua tries to sum it up.
Joshua: Would somebody tell me—So… I didn’t kill anyone. Did I do anything else that we should be really concerned about—well, obviously we should.
Rick: We want to know what information you told them.
Joshua: Yeah? I don’t know what information I told them—would somebody tell me actually happened?
Arden: We were on the dock. D’you remember that?
Joshua: Yeah. I remember the part up to where I fell unconscious.
Arden: Okay. He said a word and you fell unconscious.
Joshua: Yuh-huh.
Arden: Do you want to know that word?
An awkward pause.
Nika: Can—uhmmmm…
Joshua: How am I supposed to know that word?
Nika: Yeah. That.
Arden: I can write it down phonetically on a piece of paper.
Nika: But then if he says it in his own head, he might just mindwipe himself.
Arden: We have no idea.
Rick: Yeah. Let’s play with that. Let me go down to the locker and get my gun.
Joshua: (to Arden) Write it down somewhere. Write it down somewhere and don’t give it to me.
Nika: Don’t give it to him.
Joshua: Don’t.
Detail resolved, Arden resumes the summary. He and Nika were swimming for their lives. They made it back to the ship. There was a note on the door. (Arden shows Joshua the picture of the refinery and the note on the back.) They went to the hydro plant the next day and saw Joshua and Rina and the Blue Hands guy—
Joshua: Wait, wait. That’s the part I need to circle back to.
Nika: We don’t know what happened in the time we were not with you. You were with Blue Hands guy and you were essentially his … minion.
Joshua: Minion?
Arden: Minion’s a pretty strong word.
Nika: No. It’s really not. He gave an order and Joshua followed it unquestioningly. That’s a minion, in my position.
Arden: Minion is not strong enough a word, then.
Nika: Okay, fine. I’ll go that far.
Joshua: Stop parsing the English language and continue.
Arden: I’ve said everything we know.
Joshua: Okay, that’s fine. Thank you.
Arden: There was a mild altercation with you and Rina. She basically tried to kiss you and you shot her.
Do what now?
Rina: (quietly) That’s not exactly true.
Arden: That’s what it looked like.
Nika: Yeah, what was that all about?
Arden: Yeah. So anyway. She goes down. Falls unconscious. I’m trying to surrender to distract Blue Hands guy but it doesn’t work. And he winds up having you cover me and taking me down the elevator, leaving Nika and Rina on the floor. We get to the bottom and are heading towards the shuttle when Rick appears out of nowhere, apparently, and tosses a grenade into the shuttle.
Nika: That was really good throwing, by the way.
Rick: I shot it with a grenade launcher.
Arden: Whatever. It was damned good. Of course, it stunned us but it also stunned Blue Hands guy and when I came to, we were in the shuttle and he said he had killed the Blue Hands guy.
Rick: Blue Hands guy is dead.
Joshua: Weren’t you in jail?
Rick: I was in jail.
Joshua: You are really awesome. How did you get out of jail and get a grenade launcher at the same time?
Rick: I was released from jail. The person who accused me came forward and said that it was a lie.
Nika: They recanted.
Joshua: And gave you a grenade launcher.
Rick: No. I obtained a grenade launcher through other sources.
Joshua: Okay. Whatever…I…it…that is, that is by far the least weird thing so far. That’s the least weird thing so far.
Poor Joshua. If only he knew the whole story behind Rick’s jailbreak…
Joshua: That’s the least weird part of the whole day, so I’m willing to let that flow… (yeah.)
Arden: So Rick launched the grenade, everyone got stunned, he shot the Blue Hands guy, we got dragged to the shuttle and here we are.
Joshua: Okay.
Arden: (to Rick) After you tapped the Blue Hands guy, did you pick up the gun that Joshua was using?
Rick: No I did not.
And so wraps up the summation. On to the next bit of business: where do we go from here?
Joshua: So are we en route to Pericles Station?
Nika: Yes, we’re en route. Faria, is there a particular destination that you have?
Faria: No, I’m going to stay. I want to see where this goes.
Rina: If nothing else, you can deliver Last Rites before we all die.
Arden’s not entire sure if he’s staying or not.
Arden: So I’m finding a new berth or not finding a new berth?
Rick: No, you’re staying on the ship.
Joshua: Who’s staying on the ship?
Rick: Both you guys.
Arden: I don’t think this is a good idea.
Joshua: What’s not a good idea?
Arden: Me staying on the ship.
Joshua: What do you—what’s your problem?
Arden: (to Joshua) You are just….you’re an afterthought. They wanted me.
A beat. Then:
Joshua: I still don’t get what your problem is.
Arden: As long as I’m on this ship, you’re all going to be in danger is what my problem is.
Rick: Yeah, but we’ve always been in danger since you’ve been on the ship.
Nika: We’ve known that.
Arden: But they’re crossing the line now.
Rick: Yeah, there’s somethi— (stops, tries again) We’re gonna stay together for a while longer. I think we should.
Joshua sighs.
Joshua: (very softly) I think you’re all idiots.
Rick: (to Joshua) Don’t worry. If you act up, I’ll kill you.
Nika: It benefits you, now, doesn’t it?
Joshua: Unfortunately.
Rick: Did you hear what I said?
Arden: Fortunately, they’ll fix you.
Joshua: Oh, I know that already. I got a promise for her to kill me. (points to Nika) I got a promise for you to kill me. (points to Rick) You’ll probably kill me. (Nodding head to Rina) Would you kill me? (points to Arden)
Arden: No.
Joshua: Just checking.
Nika: (off his point) Have I done it yet?
Joshua: Not yet, but I’ve—
Nika: Then quit runnin’ your mouth!
Joshua: Yes, ma’am.
Arden: Maybe if you keep running your mouth, she’ll do it though.
Nika: (to Arden) If you keep running your mouth I’m going to do some serious damage to you.
Rina: Get in line.
Rick watches the verbal tennis match and starts to laugh his ass off.
Rick: Have you guys ever wondered how it is that I was able to kill Reavers by pistol whipping them and then take out those people who were going to destroy that ship by myself?
He pulls out the sonic device he’s taken from Bruno with an evil grin.
Rick: (whispers) I’m here to get you guys. Look at what I’ve found.
Everyone turns to look at him and sees what he’s holding. Faria leans forward to stare curiously and the rest of us jump back. When we realize it’s not turned on, we relax.
Rick: Was anybody scared?
Rina: Tell me you took that off Blue Hand Bruno.
Faria: What’s that?
Nika: It’s a sonic device that turns your brains to mist.
Arden: To mush.
Rick: I don’t know how it works so I’m not going to turn it on.
Rina: Thank you.
Rick: But let’s keep the arguments to a minimum since we’re going to be going to the Core together.
Arden: Or else?
Nika: Figure it out, Arden.
Arden: Figure what out?
Nika: Lose the attitude and figure it out.
Rick: Or else, I will use this and melt all of our brains. Because I’m pretty sure I’m not immune to it.
Arden: I’ve said what my attitude problem was a few moments ago. As long as I’m on this ship, you all are in danger. I don’t think that’s right.
Rick: Yes, but you’ve been on this ship for a long time and we’ve been in danger for a long time.
Arden: Yeah, but they’ve crossed the line now.
Nika: No, not really.
Rick: Yes, but could it be because we’re on the trail to something. Let us complete the circle.
Joshua: It might coincide with my arrival on this ship. That if you look at the … the….
Nika: Confluence of events.
Joshua: I’m just saying, Arden, that I wouldn’t be putting all the blame on yourself.
Okay. Fine. Speaking of blame…
Arden: Did we tell Valerie about that thing?
Joshua: About what thing?
Nika: The robot email thing?
Arden: Um-hm.
Rick: The robot email?
Arden: Show her the picture.
We do. She looks.
Valerie: I hate this old picture.
Arden: Yeah, but look what it says underneath it.
She reads.
Rick: That’s why I asked if you’re a robot.
Valerie: Why don’t you just say that I am a robot?
Arden and Nika together: Because it’s his catchphrase to say “That is not a robot.”
Valerie: Well, normally I would say that this is ridiculous but given you guys’ stories….maybe it isn’t.
Nika: Weirder things have happened to us.
Valerie: Are you going to cut into me or something, to see if I bleed?
Arden: She bleeds.
Rick: No, I don’t want to cut you.
Arden: She’s a human being.
Valerie: But you say I sent you a, a wave.
Nika: Well…someone sent us a wave. Clearly since you don’t know anything about it, it was not you.
Valerie: Well, I mean, unless I’m….
Nika: Under somebody’s control—oh, God, let’s not go there. How many people are under someone else’s control can we possibly have on one ship at one time? At least three.
Joshua: (of Valerie) Unless she’s one of me.
Rina: Or unless they’ve implanted me with something while I was out.
Nika: (to Valerie) Are you a Reader?
Valerie: A Rea—there’s no such thing.
Oh really, now? The crew looks unconvinced. Then again, she doesn’t know Joshua like we do.
Arden: There’s no such thing as telepathic gorillas either.
Rina: One out of two ain’t bad.
Valerie: Well, she’s from the Border or the Rim, so …
Arden: Who?
Valerie: The pilot. (points to Nika)
Arden: She has not said anything that’s a lie yet.
Valerie: So do you really believe in all this?
Arden: I believe in all those things.
Valerie: Oh, Arden…….
Joshua: What’s that?
Arden: Telepathic gorillas and Readers.
Nika: (exasperated) No, we don’t believe in telepathic gorillas.
Arden: I do.
Nika: They weren’t telepathic but they were super-intelligent.
Nika starts to laugh and Valerie looks condescendingly at Arden.
Valerie: Now remember when we were back in grad school and we played those practical jokes on you? Because you didn’t know the normal way of things…? Do you remember the day we met?
Arden: The date that we met? Joshua, tell me what day it was.
Joshua perceives that’s his cue to Read it off the surface of Arden’s thoughts to prove he’s a Reader. He reads it easily and tells Valerie what it is. She’s skeptical.
Valerie: (to Arden) So you told him the date?
Arden: No, I didn’t tell him a thing.
Joshua: If it makes you feel any bet—no, I’m sorry, it won’t make you feel any better. I’m sorry for using that phrasing. Like… Are you willing to accept the idea that Blue Sun is doing some really effed-up things to people?
Valerie: Yes. I’ve studied Chempliant. I’m one of the big experts on this right now.
Arden: You’ve studied Chempliant?
Valerie: Yes. When you gave me that sample.
Joshua: So you’re giving me the point, right?
Valerie: I saw what happened to Mr. Carter.
Joshua: Right. So you’re conceding that point to me, right? That Blue Sun’s doing some strange things?
Valerie: You’re right that there’s some minor mind manipulation.
Rina: Minor?
Joshua: It’s deeper than that. It goes, it goes much deeper than that. And whether you choose to believe it, to be honest, at this point, I’ve kinda given up. Like—
Valerie: I believe that they can get information from someone but you can’t just—I mean—
Arden: He’s helped me in the operating room!
Valerie: Yeah, but he’s a doctor.
Arden: He isn’t.
Valerie: He’s a robot or something, isn’t he?
Arden: No.
Valerie: I thought he was some sort of…..I’m confused.
Is there anybody who isn’t at this point?
Rick: No, you are the robot.
Joshua: Listen, Valerie. Let’s put it this way. They made me into something. Whether you want to believe it’s a Reader or whatever you want to believe it is, they made me into something and they put trig—it seems they put triggers in me to be able to control their product. Does it really surprise you in any sense that Blue Sun would let a product out of their control?
Valerie: Let’s assume for a moment that you all believe that you are some sort of—
Nika: At the very least you are under someone’s post-hypnotic suggestion.
Valerie: Now that seems plausible.
Joshua: Okay. Sure. Fine. (pause) I mean, I don’t even know why we were proving the point, to be honest.
Arden: I, cuz… you….yeeahhhh….I’m gonna go to my room and dream about telepathic gorillas.
Nika: Enjoy that dream.
And so we adjourn this rather long, strange, not-quite-staff meeting and get back to the business of making a living. It’s eleven days to Pericles Station and we secure the ship for the voyage. Waves are made before we leave Blue Sun’s range, private conversations held and belongings stowed.
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4
Go back to: Stealing Away Home | Go foward to: Libertas
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