Episode 410: Search and Rescue, Part Two
Air Date: 24 Aug 2010
Present: Kim, Maer, Terri, Andy, and Bobby
Joshua examines the boat from the airlock and he informs Nika they have to find a way to speed the evac process up. They don’t have much time left. The boat is starting to go down, her bow is lifting clear of the water as her stern continues to sink. On Lagniappe’s bridge, Nika hails Rina.
Nika: Rina, we’re going to try to bring all three of you up at once.
She gets no answer. There’s no time to lose. Nika flies Lagniappe as close to the boat as possible, aiming for the raised deck of the bow. If she can shorten the distance between the two craft, the time saved traveling down the lines can be used to evac the people aboard.
Lagniappe hovers. The boat lifts. Joshua jumps … and nails his landing on the deck.
Onward.
Joshua comms Rina and gets no response. Down in the engine room, Rina starts to choke, desperately swallowing water to avoid inhaling it. The last remaining passenger, Oliver, runs out onto the deck.
Oliver: I’m here to be rescued!
Joshua: Stay there!
He calls for Rina again. No answer. He switches channels and comms Lagniappe.
Joshua: I don’t see her. We’ve got one more person and I don’t—
Arden: (over comm) You can’t wait. Bring him up and then go back down.
Joshua: Is the ship sinking?
Actually, the airfoil masts are doing a valiant job in keeping the boat from going completely under. Even so, Joshua can see it’s only a matter of time—and soon—before they are overcome by the power of the sea. When that happens, the boat will go down and if Joshua doesn’t find Rina, it’s going to take her down with it. Time is running out. He has two people to save. One is here, the other missing. Who does he save first?
Joshua chooses Rina. He tells the passenger to hang on and starts off to find her. He doesn’t go a dozen steps when a strange feeling hits him:
:: over here ::
Joshua reverses course, skidding on the deck, and makes his way below decks. The gangway to the engine room is flooded to the top. Joshua intuits an alternate route and takes it, making his way to the engine room. Most of the deck is awash at this level and the engine room is completely underwater. Miraculously, the lights are still on and in their gleam Joshua sees Rina struggling for the surface. He thrusts an arm down for her, she grabs him, and he hauls her clear. She’s a sputtering, choking, gagging mess, but she’s alive, she’s still on her feet and they have to get moving. Joshua drags her up to the deck and the wind and the rain.
Joshua: Can you go up?
Rina: (coughs) … yeah … (choke) … ’ll take more’n a ruttin’ bliatz to take me down … (spit)
The airfoils are keeping the ship just steady enough that Joshua manages the rescue of all three of them. Once aboard, they don’t linger to watch the boat go down but make best possible speed back to civilization.
En route to Mystic:
Oliver has gone aft to check on his brother and draws up short when he sees who the attending physician is. Arden likewise recognizes him: Oliver Samson, brother of Valerie.
Oliver: Arden?
Arden: Hey. Small Verse. Get out of the way.
Arden turns back to his patient. Some bedside manner you got there, Arden. Oliver is not put off.
Oliver: (urgent) We need to talk.
Arden: (working) Yeah.
Joshua, meanwhile, gets Rina settled in one of the passenger seats.
Joshua: You okay?
Rina: (sniffs, coughs) … uhhnnn … ask me later … (cough) … What’s going to happen to the ship? The one I nearly died trying to save?
Joshua: You died? You nearly died saving them. (points aft)
Nika: (from the bridge) It’s staying there. If it survives, you can take a fishing vessel out there and pull it back in. I don’t care.
Rina: (coughs) … You mean, we’re just leaving it there … ?
Joshua: We have the people and you. That's the important thing.
Arden calls back to get a blanket on her, have someone sit next to her, keep her warm.
Joshua: Let’s get you warm. You almost drowned.
Rina: Dammit!
She strikes the bulkhead in frustration and regret: so damned close! And that makes Arden turn around.
Arden: What?
Joshua: (low) She’s pissed about the ship. If that tells you anything.
Arden: Not really.
Joshua: She wanted the ship.
Arden: (incredulous) It’s fish food.
Joshua: I know it is. I don’t have any problem with that.
Arden: Okay.
Kiera leaves von Braun to tend to Rina.
Kiera: Sit still. Take a deep breath.
Rina: (cough) A what?
Kiera: A deep breath. I need to see if you took on water in your lungs.
Oh yes, she did. Kiera can hear it plain as day through her stethoscope. And there’s no telling what was in that water, either. The engine room would not have been antiseptically clean.
Kiera: Hey Arden, while you’re having Old Home Week, can you pass me some antibiotics so we can get it in her? She went and breathed ocean water.
Arden: You make it sound like I’m just, you know, hobnobbing, and I’m not.
Kiera: Oh no, I figured you were ogling the hot girl but that’s okay … You’re welcome, but that’s okay.
Arden: Now that there’s someone pretty on board …
Kiera: Ow! I’m not the pretty doctor anymore? (dramatic facepalm) My heart breaks!
Rina: (husks) I’ll gut him for you. Just gimme a knife.
Kiera: I don’t need you to gut him. That’s okay, because I could guide back to life what he almost lost. (pats Rina’s arm) It’s okay, you’re in better hands, dear.
Joshua shakes his head over this and climbs up to the bridge.
Joshua: Nika? Fantastic flying, Captain. We couldn’t have done that, in any form, without you—fantastic. (a beat) And that was totally invigorating, I would like to say.
Nika: (pleased) You’re insane. Go kick Arden in the ankle. That’s a direct order.
Arden: (from below) Why? What did I do?
Kiera: You haven’t handed me any antibiotics yet. Rina, bare a breast at him so he’ll give me the antibiotic patch to stick on you.
Rina: Not on your life.
Arden gets kicked—albeit gently—on the Captain’s orders and so it goes. Things are back to normal with the crew. Nika flies us back to Mystic with the bickering and the bantering drifting up to her ears.
Mystic, New Canaan
A little later
Once we’re all back on dry land and dry, we settle down and introductions are made. The stunning woman is Adele Campion, a Registered Companion to Frederick von Braun, the ex-husband of the late Valerie Samson. The two other men are Oliver Samson and Armand Khan. Von Braun and Khan are of the upper class. Von Braun has his ship parked in orbit above New Canaan and we debate flying him there to give him access to the medical facilities aboard it. There seems little point, not after we’re told that our facilities aboard the Gift are comparable and we have more doctors, to boot. We decide to care for him aboard the Gift and get him installed in our med bay. Rina’s restricted to med bay with Kiera monitoring her lungs. Oliver is also up for an exam, since he was exposed to the water and crap in it, too. Joshua hands Adele into a chair and starts asking questions.
Joshua: Adele?
Adele: (weary) Yes?
Joshua: What the hell were you doing out there?
Adele: Well … We were whale watching for a while and there were some weather reports coming in. Frederick was having a fight with the crew over whether or not it was safe enough to go. He thought it would be another day before the storm blew in. The crew demanded more money first and then he got angry and fired them, and said he could sail the boat without them.
Nika: Lovely.
Adele: At that stage, had I thought about it … I found about some of this after the fact, after we were already at sea before I discovered the crew was gone. I requested that we return, he refused. The predicament we got into was the natural course of events.
Joshua: Sure. I’m just happy everybody is relatively okay.
Nika: So … who owns the boat?
Adele: It’s Frederick’s.
Nika: Oh, well. He’s the only one out any money. Cuz it’s a lost cause.
Adele says he probably has insurance but she doubts he’ll be pleased. He’s alive. That’s something. Right? It’s at this point that Arden reveals he knew Frederick von Braun in college and that von Braun married Valerie.
Nika: What? Oh, God.
Joshua: Small Verse. Incredibly small Verse.
Arden: And this is Valerie’s brother.
Oliver: Yes … Hi.
Nika: Nice to meet you.
Joshua: Hi.
Maybe Kiera wasn’t that far off when she said it was Old Home Week.
Joshua: It’s a pleasure. It actually is.
Oliver: Do you … do you trust these people?
Joshua: Yes.
Arden: I’ve been travelling with them now for what? Five years?
More like three.
Adele: I’d like to say it was purely coincidence that we ran across you, but …
Arden: It wasn’t?
Adele: No. When Frederick found out about Valerie’s death, he went off the edge. He wanted to seek you out.
Arden: I thought they were divorced. Weren’t they?
Nika: That doesn’t change the way people feel about it.
Joshua: It wasn’t Arden’s fault.
Adele: They weren’t divorced.
Arden: Oh. Valerie told me they were.
Huh. We all look at the unconscious von Braun on the next bed over. Rina starts to put the pieces together. Valerie was in prison. Von Braun was in prison. He was let go and went missing. She wasn’t let go and she— Kiera tells her to stop talking, she’s trying to listen to Rina’s lungs. Arden’s looking over Oliver in turn. Hell, Nika is having everyone looked over. Just in case. Nika lounges in the doorway of the wardroom, taking everything in. Adele picks up the thread of the conversation when we’re settled again.
Adele: I knew there had to be a good explanation for what happened to her and I was hoping to dissuade him, but … I don’t know what he thinks is going to happen. Maybe now since you’ve saved him, he may have a change of heart. But you know Frederick …
Arden: Yeah.
Joshua: (to Arden) So. Is this guy an ass?
Arden: I wouldn’t go that far.
Oliver: Oh yes, he’s an ass.
Joshua: Okay.
Adele: And unfortunately he’s become a bit unhinged after her death.
Joshua: How unhinged are we talking about?
Nika: Is he going to wake up and be a danger to my crew?
Arden: Or me?
Adele: Well, I imagine you can prevent him from being a danger but once he’s awake and functional, he might … All I can say is, he’s brought his dueling gear.
Kiera’s got Rina on an inhaler and at the mention of the gear, Kiera’s head whips right around.
Kiera: Dueling?
Nika: What?!
Joshua: But this wasn’t Arden’s fault.
Kiera laughs heartily and apologizes. Nika tells us how it’s going to be.
Nika: You know what? Make sure he’s stable, make sure he’s okay. Drop him off at the clinic in the town.
Arden: Who cares? And what clinic in what town?
Nika: Isn’t there a clinic in town?
Adele: There’s a doctor who lives there.
Nika: So there is a doctor or something. There is somebody.
Joshua: Better hope he’s not the vet.
Nika: I don’t care. If he’s stable and he’s okay, he doesn’t need to be aboard while someone tries to run a sword through our doctor.
Arden: I would really appreciate a sword not being run through me, thanks.
Adele: You could strap him down. He doesn’t have his sword with him.
Arden: No. Just dueling pistols.
Adele: Oh, he doesn’t have them. They’re on his ship.
Nika: You mean the ship that just went down?
Adele: No, the ship in space.
Nika: Oh. Well then we just won’t take you there.
Arden: We won’t take him there?
Nika: Look, we can’t drop him off if the only doctor in town is a vet.
Kiera: But that’s okay. He just needs to stay unconscious so he can heal.
Adele: And it will be some time before he’s well enough to fight a duel.
Arden: Dr. Kiera can be his main medical contact. And I’ll just avoid him.
Nika: All right. That would be a good plan.
After all, von Braun doesn’t know Arden’s even here. He was unconscious by the time Arden got to him.
Kiera: Uh-huh. And besides, if worst comes to worst, sometimes you need to be put into a light coma to heal.
Arden: No that would be a bad idea. His heart stopped once already. Inducing a coma would kill him.
Kiera: All right, but you know sometimes these sorts of things happen.
Nika: We want him okay. We didn’t save him just to kill him or anything stupid.
Kiera: All right. We’re good.
Good? Are we?
Joshua: So far, we only got two people we need to keep away from other people. We have one guy on the ship that needs to stay away from the sheriff, and one guy on the ship that needs to stay away from Arden.
Arden: (to Adele) How long are you on contract for?
Adele: Oh, I’m off contract with him. As soon as he refused to take me back to shore, we were done.
Arden: Well, let me show you to a room where you can rest and clean up.
Joshua: (stepping in)We have a first class cabin.
Kiera’s fussing with Rina with an inhaler and the engineer is resisting, slapping the damned thing away. She coughs and clears her throat and addresses the room.
Rina: Wait. Wait. Could I ask just one question? Last I heard of Valerie’s husband, he was taken into custody on … on Osiris in summer of … ’18. So, how did he get here? Why is he not still in custody?
Joshua: One question?
Rina: All right. There’s three! So sue me. (coughs)
Kiera: (to Joshua) You’re making her strain her voice. (to Rina) Suck on that thing again.
Kiera slaps the inhaler mask over Rina’s face and holds it there.
Adele: He’s Frederick von Braun. Do you think they could keep him in custody for more than a few hours?
Arden: He is one of the richest men on Osiris.
Nika: And why would they continue to keep him in custody, quite frankly? We weren’t interested in him, he knew nothing about us and he couldn’t give them any information.
Kiera: Wait a minute. They had—?
Nika: They were holding him hostage to make Valerie do whatever they wanted. And they brainwashed her. And once that was done, they didn’t need him anymore.
Rina: (through the mask) And he didn’t try to get her out?
Nika: How was anybody going to know that except him?
Adele: Besides, you can be killed with impunity because you’re nobodies. Killing him or keeping him in jail for an extended period of time would be hard to explain to all the Admirals and government people.
Joshua: Money buys power.
Rina: And doing something to his wife wouldn’t have repercussions, either?
Joshua: Not necessarily.
Nika: Not necessarily, if he agreed to it.
Joshua: She’s not the one with the money and the power.
Rina: If he agreed to it? (coughs)
Nika: He clearly didn’t raise hell about it, did he?
Rina looks about ready to kill him. Nika’s not too far behind her. Joshua tries to smooth Rina’s ruffled feathers, telling her to rest. Adele is quick to remind us that she was made personal physician to an MP.
Adele: It wasn’t like she was thrown into jail to rot. I mean, yes, she was used as a mole but she wasn’t publically flogged or anything. She went on to have a career.
Rina: (groaning) My head hurts.
Rina flops back on the bed and finally lets Kiera minister to her without resistance. Adele is escorted to the first class cabin. We all take a breather while Joshua rustles up some grub for everyone. Nothing like a good meal to ground you after unsettling events. Kiera makes sure the patients are settled and she takes the precaution of strapping von Braun down against his waking up agitated and disoriented. She straps Rina down for good measure, forcing the engineer to stay on the inhaler. Adele retires to her cabin and everyone else—minus Kiera—gathers in the forward lounge, taking up the couches and chairs at the table. It’s not long before the aroma of a good chowder drifts out of the galley and Khan approaches Arden.
Khan: Dr Arden.
Arden: Yes.
Khan: I feel awkward doing this but I am bound by honor to do this. Because I am a Second for von Braun …
Khan: I am afraid I must challenge you to a duel.
Arden: (puzzled) You can … if you really want, considering I saved your life but … hey. (shrugs)
Khan: And that’s why I feel somewhat—
Arden: You don’t have to challenge me. That’s not the second’s job.
Joshua: (leaning in to Arden) Actually. Yes, it is.
Arden: No it isn’t. Seconds take the First’s place if they can’t duel.
Nika: As yet, you haven’t been challenged officially.
Khan: I feel it would be inappropriate for me to not issue it, at least. Now if you will give me your word of honor that you will stay around long enough for Frederick to wake up and decide if he wishes to pursue this, then I would step back. As a gentleman.
Arden: I go where my ship goes. If my ship leaves before he recovers, then I’m sorry.
Khan: Do you have any influence over your ship?
Arden: Some. Not a lot. But some.
Joshua: (to Arden, quietly) More than you think.
Arden: (right back) I know.
Khan just stares.
Arden: I will do what honor demands. However I do not think that there is an honor offense here.
Khan: It’s not here that is the offense. This has to do with the man’s … wife.
Arden: I was under the impression they were no longer a couple.
Khan: I don’t know what you think I believe what the offense was. I’m referring of course to her death, not any other … things you may have done.
Arden: I have not done anything else.
Joshua: Or even that.
Arden: (to Joshua) Stop. (to Khan) And just what are the circumstances of this death, as you understand it?
Khan: From what we understand, she … died on Colchester during some sort of … terrorist activity.
Oh, really? Arden and Rina’s eyes both widen at this one, before we both bust out laughing.
Khan: I believe that’s an accurate description.
Joshua: Yeah, that’s actually 100% accurate.
Nika: Yeah! Bu that’s exactly what we expected too, which is why I was laughing.
Khan: Wasn’t she in your presence for that time?
Arden: Because she was under arrest the same time as we were. Yes, she was in my presence.
Khan: She was arrested with you?
Nika: She was under arrest for being the assassin of the Prime Minister.
Joshua: I think we were all under arrest at that point.
Nika: But we weren’t there when she got arrested.
Khan: But that’s not where she died. She died on Colchester.
Arden: Despite my trying to save her life.
Khan: Perhaps if you explained the circumstances to Frederick he will change his mind.
Arden: Yeah. And maybe the sun will come up in the west.
Khan: I will attest that you saved his life. Or at least, by their comments, your crewmates seem to think you did. I didn’t see it, so I don’t know. Somebody on the ship did.
Nika: (steamed, muttering) Antiquated farkin’ rituals …
Arden: Now just assuming you and I had a duel, and assuming you were dead, who’s going to take care of him? (points to Frederick). That doesn’t serve anyone’s honor.
Khan: You mean, if I were to die?
Arden: Uh-huh.
Khan looks Arden over with a critical eye.
Khan: Well, I suppose that is a possibility. Were I to die, then I imagine the crew of the ship would have to take him to safety somewhere
Arden: (oh really?) You think, huh? You mean the crew of this ship or the crew of your ship?
Khan: The crew of our ship.
Nika: So let me get this straight. This antiquated ritual of yours requires that you in lieu of the gentleman who wants to issue a challenge, which technically isn’t your job to do but you feel it necessary to go ahead and issue the challenge. Well, being your First is out of commission, I believe it’s also your responsibility to be the person who partakes of the challenge. Yes?
Joshua: Yes, that’s what he’s saying.
Arden: Yes.
Nika: So who gets to choose when that happens?
Khan: In honor of your … position as Captain of this ship, I will … ignore the tone that you took. If you want to school me on what my responsibilities of honor are—
Nika: Get him off my ship. Now.
Arden: He’s not my responsibility.
Nika: Joshua.
Joshua: Yes, ma’am. (to Khan) Come with me.
Joshua promptly takes the appropriate steps. Step One: Move Khan away from Nika.
Khan: Arden, if you value the lives of your crewmates, you might wish to consider this duel.
Nika: Shoot him on his way out the door.
Joshua: I will not doing that but … (to Khan) … Come with me.
Khan: If he can’t meet you in honorable combat, he’ll find another way.
Joshua gets him out of there, taking the stairs to the airlock. Step Two: Figure out what to do next.
Khan: If you would—
Joshua: Yes, sir?
Khan: I don’t know if this town has adequate communications to reach orbit but if you would contact our ship, I would appreciate it.
Joshua: And what would you like me to tell them?
Khan: Tell them that we are stuck on this little … city, this little place.
Joshua: Okay. I’ll do that.
Khan: Thank you for rescuing us. If we can compensate you in some way for your lost time—
Joshua: We’ll be in touch with you about that.
Khan: I know you’ve lost money.
Joshua: We’ll be in touch.
They step off the last tread of the airlock stairs and stand on the dirt of New Canaan. Joshua helpfully points out the Mystic’s single inn, The Albatross, and waves the man on his way.
Step Three: Smooth things over with the Captain.
Meanwhile, Arden checks with Oliver who has remained quiet throughout this entire episode.
Arden: You okay?
Oliver: So … we’re all off your ship? Is that what you’re saying?
Nika: Oh, no. Just him. (hooks a thumb toward the airlock) I told Joshua to escort him off. Period. What Joshua does with him from that point on is on him.
Nika stalks off to her quarters and shuts the door. Joshua walks back into the lounge in the middle of Oliver declaring that perhaps they all should get off the ship, it might be better for everyone.
Oliver: If Frederick is safe to move, I think we should all go down. There’s no sense in—
Arden: I think he should be kept under observation for at least a night. You can move him tomorrow, I’m sure.
Joshua: Stay.
Oliver: I don’t think we’re very welcome here.
Arden: I don’t have a problem with him being here. I have a problem with him wanting to duel with me.
Oliver: I can’t leave Lord Khan down there by himself.
Arden: Lord Khan? Lord of who? Lord of what?
Oliver: He’s just a lord. They throw these titles around like … I can’t—
Joshua: So you feel like you can’t leave the ship?
Oliver: I can’t leave him there (points to med bay), but I can’t leave him there either. (points outside)
Joshua: Okay.
And he turns right around to go outside and talk to Khan. Khan’s already walked away from the Gift and Joshua catches up with him.
Joshua: Stop. (a beat) Come back.
Khan stops and waits for Joshua to explain.
Joshua: My honor, my duty aboard the ship—I’m actually torn between two duties— Oliver feels he can’t stay on board if you can’t stay on board.
Khan: He’s a good man.
Joshua: Yes, and if he can’t stay on board, then he’s not leaving von Braun behind, and that could possibly kill him. So I think it’s my duty to say “Come back on board.” We have a cabin we can put you in and we will contact your ship and get things straightened out as quickly as possible. I would strongly suggest for everyone’s sake that you stay out of contact with the Captain and let me take the beating I’m about to take.
Khan: Spoken like a true gentleman.
Khan turns back for the Gift and Joshua walks with him. Meanwhile back on the Gift, Oliver is telling Arden what’s involved in a duel. It’s either swords or guns. You know, twenty paces or stabby-stabby. And it’s hard-core: to the death. Others might leave off after first blood or satisfaction served … but Arden won’t be so lucky. Oh, and it’s legal, right? Oh no. Not really. If there were witnesses, it most definitely would be a matter for prosecution.
Lovely.
Joshua sets the guests up in the first class accommodations. Done, he goes to find Nika in her cabin. He knocks on her door.
Joshua: Captain.
Nika: (from inside) What?
Joshua: He’s back on board.
Nika: Stop there.
Joshua: I don’t care, Captain.
Nika: Come in.
Joshua: Thank you.
Joshua steps inside and closes the door.
Joshua: Back on board because otherwise everyone was leaving and that was going to kill him. (off her look) I don’t care. I know it’s against a direct order.
Nika: So, I’m the Captain when it suits you.
Joshua: You’re the Captain. I’ve no problem unless you give an order that might kill somebody. In that case, I might have one. (a beat) You wouldn’t’ve given this order anyway. When you calm down—
Nika: Don’t give me face.
Joshua: What face did I give you?
Nika: Don’t give me face. Cuz you’re not gonna—No. No. Hn-uhn.
Joshua: You can do what you want to me. I’m not letting somebody else die because we’re gonna ship them off because you’re pissed at him and he’s pissed at you.
Nika: We saved those ungrateful bastards’ lives.
Joshua: I didn’t say if it was fair or not—
Nika: No. You know what? I have zero interest in listening to your justifications for any of this.
Joshua: Fine. As long as he stays where he stays.
Nika: Find him a place in town, Joshua.
Joshua: I’ll do that tomorrow.
Nika: Get out.
Joshua: (nods) Captain.
Joshua leaves and shuts the door. Step Four: Reprimand given, ass reamed.
Joshua: Whew.
Meanwhile Arden is in the med bay checking up on Kiera’s course treatment of Rina. She hands him the readouts of the past hour and he flips through them as they quietly confer out of earshot.
Arden: How is she? Has she got a bad case of water on the lungs?
Kiera: Just a little bit. I’ve got her on that medicated inhaler.
Arden: I can give her something in the inhaler to clear up the lungs if it gets bad.
Kiera: I’d figured you’d do that. She’s coughed up enough water but it’s going to strain her.
Arden: I’m sure her lungs are inflamed. (flips through the pages)
Kiera: Oh, yeah. Now that you’re here to take over, I’m going to wander over to look at the guy who can pay me a lot of money.
Arden: You mean the guy who’s unconscious?
Kiera: Yeah the one who can pay me lots of money for taking care of him.
So, what’s the story with this guy and you, she asks Arden.
Arden: Valerie. Valerie was an old flame of mine in college.
Kiera: (groks) Ohh.
Arden: But she married him instead of staying with me.
Kiera: And this is causin’ problems.
Arden: It’s not causing problems with me but … Valerie was with us several months ago when she died.
Kiera: Oh, she’s dead.
Arden: Now. After she got turned into the Manchurian Candidate and assassinated the Prime Minister.
And then Arden tells her about it. At the end of it, Arden says that von Braun has always been jealous of Arden’s relationship with Valerie, even though it was von Braun who introduced them. At some point in all this, Joshua walks into med bay.
Joshua: What’s his condition?
Arden: He’s unconscious, he needs to be kept on the ventilator until he wakes up.
Joshua: You have any idea how long?
Arden: It depends on how much sea water he took in and how long he was in it.
Joshua: A few hours, a few days?
If we got him to a real hospital, it would still be weeks before he was restored back to full health. And such hospitals aren’t exactly thick on the ground hereabouts. But he’ll be conscious in a day or two. We’ll know his condition better by then. When he wakes up we can take him off the machine and after that, it’s all rehab. Joshua states we need to get him off the ship, as soon as possible.
Kiera: Why?
Joshua: Cuz Nika’s going to kill him. Or … (points to Arden) … he’s going to get killed. Or Nika’s going to kill me. So either one of those options are a possibility.
Arden: Or he’s going to kill me. (Points to von Braun)
Kiera: Why is he going to kill you?
Arden: He wants to duel me.
Kiera: He wants to what?
Arden: He wants to duel me over Valerie.
Joshua: With pistols.
Arden: Or swords, probably. Who knows.
Arden tells her about the duel. He’s not sure if the crime addressed by the duel was the fact that Valerie died when she was with him or because of the great shame that was brought upon von Braun from her assassination of the Prime Minister—an action we indirectly helped her accomplish, however unwittingly, by delivering her into striking distance. As Arden tells her the whole tale, Kiera upgrades von Braun’s restraints from arm straps to leg straps.
Kiera: You all don’t have this place miked, do you, at all?
Joshua: I don’t have it miked. I don’t mike anything.
Kiera: All right. Then I got a question. How much does he know about injuries—the people with him, what injuries he had?
Joshua: I gather not a tremendous amount other than he’s unconscious and that we in theory saved his life although he did not see that himself so he cannot attest to it. (mimics Khan’s voice) I say, I cannot attest to that.
Kiera: Arden, you know him better than I do. What’s the likelihood that he’s gonna be monetarily grateful to us for saving his life as opposed to “I will name something in your honor”?
Arden: He is your typical snotty noble.
Kiera: All right. Highly unlikely.
Joshua: Lord Khan did say he would compensate us if necessary. He didn’t say specifically how much and I didn’t ask, leaving it open. I told him we’d be in touch.
Kiera flips through her mental social registry looking for the name Khan. The Khans are minor rich.
Kiera: Hmm. Rina what kinda tools do you have down in the room? You can take it off your mouth, you can talk.
Rina: What kind of tools to you need? What’s the job?
Kiera: I need some blunt trauma, about this big or so. (measures with her hands)
Rina immediately gets it and barks out a laugh. She doesn’t do too badly for someone whose lungs were filled with water an hour ago. Kiera explains to the men that von Braun’s party have no way to know that von Braun didn’t brain himself on the hull of his ship when he went overboard and the blunt trauma would gain us some time.
Rina: A shovel will do.
Kiera: That’s all I need.
Joshua: (to Rina) Please say you didn’t suggest that we kill him on the sly.
Kiera: Kill him? Oh no. Just a little blunt force trauma to knock him out for another month and a half. See, this is why you let him heal for a day or two and then wait when he’s in the room where nobody can see him.
Joshua: Okay, you know that point where you get angry at me for saying, “No, don’t do that.”?
Kiera: Mm-hm.
Joshua: “No, don’t do that.” We are not doing that. By the way, you’re a doctor. (turns to Arden) And also so are you. But you’ve been doing a good job. (turns back) You’re a doctor. You don’t hurt people. That’s the way that works. At least, that’s the last time I understood it. Right?
Kiera: Okay.
Joshua: Good. Don’t knock him over the head.
Kiera: I’m not going to knock him over the head. I’m gonna knock him into the head. Subtle thing.
Joshua: No, no. Spirit of the Law, ma’am. Leave him be. The faster he wakes up, the faster we get him off the ship and the less likely—Look. I mostly just want him off the ship. If Khan is right in the fact that if he doesn’t challenge you to a duel and he starts doing other things, that’s in some respects—I don’t want you in a duel but …. how much money does this guy have?
Arden: Lots?
Joshua: How much is lots?
Arden: How much can you imagine? Double it.
Joshua: I actually can’t imagine that much so maybe we should ask Kiera. Who I imagine can imagine lots of money. How much can you imagine?
Kiera: Oh, a frightening amount.
Arden: Now double it.
Joshua: Okay. Now the problem is—
Kiera turns to Arden with an upraised finger.
Kiera: See, now if you’d’ve recognized him sooner, I could’a shoved him out the other port, but you didn’t tell me that an’ I could’a just let him roll out the other side when you about lost it.
Arden: Hey now that’s your psyche that’s bad, not mine.
Joshua: I am not hearing this.
Rina could stand to hear a little more.
Joshua: I am not hearing this. I am not hearing you rolling him out.
Kiera: Right now considering he might get people killed, and right now they’re my family. It’s a mob thing.
Arden: If his ship can give him satisfactory medical care, then they can definitely take him and treat him there.
Joshua: Which is fine. Just get him off. Whenever he wakes up, we’ll take him back. Assuming Nika says it’s okay and she doesn’t kill me.
Kiera: All right, then go ahead an’ let Little Lord Fauntleroy in to look at him.
Joshua: Actually, I’d rather not do that.
Kiera: Well, he needs to verify the care.
Joshua: No. No, he doesn’t. He can do that tomorrow. (gestures to von Braun) Don’t kill him.
Kiera: (eyeroll) I’m not gonna kill’im.
Joshua: He can stay in his cabin. He can stay here. Med bay. And we’ll be happy, glorious, fun people.
Arden: Yeah, my whole opinion was, he can want to duel me all he wants. Doesn’t mean it’s gonna happen.
Joshua: Yeah I get it. I’d rather you not.
Arden: I do too.
Kiera wants to know when Arden thinks von Braun will be up and at reasonable strength. Hmm. For a drowning victim? More like a week. Minimum.
Joshua: Just so he’s strong enough to travel so we can get him—
Kiera: If he’s strong enough to travel, he’s strong enough to realize … (points to Arden) … that he is still down here and to proceed with plans.
Arden: So far, he hasn’t seen me.
Joshua: So maybe you should stay out of medical.
Kiera: Yeah. But what are you gonna do. Erase yourself from the memories of the other two people who know you?
Arden: You know of a way to do that?
Kiera: (drawls) Yeah … it involves a shovel, but that’s okay. I’ve already been strictly forbidden from gardening work.
Arden: Gardening work. I like that. That’s a new one.
Joshua: We’ll figure it out.
If we can get them in the shuttle and aboard the ship in orbit—named the Valdric—all to the good.
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