Last Voyage of Delilah, Episode 106: Newhall, New Directions, Part 3

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Valentine: Is there any way we can find out—
Tian: Gorrammit! Are we just going to keep jumping from planet to planet to try and stay ahead of the Alliance Navy? Because if so, I think it's time to have the discussion of at least leaving me and the crate here and you guys getting out of here.
Rachel: Now, why in the world would we do that, Tian?

Valentine sighs. He knows of Tian's trouble with her military exit. Vikki also knows some of it. Both of them can see the direction Tian's thoughts are going, even though the others aren't able to follow: give herself up to give the others a chance to escape.

Valentine: (steely) Look. This is not the place to drop you off. It's going to be a long time before there's going to be another ship of any sort.
Tian: (steely right back) If this is what they actually want, it's easier to walk in through the front door.
Valentine: Not going to do it. We're not going to jump to any of those sorts of conclusions, yet.
Rachel: I'm gonna say that there was a whole undertone that just happened that I don't even remotely begin to understand. I don't know why we're gonna leave you here, honey. It ain't gonna happen. (firm) For whatever reason.
Tian: Basically, I'm thinking there are two ways that this could go. One is they're going to try to escape with me which is what they said they wanted to do or they're—
Rachel: From what?
Vikki: Well … let's just say that when she left the Navy, they weren't quite happy with her war record. So, you know, they're … (grimaces) …
Rachel: Stop. (to Tian) Do you want us to know? You ain't said nuthin' so far.
Tian: There's not been anything to say. I didn't do anything wrong. But that doesn't play well in the media. And somebody needs to pay for Vandenburg. Somebody needs to pay for the fact that Boros was carpet bombed.

Everyone's silent for a beat. Boros has always been a world divided, split evenly between Alliance and Independent factions. In peacetime, they made it work. During the second U War, however, the Alliance carpet bombed Boros in their retreat as a vicious scorched-earth play. Nasty rumors claimed the Independents did it with help from the Alliance side. Someone had to be responsible for the betrayal of half the planet. At her exit interview, Tian got the unspoken message loud and clear: once the Navy found a scrap of plausible evidence to support it, that someone would be her.

Valentine: And you're my responsibility for another couple of days. So I'm not leaving you here. We can talk about it when we get to Beylix. It's a better drop off point if you decide you want to leave the ship or if I have to get rid of it and you'd need to go to some other place. In the here and now—
Tian: I didn't think that coming out here was going to mean I was running constantly.
Valentine: Well, we all have misconceptions and confusion as to what's going to happen in our lives, so this will be nothing new. So … (getting back on topic) … Can he lock us from anywhere on the planet?

Not exactly. Like an FM signal, it's strictly line-of-sight at the ports. That doesn't rule out transponders and repeaters.

Valentine: If it requires line of sight for a landlock, I think if we leave without him and he's awake, then he might landlock us right then and there.
Poco: Well, he can't do it when we're in the air.
Rachel: The only way we're takin' off is with him aboard, besides.
Poco: Unless, of course, he shows up with a gorram army.

Valentine: (fed up) Where's he going to get a gorram army? Why a
m I using that word? Rachel: I don't reckon there's anything comin'. Vikki: I'm with her, actually. (nods at Rachel) I think we should just do the humanitarian thing. Go to the next village over. See if we can help this girl and her dad.
Tian: The longer you guys on the planet, the more likely is that the Alliance will have a patrol ship out there when we leave atmo.
Rachel: So we'll just dodge 'em when we get on up there. 'Lilah can do it.
Poco: No.
Rachel: You've fixed the ship. You know she can do it.
Poco: No. She can't do it so well right now.
Vikki: Look, if we're going down, let's go down helping people.
Valentine: We'll leave at 6 and we'll have him on board. To be honest, he's the kind of guy I would rather have close to me so I can pay attention to him than having him off somewhere where he might be causing trouble where I can't see him.
Vikki: Do you want me to let him get to first base?

Poco chokes.

Tian: Whoa!
Vikki: I didn't say home run, I said first base.
Valentine: Vikki. I'm not going to order y—Vikki. Focus with me. I am never going to order you to do anything like that. I am going to say that he's your responsibility at this point. You need to be the one keeping an eye on him and making sure he doesn't do anything, like say … like sneaking into sensitive areas of the ship and that he doesn't sabotage anything. So keep an eye on him and that will be your responsibility on the flight over. Okay?
Vikki: Okay.

Done. One down, one to go. He turns to Tian. She has an island of people to treat.

Valentine: And your responsibility is to find a way to convince them, as quickly as possible, so that we can make that trip out of here. I'll give you no more than two days and really it can't be much more than a day.
Tian: We can't be there that long.
Valentine: If you can't get it done in a day, then we leave.
Tian: If I can't convince this gentleman that his daughter is worried about him and that she would like him to be checked out, I'm not going to fight him about it. It's not my place to force medical treatment on anyone.
Valentine: So. We all know what we're supposed to do?
Vikki: Yes.
Valentine: Oh-six-hundred. Might as well go get some sleep.
Vikki: Sleep fast. (to Tian) You need to sleep.

Tian takes to her quarters and it takes her a long time to fall asleep. When she sleeps, she has nightmares. Screaming ones. Vikki is in the next bunk over and runs to her friend's side. Valentine comes over as well. Appalled, Tian waves them off. Valentine exits and closes the door behind him to spare her further embarrassment but Vikki stands firm.

Tian: No, I'm fine. I'm sorry I woke you up.
Vikki: I'm going to ask you what you asked me. Do you need something to sleep?
Tian: No.
Vikki: You sure about that?
Tian: Yes.

Vikki doesn't believe it for a gorram second. She slides under the covers, wraps her arms around Tian, and cuddles the older woman to help her go to sleep. Eventually, Tian does. If she dreams, neither woman is aware of it.

Wednesday, 28 Feb 2525
0600, local time

0600 arrives and so does Boykin, at 0559.

Vikki: I'll go get him.
Valentine: He's your responsibility, so yes, you will go get him.

She's dressed so she's good for that. She lets him through the entrance door of the cargo ramp. Boykin's wearing his uniform but he's also wearing a flak jacket that's a little too big for him. It hangs on his frame. He's wearing his side arm too. As he walks aboard, he pulls a comm from his belt and thumbs it live.

Boykin: Barney.

No answer.

Boykin: (yells) Barney!
Barney: (Mumbling)
Boykin: Barney. I'm getting on the ship. So, I'll contact you, right? If I don't, you know what to do. Barney! You know what to—no. Take your finger off the button. Barney.

Boykin gives up, thumbs his comm off, and puts it back on his belt. He looks around the hold and tugs his Security cap a little tighter on his head, swaggers a little bit. Vikki greets him and leads him to the stairs up. She notices that his gaze lingers on the IRP containers but she doesn't try to stop him—that would only call attention to them.

Boykin: All right. (swaggers) I got a few million miles of space travel myself. So … if you need any help with anything, I can help you out.
Vikki: So you weren't originally from here?
Boykin: Nope, nope.
Vikki: Where are you from?
Boykin: I'm from Beaumonde.
Vikki: (beams) Beaumonde! Oh, I hear that's pretty shiny. What part?
Boykin: Southern Continent.
Vikki: Oh nice. Now, I've heard of Nouveau Lyon, but where's that?
Boykin: It's … south. (looks around) Don't we gotta strap down or somethin'?
Vikki: Oh, yes. Up this side. Over here.

She shows him to the lounge on the top deck and gets him settled. Valentine meets him there.

Valentine: Hello. If you hear any odd rattling—
Boykin: Yeah, I'm used to all that stuff.
Valentine: I'm sure. You've got a few million miles of space travel on me.
Boykin: Yeah, I've been around.

He looks a little disappointed at the condition of the ship, as if he'd thought it would be in better shape.

Vikki: She's a fixer-upper.

Meanwhile, Rachel is crooning to Delilah as she warms everything up for take-off. C'mon, Baby, you can do it. Poco's doing his magic in the engine room. It's still hideously hot in there but in deference for our guest, Poco's got a loincloth and headband on.

Our ship lifts off and flies to the next island over without a hitch. Rachel's been to so many worlds across her career that the places she's been are now all blurred together but something about Banggi Island stirs in her memory. It's starfish shape is distinctive and she's fairly certain she's been there before. She finds out with some chagrin that the place where she landed before (near a logging area) has been wiped out by what looks to be a mudslide. Currently there's no clear place large enough to land, except on a stretch of beach.

Rachel: I like the beach. Why not?

She heads for it, hoping that the sand she sees is above the high tide mark and not low tide. If the tide is low right this moment, in a few hours our ship will be knee deep in water. There's only one way to find out. Rachel lands our ship on the sand. We sink to one side and everything lists a bit, but we're more or less upright. Rachel hits the intercom.

Rachel: Sorry 'bout that, folks. Looks like there was no place to land but the beach. We're a little bit tilt-y right now. Sorry 'bout that.

On the top deck, Boykin and Vikki have unbuckled to watch their approach from the observation windows all around. When the ship leans, Boykin grabs Vikki around the waist to keep her from falling. Rachel's voice over the PA reminds him that they aren't alone and so his overture goes no further. Anticipating being greeted by the villagers, Vikki scampers off to get the camera for PR footage.

Camera fetched, they meet in the crew lounge for a brief meeting before going out to the villagers. They ask Boykin for advice, as he's already told Vikki he's been here before. Tian asks him if he knows if she and Vikki are to wear scarves over their hair.

Boykin: Well, usually I try to keep a firm distinction between us and them. If they feel any weakness, you know, they can kind of sense it—
Valentine: Like sharks or wolves.
Boykin: Yeah, like sharks or wolves, and they will take advantage of that sort of thing.
Rachel: Howdy.
Boykin: Ma'am.

She holds out her hand, as she hasn't yet met Boykin. He shakes it.

Rachel: What're we talkin' 'bout sheeps and wolves, now?
Boykin: Oh, well there a concern expressed by one of the ladyfolk there that you might be mistreated by the natives here.
Tian: I'm not concerned about being mistreated. I was worried about showing respect because they have not requested help, I'm offering help.
Boykin: Well, yeah, that's important too.
Vikki: Why don't we just dress like the girl you saw?
Poco: (gravelly) Because that may also be offensive.
Tian: Right, it may be offensive to … presume.
Vikki: Okay. Split the difference? We wear pants but we cover our heads?
Tian: Sure.
Rachel: What are you coverin' your—All right.
Poco: Maybe if I'm steppin' off ship I should be clothed.
Valentine: That would actually be a good first step.

Everyone's amused at that. We've become inured to his nakedness aboard the ship but yes, the natives might find him a mite alarming without clothes. Valentine draws Tian aside as the crew watches from the windows for the villagers' arrival.

Valentine: What's your plan, Doctor? You gonna try and bring it to them?
Tian: I was simply going to approach the girl's father. Come at it from the viewpoint of "Your daughter was concerned about you. She was concerned enough about you that she asked me some questions when she realized that the description of this illness fit the symptoms that you've been having." That she wondered maybe it was not a curse but an illness and she asked me if I could come and check. Because she worries for him.
Valentine: Okay. It's your play. Do you know who her father is?
Tian: She gave me the name of the man who leads the group.
Valentine: And do we know if she's actually back?

Not exactly, no, but there was a day between Val leaving her village's boat on the dock and our departure from Salt City. It's possible she and her relatives might have sailed back in time.

Tian: I'm sure there will be a welcoming committee.
Valentine: We do seem to be a little way out of town.

From the windows the crew can see the children of the village have made it to the beach. They seem excited—not that they haven't seen a spaceship before but that they haven't seen THIS spaceship before.

Vikki: Aww, I wish we had candy.
Tian: It's not that far. Let's just go out and see what happens.

Tian decides not to mess with the containers or the clinic before she's sure of their reception. She takes her medical bag instead. Poco and Rachel elect to stay aboard while the others leave. At Valentine's suggestion, Vikki stays aboard as well to give Boykin a tour of the ship. Tian hugs Vikki goodbye.

Tian: (whispers) Keep him out of the cargo.
Vikki: (ditto) Okay.

Rachel parked Delilah so that her rear cargo ramp is upslope on the beach while the nose of the ship points at the waves. Valentine and Tian step off on dry sand instead of wet.

The children mob the ship. They run right aboard. Poco hollers at them to scram! Vikki protests Poco's unfriendly stance. Valentine tells Poco to simmer down. Tian stops one of the older kids.

Tian: Do you speak English.
Child: Yes. I'm speaking it now.
Tian: Just checking. (smiles) I was wondering if I might speak to your Elders.
Child: They're in the village.
Tian: Would you be so kind as to lead me?
Child: (narrowly) For … what?

So we have to pay a toll, perhaps? Rachel fetches her apples and gives them to the children. Hey, sweetlings, you want some apples? The children have never seen apples before. On the island they grow mangoes and other tropical foodstuffs. Rachel cuts one and offers a slice.

Rachel: Try it. It's good.

She's able to bribe the children with the apples and the children agree to take Valentine and Tian to the village. Once they arrive, they see that the other villagers were aware of their arrival—they've just decided not to drop everything and come running as the children had. The leader of the village comes out to greet them.

Harrison bin Akhmal is dressed in a mixture of secular and religious clothing. He's somewhat old, in his 70s, and Tian spots some evidence of the disease in him. She's also spotted some of the children who've been afflicted as well. She approaches and uses her most respectful manners, adapting them on the fly based on his reactions.

Bin Akhmal: What is it that you wish in our village?
Tian: (respectfully) I wish to offer my assistance if you wish to take advantage of it.
Bin Akhmal: And what is this assistance you offer?
Tian: My name is Dr. Grace. One of your young women happened to see the sign I'd put in the village square and she mentioned being extremely concerned about her father. So I took it upon myself to come out and make the offer that I could take a look and see if he is ill.
Bin Akhmal: And you promised to cure his illness.
Tian: I cannot promise anything. I can only tell you I will do my best.

Harrison Bin Akhmal looks at Tian narrowly.

Bin Akhmal: Then tell me, why are you here?
Tian: Because if it is the illness that I have come here to treat, I can certainly—or almost certainly—help the children, because they have a very good recovery rate from this illness. The Elders, sometimes yes, sometimes no. It depends on how far it has spread.
Bin Akhmal: You are a physician, yes?
Tian: Yes.
Bin Akhmal: If someone has a fever, do you always reduce the fever?
Tian: Not always.
Bin Akhmal: Why is that?
Tian: Because sometimes you need the fever to burn out the illness.
Bin Akhmal: Sometimes the symptom is not the cause.
Tian: Very true. This particular illness, however, is one that comes from a mutation in the body's cells. And it can be treated.
Bin Akhmal: Just like a fever can be treated.

Valentine remains quiet and watchful throughout the exchange, trusting Tian to handle the encounter. Bin Akhmal doesn't seem entirely convinced. Or rather, it feels like he's setting Tian up for a rebuttal. Tian is not unaware of it. Rather than go there she verbally withdraws.

Tian: I leave it to your people. I make the offer and nothing more.

At this point, another man struggles to reach them. He's old, has a long beard, and is dressed in religious garb. Helping him walk is the girl who approached Tian in Salt City. Tian bows her head politely and Bin Akhmal straightens a little, his tone is respectful.

Bin Akhmal: Imam.
Imam: (with dignity) My apologies if my daughter who has brought you away from your job. This is a great misfortune and we would wish to compensate you for the fuel and whatever supplies to take your vessel out here on this errand which is a waste of your time.
Tian: (softly) Not at all. No.
Imam: Please be honest, what compensation be adequate? We have credits.
Valentine: She is correct in saying that this is her job. Coming here whether or not you choose to accept what she offers, is part of her job.
Tian: To help cure the illness that is going around is not simply a job to me. It is important. I feel a calling to make a difference.
Imam: When we were visited a few years ago by representatives of Blue Sun, they said they detected vitamin deficiencies in our people, brought on by our diet of primarily rice and fish. And they said, "These supplements will take care of these problems for you." And we accepted their word as a valuable thing to help our people. And for a time, they seemed to be correct. And then as you can see …

He pulls aside his clothing to reveal a horrible growth on the side of his neck. Tian suspects it's invaded his lymph nodes and lymphatic system.

Imam: … Our trust in your science and medicine has been rewarded. And now you would have me believe you have the cure for this.
Tian: (softly) I cannot answer for what Blue Sun did. I can only tell you that I have a calling to help you recover from it.
Imam: You're not representing Blue Sun now?
Tian: No, I am not.
Imam: Who made your medicines?
Tian: My medicines were given me by the Interplanetary Restoration Project.
Imam: And who provided them those medicines?
Tian: Viridian did.

Viridian was Blue Sun's competitor before the war and won the contract to make the Plague treatments at war's end, leaving Blue Sun out of the process.

Imam: Viridian. And they are of a higher moral quality than Blue Sun?
Tian: Sir, I wish that I could say yes. I can only tell you that I know that this particular treatment does work, especially with the children. It is coming at no cost to you. And I would very much like to help your people. I understand why you don't trust. I can't blame you for not trusting. But I can only do what I can do.
Imam: We have our children's futures at heart. If some of us must perish so that others may live more purely, then perhaps that is what our wish is. And that is what we must do to purify ourselves from these pollutions that we put inside us.

How does one get past the belief that this is a moral failing, a punishment for impurity? Tian pauses and continues respectfully.

Tian: Every person in the Verse is affected by this illness. If you choose not to treat it, the most likely outcome is that your society will fall. I would not wish that on anyone but it is your choice to make.
Valentine: (quietly) I'm not a religious man, normally, and I will not pretend to do so. But is it not possible that her arrival is a sign or a signal from Allah that he feels you've been punished enough?

How does that old joke go again? God sends rescue to one of his followers three times yet the man refuses each attempt and dies because God Himself did not rescue him personally.

Imam: You wish to debate … ?
Valentine: I don't wish to debate. Once again, I said I am not a religious person. What I would like to know is what we would be able to do to win your trust? One man or one group came before and spread evil. But not all men are.

Valentine is a keen observer, a skill honed by his years working the casino, and he sees something hanging on the outside of one of the village shacks. It's a mask and he recognizes it. There is another mask very like it in his cabin aboard the ship, a memento his father had left behind in the clutter.

Valentine: Excuse me. This may sound completely off the point but that, over there.
Imam: The mask?
Valentine: Yes, it seems very familiar to me. I think I might have one.
Imam: It is very unlikely. It is used in our people's ceremonies. Not religious ceremonies but …
Valentine: You wouldn't happen to know Lazarus Quick, would you?

Valentine gives a brief description of the man. The Imam and Bin Akhmal draw aside and discuss this. Bin Akhmal returns.

Bin Akhmal: Show me your ship.

Okay. Valentine walks the man to a spot where he can look down on the ship. Bin Akhmal looks at it a moment.

Bin Akhmal: Are you … bin Lazarus?
Valentine: His son. Yes.

There is a weighty pause, during which Valentine wonders if his father is reaching out from beyond the grave to screw him over once again … or if, just possibly, he might have been granted a reprieve.

Bin Akhmal: This ship looks familiar to us, from a time when our timber industry was more profitable … before the mudslides. We lost … our mill and we were without pay for a long time. Back then we didn't fish very much. We didn't have a way of selling our timber. I believe your ship—this was … twenty-five years ago?—came out of nowhere and transported a load of timber to one of the archipelagoes.
Valentine: That sounds like something my father would do.
Bin Akhmal: He wouldn't accept payment.

The Elder seems troubled by that but Valentine merely acknowledges with a breath of a laugh:

Valentine: That also sounds like something my father would do.
Bin Akhmal: And you … you come bringing a doctor.
Valentine: I did. (a pause) It seems only fitting that I both get a chance to do what my father did when he was here and help you out, and at the same time give you a chance to repay a debt that may have been standing for a long time by simply accepting our help. Everyone wins in this situation.
Bin Akhmal: I will talk to the people. I think they may.
Valentine: I appreciate that.
Bin Akhmal: If they wish, but we will not tell them to do it.
Valentine: That is all we can ask for.

They turn back for the rest of the group and see Nuril arguing with her father. Her words carry faintly back to Valentine.

Nuri: But father, this is science! It isn't good or bad, it's how you use it.

Tian respectfully intercedes.

Tian: Imam. May I?

He nods.

Tian: I don't know the customs of your society and I don't know whether the kind of intelligence your daughter has ever been seen here, but when your daughter asked me the questions she chose to ask when she came yesterday to the clinic to talk to me … she asked me questions that some of my students—no, some of my residents—wouldn't have known to ask in a hospital setting.
Imam: (irony) Isn't it amazing that savages like us might be as intelligent as people in the Core?
Tian: Not at all.

Imam doesn't take her comment immediately as a compliment but neither does he bid her to leave. Tian takes it as a good sign and continues.

Tian: I find your daughter to be exceptionally bright and it has nothing to do with where she comes from.

Nuri is visibly embarrassed by it all. She's blushing and keeping her eyes to the side … and then she crumples silently, clutching her chest.

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