Last Voyage of Delilah, Episode 109: Sophian Secrets

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Friday, 16 Mar 2525 – Thursday, 29 Mar 2525
Trash Town, Beylix
Kalidasa (Xuan Wu) system

Delilah has survived landing and now the crew has to fix up the ship … again. Poco, Rachel, and Vikki have their work cut out for them. We've got a thruster sporting a missile sticking out of it and lingering wiring issues Vikki's semi-botched elevator hack.

Over the nearly two weeks the crew is on the ground with repairs, Valentine tries to sell our salvage but it's not easy. He keeps getting low-balled by the buyers. Valentine has to cut some corners when buying parts for Poco so as to have enough left over to buy casino gear for our ship. He gets word of a man nearby who might have such furnishings for sale.

While the rest of the crew are busy, Tian and Nuri inventory the supplies in med bay and from the IRP. During the task, Nuri starts breathing heavily and she breaks out in a sweat. She's obviously in some sort of physical distress and Tian examines her as best she can. Nuri has picked up an infection as a post-operative complication. Tian does not have advanced enough equipment to scan Nuri for a proper diagnosis and treatment. Tian is also out of her depth. She is a trauma surgeon, not a heart/pulmonary specialist. Tian administers an anti-inflammatory dose to Nuri and makes the girl get her rest.

As if that's not enough to throw a monkeywrench into everyone's plans, Rachel is up on the bridge trying out her newly-refurbished sensor package … and picks up a strange signal being broadcast from somewhere ON the ship. She alerts Valentine and he gets Vikki to tracing it. Looking over the data, Vikki realizes that the signal is from a military/intelligence grade narrow band transmitter, beaming out encrypted messages. It's coming from somewhere aboard the ship.

Vikki rigs up a bug-sweeper and sweeps the ship from the uppermost deck down. When she reaches Deck Two, the sweeper pings on the IRP container the crew has hidden on the mezzanine.

Uh oh.

Vikki immediately thinks that the gun cache has been bugged … and she's very nearly right. The guns themselves aren't bugged but they are under surveillance. There is a tiny camera mounted to the inside doorframe of the container trained on the secret stash. It's activated whenever the container door is opened and turned off when it shuts.

There is no telling how long it's been there but chances are good that it's been there from the beginning. Whoever is receiving the burst transmissions that camera pumps out will already know that a) the crew has found the guns, b) they have found the camera, and c) the crew has been captured on camera going in and out of the container on legitimate IRP business. All of which means their faces and likely names and official records are also known to whoever that camera is tasked to report to.

Great.

Meanwhile, Tian finds Poco and asks him to reconstitute the scanner she had him and Vikki make for Nuri's heart surgery. Knowing she's got an infection and a fever isn't good enough. Tian to scan the girl to better pinpoint what's wrong. Once the scanner's back together, Tian uses it and finds out her instincts were right—Nuri's lungs are inflamed.

Nuri needs a good hospital. Beylix doesn't really have one. Tian looks up the available options.

Of the hospitals on the Rim, there are the following:

1. Urvasi:
   1. Private hospitals for the medical tourist trade: cosmetic and/or high end elective surgery
   2. Public hospitals with sketchy reputations for cleanliness and expertise
2. Beaumonde:
   1. Good hospitals but the crew's reputation has taken a beating on that world. Their return so soon after their precipitous departure might harm Nuri rather than help her
3. Sho-je Downs:
   1. Being more a mining/industrial outpost, it has a rudimentary facility
      
      

Desperate, Tian messages her medical colleagues for information on hospitals and treatments in the area. Normally a paranoid individual, Tian's concern for Nuri causes her to risk giving away a little too much of her own current status. She continues her search anyway.

In browsing the articles and feeds on the Cortex, Tian stumbles on a tantalizing hint:

"…Beaumonde's Health First Hospital is the best outside of Sophie…."

Best? Outside of Sophie? Doesn't that suggest that Sophie's hospital facilities are better than? Better than what? A search of Sophie on the Cortex makes no mention of a hospital on that world. So … does that facility exist or not?

Tian asks Poco what he knows about Sophie. The con-man/thief has been to practically every dirtball spinnin' and would know the down-low on just about all of them. It turns out he doesn't know a whole lot about Sophie but he shares what he knows.

Tian goes to Rachel next. The pilot knows people in every port and surely in her career on Delilah, she's been to Sophie at least once? What does she know about Sophie's hospitals? Unfortunately, Rachel cannot help her. She doesn't remember needing a hospital on Sophie before.

Sophie and Beaumonde are near each other in orbit. We could stop and check out Sophie first. If the world doesn't yield the hospital Nuri needs, it's just a short hop to Beaumonde. All the better if we can get cargo for either place. We won't have to fly empty and we have a chance to make money. Hospitals don't come cheap.

Valentine gathers everyone together to discuss our options. We have two major problems we must deal with.

1. Decrypting the transmissions from the camera
2. Going to Sophie to get proper care for Nuri
   
   

Poco calls his old friend Sal to see what he knows about Sophie's hospital. Sal comes up with nothing, really, stating that there are only mines, poisonous atmo, and a crazy colony … what was the name? Erefon…? Erewhon? Yeah, Erewhon.

Looking over the cargo options he'd gathered earlier, Valentine sees that there is a job hauling computer equipment to Sophie AND industrial cargo to Beaumonde. If he could get both those jobs, we'd have a financial payoff for making the trip to both worlds, as well as carrying out a humanitarian run. With Tian's list of Nuri's ailments to prod him, Valentine decides on getting both cargo jobs and assigns Vikki to decrypt the message.

If there is any flaw in this plan, it's this: we have to fly to the same port on Beylix where we'd burned our bridges in order to pick up the cargo. Our reception might be … problematic.

We somehow get that task done and get away with the cargo without getting arrested.

Rachel plots a course for Sophie. Thanks to our repairs and refurbishing work, astrogation by instruments is SO MUCH easier. Rachel doesn't have to rely on guestimation as much. She takes off and gets us back in the black.

ETA Sophie: 2 days, 31 Mar 2525

While en route to Sophie, Tian and Valentine discuss going to the Erewhon colony and asking them to help Nuri, once it's apparent that the hospital referred to in that tantalizing blurb would be found there. The colony is known to be the home of a cult of some kind. Cults are always a touch risky—one never knows what their society is like. We don't want to put our foot wrong and ruin Nuri's chances.

Saturday, 31 Mar 2525
Erewhon Colony, Sophie

Once on approach to Sophie's airspace, Valentine calls the crew together for another meeting. He warns everyone to be discreet while at the colony. After adjourning the meeting, Valentine takes Vikki aside and tells her to keep a lid on her enthusiasm.

Sophie is an industrial mining sort of place, with rough weather and poisonous atmo. Flying through her skies is like flying through … well, poisonous atmo. None too pleasant. The ground doesn't look to wholesome either, cratered and pockmarked where it's been mined, rocky and inhospitable where it hasn't.

The colony itself is a bit of a surprise. It's like stumbling upon a green watered oasis in the middle of a particularly punishing desert. Instead of dust and poison and rock, there is water and clean air and grass. The demarcation line is abrupt—a radius of paradise cutting through the hellish landscape.

The reason for that boundary becomes apparent when Rachel flies Delilah through it. A force field surrounds the colony like a transparent dome, keeping out the poison and protecting everything within. No one stops us from landing.

No one is outside to greet us either. Valentine takes Tian with him off the ship, ordering everyone else to stay aboard. Even though they can see people walking in the distance on sidewalks and such, no one meets them on the landing pad. A low building with a door stands closed on the far side of the pad and lacking any other ideas, Valentine and Tian walk up to it.

The door is equipped with an intercom. Valentine speaks into it.

Valentine: Excuse me. This is the Delilah and Captain Quick of the Delilah. We have the cargo from—
Intercom: Transmit the bill of lading.

He does.

Intercom: Access approved. All personnel needed for transfer of materials follow the grey line for processing.

The door opens. There is a corridor with a grey line painted on the floor. There is signage here and there visible. The signs say that all personnel have to be processed.

Processed how? Why? Valentine doesn't like the sound of that. He doesn't know what processing entails.

Tian: The only person I can see any reason to bring in is Nuri.
Valentine: We need to transfer the cargo so we're going to need the crew. (sighs) All right …

He tells the crew the news via his comm.

Poco: As long as it doesn't require labor we're okay …
Valentine: (wry) Okay, we're going to need everyone. We have to be processed by the colony in order to unload the cargo, so everybody come on out and over to this intercom.
Rachel: Processed?

Aboard Delilah, Poco sticks his head into med bay just as Rachel climbs down from the bridge. Vikki brings up the rear.

Poco: C'mon, Nuri. The Cap 'n' Doc wanna process ya.
Rachel: (appalled) Poco!
Poco: (to Rachel) What? It's what they're doin'.
Vikki: Yeah, but your bedside manner is atrocious.
Poco: You were expecting …. ?

What? Diplomacy or something? Jeez. Tian returns aboard and helps Nuri dress in something other than a hospital smock. Vikki offers her own wardrobe to cover any lack. The two young women are of a similar size.

Once we're all suitably attired and gathered together, we follow the grey painted line to a small theatre. It's only three rows of continuous benches covered in something very like indoor/outdoor carpet. There is no one waiting for us and no readily apparent way to tell anyone we're here. Valentine calls out to the air that we've arrived. Without anything else to do, we sit. The lights dim and we're shown a short introductory film on Erewhon Colony. The voiceover on the film is soothing and male.

The Film: Welcome to Erewhon Colony. If this is your first visit to Erewhon Colony, it is incumbent upon us to explain some of the customs of the people here. The colonists of Erewhon are living in a carefully balanced society where that everyone's needs are taken care of …

The crew's eyes go wide at this. Is this for real? Poco slouches and smokes a cigarette. One of the crew nudges him to put it out, netting a puzzled look from Poco.

The Film: … careful genetic and behavioral engineering, in addition to a proper diet, maintain a civil society where there is no violence. As such, weapons are entirely prohibited in the colony you will have an opportunity to approach and visit. Also among the prohibited items are: narcotics, alcohol, cigarettes—

Poco: This place sucks.

The Film continues with the list of forbidden things.

Vikki: And at the very very bottom: fun.
The Film: Some people might find the people of Erewhon to be strange. We've done away with time-wasting behavior such as pleasantries. So do not expect people to welcome you or to inquire about the local weather conditions—
Poco: Oh, thank God. First good thing ever.
Rachel: Wow. A whole colony where small talk's gotten rid of.
Poco: Welcome to a whole advanced perfect society where it's determined that small talk was the problem. If we didn't have so much small talk …
Rachel: (verbal knuckle bop!) … You'd get so much more done.
Tian: Too much politeness.
Valentine: All right. Simmer down.
The Film: —is a communal society where no individual has currency, so any individual financial transactions are also impossible and prohibited.
Poco: Pinko Commie bastards …
Valentine: It's interesting.
Vikki: Wait. How are we going to get paid?
Valentine: Shhh …
The Film: We will happily refuel your ship and permit you adequate rest and recuperation time on-world before you are expected to leave. This courtesy is offered with compliments by the people of Erewhon Colony. We appreciate you not abusing these privileges.
Rachel: Okay, so no lemon-soaked paper napkins.
The Film: Please wait where you are for an attendant to come visit you.

The Film shows the crew people wearing slim pale jumpsuits with contrasting piping and trim. The markings on the sleeves are unique to the Colony and not one the crew has seen before.

The Film: People with this sigil—(shows markings at close range)—are educated in the proper etiquette techniques of the Verse and are able to communicate with you in English and Chinese and will understand your behavior and mannerisms.
Poco: Ohhh, let me talk to 'em.
Valentine: (points to Poco, Vikki, and Rachel) No. No. And maybe no.
Rachel: Baby doll, I ain't never been bad with people.
Valentine: That's true.
Rachel: Poco? Smoke 'em hard now. It's gonna have to last for a while, baby.

Poco stuffs three cigarettes in his mouth and lights them up. It's an impressive feat.

Valentine: (impressed) I don't even know how that works.
Vikki: He'll make it work.
Poco: Doc, you got any patches? Put one here, here, here, and here.

He points to his torso and starts pulling up his shirt. Yeah, no, Tian will not enable his filthy habit. She affectionately swats him for his impudence and yanks his shirt down. Just in time too. Our guide arrives. He seems taken aback ever so slightly, even though Valentine has put himself front and center to shield him from the rest of the crew.

Valentine: Hi.
Guide: Hello. My name is Harold. I will be your welcomer here at Erewhon Colony. You are delivering the crystal storage devices.
Valentine: That is correct.
Harold: Will you need assistance?
Valentine: We should be able to deliver those ourselves, however we also have a medical request that we would like to talk to someone about.
Harold: Do you have an emergency medical situation?
Valentine: Yes. In fact we do. This is our doctor, Dr. Grace Tian.
Tian: Nuri is a heart patient and she is currently suffering—as best as I can tell—a lung inflammation that I am not equipped to treat aboard our vessel and we were hoping that your hospital might have better services.
Harold: Is this a time-urgent matter?
Tian: Unfortunately it is.

Harold reaches into a pocket and pulls out some electronic smart sticks. He hands one to each visitor present.

Harold: These will help you navigate the area. I will go speak with our Director and see what can be done.
Tian: Thank you.
Harold: These will entitle you to meal service. We unfortunately cannot provide you with facilities for sleeping and showering.
Tian: We appreciate whatever you can do for us.
Valentine: While you are talking to the Director, we will begin unloading the cargo.
Harold: Very good. As long as you keep these—(points to a smart stick)—I will be able to contact you. Or someone else will.
Valentine: Much appreciated.

Harold bows and backs out of the room. Tian wants Nuri to sit and rest. Valentine assigns Tian to stay with her while he takes the rest of the crew with him to unload the cargo. The cargo fits on the mule and Valentine drives it through the colony. They get nary a glance from the colonists, who mostly go about their business as if the crew is invisible. Perhaps they are, in a politely indifferent Not-our-monkeys/Not-our-circus sort of way. Occasionally one of the colonists will watch the crew intently as they pass. Perhaps they wish to identify the aliens in the landscape or something.

No one interferes, however, and the cargo gets delivered with quiet efficiency.

Meanwhile, a woman of Hindu Indian ancestry greets Tian and Nuri in the theatre room. Unlike Harold who was almost timid, this woman is relaxed and assured. As the film warns, there is no small talk.

Woman: Harold tells me that this young lady has a heart condition that needs immediate attention?
Tian: She is suffering an inflammation in the lung region that I am ill-equipped aboard the vessel to diagnose properly so as to treat it.
Woman: How long will it take you to unload your gear? You should be able to get to hospitals in Beaumonde in less than a couple of days with a ship of your size.
Tian: If you are unable to assist, that will be fine.
Woman: We are able to. We just don't perform work on people who are not from the colony.

The woman doesn't seem to have any malice behind that statement. It's simply a statement of how the world works, like the sun shining or gravity holding things to the ground. Tian is not accustomed to lying but will she have to so that the woman agrees to help?

Woman: You are a heart surgeon?
Tian: I am not. Hence my concern. I don't know how dangerous this situation is for her. She is only weeks past the surgery itself. In truth, although it was not through a huge amount of publicity, I was under the impression that you would be the better facility for this region.
Woman: That would not surprise me. From what I understand of Beaumonde, it's entirely stratified by your social class. Judging by your ship, I do not think you have the means to afford the sort of medical care that you are looking for. This is a real problem for much of the Verse, particularly in Kalidasa system where the poor suffer at the whims of the rich. We don't have those problems here because we're all equal here.
Tian: Would there be anything that I can offer by the way of services—in the way of treating services—that might be of use to you such that she might at least be looked at?

There is a long pause.

Woman: I'll put it under advisement. What is your specialty?
Tian: Trauma medicine.
Woman: Oh. Trauma medicine. Yes.

Tian gets the impression that the Woman is disappointed by the news. Why?

Woman: I believe your passes entitle you for a day's rest and recuperation. I as the Director don't see any reason to do more unless you have something to barter. But we have our doctors. I don't think we need a trauma surgeon. Trauma is very rare here. We don't have very much violence and crime.
Tian: May I offer this into your considerations: I have to admit that I am hoping that someone much better skilled than I am will look at her. I was the one who had to perform heart surgery under emergency conditions, under very primitive conditions, and I do worry that I am the one who perhaps put her in this position. I don't know if there is anything that— Director: I understand that you're worried but how does that affect me?
Tian: It doesn't. I thought perhaps your doctors might be willing to take a look. Most of us take an Oath to at least not allow those who are injured to leave without being certain that they'll be all right.
Director: We are signatories of the reciprocal agreement with the Alliance. I understand there has been some transfer of responsibilities in the area. I am not sure where—if you were to crash land here and were bleeding out, I believe we are legally bound to perform first aid and get you to a place where you could get proper care. It seems in this case that you can get to such a place. However, I'll put it under advisement.
Tian: I appreciate it very much.
Director: Okay.

The Director turns and leaves. Tian sits down with Nuri and waits for Valentine to return. When he does, he gets the gist on first sight.

Valentine: Considering you weren't rushed off to a hospital room, I have to assume that the answer's a no.
Tian: She's taking it under advisement. Apparently they are … at best guess … they are obligated through contract arrangements with the Alliance to provide stabilization first aid. And nothing more.
Poco: That makes perfect sense.
Valentine: So she's taking it under advisement. Did she say that if we had anything they might need …?

The subject of barter did come up.

Valentine: We must have something they want.
Tian: They don't need a trauma surgeon.
Valentine: They don't need a trauma surgeon but they might need something.
Tian: I almost suggested the vaccinations to them but considering they're a closed society I don't think that would really be required.
Valentine: Maybe I'll see if I can get in contact with her and ask her what they need.
Tian: You can certainly try. I will say, when you deal with them? Get right to the point.
Valentine: Yeah. I was getting the feeling.
Tian: If the problem turns out to be resources, by the way, the feeling I get from her is she needs time: time for someone to tell her exactly what's wrong with Nuri, not necessarily medications to deal with it. We can do that on Beaumonde if we have to.

Valentine herds his crew to the commissary where they can at least get a hot meal. On the way they get another look at the colony. They grow all their own food here but there doesn't seem to be any livestock. As a consequence, meals are vegetarian and not particularly fancy, the colony's tastes running more toward utilitarian cooking and presentation. Even so, after days and weeks of eating shipboard rations, the fresh food is much appreciated.

After a while a woman comes over. It's the Director. She looks a little put out that outsiders have conducted two visits on the grounds. Such craziness. However, she's got our payment for the cargo we delivered.

Director: You must be looking for your payment.
Valentine: The payment would be good. Yes.
Director: Why don't you come to my office?

She turns and walks off. Valentine follows. Once inside her office, she sits behind her desk. Valentine stands. She gets right to business. She double checks the amount and makes a production out of converting the payment into what is obviously a foreign medium to her: currency.

Valentine: My doctor told me that you were taking the admittance of our passenger under advisement. What would we have to offer you in order to make that happen?
Director: Hmm. you understand that I have … this is not a simple transaction.
Valentine: I understand that.
Director: If we were to let it be known that our facility is to be a waystation for everyone who is injured it would be a great burden to us. Even the small amount of food that your crew will consume unbalances our systems. We have some resources to make up for it but the resources required for an operation …Well. I am not a doctor and I don't know exactly what that will cost.
Valentine: Once again, I understand. While this may be an unusual bureaucracy, to be sure, but it is a bureaucracy. There are usually ways around or ways to solve these problems. If you have needs, perhaps some portion of our payment for the cargo could go towards replacing the resources and time that your doctors need to diagnose our friend. Maybe there is some need from the outside—though I imagine that's rare. I feel that we could work something out. A fair trade of assets, with the understanding that if you would agree to this that we would not be spreading the idea that Sophie is the place to get the help you've given. It would not be known.
Director: Hmm.

The Director gives him a good long look. The silence continues, stretching ever heavier between them … then:

Director: Send your Doctor here to me. (Types on a pad) I am extending your stay one day. If I am able to do anything about your injured crew member, I will do so but I cannot make any promises.
Valentine: I don't expect you to.
Director: I advise you to stay for the duration.
Valentine: Thank you. We're not going anywhere for a short period of time.

Valentine retrieves his pay and walks back to his crew. He takes Tian aside and tells her that things are looking up. The Director cannot promise anything but will look into it and that she wishes to see her. Valentine walks Tian to the Director's door. On the way, their smart sticks light up, guiding their steps. Whoa. That's kinda cool. When they arrive, Valentine stops on the threshold.

Valentine: I'll be nearby if you need anything.
Tian: Do I have the authority to bargain?
Valentine: Within scope. Don't bargain away the whole ship but I trust you not to go over the top.

The rest of the crew is left to their own devices. This is one place where Rachel doesn't know anyone or has any old flames conveniently in port. There are no bars for Poco to drink and smoke in. There is no gambling. Rachel pulls Vikki aside.

Rachel: So, Tinkerbell, I gotta question for ya.
Vikki: Sure, shoot.
Rachel: Where is that little camera thingy?
Vikki: I don't think we should be talking about that here.

Vikki looks around at the colonists sitting and eating around them. She sees that it's as if the crew really doesn't exist. They are all paying attention only to their portion of the table, eating only their portion of the food. Some of the portions look slightly different but everything is pretty much the same. Vikki doesn't exactly know if they're being listened to or not and she has to weigh how much she can say about that camera the crew found installed over that weapons cache they're carrying.

Vikki: (softly) I … but … dammit, I hate when this happens. Okay. (resets) Why do you want to know?
Rachel: Just kinda curious.
Vikki: Well, I'm all eaten up with curiosity as well, but it makes me uneasy knowing that 1) it's a camera and 2) they know, whoever's at the other end, that we know about it, so 3) I don't want to give them anything more to know by poking around with it now that I know it's there. And, well, Val said not to. I mean … I don't … (gives up)
Rachel: I'm just sayin' that if it turns out that you shove a piece'a apple in there, Mortimer tends to chew on things.

Rachel pats Vikki on the shoulder and turns to leave, leaving Vikki looking confusedly at the older woman's back.

Vikki: Why would I … ? (groks, disgusted) Apple? Really? How in the world could an apple plausibly get up there?

Rachel looks back and gives the girl a smile.

Vikki: Since you seem to know, why don't you do it?
Rachel: I could reckon I could put an apple up there and get Mortimer to chew on it awhile.
Vikki: Really? (sighs) Oh, he's a cute photogenic little rat. Sure.
Rachel: Yeah, just think of the fun pictures they'll get. Rat face. A bit different.
Vikki: You would put your rat's face on a wanted poster from one end of the Verse to the other? I thought you liked him.
Rachel: He'll be famous.
Vikki: Okay. All righty. I don't want to argue.

Rachel is very persuasive and usually gets what she wants. This time is no different. The two women go back to Delilah and get the apple and the rat up against the camera to give whoever's at the other end something to watch. Vikki's still not happy with the camera being there.

Vikki: Why can't we just kick the damned thing out the airlock and be done with it?
Rachel: That'd work, too.

Meanwhile, Valentine returns to the cafeteria where Poco is lingering over the food. At first they don't notice anything out of the ordinary—well, nothing out of the ordinary for the baseline behavior of the colonists, at any rate. The colonists routinely ignore the strangers in their midst. For their part, Valentine and Poco don't try to engage them even though Valentine is curious about them. Eventually Poco's bored enough to go back to Delilah but Valentine elects to stay. Poco can't resist messing with the Captain about it, if only a little.

Poco: You know curiosity killed the cat.
Valentine: It could. It did. It might.

Poco sees Valentine isn't going to leave so he stays as well. Valentine keeps an eye out for anything weird or odd but Erewhon colony is already weird and odd. Maybe that's why Valentine starts feeling weird. He can't put his finger on why but the feeling persists. He keeps his voice down when he tells Poco about his unease.

Valentine: Okay, now I'm kinda creeped out. Not that I wasn't creeped out already but now my creeped-out has escalated. Poco, I think someone's watching us. Who would have thought that there's be somebody watching us when the colony is … (gestures at the cafeteria) … ignoring us?

It's true. Just about everybody seems to be deliberately ignoring them. However, there is one person sitting off to the side alone who looks over at Poco and Valentine several times. The expression on the man's face is furtive, almost suspicious. Valentine checks the man's jumpsuit for the special insignia of a colony guide. Nope. No such luck.

Valentine: That means we can just go up to him and avoid all that small talk and questions like, "Hi how are you?" and just ask him "Why are you looking at us?" Cuz he's looking at us. What? You can't see him?
Poco: What is wrong with you? I thought we were supposed to stay out of trouble. Didn't you lecture Tink for eight minutes not do what you're talking about doing?
Valentine: Do as I say, not as I do. No. You're right. You're right—

And then Valentine notices that the strange man has two glasses of juice. Two. When everyone else in the cafeteria has only one. It's a difference that screams of nonconformity and in a place like Erewhon, that scream is pretty damned loud.

Poco: Everyone else has one. You know what? He's why communism doesn't work.
Valentine: Communism works in theory.
Poco: Just like every other form of government.
Valentine: We're not going to cause trouble.

They're not going to go anywhere for the time being either, apparently. Valentine stays right where he is and pushes the food around on his plate, surreptitiously watching the man surreptitiously watching him.

While this is going on, Tian enters the Director's office. The Director waves her inside with a friendly gesture that seems out of place here. Tian steps inside and the Director taps a code on her door as it shuts with a hiss. Tian notes this without comment and sits down.

Tian: (nods) Doctor.
Director: Doctor Grace. When you spoke of the various Oaths that were taken and are still taken in the Verse, it intrigued me. I've done some studies. Now I understand that in your practice there is something called Doctor/Patient Confidentiality.
Tian: There is.
Director: So that would mean that if you were to consult with a person or treat them, you would be bound not to reveal what is going on with the patient.
Tian: That's correct.
Director: We do not have Doctor/Patient Confidentiality in our society.
Tian: Who is it that needs to be looked at, who needs confidentiality?

Tian can tell that perhaps this is the bartered favor the crew is looking for. The Director seems almost embarrassed and Tian keeps her expression and her tone unbiased and professional.

Director: Well if you would extend this to a case here, I might be able to see what influence I have to get you some time to run some tests—isn't that what you said you needed?
Tian: I will absolutely extend confidentiality to whomever you wish me to see. Or whomever wishes to see me.
Director: Would you hold up your wand?

Tian holds up her smart stick.

Director: Closer to you. Yes. Now say that again?
Tian: If you are asking me to see a patient, anything that is discussed between the patient and myself is completely confidential.
Director: And that includes any diagnoses or … or prescriptions that you have?
Tian: Yes, this includes any diagnoses or prescriptions.
Director: I … The patient is me.

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