Last Voyage of Delilah, Episode 203: Captures from the Past

Episode Log Done. FINALLY.—Maer

Air date: 13 Aug 2014
Present: Andy, Kim, Maer, and Terri (Matt absent due to illness)
Verse Date: 03 Jul 2525 – 07 Jul 2525

Jump to : Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Special Features

Tuesday, 03 Jul 2525
Vandenburg, Boros
Georgia (Huang Long) system

It's been a couple of days since our successful run on Ares and everyone simmers down from the excitement in their own way. Valentine uses the downtime to go through the ton of stuff crammed into his cabin. He finds some old photos of his father as a younger man, with a younger, different crew. He shows the photos to Rachel, who is able to identify some of them.

The photos date from a time before Lazarus Quick had Delilah. He was working with the crew of Poseidon, a Shulan-Maersk freighter. Lazarus had told Rachel stories about his career as a Radar O'Reilly aboard Poseidon and the adventures that ensued. Rachel and Valentine find more photos. One of them has Lazarus with five other people, covered in dirt, all with drunken smiles, drinking from a broken bottle of booze that looked like it had been buried and dug up. They are all sitting on several crates and the general mood in the picture is one of victory. Other photos date from the time when Rachel hadn't yet left Delilah to raise her daughter, and she's able to fill Valentine in on some of the stories.

The five were Lazarus's crew and they ran innumerable schemes and despite their hopes they never made a lot of money off them that she could remember. Two of the men Rachel identifies as Chase and Bosche, pulling off the cowboy look rather successfully.

The mastermind behind the capers was Gloria de Costa, a classy looking woman with dark eyes, skin, and hair. Technical matters were handled by another woman of Asian descent, Chen Sha-Li. The third woman of the group, Muriel Bloom, never liked Rachel. Ostensibly it was because of some flirting between Rachel and Bosche and Chase.

Vikki joins Valentine and Rachel over the photos. Valentine had asked Vikki to help him organize the clutter left behind by his father and currently she's inventorying everything prior to building storage cabinets and containers for all of it. Vikki pores over the photos with much interest, delighting in the historical details and Valentine gauges her enthusiasm for a moment. Then:

Valentine: Vikki, we're not going to want to display any of these photos. I'm not going to put these up in frames.
Vikki: No. They're personal. Of course, not. Do you want a lock on that drawer?
Valentine: (come again?) Do I want a lock on the drawer? On the display case or …?
Vikki: On the drawer you're going to keep these photos in.
Valentine: Yeah, probably.

Rachel pats Valentine's arm.

Rachel: Why thank you, darlin'. These were some good old memories. I wonder if Muriel's turned herself off on some pasture somewhere.

There is even a picture of Rachel in frontier dress standing between Chase and Bosche, all of them in Sunday best and facing the camera in what is obviously a posed shot. Tian wanders over to see what everyone's looking at, Nuri coming up behind her.

Tian: And why did you have that picture taken?
Rachel: Aww, just to dress up all fancy.
Tian: (not buying it) Uh huh.
Rachel: We were clean for about fifteen minutes. It was nice.
Tian: (Laughs)
Vikki: You mean like at the fair? Where you dress in these old-timey clothes? (sighs) I'd like to go to a fair.

The crew shuffles through the photos a little more and come across another picture of Lazarus's previous Delilah crew. They're older in this one and Rachel is trying to remember where and when it was taken. There are gaps in her knowledge, however, from the times she'd been on hiatus dirtside with her daughter and family. Some of the photos are obviously from those periods when she wasn't flying for Lazarus. One of those absences was about nine years ago, when she'd been away for about four years. Paul Angle, most recently the Chief of Security on Rockpoint Wayhaven, had been running with Lazarus and his crew as Rachel's friend … and he loathed the crew. Mostly because they were thieves and schemers, to say nothing of their knack of dissuading Lazarus from lucrative steady work in favor of goose chases that never seemed to generate long-term benefit.

Actually, come to think of it, this last photo was from about that time when Paul left Delilah, saying something about a crazy scheme. Rachel mentions it as she studies the photo.

Valentine: (dryly) Shocking. Imagine that. A crazy scheme. Who would have thought of that?
Rachel: Well … Paul kept him on the straight and narrow for a little while.
Valentine: Define "little while".
Rachel: He actually made a little money. That we lost. But we managed anyway.

In fact, when Rachel returned from her last hiatus, Lazarus had already started stripping Delilah down, talking about doing a big refit because he had some money coming.

Rachel: It never did show up and Paul and I had a big knock-down, drag-out fallout.
Valentine: Looking at this, the first thought is that they've actually hit the treasure trove.

With a mixture of annoyance and regret, he holds up the victory picture showing the crates and the broken bottle being passed around.

Vikki: Okay, Val, look at it this way. Going with what we know, the only reason I can think of them doing that to that bottle and drinking from it is … it's obvious it's been dug up, so it was probably part of that big haul and they didn't have anything to open it with—you know, from antiquated bottling techniques—
Valentine: It looks like it was just plain broken, Vikki.
Rachel: Baby, you don't gotta bottle opener, you break the bottle. No matter what year it's from.
Vikki: Well, there is that. But still. (to Rachel) Do you know where these photos were taken? Because I'll betcha that's where—(drops to a whisper)—the records came from.

She nods in the direction of the vault and the vinyl treasure stored inside.

Rachel: No earthly clue, darlin', but I know who might. We could wave Paul an' see if Paul remembers anything 'bout what they might'a been doin'. Paul ain't in the picture but he may have taken it. Or been on the ship cussin'.
Nuri: But do you think Paul would be happy to talk about it?
Valentine: That's where I was going next. From what you just told me, do you really think he wants to hear,"Paul, Laz was involved in a crazy scheme. We'd like to get involved in a crazy scheme. Would you like to help us get involved in a crazy scheme?" I imagine just hearing the words "crazy scheme" would set off steam coming out of his ears.
Rachel: He'll cuss for 'bout ten minutes or so but I reckon I might be able to win him over.
Valentine: Yeah. Well. Let's give it some thought.

Especially as it would take several days for a wave from Boros to reach Paul in the Halo, anyway.

Rachel: So, you're arguin' against finding out about the crazy scheme, then?
Valentine: Here's the thing. We are, for a variety of reasons, persona non grata in the Core. True?
Rachel: Well, nothin' for anything I did, but I guess.
Valentine: Nothing that you—? Okay, so you are associated with the rest of us, who are persona non grata in the Core. (off her look) Here's where I'm going with this. The reason why I haven't made a strong effort to sell the records is that something like that is only affordable, pretty much, by someone living in the Core.
Rachel: I concur.
Valentine: So without a direct line to someone I know who will buy it or manage it, we're basically putting ourselves in a large amount of risk for a potential payoff that might never come.

The lightbulb goes off in Rachel's head.

Rachel: Oh, I wasn't suggestin' sellin' the records, darlin'. I was suggestin' finding more work stuff like it.
Valentine: Right but what are we going to do with it if we get it?
Rachel: It's like insurance.
Valentine: (come again?) It's. Like. Insurance.
Rachel: It's not hot. It's convertible to cash—
Valentine: How do you know it's not hot?
Nuri: It's been kept locked up in a vault for many many years.

Annnnnnnnnnnnnd … we're back to the records again.

Rachel: Yes, and if they ain't found it yet, they ain't gon' find it now.
Nuri: But there has to be a reason as to why wouldn't he have sold it? Lazarus, I mean.
Valentine: That's where I'm ending with this. Crazy schemes often involve stealing things from people who have stolen things from some other people.
Rachel: Yeah, but all the people involved are dead. 'Cept me.
Valentine: And Paul. He still of the same age, right?
Rachel: Paul ain't gonna say nothin'.
Vikki: Wait. (holds up photo) All of these people are dead?
Valentine: Are you sure about that? You sure none of them are alive?
Rachel: Oh, I'm sure they're kickin' aroun' somewhere.
Vikki: Well, then … what's with the "dead"?

Vikki's understandably confused. Rachel sometimes has more twists and turns in her conversation than a sidewinder crawling through an earthquake. Valentine stifles a sigh and tries again.

Valentine: If we find out something about it and "boy, we'll be passing right by this and we have some shovels in the back and we can go and dig it up", then I'm not averse to doing it.
Rachel: Val, we have shuttles in the back, now.
Valentine: Shovels, Rachel. Shovels.
Rachel: Oh, shovels. We di'nt get any shovels.
Valentine: I am not adverse to the idea but I'm not going to go out of my way, but … (pointed look) … How'd that work out for my father?
Rachel: He had a lotta fun.
Valentine: Yeah. And died penniless.
Rachel: But he was a wealthy man in spirit, Val.
Valentine: Show me the spirit counter.
Rachel: Spirit counter's ethereal. You know what the Book says.
Valentine: Yeah. About that.
Rachel: What?
Valentine: I don't really have—I don't mind people when—

If he's trying to say he doesn't believe in any organized religion or faith, or if he would rather not sugarcoat his father's wastrel ways in false virtue, Rachel doesn't give him a chance to say it. She pats his hand, interrupting him.

Rachel: Just tryin' to make it a little excitin'. No problem. You're Captain. I'm okay with it.
Valentine: I'm not against the idea but there are a bunch of other things I gotta do—that we gotta do—before I go on any crazy schemes. Right now, Kerry's top priority well before "crazy schemes".
Rachel: Work before fun. (nods sagely at Tian) 'Sides, we got her young'un might be in harm's way and we need to get 'im outta the way.
Valentine: So … (gathers pictures) … we'll just file these away.
Rachel: You're not gonna throw 'way those pictures, are ya?
Valentine: No. I'm not going to throw them away.

He might despise his father but that doesn't extend to the things his father left behind. Not all of them, at any rate.

Nuri: Do you think some of them might know why the records haven't sold yet?

Nuri nods at the pictures in Valentine's hands.

Rachel: More'n likely, cuz they'll know the history of it an' where it came from.
Vikki: We've got their names. We could do a search.
Rachel: Well, Nuri, I reckon we need to do what we need to do, which is help her young'un and then maybe we can convince everybody to do a lil' bit'a treasure huntin'.
Valentine: I think it's fine for you to do a little research to figure out if they're still alive and have a Cortex address we could reach out and send them a wave at ….

Valentine holds up an emphatic finger.

Valentine: And I am going to emphasize this as strongly as I can. If we wave these individuals, we are not going to wave with the big title "Win Free Treasure" and say, "Please Contact Us. We have a Lead on Earth Treasure."
Nuri: I'm sure they'll respond to that.
Vikki: No. All we need to say is, "We regret to inform you that an associate of yours, Lazarus Quick, has died."
Rachel: No, Muriel's will be, "Muriel, you're still a bitch. How have you been?"
Vikki: (yikes!) I'll let you write that one.
Nuri: Although, I'm sure if you did write it like that, it would be a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Tian sniggers. Rachel does too. Surrounded by women who seem to change course every third word, Valentine does his best not to sigh.

Valentine: The point is, for something this big, I don't know who's involved or what's going on. I want to keep it quiet. I'm inclined to have Rachel do it as she's got a history with the people involved. You might catch something because you know them that we might not.

Rachel finds the people we're looking for but not without reliving some unpleasant memories. Vikki tries to expedite the search by going to some government databases but has to back out when she raises a red flag. Yikes! In the end, the information gleaned is:

• Chen Sha-Li: comes up a blank. She isn't to be found anywhere.
• Chase and Bosche: they are residents of IJS Prison Ship Alcatraz. It's not that far, actually, en route to Murphy
• Gloria De Costa: is easier to find. She's a notable person in Blue Sun as a Magistrate of a city on Meridian.
  
  

Rachel: Huh. I wonder how she bought herself that position.
Valentine: We might as well ask Chase and Bosche how they bought themselves their position.
Rachel: I know how they bought their position.
Vikki: They didn't pay enough.
Rachel: (sobering) No. They was gettin' clumsy as they were gettin' older.

• Muriel Bloom: has a forwarding address on Kerry. This bodes well, as it's an address in an area that people frequent.
  
  

Rachel: Somebody write it nice to Muriel. I can't quite make myself write, "Muriel, it's been a long time."
Valentine: I'll write you something if you want.
Rachel: Well, Captain, it's up to you, darlin', because as it is, we gotta go.
Valentine: For Tian, I know. We're going to Kerry anyway. Assuming this does not get in the way for what we need to do for Tian, then I am happy to make contact with her. Quietly. Once again, so far out of the one, two, three, four-five-six people, one of them is dead. One of them has been erased from the system. Two of them are in prison. And one of them is a Magistrate. So far, the batting average here is low.
Rachel: No, Magistrate is good. And we know where the other two are. Matter of fact, all we gotta do is track where the—
Valentine: It's not the fact that I don't know where they are, it's the fact that I do know where they are. And so far the success rate on this crazy scheme has not been great.

The prison ship is run by a group called Impartial Justice Services, which is a for-profit space prison system. They service both the Allied and Non-Allied worlds.

Valentine: I feel like this is one of those things that any time that you have to mention that you're impartial, you're already digging yourself a hole. (sighs) Everybody: if there's anything you want to purchase on planet, do it. Because we're leaving.
Rachel: Apples.
Vikki: Oh. Gee, we got paid?

Yes. Not much. Ten credits each.

Vikki: Can I assume, since you said you'd need a lock on the photos, I should get one before we leave?
Valentine: I don't need a lock right away. I'm not stressed about that. Let's get the geegaws organized first before we worry about protecting from all the random people we have on the ship.
Vikki: We're a casino now. That's a possibility.
Valentine: Not right now.
Vikki: Okay. It's going home to Mom and Dad, then.

Vikki isn't the only one sending money home. Valentine sends his share to his mother. He also finds cargo and passengers bound for Kerry. Luckily it isn't hard to find. He advertises his need for cargo and posts his departure date for the day after next. He lowballs the passenger fare, counting on the IRP supplies to cover the lack and allow him to at least break even. It nets him some cargo in recycled metal and two sets of passengers, a couple and a family of four. All during his legwork at the docks getting the jobs lined up, Valentine gets that itchy feeling he's being watched and maybe the jobs he got came a little too easily .... However, he can't fly empty to Kerry and he needs to go to Kerry, so … He accepts the passengers and the cargo.

Rachel and Tian take a break over coffee and talk about the coming trip.

Rachel: So what are we going to do once we get there?
Tian: We're going to Kerry to touch base with the person that I hoped might have gotten the message.
Rachel: To … ?
Tian: Ask for where my son is. Whitefall.
Rachel: So, might have to plan a rendezvous at Whitefall, too. We'll get him.
Tian: (sighs) Rachel, if we have to go to Whitefall, we're in trouble.
Rachel: Been in trouble before. If your son's in trouble—
Tian: We don't have the skills to extract my son from a recon unit.
Rachel: Hmm.
Tian: He's in a Force Recon Unit. We do not have the skills to extract him.
Rachel: If you have a way to contact him, could you let him know we could meet him somewhere?
Tian: Your basic Cortex mail, yeah.

Vikki joins them with a mug of tea.

Vikki: What does Force Recon do?
Rachel: They sneak and go hide, darlin'.
Tian: They sneak and go hide, they shoot people from afar.
Vikki: Do they rescue people and extract them from dangerous situations?
Tian: Yes.
Rachel: Or it's how they kill dangerous people and make sure they don't get extracted.
Vikki: So why don't we set it up that they come and extract us and therefore we've got him?
Rachel: Because we're not important to the people who are in power, darlin'.
Vikki: Well, they don't have to know that.

Tian can't stop the laugh that barks out of her at the outrageous suggestion. Encouraged, Vikki readies her argument but Tian holds up a hand.

Tian: I—no. No. Stop. (off Vikki's look) Stop.
Vikki: Okay. It was just an idea.
Tian: It's wild and crazy and waaayyyyyyy out in the Black somewhere.
Vikki: It was just an idea.
Rachel: If we can get ourselves on their radar, darlin', and we're at the point where they notice, they will send her son and he's gon' to kill us.
Tian: He's a low-level. He's a Lieutenant. He's a Butterbar. He's … nobody.

Meaning he'll have to follow any kill orders his superiors give him, even if it's his mother. Vikki subsides.

Rachel: Don't worry. We'll figure out somethin'. We'll find him. Don't you worry 'bout nothin'.

A little later that same day, Valentine goes out to meet the family when they arrive on the ramp. They're the Hargraves, husband and wife, and their kids (aged six and eight). They act as if they expect to be robbed and take pains to define what their passage fare actually includes.

Mrs. Hargraves: So this will cover all the food and everything we need on the way there? No additional charge for restroom use?
Valentine: No, ma'am. There will be no additional charges. I know it seems like a low rate. Delilah is its own unique vessel and you're welcome to walk around before you agree to fly aboard her.

It's not the usual sort of offer but Valentine's experience in reading people tells him it is highly unlikely the Hargraves are assassins or spies. Neither are apt to bring along children on a job. Besides, he's feeling a little like he's already under surveillance so why not give the watchers something to watch? Say, a ship's captain welcoming passengers aboard his ship, like any other normal captain? Just in case.

As Valentine leads the family to the passenger deck, he nods at Tian and Vikki in passing. Tian says softly so only he can hear:

Tian: Some of us are a little paranoid these days.
Valentine: (pausing) I don't know what you're talking about. I am not in the least bit paranoid at all.
Tian: It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you.
Vikki: (nods at Family) Do they think we're thieves or something?
Tian: You'd be amazed at what's out there.
Vikki: Well, since leaving home … (ticks off on fingers) … I've been threatened, almost kidnapped twice, beat up, and shot in the back. So no, not really.

Valentine catches up with the Hargraves before he falls too far behind. They're obviously from the Core but it's also obvious that they aren't wealthy Core people. They're probably middle class and they wear a look of moderate desperation, like they are not counting every penny but that they need their money to set themselves up once they arrive where they're going. Valentine does what he can to allay their anxiety.

Valentine: We are headed to Kerry, so I can afford to give a discounted rate. I would rather have people on board rather than fly empty. So you're getting to take advantage of my ship's situation. This will be your room. (shows the cabin) We will be leaving in the morning and you're welcome to come by anytime before then to get yourselves settled in.

They seem relieved to hear it and yet, Valentine can't shake the feeling that something's not right. Perhaps they've got loan collectors coming after them and they have to move for some reason. He puts it out of mind for the moment, as it's not something he can control or change beyond offering them passage to Kerry. Valentine checks on the progress of his other set of passengers, the couple, and finds that they've messaged him to have him meet them at a Cortex café nearby. It's only three or four blocks away.

Valentine messages back he'll meet them. He steps off the ship alone but he's no fool. He goes armed. Black Rose comes on that walk with him.

Good thing, too. The address does not put him at a café. Instead, Valentine is staring at a self-storage place with rows and rows of storage units. Valentine stands and looks for the café, just in case he's gotten the address wrong, but nothing of that description is in the vicinity. From behind him he hears a man's voice:

Voice: Mr. Quick, may I have a word with you?

The voice is familiar. Of course it is. Valentine is finally able to put the cause to his twitchy unease. Steeling himself to show nothing, Valentine turns smoothly around … and sees Malcolm Fox, an Insurance Fraud Investigator for Crimson Permanent Assurance. They've met before.

Valentine: Ah. And how are you, sir?

Fox has one hand in his jacket pocket. The pocket is poked from within by something that might be a weapon.

Great.

Fox: Keep your hands where I can see them.
Valentine: (evenly) Okay.
Fox: It wasn't that difficult to trace you here. We have some unfinished business.
Valentine: Do we?
Fox: When you left me with your pistol pointed at me …
Valentine: I seem to remember that, yes.
Fox: … We were discussing some illegal cargo that you had.
Valentine: I don't remember that part. I do remember pointing the pistol at you. It's hard to forget that sort of thing. Fox: You've cost me quite a bit of face with the company.
Valentine: Sorry to hear that.
Fox: I don't like being humiliated.
Valentine: Nobody does, really.
Fox: And now it's become personal than simply business.
Valentine: Oh, things never go well when you turn it personal, sir.
Fox: Right. Which is why we need to take care of this quickly. Into the storage area.

Fox points down the row of units. Valentine looks left and right with just his eyes. He's in an industrial area with a five lane road to one side and a factor to the other. There are some people several blocks away. It won't make a bit of difference if Valentine gets shot on the street or if he gets shot in the storage area, none of the pedestrians are close enough to help him. The street is a bust if Valentine wants to pull a fast one but the storage area holds promise … Valentine does as ordered and walks down the row of storage units.

Mind, it isn't without some trepidation on his part. It doesn't take a genius to figure the odds of Valentine getting shot in the back of the head. Still … Even though there's only a slim chance he might be able to get out of this alive if he keeps his wits about him, he's got no chance at all if he gives up and waits for the bullet to take him.

Valentine spies what he's been hoping for. The units are built in long rows and a corner comes into view. Valentine keeps his pace steady to give nothing away and then quick as a flash, dives aside into the corner when Fox least expects it. He takes a quick peek around the corner and sees Fox standing in the middle of the aisle holding a taser. Valentine draws Black Rose and steps out.

Valentine: And here we are, again, with me pointing a pistol at you. See how this doesn't work out in your favor?

Fox doesn't wait for Valentine to finish talking. Fox tases Valentine and Valentine shoots Fox. Both connect and stagger back clipped in the upper arm. Fox drops his taser but Valentine keeps his gun.

Valentine has the upper hand.

Valentine: (steely) I really don't want to be in this position again. if at least one of my crewmates were here, they'd be telling me to put one in your head.
Fox: We don't even want you—(grunts, sits up)—We just want the people you're working for. I've been doing research. There's a long line of deceit there. That Selezneva? That's not her real name. That Babbitt woman? That's not really her name.
Valentine: I don't doubt it. It doesn't really surprise me but your mistake is thinking that I or my crew has some deep connections to whole sordid line. We're just the desperate pawn piece in this chessgame. Taking the pawn in this case isn't going to help you checkmate the king. You're looking in the wrong place.
Fox: We need to build a case.
Valentine: Well that's fine but to be honest … (pulls watch, checks time) … not two minutes ago you told me it was personal. And so somehow I'm not seeing the whole "It's personal" and "We need to build a case." Maybe you're working for both, but I don't like people with personal grudges carrying tasers and following after me. The thing about it is, is if I don't shoot you now, what assurances do I have that the next time that we run into each other—and I can almost be assured that you will run into me again because you seem to be the kind of guy that just does not give up easily, even perhaps when you should—What assurances do I have that the next time you're not going to be carrying a bigger gun and you're going to end up forcing me to shoot you. I mean, by which, I kill you.
Fox: That's not very likely. You're not a killer.
Valentine: No. But I will kill if I need to. To protect me and mine. And right now, I don't think you are a danger to me and mine … (grimacing) … but you're getting awful damned close.
Fox: This will go a lot easier on you if you just come with me.
Valentine: (incredulous) No. No, it won't. I appreciate your thought process here but no, no it won't.

Valentine kicks the taser out of Fox's reach and pockets it.

Valentine: Now, I'm going to be a fool and I'm going to say, "Leave now and don't come back again." If I see you again, I will shoot you dead.

Fox gets to his feet. Valentine gestures with Black Rose and Fox starts walking in the direction of the street. Valentine covers him from the rear, nothin' doin', with Black Rose aimed for the man's back.

Fox: We'll meet again.
Valentine: (really?) What part of "shoot you dead" didn't you understand?
Fox: You've had more than one chance to kill me and you haven't. Because you know deep down that I'm right.
Valentine: No. It's because I don't like killing people. But I will.

Valentine gestures with the gun again and Fox walks away down the street. Valentine stands his ground and watches him leave. When Fox is far enough away to pose no further threat Valentine returns to Delilah, the taser an unwelcome weight in his pocket. He goes straight to med bay and greets Tian as he crosses the threshold.

Valentine: Doctor, would you mind looking at this taser thing on my arm?
Tian: (rushing over) What happened?

His jacket is burned through where the taser zapped him. He gingerly peels out of it. His shirt sleeve is not much better and Valentine peels out of that before sitting down on one of the exam beds. Tian gets her supplies together and examines his arm. Valentine holds the taser loosely in hand, frowning at it as he fills the doctor in on the details.

Valentine: That couple I was going out to see really turned out to be a couple of problems. Or really, by which I mean that guy from the insurance company, the one that I almost shot.
Tian: Wow. He's …
Valentine: Stubborn. Yeah. I didn't kill him.
Tian: I didn't think he was that evil.
Valentine: Not evil. He's just …

He sighs and rubs his neck.

Tian: I didn't think that they were that dedicated to their work.
Valentine: Well, he thinks I humiliated him. So now it's personal and what did I do? I humiliated him again, rather than killing him. Poco, thank God, has not heard this yet. He'd slap me upside the head for not shooting him, but he's doing what he considers to be his job. I don’t want to kill anyone for doing their job.
Tian: (sighs) Let me fix up your arm.
Valentine: Thanks.
Rachel: Hey, Val. You're back.
Vikki: Hey, what happened to your arm?

Valentine looks around and sees Rachel walking in. Vikki is right behind her.

Valentine: Tased.
Vikki: Wow, that was a rough couple. Are they coming aboard? Oh, hey. Shiny. (sees taser, plucks it from his hands) I know this brand. It's not bad.
Valentine: It wasn't the couple. It was the insurance adjuster from a while back.
Vikki: Oh, geez. You want me to check to make sure it's not bugged?

She holds up the taser.

Valentine: If it's bugged I'll be shocked, since I took it off him.
Tian: Somebody needs to go put her in the military somewhere. Cuz, omigod!
Vikki: Okay. (eyeroll!) If I were a fraud investigator and I was trying to follow people, this would be a great way to put a tracker on the ship. Don'tcha think?
Valentine: If you would like to check if it has a tracker, go right ahead.
Vikki: Yeah.

She whips out her pocketknife and starts unscrewing the casing right there on the exam bed. Valentine watches for a moment before movement in the corridor catches his eye. He looks and sees Poco sneaking by with a case under his arm.

Valentine: Poco.
Poco: (keeps on walking) Be right back, Boss.
Rachel: At least he has his clothes on.
Vikki: D'you think it's an inflatable girlfriend?

Poco comes back after a moment.

Poco: What's up?
Valentine: Anything in the case that I need to worry about?
Poco: Nope.
Valentine: What's in the case?
Poco: Nothin' to worry about. Just provisions for the long trip. Last time, I was caught without my smokes.

Valentine regards his engineer for a long moment then hisses as Tian has to do something painful on his arm.

Valentine: Never mind. I just got tased. Whatever. If it gets us in trouble, it gets us in trouble.
Poco: I got it at a bargain, that's all. I don't want to share it out.
Valentine: Whatever it is, I probably don't want it.
Poco: (narrowly) Just stay out of my stuff.
Valentine: When do I get into your stuff normally?
Poco: I dunno. You seem awfully interested in it.
Valentine: See, here's the thing. If it gets me in trouble, I've now got a taser—
Vikki: It's in pieces now.

Sure enough. The taser's pretty much disassembled on her half of the bed.

Valentine: Don't make me use it.
Poco: I might need it. Sometimes my heart needs a little jumpstart.
Vikki: Normal people use coffee, you know.
Poco: Yeah? I'm not normal.
Valentine: That's fine but I don't want people hunting us down for what's in that case.

God knows, there's enough of that going on already.

Poco: No! I totally bought it. With real money and everything.
Vikki: Who are you and what have you done to our friend Poco?
Valentine: Still. I don't want anybody hunting us down for what's in that case.
Poco: Nah, it's nuthin'. Just can't pass up a bargain.
Rachel: (sighing) He stole it. It's okay.
Poco: I didn't steal it. I spent all my pay on it.
Rachel: It has to be a crazy steal if you paid for it.

Rachel and Poco debate what constitutes steal in a legitimate sense. Valentine watches them go at it as Tian puts the final touches on his arm.

Valentine: Thank you, Doctor. You sure you're not going to have a man at the ship when we get there?
Tian: Oh I'm not sure of anything at this point.
Valentine: Fair enough. I'll take that risk.

He gets off the table, causing Vikki to grab the pieces and parts of the taser, lest they slide to the floor. Rachel watches him a moment and then smirks.

Rachel: Cap'n, that's a might nice burn you got there.
Valentine: (stares, pissed) …. (then) … Is the family on board yet?
Rachel: They're getting' their stuff loaded aboard, yeah.

Valentine walks over to the wall comm and Tian instantly groks what he's about to do.

Tian: Don't do it. Don't.
Rachel: Don't do what?
Valentine: (pointedly) I was gonna announce to the ship that I got tased. Just to make sure everybody knew.
Rachel: Oh, don't worry, darlin'. I din't see nuthin'. Put the comm down.
Valentine: I don't care that I've been tased. It's just that I would prefer not to have this conversation six or seven more times if I could it just once and be done with it.
Rachel: Was just walkin' by. (sniffs) Apparently tasin' makes you irritable.

Jeez! Everybody's making a fuss.

Valentine: Wouldn't it you?
Rachel: Well, darlin' … (leans against exam bed) … It depends on the context.
Poco: I don't mind it.
Valentine: And how many times have you been tased, Poco?
Poco: Plenty.
Tian: Stop. Everybody out of my med bay.
Poco: After a while, you get a taste for it.
Tian: I don't wanna know! Out of my med bay. Poco! Out!
Valentine: Yes, ma'am.

She points. The door waits. Rachel takes Poco's arm.

Rachel: C'mon, Papa, you little freaky bear.

They start moving for the door, with Poco telling her an improbable story involving liquor, being hung over, and getting tased. Tian delays Valentine long enough to give him a combination of a painkiller and a stimulant to counteract the effects of the burn. The drugs hit his system in a flash and Valentine perks right up. Poco turns around at the door.

Poco: I smelled that! I want that too.
Vikki: First he has a nicotine monkey on his back. Now he wants a bactine monkey?
Valentine: (grabbing his shirt and jacket) I don't think he really considers it a monkey.
Poco: Everybody needs a pet.
Rachel: Poco. (tugging him along) You're a –ine addict. Caffeine, nicotine, bactine …
Vikki: Just stay away from the scopolamine.

The crew laughs, picks up and leaves. Tian groans and scrubs her face. Freakin' bunch'a comedians! Valentine pats her shoulder in silent understanding: the uncertainty about her son is killing her.

Valentine: (softly) It's okay. It'll be okay. Just a little longer. And then we'll know.
Tian: I know. (sighs) I know.

She pats his hand and steps away and starts clearing the debris. Valentine exits without another word, leaving her to it.

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