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“And here we are again, Nor,” Dr. Y said. “I admit, you had me quite worried when you showed up here bleeding from every orifice. Yet now you are as healthy as you can be.” He paused. “Though I believe it would be healthier if you gained some weight.”
“Do you have to say orifice?” she asked. “I hate that word.”
“If the name of medical exactitude, it serves a function. I could use other terms that are more colloquial, but they may be equally objectionable,” Y said. “Or even list off the . . . apertures . . . in question. Nostrils, ears-“
“You know what?” she said. “Orifice is fine.”
“Excellent,” Dr. Y replied. “Now, as happy as I always am to see you, I must encourage you to move about your own day. Unfortunately, I am quite busy.”
Y looked around, then leaned closer and spoke in a conspiratorial whisper. “The medical staff from the Chain are far from healthy! How absurd – doctors taking poor care of themselves! They should know better.”
Apollonia smiled and let out a small laugh. “Well, they’re busy . . . do you take good care of yourself?”
Y paused, studying her. “I do not have a physical condition to consider, unless you count these bodies, and the automated systems keep them in quite good repair. Mentally? Well, I would not say that my kind have a healthy norm, as we are all quite individual and unique. But . . . to answer the spirit of your question, I believe I do.”
“Keep away from the smoke and the drugs, doctor,” Apollonia said, jumping lightly off the bed.
“That I shall,” he promised. “Oh, and Nor-“
“Yes?”
“I am glad you have decided to stay on the ship.”
She stared for a moment. “Thanks,” she said. “Can I ask you one last thing?”
“Of course,” he replied amiably. His head continued to face her, but his body turned away, moving with extreme efficiency to disinfect the surfaces she’d just been touching.
“You’ve been busy since we got to the Chain, haven’t you?” she asked.
“Since before, even,” he said. “I’ve actually been working 24 hours a day since the Craton reached New Vitriol. There has been much work, and much has been accomplished. I am pleased.”
“Do you ever get tired?” she asked.
He paused again. “I do,” he said. “I have told you I am fallible. I can suffer from exhaustion, even burnout. I . . . have before. You asked me if I was healthy, and well – I do try. Because in the past I have failed at caring for my own well-being, and it came to the detriment of others as well as myself.”
She nodded soberly. “I hope you can rest, soon,” she said.
“Thank you, Nor,” he replied.
“When you came to talk to me in place of Dr. Logus, that was a sacrifice for you, wasn’t it?”
“I would not phrase it thusly, but – in a sense, yes, I had to place other tasks aside.”
Apollonia was shocked. “And you’re not even a psychiatrist, are you? It’s not part of your duty?”
“No . . .” Y replied.
“Why did you do that for me?”
He hesitated, then turned fully towards her and spread his hands open.
“Because you are my friend, Nor.”
Urle came to attention.
“Executive Commander reporting for return to duty, sir,” he said.
“At ease,” Brooks told him. “It’s good to have you back, Zach.”
“I’m glad that I can do something again,” the man said. “But . . . I do appreciate the time you gave me, sir.”
Brooks gave his old friend a nod. “I’ve sent your schedule to your system. Right now I’ve got you taking second watch and after that you’ll function as liaison with the commander of the emigrants from the Chain.”
Urle nodded. “All right. May I ask, Captain – what was it that happened on MS-29?”
Brooks took a breath. “I am still not at liberty to tell you, Zach, I’m sorry. I know you’d like to understand more – I would as well. But we know very little.”
“I know it had to do with things related to zerospace,” Zach said. “Does Kell know more? Is he still keeping quiet on all this? He’s never very up front . . .”
Brooks let out a long breath. “Ambassador Kell is in much deeper than usual, I’ll say that much. To be honest . . . I’m not sure what’s going to happen with it. Director Freeman-“
“I’m sorry, Captain – Freeman was here?”
“Yes,” Brooks told him. “That part is public record, as he came in Research One. But I can’t say more than that, save for the fact that he is very displeased with how things went. Or . . . was. I feel like there are internal politics games going on here, to be honest.”
A beep alerted him to a message.
“That’s top priority from Earth,” Zach noted, recognizing the tone.
Brooks nodded, his brow furrowing in concern. “Just text,” he said, bringing it up.
His eyes scanned over it, and then he looked back to Urle, his expression only growing more solemn.
“We’ve been summoned back to the Sol System,” he said. “Back to Earth. It seems that Director Freeman has seen fit to charge me with insubordination and dereliction of duty.”
Other Terrestrial 