Nama hit her head on the console, and hid it between her hands.
Derek looked at Romar, then at Mr. Smith.
“Forget the ancillary systems. Derek, fly us out of here.”
“Aye.”
He gave the coordinates and handed over the ship to Derek.
“Romar: In the cab on the right you will find something suitable, the blue pills on the table. Only one.”
Romar looked at Mr. Smith questioningly.
“She will sleep for a while. We need some time until we know how we can go from here. She will not miss anything.”
Romar nodded and wanted to help Nama.
“Do not touch me!”
Romar backed away.
“Excuse me. Help me, please.”
He led Nama out.
“Did you intend to put us all knocked out so?” Yolane asked.
“I planned it, originally. But the situation is now different. Help me to carry Tedeya. I hope that no important fuses have been blown inside her.”
Yolane and Mr. Smith took Tedeya between them and carried her to the Med Department, which was located a few doors behind the command center. There they laid her on a couch. Yolane had a searching look around at the facility. She nodded approvingly.
“You appear to be medically well equipped. Better than standard.”
“Yes. Far better than standard.”
He looked at Yolane.
“I know of your successes in the field of technical and biological systems integration, Yolane. You will find some stuff of whom I know you have it, even though it officially does not exist.”
He smiled knowingly, Yolane nodded and smiled back .
“This ship has only one purpose, the people who are here now on board, especially you, Yolane, and Nama and the crystal. Tedeya is a – bonus. The others are just tools, supplies.”
Yolane had almost leaped on him.
“These are the facts. Nevertheless, it is unfortunate that Ryek is not here.”
“I did not know that CONCORD is so monstrous,” said Yolane.
“CONCORD is the lesser evil for most. That’s all.”
“And what do we do now?”
Mr. Smith activated some devices. With a soft hum, a scanner slipped on a suspensor-field over Tedeya , and remained over her head. On the wall a two square meters large display lit up. It showed Tedeyas body structure, and the enlarged tomography of her head.
“Interesting,” said Mr. Smith.
“Very interesting. I did not know that you can combine these implants with one another.”
“You choose your words very carefully, Mr. Smith. In particular, as half of them are prohibited.”
“This is not important right now. Look: The computer indicates a likelihood of recovery of almost ninety percent. The other ten we create with the technology here”
Yolane breathed.
“At least something positive today.”
Mr. Smith operated the systems so that Yolane could see it.
“For an artist, you understand a lot of these things.”
“Yes. I use technique to address to the feelings of my clients. But I’m doing the modifications outside of bodies. Ethics, if that tells you something.”
“Only on an intellectual level.”
“I thought as much. When will she awake?”
“In four hours earliest.”
Romar entered the room.
“She has – been strange. Has said no more coherent words before she fell asleep.”
Yolane turned to the CONCORD agents.
“Mr. Smith?”
“Yes?”
“Do you have musical instruments on board?”
Mr. Smith looked at her in surprise.
“Please?”
“Do you have or have not you?”
“An Amarrian claves set,” he said, somewhat embarrassed.
“Now do not hold me for a very religious man. But the parts are easy to transport, and it distracts me from time to time from the dreadful things I’ve to do.”
He looked at Yolane.
“You find it in the locker in my cabin, where Nama is now. Just search for it, my other things are not worth talking about. Can you do something with it?”
Yolane smiled.
“Not me. Romar.”
“After all, I am the son of a musical mother,” he said with shy pride.
“Romar. Mr. Smith. To put it technically: Nama has done some things for which she had not been configured. She is as congested as Tedeya. But this we can not fix with technology, without destroying her.”
She looked at her son.
“How well do you get along with her?”
“Hard to say. She always is right or wants to kill me.”
He gave a short laugh.
“Yes, I like her. How can I help?”
“Divert her a little bit. And watch out for her.”
“Yes, absolutely. She is one of the keys. Without her, the mission is failed,” added Mr. Smith.
“Mr Smith. I expect that you explain us that once we are operational again.”
“Most you have figured out by yourself until now, Yolane.”
Yolane gave Romar her blaster.
“Mr. Smith is now here to take care of Tedeya. Shoot him if he is behaving suspiciously.”
“Aye.”
“Do you have it with you, Romar?”
“Yes.”
He pulled the crystal out of the inner pocket of his jacket. A soft red light played across the room. Yolane suddenly seemed to be everywhere.
Mr. Smith took a step back.
“I want to avoid being killed by accident,” he said, but his eyes were glued to the crystal. Yolane took it and put it into her pill box, next to the Vitoc. She closed the lid, but a weak presence remained.
“It can hardly be shielded. Only by the desire of the wearer,” said Mr. Smith.
The presence disappeared, and all breathed sighs of relief.
“I was so close to you recently when you have dragged me with you,” Romar said, confused.
“But I can not remember so well. “
Mr. Smith talked.
“I’m doing a few more settings. Do not worry, I can put all the rooms on the bridge. We will not miss her waking up or when she needs something. Romar, please do not panic, the pointy things that I now affix to Tedeya are necessary. After that I prescribe to all of us some peace. If it calms you, you can lock me up in a cabin. “
Yolane nodded.
“Good idea, accepted. And then we try to figure out where Ryek is, and whether he is still alive.”
She turned to Romar.
“For you I have a special task.”
***
The steady hum of the generators was narcotic. Nama turned to the other side. No, she did not want to wake up, not now. Not at all. In the background of her consciousness scenes from the past few days were played, multifaceted, glassy, razor-sharp fragments in a sea of blood. Jeo, Ryek. Did they really escape? Why she felt no pain, no despair? A layer of cotton wool was between her thinking and her feelings. She remembered Mr. Smith’s drug that Romar had given her. Then everything was black, and she regretted that it had not remained so.
The batting became thinner slowly. In a few minutes it would be gone, and nothing would protect her from the memories. She could ask Mr. Smith for the drug, and for a moment it seemed to her desirable to be able to feel nothing in the long run. Her thoughts were circling around her own. Sleep, long sleep. Until the world had turned further and all this was over here.
“Nama? Are you awake?”
No, I’m not. I am dead. Let me lie and get out, slave!
“Nama?”
A hand touched her gently and briefly on the shoulder, then she heard that Romar made a quick step back.
Well done! He has learned. Now just close the door from the other side!
She heard that Romar rummaged in the cupboards for something. Hopefully he was looking for a knife. Then at least it was not her fault if it all was over now!
Romar seemed to move a heavier object with some difficulty, and carefully disposed it on the table. For a while a faint rattling could be heard, sometimes the melodic sound of wood or metal.
What does he do there? She pushed her head deeper into the pillow.
She recognized the instrument. An Amarrian claves set. Interesting. That Mr. Smith was carrying with him? Whatever, let me sleep and die. What wants this Minmatar wilder with it?
Romar gently stroked the sticks on the metal tubes and then played a simple, meditative melody. Nama felt memories of her home. It was a sacrilege that a non-Amarr played this instrument, but she had to admit that Romar had the composition under control.
After all. He does not do that for the first time. Strange, that the Minmatar have an interest in music of the enemy. Well, half Minmatar, not better.
The tune changed, now there were sounds of wooden pipes from the instrument, which developed an almost horn-like sound.
“Nama?”
No. No one here. Her memories overwhelmed her. There was only one way to escape them again and become clean. She would leave the ship. Immediately. And without a spacesuit. But first, should the Minmatar slave entertain her for while with his play.
BOING!
As if a church bell was struck. Loud and clear and definitive. Nama winced.
BOING!
NO!
BOING!
NO! I KILL HIM!
BOING!
Romar played the opening bars of ‘Hells Bells’!
BOING!
Nama shot up from the couch and rushed furiously to Romar.
“You wicked fish, I’ll kill you!”
Romar was prepared. He dodged the blow and embraced her like a wrestler. They fell back on the couch together.
“Let me go!”
“I’m not suicidal!”
“Leave me alone!”
“Never!” Romar whispered.
Namas anger burst like a balloon. She began to cry unrestrained. Romar stepped back surprised, but Nama clung to him. They remained for a long eternity in their shared universe without time and space.
“Are you better now?” Romar said.
“No, but now I can better come along with it.”
She sniffed.
“No questions. Say that’s meant seriously.”
Romar quietly wiped the tears from his eyes.
“Yes.”
“And we still have to save the world?”
“Unfortunately, yes, it looks like.”
“Well then.”
Nama got up and went into the bathroom.
“I’m looking so terrible!”
“Yes, you are.”
The rest was drowned by laughter.
“Give me ten minutes and then I come to the bridge.”
Romar contacted Yolane .
“Ten minutes? I need an hour for something like that! Romar?”
“Yes?”
“Then please pick up Mr Smith and bring him to the bridge, too. I have an idea and want that all are there when I introduce it.”
“As you wish.”
He ended the connection
“Romar?”
“Yes?”
“I feel there’s a thought on my mind. When everyone is on the bridge. I’ll try to surprise Mr. Smith.”
“With what?”
“With my great looks.”
Romar looked at her strangely.
“What?”
“I have an idea that all will find funny, should I be wrong. Do you trust me?”
“Hm, I do not know.”
She pouted.
“Ok. I promise you that we will play the piece together, if all this is over. I need hardly say to you that I can expect serious problems if that should ever get out to an Amarr.”
“This is an offer! What instrument do you play?”
“Flute.”
Romar grinned broadly.
“I can hardly wait!”
