Second Mate Matthew stood on the gangplank of the Vae Victus alongside First Mate Cutter and Captain John Shaft. The three, working in tandem had successfully landed the battered ship in the stardock of Javat Prime. Located in the Gamma-Javat II system, Javat Prime was the center of power for Clan Javat. Matthew looked out upon the urban cityscape before him in astonishment.
Raised as a sheepherder, Matthew had thought the capital city of Tundeedor was the apex of civilized living. Now he saw what a real city looked like. Skyscrapers danced out to the horizon with hovercars plying an intricate ballet amongst them. Millions of workers and citizens milled about before him in the docks as ships of all shapes and sizes lifted off or landed. Matthew could have spent the day drinking in the sights before him if a major issue didn't concern him, the state of his Captain.
Matthew looked up at his Captain and then to Cutter. She was attempting to assist Captain Shaft down the gangplank while he rebuffed her aid at the same time. Cutter kept silent but Matthew could see the worry on her face. The Captain was wearing an old tan vested jacket that had been altered so as to not be too tight on his body. Peeking through the neck of the jacket were the bandages that covered him from his waist to the top of his head, only letting his mouth, eyes, and the tracheotomy tube show.
On making it to the bottom of the gangplank and finally standing on the dock of Javat Prime, the Captain paused a few minutes to take ragged breaths through the tube sticking out of his neck. Dr. Gupta's interventions had saved his life but Matthew knew the man was in severe pain. Two weeks ago Captain Shaft took a magma bomb to the face and chest courtesy of Captain Fromage, of the Picky Beggar. Somehow he survived, but suffered extensive burns. Despite his injuries, he insisted on participating in the repairs to the Vae Victus, partially due to stubbornness and partially due to Matthew and Cutter being the last two of his crewmembers who survived the attack. But Matthew knew the Captain was paying a terrible price in pain every moment he stayed mentally clear enough to help.
Matthew started typing on his infopad to search for a hospital when the Captain tapped his shoulder. The Captain was showing him and Cutter his own datapad, his only means of communication as his larynx was damaged from the attack. It read: We have made it to Javat Prime as I commanded and you have performed well in adversity. Now we have a serious matter to discuss. Both I and my ship are severely crippled. Without assistance we may not make it off this planet. You have done far more than what would be expected of crewmen. I would not begrudge you should you chose to seek your fortunes elsewhere. I have deposited your pay into your private accounts scaled to your status as officers. On that you could live comfortably and safe on Javat Prime for a while as you decide your next steps. What are your decisions?
Matthew looked in astonishment at the Captain and glanced at Cutter. On her part she stepped in front of Captain Shaft and poked him in the chest, making him wince slightly.
"I can't believe you would think we would abandon you now! You need help and we still have a mission to finish. They need us and you need us! Matthew, are you with us?" She looked to Matthew.
Matthew knew his mind. He saluted and said, "Captain Shaft, your Second Mate is awaiting your orders."
Captain Shaft could not smile and he could not speak. He could only nod his head in approval. He straightened his posture more and tried to look more like a Captain rather than a broken man. He showed his crew of two his orders on the datapad. Well then this is what we will do. Mister Cutter, inform our passengers of our situation and have them hold up in the saferoom until you return. I want you to go to the Miller Brothers Shipwrights and tell them to be ready to work on the Vae Victus. Tom Miller and I go back a long way and we can trust him with the repairs. Meet him in person only. No online communications. After that return to the ship and guard our passengers. Mister Matthew, you will accompany me to the Doctor.
An hour later Matthew found himself accompanying his Captain into "The Sorrowful Widow", a spicing tavern in the Javat Spicer Zone. The place was a worn down mess with rusty steel ceiling beams, dirty windows, and dirtier waitresses. The floor was sticky from old uncleaned materials he did not care to define. The only other spicer hall he had been in, "The Last Chance," was a syndicate prince's palace compared to this place. However, Captain Shaft walked steadily through as if he knew who he was looking for.
Any patrons near the Captain backed away and found elsewhere to sit, either due to his confidence or his appearance, Matthew did not know. But one figure looked in interest. It was to this man Captain Shaft was approaching. The figure was cloaked in a dark but nondescript cloak with a hood shielding his face from view. The stranger got down from his barstool and stood before the Captain, apparently evaluating him. The Captain brought out a small pouch and handed it to the hooded man. The jingling of the coins inside apparently pleased him as he nodded in approval and motioned them to follow him.
Leaving by a back door Captain Shaft followed the hooded man out of "The Last Chance" into the streets. Matthew closely trailed behind his Captain while trying to keep his bearings. He trusted neither the situation nor the strange man who was leading them. The trio weaved through dank alleyways and dirty streets until they came to what looked like an abandoned warehouse. The pair followed the hooded man into the building, which appeared sooty and burned. Stopping at a support pillar the man pressed a passcode on a keypad and a passageway opened from the floor. After going down several flights of stairs and barriers, they arrived at a relatively clean entryway. Here the man moved back his hood and announced, "Welcome to the office of Doctor Ardway, Technologist."
Matthew had heard of the Technologists as a child. In this modern age, medical science was capable of great things and many diseases, ailments, and cancers that plagued pre-spaceflight man had been completely eradicated. But there were still things that eluded accepted science's grasp and other things that man was not meant to know. The Technologists however believed in pursuing knowledge well beyond where anyone else wanted to go. Their experiments and studies drew condemnation from society at large and many were executed a century ago. But there were still whispers of some surviving, continuing their mad and evil experiments in the dark corners of society and space. Apparently Captain Shaft wished to deal with one such monster to save his life.
Captain Shaft allowed himself to be escorted to a room where his jacket was removed and his vital signs were taken. Matthew followed him the entire time, never letting him leave his sight. Although the nurse administering to the Captain seemed clean and well dressed, even normal, he still did not feel comfortable here. The Captain, in contrast appeared relaxed and was taking calm even breaths. The Captain showed him his datapad which read Relax, we are safe. I have done this before.
Shortly after the nurse left, Doctor Ardway entered the room. He was a prim and clean-appearing gentleman with a calm demeanor and a stiffly starched labcoat. He appeared to Matthew like a regular physician, at least initially. Captain Shaft and the doctor communicated about how the Captain came to be in his present condition. The doctor listened attentively and asked investigative questions, jotting everything in his datapad. With his assistants he undressed Captain Shaft and examined him thoroughly, giving anesthetics to make the situation more comfortable. Matthew started to relax and feel more comfortable seeing the good care his Captain was receiving.
Doctor Ardway had just finished placing fresh dressings on Captain Shaft's wounds and was mulling the situation. "Well, I understand your need to be healed as fast as possible and I have several ways to do that. The easiest way would be to fast-clone your body and place your brain in the new homunculus."
Matthew sat bolt upright at that but refrained from saying anything. However, the doctor caught the reaction. "I assure you my lad, I've done it many times for my clients and I have never had any complaints. It is the easiest way to deal with extensive injuries. Your Captain would be the same man as he ever was, just with a fresh new body!"
The doctor glanced over the Captain's datapad. Pointing to it he said, "Well it appears your Captain agrees with you. It is true, not everyone feels comfortable with having a fresh body if most of the old one is still in decent shape. The harder option would be to place you in a Nano-Chamber and program the nanites to rebuild your lost skin and tissues. I would need recent pictures to work from. I do warn you that you will need to be awake at times so we can be sure the nerves are being repaired correctly and that can be equisitely painful. But I could have you healed in about two days and you would walk out of here no worse for wear."
Matthew turned to his Captain on hearing this. "Captain, you do not need to do this. We could-"
"What," Doctor Ardway interrupted, "Take him to a State hospital and have their people work with him? True they could eventually repair his body but it would take months, even years before he would be whole again using their methods. However, they would never take him. He, like many Captains before, have sought out and used the help of the Technologist Doctors. The State Doctors would detect that eventually and throw him out the hospital, if they don't try to kill him. No, my friend, we are the only chance he has."
Captain Shaft showed Matthew his datapad. I know you are concerned about my safety. I am glad for that. But it needs to be done this way. Captain Shaft turned to Doctor Ardway, his datapad saying, I consent to the nanites. What is your price?
Seeing Matthew sit back reluctantly, the doctor nodded affirmatively. Turning to the Captain he said, "For you, only twelve-hundred Credits."
Matthew tried to keep his composure while his Captian calmly paid the Doctor. Twelve-hundred credits was well over a million Marks, more than his home village had ever made in a generation. An entire hospital could have been built back home for that price. And here was Captain Shaft calmly paying that ransom in one smooth movement.
For the next two days Matthew kept watch over his Captain as he writhed soundlessly in the frothy liquid of the Nano-Chamber. He was completely submerged in the liquid, his lungs filled with a super-oxygenated liquid filled with busy nanites. Restraints kept him from escaping or injuring himself further. Slowly, lost tissues and even hair were returning to Captain Shaft's body. Finally he was decanted from the Chamber and allowed to rest. Matthew looked at the man finally resting peacefully in a hospital bed, finally whole again. Exhausted himself, he nodded off also.
A tap on his shoulder woke him. Captain Shaft was finishing buttoning up borrowed clothes. He appeared refreshed. "Mister Matthew, are you sleeping on the job? Well, we need to get back to the Vae Victus. We have a lot of work to do."
"Yes, Captain." Matthew replied as he stood up. "It will take a lot to get the Vae Victus spaceworthy again."
Captain Shaft smiled, "No my lad, we need to plan a party!"
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