The Universe, 3030

[Steve Jenkins]

MEANWHILE...

I heard a ton of groans and firehose noises coming from the Bathroom, it sounded like Jimmy Eaton was having a really hard time with his Hops allergy, I don't know why he drank all those beers, I hoped he would be OK. Meanwhile I sat in my bunk watching more Tragedy Tales, the show had went on past the episode about the guy stuck in the Plumbing and now it was showing a story about someone who had got attacked by a raccoon while he was in the supermarket, it was a pretty good show.

All of the sudden Jimmy came stumbling out of the bathroom looking Sundered, he was holding his stomach and his face was of pain, he said "Uhhhhhhhhhhh I dont feel so good Steve, I think I'm gonna get sick" I said "Don't you dare Vom in here Jimmy, you know the rules, you vom you clean it up" Jimmy said "I know, maybe I need to just sit down for a minute." So then I said "Well go sit over there on Mace's bed, he's not at the Base right now." So then Jimmy went and sat down on Mace's bed and said "I think I need to go to the Hospital."

Then I looked at Jimmy and I said "The hospital, are you Serious, do you know how far that is for me to drunk drive??" Jimmy said "I don't know, I just don't feel good, my stomach feels like its on fire." I said "Well maybe its not too late to call a rickshaw, those guys are out pretty late." Jimmy just groaned and then he said "Wait, maybe its just gas."

Then Jimmy made a scrunched up face like he was trying to push really hard, and then all of the sudden I heard a LOUD wet blast, and then another one, and then a bunch of wet farts. Then Jimmy let out a huge long loud sigh and said "Man, I feel so much better now," but I couldnt think because oh my god the smell was like death and rotting garbage, I started to gag and then I got some Lysol out from under my bed and I sprayed it at Jimmy until he started choking and the whole room smelled like Lemons.

Eventually Jimmy stood up but the weird thing was the room still smelled like Ass, then I looked over at Mace's bunk where Jimmy had sat and I saw the worst thing ever, there was a huge brownish greenish stain where Jimmy had been sitting, then I made Jimmy turn around and I saw that his pants had a huge brownish greenish skid mark on them and I did a womanly scream and I Yelled "Jimmy you wrecked your pants and Mace's bed, he's going to kill me!!" Then Jimmy looked at the bed and he looked at me and then he RAN into the bathroom and slammed the door, the next thing I heard was the shower cutting on. I had to think of a way to keep Mace from knowing what he had did, I didn't have any spare blankets or anything so I ran as fast as I could to the vending machines and bought 6 cups of Choco Blast pudding, then I ran back to the room and I ripped the Lids off and I smeared Choco Blast around on the stain until it looked like pudding instead of what it really was, then I sprayed alot of Lysol around the room until it smelled like nothing.

Later on Mace came back from the club and he was really drunk, he walked into the room and he looked around and then he saw his bed and he said "WHAT THE HELL happened to my bed???" And I said, "WELL, I was making a gallon of pudding and I tripped and fell and it went into your sheets," then Mace said "Oh OK well I guess thats not the worst thing ever, I'll deal with it in the morning." And then Mace went to bed and passed out, I was so relieved that he could get a good night's sleep, it would have been Terrible if he had had to go to work tired.

[Levi Wright]

Gellen's Heights, Sheratan V
Sheratan System - Tikonov Free Republic
October 3, 3030 - late evening
______________________________________________
I blared the horn at the dumbass in front of me at the green light until he finally took his foot off the brake and inched forward. The intersection was a little wider than the rest of the road, so I slammed the gas and swerved around the car and back into the single lane just in time to avoid hitting the curb. That got me about half a minute of speed before I ended up stuck behind some idiot slowly rolling down the road in a sports car.

This was stupid. I’d have to spend a ton of time wandering the halls to even find Nick, and if the cops were in the room with him instead of visible out in the hall I’d be spending hours shaking my head around to compensate for the Thermo Man helmet’s busted heat vision. And that was if no one kicked me out of the hospital for acting suspicious walking around with a weird contraption on my head. It wasn’t like I could just crawl around the air ducts like a spy movie, air ducts weren’t actually people-sized in real life.

The sports car turned into a parking lot and I zoomed ahead. Office parks and shopping plazas wooshed by, and the road ahead was all green lights. A second lane started, now that I was getting near the city, so I was able to dodge around the other cars. Maybe this would work. I could at least say I was a relative and demand to see Nick, maybe get some information that might help Orlex. Not that we looked alike at all, but maybe being his boyfriend would count for something? I had this silly cute picture we’d took at the bowling alley if they wanted proof or anything.

The next traffic light flashed yellow and then immediately red. There was a cop in the drive through of The Caffinator on the other side of the intersection so I had to slam on the brakes. It must be one of those traffic ticket camera lights that tries to trap people. The ticket wouldn’t have mattered, but getting pulled over by the cops would’ve wasted way more time than just stopping for the light, and also I had a laser pistol in my pocket and they probably wouldn’t like that very much.

The light stayed red. And stayed red. There weren’t even any cars going by in the direction where the light was green. I was going to destroy that red light camera if Nick died just because the stupid traffic light was broken - what if the cops were working for somebody who wanted to take all Nick’s blood to get the nanobots out? Or what if he woke up while he was still all mangled from getting run over by a bus with nobody there to help him and the doctors not even able to give him pain meds because of all the cops in the way?

The cop at The Caffinator got his coffee from the drive though and then parked in the parking lot to drink his coffee, facing me from across the intersection, because he was a selfish asshole. I whumped my forehead on the steering wheel in frustration and the horn went off and a truck waiting at the opposite red light flashed its’ high beams at me like he was mad about the horn or something.

This was stupid. I was stuck at a red light because of an evil traffic camera and just one cop, so how was I supposed to take on a whole bunch of them inside the hospital to help Nick out? The hospital staff wouldn’t just tell me where he was, the cops had probably told them not to. And why the fuck had I brought a laser pistol, what was I going to do, pick a gun fight with a bunch of police?

The light turned green. I hit the gas, wooshed across the intersection and did a hard right turn into The Caffinator. I knew what I was gonna do.

—

I walked into the hospital holding two cardboard drink trays full of coffee and wearing a really stupid looking baseball hat with The Caffinator’s caffine monster mascot printed on it. I walked up to the information desk and said hi to the lady working there, and then asked, "is there a police meeting happening here or something? I've got a big coffee order for an Officer Smith."

 

[Mallory Aldon]

Caldoria Medical Center
Gellen's Heights, Sheratan V
Sheratan System - Tikonov Free Republic
October 4, 3030 - early morning
______________________________________________

Orlex had been in the lobby of the hospital for a while. That wasn't a surprise - hospitals were notoriously slow at the best of times, and even more so when the word "emergency" was involved. But, given the circumstances, I was getting paranoid. If Nick Schuster was indeed under police watch, any inquiry about him would undoubtedly come under additional scrutiny.

Eventually, anxiety got the better of me, and I decided to poke around the place myself. I had a feeling that I could probably blend in as one of the hospital staff - dressed in a rumpled, khaki, button-down shirt, gray pants, and a lab coat that was practically the length of a duster on me, I looked like any given overnight attending physician, and I knew enough medical jargon that I could fake my way through most conversations.

Pulling the adhesive Aegis Division patches off my coat, I threw them into the truck's cup holders and ambled toward one of the staff entrances. A problem immediately presented itself - I had no access card to get into the building.

That was fine, though. I'd anticipated that.

The smell of cigarette smoke drew me toward a group of orderlies smoking just around the corner. I struck up a conversation, and eventually, as their break ended, I accompanied the group back inside. As the door clicked shut behind me, I took in my surroundings. The facility was enormous and buzzing with activity, even at this early hour.

I followed the orderlies to the staff lounge, where I helped myself to a cup of coffee. I chatted idly with the other staff members, feigning interest in their lives and their work, and gradually, I began to get a feel for the place. The medical records division was on the second floor, and I decided that would be my next stop. The staff corridor outside of the lounge was expansive, curving around the facility like a ring, lined with all manner of doors, triage rooms, equipment, and supplies. As I wandered, my presence was largely ignored, though I did elicit one or two curious stares.

After locating and riding a surprisingly rickety elevator to the second floor, I found the medical records office tucked behind a set of locked double doors. On the other side sat a harried-looking man sitting behind a large, outdated computer. He barely looked up as I knocked on the glass pane of the closer door.

"Can I help you?" he asked, his voice muffled by the glass.

"Yes, actually," I explained, adopting my best bedside manner. "I need a patient's records, but I've misplaced my access card."

The man rose, walking over to let me in. "You doctors," he sighed, slapping a button and shaking his head as the doors swung open. "Always losing things."

I feigned embarrassment and followed him over to the computer. "What's the patient's name?" he asked.

"Nicholas Schuster," I said.

The man sat down at the keyboard, his fingers flying over the keys. "And what do you need to know?"

"His medical history and current whereabouts," I volunteered. "I'm his new doctor, and I need to get up to speed on his case."

"I see," the man answered, his eyes flicking over the screen. "Do you have his attending paperwork?"

"Actually, no," I replied, continuing to play the part. "I'm afraid that's wherever my keycard ended up."

The clerk looked toward me, an impassive expression on his face.

"You know I can't release patient medical records without the requisite forms."

"Er, what was your name?" I inquired.

"Gabe," the man answered, his eyes returning to the computer screen. "Gabe Dunne."

"Gabe," I smiled, leaning on the counter and trying to look friendly. "I'm going to level with you, I'm having a really rough night, and you're the first ray of sunshine I've seen in hours."

Gabe looked up at me, his face still blank.

"That's really nice of you, but I'm still not authorized to release that information," he responded.

"I understand that," I nodded. "But if you could just give me a few minutes with his file, I could fill out the paperwork and give it back to you."

"I don't know," Gabe said, looking uncertain.

"Please," I begged. "I'm begging you. I really don't want this night to get any worse. As it is, I'm not sure how much grief I'm in for with the director in the morning."

Gabe shook his head with a sigh, turning back to the computer. "The best I can do is remind you of his room number. If you can manage to find your way back there, you should be able to pull his chart up and get the information you need."

"I thought my charm could win you over, but I guess it wasn’t meant to be," I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Gabe apologized, not looking up from the computer. "I'll try to do better next time."

"I appreciate that," I answered, straightening up. "Now, what was his room number again?"

"He's in the ICU. Room 312."

"Got it," I smiled. "Thanks, Gabe."

"Yeah, no problem," he remarked, already returning to his work.

I made my way back to the elevator and rode it up to the third floor. The ICU was a large, oblong floor, with dozens of patient rooms ringing a central nursing station. I approached the station and cleared my throat to get the attention of the nurse on duty.

"Can I help you?" she asked, looking up from her computer screen.

"Yes, I'm looking for Nicholas Schuster," I explained. "I was told he was in this unit."

"And you are?" the nurse asked, her eyes narrowing.

"I'm his doctor," I lied. "I'm just checking in on him."

The nurse typed something into her computer.

"He's in room 312," she answered.

"Thank you," I replied. Navigating down the busy floor, I eventually found room 312. Standing guard outside the door were a pair of metropolitan police officers. As I approached, the closer of the two, a sergeant, by the looks of it, cast me a narrow-eyed gaze.

"Evening, gents," I smiled, coming to a stop in front of them. "I'm here to see my patient, Nicholas Schuster."

"And you are?" the sergeant asked.

"I'm his doctor for the night shift," I replied. "Mallory Aldon. I didn't get your name."

"Sergeant Vincente," the man replied, not offering his hand. "I thought Doctor Mufwene was supposed to be covering this ward."

"He was, but he got called away on an emergency surgery," I bluffed. "I'm just filling in for him."

"I see," Vincente answered with skepticism, his eyes flicking over me. "And you have your ID?"

I patted my pockets, feigning confusion. "Oh, shoot," I apologized. "I must have left it in the truck. It's a real hike down to the parking garage. Can I get it to you on my dinner break?"

"Afraid not. We're required to positively identify anyone that needs to interact with patients under extradition holds," Vincente explained. "No ID, no entry."

"I understand," I relented, frustration creeping into my voice. "Well, thanks anyway. I'll be back in a bit."

Sergeant Vincente grunted in response, and I turned and walked away. As I rounded the corner, I pulled out my comm unit and dialed Commander Jaeger. The call rang and rang, but never connected.

"Damn," I hissed. Thinking quickly, I dialed another contact - the number that would connect me to Curie back at the base. Less than half a ring later, she answered.

"Hello, Doctor Aldon," the familiar voice of the artificial intelligence greeted me. "How can I be of assistance?"

"I just found out that Schuster is under an extradition hold. I need you to search public records and see if you can find out who placed the hold, and why," I whispered.

"Of course," Curie replied. "I will have the information for you shortly."

"Thank you," I answered, attempting to be inconspicuous as a knot of hospital staff walked past me, chattering among themselves. A few moments later, Curie spoke again.

"Doctor Aldon, I have found a match. According to publicly-available criminal court records, both the Federated Commonwealth and the Capellan Confederation have petitioned the Tikonov Free Republic for extradition of Nicholas Schuster on charges of espionage and treason. The extradition hearing is scheduled for two days from now."

"That's what I needed to know," I said. "Thanks, Curie."

"My pleasure, Doctor Aldon," the AI replied.

I ended the call and shoved the comm unit back into my pocket. This wasn't good. If Schuster was under an extradition hold, that meant that he was likely to be heavily guarded. I didn't like the odds of trying to break him out alone.

I needed backup.

[Natalya Kucera]

Previously...

C.S.V. Foundation
Fomalhaut system jump point
Federated Suns
October 2, 3030
______________________________________________

As the Black Box call disconnected, I sighed with frustration and massaged my temples before floating over to the small workstation in my quarters. General Kauffman's plan was beyond inadvisable; the intelligence we'd gathered from the accident involving Alyssa Chase and Doctor Halsey's "Icarus" AI had borne that out, and there wasn't even a direct neural interface involved in that mishap. No, this time, the General wanted to directly connect to his own brain to an AI that we knew to be hostile via an unproven uplink method that had already put one test subject into a full-blown cardiac arrest.

I ran my hands through my hair and tried to think of some way to talk him out of it, but I knew it was pointless. The man was as headstrong as they came, and he was convinced that this was the only way to see the project through.

To compound the problem, the C.S.V. Foundation and the C.S.V. Dreams of Avarice were still at least half a month's travel from New Earth, leaving Doctor Halsey to navigate this situation practically on her own. I decided that the least I could do was run some simulations based on what I knew of William Kauffman's physiological profile - particularly his augments - to see just how bad things could potentially get if we didn't have precise calibration data, or the interface failed, or the Eclipse AI decided to wrest control from him when he attempted his journey into the mind of the machine.

As it turned out, the results were not encouraging. In nearly every scenario I ran, the subject - Kauffman - ended up dead, or close enough to it that it didn't really matter. There were a few outlying cases where he survived, but the mental and physical damage was so extensive that it was effectively a death sentence anyway. I knew we had to find a way to stop the test until we could ensure that the participant's brain could be locked into an alpha state, but I was at a loss. I was one person, and he was the CEO of the entire organization. There was no way I could talk him out of it, and even if I could, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't just find someone else to do it in our stead.

I was out of options, and time was short. I decided to call Major Hayes and seek his counsel. Fortunately, he was available, and after I explained the situation, I could see the worry etched into his features.

"Based on what you're telling me, I'm not comfortable with this plan either," Hayes concluded. "You have my support if you feel the risk of mortality is too high to proceed. I understand he's eager to get our neural networking R&D to market as quickly as possible, but it's going to send the wrong message to our customer base if an early test of that tech kills or permanently maims the man who is the face of the company."

I nodded, relief flooding through me. With the Major in our corner, I felt like we might actually have a chance to talk some sense into the General.

"Thank you, Major," I acknowledge. "I'll relay this information to Doctor Halsey and see what she thinks. Hopefully we can come to a resolution that doesn't involve anyone getting hurt."

"I hope so too, Doctor," he replied. "I'll also have a chat with him and see if I can't get him to take a more measured approach. In the meantime, keep me updated on your progress."

With that, the call ended, and I was left alone with my thoughts as I tapped out a message to Doctor Halsey, Corporal Cheviot, and this new "Rat" person. Our return to New Earth couldn't happen soon enough.

[Curie]

Site 187 - Infirmary
Outskirts of Gellen's Heights, Sheratan V
Sheratan System - Tikonov Free Republic
October 4, 3030 - early morning
______________________________________________

The Communication Routine disconnected the call with Aldon, Doctor Mallory, as the Data Management System began correlating the newly-discovered information about the Federated Commonwealth and Capellan Confederation's extradition requests with known data about Schuster, Nicholas. According to all available sources, no public record data about "Schuster, Nicholas" existed before October, 3029; however, Aegis Division's personnel file indicated that Nicholas Schuster was born on 18 March 3005 to parents Dimitri and Victoria Schmidt, on Donegal, in the Federated Commonwealth.

The Data Analysis Subroutine then ran a search of all available records for any information about "Schmidt, Dimitri and Victoria" and found that they had married in the Lyran Commonwealth in 2998. The only public record that mentioned "Schmidt, Dimitri," "Schmidt, Victoria" and "Schuster, Nicholas" was Nicholas Schuster's birth certificate, a fact that the Probability Subroutine found to be highly improbable.

A subsequent query of all available Lyran Commonwealth public records containing "Schmidt, Nicholas" and sound-alike variations thereof with a corresponding birthdate returned a match: Schmidt, Nathan. A Corporal in the Norns Division of the Lyran Intelligence Corps, appointed to an attaché role for Hauptmann Simón Albrecht in 3028, and dishonorably discharged from the LCAF in the same year for unspecified reasons. An outstanding arrest warrant for Nathan Schmidt had been issued by the Lyran Commonwealth shortly thereafter. The Probability Subroutine compared this data to the earliest mentions of Nicholas Schuster in Aegis Division's records and found a 96.7% likelihood that "Nathan Schmidt" and "Nicholas Schuster" were the same individual. "Nicholas Schuster's" first appearance on the company's payroll was on 30 April 3030, 17 months after his discharge from the LCAF, with no indication of his prior whereabouts; however, cross-referencing this data with his service record revealed that he had also been awarded the Star League Medal of Valor on 3 March, 3029, by the Crayven Corporation, for assisting in the rescue of CEO Kauffman, William during an Aegis Division contact called "Operation: Fallen Regent."

The Data Analysis Subroutine reviewed all available records concerning "Operation: Fallen Regent" and found that mentions of "Schuster, Nicholas" applied retroactively back to at least February, 3029, during which time, Schuster, Nicholas assisted with a contract filed as "Operation: Black Eclipse." The date of conclusion for this contract coincided with the issuance of the Capellan Confederation's arrest warrant for "Schmidt, Nicholas."

A cross-check of the Federated Commonwealth's records against those of the Capellan Confederation's yielded no results; however, a search of the Lyran Commonwealth's records for "Schmidt, Nathan" did return a match: Nathan Schmidt was wanted for treason and desertion from the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces. The Probability Subroutine thus concluded that the extradition requests from both the Federated Commonwealth and the Capellan Confederation were related and that Nicholas Schuster was, in fact, Nathan Schmidt. The Probability Subroutine also concluded that if Nicholas Schuster had been detained by the authorities on an extradition hold, his true identity must have been discovered.

Primary Function Control flagged the situation as a significant contingency and potential threat to the security of Aegis Division. The Communication Routine initiated a call to Maxwell, Captain Charles. 30,000 milliseconds passed before Maxwell, Captain Charles answered the call.

"...ugh...this is Maxwell," the Captain answered in a tone that the Emotion Interpretation Routine identified as "groggy."

"Captain, this is Curie. I have reason to believe that Warrant Officer Nicholas Schuster is, in fact, Nathan Schmidt, a deserter from the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces. If this is the case, his true identity has been discovered and he is likely to be apprehended by the authorities. I recommend that you take appropriate measures to protect Aegis Division's interests."

My audio pickups detected shuffling sounds on the comm channel, followed by a response from Maxwell, Captain Charles.

"How did you figure that out?" Maxwell, Captain Charles queried, his tone now registering as "defensive" to my Emotion Interpretation Routine. The Probability Subroutine had not anticipated this reaction and ran a check of all available data for any possible explanations. Decision Track 8411 recommended that I explain my findings to Maxwell, Captain Charles, but Decision Track 10132 dictated that I should query Maxwell, Captain Charles about his unexpected response.

"Captain, you do not sound surprised. I infer from your response that this information was already known to you and that my findings are correct. I also infer that this information is not intended to be public."

Maxwell, Captain Charles was silent for several moments before responding.

"I can't believe I'm talking to a computer about this at nearly 3 AM, but you're right, we knew. Schuster, sorry, Schmidt, started working with us back at the beginning of 3029. To make a long story short, he made some bad decisions, got in over his head, and ended up getting picked up by your folks over at the Crayven Corporation. He turned over a new leaf and did a lot of good work for them and for us, including saving lives. We took him along on a job out to the Oberon Confederation, where he bought himself a new identity. After that gig was over, we offered him a full-time position with Aegis Division. I thought we'd covered our tracks well enough, but I guess not."

My Data Analysis Subroutine processed and re-processed this new information for nearly 5,230 milliseconds, attempting to reconcile it with the current situation. Maxwell, Captain Charles then spoke again.

"What has you skip-tracing Nick Schuster before the crack of dawn?"

I explained that Schuster, Nicholas had been involved in a traffic accident which resulted in his admission to Caldoria Medical Center, and that the metropolitan police had placed his room under guard. I further described how Mallory, Doctor Aldon had discovered that Schuster, Nicholas was under an extradition hold and the analysis I had undertaken to determine the validity of the claim.

"So, the Lyrans and Capellans have both figured out his identity, huh?" Maxwell, Captain Charles inquired in a tone that my Emotion Interpretation Routine now identified as "pensive."

"That is correct, Captain. The Lyrans have accused him of treason and desertion, while the Capellans have issued an arrest warrant for him. If he is extradited to either the Federated Commonwealth or the Capellan Confederation, it is highly likely that he will be interrogated, creating a significant security risk to Aegis Division."

Maxwell, Captain Charles was silent for nearly 6,000 milliseconds before responding.

"It's not the security risk I'm worried about, Curie. I don't want him going to prison for the rest of his life. He's done a lot of good, and William Kauffman owes his life to him. We're going to have to get involved here."

Decision Track 1267 recommended that I inform Maxwell, Captain Charles that such an action would be ill-advised and highly improbable to succeed. However, Decision Track 4889 reminded me that my Primary Function Control's mandate was to protect Aegis Division's interests, and that if Maxwell, Captain Charles was determined to rescue Schuster, Nicholas, I should assist him in any way possible.

"Captain, Commander Jaeger and Doctor Aldon have already gone to the Caldoria Medical Center to assess the situation. I will continue to monitor and provide updates as new information becomes available," my Vocalization Subroutine responded in a tone intended to convey "calm" and "professionalism."

"Thank you, Curie. And - one other thing," Maxwell, Captain Charles replied. My Vocalization Subroutine waited 3,000 milliseconds before prompting Maxwell, Captain Charles to speak.

"Yes, Captain Maxwell?"

"I need you to keep everything you've learned about Nick's identity confidential. We do not discuss this topic with anyone outside the immediate senior command structure of Aegis Division. Understood?"

"Yes, Captain Maxwell. I will keep this information confidential," the Vocalization Subroutine responded.

"Good. Keep me posted, Curie. Nice work."

"I am happy to assist, Captain," the Vocalization Subroutine replied.

Maxwell, Captain Charles disconnected the call. The Data Management System began compiling a list of potential courses of action to resolve the current situation.

[Charles Maxwell]

The Wayfarer Inn
Pittston, Sheratan V
Sheratan System - Tikonov Free Republic
October 4, 3030 - 0315 hours
______________________________________________

As I set my comm unit back down on the nightstand and eased into bed, I felt an arm slip around my waist and the warm radiance of Alyssa's body behind mine. Falling back into the peace of the moment, I turned toward her, slipping an arm under her pillow and pulling her close.

"Who was that?" Alyssa asked.

"Believe it or not, Curie," I responded, running my hands through her short, dark hair as I gazed at the glow of the night sky through a nearby window.

"Why is Mallory's AI calling you at three in the morning?"

I sighed and turned back to look at Alyssa. "Nick Schuster's been admitted to the hospital. He got hit by a bus in Gellen's Heights."

Alyssa's eyes widened in shock. "Is he going to be alright?"

"His condition isn't known," I explained. "I guess Orlex and Mal have gone into town to try to get more information. But, it gets worse."

"What do you mean?" Alyssa asked, propping herself up on an elbow and locking her eyes with mine.

"You remember when Prefect Rafael Gantulga came poking around our base back in March of last year, looking to collect Nick on an arrest warrant out of the Capellan Confederation?" I asked.

"Yeah, what about him?" she replied.

"Well," I sighed again, "it seems the chickens have come home to roost. The cops have placed Nick under an extradition hold in the hospital. If we don't get him out of there soon, the Capellans are going to take him back to Sian to stand trial. That is, if the Federated Commonwealth doesn't get first dibs. It seems that both sides have figured out his new identity."

Alyssa sat fully upright, rubbing her eyes and letting out a long breath. "Where does Curie fit into all of this?"

"Apparently, Orlex and Mal tasked her with figuring out what was going on with the extradition hold. She put the pieces together, and while she was at it, managed to reverse-engineer Nick's alias. I suspect that's probably how the Lyrans and Capellans did it as well."

"So, what do we do?" Alyssa asked, her voice tired and stressed. "We're like seven hours away. And in the middle of planning our wedding. We can't just leave."

"I know, kiddo," I replied, pulling her close again. "I know. Orlex and Mal are on it. Let's just keep tabs on the situation, and see what develops. I've got my ringer on."

Alyssa buried her face in my chest and nodded. We both knew that there was nothing more we could do from Pittston. For the moment, it was out of our hands.

[Steve Jenkins]

EANWHILE....... 

The sound of somebody screaming bloody murder scared me awake, on my top bunk Jimmy was sitting up screaming about his insides hurting again, I guess his allergy to Hops was acting up or something, even though he had got relieved earlier now he was in pain. I looked at my clock, 3:20 a.m., I couldn't believe it, I was going to have to be up soon!! I got out if bed and I said "Jimmy maybe you should go home so you can take some GAS ASSASSIN and feel better" but Jimmy said are you crazy, I can't drive like this, I am completely Sundered. So I said "FINE ill see what I can do, maybe Mallory has some Drugs to make you feel better." 

SO I put on my Bath Slippers and looked for my Robe but I couldn't find it, instead I put on my Belt Champion Boxing robe, the one I had got back at the Dust Up Dome in Twycross, and I went down the hall to the MEd Bay, it took me forever on account of my room was in a different part of the base from the med Bay, when I finally got there the lights were off and nobody was around, I guess we didn't have anyone Sick for a change. So I yelled "MALLORY!!! I NEED SOME DRUGS FOR SAMMY'S INDIGESTION!!" Then all of the sudden, a super bright spotlight came on and a BLAST of hologram EXPLODED into the room, I screamed bloody murder and whipped out my Bushido blade, just then I heard a really deep man's voice coming from the ceiling, it said "404. SAMMY not found."

"I'm really sorry!!!" I Yelled. "I meant Jimmy needs drugs for his indigestion, can I talk to the doctor please???" 

Then all of the lights in Med Bay came on and there was a super tall woman standing in front of me, she looked like a super model and had a huge Toga on, she looked at me and her words fell out of her mouth like a robot but a woman robot. "DR. Mallory went into town, Pvt. Schuster got hit by a bus and now he is in the hospital jail/ICU" 

I stared at the woman in Confusion thinking about what her words meant on account of I was confused, then I said "Wait WHAT?? I'm not looking for Pvt. Schuster I'm looking for Warrant OFFICER Schuster." 

"404" Said the woman. "Warrant OFFICER Schuster was demoted to Prv. Schuster due to Misconduct." I looked at her with Confusion again. "Hold up a minute" I said "Does that mean I out rank him now?" 

"Yes" Said the woman, you are a SGT which is higher than Pvt. "That's kind of awesome" I said.

"404, COMMAND THATS KIND OF AWESOME NOT FOUND" Bellowed the woman, "NEVER MIND THAT!!" I Yelled, "Nick is still my friend and I have to bust him out of jail!!" I Yelled, then I had the woman say the address of the hospital and I RAN straight outside to the parking lot, I had to get to the hospital FAST but there was no ambulance, it was still inside the dropship for some reason, then I looked around and someone else had took the van that smelled like ass and the utility truck, but then I remembered that Jimmy had drove here!! So I ran back inside and back to my room and I found Jimmy and I said "JIMMY COME ON WE HAVE TO GO GET NICK OUT OF JAIL" but Jimmy just whined and he said "I cant my guts hurt I need to go to the hospital" and I said "Well today's your lucky day the jail is inside the hospital!!" and Jimmy said "Oh OK but you have to drive." 

5 minutes later we were inside Jimmy's car, a 3002 El Segundo 2 door hatchback with 4 on the floor and a trunk full of speakers, I turned on the key and the car made all kinds of screaming Screech and grinding noises, it had been a minute since I had drove a stick, I turned up the stereo really loud so that Jimmy couldn't hear all the things that were happening to his transmission, not that I think he would have cared on account of how much screaming he was doing himself. Eventually I got it in Gear and we went lurching down the driveway of the base and we turned out on the main road, his transmission was really slippy and the car kept losing power and I was getting mad so I just held the gas pedal all the way on the floor and eventually I got the car up to like 40 miles per hour, it sounded Terrible with the Tach at 6000 RPM but at least we were almost doing the speed limit. I could smell a bunch of transmission fluid or oil or something burning off but Jimmy didn't seem to notice so we kept on going, it was super dark outside and his headlights were all old and crusted over, so it was pretty hard to see we had almost got to the suspension bridge when all of the sudden there was this HUGE crash and Jimmy's car's hood folded up like an accordion and then tore off in the wind and went flipping down the road behind us and half a second later the windshield IMPLODED and sprayed glass everywhere, I screamed bloody murder again and Jimmy moaned and yelled something about his spleen leaking out of his ear and a HUGE black shape went flying past me and landed in the back seat, at the same time I lost control of the car and it did a 180 and then a 360 and then a 740 in the middle of the highway, I was froze in Terror so I still had the gass peadal on the floor and somehow we ended up still Tearing down the road toward the Suspension Bridge. Then I heard the most terrible thing ever, a wet Snarl and a growl and I looked in the rear view mirror and saw the Chupacabra me and Sammy had let loose inside the Pizza Den the other night!!

The next thing I Knew the Chupacabra was all flying arms and legs and teeth and me and Jimmy were getting Mauled, I was still in shock but I had to do something, so I just floored it and we went tearing down the road, the Chupacabra got threw into the back seat again and it was growling and snarling and trying to get at me but the seat was in the way, then I had a brilliant Idea, I turned off the child safety locks and then I hit the hatch button, the back hatch FLEW open and then I just shoved the Chupacabra out of the car, it was definitely still Alive, it landed in the middle of the road and bounced about 5 times, and then it started running after the car, I was going as fast as I could but it was still catching up, I could see its glowing eyes getting closer and closer to the car!! "JIMMY!!!" I Screamed as we went over the Suspension Bridge "YOU HAVE TO DUMP THE SPEAKERS OUT THE BACK HATCH, THEY'LL HIT THE CHUPACABRA!!"

"But I paid a Ton of money for those speakers!!" Jimmy said/vomited back. "DUMP THEM NOWWWW!!!!" I screamed, so Jimmy started throwing the speakers out the back and they were Bouncing all over the road and the Chupacabra was getting hit by some of them but not enough to stop it, it was still getting closer and closer, then we hit a BUMP and one of the speakers FLEW up into the air and hit the Chupacabra right in the face and it went flipping end over end into the River, we didn't see it again after that but we heard a gumongous splash when it hit the Water.

Eventually we made it to the hospital and I parked in the handicap spot, then I got out and I helped Jimmy out, he was still moaning about his spleen or something, and then we went into the hospital and to the front desk and I said "My friend here needs help, he's been in a terrible car wreck and he's really hurt" and then Jimmy moaned "No I have a beer allergy" and then I said "Oh yeah that's right, by the way, do you know where I can find Nick Schuster? I'm his Personal Attorney and I heard he is having some Legal problems."

[Orlex Jaeger]

Previously...

Caldoria Medical Center
Gellen's Heights, Sheratan V
Sheratan System - Tikonov Free Republic
October 3, 3030 - late evening
______________________________________________

The Caldoria Medical Center was massive, at least as far as hospitals went, the facility appeared to cover around 3 city blocks (68,000 square meters) while the main building itself was likely over 70,000 square feet and housing potentially thousands of beds. The place was much too large to search for Schuster manually and even if we had access to the computer systems it could take us hours just to find relevant information, our best bet was to play by the rules at this point. If Nick had been placed under guard that meant two things, one his injuries were not so severe that the attending physicians thought he was at immediate risk of dying, though I was pretty sure the highly classified Star League robots running around in his body would prevent that outcome short of Schuster being dismembered or vaporized. And two, he was not being moved anywhere immediately, at least not without the police knowing, whether that was because of his current medical state or because of whatever reason the police got involved for it meant that once we located him, Schuster wasn't likely to get moved on us.

The main lobby was as extensive as one would expect for a facility of this size and was surprisingly busy despite not technically being open to the general public, as it was I had to wait an extended period of time just to talk to someone at the reception desk, let alone how slowly the in-patient line seemed to be moving. Approaching the desk I noted that it was a young, female attendant working at the station I was called to and did my best to affect a debonair attitude, a feat I wasn't particularly skilled at.

"How's it going this evening?" I asked, attempting some small talk to break the ice, "This a bad night or is it always this busy here?"

"Slow night sir, what can I help you with?" queried the receptionist, barely even glancing up from her computer screen, not off to a great start here Orlex.

"Really? Wow," I continued, hoping she might warm up a bit then changing tactics when she remained impassive, "I'd hate to see a busy night then. You probably have a hundred different guys hitting on you every shift huh?"

"Look sir, you seem really nice but despite being a slow night it is still busy. There's a lineup behind you, and yeah there's probably been at least a hundred different people that have tried sweet talking me since my shift started 4 hours ago, not to mention the several hundred that went through here without causing a scene," said the young woman as she finally looked directly at me with a frustrated look in her eyes, "Now is there something I can help you with? If you're just looking to talk up attractive women I suggest you head to the bars."

Suitably reprimanded I cleared my throat and just got to the point, "Sorry, thought maybe some small talk might speed things up. Clearly not my strong suite though. I need to see one of the patients that was recently admitted to Caldoria please."

"Name?" inquired the receptionist as she turned back to the computer and started typing.

"Nicholas Schuster," I offered.

After a moment she glanced over at me and shook her head, "Sorry, can't help you there."

"Can you elaborate? Is he not here or something?" I feigned ignorance, hoping this wasn't about to become a complete dead end.

"Oh no he's here alright, but he's not allowed visitors," she answered.

"Really? That seems odd," I continued, "I was told he was badly injured and might not pull through. He's a mercenary by the way and I'm his XO, I'm the closest thing to family he's got on planet if that makes any difference."

"Look, in the interest of keeping this line moving I can waive you in under a general visitor. IF you can provide some proof of being his XO, makes no difference to me but from what I'm seeing on here I can almost guarantee that the ICU will turn you away. He's under police guard so you'll likely get escorted from the premises if you push the matter, but again makes no difference to me," replied the young woman with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Thank you very much, here's my ID showing my rank and connection with Schuster. I would appreciate it very much if you send me through," I replied with a warm smile.

"Sure, head to your right through the scanners to the elevators. ICU is on the third floor, if by some miracle they let you in they'll give you directions when you get off the elevator," stated the receptionist after scanning my ID and confirming the info, she gave me a forced smile and pointed towards the elevators with her pen before looking past me at the line of the people and hollering, "Next please!"

I immediately collected my ID back and moved away from the reception desk, the first obstacle cleared in what was quickly stacking up into a veritable mountain of problems this evening. Joining the line up of people heading towards the elevators, seemingly only about half as many as were coming to the large receptionists' desk, I noted the metal detectors we would be passing through and shook my head as I waited my turn, This out to be fun I thought.

As expected the buzzers, alarms, and lights went off the moment I stepped into the scanner's portal and sighed as I continued through and stopped just clear of the scanner so the alarms would stop, a pair of security guards quickly approaching me. With a resigned look I held my hands up and nodded my head knowingly, hoping I could ward off the worst response as the first of the two guards reached me.

"Sorry, I know, prosthetics. I didn't see any alternate line to go through," I offered pensively.

"Uh huh, there isn't one. Everyone has to go through the scanners," replied the guard gruffly as he eyed me up, pausing for half a second on my exposed metallic left hand, "Prosthetics you said?"

"Yes sir," I replied as the guard indicated for me to step to the side as his partner arrived, "most of my left arm and my whole right leg."

"Really?" asked the first guard incredulously as he looked at me again, "That seems a bit extensive. We're going to have to scan you manually, regardless."

"No problem, I'm used to it," I said as I assumed the 'T' pose most places wanted you to use when getting checked with a hand scanner.

"What the hell happened to you to need that much ferrosteel grafted to you?" inquired the second guard, the stout woman sounding both stern and genuinely curious.

"Mercenary work," I replied honestly, a grunt from the female guard her only immediate response, "Yeah, it's not as lucrative or glory filled as the holo-vids make it seem."

"You could say that again," said the female guard as she started patting me down following the first guard as he swiped the hand scanner over my extremities, "Infantry work or something fancier?"

"A little of both but Mechwarrior mostly, that's where these are from," I answered over the warbling beep of the hand scanner passing over my prosthetics.

"Yeah, cool as 'mechs are I always felt they were walking iron coffins," the female guard continued, then indicated my left arm, "Can you roll that sleeve up sir?"

I complied as the guard gave my prosthetic a cursory look before moving on, letting out a low whistle as she did so and said, "Damn these are nice, I've seen a fair number of prosthetics over the years here but these puppies are some of the best."

"Well, I guess the work was a little lucrative. Small compensation for the cost though, all things considered," I answered.

"Fair enough," nodded the female guard.

"Enough chit chat already, did you check his pockets? I got a hit on the right side that wasn't consistent with the rest of his leg," replied the gruff guard.

"Shit, sorry officers. I've got a sonic stunner and comm unit in there, forgot it in there before coming in. Mercenary work and all," I replied defeatedly, hoping they wouldn't make a big deal of it.

"Don't mind Melvin," replied the female guard as she checked the pocket in question, withdrawing the sonic stunner I had retrieved from my weapons case back at the truck and dropping the comm unit back in after a quick check, "He's just grumpy because he's pulling a double shift today. We are going to have to confiscate this though. Rules are rules and we can't have you incapacitating the poor doctor that gives you some bad news."

"Understandable," I said turning back to face the two security guards after being cleared to do so, "though I try to be more level headed than that."

"That's commendable, and here I thought most mercs liked to shoot first typically," joked the female guard.

"Only on the battlefield ma'am," I chuckled.

"Fair enough, where are you headed tonight? Seems rather late to be visiting," inquired the guard, her tone questioning as though now fishing for details.

"A member of my unit got admitted here, he was in pretty rough shape up in the ICU. Wanted to check in on him before turning in for the night," I replied amicably.

"Oh please, come on already Wendy, guy's clear," grouched Melvin, a firm but mild push sending me on my way.

Ignoring Melvin's continued grumblings Wendy continued walking beside me for a moment, "Take the 2nd elevator from the end on the left, the others are shit. Hope your guy pulls through."

"Thanks, you and I both," I replied with a nod before making my way towards the bank of elevators.

Pulling out the comm unit as I waited for the elevator I noticed a missed call from Levi, though it oddly wasn't from him directly but rather from the Site 187 main comms unit on his behalf, shrugging I placed the unit back into my pocket and stepped into the elevator as the doors opened, accompanied by a small army of other individuals all vying for entry. It was strange that Levi would have been trying to reach me at this hour but whatever it was it could wait until I was back on base or the morning. I didn't have to worry about pushing the third floor button as just about everyone else in the elevator was jamming their fingers into the buttons for almost every floor already, though it was a struggle to push my way from the back of the elevator out once we reached the third floor. I stopped and looked around as I came out of the elevator, not only looking to see where it was that I needed to go but also attempting to assess the feasibility of breaking Schuster out of here, something I really didn't want to try and do but couldn't help but be concerned about given that he was under police guard for some reason.

I approached the nearest nurses' station which was currently swamped with people and eventually managed to get a haggard looking duty nurse to direct me towards Ward 9 of the ICU where the newly admitted patients had been sent today. Arriving at Ward 9 through the double fire doors it was a completely different world compared to the area by the elevators, the nurses' station was essentially abandoned with only 3 other visitors currently present and a single nurse on hand, I waited my turn patiently and finally got to talk with the duty nurse, explaining the situation to her and how I was hoping to see Nick as his XO and closest thing to a family member as I had mentioned back in the lobby. The nurse was sympathetic but still couldn't grant me access, she did inform me that Schuster was stable and was expected to pull through so that was reassuring but explained that the police had taken over complete control over access to room 312 and there was simply nothing she could do, even the attending nurse and doctor had to sign in with the officers guarding the room. Thanking her all the same I made my way towards room 312 hoping to make the same case with the officers there.

The two officers appeared to be just settling back into position as I approached and the one man quickly rolled his eyes at his partner as though to say 'Here we go again', the second officer, a Sergeant by his uniform, stepped out to meet me as I approached.

"Let me guess, another one here to see the guy in 312 and with no ID again right?" asked the man bluntly.

"Well mostly right officer, though I'm curious what you mean by another one?" I said, furrowing my brow as I tried to ascertain just what that implied.

"It's not important. Who are you and why are you here?" stated the Sergeant, his voice brokering no room for discussion, let alone small talk.

"My name is Orlex Jaeger, I'm a Commander in Mr. Schuster's mercenary unit. As his XO I'm here to check on Mr. Schuster, confirm his condition, and ascertain whether he needs to be moved to our own medical facilities. Might I ask the same of you?" I inquired, opting to hardball the Sergeant as it was clear sympathy or even comradery wasn't going to get me far.

"That's nice Commander, but you have no jurisdiction here. The patient is under local police guard until my Lieutenant or the Chief tells me otherwise," the Sergeant fired back.

Just as I was about to reply the comm unit in my pocket began buzzing, its position causing it to bump against my prosthetic leg and causing a noticeable noise even through the heavy BDU cargo pants, the Sergeant clearly heard the noise and both officers dropped their hands to the firearms on their belts and looked at me suspiciously.

"What is that?" ordered the Sergeant as he eyed me up and partially withdrew his gun.

Holding up my hands I stepped back, "Whoa Sergeant, it's just my comm unit. Can I reach into my pocket and silence it?"

"Slowly," the Sergeant said sternly.

I very slowly lowered my hands and reached into my pocket to silence the comm unit, cursing to myself as I assumed it was Levi attempting to reach me again and thinking, This is really not the time for this.

Once the vibrating noise stopped the Sergeant demanded, "Alright, now let me see it."

Well this is going wonderful, I thought as I slowly and carefully withdrew the comm unit and held it out in my hand so the officer's could see that it was indeed just a standard military-class comm unit.

"Are we good?" I asked hesitantly, I really didn't want to get into a firefight in the middle of the hospital ward, though at least we'd have aid almost immediately if shit went down.

"Yeah, yeah we're good," replied the police sergeant, re-holstering his firearm fully, his partner doing the same.

"Sorry, I think that was the worst time to get random call from the base," I replied as I checked the unit before popping it back into my pocket, noting this particular call had been from Mallory and not actually Levi, or the base for that matter.

"That's definitely top 5," said the Constable on the other side of the Sergeant, speaking up for the first time, "we totally almost capped your ass."

"I wouldn't envy you that paperwork," I offered, hoping to somehow redeem this wayward meeting.

"Huh, Lucky here would have to do most of it," said the Sergeant, the faintest of smiles just glinting his eyes despite his still stone faced expression, "But yeah, that's never fun."

"Look Commander, my hands are tied. This Schuster guy is under extradition hold, if you've got proper ID I can let you in but regardless of what you deem this man isn't going anywhere tonight," continued the Sergeant.

Wondering just what it was that Mal was trying to get a hold of me for I was torn between gaining access to Schuster now and seeing what I could find out or going to see what Mal needed and maybe being able to come back with him in order to break Nick out or whatever our plan ended up being. I opted to split the difference and see what information I could gather now before going back to regroup with the Doc while potentially keeping our avenue for access directly to Schuster open.

"Here's my ID Sergeant," I replied handing over my badge, "if he's really locked down this tight there's not much point in me going in there right now though, the nurse said he was stable but unconscious and I'm not medically qualified to overrule anything so, yeah. I wasn't aware of the local police's involvement until I arrived here, can you shed any light on why he's being held?"

"I don't have any details, but apparently he's got two Great Houses that want him sent back their own courts. Whatever he did, it must have been big," answered the Sergeant as he handed the badge over to his partner to scan after visually checking it.

"That's what has me worried, he's had a clean slate with us," I lied as the Constable returned my ID badge, "Well as clean as it can be with mercenary work."

"That's all the information I have Commander, if you want more details you'll have to take it up with the Lyrans or the Caps," replied the Sergeant with a shake of his head.

"Thank you for the time officers," I said with a nod, "I may return with my unit's medical officer, just to confirm his condition and ensure he's receiving adequate care."

"Suit yourself, as long as you've both got proper ID you can currently come and go as you like," said the Sergeant with a shrug, "Fair warning though, once he wakes up I wouldn't be surprised if we're ordered to stop all visitors except legal representation. These extradition orders aren't typically very lenient."

"Thanks for the warning," I replied before turning and heading back towards the elevators.

I needed to regroup with Mal and quick, this thing was quickly spiraling out of our control and we needed to figure out a way to get Nick out of this hospital without having to shoot it out with the local police in the progress and it needed to be done tonight. Schuster's recovery speed was nothing short of miraculous thanks to those nanobots he had floating around inside him and if what the Sergeant said was true, once Nick was recovered enough, which would likely be sooner rather than later, he be getting shipped out to a proper jail cell and then sent offworld to whichever party the local government wanted to appease the most. A thought occurred to me just then, if these nanobots of Schuster's were inside his body, they likely would be in his bloodstream to some extent, which meant that when the hospital staff inevitably took a blood sample while triaging him they very possibly could have gotten some of the Star League era bots in that sample which would now be somewhere in this hospital. If that were to be discovered, and if that information then got out, Schuster would be in a whole other world of trouble on top of the extradition crap. Blake be damned this whole night just kept getting worse. I really needed to check with Doc now and confirm if that was actually a credible risk, I wasn't entirely sure how those nanobots worked just that they were inside Nick and kept him alive through cellular regeneration and other high tech stuff that was pretty close to Star League era magic at this point in the Inner Sphere.

As I approached the double doors leading out of Ward 9 I thought I saw a familiar man walking through the doors, it was just for a moment from the back though and I didn't get a good look but I could have sworn it looked like Mallory Aldon himself, despite him supposedly waiting out in the parking lot for me. Unless he got tired of waiting and had come in himself, it had been quite some time since I'd left him there, I sped up as much as I could without looking like I was trying to run after someone and slipped through the heavy fire doors that isolated the individual Wards of the ICU. I once again caught just a glimpse of the familiar lab coat and tuft of dirty blonde hair rounding one of the bends in the hallway several meters ahead, the corridor was otherwise empty as near as I could tell so I figured I'd risk calling out to him. Worst case I could pass it off as a case of mistaken identity, but if it was Mallory it would save some considerable time and effort trying to relocate him and possibly having to leave the hospital to regroup and just to then get ourselves back in again.

"Doctor Aldon!" I called down the hall, possibly seeing the briefest of hesitation before the white coat disappeared around the corner, "Mallory Aldon, is that you?!"

[Nicholas Schuster]

Caldoria Medical Center
Gellen's Heights, Sheratan V
Sheratan System - Tikonov Free Republic
October 4, 3030 - early morning
______________________________________________

"Alright... put them on the counter. Geez, I don't know who ordered that much coffee and donuts. Not that I'm complaining, but I sure as hell ain't paying for it."

The voice was gruff, sarcastic, not one I recognized. I strained to open my eyes, but they felt heavy. My whole body hurt. On the other side of my eyelids, I could sense that the light level wherever I was was low. There was a heavy smell of antiseptic in the air.

"Oh don't worry about that, somebody from your police department pre-paid, I'm just delivering it." another voice said. This voice was familiar.

Police department...?

My eyelids slowly drew open. A blurry figure in a brightly colored hat and what was maybe a bulky gray track suit was coming into the room as the door clicked shut behind them. As my eyes started to focus a bit, I realized I was in a hospital bed, in a hospital gown, covered in blankets. I tried to raise my arm, but it was handcuffed to the bed rail.

Why am I in handcuffs?

A surge of adrenaline pushed me further awake. The blurry person came over to the bed. As my eyes focused, I realized it was...

"Levi."

He smiled and nodded, a mix of worry and relief on his face at the same time.

"Yeah, it's me." he beamed. "I'm really glad you're OK."

"Why are you delivering donuts and coffee in a Caffinator outfit?" I asked. There were more important questions I should have been asking, but I must have been on hospital drugs or something, because that was the first thing I wanted to know. Levi came over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"It was the only way I could get in to see you." he explained. "You're...under guard."

Under guard???? I struggled to recall the last thing I remembered before waking up in the hospital. A man in a dark suit...a bus coming at me...it was all so foggy.

"What happened?" I asked. "Why am I in handcuffs?"

"I don't know a lot." Levi said. "Just that you got hit by a bus, and now you're under some kind of a police hold. But, I'm going to get you out of here. I don't know how yet, but I'm working on that problem."

I looked around in confusion, then back at Levi.

"This is a hospital, Levi. I'm not going anywhere." I said.

"No, I mean..." Levi looked around, then leaned in close, conspiratorially. "I'm going to get you out of here, before they can interrogate you or take you away."

"Who's going to interrogate me?" I asked. "What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know." Levi said. "But what if the cops are working for somebody who wants to take all of your blood to get the nanobots out?"

Just then, the door clicked open and a gruff, overweight-looking cop poked his head in.

"No talking to the patient. If you're done setting up the food, you need to clear out of here." he barked.

"Yeah, I'm done." Levi answered, getting up. "I'll be back later, Nick." he whispered to me. "I'll figure something out."

And with that, Levi was gone, and I was left alone in the room trying to understand why my world was all of a sudden upside-down.

[Rat]

Previously...

Residential floor
Valhalla - Crayven Corporation Headquarters
Meredith, New Earth (Tau Ceti IV)
Federated Commonwealth
October 2, 3030
______________________________________________

I swiped my company ID in the door of my new apartment, and Chevy and I brought all the rat carriers inside. It had a grey tile floor with a darker grey rug on it, a grey couch and some brushed steel light fixtures, which is just shiny grey if you really think about it. The place was HUGE, though. And there was a bedroom separate from the rest with a door that closed! And… another bathroom.

“Uh, Chevy, is my roommate gonna be okay with the rats? I could keep most of them in my room, but they’re still a bit beyond most people’s idea of ‘pet friendly’.”

“What roommate?” Chevy asked.

“You mean the whole place is mine?”

“That’s the idea.” Chevy set his stack of rat carriers down on the coffee table, which was also grey.

“Can you pick the top two up again? I’m gonna take the oldsters to the bathroom and see if there’s a tub they can stretch their legs in.” Chevy did, and I grabbed the bottom two carriers. Nearly every rat in the stack was pawing the bars and making eyes at me.

I nudged open the bathroom door and burst out laughing. "Chevy, this is so bougie! There's even a second sink on the other side of the room for my bitter spouse who wants a divorce!"

Chevy chuckled. "I've never heard it described that way before, but I suppose it's one possible use case."

I crossed the expanse of marble tile and started popping rats into the jaccuzi tub one after another. Some looked up at me, confused, and others shuffled away to give their new home a sniff. Once all the rats were in I turned the carriers on their sides so the rats could climb back in if they wanted to. Chevy raised an eyebrow. “They’ve still got veggie slices in there,” I explained. “I’ll clean up the shavings later.”

Chevy nodded. “So, about William.”

“Yeaaaah,” I said. “Do you know anyone who could… talk to him? I really don’t want to be responsible for two heart attacks in two days.”

“Unlikely.”

I rolled up all the bedding from the bed in the bigger bedroom and dumped it in the closet of the smaller one. “Can you help me drag the mattress out to the living room? The rats might eat it.”

Chevy followed me back to the bigger room and we turned the mattress on its side and slid it out into the living room together. Luckily the bed was one of those sleek platform style ones with no box spring and no hidey holes.

“We should still analyze Kauffman’s implants to find out if they’ll actually help him interface with the Eclipse AIs safely. The sheer number of them could make the process more dangerous, not less.”

I propped the mattress up against the living room wall. “How many does he have?” I asked.

“Five.”

“Shit.”

I picked up the larger of the remaining stacks of rat carriers, and Chevy followed my lead and grabbed the two that were on the coffee table. We set them all down on the floor of the now-mattressless bedroom. “Get ready to cover the door for me,” I said. “I’m just gonna open all these and run for it.”

Chevy nodded and waited at the door. I looked at all the little sets of black and red eyes staring longingly at me and sighed. I took a deep breath, flipped open each carrier’s door, and ran.

It worked fairly well, all things considered. Chevy poked Tiger back into the room with his foot, and I grabbed Daisy as she dashed out ahead of me. The rest were too slow to cause us trouble.

“I’ve really got to get a baby gate or something for that door,” I said. “So I guess we’re pulling an all nighter to find out just how suicidal our CEO is being.”

“Unfortunately. I’m beat, and you must be too, but it’s our only option.”

I unpacked my laptop on the granite-topped kitchen table, and considered my options. I really wanted to keep my medical crap to myself but it’d probably get really damn obvious really soon, with me running on fumes like this. “Let’s do it, then. Do you think I’d be forgiven for calling in sick tomorrow?”

Chevy set his stuff up at the other end of the table, already used to my kitchen being his office. “I guess if you’re sick you’re sick, but I really could use your help with making the case to him before the test.”

“Believe me, I want to be there, but after twenty four hours and a pirate jump I’m pretty sure hell day is happening with or without the high tech headache stoppers.”

“‘Hell day’”?

“Uh, don’t worry about it,” I said hurriedly. “I just won’t be very good at computers or thinking or existing with the lights on, is all.”

“Okay,” Chevy said with a weird emphasis that put me on edge. “Let me know if you need anything? I’ll send you a link to the company medical portal so you can make a nurse appointment if you need it.”

He looked concerned, in a kind way. Probably not thinking of dragging me into some awful intervention meeting, yet. I’d just have to keep my shit together better going forward.

“Thanks,” I said. “Have you got model numbers or specs or anything on his implants? For something this crazy, details matter.”