Scene Twenty-Eight II
Shipping continues to ignore them and plod ahead. Thanks to my heavy body, he makes it to the clinic before I do.
He turns to me when I finally slide into place beside him at the doorway. "I-I forgot everything Rose said we needed to look for..."
I hold out my hand, and cause a hologram of a list to appear over it. "I have it all right here."
Shipping gives me a small smile. "You're my favorite, you know that?"
"Favorite crew member or AI?"
"All of the above." Shipping studies the list before opening the door.
I step in behind him and assess the room. It is as sanitary as one would expect in a medical center on Eros. That is, cleaner than on a distant colony like Ganymede, and not as sanitary as one on earth. It has far more equipment than the former, but it is not nearly as high-tech as the latter.
And the individuals milling within are licensed professionals who have been trained in HIPPA and HIPPOX policies they would die to protect- and shadier individuals covered in cuts and bruises waiting to be treated for breaking their own laws.
The Reverend's face is one of determination, until his gaze falls on a small child that is half metallic. Then his expression softens and something seems to break in his eyes.
"For the record," I say, moving toward the check-in desk. "You are my favorite reverend."
Shipping gives me a small smile before sliding to the desk just in front of me. "Do you have a cyborg specialist I can speak with?"
As they converse, I pick up something in the background. No, not the background- one of my holograms.
Focusing on the hologram picking up the noise, I find Orion being pressed against the ship, his wrists being handcuffed behind him by an individual wearing an Eros official uniform.
"What is going on?" I demand.
Both Orion and the official turn to face us. "What do you mean? You were here, too."
"I was focused... elsewhere." What is happening? I can focus on all my crew at once. How did I miss this?
Orion looks at me, confused as I would be if I were human. Because human is the kind of error I made.
The officer glances between Orion and me, still looking bewildered. "Well, ma'am, we were contacted by the INTERGOL to say-"
"That a police cruiser was stopping in for necessary supplies. That was us contacting you-"
Shaking his head, the officer frowns. "No, this was a transmission from earth. They said that a ship claiming to be an INTERGOL ship would land, claiming further that it was stopping for necessary supplies."
Orion glances back the best he can with the left side of his face pressed into our ship. "If you look in my right breast pocket on my jacket, you'll find my badge-"
"We'll clear this up at the station," the Eros officer says before pressing a button on Orion's handcuff.
Suddenly, a forcefield seems to surround Orion's body. I watch as his body tenses and he seems to lose his ability to move. Even as the slightly form-fitting force-field lifts slightly off the ground.
"I heard about the upgraded handcuffs that were going to become regulatory issue," I say, analyzing it.
"They're pretty cool," the officer says before doing a double-take. "Wait, if you don't have them, then that means you aren't actual authorities."
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