Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: DULL (05/12/17)
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TITLE: Never a Dull Day In the Med-station | Previous Challenge Entry
By Art Westefeld
05/16/17 -
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Captain T’Vada acknowledged the comment with a nod. The captain, a youngish woman of their species, just turned sixty, had more of the typical decorum than T’Shan, at age forty, who had just finished fleet training on Earth and had become infected by the habit of making small talk with her patients.
T’Shan thought the annual physicals required by headquarters were a waste of time. The crew of the ship were all logical beings, and would never neglect their health by overeating or failing to properly exercise. Still, she lead the Captain to a med-table, and as T’Vada lay down, T’Shan reviewed her medical record. The only thing that struck T’Shan was that T’Vada was widowed, and the cause was not listed. The captain must have invoked privacy seal on the reason, as was her right.
When T’Shan activated the scanner over the table, it showed that T’Vada was within the expected parameters of health for her age. Nothing unexpected there.
As her roommate had warned T'Shan after they had received their assignments, “You’re assigned to the new Loyalty… ‘lucky’ you. Nothing ever happens there.”
When she responded that her people didn’t believe in luck, her roommate responded, “Well, T’Shan, you will have the quietest posting in the fleet. Your ship is going to be so boring that your biggest challenge will be to stay awake.”
T’Shan had found her roommate’s comment to be rather accurate, until she studied the readouts on the scanner. The captain’s hormone levels were unusually elevated. A quick glance at her files showed no medical reason for this, so T’Shan asked her patient, “Are you feeling well, Ma'am?”
T’Vada looked evenly at her medical officer and replied, “Actually, no. My emotional control is slipping. I almost fired on an alien vessel yesterday. If not for First Officer D’nas, I would have destroyed an envoy to the Council, all because they had a malfunction in their comm system, and did not respond to our hails. What made you ask?”
“Captain,” T’Shan responded slowly, “Your hormone levels are out of balance. I am not surprised your control is failing you. Without further testing, it could be any number of reasons, from Hel’s Disease, or Malfrey’s Syndrome, even the beginning of the mating urge, which is possible for a widow. May I intrude on your privacy and ask how he died?”
T’Vada sighed, further evidence her control was slipping, and resolutely looked at the ship’s Healer. “A heart attack on the night we were married, but it was only five years ago. IT’S NOT YET TIME!” The scream echoed off the bulkheads and T’Shan felt her quiet day slipping away like water through a broken vessel. Her schedule was quickly falling further behind because of the unexpected results of the captain’s exam, not to mention its repercussions.
There was only one option available to her. Contact fleet headquarters and arrange for a ship to relieve the captain and have her taken back to the homeworld. She had the authority to do so because of her position as the vessel’s Chief Healer. Her old roommate’s ship, the Firebrand, was the closest, and could rendezvous within three days. Also, their current mission was closer to the homeworld than the Loyalty’s was.
When the Firebrand was close enough for real-time communication, she messaged her old friend. “Well, Stone, you now have the problem that kept my day, a few days ago, from being dull. Enjoy the trip to my homeworld, and take good care of my captain.”
Stone smiled back, tossing her short blond curls. “You think I’d do otherwise? I’m shocked, T!”
She regretted the bantering. T’Shan knew Stone was extremely skilled in xeno-biology. T’Vada was in excellent hands. Stone signed off before T’Shan had a chance to apologize, but she decided it could wait until they met in person.
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I am sure it was difficult for many who didn't know who, where and what some of the story's aci-fi elements were without a previous explanation.
It slowed down the read for me just jumping into the middle of this unfamiliar territory.
It was a fun read though. God bless.
There was a bit that jumped backwards in time and then was brought back to the present. A little confusing. At least I had to read it a little more slowly to catch what your meaning was.
I liked the comparison that she thought it to be a dull day and it turned out to be anything but. Good job!