It took some time to stop the flames from the explosion. Only one person had been in the lab at the time and they weren't injured, just suffered from smoke inhalation. After treating them, Freya returned to the lab and stood back to watch as the engineers and scientists swarmed over the scene. Andy took a moment to stand by her friend. "How's the scientist? She see anything?"
"She'll be fine, and no. She was just taking readings from one of the chambers when the explosion happened across the lab." Freya said, still surveying the damage. The walls were charred from the flames and there was a gaping hole near the front of the lab - probably the origin point. "Well I better get back to the medical ward." she smiled at Andy and then started to leave.
"Don't cancel your date with Julian because of this Freya." Andy called after her.
Freya turned back to face Andy. "Why would I do that? I'm looking forward to it."
"Mhmm, I just know you Freya - you two have been dating for going on three years now and you still aren't completely comfortable with it." Andy said as she pulled off her uniform jacket and tossing it aside to get busy examining the damage and beginning repairs.
Freya walked back toward Andy. "There are rules Andy....and I'm skirting the edge of them as it is."
Andy nodded to another engineer and together they started removing wall pieces of the damaged sections, exposing the internal circuitry. "Yeah, I know the rules as well as you Freya. And you know as well as I that the rules are stupid."
"Andy!" Freya hissed. She looked around and saw Katou rearranging some of the lab not far away. Andy just rolled her eyes. Freya stepped closer and lowered her voice. "Regardless of whether they are stupid - they are the rules...."
"And no one has busted you yet for dating him, so stop looking over your shoulder every time and just enjoy yourself Freya. That's all I'm saying." Andy gave her a mischievous grin and a wink. "Now shoo, I have work to do. Don't you have a medical ward to run or something?"
Freya gave her a weak smile and nodded. "I'll see you later Andy." she called as she left the lab. The medical ward was empty of patients so Freya took the chance to go through some of her notes and plug them into the computer as needed. Even as she entered the notes, her mind traveled back to Andy's comments. Andy had always been one to skirt and bend the rules but then Andy wasn't under the same rules Freya was. Andy couldn't understand, not really.
Freya's fingers flew quickly over the keys, only dedicating a fraction of her mind to the process of data entry. The rest thought about the rules and Julian. Julian had been so patient with her over the years. When he'd first started pursuing her, Freya had tried to avoid him - not easy to do on Unity as there are only so many hiding places. But he was a persistent suitor and HE'D never cared about her bloodlines. Eventually Freya had given in.
Freya's thoughts were interrupted by an immediate summons from the Captain for a senior staff meeting. "But I'm not on the senior staff..." Freya said to no one. Nevertheless, twenty minutes later she was standing awkwardly in the Captain's office with Andy, since Dex was still recovering, and Commanders Katou and Bonwick.
"This wasn't an accident." Andy said, starting the meeting off with startled looks from everyone except Captain Hunt - who'd already been told.
"Not an accident?" Bonwick asked. Freya could just imagine the thoughts running through the security officer's mind. "You mean sabotage?"
"Actually I think it was a bomb of sorts." Andy said as if it made a big difference.
"Someone planted a bomb in my lab?" Katou said failing to hide her surprise. She turned her attention to Bonwick. "Surely the security cameras would have seen something."
Freya saw the discomfort pass through Bonwick as she shuffled her feet before steeling her stature. Freya bit the inside of her lip so she didn't smile to see it, Bonwick; like Katou; was no fan of Freya's or any embryotic. "We'll begin reviewing them immediately of course." Bonwick finally said.
"Good." Captain Hunt said. The four ladies snapped their attention to him as a reflex. "Begin an investigation Commander." He turned his attention to Andy, "Have your engineering teams begin making repairs but work with the security team as I imagine they will need to examine your findings as well." Both Bonwick and Andy nodded. "And Commander Katou, I think it would be best if you and your scientists moved to the auxiliary labs until the investigation and repairs are done." Katou nodded but was disgruntled about being kicked out of her space; once again Freya had to stop herself from smiling. "Good, dismissed then."
Bonwick, Andy and Freya made their way to the door. Freya was almost free when the captain called for her. "Doctor Ryan, a moment please." he said. Freya turned to see that Katou was standing in front of the Captain's desk, ready to say something.
Katou gave Freya an icy look before returning her attention to Captain Hunt. "Permission to speak freely sir?" Captain Hunt remained seated but nodded in acknowledgment. "Ms. Ryan..." Katou turned her cold gaze toward Freya again. "Does not belong here."
"Doctor" Captain hunt put particular emphasis on the title, "Ryan is the acting chief medical officer. As such, she is a member of the senior staff."
"She's not a doctor Captain, and she'll never be one." Katou's pale cheeks began to flush with anger. "The Council will not allow it."
"Commander Katou, as Captain, I make the decisions regarding the operation of this vessel. I have appointed Doctor Ryan to her position. As you are not in the medical department, I don't see how this affects you." Captain Hunt said, standing up as he said it. "You've said your piece, you are dismissed Commander."
Freya had spent most of the exchange looking at her feet and hands but looked up in time to see Katou slink back slightly from the imposing form of Captain Hunt. Katou recovered herself quickly and turned on her heel. Freya dodged away from the door quickly as she stormed through.
Captain Hunt walked around to the other side of his desk and approached Freya. "Doctor..." he started. He paused a moment until Freya began to wonder if she should say something in response. "She's right." he said simply and Freya felt her stomach drop, thinking he was having second thoughts about his confidence in her.
"The Council will not allow you to become a doctor - on paper at least." he continued while Freya struggled to remain composed. "But as far as I'm concerned, you are one and as long as I'm Captain of this ship, I will fight for you. Don't let that piece of paper or their stamp of approval hold you back." he said.
Freya nodded but didn't trust herself to make words. On the one hand, he was confirming all her fears - the Council made the rules and as far as they were concerned she wasn't ever going to be good enough. To be a doctor. Or for Julian Ice. But to have Captain Hunt on her side made her feel a glimmer of hope. "Thank you Captain." she finally said nodding like a fool.
Captain Hunt nodded only once and then motioned toward the door. "Dismissed, Doctor." Freya nodded again and left his office quickly.
----
"We haven't found anything." Aribeth Bonwick said as Commander Katou entered the security office. She barely spared Katou a glance before returning to the security footage. She was annoyed and irritated that they hadn't found anything, having gone back almost a week in the logs. By default the computer only kept two weeks in active storage and she didn't want to have to go through inactive storage. Besides, who set a bomb on such a long timer?
"That's disappointing Commander. I thought you were better than that." Katou said.
Bonwick looked at her and glared. You have scientists in that lab almost around the clock, surely someone saw something."
"Not that they've told me." Katou said, annoyance crossing her face as well.
"I thought you were better than that." Bonwick said with a cold smile. For several moments, they simply glared at each other.
"Surely you know which direction to look Commander." Katou finally said, she turned on her heel and left the office. Bonwick said nothing as she left but she knew what Katou meant and nodded to herself in agreement.
----
"You look beautiful Freya" Julian said holding out her chair for her and pushing it in after she sat. "New dress?" he asked taking his own seat.
"Yes. Andy dressed me." Freya said with a laugh. Julian grinned and she laughed. "She picked it out." she amended. "And told me to wear it."
Julian smiled. "I figured." he said with a wink. "To be perfectly honest, she gave me very pointed instructions on my own attire as well. Seems she thinks we can't dress ourselves."
The both glanced over at Andy, who was just sitting at the bar and laughed together. Andy had been both their friend for some time but occasionally went a little over the top. Usually they let her because it was easier. She heard them laughing and turned, she raised a glass to them and then returned her attention to Ash.
"When did Ash start tending bar?" Julian ask, his gaze still on the teenager.
Freya shrugged. "I don't know, I've barely seen him in the galley because I've been so busy."
"Good, I'd be jealous if you'd seen him more than me lately." Julian teased. "I feel like we haven't had a date in months. Oh wait, that might be because we haven't."
"Not true! We had a breakfast date a couple weeks ago. Remember, your first day on the bridge." Freya said with a smile.
"Breakfast dates don't count." Julian said. "Not enough time." Freya merely shrugged off his argument and took a drink. They talked for awhile before leaving the bar, Andy spying on them as they left. Freya caught her looking as they left and Andy grinned at her and winked in encouragement.
They strolled casually as if they had no destination - just a couple on a night "out". But Julian had a destination in mind and Freya knew exactly where he was going. Unlike her, Julian didn't have to suffer with a roommate and actually had very nice quarters so they often ended up back at his place after a date. Tonight was no exception.
Man could she ever get lost in his kisses! "Freya..." Julian said softly, against her lips. Freya cupped her hand around his neck and pulled him into another kiss, effectively cutting off his words.
"I won't be distracted..." Julian said and kissed her again. "Freya, please tell me you'll stay." he whispered in her ear.
"You know I can't." Freya said feeling sad.
"Sure you can." Julian said pulling away from her. "It's easy really, you just don't leave."
"Easy for you." Freya said standing up and straightening her hair and dress. "Not so much for me."
Julian sighed and slumped against the back of the couch. He knew he'd lost. "You torture me you know."
"I don't mean to." Freya said sadly. "I want to stay, boy do I ever....but..."
Julian waved her off. He didn't want to hear it again. "Right."
"Don't say it Freya. It'll just make me feel like a jerk." Julian said standing up. He took her in his arms and held her tightly. "Come on, I'll take you home."
Freya swallowed back the urge to cry but knew she wouldn't hold it back all the way to her own quarters. "Um, I was going to stop by the ward to get something I forgot - you don't need to walk me."
Julian eyed her and she felt horrible lying to him. Finally he nodded and walked her to the door. As the door closed, the both leaned against the wall on either side. As tears stung her eyes, Freya hurried away from his door, in case he came out and saw her sobbing.
Several corridors away, Freya leaned against the wall and had a brief cry before she started walking again. She started for home but somewhere along the way, simply started wandering. Before she knew it, Andy had fallen in step beside her. "Why aren't you buried in Julian's arms being kissed all over?" she asked.
Freya rolled her eyes. "I was, he asked me to stay and I left - like always. I feel horrible."
"Why on Earth of Old did you leave?!" Andy asked loudly. "Three years Freya...a man can only take so much!"
"I can't. You know I can't and you know why! You might think the rules are stupid but I'm already pushing the limits. I shouldn't even be in the medical ward - not as staff at any rate! I'm not going to push my luck any further than I already have."
"You're an idiot." Andy said simply. "Who's to know? You and Julian - and I don't see him running to the Council to tell."
They had stopped walking near the temple and Freya stared at Andy for a few moments and then turned away. Maybe she was an idiot. It took her a few to get out of her own thoughts enough to see the flames. "Fire!"
"What?" Andy asked.
"Fire, the temple is on fire!" Freya said looking in the window. She would have waited for more people to show up except she saw someone laying on the floor, the flames moving toward them. She made a dash for the door only to be pushed back by flames.
"Freya!" Andy called even as she was passing on the news to the bridge. "Wait! Freya!!" Her shouts fell short as Freya disappeared into the temple, and the flames.
Freya took a deep breath as she stood outside the forbidding door. She looked over at the trigger pad and lifted her hand to push the button but hesitated.
"He's expecting you." a female voice said from behind her. Freya turned and looked at a young, unfamiliar bridge officer. She seemed nice enough, her eyes seemed to be filled with compassion. Freya wondered who she was, distracting herself from the door and the trigger pad. "Doctor?" the girl looked confused as Freya continued to survey her. "Doctor? The Captain is waiting." she said again to Freya.
Freya blinked and nodded, turning her attention back to the door. She raised her hand and pressed the trigger which would alert those inside to her presence. Would there be more than just the captain in there? Were they waiting to question her? Fire her? "Come" came a muffled, but firm, voice from behind the door. It slid open and Freya was surprised to see only the Captain sitting casually behind his desk. "Come in Doctor Ryan."
"I'm not a doctor Captain." Freya said automatically as she walked in and stood before his desk.
"As far as I'm concerned, you are. You certainly proved yourself in the last few days as a promising doctor." Captain Hunt said leaving no room for argument.
Freya said nothing. She wasn't a doctor, she couldn't be a doctor; but she couldn't argue with the Captain. "You wanted to see me sir?" she said to change the topic.
"Yes." Captain Hunt said standing up. He paced behind his desk for a moment, saying nothing and then turned his attention back to Freya. "It wasn't your fault." he said finally.
Freya looked at him startled. Of all the things that had cascaded through her mind during the walk to his office - that was not what she had expected. "Sir?"
"Dr. Finn's death - it wasn't your fault." he repeated. Somehow he managed to say at with absolute certainty and truth even though Freya knew otherwise.
"Yes sir." she said simply.
"But you don't believe me." Captain Hunt said - a statement, not a question.
"No sir." she said looking down at her feet. She'd spent days looking over the scans that had registered in the final moments of Dr. Finn's life. She spent her nights tossing and turning trying to figure out what had happened, what she should have done differently - she still didn't have an answer and was unwilling to accept that he'd died of natural causes.
"You did everything you could - more than another doctor with your experience could have actually." He persisted, trying to convince her. When she made no reply he sat back down behind his desk. "Doctor Hasberg will return to duty in four weeks as the new Chief Medical Officer; until then you are the acting chief medical officer. Dismissed."
"Aye Captain." Freya said. She left his office quickly, not sparing a glance for anyone on the bridge. That hadn't been what she was expecting at all. Deep in her scattered thoughts, she barely registered where she was going until the laughter of children brought her attention back to the present. She had just passed the school and children were running around on the deck playing. She gave them a smile and as she looked around her eyes fell on the religious temple that sat next to the school.
She'd never been a particularly religious person; the scriptures passed through the generations made no room for embryotics like herself. She'd wondered how much of the religion had come from Earth of old and how much had developed on Unity. She stood, staring into the temple for several moments, before walking inside. No one was around to disturb her - even Master Pena was gone. 'All the better' Freya thought as she looked around the temple.
The room was decorated in rich reds and browns. They had dedicated some of the ship's minimal wood supplies to build the alter and adorn the temple. Master Pena preached mostly about the ancestors as if they were gods but Freya couldn't remember him actually mentioning a superior being. Maybe that's why Freya had a hard time accepting his religion. The ancestors were real people, long dead - with no power over current events. They weren't gods at all! Although sometimes they seemed more like myth and than real history.
Freya looked around the temple room as if seeing it for the first time. She ran her finger along the dark wood railing and gazed into the illuminated globes that lined either side of the temple. Some said they represented the master blood lines of the ancestors. Others said they represented the planets that had been visited by the original ancestors. Freya wondered if they were simply decoration.
"Freya?" Julian said softly, startling her from her reflection.
"Hmm?" Freya murmured still looking into one of the globes. Julian came to services almost every week. He wasn't particularly religious but he was ancestral - his blood was as pure as they came and he'd been raised to attend services, a practice he'd continued into his adulthood. His aunt was on the Council and she expected him at services - she knew when he didn't go.
"Are you alright?" he asked putting his hand on her shoulder.
"Not particularly." Freya said, not turning to look at him. He turned Freya around to face him. His face was full of concern, of love and longing. "Just thinking Julian." Freya said trying to give him a weak smile.
Julian pulled Freya into a tight embrace and started to walk her out of the temple.
Freya stopped walking and turned to him. "Julian." she looked down at her feet, pausing to gather her thoughts. "Julian...do you believe..." she looked around the temple once more as if the clarity would come to her this time. "In all this?"
Julian ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know Freya. I mean I don't think the ancestors were gods or anything but I like to think there is something greater."
Freya nodded but said nothing. "I have to go." When Julian looked like he was about to object, she continued. "To the medical ward. I have to go to the medical ward." she said. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and left before he could say anything.
"Freya wait!" Julian called after her but she was obviously in a hurry or had no intention of turning back to him. Julian sighed and ran his hand through his hair again. He left the temple and walked in the opposite direction as Freya had gone.
Freya pushed her confusing thoughts out of her mind as she approached the medical doors, determined to focus on her job for the next several hours at least. She closed her eyes to find focus and walked through the doors. When she opened them, Dr. Hapsberg was sitting at the computer. "Doctor Hapsberg!" Freya said startled.
"Ah Doctor Ryan." Dr. Hapsberg said with a warm smile. "Don't worry I'm not back officially. Captain Hunt asked me to look over Dr. Finn's case."
Freya's face fell. Maybe the Captain didn't believe in her as much as he seemed to after all. "Oh." she said simply.
Dr. Hapsberg smiled again. "He just wanted another medical opinion, to confirm what he already knew. It wasn't your fault Dr. Ryan."
"I'm not a doctor." Freya said again. It was the only point she could argue.
"Yes you are, just because you're not allowed to be tested doesn't mean you don't have the training and skills." Dr. Hapsberg said. Clearly she was not a traditionalist like Dr. Finn had been.
Freya didn't say anything in response. She appreciated the faith both Hapsberg and Captain Hunt seemed to have in her but she couldn't find the confidence to believe them.
"You don't believe me." Dr. Hapsberg said. "I understand, the first loss is usually the hardest one. The fact that you feel his death so intently; in spite of the fact that he was - well the way he was - makes me feel even more sure that you will be a wonderful doctor full of compassion and good will." She paused, allowing Freya to reply but when she didn't, Hapsberg collected her data. "Well, you're in charge here for awhile yet; I'm going home to my baby. Good luck Doctor." she said warmly and then left.
Freya waited for the hiss of the door closing before she turned to verify that Hapsberg was, in fact, gone. The ward was empty; which Freya thought should be pleasing but the utter lack of patients left her mind time to wander. Several hours later, without a single patient, Freya dragged herself out of the ward. She's worked halfway into the next shift hoping to be exhausted when she crawled into bed so she was sleep for once. Without realizing it, she walked to Julian's door instead of her own quarters. She was about to turn when the door slid open. Julian put his arm around her and walked her to the couch. With little energy left, she opted not to fight him.
"You look exhausted." Julian said brushing a strand of her hair behind the ear.
"I am. I hope I am." Freya said with a large yawn. "I want to sleep so I really hope I am."
"You haven't been sleeping?" he asked.
Freya's eyes drooped closed for a second as she slowly shook her head. She raised her hand and swirled it slowly in a circle near her forehead as if to convey that her mind was swirling but Julian only looked on confused by the gesture.
"Lay down Freya." Julian instructed. She attempted to argue but she was already half asleep. He gently laid her on the couch. Her eyes were already closed and her breathing slowed. He sat beside her for awhile stroking her hair softly until she seemed to shiver. "Lights dim" he said softly. The lights immediately dimmed, emitting a soft glow. Julian quietly stood to get Freya a blanket.
He tucked the edges of the blanket around her and kissed her forehead gently. "Sleep well." he whispered.
The service for Dr. Harold Finn was held in the religious temple. The interior of the temple was two small to hold all of the crew that had attended out of respect to a fellow crew member so the deck outside was lined with people. As the civilians and Council members departed the temple, the crew came to attention. Master Pena, as the religious figure of the ship, remained by Captain Hunt's side as he spoke.
"Today we have bid farewell to a member of our crew. Doctor Harold Finn was an excellent doctor and scientist. His medical knowledge was unparalleled on this ship." Captain Hunt paused a moment to consider his words. Master Pena looked on expectantly. "His son and granddaughter survive him. Please give your thoughts to them as they mourn this loss."
Freya could see that Master Pena was about to speak, to lend religious or ancestral meaning to the captains' remarks but Captain Hunt spoke first. "I thank you all for attending today, dismissed." he said. He turned toward Master Pena and nodded solemnly but as he walked away, the corners of his mouth twitched into a faint smile.
Captain Hunt hadn't made it out of sight and the assembled crowd had barely started to disperse when a large explosive sound snapped everyone's attention to the labs across the hall where fire began pouring from the science labs' doors. A second explosion rocked the deck and several people stumbled and lost their footing. Freya saw Captain Hunt already running for the lab, followed by several security officers, Andy and even Julian. Hoping no one was injured, Freya followed them only to be thrown back by a third explosion!
Several engineers closed in to try and get the fire under control while the security personnel kept back onlookers and especially the children who attended school just across the deck. Freya waited anxiously to the side - if anyone was hurt, she couldn't get to them until the fire was out!
The initial exam of Dr. Finn provided more questions than answers. While stable, he had not improved and every attempt to waken him seemed to make his body weaker. With no other doctor available, Freya - an untested medical student - was left to cure whatever ailed him. Unfortunately she still didn't know what exactly that was.
She ran a hand through her hair and felt every minute of her sleepless night as she looked over the test results again. Everything in his body seemed to contradict each other. Truth be told, he ought to be dead by now and yet he wasn't. The only thing she knew for certain is that the wound marks on his hand had been where some sort of toxin had entered his body. A toxin she couldn't isolate...
Someone cleared his throat and Freya jumped. She hadn't heard anyone come into the ward. She looked up and tried to muster the energy to come to some sort of attention but her mind and body wouldn't allow it. "Captain." she said following his gaze to where Dr. Finn was motionless.
"Report." Captain Hunt said snapping her attention back to his face. Even though he spoke sternly, she could see a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
"No worse." Freya said. "He was stung or bitten by something on the moon. It seems to have administered some sort of toxin that I can't isolate. It's not like anything I've even heard of before." she said, knowing she had very little real experience to draw on but she had lots of medical history to draw on. "If I had a sample it would probably help." she said quickly and biting her lip. She didn't like the idea of sending anyone back to the moon but it really would help - she hoped.
Captain Hunt was considering even as he nodded his understanding. Like Freya, he didn't like the idea of returning a team to the moon's surface but he recognized the medical need.
"The wound was shallow Captain." Freya was saying as she walked over to Dr. Finn's bed. She uncovered his hand and showed the marks to Hunt. "Had he been wearing protective gloves..." she paused and looked at the wound. "There's a good chance he would have been fine."
"Understood." Captain Hunt said making up his mind. He stepped aside as Freya began another exam of Dr. Finn. She was taking several blood samples from the doctor as he placed a communication. A few minutes later, Freya finished and recovered Dr. Finn as the doors opened. She turned and was surprised to see Julian there. She was about to walk up to him when she saw the Captain was still in the ward and Julian was approaching him, not her. "Ah, Mr. Ice." the Captain said.
"You are going to take a team of Commander Katou's scientists down to the moon. Show them where Dr. Finn was at the time he was..." he paused and looked in Freya's direction. "Attacked. We need samples of whatever might have attacked him."
"Attacked sir?" Julian said looking from the Captain over to Freya and back again, clearly confused.
"I suspect it was a plant." Freya said speaking up and coming forward. "A natural defense mechanism perhaps. Or a very large bug - but since you didn't mention any very large bugs in your report - I would guess whatever plants he was reaching for at the time he was afflicted."
"Right." Julian said looking only slightly less confused.
"Commander Katou should have assembled a team for you already in the science lab." Captain Hunt said. "Oh, be sure that everyone collecting samples wears protective gloves - just in case."
Julian nodded and turned to leave. "Wait!" Freya said quickly. Julian and Captain Hunt turned to her in surprise as she scrambled to pack a small medical case. She looked around and her eyes settled on Nurse Atayo. She handed the medical case to her and thrust her forward. "Just in case. She has generic anti-venoms and anti-toxins as well as basic medical stuff, it won't cure anyone who gets stung but it might delay the toxin."
Captain Hunt nodded. "Ms. Ryan - I am making you the acting chief medical officer until either Dr. Finn has recovered or Dr. Hasberg is fit to return to duty." he said and left the ward before she had a chance to reply.
Freya stared at the door stunned for a few moments. "But...but...." she muttered looking over at Julian who was grinning at her. "But I'm not a doctor." she finally said.
"Only because they won't let you test." Julian said coming over and giving her a quick kiss. "Congrats...Chief." he said with a wink. "Gotta go get you a some flowers - how does dangerous and toxic sound to you?" he said laughing his way out of the ward.
Julian got an icey nod from Commander Katou as he walked into the lab with the nurse in tow. Three scientists were ready and waiting for him, each carrying a bag with collection equipment. "Let's go." he said, not returning Katou's nod.
The trip to the surface of the moon was quick, although a little rocky due to the atmospheric conditions. Julian tried not to laugh as he noticed one of the scientists clutched her chair tightly. He landed smoothly and unbuckled. "Let's go." he said leading the small team out onto the moon. "Don't forget gloves, the natives aren't friendly it seems."
"I thought this moon was uninhabited?" Ida Washington asked nervously.
"Right, I meant the plants." Julian said and shook his head. He led them to the area Dr. Finn was at the time. "There." he said pointing. "I was too far away to see which plant exactly he was looking at but he had three clustered punctures in his hand." he said and the trio of scientists converged on the area while Julian and the nurse hung back.
-----
Back on the ship, Freya checked Dr. Finn one more time and then prepared to leave with a bundle of blood samples and test results in hand. She gave the nurse on duty specific instructions and looked at the still doctor once more. Everything available to her in the medical ward had only frustrated her more so she was preparing to get help...help she really didn't want ask for.
She straightened her shoulders as she walked into the science lab, met by the steely gaze of Commander Katou. "I need your help. I need another pair of eyes." Freya said commandeering an empty table and spreading out what she'd brought. "He's stable but every hour his body is getting weaker -even without being woken. The changes are minute but they are there." Katou continued to look at her, clearly disapproving of Freya's general presence. "He's going to die!"
Katou said nothing but took the test results and the blood vials. She plugged several of them into a machine for extensive analysis and then start looking over the results. "This will take some time." she finally said and Freya was about to leave - eager to get away from Katou's cold presence. "Since your here, I need you to check a few things. Medically."
Freya turned and nodded and went to where Katou directed. When Unity had been prepared for launch, one of the science experiments of the team was to test the viability of frozen embryos when exposed to deep space over a period of time. Some feared that the DNA would degrade, making the probability of use on colony ships unlikely. As it turned out, the embryos, safely stowed on the Unity prior to the emergency launch, survived fine as long as kept in deep freeze. They had proved a vital role on the ship, providing the genetic diversity that 25 original inhabitants simply couldn't maintain for long. Three hundred years later and there were only a handful of samples left but the crew was fairly diverse now. Freya started the freezer scanners which has been designed to test each samples viability. "They appear to be fine Commander. No abnormalities or degradation detected."
"Very good, now can you check the chambers." Katou said not looking up. She motioned over to a bank of tall tubes. Freya couldn't recall those being here the last time she'd come in - of course she couldn't really remember the last time she'd come to the science lab either. She walked over and examined the control panel and data screen. It was clearly meant to do with humans but she wasn't sure for what purpose.
"What do these do?" she asked pressing a few buttons to bring up the biological readings. Before Katou could respond - assuming she intended to - Freya gasped. "There is a baby in here!"
"Medically it's a fetus." Katou said calmly. "A 30-week fetus."
"Okay it's a fetus - why is there a fetus in here? Why isn't it..." Freya looked at the readings again. "Why isn't SHE in a carrier mother?"
"A more interesting and prudent question would be HOW don't you think?" Katou said with a smile - a disturbing smile - on her face.
"No, I'd rather stick with why." Freya said coldly. Every minute with Commander Katou made her dislike the scientist more.
Katou's smiled disappeared. "The few remaining embryotics will be grown in these chambers." she turned and looked at Freya with a piercing look. "So they aren't a burden on their carriers."
Freya glared at Katou and refused to speak, afraid of what she might say. She was about to give a terse report on the baby - and it was a BABY - in the chamber when her communicator chirped summoning her back to sickbay immediately. She didn't spare Katou another glance and hurried from the lab.
The sickbay was in a panic and alarms were going off as Freya rushed in. "He's crashing!" Arabella said frantically. Freya ran over to Dr. Finn's bed and started working, diving into it and pushing Commander Katou from her mind. "I don't understand this!" Arabella said watching the readings fly across the screens. Dr. Finn's body had been seizing only moments before and now he was still but his vitals were still registering as if he were crashing.
Freya put tuned out the blaring machines and checked his vitals manually. He was stabilizing once again despite the machines' evidence to the contrary. Freya flipped off the machines and left them off for a minute before turning them back on. When they came back up, the machines detected the same things she did.
"What was that about?" Arabella asked
"I'm not sure." Freya said beginning to take more blood samples and complete another exam. As before, he appeared to show further deterioration, accelerated by the recent episode.
Freya's communicator chirped again and Katou's voice echoed around her. "I found your toxin." she said and the comm ended immediately. Freya tried to resist the urge to roll her eyes and looked at Arabella. "Stay by his side, I'll be back." she said.
"Have you slept?" Arabella called as Freya left. Freya didn't respond. She hadn't slept in almost thirty six hours and her whole body was beginning to feel it.
-----
"I think we got the culprit" Cameron, another scientist, said. She was holding a containment unit up that had a average looking plant encased in it. But it did have the three prongs.
"And if that's not it, one of these might be it." Julian said indicating the collection of plants, bugs and even a couple of fish the scientists had insisted on taking 'just in case'. They were a quick bunch of gatherers so Julian didn't complain. Within an hour, they had samples of just about every plant in the area.
Cameron grinned at him and shrugged. "I'll start taking these to the shuttle." she said and Julian helped her. They were halfway through their second trip when they heard shouting. They started racing back to the site with the rest of the team and found Rahman on the ground. "What happened?" Julian bellowed as the nurse leaned over him and administered a dose of anti-toxin.
"He took his gloves off and then saw something else he wanted to collect..." Ida explained.
"Let's go!" Julian barked. He put and arm around Rahman and lifted him easily while the other collected the remaining samples. He had them up and in the air in a matter of minutes.
-----
"There." Katou said pointing to a readout and a vial.
Freya scooped it up and read over it quickly. By the time she'd read through it a second time the words were starting to blur from lack of sleep. "Thank you." Freya said tersely. She took the rest of her stuff and the new vial which hopefully contained the actual toxin and left before Katou could comment on her weakness.
Arabella met her at the door and took it all from her hands. She thrust a clean pair of scrubs into Freya's arms. "Get changed and lay down."
"I have to analyze..." Freya protested scooping up the toxin vial.
Arabella took it from her hands. "I'll get the test started, it will take about an hour anyway. You need to sleep or you'll be no good to anyone."
Freya tried to think of a response but she couldn't formulate a reason to fight the sleep anymore so she did as she'd been told.
An hour and a half later Arabella woke Freya quickly. "The team is back and another one was attacked."
Freya jumped out of the bed and scrambled into the main ward. Although an hour and a half wasn't enough sleep to make up for almost two days without it - it gave her a temporary boost. She was halfway through the tag team brief from Julian (on what happened) and Arabella (on the medical status) when Katou rushed in to check on her scientist.
'So she does care about something.' Freya noted to herself.
"We have samples of half the moon." Julian said to Freya and Katou. "They should be in the science lab"
"Compare them to the toxin you may have isolated. Find me the attacker." Freya said to Katou, stunning both Katou and Julian with the tone of her "order". Katou didn't argue though and quickly left the ward to get to work.
Freya turned to Arabella. "Let's work him up. Maybe we can find similarities. And get me the result of the toxin analysis." They worked together for an hour and both Dr. Finn and Rahman were stable in the end but both were showing the same deterioration from the toxin. "I'm going to go check in with science. If your shift ends before I get back, brief the next person." she said leaving Arabella with the two medical mysteries.
Freya tried to hide her general annoyance and disgust for Katou and what she was doing with the embryotics as she entered the lab but one look at the chambers made her flush with anger. 'Burden...bloody hell, they're people!' Freya thought to herself. Katou's attitude toward embryotics was sadly common as a gulf continued to grow amongst the population.
"Who's my attacker?" Freya said looking over the collection. She wanted to lash out at Katou but she was more concerned with curing her patients.
"That one." Katou said pointing to the last sample collected by Camera. "The toxin in it is nearly identical to the one isolated. It mutated a bit in Dr. Finn - evolved to attack his body specifically - it's a fascinating plant actually."
"Thank you." Freya said. There was a vial of toxin and a read out next to the plant in question which she picked up. As much as she wanted to leave, the science labs resources were more extensive. She worked in silence at a computer near Katou and felt her eyes on her most of the time. "There!" she said to herself and kept going. She was breaking down the toxin trying to predict it's next mutation and figure out a way to fight back.
Eventually she could feel people behind her, she turned to see Cameron and Ida hovering behind her, watching her and glimpsed Katou behind them as well. She turned back to the computer and tried to ignore their presence unless they spoke up. The computer was quickly recompiling simulations as she entered new orders trying to find the exact sequence she needed. She could use the toxin to fight the toxin if she could mutate it...if....
"What if you did this?" Cameron said suggesting a series of changes. Freya's fingers flew across the board as she entered in the suggestion. It wasn't right but it was closer. Soon Cameron, Ida and Freya were working together and talking faster than the simulations could be run.
"That's it!" Cameron said as Freya entered another series of changes. The simulation concurred with Cameron's enthusiasm. Less than half an hour later, Freya stormed into sickbay with two vials of what she sincerely hoped were anti-toxins. She took one final blood sample from each of the patients and then treated Dr. Finn first. Arabella should have left already but she'd stayed around well after her shift to help. They waited together silently watching the monitors.
"He's improving!" Arabella said watching the readings. It was slow but they could see that the anti-toxin was doing it's job. Freya decided to take the chance and give a dose to Rahman as well, the sooner he was treated, the better he would recover. Hopefully.
Freya watched the monitors for another hour before she dosed off in her chair, seated between the two of them. When she woke up, she was laying in the bed of a side room and her uniform was draped over the chair waiting for her. She stood and looked around. She quietly changed and was pulling on her boots when she realized she'd been asleep for seven hours. She rushed into the main ward and saw Katou and Captain Hunt standing over Dr. Finn's bed. And Dr. Finn was awake.
"Well done Ms Ryan." Captain Hunt said as she joined them. "Dr. Finn appears to be quite recovered. As does your other patient."
"I'm glad Captain." Freya said looking over the recent readings. "The toxin appears to be all gone." she said happily, ignoring the fact that Katou and Finn said nothing. "You're body took a lot of damage but I think with some rest you'll recover fine." Freya said to Dr. Finn.
He grunted in acknowledgment and Katou took her leave quickly. Freya said nothing as she turned to Rahman's bed and looked over his readings. Like Finn, he was recovered and eager to get out of bed. "A little longer if you please." Freya said with a warm smile for him. She could tell he was about to protest when the alarms from Dr. Finn's bed went off and a red glow illuminated his area.
"What's happening?" Hunt demanded.
"He's crashing Captain!" Freya said as a couple of nurses rushed over. They all but pushed Captain hunt out of their way to get to Dr. Finn's side and assist.
"Is it the toxin?" one of them asked as she handed Freya medicine.
Freya administered the medicine directly into Dr. Finn's chest as it was intended to regulate his heart rate. "No, the toxin was eliminated." she said. Dr. Finn's body seized and bucked against her hand violently.
The alarms silenced save for one, monotonous tone. Freya looked up and saw the flat line. "No!" she shouted and began to pump his chest. With each push, the line jerked roughly up once but nothing more.
After several attempts the nurses stepped back sadly but Freya refused to stop until Captain Hunt put a hand on her shoulder. "Let him go." he said quietly. Freya stared through him, not seeing him for several seconds but she finally backed away from Dr. Finn's lifeless body, still staring through Captain Hunt.
Freya was clearly still in shock as Dr. Finn's body was removed and the quiet rustle of activity settled around her. She couldn't be sure how long she stood in the ward, seeing everything happening around her and yet seeing nothing.
Julian was at her side then. Had he been there for long? She wasn't really sure. "No one blames you Freya." Julian said quietly, slipping his hand in hers, or maybe it had been there all along.
"No! Just no!" Andy's voice carried through the door. Dex had come through the surgery and was now itching to get out of sickbay...and back to work! Dr. Finn, and Andy, had objections to his returning to work the day after surgery.
Freya hesitated outside the door for a moment, listening for another outburst. Hearing none, she opened the door and slipped inside quietly intending to check the patient's vitals. "Morning." Freya said with a smile.
"Can I leave now?" Dex greeted her.
"No!" Andy burst out again. Freya flinched back and started looking over the computer readings. "Right Freya? He's be out of surgery less than 12 hours....you can't be sending him out already..." she turned to Freya.
Freya glanced at Andy and turned her attention to Dex. "No, you can't leave -sorry. Dr. Finn insists on keeping you here for at least another day."
Andy looked triumphant and Dex growled and grumbled to himself while Freya turned back to the computer. "Don't worry 'bout the bay Dex, I've got it running smoothly..." Andy said trying to sooth Dex. "Even got Anders and Franklin to stop fighting all day!"
"Don't let her fool you," Freya said with a grin when Dex looked shocked. "She put them on different duty shifts."
"Traitor" Andy said, but she was chuckling. "It works doesn't it?"
Freya finished up her quick examination. "Okay, everything looks good here Dex. With any luck you'll be out of here tomorrow morning." He looked thrilled at the prospect and Freya felt a little bad for bringing him down but it had to be said. "But not back to work for a few weeks at least." She watched as his happy face turned sour and grumbling recommenced.
"Ryan!!" came Dr. Finn's bellowing voice from the main ward. For an older man, he knew how to yell! Freya gave Andy and Dex a weak smile and then walked out of the room. "Deal with...that." Dr. Finn said motioning absently to the bed where a girl sat.
"Tessa right?" Freya asked as she washed her hands quickly and then walked over to her. The girl nodded. "Shouldn't you be in school right now?" Freya asked with a teasing grin.
"I was!" Tessa protested. "But look!" and she thrust her arms out at Freya. She was covered in red pock marks.
"Ah." Freya said looking over the rest of her. "Yeah you have Diverian Pox."
"What's that?" Tessa asked looking anxious.
"Nothing to fret about. It's a childhood thing. Every time we eradicate one, a newer version seems to pop up in it's place. There have been five different versions of the pox on this ship in the last 300 years." Freya said as she gathered a few things.
"So what do you do about it?" Tessa asked, absently scratching herself.
"First....you don't scratch." Freya said putting her hand on Tessa's to stop her. "I know it itches but you don't scratch." Freya pulled out a spray bottle and gently started spraying it on Tessa's skin and pox. "This..." she held up the bottle to show Tessa. "Will help with the itch and keep them from getting infected." She resumed spraying until she'd sprayed all the exposed areas. "Now you take this home and spray it over yourself once a day. Second, you get to miss school for a couple days." Freya said grinning. "The Diverian Pox is very contagious....do you know what that means?"
"Yes! It means it spreads to other people easily." Tessa said looking as confident as she had when she'd answered questions in class.
"Very good." Freya said. "So you need to go home and stay home." Freya looked up as she heard the door open. Commander Katou came in and ignored Freya, going to Dr. Finn immediately.
"Come back in a couple days and I'll see if you're ready to go back to school." Freya said returning her attention to Tessa. "I'll send a message to your teacher so she knows you'll be gone. Go on." She watched Tessa scoot off the table and make a wide angle, as wide as the walls would allow, around Dr. Finn and Commander Katou and then dart out the doors.
"We've encountered a small moon with some of the elements you were looking for Doctor." Katou said. "Mr. Ice," she paused and gave a quick, sour look in Freya's direction, "is taking the shuttle down with me to collect a few samples, Captain Hunt thought you'd like to come down as well."
Dr. Finn seemed to be considering. He didn't particularly like leaving the ship - one of a very few in that respect. In fact he much preferred his medical ward to any other place, even his quarters. "Dr. Hasberg can collect some medical samples for me..." he said
"Um..." Freya looked over at them. "Dr. Hasberg just had her baby last week, she's on leave..."
Katou glared at her which didn't really bother Freya - she was used to it. Dr. Finn looked mostly surprised even though he'd delivered the baby. "Oh fine." he muttered. "I'll be ready in an hour." Katou nodded and left without sparing Freya another look.
Dr. Finn seemed reluctant to leave the ward in Freya's care but as he was preparing to leave, two more children entered - clearly foretelling of a Diverian Pox outbreak on board. For once, he was thankful to be leaving the ward behind, with all the children invading it.
The surface of the moon was seemingly unpopulated by intelligent life but the atmosphere was mostly compatible with the team. Julian sat on the hill, running his fingers through the warm sand while Commander Katou and Dr. Finn collected samples.
Julian saw the movement within the water before anyone else but Finn and Katou paid him no mind. Dr Finn was attempting to reach the fruit of a plant, just past the water's edge and he waded in just a couple inches. He reached into the plant to collect the fruit and before anyone knew what was happening, he was convulsing and writhing half in the water.
Julian jumped to his feet and quickly dragged Dr. Finn out of water. Katou came over next and they exchanged a look. Neither knew what to do if he didn't stop convulsing soon. His seizures slowed but he was unconscious, all in a matter of moments. "We need to get him back to the ship." Julian said hoisting Dr. Finn up and dragging him back to the shuttle.
Meanwhile, Freya was entering the latest information from he children. Four more children had come in with the pox not including the two that had come in when Dr. Finn left. She had put out a notice to parents, teachers and the captain, informing them of the outbreak. Captain Hunt walked into the ward, always looking like a commanding force, without even trying. Freya jumped to her feet. "C-c-captain!" she stammered a bit and tried hard not to flush in embarrassment.
"As you were Ms. Ryan." Captain Hunt said with a wisp of a smile. "I understand we have a bit of an outbreak with the children. I just stopped by to get the details."
"Um, yes. Tessa came in with Diverian Pox - common enough childhood illness. So far we've had seven cases, including Tessa's. I've send them home with something to help with itching and infection and orders to come back here in a couple days for a follow up - and no school of course." Freya said slowly recovering her calm. "None of the cases have been severe and I expect they will all recover fine."
As she was talking a couple more kids came in. "Make that nine cases." Freya said with a small laugh and directing the children to the beds. "I'll be with you both in a moment."
"Sounds like you have everything well in hand Ms. Ryan." Captain Hunt said. "Please keep me updated."
Freya nodded. "Of course Captain."
She was about to address the two children when the door opened emitting Julian and Katou trying to support Dr. Finn between them. "What happened?" she and Captain Hunt asked at the same time.
Katou, who had be busy collecting her own samples, hadn't seen anything until Julian started running so she couldn't answer. She turned her gaze on Julian who was looking at her - clearly expecting her to answer as the senior officer. "Um, Dr. Finn was collecting a sample from a plant and he started convulsing. He was standing a couple inches into the water at the time. He came to when we were half way home but has seemed groggy since."
"Dr Finn?" Freya said looking at him. "Dr. Finn....can you hear me?" she asked as he stared through her and wavered on his feet. "Okay let's get him to the other bed." she said starting to turn away so she could hurry the children out of the ward.
"Doctor!" Katou grasped. Freya turned back to see everyone scrambling to catch Finn as he fell to the ground in a broken heap but no one got him. He was still conscious - although seemingly unaware of his surroundings - as Julian helped him back up.
Julian and Captain Hunt worked together to get Finn to a bed while Freya quickly instructed the children on what they needed know. She came over before the second child was even off her bed and started hooking several devices to Dr. Finn to take readings. When she got to his hand she noticed three bright red welts where it appeared he'd been stung or bit by something....
Katou, Julian and Captain Hunt crowded around the bed with her, watching her work and clearly expecting something. She administered a light sedative when it appeared that his heart was working in overdrive - if it didn't slow down, he'd arrest regardless of what may have caused the problem.
"I don't have any answers yet. I'll keep you informed." she said addressing Captain Hunt. Hunt was satisfied with that and nodded before leaving. Julian gave her a reassuring smile and Katou glared at her as always.
Julian's pulse was up as he stepped through the doors. He tried to appear calm but the beep he'd heard about a minute before indicated he was officially late for his duty shift.
"You're late Mr. Ice." Captain Robert Hunt said sternly, without even turning to look to see who had entered.
Andrea "Andy" Kawolski's mouth curled up just a touch as she tried to keep from smiling at the look of sheer panic on Julian's face.
"Um..." Julian stammered as he rounded to his chair.
He came up in front of the captain and pushed back his shoulders, resolving not to show fear. "My apologies Captain." he said as calmly as possible while his heart hammered in his chest.
Captain Hunt spared him a look and then turned to the crewman at the helm. "Please inform Mr. Ice what he has missed since his duty shift began."
"Um..." The crewman looked at the captain confused and then at Julian. "Nothing really."
"Ah well, shame." Captain Hunt said. The ghost of a smile appeared on his face as Julian relieved the crewman and took his seat. Behind him Andy was grinning and trying hard not to laugh. Commander Hoshimi Katou - the ships' chief science officer looked less pleased.
A couple hours into his shift, the ship rocked roughly to the side jerking the bridge crew. Julian clutched his station and worked hard to regain balance. "Mr. Ice, I trust that you learned how to pilot before coming onto my bridge," Captain Hunt said.
"It's not his fault Captain." Andy spoke up from the engineering station. "Looks like there's a stabilizer malfunction." she explained and then opened up communications to Engineering. "Bridge to Engineering."
"Get your purple haired arse down here Kowalski!" came a gruff reply. "Sorry Cap." it added as an after thought.
Captain Hunt just held up his hand absently, whether to dismiss Andy from the bridge or in response to the chief engineer's language or both. "Now Mr. Ice, do you think you can get us righted?" he asked as the ship leveled out. "Ah, very good."
Kowalski was halfway to engineering by the time Julian compensated for the stabilizer. Walking down the hall at an angle was awkward but not something she was inexperienced at. She walked into the upper level of engineering and noticed a distinct lack of people. Leaning over the rail she heard the chaos below and made her way to the stairs. "Dex!" she called out for her boss and mentor.
"What did you do to my ship Dex?" she called out. There was a flurry of activity in the lower level. Dex - Anthony Dexter and the chief engineer - was barking out orders as engineers zipped past him.
"Get your butt in gear Andy! Those stabilizers aren't gonna fix 'emselves and I ain't got no faith in that flyboy on the bridge to keep this ship steady!" Dex barked over the bustle of activity.
Andy grabbed a tool box and kicked off her boots, they were completely impractical for climbing into the innards of a starship. She was flat on her back, under a panel and covered in soot when several alarms went off. She heard a muffle of voices and a thunk followed by loud groans. She scrambled out from where she was and took in the scene. Dex was crumbled against the wall and a fire was raging on another panel. "Get that fire out!" she yelled and shoved a couple of nearby engineers in that direction. She knelt beside Dex and gave him a once over. "Dex, hey Dex!" She was answered by groans and curses. "Engineering to Medical - send us a medic!" she hollered over the noise around her. The fire was put out and the chaos died down slowly. "You!" she said pointing to an engineer. "Work on those stabilizers."
"I told you to work..." Dex said and then started coughing. "To work on them." he finished followed by more coughing.
"Can't say I really care what you want right now Dex." Andy said with a grin. "Just shut up and wait for a medic."
"Ugh, you called them? I'm fine!" Dex said starting to sit up. He groaned and cursed so much, Andy forced him to stay prone.
Freya walked in then and came over to them. "What happened here?" she asked kneeling down beside them.
"There, the blue coat is here - now go get the" Dex coughed several times, the coughs shaking his whole body. "damn stabilizers workin'!" he finished the sentence gruffly. Andy just smiled but she looked at Freya knowingly before leaving them to get back to the stabilizers.
Freya nodded. "I'll keep you posted Andy." she said before turning her attention back to Dex. "Come on, we have to get you to the ward."
Her instruction was met with groaning and more cursing from Dex but she eventually convinced him to go.
Dr. Finn insisted on keeping Dex for observation after treating his burns but first shift was ending so Freya left Dex, unhappy as he was about it, in Dr. Finn's grumpy care. She gave Dex and weak smile and shrugged. "I'm on call tonight so I'll probably be back to rescue you soon." she said with a wink. She saw Dr. Finn eying her and grimaced. She made a quick retreat over to the bar where she was meeting Andy and Julian.
She was the last to arrive and sat between the two of them. Julian looked annoyed and she hoped his first shift with the captain had gone better than his expression suggested. "So?" she asked looking between them. She knew that Andy had been on the bridge for at least part of the shift. "Come on! How did it go?"
Andy grinned and then started recounting the details over Julian's late arrival and the side roll the ship had done. "He looked so nervous!" Andy said laughing. "Captain Hunt could see it all over his face and I know he was laughing on the inside as he antagonized him."
"I was not nervous!" Julian said, but he was smiling so he had taken the captain's ribbing well after he realized the humor.
"Right! Not at all!" Andy said sarcastically. She rolled her eyes and ordered up three drinks. She handed one to Freya, placed one in front of Julian and held her own glass up. "To Julian's first shift with the captain! A few bumps but otherwise not too bad I'd say."
"To Julian" Freya repeated, raising her own glass. Julian didn't say anything and barely touched his glass, let alone raised it in the toast.
"How's Dex?" Andy said after a long drink from her glass. "Ooh good stuff!" she said admiring the contents of the glass.
"Pissed that he's stuck in the ward with Dr. Finn." Freya said with a laugh taking a drink from her own glass - non-alcoholic in content. "But otherwise fine I think."
"Well I'd be pissed too. Dr. Finn is a grumpy old jerk." Andy said.
"Andy!" Freya hissed glancing around. She saw Commander Katou sitting at a table nearby.
"What?" Andy said looking around as well. She saw the commander and shrugged. "I'm sure Katou knows." she said a little lower. "It's a universally acknowledged fact." she paused and leaned in closer to them. "Besides - Commander Katou's not exactly winning any personality awards either."
Freya chuckled and finished her drink just as her comm beeped. She was being called into the ward. "Duty calls." she said. She gave Julian a quick kiss on the cheek and wove her way through the crowded passages back to the ward.
Finn tossed her surgery garb as soon as she entered the bay. "Scrub." he said. "And get dressed. Mr. Dexter needs surgery."
Freya's eyes went wide as she looked around for Dex. She scrambled into her scrubs and tied her cap before approaching the sink with Dr. Finn. "What happened?" she asked.
"The blast threw him into a wall. He's bleeding into his brain." Dr. Finn said matter of factly. For all his faults, when it came to his job - Dr. Finn was all business.
Freya finished scrubbing and the nurse helped them don gloves and a mask before they went into the attached surgical bay. This was the first surgery Freya had been called in on since she had been assigned to the ward. Her stomach was fluttering and her heart was pounding. She noticed her hands trembling slightly as she stood by the table.
"Get it together Ryan!" Dr. Finn snapped. "You're no good to me like that!"
Freya took several steadying breaths and watched her hands slowly stop. "I'm ready doctor." she said.
"About time." Dr. Finn muttered and made the first cut.
"Why are you so nervous?" Freya Ryan asked her boyfriend. He'd been tapping his fingers on the table all though breakfast and now was looking around the deck.
"Why am I nervous? Oh I don't know Freya - maybe because this will be the first shift on the bridge at the same time as the captain!" Julian Ice replied drumming his fingers against the side of his mug.
"You've been on the bridge and piloting this ship since your ascension six months ago!" Freya countered. "And you are a descendant of THE Alexander Ice. You were born to pilot this ship!"
"Yes but the captain Freya! I've always been second or third shift - barely caught sight of him. And as for my ancestry - it was three hundred years ago. You shouldn't put so much stock into it." he said looking toward the cafeteria, still unable to settle himself.
Freya rolled her eyes but smiled at him. "Whatever happens - you should eat a good breakfast first. Doctor's orders." she said as she got up to grab a breakfast plate for him.
"You're not a doctor yet." Julian said laughing. It was the first sign of the anxiety leaving him. His watch beeped twice and he jumped to his feet. "No time for breakfast, I've got to go love!" he said in a rush. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and was moving to leave when Freya grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back for a better kiss.
"Good luck." she said smiling as he left. Her smile faded a bit when the door closed behind him. She scooped up their mugs and put them in the bin to be washed. She waved to Ash Swanson, who was washing the breakfast dishes and made her way toward the medical ward to start her own duty shift.
"The children need vaccinations" Dr. Harry Finn grumbled as Freya walked in to the ward. He motioned to the front desk where a case with files and supplies waited for me.
"Good morning to you too," Freya muttered at his back and scooped up the case.
It was a well known fact that Dr. Finn hated children and almost every child on board was terrified of him. So she flipped through the files in the case as she walked back out of the ward. Dr. Finn didn't acknowledge her departure in anyway. It was also a well know fact that Dr. Finn hated Freya - particularly her being in HIS medical ward.
Freya slipped into the first classroom quietly. The lights were dimmed as the children were watching a recording. Lydia Holloway - the teacher and one her friends smiled at her as she entered and motioned for her to sit. Freya took an empty seat and turned her attention to the recording. The narrator's voice was that of a female and she instantly recognized the recording from her own childhood history lessons.
After the dust settled from the great world war, Project Unity was put forth as a means to reunite the world governments and to create a lasting peace. Unity, the original ship that now contains Primary Bridge Operations and the Engineering Bay, began being built in 2082 - just one year after the end of the war. Project Leader James Hunt oversaw construction of the entire ship and was instrumental in selecting the various scientists and engineers for the crew. The Project was supposed to unite twenty-five representatives from around the world for a year long space exploration mission.
Three years later the ship was only weeks from launch. The Quuvari, the first alien species to make contact with the people of Earth, invaded with a large force. The war-beaten population of Earth was easily overtaken and decimated by the Quuvari. Half the population was slaughtered, most of the remaining were enslaved. Small pockets in less populated areas were able to run and hide.
The location of Project Unity was far from any major city, allowing it to remain undetected by the Quuvari in the early days of the invasion. James Hunt took the opportunity to scrape together the nearest survivors of the invasion. Hunt took everything he could from the project headquarters for supplies and loaded up the ship with their only means of survival. He and twenty-four other souls consisting of scientists, engineers, assorted staff from Headquarters and an Ambassador who had been visiting at the time of the invasion boarded Unity and launched. The Unity became a life boat for a small band of the human race.
Whether the Quuvari ships didn't detect Unity or simply ignored it, we will never know but we must forever be thankful for efforts of James Hunt, the first Captain of Unity as well as the other crew members who worked together in order to survive.
The lights slowly came up in the classroom and Lydia stepped forward. "Three hundred years has passed since Unity left Earth with only twenty-five passengers. Who can tell me how many people live aboard Unity now?"
A girl next to Freya raised her hand and Lydia pointed to her. "None." she said with a smile. "Everyone lives aboard the Ark now." she added.
Lydia laughed. "Very true Tessa. The Unity crew realized they could not thrive on the small vessel so they started to expand. In time they collected space debris, parts of derelict ships and eventually they encountered other species in their travels. They were very crowded of course for some time because it took several years for the first segment of the Ark to be completed. Those original twenty-five people grew...and grew - as did the ship. With passing generations, new segments were added. Now, Tessa, how many people live on board the Ark?" she said looking at the girl who had answered earlier.
"Fifteen hundred." Tessa said confidently. "Give or take a few." she added.
Lydia nodded. "Correct. Each generation adds to the population of the ship and everyone works together so that we continue to thrive." she smiled. "But for your generation to get to add to the population - you have to stay healthy. Which is why Ms. Ryan is here today. Everyone stay in your seats." she said as the children turned to look at Freya. "Turn on your computers and begin reading chapter 3 which talks about genetic diversity and the special significance to our people. When it's your turn, you'll be called."
The kids turned away from Freya and she could hear the thrum of the computers as they powered up and they began reading. It took Freya two hours to work though all the classrooms and administer the vaccines. She was a little sorry to return to the coldness of the medical ward and Dr. Finn after the happiness of the children.
