White, James – Sector General 07 – Code Blue Emergency

she said, It is a tight-fitting flap, hinged on the top side, and free to move

in or out with gentle pressure. There is a layer of sponge around the edges that

suggests that it is nearly airtight. I can’t get my head close enough to the

floor to see insidethe flap, but when I open it there is a strong smell that

reminds me of the Sommaradvan glytt plant.

“I’m sorry,” she went on. “Quite apart from the fact that you don’t know what a

glytt plant smells like, one wonders whether the seal is intended to keep the

unpleasant smell of FGHJ wastes in or the other smell out. Or maybe it is just

an inlet point for some kind of deodorant …”

“Friend Cha,” Prilicla broke in. “In the short time since you inhaled the odor,

has there been any irritation of your breathing passages, nausea, impairment of

vision, or dulling of sensation or intellect?”

“What intellect?” Fletcher murmured in a disparaging voice.

“No,” she replied. “I am opening the door of the last remaining storage closet

to be searched. It is larger than the others, filled with racked tools and what

looks like replacement parts for the dormitory furniture, but is otherwise

empty. The crew members are still ignoring me. I’m leaving now to search the

next dormitory.”

“Technician,” Fletcher said quietly. “If you can reply to Prilicla I know you

can hear me. Now, I’m willing to consider your earlier disobedience as a

temporary aberration, a fit of overenthusiasm, and a minor disciplinary matter.

But if you continue the search in direct contravention of my orders you will be

in major trouble. Neither the Monitor Corps nor the hospital has time for

irresponsible subordinates.”

“But I take full responsiblity for my actions,” Cha Thrat protested, “including

any credit or discredit that may result from them. I know that I lack the

training to investigate an other-species ship properly, but I am simply opening

and closing doors and being very careful while I’m doing it.”

The Captain did not reply and maintained its silenceeven when the sensors must

have been showing Cha Thrat entering the second dormitory. It was Prilicia who

spoke first.

“Friend Fletcher,” the empath said quietly, “I agree that there is a small

element of risk in what the technician is doing. But it has discussed some of

its ideas with me and is acting with my permission and, well, limited approval.”

Ignoring the tranquilized FGHJs and riot speaking at all, Cha Thrat was able

search the dormitory much more quickly, but with the same negative result. None

of the storage cabinets revealed the missing survivor, adult or child, and the

.narrow, floor-level flap held nothing but the smell of glytt, which never had

been one of her favorite aromas.

But the Cinrusskin’s attempts to divert the Captain’s anger from her aroused

such a sudden emotional warmth in her that she hoped the empath would feel her

gratitude. Without breaking into the conversation, and hoping that Prilicia

could not feel her growing disappointment, she began searching the third and

last dormitory.

“… In any case, friend Fletcher,” the empath was saying, “the responsibility

for whatever happens on the distressed ship until the survivors are treated and

evacuated is not yours, but mine.”

“I know, I know,” the Captain agreed irritably. “On the site of a disaster the

medical team leader has the rank. In this situation you can tell a Monitor Corps

ship commander like myself what to do, and be obeyed. You can even give orders

to a Corps Maintenance Technician Grade Two called Cha Thrat, but I seriously

doubt if they would be obeyed.”

There was another long silence, broken by the subject of the discussion. She

said, “I’ve finished searching thedormitories. All three contain identical

arrangements of fittings and storage compartments, none of which contains the

FGHJ we’re looking for.

“But the first and second dormitories share a common wall,” she went on, trying

to sound hopeful, “likewise the second and third. But the first and third are

divided by a short corridor leading inboard toward what must be another, fairly

large storage compartment whose sides are common to the inner walls of the three