Lottery
Chapter 21
By Mark J. Silva Jr
Mark flexed his arm for the first time in five weeks. Di stood there, smiling. She almost laughed when she noticed that his arm was even whiter than the rest of his body.
“How's the arm feel?” the doctor asked as she placed the cut off cast in the trash.
“A lot better,” Mark said.
“Very good. Now I understand that Lily wanted you to get a physical.”
Mark looked down at the floor, “Yes, she wants me to.”
Di walked over and placed her hand on Mark's shoulder, “Lily is planning on a physical age regression therapy for him.”
Doctor Izza looked at Mark, “My younger sister went through that. She went from thirty-nine to twenty, But tell me Di, Mark's so young, now. What does Lily plan on achieving?”
Di looked at Mark who was no longer looking all that happy.
“Lily believes… and I tend to agree… that if Mark looked more like the age he acts, then people would tend to treat him more appropriately.”
Dr. Izza looked at her tablet, thumbed through a few files and said, “I see, he's nineteen and that his primary care physician when he was growing up, noted that he stopped maturing mentally at around the age of thirteen. Does Lily understand that this will be painful for Mark?”
“We have all talked about this. Mark isn't all that happy, but he understands that this is ultimately Lily's choice. We have plans in place to help Mark deal with the pain,” Di explained.
The next day, Mark found himself in another doctor's office laying naked face down on a heavily padded table.
Doctor Nacy Fairchild finished setting up a framework above Mark. It was similar to the same type of framework used in pet conversion. After it was assembled Nacy lowered the framework around Mark and started strapping Mark into it.
“Easy, Mark. I know this is scary, but I promise you that before I start any of the injections, I will put you to sleep.”
Mark whimpered a little as Nacy strapped down his ankle into the framework. After about fifteen minutes Nacy added the last strap around Mark's forehead, and the framework lifted him off the padded table. Nacy then moved the table away, and rotated Mark so he was now standing in the framework.
Nacy has done hundreds of age-regressions on women who wanted to shave a few dozen years off their looks. This was the best form of 'plastic surgery' performed, these days. But Mark wasn't some sixty year old lady who wanted to look twenty once more. Mark was nineteen and his owner Lily wanted him regressed to the age of thirteen, This meant skeletal structure changes, and musculature changes, and that would be painful. Mark would go from five feet tall at age nineteen, to around four feet tall as he had been when he was thirteen. Nacy had reviewed his file. Even at thirteen, Mark was already a little heartbreaker in the making.
Right now, her heart melted as she watched Mark try to hold back tears of fear. Reaching over Nacy wiped off a tear.
“I know your scared, would you like it better if I gave you the sleeping meds, now?”
Mark tried to nod 'yes,' but found he really was secured.
“Yes, please,” he said softly.
Nacy's nurse passed her an auto-injector and Nacy placed it into the soft muscle in his upper arm,
“Okay, Mark, start count backwards from ten.”
“Ten, Nine, Eight…”
The auto-injector made a soft hiss.
“Seven, Sthsss,” and Mark was out.
An hour later, Dr. Fairchild stepped out of the room and found Di and Lily sitting in the waiting room.
“He did well.”
Di and Lily got up, and thanked the doctor for her hard work.
“When can I move him to the shuttle?” Di asked.
“Well, normally I'd say he should be immobile for a few more hours. But, as I understand it, he's terrified of flying. So, it might be best to move him now, while he's still sleeping,” Nacy said with a smile.
“Great! Lead the way, then, doctor,” answered Di.
About ten minutes later, Di carried Mark out of the doctor's office, and over to a long range Sprite class shuttle sitting on the Doctor's VTOL pad. Samantha was standing in the cargo doorway, as Di walked to the ramp. Sam walked down and offered to take Mark.
“Give him over, Mom. You shouldn't be carrying him.”
Di smiled and asked, “Are you saying your mother is weak and old?”
Sam smiled as she replied, “Why, yes. I am, Mom. Now, hand him over.”
Lily gasped as Di laughed. She let Sam take Mark from her arms. They all entered the shuttle and made their way to the passenger cabin.
Sam walked over to an odd looking bed and put Mark onto it. Tina quickly covered Mark up, and Penny adjusted his pillow.
“How long did the doctor say he should be out?”
“She said an hour, to an hour and a half, max,” Lily answered.
Sam walked Penny over to one of the cabins passenger seat and helped her into the harness while Tina started strapping herself in.
“Okay. I should be in open space by then. Mom? Are you sure you and Lily don't want a ride home first?”
“No, dear, you need to get to your first jump point and get Mark ready for 'soft stasis.' We will get home just fine.”
Sam looked at Lily, “Are you absolutely sure you don't want to come also?”
Lily smiled and said, “No, Auntie. Mark isn't going to be in the best of moods. He can use this vacation time without Grandma and I fretting over him.”
Sam looked over at Mark, “You haven’t told him have you.”
“I thought it best, dear. Mark would just have been so stressed out by the thought of flying, that he would never have calmed down enough to get the treatment started,” answered Di.
“I just hope this doesn’t backfire.”
“So do we all,” responded Di and she touched Marks face.
Sam walked back over and lowered a safety net over Mark. Then she went and doubled checked Tina's harness.
“Okay, then, Mom, Lily. I need to get going. My liftoff window time is running by, quickly.”
Looking into Tina's eyes, Sam smiled, “You let me know if he awakens before we break orbit.”
“Of course, Mistress. Penny is to stay with Mark, no matter what, while I inform you. Then I'll take the steps needed to keep the ship safe, if Mark goes into a full panic,” Tina answered.
“Good, and how will you make sure the ship is safe?”
“The bed Mark is on, is equipped with a soft stasis field. I will pull down the field generator ring and activate the stasis field.”
Di and Lily both smiled. “I see you been prepping Tina,” Di said.
“Both of them, really. I'm taking advantage of Tina's intellect and Penny's natural protective instincts. I think I have a good plan put together to make this a safe, and hopefully a happy trip, for Mark.”
* * * *
“Okay, you lug-heads, listen up!” Captain Hollyfield hollered.
The senior staff members of the 'SC Bright Nova' (a tourist-trap Star Cruiser, which traveled between six different stars that were undergoing nova transformations, for vacationers to gawk at) were preparing for their latest cruise, and were doing an overview of special passengers and their needs.
“Now remember, Ms. Rainhart may be blind, but she is far from stupid. Do not try to get a fast one past her. You hear me, Housekeeping?” the first officer said.
“Yes, Ma'am. No passing off gray sheets and saying they're white.”
“Good. Now, we move on to Mr. Howland. He is a nineteen year old male who is undergoing regression therapy. He is owned, and his owner will not be with us on this trip. He will be staying with 2nd pilot Sam Bradly, in her quarters. Although he is staying in staff quarters, he is still a paying customer. I am warning all of you ladies, he is strictly off limits. His regression is going to be painful enough, without someone trying to get him in the sack," she said. "Also, Mr. Howland has two pets with him.”
A hologram of Penny suddenly appeared in the middle of the room.
“The wolfgirl's name is Penny, and she is a class 'A' danger. Penny was designed as a killing machine! She will kill anyone who harms or threatens to harm Mark. You are to make it very clear to all your staff members of this danger, as she will be wherever Mark is.
Now then, we also have” the image changed from Penny to Tina “his bunnygirl, Tina. She is the one handling Mark's day to day affairs. If your department needs to contact Mark, you will have to go through her. Tina is also a Class 'A' danger, but she is not the same type of threat as Penny. Penny is all instinct, whereas Tina is intelligent. Now, Dr. Glove has more info as to Mark's medical case,” the second officer said, waving an arm, and pointing to the ship's primary medical officer. Dr. Glove stood and smiled.
“Mr. Howland is a Savant. That means that while he is highly intelligent, he stopped growing emotionally at around the age of thirteen. This means he acts like a super smart little kid. There will never be a change in how he acts, which is why his owner has decided that he should look the age that he acts. She hopes that people will respond better to his moods, rather than expecting him to act as a grown adult would. I know many of you know someone who has gone through regression therapy. You have seen how great they looked, afterwards. I would say ninety-five percent of them had a very painless change. Mark, however, is going to be losing about a foot in height, and up to twenty pounds in weight. Mr. Howland will be in lots of pain! Do not let him fool you into thinking otherwise. This pain will make him short tempered, and testy. While Mr. Howland is legally an adult at the age of nineteen years old; he is considered disabled, and is a minor by law.”
The doctor looked across the room and sat back down.
Then one of the techs from the back of the room raised her hand for attention.
“Yes?” asked the second officer.
“Madam, I have reviewed Mr. Howland's files and I have a question. Is this the same Mark Howland that owns the patents for the Lambda Communications Device, and the Type Seven AI?”
“Yes, he is.”
A murmer started filling them room, quickly changing into a loud roar.
“Quiet!” yelled out the captain once more.
After the room quieted down, she said, “Mr. Howland is the same savant who designed the type seven AI's. This does not change the fact that he is here undergoing a very painful treatment.”
* * * *
Mark looked out the shuttle's port-side viewport and was amazed. There were no planets that he could see, and no up or down, either. The view was only of billions and billions of stars.
“As I told you, Mark; there's nothing to be scared of, once your in space,” said Sam.
Mark turned from the viewport and looked at Samantha.
“They sent me away,” Mark said, almost in tears.
Sam walked over to Mark and pulled him into a hug, “No! Not 'sent away,' Mark. Not at all. Lily wants you to have time to change, without her worrying like crazy every moment. You are going on a vacation! Lily wants you to have as much fun as you possibly can.”
Mark's body hurt. Billions of nanobots had been working hard while he was in 'soft stasis.' Now that he was awake, they were dormant. Still, they left every part of his body aching.
'Soft stasis' wasn't really a stasis, at all. It was a form of ultra-deep sleep. It lowered the brain's functions to a level that life support was maintained by the medical equipment. The body still aged at a normal rate, but the nanobots could work more effectively without having to fight the person's mind, for control over the body's functions. 'Soft stasis' also allowed for Mark to travel in hyperspace with no fear-related issues. The down side, was that no one could be in soft stasis for more than ten hours at a time, because the body was still active, and the person needed to eat, drink, and eliminate waste.
On this trip, Sam had to stop every six hours to allow the faster than light drive (FTL) to cool off, and to recheck her navigation's fixed points. So while the engines were allowed time to cool off, Sam would wake Mark up. He would eat and do when ever else was needed, as long as he didn't panic. So far the plan was working.
Tina walked over to Mark and passed him a bottle of water.
“Thanks,” Mark said to her. He took the bottle and asked, “How long until we reach the Cruise ship?”
“For you, about four more hours. Trip-wise, about sixteen.”
Mark looked around the shuttle cabin and started heading towards the command deck of the shuttle, “Whoa there, Mark. You are not going up to the command deck.”
Mark looked back at Sam, “Why not?”
“Because if you accidentally bump a control, you could send us so far off course I will not be able to find our way back. Besides, the command deck is no place for boys to play,” Sam answered as she took Mark's hand and gently pulled him off the steps leading up to the command deck.
“I'm not a stupid little boy! I know that I have to be careful up there.”
“It's true that you are far from stupid, but that command deck is small. I am not risking our lives so you can go peek out a window,” Sam said.
Suddenly an AI appeared on a countertop.
“Captain, there is a ship approaching. Their transponder seems to be out of order, and I cannot find any clear registration markings.”
Sam looked at Mark, and made up her mind.
“Tiny, spin up the FTL.”
Sam then picked Mark up and shoved him onto his bed.
“Sorry, Mark, but it's nighty-night time for you.”
“Hey,” Mark said, but as the stasis field activated and Mark was plunged into a deep sleep.
Sam then rushed up the steps to the command deck, and jumped into her seat.
Toggling the com system she said, “Unidentified ship, this is Shuttle Oh Oh Six Nine Four Sierra on a replenishment run for the Star Cruiser Bright Nova. You are entering my FTL effect field, and are at risk. Please respond.”
Sam let go of the transmit toggle and waited for what seemed liked hours when suddenly a response came back.
“Shuttle Oh Oh Six Nine Four Sierra, This is Star Patrol One Seven Four Local Alpha. Please stand down from your jump, and be ready for an inspection boarding party,” came the reply.
Then the official documents came through the faxmitter, and Sam relaxed a bit.
“Star Patrol, Shuttle Oh Oh Six Nine Four Sierra standing down from jump. Please give me ten minutes to pressurize the cargo bay. I am faxmitting my cargo manifest and passenger list,” Sam replied.
“Understood, please be advise we are looking for an escaped slave from Zeti Delta colony, we will require access to your travel logs and fueling records.”
“That will be no problem, Officer.”
Twenty minutes later, in the passenger compartment, a confrontation was occurring.
“Ms. Bradly, we have to see and speak with who ever is in that stasis field. Now call off that wolfgirl,” Officer Witchek said.
Penny was standing in front of Mark's bed, snarling at the officer. Sam walked over to Penny who started to back up until she had her back against the wall.
“Easy, Penny, we just need to wake Mark up. No one here is going to hurt him.”
Reaching past Penny, Sam pulled the stasis field lever up. The stasis field generating ring lifted up, taking Mark out of soft stasis.
Mark's eyes opened slowly, and Sam smiled at him.
“Hello, sleepyhead. I have a couple of officers here who want a few words with you.” Mark slowly sat up on the bed, pulling his sheet with him so he stayed covered.
Officer Witchek was surprised to find a white male, and when she saw his bright blues eyes, she was amazed how they brightened up the passenger cabin. Then she noticed the bracelets and rings on his hands and wrists. He was clearly someone's property, but she couldn't get a reading on him at all with her wetware. It was as though he simple wasn't there!
Turning, she asked, “Are you this boy's owner?”
“No, I am his owner's aunt. Mark is traveling with me on a vacation. His owner, Lily, thinks he deserves some time off to relax,” Sam said as she pulled out a tablet from an overhead bin. “This is a copy of his contract, and a statement of entrustment to myself, for this vacation.”
Officer Witchek took the tablet. It had Mark's full contract and medical info, and she couldn't believe it! Mark did not have any wetware. He was an unaltered male! Then she read the fact that Mark was a savant, and was considered disabled.
Looking back at Mark, she said, “I hope you enjoy your vacation. Now, Captain, we just need to see your fuel logs and travel records. Then we'll be done.”
“How's the arm feel?” the doctor asked as she placed the cut off cast in the trash.
“A lot better,” Mark said.
“Very good. Now I understand that Lily wanted you to get a physical.”
Mark looked down at the floor, “Yes, she wants me to.”
Di walked over and placed her hand on Mark's shoulder, “Lily is planning on a physical age regression therapy for him.”
Doctor Izza looked at Mark, “My younger sister went through that. She went from thirty-nine to twenty, But tell me Di, Mark's so young, now. What does Lily plan on achieving?”
Di looked at Mark who was no longer looking all that happy.
“Lily believes… and I tend to agree… that if Mark looked more like the age he acts, then people would tend to treat him more appropriately.”
Dr. Izza looked at her tablet, thumbed through a few files and said, “I see, he's nineteen and that his primary care physician when he was growing up, noted that he stopped maturing mentally at around the age of thirteen. Does Lily understand that this will be painful for Mark?”
“We have all talked about this. Mark isn't all that happy, but he understands that this is ultimately Lily's choice. We have plans in place to help Mark deal with the pain,” Di explained.
The next day, Mark found himself in another doctor's office laying naked face down on a heavily padded table.
Doctor Nacy Fairchild finished setting up a framework above Mark. It was similar to the same type of framework used in pet conversion. After it was assembled Nacy lowered the framework around Mark and started strapping Mark into it.
“Easy, Mark. I know this is scary, but I promise you that before I start any of the injections, I will put you to sleep.”
Mark whimpered a little as Nacy strapped down his ankle into the framework. After about fifteen minutes Nacy added the last strap around Mark's forehead, and the framework lifted him off the padded table. Nacy then moved the table away, and rotated Mark so he was now standing in the framework.
Nacy has done hundreds of age-regressions on women who wanted to shave a few dozen years off their looks. This was the best form of 'plastic surgery' performed, these days. But Mark wasn't some sixty year old lady who wanted to look twenty once more. Mark was nineteen and his owner Lily wanted him regressed to the age of thirteen, This meant skeletal structure changes, and musculature changes, and that would be painful. Mark would go from five feet tall at age nineteen, to around four feet tall as he had been when he was thirteen. Nacy had reviewed his file. Even at thirteen, Mark was already a little heartbreaker in the making.
Right now, her heart melted as she watched Mark try to hold back tears of fear. Reaching over Nacy wiped off a tear.
“I know your scared, would you like it better if I gave you the sleeping meds, now?”
Mark tried to nod 'yes,' but found he really was secured.
“Yes, please,” he said softly.
Nacy's nurse passed her an auto-injector and Nacy placed it into the soft muscle in his upper arm,
“Okay, Mark, start count backwards from ten.”
“Ten, Nine, Eight…”
The auto-injector made a soft hiss.
“Seven, Sthsss,” and Mark was out.
An hour later, Dr. Fairchild stepped out of the room and found Di and Lily sitting in the waiting room.
“He did well.”
Di and Lily got up, and thanked the doctor for her hard work.
“When can I move him to the shuttle?” Di asked.
“Well, normally I'd say he should be immobile for a few more hours. But, as I understand it, he's terrified of flying. So, it might be best to move him now, while he's still sleeping,” Nacy said with a smile.
“Great! Lead the way, then, doctor,” answered Di.
About ten minutes later, Di carried Mark out of the doctor's office, and over to a long range Sprite class shuttle sitting on the Doctor's VTOL pad. Samantha was standing in the cargo doorway, as Di walked to the ramp. Sam walked down and offered to take Mark.
“Give him over, Mom. You shouldn't be carrying him.”
Di smiled and asked, “Are you saying your mother is weak and old?”
Sam smiled as she replied, “Why, yes. I am, Mom. Now, hand him over.”
Lily gasped as Di laughed. She let Sam take Mark from her arms. They all entered the shuttle and made their way to the passenger cabin.
Sam walked over to an odd looking bed and put Mark onto it. Tina quickly covered Mark up, and Penny adjusted his pillow.
“How long did the doctor say he should be out?”
“She said an hour, to an hour and a half, max,” Lily answered.
Sam walked Penny over to one of the cabins passenger seat and helped her into the harness while Tina started strapping herself in.
“Okay. I should be in open space by then. Mom? Are you sure you and Lily don't want a ride home first?”
“No, dear, you need to get to your first jump point and get Mark ready for 'soft stasis.' We will get home just fine.”
Sam looked at Lily, “Are you absolutely sure you don't want to come also?”
Lily smiled and said, “No, Auntie. Mark isn't going to be in the best of moods. He can use this vacation time without Grandma and I fretting over him.”
Sam looked over at Mark, “You haven’t told him have you.”
“I thought it best, dear. Mark would just have been so stressed out by the thought of flying, that he would never have calmed down enough to get the treatment started,” answered Di.
“I just hope this doesn’t backfire.”
“So do we all,” responded Di and she touched Marks face.
Sam walked back over and lowered a safety net over Mark. Then she went and doubled checked Tina's harness.
“Okay, then, Mom, Lily. I need to get going. My liftoff window time is running by, quickly.”
Looking into Tina's eyes, Sam smiled, “You let me know if he awakens before we break orbit.”
“Of course, Mistress. Penny is to stay with Mark, no matter what, while I inform you. Then I'll take the steps needed to keep the ship safe, if Mark goes into a full panic,” Tina answered.
“Good, and how will you make sure the ship is safe?”
“The bed Mark is on, is equipped with a soft stasis field. I will pull down the field generator ring and activate the stasis field.”
Di and Lily both smiled. “I see you been prepping Tina,” Di said.
“Both of them, really. I'm taking advantage of Tina's intellect and Penny's natural protective instincts. I think I have a good plan put together to make this a safe, and hopefully a happy trip, for Mark.”
* * * *
“Okay, you lug-heads, listen up!” Captain Hollyfield hollered.
The senior staff members of the 'SC Bright Nova' (a tourist-trap Star Cruiser, which traveled between six different stars that were undergoing nova transformations, for vacationers to gawk at) were preparing for their latest cruise, and were doing an overview of special passengers and their needs.
“Now remember, Ms. Rainhart may be blind, but she is far from stupid. Do not try to get a fast one past her. You hear me, Housekeeping?” the first officer said.
“Yes, Ma'am. No passing off gray sheets and saying they're white.”
“Good. Now, we move on to Mr. Howland. He is a nineteen year old male who is undergoing regression therapy. He is owned, and his owner will not be with us on this trip. He will be staying with 2nd pilot Sam Bradly, in her quarters. Although he is staying in staff quarters, he is still a paying customer. I am warning all of you ladies, he is strictly off limits. His regression is going to be painful enough, without someone trying to get him in the sack," she said. "Also, Mr. Howland has two pets with him.”
A hologram of Penny suddenly appeared in the middle of the room.
“The wolfgirl's name is Penny, and she is a class 'A' danger. Penny was designed as a killing machine! She will kill anyone who harms or threatens to harm Mark. You are to make it very clear to all your staff members of this danger, as she will be wherever Mark is.
Now then, we also have” the image changed from Penny to Tina “his bunnygirl, Tina. She is the one handling Mark's day to day affairs. If your department needs to contact Mark, you will have to go through her. Tina is also a Class 'A' danger, but she is not the same type of threat as Penny. Penny is all instinct, whereas Tina is intelligent. Now, Dr. Glove has more info as to Mark's medical case,” the second officer said, waving an arm, and pointing to the ship's primary medical officer. Dr. Glove stood and smiled.
“Mr. Howland is a Savant. That means that while he is highly intelligent, he stopped growing emotionally at around the age of thirteen. This means he acts like a super smart little kid. There will never be a change in how he acts, which is why his owner has decided that he should look the age that he acts. She hopes that people will respond better to his moods, rather than expecting him to act as a grown adult would. I know many of you know someone who has gone through regression therapy. You have seen how great they looked, afterwards. I would say ninety-five percent of them had a very painless change. Mark, however, is going to be losing about a foot in height, and up to twenty pounds in weight. Mr. Howland will be in lots of pain! Do not let him fool you into thinking otherwise. This pain will make him short tempered, and testy. While Mr. Howland is legally an adult at the age of nineteen years old; he is considered disabled, and is a minor by law.”
The doctor looked across the room and sat back down.
Then one of the techs from the back of the room raised her hand for attention.
“Yes?” asked the second officer.
“Madam, I have reviewed Mr. Howland's files and I have a question. Is this the same Mark Howland that owns the patents for the Lambda Communications Device, and the Type Seven AI?”
“Yes, he is.”
A murmer started filling them room, quickly changing into a loud roar.
“Quiet!” yelled out the captain once more.
After the room quieted down, she said, “Mr. Howland is the same savant who designed the type seven AI's. This does not change the fact that he is here undergoing a very painful treatment.”
* * * *
Mark looked out the shuttle's port-side viewport and was amazed. There were no planets that he could see, and no up or down, either. The view was only of billions and billions of stars.
“As I told you, Mark; there's nothing to be scared of, once your in space,” said Sam.
Mark turned from the viewport and looked at Samantha.
“They sent me away,” Mark said, almost in tears.
Sam walked over to Mark and pulled him into a hug, “No! Not 'sent away,' Mark. Not at all. Lily wants you to have time to change, without her worrying like crazy every moment. You are going on a vacation! Lily wants you to have as much fun as you possibly can.”
Mark's body hurt. Billions of nanobots had been working hard while he was in 'soft stasis.' Now that he was awake, they were dormant. Still, they left every part of his body aching.
'Soft stasis' wasn't really a stasis, at all. It was a form of ultra-deep sleep. It lowered the brain's functions to a level that life support was maintained by the medical equipment. The body still aged at a normal rate, but the nanobots could work more effectively without having to fight the person's mind, for control over the body's functions. 'Soft stasis' also allowed for Mark to travel in hyperspace with no fear-related issues. The down side, was that no one could be in soft stasis for more than ten hours at a time, because the body was still active, and the person needed to eat, drink, and eliminate waste.
On this trip, Sam had to stop every six hours to allow the faster than light drive (FTL) to cool off, and to recheck her navigation's fixed points. So while the engines were allowed time to cool off, Sam would wake Mark up. He would eat and do when ever else was needed, as long as he didn't panic. So far the plan was working.
Tina walked over to Mark and passed him a bottle of water.
“Thanks,” Mark said to her. He took the bottle and asked, “How long until we reach the Cruise ship?”
“For you, about four more hours. Trip-wise, about sixteen.”
Mark looked around the shuttle cabin and started heading towards the command deck of the shuttle, “Whoa there, Mark. You are not going up to the command deck.”
Mark looked back at Sam, “Why not?”
“Because if you accidentally bump a control, you could send us so far off course I will not be able to find our way back. Besides, the command deck is no place for boys to play,” Sam answered as she took Mark's hand and gently pulled him off the steps leading up to the command deck.
“I'm not a stupid little boy! I know that I have to be careful up there.”
“It's true that you are far from stupid, but that command deck is small. I am not risking our lives so you can go peek out a window,” Sam said.
Suddenly an AI appeared on a countertop.
“Captain, there is a ship approaching. Their transponder seems to be out of order, and I cannot find any clear registration markings.”
Sam looked at Mark, and made up her mind.
“Tiny, spin up the FTL.”
Sam then picked Mark up and shoved him onto his bed.
“Sorry, Mark, but it's nighty-night time for you.”
“Hey,” Mark said, but as the stasis field activated and Mark was plunged into a deep sleep.
Sam then rushed up the steps to the command deck, and jumped into her seat.
Toggling the com system she said, “Unidentified ship, this is Shuttle Oh Oh Six Nine Four Sierra on a replenishment run for the Star Cruiser Bright Nova. You are entering my FTL effect field, and are at risk. Please respond.”
Sam let go of the transmit toggle and waited for what seemed liked hours when suddenly a response came back.
“Shuttle Oh Oh Six Nine Four Sierra, This is Star Patrol One Seven Four Local Alpha. Please stand down from your jump, and be ready for an inspection boarding party,” came the reply.
Then the official documents came through the faxmitter, and Sam relaxed a bit.
“Star Patrol, Shuttle Oh Oh Six Nine Four Sierra standing down from jump. Please give me ten minutes to pressurize the cargo bay. I am faxmitting my cargo manifest and passenger list,” Sam replied.
“Understood, please be advise we are looking for an escaped slave from Zeti Delta colony, we will require access to your travel logs and fueling records.”
“That will be no problem, Officer.”
Twenty minutes later, in the passenger compartment, a confrontation was occurring.
“Ms. Bradly, we have to see and speak with who ever is in that stasis field. Now call off that wolfgirl,” Officer Witchek said.
Penny was standing in front of Mark's bed, snarling at the officer. Sam walked over to Penny who started to back up until she had her back against the wall.
“Easy, Penny, we just need to wake Mark up. No one here is going to hurt him.”
Reaching past Penny, Sam pulled the stasis field lever up. The stasis field generating ring lifted up, taking Mark out of soft stasis.
Mark's eyes opened slowly, and Sam smiled at him.
“Hello, sleepyhead. I have a couple of officers here who want a few words with you.” Mark slowly sat up on the bed, pulling his sheet with him so he stayed covered.
Officer Witchek was surprised to find a white male, and when she saw his bright blues eyes, she was amazed how they brightened up the passenger cabin. Then she noticed the bracelets and rings on his hands and wrists. He was clearly someone's property, but she couldn't get a reading on him at all with her wetware. It was as though he simple wasn't there!
Turning, she asked, “Are you this boy's owner?”
“No, I am his owner's aunt. Mark is traveling with me on a vacation. His owner, Lily, thinks he deserves some time off to relax,” Sam said as she pulled out a tablet from an overhead bin. “This is a copy of his contract, and a statement of entrustment to myself, for this vacation.”
Officer Witchek took the tablet. It had Mark's full contract and medical info, and she couldn't believe it! Mark did not have any wetware. He was an unaltered male! Then she read the fact that Mark was a savant, and was considered disabled.
Looking back at Mark, she said, “I hope you enjoy your vacation. Now, Captain, we just need to see your fuel logs and travel records. Then we'll be done.”