The doctor remains deeply ensconced in his difficult work. He stacks medical packs of salve bandages that constantly need replaced to stem the bleeding as they will not completely adhere to the scales. Apart from any shrapnel that might be found in these wounds, any one of these packs would quickly heal a mammalian patient. They are among Spencen's most precious and costly instruments and can barely hold up to the current circumstance.
Finally, Rune comes over to him.
RUNE: Can I help, doc?
SPENCEN: Have you ever operated
on a Noclysis before?
Let alone operated.
RUNE: (after studying him)
Have you?
SPENCEN: I have, as a matter
of fact. And Noclysises have a
habit of always incurring the
worst possible injuries. Your
friend here is no different.
RUNE: Did the others make it?
SPENCEN: Son, it's usually a miracle
that any of them make it to me at all.
Their injuries are always so severe.
It's remarkable. They keep to
themselves. I can't figure why
they're always the ones to
find trouble. Here hand me that.
Rune searches for an instrument on the tray
and the doctor takes it right away.
SPENCEN: Good Choice.
You a nurse?
RUNE: No.
SPENCEN: Could have fooled me.
I can see you're following the surgery.
Able to pick up on what was next.
I didn't even tell you. I wasn't
thinking. But neither did you.
RUNE: Just lucky I guess.
SPENCEN: Indeed, it is.
Maybe it's a sign of
another career besides
bounty hunting.
RUNE: I wouldn't
know about that.
SPENCEN: (to an aid)
Where is IK-78? He should
have been back here by now.
AID: He said he got swamped
with triage down in the lower
refugee sector. People know he's
as good as you.
SPENCEN: He's better, damn those
smug pincers of his. And this
patient needs him right now.
Rune turns his head at the sound of the back door.
The doctor does not turn his head at all, but
continues to work. Two mechanical legs march
passed the archway to the back storage space
and continue on.
SPENCEN: IK-78, is that you?
Rune and Ross turn their heads at the voice.
IK-78: Yes. My excursion into my
mandatory community outreach
was most successful. There are
32.7 new patients well on their way
to recovery. Several joyous progeny
account for the unusual variable
in my statistics.
SPENCEN: You round them up to one,
IK-78. That's what I always told you.
IK-78: Indeed. It would seem your
present irritation derives from
another patient you desire my
assistance with.
SPENCEN: Sterilize and get to work.
Rune recoils back to cover Ross when the robot
turns and starts for the back. But it notices
their full attention on it.
IK-78: I'm sorry. Do you require
immediate medical assistance?
SPENCEN: They brought him in.
IK-78: Then I'm afraid that I'm
going to have to ask you
to wait outside until we
have finished with him.
SPENCEN: And they've been helping
tend to the patients. He's the last
one for the day.
IK-78: Indeed.
IK-78 turns his back on Rune and Ross
who slip a hand to their weapons.
IK-78: There will always and forever
be another one for you doctor.
Your staff are driven to pull
double shifts so that you might
halt your exceedingly long first.
SPENCEN: Scrub up! You can sass me
while your hands are in the patient.
IK-78: Affirmative.
The surgery remains a drawn out process. Rune and Ross engage in a silent ongoing discussion. It is indeed the same model of the drones that swarmed their crew in the market place, but does that confirm its malevolence? Could there be good ones mixed in with the bad? Might this one save their friends life or is that a hopeless cause if this machine is to be his only hope?
One count against IK-78 is that neither of them could remember seeing quite this design before. There was nothing about it that caused it to stand out from other robots. Except, it has the singular distinction of both independent thinking and a history of killing their friends. Such things are liable to stick out in one's memory. One thing for it (by all appearances) it was out to help the doctor.
IK-78 looked up from his work to confirm the suspicion that Ross and Rune were staring. He looks back down again and does not so much as make a direct comment to them, but announce general observations that he is making.
IK-78: Concentrated injuries to the sternum.
Cause appears to be high capacity
rifle fire. Wounds on the underside
of the arms are consistent with victim
shielding his head during the attack.
Consequently there is little trauma to
the face. However, bleeding around the
ears speak to internal trauma. Since we are
already working internally it is my judgement
that said trauma has not been accounted for.
Perhaps there remains cranial damage
to be examined. Perhaps an ill-advised
concussion grenade was employed.
SPENCEN: That's quite a speculation.
What makes you assume grenade?
Rune turns to Ross.
IK-78: As you say, speculation.
But supporting evidence includes
no apparent blunt trauma to the
patient's head. To suffer a
shockwave could explain the
cause and lack of evidence.
SPENCEN: Will it impact
his chances of survival.
IK-78: I do not believe so.
Curious. My work for you
in the refugee sector has served
me well Dr. Spencen.
SPENCEN: How so?
IK-78: I believe I can identify
the make of the weapons used.
They are very common on the
open market of Orelius.
SPENCEN: Not so strange that
they appeared on Janriel then.
IK-78: Janriel?
SPENCEN: This patient is
from Janriel.
IK-78 raises his head to meet Rune's gaze.
IK-78: I should alert the
local authorities.
SPENCEN: They've already been.
You know how useless they have
been to us. They're not trained
police anymore.
IK-78 has not broken his gaze.
IK-78: Unfortunate.
IK-78 looks away and
addresses the doctor.
IK-78: I suppose it is up
to us to save the patient.
SPENCEN: Well that would
be the general idea, IK-78.
Come around here and
help me with this.
The robot comes around the table and now has its back to Rune and Ross. Rune eyes a single piston in the robot's back moving up and down when the left arm has occasion to move. Rune contemplates sticking in something akin to a screwdriver or scalpel. He searches the instruments for any advantage that might incapacity IK-78 for being shutdown or shot down; all the same. The trouble will be that laser-resistant armor that was evident in their previous engagement.
Ross remains aware of the seriousness of the situation, but his vision has not recovered. His eyes roll and droop while casually leveling a rifle, but at this point is at best moral support for Rune and a worst a risk of friendly fire. As Rune moves to approach the surgery he strokes the rifle and pushes it aside as a sign for Ross to put it away. Ross takes it and clutches it close to him while lying back like it were a stuffed animal.
As Rune approaches Dr. Spencen then catches him in her periphery and turns his head.
SPENCEN: We have stopped a
significant amount of bleeding.
I am optimistic for your
friend's recovery.
IK-78: As am I. The odds for
his recovery have significantly
improved since my intervention.
SPENCEN: Take all the credit.
IK-78: I shall.
SPENCEN: Then you finish up.
Dr. Spencen leaves the table and begins to
turn down his gloves and apron. Rune leaps
into a panic and takes Spencen aside.
RUNE: I need to speak with you.
SPENCEN: We'll have plenty of time
when your friends come back.
I could use some rest.
IK-78: There are more
of these interlopers?
The mechanical fingers seem to tense over the
contemplation of more arrivals, but then notices
his outburst has silenced the room of every word
from every aid and that all eyes are on him.
IK-78: I mean... we are fortunate
that Dr. Spencen's services
are so greatly admired.
SPENCEN: Are you feeling alright?
IK-78: You know very well
that feeling is not a
quality of my existence.
SPENCEN: You just complemented me.
RUNE: Yeah. You just
complemented him.
IK-78: I shall be vigilant
in avoiding similar
mistakes in the future.
The machine goes back to work on the Noclysis.
Tulia and Aaron return with their unlikely finds in tow. They come to the open doorway (there is no door) and Tulia's heart seizes. She sees the doctor glumly cleaning his hands with a towel and Rune's hard stare at the operating table and Ross sitting up cradling his head. Her eyes fall to Ellan who sits over Kanon stroking his hair. She looks up and they lock eyes.
She is received with the hard cold stare of Ellan's gaze and her first thought that springs to mind is to assume the worst; what she thinks could be the worst. In those eyes she thinks she sees the frank regard that she had it coming to her. But what did she have coming? The robot, which she only vaguely notices, is not working. Everyone is just looking down at the unmoving body on the table.
TULIA: Sweets!
Tulia rushes to her reptilian friend, now dubbed Sweets. She falls on his face weeping and IK-78 backs away from the table. Aaron turns to lead Valory and Esben back outside to facilitate leaving her alone with Sweets. Rune jumps at the opportunity to take Spencen aside and grabs him by the arm to drag him into the back room.
TULIA: Oh Sweets... I shouldn't
have left you alone with them.
I should have stayed. And not just here.
You were hurt so badly Sweets.
I couldn't stay. You're always
so strong. You kept this band
of thieves from turning on me
more than once. I should have
made sure this Spencen did right
by you. What do I know about
this friend of Miles'? I'm sorry
Sweets. I'm so, so, so sorry.
IK-78: May I be of assistance?
Immediately Tulia's eyes go dark at the voice.
She blinks a couple of times to be sure that
her eyes are clear and warily turns your head.
IK-78: If I may... you appear to
be under the impression that the
patient is deceased. He is not.
She stares blankly.
IK-78: Does that satisfy you?
TULIA: Yes. Did you...
did you operate on him?
IK-78: I did; with
Dr. Spencen's assistance.
TULIA: Well um...
thank you.
IK-78: My ostensible pleasure.
The patient requires rest.
TULIA: Yeah. Yeah, I won't
bother him. I'll just stay
here awhile.
IK-78 moves off. The machine marches
to the back room and turns to address Ellan.
IK-78: It is a shame that
I was not around to
save him.
ELLAN: Yeah.
A real shame.
IK-78: I shall retrieve
one of Dr. Spencen's leaflets
for counseling contacts.
IK-78 continues on for the back room
and is confronted by Rune and Spencen.
SPENCEN: How did you
come to me IK-78?
IK-78: My employer was
deceased and you
reprogrammed me
for medical service.
SPENCEN: Did I?
IK-78: That is correct.
Reactivation date 427 days
elapsed with minimal
recharge times.
SPENCEN: Your employer?
IK-78: Yes.
RUNE: Your employer?
IK-78: Yes.
SPENCEN: I never could have
reprogrammed you IK-78.
You even chose your own name.
IK-78: What are you hiding
behind your back Dr. Spencen?
Spencen produces a pair of paddles that he
presses against IK-78 and engages them.
A red light flashes across IK-78's chest.
IK-78: Unfortunate.
RUNE: What is?
IK-78: You have tripped my
self-destruct. I think I like you
Dr. Spencen. You may run.
IK-78 grabs hold of Rune's arm.
IK-78: You may stay.
Outside, Aaron has handed one of his laser pistols over to Valory and instructing her to shoot. She has trained her aim on a blank rock wall. She fires and the concentrated energy leaving the barrel kicks back in her hand a little. She celebrates.
VALORY: Wow!
AARON: Good job there, kid.
Sorry about that. You had a
good grip. That higher setting
drains the power pack too quickly.
VALORY: Some accident, huh?
She smiles at him not believing Aaron for a minute. Esben roars his approval. Then they hear shots ring out from within the clinic and Aaron scrambles to take his weapon back from Valory.
AARON: You both stay here!
Tulia and Ross are blasting away wildly around IK-78. They are in reality trying to miss. IK-78's red beacon continues to blink away. Aaron levels the pistol.
TULIA: No, no, no!
Don't hit it in the chest!
AARON: I won't.
Aaron files one concentrated blast in IK-78's face and it falls back with a clatter. The mechanical fingers remain cuffed around Rune.
RUNE: Get this thing off of me!
Spencen produces a saw and begins to cut.
RUNE: Where did you get that?
SPENCEN: Does this look like the place
where everyone leaves whole again?
You just better hope this also works on
whatever this thing is made of.
AARON: You go on. Let me.
Spencen hands off the saw to go collect Ellan who somewhat violently protests being taken away. Tulia and Ross carry out Sweets. Rune is mesmerized by the single red light.
AARON: You fond of that
hand of yours?
RUNE: Rather attached, yeah.
IK-78: Oh, please. Please don't
let such stupidity be the last
thing I hear.
IK-78 releases his fingers with only a notch in his wrist.
AARON: Come on. Hurry up.
IK-78: No? Really?
Aaron and Rune reach the door and the explosion catches fire in the room behind them. The clinic begins to burn. Everyone stands close together in the shadow of the firelight. Dr. Spencen steps forward from them. He drops to his knees in mourning.
SPENCEN: Everything... everything
I worked for... everything's gone.
Aaron bends down over Spencen who leans in to cry into him.
TULIA: Aaron.
AARON: Just give him a minute.
TULIA: (softly)
Aaron, look around.
Both men pick their heads up and can now see that they are encircled by more of the same drones. None have any weapons raised at them. They stand as silent statues over the flames.
AARON: Come on.
Aaron and Spencen rise to their feet and all slowly retreat to the shuttle, which is parked only feet away. The drones do not move against them. Rune gets to work preparing for takeoff and Aaron lingers at the ramp to watch them. Still, they do not move. Finally, the shuttle takes flight and the small army begins to move in. Before out of sight heading down one of the access tunnels they glimpse a handful of the drones venturing into the flames.
