Earthbound - DM Arnold (popular e readers TXT) 📗

The scanpad chirped as he pressed his wrist to it and it read his ID chip. It indicated the door was locked with a privacy code. He pressed the privacy override and scanned his wrist again. The door popped open, and he walked in.

“Senta? Are you home?”

He heard a commotion from their bedroom. Senta poked her head out the door. “Nykkyo, what are you doing here? Don't you ever have the courtesy of calling first?”

“I live here, too. Why, do you have ... company?”

“Maybe I do.”

“I'll ride to the mall and pick up some snack wafers. I'll take my time. Sorry to disturb you, korlyta.”

Nyk pressed his wrist to the apartment's scanpad and the door popped open. Senta was arranging her lifxarpa. “I'll heat some dinners,” he said.

She joined him in the kitchen. “Thank you for spoiling my day. For future reference, if you see the privacy code on the doorscan, assume it's there for a good reason.”

“This is as much my place as yours,” he replied between bites.

“This is my apartment, I'll remind you.”

“We are married, I'll remind you!”

“How long are you onworld?”

“A few days. I don't know for sure. I'm spending my days and maybe evenings out, working on ... a special project. I'll need a place to sleep, shower and change, and I'll use the guestroom if it's more convenient for you.”

“I'm sorry, Nyk. That's not necessary. It's just... I was on the verge of a breakthrough with Andra.”

Nyk rolled his eyes. “Senta, sometimes I can't believe it!”

“It's not what you think, Nykkyo. Andra deserves pity more than anything.”

“How much pity can one have for the likes of her?”

Senta's eyes narrowed. “How could you know until you've walked a few kilometres in her sandals?”

“She's an ax'amfin.”

“I won't let you goad me into an argument about Andra.” She eyed him. “Now -- what's the nature of your special project?”

“I'm not at liberty to discuss it.” He picked up his tray and dumped it into the waste reprocessor. “I'm sorry, too, Senta. I've had a stressful day. I'm going to try to get some rest.”

“You're not working on your translation?”

“No, I'm not in the mood. If this project doesn't work out... The journal might be moot.”

Nyk returned to Suki's treatment room. The neural inducer had been removed but she was still unconscious. A feeding tube had been inserted into one of her nostrils. He placed his hand on her forehead, and then he sat near her.

Aahhn walked in. “She's causing quite a stir. Nearly the entire staff has paraded through here to get a glimpse of an Earth woman. I've stressed the importance of keeping knowledge of our ... patient ... confined to the walls of this clinic.”

“How is she?” Nyk asked.

“We've done all the neural induction we can do. Now it's up to her. If she doesn't improve by mid-afternoon, she never will. We're taking periodic brainwave scans. Her coma has lightened significantly since we discontinued induction, and I'll admit, I'm cautiously optimistic.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“I'd like you here when she wakes up. I'm trying to put myself into her position, awakening to an alien environment.”

Nyk nodded. “I'm prepared for that.” He reached, took her hand and stroked her forearm. “Please, Suki, I need you. We all need you.”

Aahhn picked up a handheld vidisplay. “I'll need to file a report on her.” He poked the device's touchscreen. “What kind of report, I don't know. She obviously doesn't have a personal ID code. What's her name?”

“Sukiko,” Nyk replied.

“Is that her given name or surname?”

“It's her given name.”

“What's her surname?”

Nyk looked into Aahhn's eyes. “It's Kyhana.”

The color drained from Aahhn's face. “Now I understand... You're playing with fire, Nyk.”

“I'm trying to extinguish the fire. This woman is destined to bear the child who's the root of my family tree.”

“How do you know that?”

“Senta's done DNA sequencing, and the results are consistent with straight-line ancestry. There's the name, the racial characteristics and the crest. It all points to an inescapable conclusion. Her yet unconceived son is destined to give rise to Koichi Kyhana. If she dies... I don't even want to predict what happens! She must not die. She will not die.” Nyk stroked her raven hair. “I'm guilty of temporal interference. My friendship with her caused this and I must put it right. I don't care what happens to me. She will recover and she will return to Earth and fulfill her destiny, or else we wouldn't be having this delightful conversation.”

Aahhn eyed him. “Out of respect of our friendship, I'll hold off filing this report until she's safely home, assuming she makes it that far.”

Nyk sat beside Suki, holding her hand and stroking her forearm. “She can't feel it,” he heard an attendant say. “Her extremities are numb from the neural induction. Aahhn said you might want this,” she said and handed him a meal package. “I have a nutrient slurry for the patient.” She injected the slurry into the feeding tube. Suki's body jerked, she turned her head, and let out a soft moan. Nyk stood and looked into her face.

“She must've reacted to the sensation of having the slurry introduced into her stomach. I've seen that before.” The attendant left and returned with a large syringe. “This is some cold water.” She attached the syringe to the tube and pressed the plunger. Suki rolled her head to the other side.

Nyk walked around the pallet and stroked her face. He thought he saw movement beneath her eyelids. “Suki? Suki, are you there?”

“Mmmmph,” she said. The attendant stood behind Nyk and placed her hand on his shoulder. Suki lay still and the movement under her eyelids stopped.

“I'll speak to Aahhn about a neural stimulant,” the attendant said and left the treatment room.

The attendant returned with a pair of injectors. “This may be a bit disturbing to watch. The drug must be injected directly into the carotid artery. We have an imaging tech on his way.”

Nyk sat near her, held her hand and stroked her forearm. He saw movement under her eyelids. A technician wheeled in a portable imager.

The attendant and technician shifted her on the pallet so her head extended past the pad, and gently eased her head back to raise her chin. The technician positioned the imaging transducer and turned the screen so the attendant could see.

“Image the right carotid artery,” the attendant said. She removed the guard, exposing the long needle on one of the injectors. She began inserting the needle into Suki's neck.

“Now, the left side... Good.” The technician withdrew the imaging equipment. The attendant turned to Nyk. “Lift her head.”

Nyk put his hands under her head and lifted. The attendant discharged both injectors simultaneously. Suki's eyes opened and rolled back. She gasped. Nyk leaned over her.

She closed her eyes. Nyk looked at the attendant. “What about another dose?”

The attendant shook her head. “Maybe later. Help me slide her down.”

Nyk stroked Suki's hair and kissed her forehead. Her eyes slowly opened again.

“Suki?” he said. He stroked her cheek. Her lips parted and she made soft gasping sounds.

The attendant rushed to his side. “Quick, roll her over! She may be about to vomit!” Nyk assisted her turning Suki onto her side and directed her face downward. The attendant guided the end of the feeding tube.

Nyk walked to the side of the pallet and sat, looking directly into Suki's face. Her eyes closed. He stroked away some hair and looked up. The attendant shook her head.

He looked into Suki's face again. She was blinking. “Suki?” he said. “Suki? Are you there? Is anybody home?” He stroked her hair. “Hi, stranger,” he said.

“Stranger...” she mumbled.

“Suki, it's Nick.”

“...Nick...” Her eyes opened and looked past him. “Nick... Hi, stranger... sleep.” She closed her eyes.

He stroked her hair. “Is this good or bad?” he asked the attendant.

“I don't know.”

She stirred again. “Nick... hold me... hold me...”

Nyk put his arms around her, cradled her head and stroked her hair. She opened her eyes and looked his way. “Nick.”

“Yes, it's Nick,” he said, his eyes filling.

“You came... Can't move...”

“Mi va xi medika ig,” the attendant said and headed for the door.

“Ji. Zi dev Aahhn tien liveni dir,” Nyk replied.

She blinked and squinted. “Nick... What's that language?” She began flexing her fingers. “Hand's asleep.”

Nyk helped her roll onto her back. She touched her face and fingered the feeding tube. “Don't disturb that, for now,” he said.

“...Feel awful ... can't feel legs.”

The attendant returned. “Aahhn vavi liven.”

“Lita lita litu gamben nesent midir't,” Nyk said.

“Litu gambenu senten va tuje xin reven,” the attendant replied.

“The feelings in your legs will return soon,” he told her and squeezed her hand. “Can you see?”

“Can't focus...”

“Can you remember anything?”

She nodded. “I remember it all...” She struggled to swallow. “I remember...”

“It's all right,” he said. “You don't have to tell me now.”

“I want to ... tell you ... I remember... being called to Dr Larson's office... told my services wouldn't be needed for... spring term...” She closed her eyes. “I went to the lab to look for you, but you were gone...”

“I was at the union, waiting for you.”

“Didn't think of that ... went home ... cried ... cried for ... long time ... hit rock bottom ... no money ... no place to go ... no place to live ... water...”

“Lita akwa ard,” Nyk said.

The attendant returned with a tumbler of water and a drinking tube. Nyk slipped the tube between her lips. She took a long sip. “... wondered how many times ... slapped down before ... made up my mind ... wrote a note to you, and Mom ... found a razor blade ... got undressed and sat in the bathtub and cut ...” She felt her wrists. She leaned toward the tumbler and Nyk placed the tube between her lips again. She sipped more and looked up at him. He thought her eyes were beginning to focus.

“I'm beginning to feel my legs ... I felt the warmth of my blood ... flowing over my skin. I was at peace ... closed my eyes ... leaned back ... willed myself to death ... wasn't afraid.” She touched his face. “Then, it happened...”

“What happened?”

“It was an out-of-body experience ... I was floating, at the ceiling ... saw myself in the bathtub ... covered with my own blood.” Tears began to fill her eyes. “I knew it was wrong. I tried to stand, to call 911. I must've passed out. That's the last I remember.” She pinched her cheek. “Am I alive?” She looked around. “Where am I? What's that outfit you're wearing?”

“Suki, you're not in Wisconsin any more. But you're with me and you're with friends. Yes, you're alive. I found you and you were dead or close to it. I brought you to my home, because I thought my people's doctors might help you.”

“Your home? Your people?”

Aahhn walked in and looked at her. “Lita veke es!”

“Ji, lita veke es,” Nyk said.

“What did he say?” Suki asked.

“He said you're awake.”

“Mi niva lita ekzamin.” Aahhn slipped an instrument from a kit hanging from his xarpa. He pressed a transducer to her forehead and looked into her eyes.

“Lita vi trebone fet,” he said. “Litu okulen tre malume es!”

“Xin tre bele es,” Nyk replied.

Aahhn began manipulating a handheld vidisplay.

“Mi va xi psykomedika voka donat. Ky, mi va zi lidiri zipermes.” He smiled and placed his hand on her forehead. “Bon'taka, Sukiko, ky al Floran bon'ven.”

“What is he saying?” she asked. “Where am I? What language is that? I've been hearing it in the back of my mind.”

“He said he's giving the... psychiatrist a call, and he'll leave us alone to talk.”

“Psychiatrist! No, Nick, I don't want to see a psychiatrist.”

“It's routine with an attempted suicide. Please don't worry.” Nyk stroked her face. “That was Dr Kurso Aahhn, a good doctor and a good friend. He also said welcome to Floran.”

“To where?”

“You're on Floran. It's another planet.”

“Another ... planet?”

“That's right -- Floran is in a star system about two hundred lightyears from Earth.”

“Two ... hundred ...