The Quest of the Professor, Part 14

P

rofessor Van Der Built stands in front of two other people, his way forward is a doorway but it is clogged with rubble. He says, “The Evil Emperor Mingingless has proven elusive and very good in the laying of traps.”
         “Professor, can we take a break now?” Doctor Orderly, MD asks.
         The Professor turns to look at him and Miss Vixen Mia Fixins. He has a puzzled look on his face.
         “My leg is still sore from those damn Giant Black Urchin’s and Miss Fixins has a bruise from that Rock Men fight.”
         “Just use your medical kit to ...”
         “Yeah, about that. I am down to three more uses. Each time I use it, it takes longer for it to recharge. Currently, it’s taking 12 minutes to recharge,” Orderly says. “Besides we have been on the move continuously for 3 hours. We really need to take a break, eat, use the bathroom, that sort of thing ...”
         “Oh. Yes, I see. I … you should take a break. Let me just ...” The Professor says then stares at the wall.
         A section of the wall swings. Dr. Orderly limped into it followed by Miss Fixins. The Professor did not follow.
         “Professor, aren’t you com ...” Vix asks.
         “I will be here; return when you are ready,” he says, waving them on.
         They are in a short hallway with tile flooring that ends in an arched doorway with the words “Safe Harbor” across the top. They walk into the doorway and find themselves in a restaurant/bar that opens out into a bazaar.
         “Wow. This is completely unexpected,” Vix says.
         “I see a sign for medical services over there, what say we go there first?” Dr. Orderly begins limping in that direction.
         Miss Fixins follows, looking around as she walks, "There are all kinds of people there selling all kinds of things. Amazing."
         “How may I assist you?” an android asks as Dr. Orderly approaches the Medical services booth.
         “I have been stung on my leg by a Giant Black Urchin.”
         “Oh my. Nasty,” the android comments then asks. “May I know who is your primary?”
         “Primary?” Vix asks then adds. “Oh, you mean Professor Van Der Built.”
         “Thank you,” the android replies then is still for a few seconds.
         “Yes,” the android says. “Dr. Orderly, please step up and use medical scanner 3.” The Android waves Dr. Orderly to a cylindrical machine then turns to Miss Fixins and asks. “And you young lady?”
         “I have a … some pain on my left side.”
         “Medical scanner 4 is open, please use that one.”
         Dr. Orderly steps up to the machine and a voice quietly says, “Privacy shield is up, please remove outer clothing, step up and lay on the scanning bed.”
         An opaque screen comes up around Orderly and the medical scanner cylinder. That machine opens up to reveal a flatbed. Orderly follows the directions and is soon lying on the bed as the top closes. The voice starts talking to Orderly.
         “Welcome to Helbender Medical Scan and Repair unit number 3. Preliminary scans indicate you have a mild toxicity from a non-terrestrial species. It would eventually dissipate but we can remove it now and it is covered by your insurance. There are several minor abrasions and partial tears in various tendons around your left knee and elbow. These are also covered. The mild astigmatism in your left eye can be corrected but vision enhancements beyond basic repair are not covered by the standard insurance.
         “Procedures commencing.”

         Miss Fixins is lying in her medical scanner listening to the voice list off her various ailments.
         “… mild fracture of left side ribs with flesh bruising. This will be corrected. A 5% reduction in hearing on your left side and a 30% reduction on your right has been detected. These are covered by your insurance if they were sustained while on the job. Did you sustain hearing loss on the job?”
         “YES. I mean, yes, yes I did.”
         “We detected a precancerous lesion on your uterus, this will be removed,” the voice says then adds.
         “Procedures commencing.”

         “I feel great!” Miss Fixins says to Dr. Orderly just outside the medical station.
         “Me too,” Dr. Orderly replies then adds. “I got 5 more quick charge meds and 5 slow recharge. Now, I am hungry.”
         They return to the area around the door they came in through, find a small kiosk selling food and drinks.
         “We should eat quickly and get back,” Dr. Orderly says.
         “Agreed.”
         They order, get their food, find an empty table and sit.
         “What is your real name?” Miss Fixins asks.
         “Matt. Matt Poole. Yours?”
         “Jean Lui. Is it me or does the professor seem like a bit of a cold fish?”
         “There is something definitely odd about him. I am assuming he has Asperger’s syndrome. I had a cousin with it and this sort of feels the same.”
         “Ah. I hadn’t thought of that.”
         They finish eating and head back through the doorway; It closes and disappears behind them. The professor is not there but the doorway forward is unblocked. There is debris around the floor but they pick their way through it into the next room.
         The room is long, narrow, and dimly lit. It was also very quiet. They look around, moving slowly deeper into the room. The walls are blank until they get about a quarter of the way in. At that point, there are fluted columns about 6 feet apart with ornate open doorways between them. All the doorways are dark.
         “I should have got a flashlight from the bazaar,” Dr. Orderly says quietly.
         At the halfway point they hear a groan and see ahead a figure prone on the floor. They rush forward and find the Professor sprawled on the ground a large wound in his side.
         Dr. Orderly kneels down next to the man and a black medical bag suddenly appears.
         “I’ll have you fixed up in no time, Professor.”