Lacuna: The Sands of Karathi by David Adams Read Free Book Online Page A

radio crackled.
    “Captain Liao, it’s Doctor Saeed.”
    Liao reached down and pressed the talk key. “Liao here, go ahead. How can I help you, Doctor?”
    His tone was lighthearted, and he sounded pleased with himself. “Lieutenant Xia Jiang has awoken from her coma, Captain. She’s asking to see you.”
    Grinning widely, the Chinese woman tapped the talk key. “Copy that, Doctor. Some good news at last. I’ll be up in a moment.”
    Giving Kamal a firm nod, Liao stood and made her way to the stern of the ship.
----
    Infirmary
    TFR Beijing
     
     
    Crossing the threshold from corridor to room, Liao stepped towards the long term care section of the ship’s medical bay. A small crowd had gathered around the section holding Lieutenant Jiang, who sat–pale faced and gaunt, but smiling–propped up in her bed, small flowers from visiting crewmen around her. They were arranged in all manner of styles: resting inside plastic vases, arranged inside bouquets, or simply laid on any flat surface available.
    The flowers meant more on the ship than they would on Earth. The Beijing had very limited capability to produce fresh greenery and a much smaller allowance for nonessentials like flowers; they would have been imported at vast expense from the surface via a medium-lift rocket along with other supplies. A single bunch of those flowers may have cost a month’s wages, or more.
    The murmur of voices subsided as Liao approached, the crowd parting to let her through.
    “Well, look who decided to finally stop sleeping all the damn time.” Liao gave Jiang a warm smile, reaching down and patting her foot through the blankets. “Welcome back, Lieutenant. We’re glad you decided to wake up.”
    “Wasn’t done with the party yet, Captain.” Jiang’s voice was quiet and groggy, her chest still heavily bandaged. Machinery beeped and chirped beside her, and an intravenous drip gave her fluids. Despite her attempt at bravado, to Liao she still looked sickly and frail. “Even if I have been busted napping on the job.”
    “Don’t worry,” Liao said. “I think we can come to some kind of arrangement regarding your missed hours. And we saved plenty of booze for you.”
    A low chuckle from the crewmen greeted her remark.
    Jiang tilted her head to one side. “So we got ‘em, huh?”
    Liao nodded, giving a wide grin. “In no small part due to your efforts, although we should really be thanking Summer for taking out the last of the boarders. She finally got to drop the Bond one-liner she was talking about for months.”
    Jiang smiled weakly. “She must be happy.”
    Liao did not have the heart to explain Summer’s mood to Jiang at the moment, so she opted to say nothing. In the corner of her vision she could see the others nearby adopting slightly awkward, uncomfortable posture.
    “I wouldn’t know. I’ve probably been keeping her too busy to be happy.” She patted Jiang’s foot again. “Anyway, I think you’ve had enough excitement for today. You’ve got a lot of paperwork to catch up on, and aside from that you need to rest. We’re going to need you at full strength very soon.”
    There was a titter amongst the crew, who all stared at Liao expectantly. No announcement, formal or otherwise, had been made regarding their plans once the last of the repairs were complete. With the most immediate disasters taken care of, she imagined the majority of the crew would be looking towards the horizon—to their next goal. The next mission. She aimed not to disappoint.
    Jiang tilted her head. “我不相信它。We’re going someplace already, Captain?”
    English only, you know the rules, came the tiny voice in the back of Liao’s mind, but she put that aside. She’d permit a little gratuitous Chinese for crewmembers who had nearly died in the line of service.
    “Something like that, yes. Once the repairs have been completed, we have a mission.”
    Jiang’s voice held a mixture of excitement and trepidation. “We’re going