E:A Vol 1 Ch 2 — February 10, 2115

“I’ve got the test results from Sergeant Reese’s blood work,” Victoria said as she walked into Dr. McKenna’s office.

“Anything?” the Chief Medical Officer asked in his Scottish accent.

“Nothing. Doesn’t look like he got infected from that Jarbus plague. You having any luck with finding a treatment?”

Becket sat back down and rubbed his eyes. “Working on it. I could use your help if you don’t mind not going off-world for a few days.”

“Love to,” she smiled, “but you have to convince Col. Hagen.”

“I will; shouldn’t be an issue. My samples are set up in the lab if you could take a look now while I go talk to John.”

“And maybe you should take a few hours off and get some sleep. You look beat,” Victoria said as she headed for the lab. “If you get me out of off-world duty for a week, I’ll fix you dinner,” she said over her shoulder.

“Nap has to wait, but you gotta deal for dinner.”

***

Later that evening, Victoria and Becket enjoyed a quiet dinner, a luxury in the military base that had only been established a year earlier. Only the two main glass towers were inhabited, and most people ate at what had been set up as a mess hall. Very few of the personal chambers were more than a bed and bath. Victoria had a small kitchenette since she enjoyed cooking as a way to relax. And she enjoyed Becket’s company.

The two of them were the senior doctors on staff. Both were highly skilled, and both had several areas of specialization, as did most of the command staff. Only the best of the best were been selected to make the first venture into a new galaxy.

Becket was not only a skilled M.D. and surgeon, he had also been one of Earth’s top genetic engineers before joining Expedition: Andromeda. Victoria held the same credentials, though she specialized more in genetic research instead of engineering. Both of them went through a six-month training program along with the initial landing party. Though Earth’s space program and technology had jumped by leaps and bounds, that had nothing to do with how they got to Andromeda. It was the discovery of a “bridge” that linked Earth in the Milky Way to the Terra 2 city in the Andromeda galaxy.

The Expedition’s first trip out of the city and onto a different planet resulted in their first encounter with a Nix gathering. Six of the twenty team members sent were killed, two by Nix who fed upon them, the others caught in the crossfire of the villagers and the attacking Gyhan rebels. After talking with the villagers and learning about the rebellion and the Nix, Becket and Victoria, along with their small medical staff had to get the infirmary up and running in short order. They also realized that they were far understaffed if the Expedition found more codes to use to explore more planets.

Setting up the infirmary, trauma center, burn unit, and operating rooms, as well as their research lab meant Victoria and Becket spent long hours together, making their first three months on Terra 2 a major testing ground for their working relationship. They passed with flying colors despite the stress and pressure. They could pick up each other’s work without explanation, and would switch around hours to accommodate each other if hours and emergencies seemed to dominate one’s schedule more than the other’s. They relied heavily on each other those first few months, but as their first year in the new galaxy came to a close, things had settled down to more of a routine. Two more additional doctors brought the total to seven, plus and a handful of nurses and other medical personnel were brought on to help ease the workload even more. All of the medical facilities were now fully functioning, and the staff was as organized and committed to their jobs as anyone could hope for.

General Cavanaugh even mentioned that his medical staff was the best combat medical team he’d ever seen. To which Becket replied that they were supposed to be a research team, not a combat medical unit. Though as their second year began, Becket and Victoria were able to spend more time doing research, but still not as much as either had hoped.

“This is amazing,” Becket said after a bite of his lasagna. “Why can’t our cooks whip stuff like this up for us?”

“We need more trips to Earth to get good ingredients. And considering they’re as short staffed as we are, and have to feed three hundred of us, they do a pretty good job.”

“Since fresh ingredients don’t seem to be in the budget,” Becket sighed, “I hope the botany and agricultural teams get that little farm on the mainland to actually produce something this year.”

“That would be wonderful,” Victoria smiled. “And not to change the subject, but I’m going to, have you noticed that it seems like the number of gatherings have increased since we first came here? I mean, well, we’ve only been to a dozen or so planets, and there aren’t many villages that we’ve been able to reach, but it seems like they’re constantly being gathered. It’s not like these are huge cities with vast populations, they’re small, rural little…well, villages. At this rate, between the Nix and the Gyhan rebels, entire populations are going to be wiped out if we can’t find a way to stop this nonsense. But to be fair, most of the injuries we end up tending to are caused by the Gyhan, not the Nix.”

“Everyone’s noticed. Vince said he’s going to have Be’atta and Kaven ask around to try and find out why there seems to be an increase. And to your point, the Nix usually don’t leave injured behind. They leave dead and take others with them. Anyway, Be’atta and Kaven should be able to find something out with their contacts.”

“Probably not a good time for me to be taking time off from the team then if Vince is wanting to send out the Alpha Team more frequently for this.”

“Actually, it’s the perfect time. They’re moving Kaven to the team for the week you’re out. With two Andromeda natives going out daily with Alpha, they should find out if this increase is galaxy-wide or just happening on the few planets we’ve visited so far.”

“They still might need a doctor.”

“He’ll probably send Jim or Sasha with them. Besides, I need your help on finding a cure for this plague on Jarbus.”

She put down her fork and pushed her brown curls behind an ear, “How far do you think the Nix can send their telepathic thoughts?”

“I don’t know. We hardly know anything about their physiology let alone their mental abilities. Why?”

Victoria sighed, “I still can’t get him out of my head. It’s been a month and he’s all I can see in my mind. Those eyes.”

Becket reached across the small table and squeezed her hand. “We can head back to the infirmary and I can run more scans. Check your brain again. Though I don’t think I’m going to find anything since we didn’t find anything the first time through, but if it’ll ease your mind, we can check again.”

“I’m sorry to be such a bother. I know you need me focused on research…but all I can’t think about are those eyes…him. It’s starting to drive me a little crazy. I’m fine. I don’t want to go through any scans tonight.”

“You’re not a bother. I need my best doctor in top form. Let’s do a few more scans tomorrow. Meanwhile, I need you to consider the fact that you’ve experienced something very traumatic. If I’d been through what you had, that incident would be foremost in my mind too. You thought you were going to die, first from the Gyhan, then from the Nix. That had to be terrifying. Dear, it was a trauma; your mind is simply trying to deal with it. Give it time.”

“I’m trying,” she said as she attempted a smile.

“Well, I’ll do all I can from a medical standpoint, but you might think of spending a little time with Jennifer Maison. Talking to her might help you work through everything.”

February 25, 2115

“I hear that you and Dr. McKenna finally came up with a cure for that plague on Jarbus,” said Jennifer Maison, the expedition’s psychiatrist.

Victoria smiled, “We did. Inoculations started today.”

“And yet you’re here. I would’ve expected you to be out on the frontline, so to speak.”

“I wanted to go, but Col. Hagen wanted me to stay here. They need at least one of their senior medical doctors in the infirmary.”

“Makes sense. So, how’s this week been? Have those thoughts about the Nix still been ebbing?”

“Well…things were better, but now that we’re done with the research for this plague, I seem to be preoccupied again. I just can’t get past the fact that he healed me. Be’atta and Kaven have both said that’s never happened before. A Nix has never healed a human. They didn’t even know it was possible. I’d like to know why I was healed, and how. Can you imagine how that kind of…gift…could be used in my field? The number of lives that could be saved! Can they cure cancer? Can they cure the common cold? Do they ever get sick themselves? Can they repair damaged bones or just tissue? What about something like Alzheimer’s?”

Jennifer leaned forward, “I know you want answers, and from what Dr. McKenna said, you thrive on finding answers to problems. But you may never find out why you were spared, or the answers to all of your questions. There are three, four million Nix in this galaxy and you may never run into this one again. That probably isn’t even the total number of Nix out there. Just the guess from what we’ve extrapolated from what we’ve learned from the villages we’ve been to. Anyway, from our encounters with every other Nix, I doubt they’d be willing to sit and have a talk with you.” Whe leaned over a put a hand on Victoria’s. “Take it a day at a time. Try to stay focused on the task at hand. Find another project to get involved in to take your mind off of this one particular Nix. But…” she smiled, “from a medical standpoint, it would be nice if we could cure people with a touch. Maybe by healing you, you’re being sent down a path to find out how it can be done. Just try not to become obsessed with it.”

Victoria let out a long sigh. “Easier said than done. Somehow I’ll figure out how they can do it, but I promise to try and not go crazy over it,” she said then let out a little laugh, “Besides, if I can’t figure it out, I know Becket can. That man is brilliant.”

Jennifer returned her smile as she sat back in her chair. “Far too young to be a Chief Medical Officer. You too, as his second in command. Barely 33. Both of you.”

“He’s got me beat, hands down. Five doctorates. Would have completed his sixth if he hadn’t been asked to head up the med team here.”

“And he’s one of the most humble people I’ve ever met,” Jennifer said. “Always has a kind word to say about everyone. Sweet, personable, funny. It’s no wonder all of the ladies in our little expedition have their eyes on him.”

“It would appear that perhaps you might have a crush on the good doctor yourself,” Victoria grinned.

“I’m far too old. Now if I were twenty years younger, perhaps. You know there are rumors about the two of you…”

“No.”

Victoria’s quick and direct reply shocked Dr. Maison. “I’m sorry, but it seems like the two of you get along quite well and…”

“Oh, we do. But…” Victoria sighed, “I don’t want a relationship. Nothing against Becket, he would be a great catch, I just don’t want to be involved with anyone…ever.”

“We have some time left, would you like to talk about this?”

Victoria shook her head. “No. Maybe someday, but not today.”

“All right. But you know you can talk to me about anything, Victoria. I’m here to help you in any way I can.”

“Thanks, but this one…better left behind me.”

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