“That goes without saying, sir. I will see to it myself.”
If human females truly understood the power they wield in the verse, I shudder to think of the havoc they would wreak. One thing is certain. I cannot be around my new slave. A strong-willed female is rare and more than enough to entice an honorable warrior such as myself into disgrace. This I will not permit, for I am Tarion of the Hielsrane, son of Silea of the Hielsrane, and I will not debase myself by sexually abusing a slave, even one that I own.
I must keep my attention squarely on the job at hand. We have the cube of chromite, fuel rods, and the human female. That is a good haul.
However, it would be better if the human had a bounty on her head. She’s attractive, has battle marks and is strong-willed. Even if this female is not fertile, she is still human. They are highly coveted as pleasure slaves. By all rights, such a creature should command an astronomical bounty. I ponder out loud, “If she has a bounty it may be even more than the chromite.”
Having triumphed at every turn, there is no reason for the sick feeling slithering in the pit of my stomach. All my normal enthusiasm for collecting a hefty bounty on the human is wane. Something strange is happening to me and I know not what it is.
Taking the only course open to me, I head for the healing unit for a medical scan. Perhaps some microbe escaped from the alien vessel and infected me. That is the most likely explanation for these strange feelings that have come out of nowhere.
Healer Jernok steps forward to meet me the moment I cross the threshold into the medical unit. “Greetings Captain, are you well?”
“When was the last time I visited the medical bay out of curious interest in your work, Jernok?”
Somehow, he manages an amused frown. “That would be never, sir.”
“I do not feel well in the chest and stomach. I require a medical scan.”
Gesturing towards a medical scanner, he asks, “Can you describe your pain, sir?”
Stepping onto the scanner, I hold out my arms, take a wide stance and lift my wings slightly. “It’s not quite pain. More like a squirmy, uncomfortable feeling that wasn’t there before.”
“Have you had a change in diet, cleansing products or anything of that nature?”
“No.”
“When did the feeling begin?”
“It began just moments ago. I decided to see you immediately. The sensation is quite discerning.”
“What were you doing when the sickness started?”
“Just working.”
“Where were you located on the ship?”
“The loading bay.”
“Were there others around?”
“Many crew members were present.”
“Did any of them complain about feeling strange?”
“No, but they weren’t…” I stop speaking, reluctant to admit that I was tormenting a brooder.
“Weren’t what?”
“Nothing.”
Shooting me a confused glance over his shoulder, he frowns. “Exactly what were you doing, captain?”
“I was… processing a… biological acquisition.” I realize my vagueness is not helping him understand my situation. Why I’m doing it is beyond my ability to reason at the moment.
Standing, he walks over to me. “Initiate stasis field.”
A crackling pink electronic field snaps into place. It’s designed to contain biological contaminants.
“Did the crew not follow proper decontamination protocols?”
Huffing out an exasperated breath, I blow a piece of hair out of my face. “I was speaking with a human acquisition when I began to experience the symptoms.”
“Humans aren’t typically thought to be harbingers of virulent diseases. Did he appear to be diseased?”
“She looked fine. However, the horrible creature acted wild and feral. You should look first at diseases with emotional overflow in the form of pure blind fury.”
His shoulders slump in defeat. “What did you do to provoke such a response?”
“Me? I did nothing. The creature was so out-of-control our crew had to drag her off her tiny vessel with catch poles. That reminds me, she spat in my face. The disease is clearly transferred via bodily fluids.”
Rubbing his chin, Healer Jarnok looks over the monitor readings running down both sides of the scanner. “That’s strange. Your medical scans look normal.”
“Fine. Deactivate the stasis field. I wish to return to the bridge.”
Reaching out to his console, his claws fly over the controls. As the stasis field comes down, he muses out loud, “It could be some type of somatoform disorder.”
I perk up. “That sounds deadly.”
“Hardly, it’s when emotional issues manifest themselves as physical symptoms.”
“I don’t follow.”
“Often times when my patients are in distress, I feel great empathy for them. My chest gets tight and I feel a little sick to my stomach. You might have been experiencing something similar. Because you were the instigator of the female’s distress, the negative symptoms you experienced might have been stronger than normal.”
Stepping off the scanner, I shake my head. “That’s the most ridiculous diagnosis rendered by a medical professional in this sector, Jarnok. Since you apparently need to be reminded, I am Tarion of the Hielsrane. I’ve killed more people than most small kingdoms during wartime. To suggest your illustrious captain is having an emotional reaction secondary to processing a weak female slave is absurd. I demand that you set yourself to the task of discovering the origin and proper treatment modalities of my current malady. Preferably, before my condition worsens.”
“Yes, sir. I will do my very best.”
Though the older healer didn’t sound very confident in his ability to analyze my condition, I decided to leave him to it. Walking to the bridge, I begin to think over my options. If our healer fails me completely, we will seek out a planet with advanced medical
