Sifu Blackirish
SOC-14 1K
Part two of our vignette...
As a last resort, I made a clumsy introduction to a local member of the Yo-Kuska and became a rent-a-medic, able to patch up others who didn't want a public record of their wounds. There were times that I had to stay hidden in one of their 'safe houses' and patch up victims of violence for days on end. What a career choice, for me and them!
Pirates do not care about the quality of their entertainment. I was forced to bring along my own reading material if I wanted to avoid being bored to death. I made extensive searches of available online archives, eventually carrying around a stack of datacards to be scanned while cooling my heels at some isolated location.
Despite my attempts to avoid the subject, cold cells continued to come to the top of my action list. Eventually I had an extensive collection of reference and research works on the subject. One that really piqued my interest was an obscure analysis of Y.A.R. hibernation enhancement.
One wonders about how the Y.A.R. could form an interstellar empire. With their unknown form of FTL travel, they had to spend many weeks in stasis. Being reptiles, they naturally had the ability to hibernate. This was enhanced by an extract of the hormone that allowed their trance to be used at anytime.
I remember when the idea came into my head. I had forgotten my hand reader and cards this last time, and all I had available on a spare memory stick was that obscure research paper. I read it over and over again on a cracked monitor, out of sheer boredom. Then it came to me -- how about doing the same thing here?
There is a planet, near the Ainuu Pack Zone, where a life form exists that is very similar to the Terran skunk. Instead of a noxious spray, this one was odorless -- and induced fear. This gives the creature time to escape. So it occurred to me that I could use something to induce sleep.
Next, I thought about those ultra-low temperatures. I had fragmentary reports, from the Terran pre-spaceflight era, about people who were inadventently lost under icy waters. When rescued, they were gradually warmed, given oxygen and breathing assistance, Many of them survived, some with no after effects at all. Amazing!
Those of you who have experience with cold cells are aware that it is not a very pleasant way to travel. Especially dealing with that silicone gel that gets everywhere. If I did not subject passengers to ultra-low temperatures, there would be no need for the temperature conducting gel or pre freezing drug ingestion to prevent cell damage.
I made lots of notes, but did not think I would do anything with them without access to a research lab. Surprise! I got a chance to test my theories, just a few days later. Instead of a safe house, I had to travel outsystem, to another unknown location. Some unknown pirate mission was a success, with them obtaining whatever cargo or ships they were after, though casualties were horrendous.
Laser burns, hack and slash wounds, shrapnel and lead slugs in the guts. Most of these victims would zero out as soon as they were thawed. Yet it is impossible to operate on frozen patients. Ever try to place neat sutures in a frozen slab of beef? And so, violating my own standards of ethical practice, I experimented on those readily available bodies. I was an involuntary worker, and my test subjects were involuntary as well. Regardless, I did my best to save all their lives.
Putting my time to good use, I gathered experimental data and made adjustments to my theories as I patched together victims of violence. It took a couple of months for me to refine my theories and establish more or less standard procedures. Enough data came from my clandestine work to refine my theory, so that only minor modifications to standard cold cells would be required.
I made up a summary sheet of my modifications and shopped the information around. Too bad I was still 'persona non grata' as far as anyone who cared was concerned. Still on the 'no hire' list three years after the fact? Ridiculous!
Boredom and desperation are a potentially lethal combination. There is still one option I can consider. I could leave Terra altogether, take indentured service with some company as a laborer, and show my skills there in an offworld venue. I was reading the newsnet 'help wanted' ads when I stumbled across a strange ad in the Personals section:
@@
MEN!
ARE YOU SEEKING A CHALLENGE?
ARE YOU SEEKING REAL ADVENTURE?
WE ARE SEEKING PHYSICALLY FIT MEN FOR PERFORMANCE CONTRACTS, TO TAKE PLACE IN AN EXOTIC OFF-WORLD ENVIRONMENT.
INTERESTED? SEND BIOMETRICS AND ACTION HOLOVID TO:
CHIPPENDALE @ CYBERTERRA.OFFWORLD.RECRUIT
@@
That certainly got my attention!
Before I could respond to the ad, I received an announcement of an incoming communication. Having nothing better to do, I watched myself rather than letting my computer stand-in take it. Imagine my surprise when I received a communication from ASK. They were so interested in my new technology they were willing to pay royalties for its exclusive use by them, right now!
It took two months for it to get started, but every two months after that, I received a royalty payment of eD10K! Can you imagine that? No credit problems for the rest of my life!
A timer seemed to go off in my head. I had nothing to lose. I sent them one of my self made exercise videos, with me blindfolded and performing a variety of activities. Evading swinging heavy bags, negotiating an obstacle course, then a short clip of what might be considered 'exotic dancing' by the ladies.
After that, I stayed out of sight. Why go outside, where a stacked crooked deck was being played against me, every time I try to better myself?
"And so, in due time, I ended up here. I willingly allowed my performance contract to be bought, because I knew it was not the end. I would learn patience by saving my royalty payments until I could buy my own contract. With my extra income, I also help some men get better jobs with more reasonable employers. While I learn about how this setup is really run, I lay low. When the time is right..."
"Take over?"
"Of course not. Women are in charge here, it is a fact. No one expects a man to be smart, especially here where he is trapped and caged for his own good. There are some who want to take advantage of us, but that will not last forever. We are getting organized."
#
DEVELOPS COMBINATION LOW TEMPERATURE CHILL TECHNIQUE COMBINED WITH HERBAL GAS MIXTURE (MOTA)
EARLY MODELS STILL USE CHILL COCOON AND MASK, NO BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURE ENHANCEMENT
MOTA GROUND TO FINE POWDER, BURNED, SMOKE INGESTED THROUGH MASK
BODY CHILLED TO 4 DEG C, HEART REGULATED AT 1/MIN, BREATH 2/MIN
FULL BODY VERY LOW FREQUENCY STIMULATION (ALPHA/DELTA) THROUGH COCOON WHILE SLEEPING TO PREVENT BEDSORES
CONSIDER STANDARD LOW BERTHS AS:
PRIMITIVE PROTOTYPE
EARLY FIRST MASS PRODUCTION
ADVANCED FIRST REMODEL
STANDARD BY THE BOOK
As a last resort, I made a clumsy introduction to a local member of the Yo-Kuska and became a rent-a-medic, able to patch up others who didn't want a public record of their wounds. There were times that I had to stay hidden in one of their 'safe houses' and patch up victims of violence for days on end. What a career choice, for me and them!
Pirates do not care about the quality of their entertainment. I was forced to bring along my own reading material if I wanted to avoid being bored to death. I made extensive searches of available online archives, eventually carrying around a stack of datacards to be scanned while cooling my heels at some isolated location.
Despite my attempts to avoid the subject, cold cells continued to come to the top of my action list. Eventually I had an extensive collection of reference and research works on the subject. One that really piqued my interest was an obscure analysis of Y.A.R. hibernation enhancement.
One wonders about how the Y.A.R. could form an interstellar empire. With their unknown form of FTL travel, they had to spend many weeks in stasis. Being reptiles, they naturally had the ability to hibernate. This was enhanced by an extract of the hormone that allowed their trance to be used at anytime.
I remember when the idea came into my head. I had forgotten my hand reader and cards this last time, and all I had available on a spare memory stick was that obscure research paper. I read it over and over again on a cracked monitor, out of sheer boredom. Then it came to me -- how about doing the same thing here?
There is a planet, near the Ainuu Pack Zone, where a life form exists that is very similar to the Terran skunk. Instead of a noxious spray, this one was odorless -- and induced fear. This gives the creature time to escape. So it occurred to me that I could use something to induce sleep.
Next, I thought about those ultra-low temperatures. I had fragmentary reports, from the Terran pre-spaceflight era, about people who were inadventently lost under icy waters. When rescued, they were gradually warmed, given oxygen and breathing assistance, Many of them survived, some with no after effects at all. Amazing!
Those of you who have experience with cold cells are aware that it is not a very pleasant way to travel. Especially dealing with that silicone gel that gets everywhere. If I did not subject passengers to ultra-low temperatures, there would be no need for the temperature conducting gel or pre freezing drug ingestion to prevent cell damage.
I made lots of notes, but did not think I would do anything with them without access to a research lab. Surprise! I got a chance to test my theories, just a few days later. Instead of a safe house, I had to travel outsystem, to another unknown location. Some unknown pirate mission was a success, with them obtaining whatever cargo or ships they were after, though casualties were horrendous.
Laser burns, hack and slash wounds, shrapnel and lead slugs in the guts. Most of these victims would zero out as soon as they were thawed. Yet it is impossible to operate on frozen patients. Ever try to place neat sutures in a frozen slab of beef? And so, violating my own standards of ethical practice, I experimented on those readily available bodies. I was an involuntary worker, and my test subjects were involuntary as well. Regardless, I did my best to save all their lives.
Putting my time to good use, I gathered experimental data and made adjustments to my theories as I patched together victims of violence. It took a couple of months for me to refine my theories and establish more or less standard procedures. Enough data came from my clandestine work to refine my theory, so that only minor modifications to standard cold cells would be required.
I made up a summary sheet of my modifications and shopped the information around. Too bad I was still 'persona non grata' as far as anyone who cared was concerned. Still on the 'no hire' list three years after the fact? Ridiculous!
Boredom and desperation are a potentially lethal combination. There is still one option I can consider. I could leave Terra altogether, take indentured service with some company as a laborer, and show my skills there in an offworld venue. I was reading the newsnet 'help wanted' ads when I stumbled across a strange ad in the Personals section:
@@
MEN!
ARE YOU SEEKING A CHALLENGE?
ARE YOU SEEKING REAL ADVENTURE?
WE ARE SEEKING PHYSICALLY FIT MEN FOR PERFORMANCE CONTRACTS, TO TAKE PLACE IN AN EXOTIC OFF-WORLD ENVIRONMENT.
INTERESTED? SEND BIOMETRICS AND ACTION HOLOVID TO:
CHIPPENDALE @ CYBERTERRA.OFFWORLD.RECRUIT
@@
That certainly got my attention!
Before I could respond to the ad, I received an announcement of an incoming communication. Having nothing better to do, I watched myself rather than letting my computer stand-in take it. Imagine my surprise when I received a communication from ASK. They were so interested in my new technology they were willing to pay royalties for its exclusive use by them, right now!
It took two months for it to get started, but every two months after that, I received a royalty payment of eD10K! Can you imagine that? No credit problems for the rest of my life!
A timer seemed to go off in my head. I had nothing to lose. I sent them one of my self made exercise videos, with me blindfolded and performing a variety of activities. Evading swinging heavy bags, negotiating an obstacle course, then a short clip of what might be considered 'exotic dancing' by the ladies.
After that, I stayed out of sight. Why go outside, where a stacked crooked deck was being played against me, every time I try to better myself?
"And so, in due time, I ended up here. I willingly allowed my performance contract to be bought, because I knew it was not the end. I would learn patience by saving my royalty payments until I could buy my own contract. With my extra income, I also help some men get better jobs with more reasonable employers. While I learn about how this setup is really run, I lay low. When the time is right..."
"Take over?"
"Of course not. Women are in charge here, it is a fact. No one expects a man to be smart, especially here where he is trapped and caged for his own good. There are some who want to take advantage of us, but that will not last forever. We are getting organized."
#
DEVELOPS COMBINATION LOW TEMPERATURE CHILL TECHNIQUE COMBINED WITH HERBAL GAS MIXTURE (MOTA)
EARLY MODELS STILL USE CHILL COCOON AND MASK, NO BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURE ENHANCEMENT
MOTA GROUND TO FINE POWDER, BURNED, SMOKE INGESTED THROUGH MASK
BODY CHILLED TO 4 DEG C, HEART REGULATED AT 1/MIN, BREATH 2/MIN
FULL BODY VERY LOW FREQUENCY STIMULATION (ALPHA/DELTA) THROUGH COCOON WHILE SLEEPING TO PREVENT BEDSORES
CONSIDER STANDARD LOW BERTHS AS:
PRIMITIVE PROTOTYPE
EARLY FIRST MASS PRODUCTION
ADVANCED FIRST REMODEL
STANDARD BY THE BOOK
