The Travels of Scout Shannon: Books 4-6

Chapter 5

5

Scout vaguely remembered doctor visits when she was a child, but after her parents died and she was left on her own at age ten, those had become a thing of the past.

Until a week ago. Now she had been inside so many examining rooms, medical pods, and other doctor-related spaces she was heartily sick of them.

“Hello, Minato,” said the woman who was already in the room. She looked like a plump grandmother with rosy cheeks and long white hair in a braid wrapped several times around the crown of her head. She smiled at Scout, then at each of the dogs in turn. “Scout Shannon and company. I’m Dr. Schneider, but as we’re all friends here, you can just call me Heidi. I’m all ready for you; this should just take a moment.”

“This is about the thin air?” Scout said as Heidi turned to look at some items ranged out on her counter and compare them to something on the computer tablet in her hands.

“Mostly,” Heidi said, turning back to Scout with an injection gun in her hand. “It’s a bit of a nanite cocktail, but nothing like what they give you on really inhospitable worlds. Part of it is to nudge up your blood’s ability to function in low oxygen. There are also some monitoring nanites to be sure your organs don’t start showing stress from either the low oxygen or more likely the low gravity. But you’re young and healthy; I really wouldn’t worry about it.”

Scout held out her arm and Heidi pushed the sleeve a bit higher on Scout’s bicep before pulling the trigger. Scout felt the pressure, but it was far less painful than the loud crack of the gun made her expect.

“What happens if the monitors detect a problem?” Scout asked. “I have smart glasses, but no implant.”

“The nanites will send an alert to me, and I’ll come find you,” Heidi said, setting down the injection gun and picking up a smaller version of the same. Shadow, who knew what Heidi was after the moment she bent down towards the dogs, scuttled to hide behind Scout. Gert, as usual caught unaware, became dog patient number one with an indignant yelp.

“I’ll reload, you catch the little one,” Heidi said. Scout bent to pick up Shadow, whose attempts at fleeing were only getting both of them hopelessly tangled in his long, fine leash. In the end, he found himself trembling in Scout’s arms as Heidi injected the nanites into his rear flank.

“How long before we feel the effects?” Scout asked.

“This building and most of the transport systems have increased oxygen pumped in, so you won’t have a chance to notice it until you get outside of those systems,” Heidi said. “In most cases, patients don’t feel any different at all. I’ve given you a bit more than usual since I’m told you’ll be leaving the city at some point.”

“I guess I might. The McGillicuddys live in a village part of the time. So, is that it, then?” Scout asked, rolling the sleeve of the floral-printed tunic back down.

“Nearly,” Heidi said, looking over her tablet again. “Your medical records were forwarded by Bo Tajaki, so we know there’s nothing to be worried about there.”

Scout didn’t know what to say to that. She had no idea she even had medical records. But she had been put inside a pod after Shi Jian had nearly choked her to death. Scout supposed, in addition to healing her injury, it had given her a thorough examination. That, or he had accessed the earlier one that had been done on her back on Amatheon Orbiter 1. Or both.

“He even forwarded clothing preferences. Very thoughtful of him,” Heidi said.

“Clothing preferences?”

“You’ll need weighted clothing to help mitigate bone and muscle loss while on this planet,” Heidi said. “We have printers that fabricate them to generic specs, but in your case, they are making them to order even as we speak. The dogs will have weighted vests. Most dogs find those comforting. Wearing the vest feels like a hug.”

Scout’s head was spinning. She suspected Bo Tajaki had sent some money to Schneeheim as well. She doubted she was getting all of this care and attention for free.

“And Minato, how are you doing?” Heidi asked.

“Same old same old,” Minato said with a smile. “It’s actually feeling a bit better since you tweaked the braces. There’s less rubbing.”

“That’s good to hear. We’ll take another look when you’re in next week. You might not believe it, but you are having a growth spurt. You’ll never be as big as your brothers, of course, but you’ll still be a damn sight taller than most survivors of Hachet’s disease.”

“I don’t know why I’d want to be any taller,” Minato said. “It makes my bones ache.”

“Just when they’re growing. Give it a bit of time. It’s good to see you keeping up with the exercise.”

“Yes,” Minato said, fussing with her walking sticks, and Scout sensed she would rather discuss it without Scout and the dogs as an audience. “Well, if you’re done here, I’ll take Scout to the printing station?”

“That’s fine. It was nice to meet you, Scout and . . . dogs. I hope you enjoy your time at Schneeheim.”

“Thanks,” Scout said, not sure that “enjoy” would be the correct word.

Minato led the way back to the hallway and further down, closer to the sounds of voices. There were other people in the hall, a few dressed like medical workers and most looking a little lost, clearly going through processing much like Scout was.

Minato said something, but Scout couldn’t focus on the words. She had the sudden intense feeling of being watched again. She spun around, but no one was there. Just a pair of people walking the other way lost in a whispered conversation. Scout stayed where she was, eyes sweeping over every doorway, every cross hall that might be a place for a spy to duck off into.

It felt different than last time. She had no sense of those blue-gray eyes on her. Was she being watched by someone else this time?

“What is it?” Minato asked.

“Nothing,” Scout at last admitted. “I felt like someone was following us.”

Minato looked down the now-empty hallway. “Well, that wouldn’t be weird. Everyone’s processing ends at the printing station, and it’s just right here.”

Scout glanced the direction that Minato was pointing but turned back to make one last search of the space behind her.

The dogs looked up at her quizzically. Clearly, nothing was setting off their alarm modes. Scout must be overreacting.

But she didn’t think she was.

Scout followed Minato into a long room. A counter ran along the left side of the room, and behind the counter was a wall filled with cubbies, some empty and some containing little piles of folded clothing. The backs of the cubbies opened up onto another room beyond, and Scout could see people working on the other side, setting the clothing into the empty cubbies while massive machines whirred away behind them.

“Here,” Minato said, stepping up to the counter and catching the attention of one of the employees with a wave of her hand. A girl of about their age came over, a polite smile on her face.

“Scout Shannon,” Minato said, pointing back over her shoulder at Scout. “And dogs.”

“Oh yes!” the girl said, looking down at a data display on the counter before turning to find the appropriate cubbies. She came back with two vests for the dogs, one slightly larger than the other, and a veritable mountain of clothing for Scout.

“So much?” Scout said. She could no longer see the girl behind the counter, not through the pile of weighted clothing.

“We had orders,” the girl said. “There’s a bag in here somewhere as well. If you want to take it all over to one of the changing rooms, you can get it all sorted.”

Scout looked around and saw that the right side of the room was all doorways leading into closets with mirrors, a chair, and a counter on the far wall.

“Thanks,” Scout said, somehow getting the entire mountain into her hands and staggering into one of the changing rooms. Minato followed after, awkwardly carrying the dogs’ vests by looping the armholes over her wrists.

The weight must have been agony for her. Scout quickly dumped her load on the counter and ran back to help.

“I’ll wait out here,” Minato said. “I’m just going to poke my head out into the waiting room and see if your friends are here.”

“Thanks,” Scout said and shut the door.

She got the dogs dressed first. Gert was delighted: her vest was a deep blue color and covered with overlapping images of daises. Her tail wagged at a blurring speed as Scout adjusted the straps around her.

Shadow was less pleased, letting Scout know in a series of subtle muscle twitches that weren’t quite jerking his paws out of her hands that he wasn’t pleased with this putting-on-clothes business. His vest was a uniform black and had a matte quality that would likely make him truly invisible when standing in shadows. Normally his white fur glowed ghostly in all but total darkness.

Scout found the bag first and sorted out what she was going to put on and what was going in the bag.

“Hello, Teacher,” she said, summoning her AI as she pulled on a pair of pants that were nearly identical to the ones she had created for herself out of smart clothing back on Bo’s ship, but heavier and warmer because of the weighted cloth.

“Hello, Scout,” Warrior said, appearing out of nowhere to lean against the counter. “How are you finding Schneeheim?”

“Did you know about this clothing thing?” Scout asked.

“We determined your preferences back on Bo’s ship,” Warrior said. “I was interfaced with the ship’s system at the time. Do you find it a breach of privacy?”

“No,” Scout said, realizing she hadn’t really thought about it that way. Perhaps that merited more consideration later. “No, what I meant was, we only designed one outfit. There are like twelve here.”

“The components are designed to mix and match,” Warrior told her. “I would estimate you have more than a hundred unique options for completed outfits with what you have here.”

“But how?”

“Extrapolation from your stated preferences,” Warrior said. “Of course, the longer you interact with me, the better I’ll know you. You do like these clothes, correct?”

Scout pulled a vest with dozens of pockets on over her ribbed turtleneck sweater, then added another warmer shirt over the top. The colors were all browns, blacks, and beiges.

“It’s perfect,” Scout said. “I just wish I had a hat.”

“But there is one, just there,” Warrior said. Scout moved a stack of sweaters into the bag and found a knit cap of bulky gray yarn with flaps to cover her ears.

Not exactly what she was longing for, but she had lost her father’s bush hat. Even if she created a new one just like it, it wouldn’t be the same.

Scout pulled on the knit cap then stuffed the last of the clothes in the overfull bag. She slipped her stockinged feet into sturdy boots lined with warm, soft fur-like fabric and tightened the straps.

Then there was nothing else to do but meet the Torreses. She opened the door and peeked out to find Minato waiting for her.

“All set?” Minato asked.

“Yes, thanks,” Scout said. “I’ve never gone anywhere feeling this prepared for everything that might happen. I even have goggles in this bag.”

“You’ll appreciate those if you get caught out in a storm,” Minato said. “Nothing worse than blinding snow freezing to your eyelashes. Or so I’ve heard. I stick to the tower tops myself.”

Scout slung the bag over her shoulder and grasped both of the dogs’ leashes. The girl behind the counter gave them one last wave and then they were out of the printing station and in the large echoey space filled with benches and throngs of people all waiting for ships to arrive or depart or for friends or family.

Minato guided Scout to a corner of the space where two people were waiting near one of the immense windows looking out over the city. They weren’t enjoying the view, though; their heads were together as they spoke earnestly in hissing whispers, then fell silent as they saw Minato and Scout approaching.

“Hello,” Scout said, moving the leashes to her left hand so she could extend her right one. “I’m Scout Shannon.”

“No time for pleasantries,” John Carlo Torres said, ignoring her outstretched hand in favor of relieving her of her bag.

“We have to run,” Mary Grace Torres told her. “You are in too much danger here.”

Before Scout could say anything at all, not even good-bye to Minato, they each took hold of one of her arms and propelled her through the waiting room crowd, the dogs yapping excitedly as they were dragged along behind.

Scout twisted her head around to catch one last glimpse of Minato leaning on her sticks, the white expanse of cloudy sky over the tower tops of the city behind her.

Then the Torreses pulled her down another corridor, and Scout was lost among strangers.