Shoshone Station: The Galactic Consortium season 2

Episode Two: To Be or Not To Be #2

Fox and two of his melee guards met the healer, Bankim, on 5 below. Bankim was short and broad with sandy brown short hair. He wore a tight fitting white shirt and white leggings. He had a serious expression.

5 below was eerily quiet. Fox knew he had been here at least once before; he'd toured the entire station. He remembered nothing, because there was nothing distinctive about it. 15 and 14 above housed most of the Consortium population. The Shoshone collective took up the western half of the 15 and 14 below. There were a few offices open on "the ones" 1 above and 1 below.

This level was empty. Lights came on as they walked the halls and their foot steps echoed dully down the long empty halls. Doors appeared at intervals along the route, but most were still sealed shut. Once or twice they glimpsed an empty mall, barren store fronts and empty stands everywhere.

To keep from dwelling on it, Fox said. "So what do we got?"

"One life sign," Bankim said. "It's been wandering around aimlessly for the better part of the day. Got worried and checked neuro kinetics. Very scattered."

"What's that mean?"

"They're confused, possibly hallucinating. I was going to approach them, find out what was going on, but Lavina objected. Reminded me we are supposed to have a security escort if someone's confused," Bankim said. He rolled his shoulders as he said it, a gesture that said he did not see any need for protection.

"I've dealt with mental health cases a time or two," Fox said, trying to placate him. "They can be unpredictable. Probably best to have someone close, just in case."

"They should be around that corner somewhere," Bankim said.

"Do we know who it is?" Fox aimed this at one of his melee privates.

"The data grid identifies them as a Diane," the man replied. "Not much else. They are new from the surface, no history."

The hall lights came on three squares in front of them and shut off as many behind them. Now Fox saw lights coming on further down, along the rimward passage that ringed the level. They hurried forward to meet the person.

Diane was scrawny and dressed in little more than rags, a winter coat with numerous rips and tears, a dirty shirt underneath. Her face was sunken and her eyes hollow. She ran one hand along the wall, muttering to herself as she walked.

Fox would have thought she didn't see them. But just as she passed she turned on Fox. "They said I took it, but I didn't." She turned and kept walking.

"Intrinsic dopamine dis-regulation syndrome," Bankim muttered falling into step behind her. "Uncommon but not rare. But how has she gone so long without treatment? They should have never let it get this bad."

"We have something we call schizophrenia," Fox said as the four of them followed Diane down the hall. "Where people see things, hear voices, stuff like that. We have medicine, but it doesn't always work."

"Diane," he called, moving to catch up to her.

She turned and looked at him.

"My name is Fox. I work for station security. I need to talk to you a minute, please," he said.

He held up his hands in a gesture of peace. She took one look at his metal right arm and shrieked. She raised her hands and charged him.

Melee private Ayia slid past Fox in a heartbeat and caught the women in simple hold, pinning her to the wall. Ayia was thin but ropey and faster than almost any man Fox had met, almost as fast as Nara. He was a Turik and Fox could not begin to pronounce his real name. Even several of the regular consortium officers stumbled over it. "Turik names. Too many damnable vowels," Abhaya said.