Liberty's Heirs

Chapter 34

White was the first thing Blion saw when he awakened.  It was a pure white room.  He turned his head and saw floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the luxuriant French countryside thousands of feet below.  A contrail led his eye from the ground to a dot where an Intercontinental Transport Service rocket had just lifted off heading to some distant part of the earth.  A medical robot stood idly in the corner along with an Attendant.

Relief washed over him.  It was so good to be back in civilization.  The air was as warm and clean as the white walls of his room.  Delicious food was just a request away.  He moved his hand to feel his forehead.  Sure enough there was a headband there.

"Welcome back to Paris!" said an unfamiliar voice.  Blion looked over in the direction it came from, opposite the clear as crystal windows.  It came from a rather large and imposing woman of African heritage.

"It's good to be back," said Blion weakly.  There was a strange sensation in the right side of his chest.  Under the covers, he began to feel around instinctively as if to see what was wrong.

"Of course your most serious injuries happened while you were unconscious.  A piece of wood traveled at high velocity through your right abdomen puncturing your lung and causing damage to all the soft tissues in its path.  Two hundred and thirty seven splinters have been removed and we believe that is all of them.  Your brain has been repaired from the oxygen deprivation due to drowning and the ruptured blood vessels have been sealed.  You were kept unconscious for an additional two days while the repair work was done.  It will take the standard two weeks before all your healing is complete.  We also have to correct your malnutrition, suboptimal organ function, and muscle atrophy."

As she spoke, Blion used the headband to confirm what she was saying.  A live feed from the in-bed diagnostics gave him the data.  Despite all Mac Spencer's training, his body had never been abused like it had been on the island.  The lady had neglected to mention all the parasites that had been removed as well as several early stage infections that may or may not have proved dangerous.

"I am Agent Pacna Durand, by the way."

"Pleased to meet you.  I'm Blion."

"Agent Sean Mac Spencer has returned with his meeting with the Council and will be joining us shortly, now that you're awake."

"We're in the City Medical Tower, I presume?"

"Yes, your medical vacikarce took you here after beginning treatment.  The Council has reviewed your memory records..."

"My memory records?" Blion exclaimed.  "I haven't authorized release of my memory records!"  He felt angry and violated.  Headband extractions of memory were only supposed to be released in court and only with the express consent of the owner.

Pacna looked perplexed.  "You are an Agent in training, aren't you?"  She looked irritated and put her arms akimbo.  "Agents have no right to privacy.  You agree to that when you start out."

"First of all, I am an Apprentice Advocate, not an Agent.  Secondly, I never agreed to any such thing."

A video began playing immediately in his head, thanks to Pacna's control of his headband.  "You understand," said the Mac Spencer in the video, "that this won't be a normal apprenticeship.  I'll be monitoring you closely."