Thetis Intergalatic

Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Amid the hectic preparations for that night's gala, Alex decided to schedule an appointment with a medi-unit. With this much chaos, no one would notice her slip in and out of the medical wing.

In an empty treatment room, Alex hopped on to an examination table. The medi-unit, a rounded cylinder on six wheels, about waist height, approached her. Mounted on its top was a computer screen where doctors could directly order the machine – it also took voice and remote orders.

“Appointment for Church, Alexandra, commencing.” A loading screen appeared on the monitor while it looked for her files. Watching it, she toyed with a memory stick in her right palm. Alex couldn't fathom why Henry so disliked these machines – they were efficient and void of human error.

“No patient detected,” it stated once it switched on. “Appointment for Church, Alexan – “

The medi-unit didn't complete it's sentence before Alex jammed a memory stick into a port. The screen glitched for a moment before displaying, “Appointment complete.”

Perhaps void of human error, Alex thought, medi-units weren't capable of avoiding human interference. Several years ago, she'd procured a virus which input fake medical records into a medi-unit. If only computer viruses worked on doctors, she mused.

“Forward results to Doctor Henry Northrop,” she ordered. The medi-unit did not respond with but its loading screen. Within moments, the transaction completed and the machine switched off in the corner. She stepped from the exam table and exited the room.

Perhaps she could leave quickly enough that no one would notice her absence – she turned, upon stepping, to close the door silently. She'd just slipped the memory stick back into her pocket when a voice called behind her.

“Officer Church! Have you finally come for your examination?”

She turned around suddenly, startled at first and seething next. Henry drove up to her, seated in a wheel chair. He fixed the crisp edge of his lab coat as he slowed to a stop in front of her. A clipboard with medical charts was settled on his lap.

Alex smiled, her lips at a wicked point. “I've just had my exam reports forwarded to you.”

“Have you?” he asked, taking up his tablet. “I've told you,” he said, scrolling through his records, “I prefer to not use medi-units. They make all sorts of errors.” His eyes flickered across the screen, presumably at her file.

“How? They have more medical knowledge downloaded onto their drives than you've ever learned.”

He looked up at her, over the edges of his spectacles. “Medical casualties have dropped since the introduction of medi-units because they improve availability. However, casualties due to medical oversights have increased. Didn't you collapse when you arrived on Providence?”

“Well, yes – “

“The medi-unit didn't even check for symptoms of a concussion. Nor did it take the samples I'd like on record in case of future incidents,” he explained. “Quality of care is decreasing, Miss Church; in order to fight it, I must stand at the front lines.”

It was frustratingly ironic that she had to fight a doctor trying to cure her of ailments she couldn't possibly have. The only way to avoid examination would be to explain she was an android, but that would go against the entire point of evading him. Her jaw clenched as she narrowly avoided insulting his mother.

“I've followed protocol to the letter – “

“And as chief medical officer, I am in the position to change protocol,” he riposted. Noting the anger clearly painting her face, he stated, “You can't knock over a man in a wheel chair unless I am drastically underestimating your upper arm strength.” His smile became a sharp reminder that if she didn't start stalling, he'd drag her into an exam room any moment now.