Pain Management © Selena Thomason
Kate held the medtab to the side of her left wrist and pressed the plunger. She felt the customary pin prick then the rush of euphoria as the meds hit her system and temporarily overwhelmed the chronic pain that had been screaming in her mind for hours.
With a flick of the wrist, Kate pitched the empty tab into the waste receptacle by her desk. It made a satisfying twack as it struck just inside the rim then disappeared into the sea of other trash stowed there. Kate savored the relief of just-taken pharmaceuticals.
For exactly thirty minutes a day, life was good. Very good. The pain was gone. All things seemed possible again. Kate could move unhindered like she had when she was younger, before the crash mangled the parts in her back until they were beyond repair.
Kate knew she should get up and get moving, that she should try to shower and dress before the pain began trickling around the edges of the pharmaceutical wall. But the pull to enjoy the moment was too strong. She chose to look out the window instead.
There wasn't much to see. Just a mostly barren planetoid scarred by constant mining. And the occasional shuttle passing between the surface and the orbiting station that housed all the workers.
Her comm dinged.
"Yes," she replied to accept the call.
Chase's voice crackled through the aging speaker. "Hey, Grumpy Girl. How's it going?"
"Right now, great."
"Good. Drill #37 is giving us trouble again."
"Give me fifteen minutes. I'll be right there."
The comm was silent for a moment. She thought Chase had disconnected, but then his voice sounded again.
"So, Kate... Before the Prax, how was today scoring?"
He asked her this every day. Some days Kate was so tired of complaining that she said the pain was less than usual, even when it wasn't. But this wasn't one of those days.
"It was a ten. Today it was a full-on, never-been-worse ten. I almost didn't make it to dose time." She forced herself to a standing position. "I swear, if I could break the time-lock on those little buggers..."
"I hear ya. Just get down here as fast as you can."
"Will do."
This time there was an audible click signaling that Chase had disconnected. Kate bounded to the shower.
#
Kate enjoyed the quiet of an off-hours shuttle ride. It was one of the many benefits of working an odd schedule. Most of the seats were empty, so Kate chose her preferred spot by the starboard viewport. She noticed that the light from Vega looked yellower than usual but figured it was just waste gases from the mining operation.
Kate shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She thought she could feel the pain scratching at the door of her mind—fingering the doorknob, the lock; then opting for the simpler, sneakier route of sliding under the door. It was only a matter of time before it would find its way back in. Only a matter of time.
"Can you fly this thing any faster?" she called out to the pilot.
#
"There's our expert now." Chase waved Kate over to where a team of miners hovered around Drill #37.
"I still say we're screwed," one of the miners grumbled.
The foreman shot him a look.
"Don't worry, Leo," Kate said to the foreman as she got close enough to recognize him. "Let me have a look."
The miners moved away to give her more room to evaluate the drill's machinery. Chase stayed where he was.
Kate lowered herself slowly to the floor. She shuffled her kneeling position until it wasn't too uncomfortable, then bent down carefully and began inspecting the drill.
"You okay?" Chase whispered as her hands disappeared into the machine.
"Yep. Drugged up and ready to go."
"But your strides are slow and short already, like at the end of the day."
Kate hated that her pain was so obvious. It was just one more way her body betrayed her on a daily basis.
"Has the pain come back?"
She shook her head as she reached deeper into the guts of the machine. "No, not really. It's just... I don't know. It's like I can feel it coming."
"So you're tensing up in anticipation?"
"I don't know." She stopped analyzing the drill and turned her attention to Chase. "I thought you wanted this drill fixed ASAP."
"I do." Chase looked away, glancing over to the miners, most of whom were biding their time playing video games or checking their email. He looked back at Kate. "See those guys over there doing nothing? I'm paying them a lot of money for that loitering." He stood up. "That's why you're here, Hot Shot. So, get it done. I've got other things to deal with." He headed to the door.
"Sure thing, Boss."
Chase waved a hand over his head as he disappeared through the threshold.
#
The drill didn't take long to fix once Kate's fingers discovered the loose pin in the turbine. It had been wobbling around in there, banging into things, mucking up the works. Much like the little pieces of bone rattling around in her spine.
The location of the pieces made surgery too risky. Kate could lose all control of her lower extremities. That was too big a risk even for the possibility of being pain-free. Better to suffer in motion than to suffer in stillness. Surgery could leave her completely useless, not just mostly useless.
Kate tagged her comm. Chase answered.
"Yes," he replied in a clipped tone.
"Drill's fixed."
"Good."
"Got any more jobs for me?"
"Nope. I'll call you if something comes up." Chase clicked off.
Kate turned her attention to the drill and began lowering it into position. As she leaned over the housing, a bright yellow light sprang up the tube, warming her face and momentarily overwhelming her sight. She looked away.
Seconds later, her face felt cool again and she dared to look back into the tube. Only a slight gold shimmer remained.
"Hey, did you see that?" she asked a miner.
"What?"
"There was a bright yellow-gold light coming up from the drill slot."
A couple of the guys laughed. "It's the Prax," one said. "You're seeing things."
"I've been on Praxid for years; it's never given me hallucinations. Besides, I noticed on the way over that the light from Vega was yellower than usual."
"Oh, so now the stars are changing colors too?"
Kate brushed her hands off on the front of her pants. "Never mind. The drill's ready to use again. Let me know if it gives you any more trouble."
"Thanks," one of the miners said. "You're pretty genius for a gimp."
Leo punched the kid in the arm. "What?" the unfamiliar miner replied.
"Say you're sorry," Leo insisted.
"What'd I do?"
"You know what you did wrong. Apologize to Kate or you're off my crew for good."
The kid's face blanched at the thought of losing work. "Hey, lady, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. Honest."
"It's okay. I didn't take offense. I am a gimp. You've got a right to be annoyed about it just like I am." She laid a hand on Leo's shoulder. "Thanks for the thought, though."
"Can't have new guys messing with my tech girl's head, now can I? I got lots of machinery in this shop, and I need you to keep it all working." His face softened into friendly concern. "You gonna rest a while until the next emergency happens? You don't look so good."
"I'm gonna head down to the datastores and do some research until someone needs me. Just give me a buzz if something else breaks."
"Will do." Leo turned back to his crew. "Alright, you loafers, get back to work!"
Kate watched as all the able-bodied workers leapt into action. She wished, not for the first time, that she was still one of them.
#
The library was devoid of people, so Kate had her pick of data stations. She chose the one by the window so she could look out over the dusty grey surface of Beta Ten whenever the computer started running slow, which was often. The light from Vega had risen well over the horizon. Kate couldn't help but notice that the starshine had a more golden tone than usual. Even the barren wasteland of Beta Ten glowed with a sunny light.
Kate shook her head. Maybe she was imagining things. Maybe she was more sleep-deprived than she realized.
She keyed the terminal on and ran her usual search on the latest treatments for her back problem. Nothing new came up. Just the same old studies and trials, none of which exactly matched her situation and none of which looked very promising.
Her curiosity got the better of her and she typed in a new search: "golden light." The computer nearly choked on the multitude of hits. DATHAN, as the techs called the data retrieval software, helpfully suggested that she narrow her search parameters.
"Okay," she replied, knowing full well that the computer couldn't hear her. "Try this." She typed "meaning of golden light."
Several hundred listings appeared on the screen. "Of course," she grumbled and began scanning down the page. The word "healing" caught her eye and she clicked on the entry to open it.
Ancient Markovian lore tells of a golden light that could heal any affliction, no matter how severe. Modern doctors and scientists have been unable to duplicate the effect described in Markovian myth and no new cases have been reported in over a thousand years.
Most modern day Markovians dismiss the stories as superstition, insisting that healing can only be achieved through the science of medicine. But a small group of Markovians, who call themselves the Keepers of the Way, insist that there is meaning in the old traditions, and that the lack of modern instances of healing by the golden light they call Dorobehn does not preclude its effectiveness in the past. One leader of the cult claims that the healings have stopped because the Dorobehn has been imprisoned by the rampant rationalism that gripped Markovian society in its fifteenth century.
Kate's comm sounded. "Yes," she answered.
Chase's voice was weary. "Got another one. Number 83. Can you have a look?"
"On my way."
Kate started to log out of the system, but at the last minute decided to bookmark the page for later use. She looked out over Beta and wondered if the ancient Markovians had been onto something. And if so, what had happened to the Dorobehn they relied on for so long?
#
Kate found the problem with Drill #83 in a matter of minutes, but it was seeing the golden light again that caught her attention.
"Hey, Josie, come over here, would you?"
The lead miner set her hand computer down and knelt next to the drill. "You find another problem?"
"No, I just... Look down into the shaft. Do you notice anything unusual?"
As Josie bent over the drill shaft and peered into its depth, a strand of her curly red hair came loose from its ponytail and fell into her face. She pushed it away. "Huh," she grunted. "Seems kind of bright."
She sat back up and looked around the room. "You think maybe the light is coming through the window and bouncing off that viewscreen?" She followed the trajectory with her eyes, then shook her head. "Nope, the surface isn't that reflective and the angle is all wrong. Still I don't see anywhere else that the light could be coming from. It looks like it's coming from deep inside Beta Ten. Like our mining operation struck through to some light source inside the planet."
"That's crazy, though. Right?"
Josie laughed. "Totally crazy. But I was just saying what it looked like. I wasn't even pretending to say what it actually is. 'Cause I haven't the foggiest." She lowered her voice. "Hey, do you think whatever-it-is is the reason we're having so much trouble with drills breaking down today?"
"I don't know. But no other explanation has presented itself."
"Well, it's something to keep an eye on. But right now, me and my crew gotta get back to work. We were behind schedule to begin with 'cause Mark's out sick. Now we're even further behind." She put her hand on Kate's shoulder. "Thanks for your help. I appreciate it."
Kate stood.
"Hey, did they change your meds?"
"No, why?"
"Well, this late in the day, you usually have trouble getting up from a kneeling position. But you just stood up like it was morning."
Kate thought about it. Josie was right. She hadn't felt a thing. She had wanted to stand up, and then done it. No bracing herself, no slow movements and multiple tries. She just stood up, all at once. "Huh, that's weird."
"Are you feeling okay?"
Kate mentally checked all her internal systems and was surprised by the answer. "Actually I do feel okay. I feel better than I did an hour ago. Not quite as good as when I first took the Praxid this morning. But I feel better after a couple hours, not worse. That's not right."
"Sounds pretty right to me, kid. I'd just run with it if I was you." She raised her voice to get the attention of her crew, "Alright, everyone, back to it."
Kate turned to go.
"Good luck. I hope things keep going in the right direction for you."
"Thanks."
Kate walked back to Central to check in with Chase, but he didn't have anything else for her. So she decided to take a stroll around the station.
Back before the accident she had often taken a turn around the station's track during lunch. It was a scenic route, keeping to the perimeter of the station and passing by all the main observation ports. Kate had walked the whole length of the station before she realized she hadn't been able to do that since before the crash.
Her comm chimed and she tagged it. "Yes?"
"Got more glitches, Hot Shot." Chase's voice sounded more stressed than Kate had ever heard it.
Kate chest constricted. "Glitches, plural ?"
"They're all over the station. I've got twelve drills malfunctioning. It's like a gremlin's gotten in the works." The comm crackled in the pause. "Look, I know it's getting late in the day and you probably feel like crap..."
"Actually—"
"But I really need you on this. Start off at Drill #72, then head to #23. Call me when you're done and I'll give you the next couple. Once I figure out which ones those are. I wish we had about twelve Kate clones right now, 'cause really all of the drills are high priority."
"Take a deep breath, Boss. I'm on my way to #72. We'll get them all up and running."
Kate could hear his long exhale through the comm. "Thanks."
#
The day stretched on until evening and past dinnertime as Kate worked on one malfunctioning drill after another. At every one, she saw the same golden light coming up through the drill tube. As she finished up the last drill, Chase came into the room carrying something wrapped in foil.
"You missed dinner. So I brought you this." He set the package next to her on the floor. "It's from the mess. I wasn't sure what you liked, so I got a little of everything."
"Thanks. That was very thoughtful."
"Well, you've worked almost nine hours straight now. Frankly I can't believe you're still functioning." He sat on the floor next to her. "You really feel okay?"
Kate finished her repairs on the drill, set the tools on the floor, then slid the drill back into its housing. "It's the weirdest thing. It's like every drill I fixed today made my back feel better, not worse. It's been almost twelve hours since my last dose but I feel fine."
"Why do you think that is?"
Kate brushed her hands off and reached for the foil-covered plate. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me."
Kate scanned the food Chase had brought her. It looked delicious, but most of it wasn't finger-food. "You didn't happen to bring silverware, did you?"
"Oh, yeah." He reached into a pocket and pulled out a plastic packet containing flatware and a napkin.
"Thanks."
"Whatever it is. It seems to be working."
Kate scooped up some mashed potatoes and shoved them in her mouth. "You know anything about Markovian mythology?"
"A little bit. It was an interest of mine back in high school."
"Really?"
"Well, this was this cute girl in my Lit class. And she was really into it. So..."
"I see. Have you ever heard of the Dorobehn?"
"Yeah, it was a gold light that had healing properties. What about it?"
"Do you know where it is? I mean what do the myths say? The Dorobehn is on Markova, right? It would have to be."
Chase shrugged. "There is some controversy about that. Most modern day Markovians don't care about the Dorobehn enough to wonder where it is. It would be like asking present-day humans where the Holy Grail is. Most of them wouldn't even know what you were talking about. But there is a small group of Markovians who still believe in such things."
"What do they say?"
"They say that the people's disbelief has caused the Dorobehn to leave Markova, or be removed from the planet—there is some difference of opinion on that point as well. Supposedly, it is hidden somewhere else until needed again. Or believed in again, depending on who you ask."
Kate set down the food and stared at the drill, now safely back in its housing. "I see."
Silence settled on the room, leaving only the hum of the station buzzing softly through the air.
Finally Kate spoke, "I guess I should clear out of here so you can get this drill's crew back to work."
Chase laughed. "Ah, it's too late for that. It'll have to wait until tomorrow."
"Sorry."
"Don't be. I still can't believe you fixed fourteen drills today. I figured we were gonna be at partial output for at least the rest of the week."
"Should I be offended?"
"No. I was just being realistic. I mean, when was the last time you got this much accomplished in one day?"
Kate gazed out the window and found the constellation Squarepants. The first miners on Beta had noticed the square configuration in their new night sky and named it after some cartoon character Kate wasn't familiar with. When she first arrived on Beta Ten, she'd heard the story from some more experienced workers. It had comforted her ever since. A comic constellation made the unfamiliar sky seem more friendly, more like home.
Kate drew herself slowly back to Chase's question. "It's been a long time. Before the crash certainly." She let the air seep out of her mouth before inhaling again. "I don't know what happened today. But I'm grateful."
"Me too. And not just because you kept my people working most of the day."
Kate looked up at her boss and friend, and smiled. "I know. But what happens tomorrow? What if it doesn't happen again? What if everything goes back to normal?" Her head dropped toward her chest and she let out another long breath. "Honestly, I'm not sure I could take it if I had to start all over."
Chase reached a hand to her shoulder. "Well, Markovian lore doesn't say anything about the Dorobehn's healing being temporary. If somehow the Doro got hidden in Beta Ten before Earth took it over and starting mining..."
"That's a big leap of faith."
"What have you got to lose?"
"This pain-free state of being."
Chase shrugged. "You lost that years ago. And without the leap of faith, you'll almost certainly lose it again. So, why not believe? At least if you believe you're cured then you can enjoy it while it lasts."
"I guess so."
"'Don't borrow trouble from tomorrow,' my mom used to say."
"Smart woman."
Chase stood and held out his hand. "Come on, why don't we go dancing to celebrate?"
Kate grabbed his hand. "You're a little crazy, you know that?"
"I know. But come on, Legacy is open and I want to see what you got."
They walked arm-in-arm. "Oh, I've got moves you've never seen."
"I can hardly wait."
#
Kate was so exhausted after a full day of work, followed a night of dancing, that by the time she arrived back at her quarters—well after midnight—she hardly got her shoes off before falling asleep across her still-made bed. The hours until morning passed quietly. Kate drifted in dreams of dancing and being her old self again. It was as if the accident had never happened. She was whole again. Strong and capable, energetic, a force to be reckoned with. Not the disabled, barely functioning object of pity she had become.
Chase twirled her once more on the dance floor, causing the twinkling lights to spin and blur. Kate felt dizzy. But he quickly stilled her, pulling her close, into an embrace. It seemed for a moment that he might kiss her, but then he lowered her into a dip. She looked up at him. She felt safe and happy.
His arm gave way and she was falling to the floor. Chase's smile broke into panic. He reached toward her but she slipped through his grasp and kept falling. He was several feet above her now and getting further away every second. A great chasm had opened in the floor and she'd fallen into it. Kate screamed but no sound came. She reached toward Chase but he was gone.
The air rushed past her as she continued to fall. Kate grabbed around, looking for something to hold onto, something to break her fall. But there was nothing.
Her back found the floor. A crack shattered her hearing. White light flashed, blinding her. Then everything went black. Finally she could hear herself screaming.
She called Chase's name but only echoes answered her. She tried to move. But the pain was unbearable.
Kate heard a beeping noise. It seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. More importantly, it didn't fit.
Kate knew the sound didn't belong, but she couldn't remember what it was. She tried once more to move, to reach out to something she knew was there even though she couldn't see it.
She woke up as her hand hit the alarm clock on her nightstand. Scanning her small quarters, she noticed the yellow light from Vega just beginning to creep through her window.
"Huh," she muttered.
Kate swung her legs to the side of the bed and began to sit up. Pain shot through her body and forced her back into a prone position.
"What the hell?"
She tried again. More gingerly this time. But with the same result. Every time she tried to sit up, intense pain slammed her back down.
She looked around the room, unsure what to do.
The door chimed. Kate assumed it was Chase. After all, who else would it be? She called "open" to let him in, and craned her neck slightly in an effort to face him.
Instead there was someone in a hooded, brown cloak. "How are you feeling today?" the stranger asked as he walked to her bedside.
"Who are you?" Kate reached for the comm on her nightstand. The stretch pained her muscles but she felt more secure once she had the device in her hand.
The figure pushed back his hood, revealing the leathery brown skin and hooked nose of a Markovian. "My name is not important. What is important is what I can offer you."
"How do you even know me?"
"You have recently been in contact with one of our most treasured artifacts. Of course I know you. I have spent my life following the Dorobehn."
"Like a stalker?"
"More like an assistant."
Kate fingered the comm.
"Call for help if you wish. But it is my help you need."
"What do you mean?"
"Yesterday, you had a sample of the Dorobehn's power. I have come to offer you a long-term contract."
"But I thought the Dorobehn's healing wasn't temporary. There's nothing in the stories—"
"Well, of course not! We wouldn't want to advertise that aspect, now would we?"
The Markovian waved a hand as if he didn't care one way or the other. "It's up to you, of course." He moved to the door. "I'll be around for a few days. If you want permanent relief from your pain, I can arrange it."
"How can I get in touch with you?"
"You won't need to. I'll come to you when you're ready."
Kate watched as the strange man disappeared into the hallway. The door closed behind him. She let out the breath she had been holding and contemplated her next move.
The comm buzzed in her hand.
"Yes?"
"How's it going, Party Girl?" Chase's voice was a welcome sound. "Want to get some breakfast?"
"Uh..." Kate didn't know what to say.
"Are you okay? You sound hung-over."
"I... Um." Kate tried again to push herself to a seated position, but the pain was too intense. Heavy, ragged breaths tumbled from her mouth.
"Kate?"
"Um, Boss, I don't think I'm gonna be able to come into work today."
"Not at all?"
"'Fraid so."
"Just take the Prax. Then you'll feel right as rain."
Kate looked across the room to her desk. Even on her worst days she had been able to get that far. Perhaps it was just the knowledge of relief stored in the drawer that propelled her over the gap. But today—the two feet might as well have been two thousand.
"I can't get to it."
"The Praxid?"
"It's in my desk."
"So?"
"I can't get out of bed. Can you come down and get the meds for me?"
The comm was silent for several seconds before Chase replied. "Are you kidding me?"
Tears began to form in Kate's eyes. "I wish I was."
The comm crackled. "I'll be right there."
Kate set the comm down on the bed beside her and looked out the window. Yesterday had been a dream. And now the nightmare had begun. She couldn't help but wonder what the Markovian wanted for a permanent healing. She knew even then that she would pay it. She just hoped she had enough to cover the cost.
#
Kate spent the day in bed. The whole day. For the first—and she hoped, last—time in her life. Chase came by several times to check on her, but it was too humiliating to ask him to help her to the bathroom. So, she commed Josie for that type of assistance. By the time Squarepants could be seen in the night sky, Kate was hoping the strange Markovian would return.
He did.
"Are you ready to deal?" he said, without preamble.
Kate shifted uncomfortably on her bed. "I don't know. I just want to know what the price is for a permanent contract."
The man smiled—an unnerving sight since Markovians have long, sharp teeth. "Ah, not so much."
"I should warn you that I have very little money or other valuables."
"We care not for money or such valuables as you would have."
"What then?"
He sat on the edge of the bed as if he were a visiting friend, concerned for her welfare.
Kate inched away despite the pain.
"You know the third law of thermodynamics, I suppose. The one that says neither matter nor energy can be created or destroyed."
"Actually, that's the first law."
The alien sneered. "To you, perhaps."
"What does it have to do with me?"
"Pain, too, cannot be created or destroyed. Only transferred."
"Transferred? How?"
"Never mind the 'how.' It's the 'who' that's important."
"What do you mean?"
"I can relieve your pain. All you have to do is designate someone to receive it."
"What? I can't do that."
"You could allow me to choose someone. I could even promise to make it someone you don't know, if that will make you more comfortable."
"No, I—"
"Then the pain will remain with you."
"But..."
"It is the only way."
"So, there is no cost then? You don't want any money?"
The Markovian inclined his head toward her. "Well, there is a small transfer fee, just to cover my costs in handling the transaction. You understand."
"How much?"
"Only five hundred of your currency unit."
Kate winced. She had the money. Knowing it was possible only made the choice harder.
Kate glanced out the window at the foreign stars that had become familiar to her. She had been stuck in bed all day, useless, unable to do the most basic of tasks, unable to earn a living or contribute in any way. It was intolerable.
But she also couldn't wish it on anyone else.
The door chimed. "Come in," Kate called.
Chase entered with a female Markovian at his side. The strange man leapt from the edge of the bed and moved to the other side of the room.
"What is going on here?" Chase demanded.
"He was just telling me what I have to do to get a permanent healing from the Dorobehn."
The Markovian woman moved forward, shaking her head. "You mustn't listen to him."
Chase stood between the strange man and Kate. "He's been lying to you. After you told me what happened this morning, I contacted the Markovian embassy." He gestured to the alien woman. "This is Ambassador Yatall."
The woman nodded in response.
"She has explained to me that some Markovians are con men of sorts, preying on unsuspecting people, selling the benefits of the Dorobehn, when they have no right to do so."
"I have every right to do so," the man objected.
Ambassador Yatall addressed him. "You know you don't, Kleppot. The Dorobehn's healing is free to any and all who believe. It cannot be bartered or sold. Or transferred ," she added pointedly.
"Ah, but it can."
"You have no control over the Dorobehn, and you know it." Yatall turned to Kate. "People like Kleppot use a medical device called a kiva to temporarily block or duplicate the sensation of pain." She abruptly turned to Kleppot and threw him to the wall with surprising force. Within moments she had clamped restraints on his hands and was searching the pockets of his robe.
Turning back to Kate and Chase, the ambassador showed them a small electronic device. "The kiva can transmit signals to the target's brain, tricking the person into thinking that they are feeling—or not feeling—pain. At least for a day or so. After that, the target's brain starts to realize the signals are fake and begins to ignore them."
Kate's shoulders slumped in disappointment. "So, the Dorobehn doesn't heal at all."
"No, it heals. But only when and how it chooses. However, I can at least heal you from the pain Kleppot has caused."
She aimed the device at Kate and pressed a button. There was a slight click and the small lights on its side went dark.
"How do you feel?" she asked as she put the kiva into one of her cavernous pockets.
"I..." Kate tried to sit up, slowly and carefully. The intense pain was gone. "I feel fine."
Chase placed a hand on Kate's shoulder and leaned down to meet her face. "Do you really feel okay?"
"Yes, a little sore, but not too bad." She gently moved her legs to the side of the bed and addressed the ambassador. "So, the Dorobehn didn't heal me at all. It was just a ruse, something he made up."
"No, you misunderstand. People like Kleppot follow the Dorobehn around because its presence gives credence to their story."
"So, does the thing heal or not?" Chase snapped at the ambassador.
"It does. Just at a time and place of its own choosing. Often the healing is gradual, so gradual that people don't even look for a supernatural cause." Yatall turned to Kate. "You tell me, do you feel better, worse, or the same as before you starting seeing the light?"
Kate placed her feet on the floor and gripped the edge of the bed with her hands. She stood up slowly and walked to the window. The night sky was black but the stars twinkled with an unusually golden light. Her gaze left the comic constellation that was so popular among the miners and drifted to another configuration: a line of three stars with one star on either side, just a little down from the top, like a person standing straight up and extended his arms to either side. She stretched her arms out in a similar fashion, then drew them together and bent forward to touch her toes. As she pulled herself back up to a standing position, she said, "I feel better. Still a little stiff. But definitely better."
She pointed to the line of stars. "Hey, Chase, does that constellation have a name?"
Chase came to the window. "Which one?"
"The three stars in a line, with one on either side."
"Not that I've heard."
"I think it looks like a person standing up straight and extending her hands."
"Sure does."
"So I suggest that we call it Healed."
He smiled. "Sounds good to me."
Kate turned to the ambassador who had grabbed hold of the con man's cuffs in order to lead him away. "Thank you for your help, Ambassador."
"It is not I who has healed you, I want to be clear about that. The Dorobehn's power is its own. I merely aid it by capturing those who lie about it, and by speaking to truth to those who seek to know it."
"Who should I thank then?"
The alien woman nodded toward the star-filled window. "The Dorobehn's power comes from that which powers the universe. The force has many names." She paused. "I think your people call it 'God.'"
Yatall pushed her prisoner toward the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."
"Of course."
Chase turned to his friend. "So, you feel like dinner and dancing?"
"Maybe just dinner and a little dancing. I don't want to push my luck."
"Good idea."
Kate paused on the threshold. "Hey, let's stop by the chapel. I feel like etiquette dictates a thank you note of some kind."
Chase put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "That it does."
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