"Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I'm not a surgeon either. Why can't you go to your planet and see a doctor there?"
"I'm a wanted male on Klaxis."
"Of course you are," I sigh and rub at the headache setting up shop behind my eyes. "Okay, but before I agree to do this, I’m gonna need to read up about that device stuck in your spine and study Kaul anatomy."
Behtu turns on a large flat screen. Using voice commands, he summons detailed information about the anatomy of his species. As the screen illuminates, intricate holographic diagramsmaterialize, and I get my first look at an otherworldly being’s physiology.
"The ship is connected to the universal network, and the monitor has a translator like the one implanted in your ear. Use voice commands to tell the computer what you want it to show you.”
"Alien internet?" I muse, a million questions race through my mind, but first I need to help Behtu.
He pulls out two counter-height stools and we settle in, studying the anatomy of Behtu’s spine and then the design of the neuroblocker and how it’s inserted at the base of his spine.
I lean in closer, my gaze drinking in the sight of the vertebrae of another being—so similar, yet so vastly different from a human's. The device itself is a meshwork of metal and pulsing lights, intricate and terrifying in its design. I reach out, half expecting to feel the cool touch of metal beneath my fingertips, only to meet empty air.
"Remarkable," I breathe out, my eyes wide as I commit every detail to memory. “This internal imager,” I point to the hologram of the machine projected off the screen, “works just like ultrasound except more high-tech. You wouldn’t, by chance, have one?”
“Right over there.” Behtu points to a sleek machine off to one side of the room.
“What about the surgical instruments I’ll need to extract the device?”
“Everything you need is in this cabinet.” Behtu stands and crosses the room to a sleek, pristine white cabinet. Its surface gleams under the artificial lights, reflecting a sterile aura that hints at its purpose. The cabinet is adorned with rows of numerous drawers, each meticulously labeled in alien script and neatly aligned.
He pulls open several drawers, and a glint of polished steel from within reveals an array of surgical instruments resting in their designated compartments.
“Can you show me how the internal imager works?” I trail after him, a blend of wonder and awe enveloping me. “I’d like to take a look at the device stuck in your spine.”
Behtu rolls the machine over to one of two gurneys. He hops onto one and rolls over onto his stomach. Reaching over, he switches on the imager and hands me a wafer-thin square. “Hover the scanner over the area where you want to look.”
I do and—“This thing is amazing!” I can hardly believe my eyes when a three-dimensional image, better than any X-ray of Behtu’s spine projects onto the machine’s, sleek screen. It reveals the intricate details of his anatomy with astonishing clarity. I see his bones, muscles, tendons, and nerves laid bare beneath his glossy blue skin as if I had performed a surgical incision myself and peered inside. The image highlights the neuroblocker piercing through his spine, showing how the device is embedded between two vertebrae and protruding through to the center where it touches a webbing of nerves.
"So, it looks pretty straightforward like a needle stuck in your back, but it's gonna take two people. I feel confident I can guide the device out, but I’ll need someone to hover the scanner over the area so I can see what I’m doing on the internal imager. I’ll have to go slowly, and you'll need to be asleep when it's done. If you move even a little during the procedure, I’m afraid the device might damage or sever the nerves. That could mean paralysis for you, but I’m no expert.”
The thought of performing such a delicate procedure after only a few hours of studying his anatomy chokes me, the responsibility of Behtu’s outcome in my hands weighs heavily on my shoulders.
"Qhix can help.” Behtu swings his legs over the side and hops off the gurney. “Come on.” He grabs my hand and heads for the command deck. “We’re going to Pryt.”
My pulse thrums like the hum of a spacecraft's engine as I strap into my seat and consider the task ahead. The thought of working in my chosen vocation sends a thrill racing through my veins. It is a siren call to my dormant medical skills, and I can't help but respond with an eagerness that surprises even me.
As we lift off and soar out of the landing dock, fear and excitement build as we break free of Ritk’s fiery atmosphere.
The cockpit's panels cast an ambient glow, illuminating the contours of Behtu's face. His eyes meet mine, their glacial depths holding both the coldness of space and the warmth of distant suns. He's magnificent, terrifyingly so, and I'm caught in the gravity of his presence yet again.
Chapter
Nine
BEHTU
“Well met, Qhix," I say into the comm as we enter the solar system where Pryt orbits.
"Back already?" Qhix drawls. "Thanks for letting someone know you were taking Jules with you. If it weren't for the biometric scanner on my ship, we would still be searching the planet for her."
"That Thrushian cube does have its uses,” I smirk, grabbing every opportunity to tease the male about his prized spacecraft. "I didn’t take her, the female in question stowed away."
“Jules got the stealth on you?” Raucous laughter erupts over the comm. "Finally, the great Behtu has met his match! Wait until I tell Navik, he's sure to have a good laugh."
"Glad to be of amusement, but this isn’t a social call,” I mumble then add. “I need your help.”
