Frozen meat...
27 Nov 2020Synthya Wylder
The 2 orderlies from Medical strode into view after exiting 1 of the lifts off to the side of the docks, a couple of the grim tools of their trade in tow, a gurney & a body bag.The one leading called out, "Medical! Who called for Medical?"
The dock supervisor turned his gaze to them. "Over here. We got a ship in, pilot salvaged an old life pod. Intact, & a very old one too." He pointed to where it rested, still dripping from the frost melting.
The pilot had stepped back from inspecting it, & made way for the 2 orderlies.
The lead orderly looked from the supervisor to the pilot. "So, you got anything off the pod, ship name, number..." His voice trailed off as his gaze turned to the pod, & took in its condition, & got a sense of the futility of his query.
The pilot shrugged & answered, "Not much, just what I could make of a name... I think it's the name of the ship, & no numbers or anything, at least, not anything I could find. It's pretty old. I mean, I think, it's really old... & it's pretty scored up too. If there were numbers, I can't see 'em. Might be something inside..." He shuddered, hoping that they weren't going to ask of him the grisly task of fishing about with a corpse inside!
The orderlies could see the expression on the pilot's face, & the 2nd orderly spoke up, "No, no, just pop it open & we'll take it from there."
The dock supervisor & pilot ran their hands over the pod, & finally found the hatch release, & the pilot gave it the customary tug. "Damn it, it's stuck!"
The supervisor stepped over & they both tugged, grunting with the effort, & then with the grating, gritty, dry cracking sound of a mechanism way too long in deep space, it creaked open.
They both almost jumped back, not wanting anything more to do with the morbid task ahead, & yet, torn between that & their curiosity over seeing what a frozen mummy of a body would look like after so long in deep space, remained just close enough to see.
The orderlies donned their masks & gloves, scanned for contaminants & contagions, then in unison stepped forward to grasp the still-frozen body within, & with some effort, managed to drag it out onto the gurney. It had the solidity & stiffness typical of a frozen corpse.
The supervisor & pilot peered over their shoulders. They saw what appeared to be a young woman, red hair still silvered with frost, wearing some sort of grey coverall, with some sort of insignia & a name tag. Her face remained as when the life support had run out, in the gentle repose of sleep. They both backed away with the mixed of emotions of sadness & regret. Even as she was, she must have been quite attractive in life.
The 2 orderlies lifted her up & placed her on the opened body bag, & zipped it up, the sound bringing a sort of finality to the scene.
"All right, that's it. Thanks for your help. We'll take it from here. When Salvage is done with the life pod, have them send anything they find up to Medical. We're gonna have to try to identify her for any next of kin. If there is any next of kin..." The 2 orderlies turned away, the gurney between them, & they headed back they way they'd come.
There was a silence between the 2 old friends for a few moments. It was never easy, seeing someone return like that from The Black, & a grim reminder what could easily happen to any of them.