(Photo by Lil artsy)

The medical facilities provided by the Solar King within his royal compound were the best in the core, and therefore the best in the solar system. They were also the least desirable place to find yourself in as a patient. These were not the sort of medical facilities that a person went to when they were just sick or injured. This was the place where enemies of the Solar King were sent. It was where medical research was conducted on unwilling subjects. People told stories of what happened in this place, usually in hushed tones. The necrology lab was just one branch within the medical facility.

Although Chester had worked here for several decades, there were still plenty of places he hadn’t visited. However, his own expertise was not enough to solve the problems he needed to resolve now. That was why he found himself waiting patiently outside the nanotechnologies lab.

“Hello,” he said into the door comm, “sorry I didn’t contact you before coming over, but do you have a minute?”

He stepped back, knowing his credentials would be getting scanned soon. A moment later the door to the lab opened and a woman who appeared to be a few years older than Chester stepped out. Of course, a person’s apparent age was something they could change almost at will with genetic repairs so it was anyone’s guess as to who was the older of the two.

“Been a while since I’ve met any of you necros,” she said with a hint of curiosity and then held out her hand to keep Chester from trying to enter the lab. “Name’s H’lay, head of nanotech. What do you need?”

The way that she closed the door behind herself, thus keeping Chester out of the lab and unable to see anything that they were working on was not lost on him. They might all be on the same side, but that didn’t mean everyone trusted everyone else. He probably would have done the same to her had their roles been swapped.

“I was hoping you could tell me a bit about this device,” Chester said, offering her Smythe’s neural implant.

It was no bigger than the nail on his pinky finger and only a little thicker. H’lay took the implant and turned it over a couple times. There wasn’t much that anyone could discern by such a basic visual examination, or so Chester thought until he noticed how H’lay’s eyes began to shift. The color of her eyes slid back and away across her sclera to reveal an array of clearly non-organic sensors. That wasn’t the most surprising thing she did, however. As he was distracted by her eyes he failed to notice right away that her left hand had split in two, between her middle fingers. A series of minute tools and instruments were revealed in the gap.

“Neural connectors,” she muttered, “Ionized outputs but no inputs.”

The device began to be disassembled in her hands as the small tools carefully pulled it apart.

“High frequency emitters, they look tuned to a few specific frequencies, all above normal hearing range.”

She studied it for a few more minutes before reassembling it and handing it back to Chester.

“It’s a pretty sophisticated implant,” she said at last. “It’s powered by the natural electrical impulses in the brain. There’s a series of capacitors that build up the charge needed to activate the frequency emitters. High frequency and high amplitude, like a sonic cleaner. It wouldn’t hurt the brain, but could probably mess with a number of other things someone might put into their head. Judging by the fact that you necros are interested in it, I’m guessing it interferes with your work.”

“Thank you, H’lay,” Chester nodded. “Could you specify which frequencies this emits?”

“I’ll have the full list sent to your lab,” she said.

“Good, and thank you again.”

Chester turned to leave when H’lay caught his arm.

“You know,” she said, “I’ve often wondered how you all do what you do.”

Chester raised an eyebrow to her but nothing more.

“I was thinking just the other day that we might benefit from a bit of information sharing.”

“How’s that?” Chester asked.

This was quite a bit out of the ordinary and with Chester already being on edge he was expecting this to be some sort of trap. Although, he couldn’t think of any reasons to support his paranoia other than this strange breech in protocol.

“What does nanotech need from necrology?” Chester asked.

“We recently got tasked with converting nanotechnology to into bio-technology.”

“I thought that was already your focus.” Chester gestured at her hand and eyes.

H’lay shrugged.

“We do a lot of things,” she said, “but it’s our bio-tech that the Solar King has been more impressed with. I suspect he has a different team that will take over the other areas we were researching.”

“That doesn’t answer my question, though,” Chester pointed out.

“And we’re standing in an unsecured location,” she replied. “Anyone could be listening.”

Chester didn’t like the look she was giving him. It was too understanding. Too knowing. He looked around and didn’t see anyone, but then again…

“Nanotechnology,” he said. It slipped out without him meaning to say it.

“So small no one can see it,” H’lay said. “In most cases, anyway,” she added as small seams opened briefly all along every part of her that was exposed.

“The Solar King has you listening for him?” Chester asked, acutely aware of every unguarded conversation he’d ever had, every little whisper he’d spoken to himself while walking alone.

“Not us,” H’lay said. “We just make him things and he decides who gets to use them.”

She half turned and the door into her lab opened just enough that Chester could see a single workbench. He didn’t recognize any of the tools but there was a screen displaying a solitary figure walking through the Solar King’s gardens. It only took Chester a moment before he recognized himself on the screen.

“I thought you said –

“Please,” H’lay interrupted, “this is not a conversation for such a public place.”

Again she motioned for Chester to come into the lab with her.

“Do I have a choice?” Chester asked, already bracing himself for a fight.

“As much as any of us do,” H’lay said.

At that point, Chester’s three guard drones stepped out of their concealed positions and came to stand beside him. From the look on H’lay’s face, she hadn’t been expecting them. It was a small comfort to Chester to know that H’lay wasn’t aware of everything going on around the royal compound.

“I see,” H’lay said, backing up slightly and pulling the lab door shut once again.

Chester hadn’t planned any of this, really. He just had the three security drones stand out of sight since he didn’t want to alarm anyone in the nanotechnologies lab by bringing them. Now, he was glad his mild concern had paid off, even if it wasn’t in the way he’d been thinking.

“Perhaps we could meet in a more neutral location?” H’lay said.

“The Solar King’s throne room?” Chester suggested.

“That’s hardly neutral,” H’lay said with a frown.

“Maybe, but it’s secure.”

She hesitated but Chester knew there weren’t any truly neutral places where they could meet.

“Fine, but it’ll have to be tomorrow.”

“I look forward to it,” Chester said, only partly meaning it.

There was an awkward silence between them until H’lay finally turned and went back into her lab. Chester allowed himself another moment to steady his pulse and then began making his way back to the necrology lab. It was still being repaired but there wasn’t anywhere else he could think of going in that moment. He just needed a few minutes to think. Someplace safe.

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