“Calm down, please,” Jean put a fatherly hand on her shoulder. “We’ll sort it out. In the end, the man who needed our help is safe now. He has you to thank for that. It was you who urged Doctor Blake to rescue him.” He paused and Lora nodded in agreement. “Please, be a little patient. Although, patience is a virtue you’ve never really possessed,” he smiled.
In the ‘Unity’ building, Lora sat at the desk in her small office and dropped her head on her hands, feeling tired. She had just returned from Misgran after three weeks of constant negotiations, and immediately started preparing to leave again. Titanium and ‘Solar Flotilla’ were getting ready for launch from the Taria’s orbit. The unrest on the planet was constantly growing. The new leader’s aggression left no chance for reconciliation with space travellers. Despite the fact that they had spent more than one Tarian year on the planet’s orbit working closely with the previous government, the new authority wished no further contact with aliens. Lora sighed sadly – it was the first time in her life that they’d had to leave a populated planet so urgently. Before this moment, their ships left other races’ territories of their own free will after their cooperation, technology and resources exchange had exhausted itself. Besides, the citizens of ‘Solar Flotilla’ never forgot that they were only visitors. In search of a new home, they had been examining one planetary system after another. But every time they were ready to settle on a planet, they encountered intelligent life there.
“Hey, what’s the sad face for?” the matte glass office door slid open and she saw Paul in the doorway.
“I’m not sad, just tired. The new Tarian government refused to fulfil some terms and conditions under our agreement…”
“No wonder! They can’t wait for the day they get rid of us!”
“You can say that again.”
Lora’s UCD beeped quietly and a green light of an incoming call flashed.
“This is Doctor Borshchevsky,” Lora explained taking the call, “Yes, doctor, what can I do for you?”
“Good day, Miss Merion! Great news! Our patient, the only one left in the hospital, has regained consciousness! Would you…”
“I’m on my way!” Lora jumped from her seat, her fatigue disappearing instantly.
“I’m waiting for you,” replied the doctor and the green light died.
“What did he say?” asked the captain curiously. The communication device transformed voice messages into a number of electric impulses and transferred them directly to the hearing nerve of the receiver.
“The rescued man has come around!”
“I’m coming with you,” decided Paul in a flash, leaving the premises together with Lora.
“It’s been three weeks since we found out about the civil war on Taria,” noticed the young man on the way to the closest teleport. “You̓ve been working very hard from dusk till dawn ever since. You need some rest.”
“Well, yes,” said Lora. She was still walking very quickly, barely escaping a collision with the passers-by and not being able to tame her growing excitement.
“Did you even hear what I was saying?”
They entered through the teleport glass door.
“Yes?”
“Hello! Please state your destination,” announced the ever-polite voice of the local teleportation programme.
“Central hospital,” answered Paul quickly, still piercing a confused Lora with his stare.
“Thank you,” uttered the electronic voice and the doors closed shut.
