Interstellar Medic: The Long Run by Patrick Chiles

Author:Patrick Chiles [Chiles, Patrick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Science Fiction, Alien Contact, Action & Adventure, Hard Science Fiction
ISBN: 9781982193287
Google: 004C0AEACAAJ
Amazon: B0CGVQ63T1
Publisher: Baen
Published: 2024-03-05T05:00:00+00:00

The rest of my orientation was uneventful, mostly reiterating what Xeelix had showed us in class. The only question I had left was who would be driving the bus. Where I’d come from, we were crewed in pairs and partners would swap driving duties. LifeFlight helicopters were, of course always flown by a qualified pilot with a pair of medics in back, one of them usually a registered nurse. I’d never been interested in that kind of work; I’m too scared of heights.

I’d figured our ride was going to be more like a helo’s, which proved right. Not long after Xeelix finished my orientation, another Gray climbed aboard, this one already in a vacuum suit, carrying the helmet under one arm. Androgynous or not, this one tended toward female by the graceful way she carried herself, with a slight sway of her hips. It was subtle, just enough for another chick to spot, alien or otherwise. She paused to study me; maybe I was the first human she’d encountered.

“Greetings, Melanie Mooney. I am Needa, your pilot.” She turned to Xeelix and they apparently had a private, telepathic exchange which my translators didn’t pick up. Needa finished with a respectful nod and settled in at the pilot’s station. A flick of her hand brought the ship’s control panel to life.

“She was asking if your orientation was complete. It is a necessary condition to check in with central dispatch. I hope you took no offense; you are her first encounter with a human.”

Aha! I’d been right on both counts: female, and first contact. Cool. “Your race is hermaphroditic. How often do individuals settle on a specific gender?”

“It is situational. Often it is driven by the name given at birth. Translated into your English, male names traditionally end in consonants. Female names traditionally end in vowels.”

That wasn’t much different from our traditions, which was interesting. I was starting to develop a real affinity for these little gray guys, and wondered how much else we had in common. “So it comes down to the parent’s preference?”

“It is left over from ancient practices, before we evolved into a form that was more . . . adaptable.”

That held some interesting implications, and made me wonder what humans might be like in another ten or twenty millennia.

“I have informed central dispatch that we are on active status,” Needa said. “We are currently number one for ready alert.”

“Excellent,” Xeelix said. “We will be on the next run, as you would say.”

I was beyond ready to get moving, and began to feel edgy from anticipation. “Awesome.”

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