“I am Shenti Yisec Eres Ree of Titan,” the monster said. “Take me to your obstetrics wing.”
Even at his most aggressive, Deanna observed, Ree managed to maintain the politeness that the Pahkwa-thanh cherished—that, indeed, they needed as a people to defuse potential conflicts before they became violent. Instead of roaring and threatening the diminutive, scarlet-skinned hospital staffers into assisting him, he addressed them in a level voice and cast his demands as courteous requests—yet made the underlying threat clear with his body language. (“Amazing what one can accomplish with a civil word and a smile,” Ree liked to joke while displaying his alarming array of teeth. Right now, though, he was employing the implied principle in earnest.)
“Think about what you’re doing, Ree,” she said to him as he carried her into the hospital’s maternity ward, the terrorized Lumbuans hastening to make the preparations he’d demanded. She glimpsed other nurses and orderlies carrying newborn Lumbuan babies to safety, something Ree was willing to allow so long as the needs of his own “patient” were met. “You swore an oath to uphold the Prime Directive.”
“I have a higher obligation, Counselor,” he told her. “And your reminder would carry more weight if not for recent events on Droplet.”
“That was unavoidable. This is a wanton violation of noninterference. Why come here? Why not a warp-capable people?”
“The nearest warp-capable species are either nonhumanoid or prone to belligerence. Lumbuans, aside from their size, are similar enough to you for their child-care facilities to be suitable, and unlikely to present any threat to the child. More advanced facilities would have been preferable, but they have the essentials, and we can supplement with Alyssa’s kit and the Horne’s replicator.”
Deanna noted with some satisfaction that the Lumbuan facilities included a birthing chair, which was her preference, although it would be a bit snug for her. However, for the moment, Ree insisted she lie down in one of the ward’s smallish beds and rest. Ogawa moved to her bedside and ran a scan on the baby’s vitals. But her eyes darted to the window as the sound of alien sirens came from outside, drawing nearer. “They’ve called in the police,” she said sotto voce. “I hope they’re as nonviolent as Ree says.”
“That’s what our survey last month suggested. They’re a philosophical people, preferring debate over physical conflict.” Still, Deanna reflected silently, even a normally peaceful species could be dangerous when terrified. And Titanhad not been able to survey this society as thoroughly as she would have liked; Vidra Tabyr, the new Ithenite petty officer from engineering, had been the only one small and humanoid enough to go among the Lumbuans in disguise. Tabyr had done her best, but she had not been trained for the task. Most of what the crew had learned about Lumbu had come from orbital scans, stealth probes, and monitoring of their radio-band communications, which were still in an early, audio-only stage. Deanna took some comfort in their limited telecommunications and crude motor vehicles, hoping that it would minimize the exposure of this culture to the knowledge of alien life—and delay the response of this nation’s military, which was rarely used but currently on high alert due to ongoing tensions with a neighboring state.
“Ree, think about this,” Deanna said when the doctor came back from securing the doors. “Peaceful or not, those police officers out there see us as a threat, and they will do what they feel they must to defend their people. My baby and I are not safe here. You must take us away from here.”
“There is no time. You are too close to term. You could deliver at any time. As for the authorities, I will not allow them to harm the child.” The fierce gleam in his eye intimidated her, and her throat constricted.
But she calmed herself and found her voice again. “If you inflict violence on them, matters will only escalate. Hostage situations rarely work out well for the captors. And they will see me as a captor, as a threat.”
Ree whirled to the Lumbuan ward nurses who cowered in a corner. “You! If you would please tell me what you see here,” he said, pointing to Deanna.
“A…a pregnant giantess?” one of the male nurses managed to say.
The doctor smiled. “Very good. And pray tell, how do your people feel about babies?”
“They…are precious to us. Please, I have a young son at home, he needs me!”
Ree strode closer and spoke in a low growl. “Is this true?”
“Yes! I swear! His mother died last year!”
The Pahkwa-thanh lifted the nurse by his collar and carried him to the exit. “Then go. Make sure the police understand there is an unborn child in this room…and that I will devour anyone who brings the slightest harm to it. Then go to your son and keep him safe.”
He unsealed the door long enough to toss out the nurse. One of the younger female nurses straightened up and said, “I—I have a son too! And two daughters! Just babies!”
Ree’s head whirled to transfix her in his gaze. “You’ve never been pregnant in your life,” he told her after a moment. His head lunged forward, jaws gaping, and Deanna almost screamed. But in a second, it was over—the doctor’s jaws were clamped shut just in front of the nurse’s nose, and her own scream trailed off as she sank to the floor, wetting herself. “Be grateful I need a staff familiar with your equipment,” he told her. “But keep in mind that your value is contingent on your cooperation. I trust my…point…is made?” The nurse nodded, unable to speak. “Very good.” He turned to the other nurses. “Help her clean up, will you, please? This isa hospital.”
Deanna’s fear had triggered a surge of adrenaline, which she chose to use by getting angry; maybe confrontation would help where reason had failed. “This whole situation is ridiculous! Look at yourself, Ree! What do you expect to accomplish here? What kind of caregiver leads an expectant mother into a hostage situation where the people you depend on for help have to be terrorized into compliance? Is this really your idea of how a Pahkwa-thanh male cares for a child?” Alyssa looked at her in shock, subtly shaking her head. But Deanna knew that she was the one person Ree would not harm, so long as the child was still inside her.