Sabian, The Token Yank

PLEASE NOTE: THERE IS AN UPDATE TO THE STORY AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST 13/09/13

About a million years ago, back at the turn of the millennium in fact, there was a program on BBC 2 called 'attachments' (With a lower-case 'A' because: hipsters)  that detailed the lives of six 'New-Media' types and their Internet start-up company 'SeeThru'.  The programme sank after a couple of series, but the high-points included an awful lot of just-post-watershed sex, and a young David Walliams.

The other thing that they did, which was pretty revolutionary at the time, was to created a 'real' copy of the website that was featured in the series.  It was pretty cool really, if you were a geek... Things that they talked about on the show would often appear on the site the next day and there was a Forum where you could post messages.  Kind of a proto-Facebook and it was pretty popular for a couple of years, even after the show had finished.

I was a member, and it used to help me while away the hours whilst I was working as an email-snooper for a large brewing and leisure company.  There were about forty people who used the site regularly, we had intellectuals, people who worked for American Newspapers, boy-racers, Babylon 5 CosPlayers, University students, IT Types, journalists (one of whom particularly enjoyed falling out of trees for some reason),  and a selection of other rum and uncanny people.  We even had our own pet Troll.

We formed a close-knit group of 20-30 somethings who, on very odd occasions would meet up and drink beer, there are pictures that prove this floating around the internet somewhere probably - We used to call these things 'Meat-meets' because they took place in 'meatspace', a term the author William Gibson coined to describe 'real-life' as seen by people who spend a lot of time hidden away in 'Cyber-Space'
In fact, a lot of us are still connected via Facebook - Which is kind of cool.

We all had Nicknames back in the day, some even had a few and used to play different characters, and towards the end it all got a bit 'collaborative writing' based with people having conversations with themselves (as two, or even three, separate characters) and people trying to guess who everyone else was.  It sounds horrid and pretentious, but you have to remember that this was well before Candy Crush Saga or Angry Birds, and back in the olden days, we had to make our own entertainment.

I met a lot of great people, two of which I'd like to have a bit of a talk about.

They were (and still are) a husband and wife who met on the Internet (before it was fashionable - in fact, I think The Sun did an article on them), fell deeply in love and spent their time wandering about the place infecting all around them with love-waves.

They were called Sabian and Pie.

They say opposites attract don't they?  Well, certainly in this case that seems to hold true.  Sabian (or Andy, to people who 'only' know him from MeatSpace) is a big American guy from New Yoike (The State, not the City) and Pie (Celeste) is an incredibly pretty, diminutive girl of East Asian descent.  They live in London, they have kids, and a life and friends and things are great.

Sabian and I were pretty close at the time, to the point where, if the MiniDandy had been born a boy, her/his name would probably have been Sabian.

You know where this is going don't you?

We've all seen films where the pilot climbs into his cockpit and kisses a picture of his wife and kids then tucks it behind the instruments right?  You think to yourself 'He's gonna get shot down in flames...'

Well, I read a post on Facebook on Sunday that said that he had had a massive heart attack and had been rushed into intensive care.  Because he doesn't do things by halves, the doctors decided to put him into a coma, hopefully to help stave off brain damage. they then decided that they would induce Hypothermia to try and lessen the risk even more.

On Monday they dropped his sedation, let him warm to room temperature and tried to wake him up.  He almost managed to open his eyes, but the effort sent his heart rate through the roof.  Luckily his body's self-regulatory system kicked in and managed to bring it back down again, hopefully before it could do any harm.

Currently, he's stable, but suffering from Aspirational Pneumonia and he has a fever, which isn't really helping things.  There's slight movement from his eyelids and pupils.

The hospital are hopefully going to hook him up to an EEG today to see how much damage has been done, if any.

I know there aren't a lot of you who read this that know Andy, but I also know that most of you are good people.

If you get a spare moment today, or tomorrow, or every day for the rest of your life, I'd appreciate it if you could send happy thoughts, or pray, or chant or whatever you feel right doing, to my mate Andy.

This is him, if it helps you to focus - He doesn't look like someone who deserves all this does he?

If you don't want to for whatever reason (and who could blame you? You don't know him) at least think of someone you know, maybe give them a call, and ask if they're OK.

You don't know how much of a difference you'll make.

UPDATED STATUS - 13/09/13

I've just received an update from Andy's wife Celeste - I think it's best if I just copy and paste her words below.

Hi everyone. I've not wanted to put this update up but time isn't going to change what I have share.

I'm afraid, following a CT scan and his condition not improving, that the brain damage that Andy Thomas has is too extensive to recover from. He was without oxygen for about 70 minutes and although he's in hospital, still breathing, the reality is he probably left us last Saturday. The hospital will keep him going for as long as we need to say out goodbyes. His youngest brother Ryan Lawson will be here tomorrow.

I don't know how we're going to get through this, he's my soul and my heart and my everything. The girls just want their daddy back, I just want my Andy. I just want to wake up.

Les Invalides (Pt3)

Look, I know I said that this would be the concluding part... but it's not, that'll probably be tomorrow - Maybe I should take out all of the obvious plagiurism and copywright protected bits and write the story again in an eBook.  That should earn me enough for some bubblegum.

-oOo-

When sat in the operating chair in the middle of the Med-Bay, looking worriedly at the magnetised trays of medical instruments on the walls.

'What does that one do?' He asked, pointing at a curved, spiked blade around fifteen inches long.

The med-construct turned his head around to see where When was pointing, 'That's a Quanari birthing scoop, it holds open the...'

'Ugh... Doesn't matter, what about that one over there?'

'That's a number eight bifurcated Trunquor press, we won't be using that one, your species don't have a Trunquor, well, not one of any great size at least.'

'And that one?' When's voice was slowly rising in pitch and had almost reached the point where only bats could hear him. He pointed at a wickedly pointed lance, that was connected to the wall by a thick cable.

'That's the one I use to give myself high-voltage shocks when no-one's looking, it keeps my pincers steady,' He turned and whispered to the Captain, 'It's not Ma'am, it's an emergency defibrillator for people wearing body armour.'

The Captain shook her head, turned to When and said, 'Look, we won't be needing any instruments, we're just going to give you something that will make you look like you've been poisoned,' She turned to the construct, 'That can be reversed instantly?'

'Yes, in this,' he produced a syringe full of poisonous looking green and orange liquid, 'Is a mix of a weak synthetic Tubocurare and Variola, I can mix in an emetic if you require projectile vom...'

'No, thank you, the mild paralysis and boils should be enough I think.'

'As you wish. I will implant the curative in a capsule in his chest, a brisk blow will trigger it, he will be completely free of the toxin within ten seconds.'

'Excellent,' replied the Captain, 'I'll leave him in your capable hands.'

As the door slid closed behind her, she glanced back to see four of the Med-Construct's arms holding down the Doctor, whilst another waved the syringe, mockingly, around his face.

'Need to get that one's personality looked at when we get back to base,' she thought to herself as she headed back to the bridge.

'Mr Landry, have we heard anything from the Hellingly?'

'No Captain,' Replied the young Communications Officer, 'Nothing since they told us to await further instructions.'

The Captain opened a channel, 'Hellingly, this is the... Tydirium, our crewman seems to have taken a turn for the worse, we respectfully request urgent medical assistance!'

'Please hold,' Replied an obviously synthetic voice. The channel went silent for fifteen or so seconds and then a human voice said,

'This is-a Gianni Eduardo of de Company Medical Corps - What eez eet dju need?'

'One of our crewman seems to have been bitten by an unknown insect, he's come out in boils and he seems to be paralysed from the neck down, we don't have the facilities to diagnose it, we wondered if?..'

'Djess, eet would be simple for us, we haff de top of der range medical equipments, I vill clear it wiz our Ceptain now. Prepare to brink djour man aboard, dockink bay six.'

She smiled as she switched the Intercomm to internal, 'Mr Russ? Prepare an aggie for Doctor When, load the hidden compartments with our standard boarding kit, don't forget the Doctor's chainsword - He'll never forgive you.'

'Aye Captain, I'll meet you in the Med-bay.' Growled Russ, still getting used to speaking around his newly implanted tusks.

'Aye Mr Russ, and can we try to dress a little more like merchantmen this time? No longknives, no siege weaponry, no high-explosive grenades?'

'As you say.' The suddenly dejected marauder replied, in the background the Captain could just hear the sounds of dangerously shaped pieces of metal dropping to the floor.

The Captain turned to the Helmsman, 'Bring us alongside her, extend the docking tube to bay six and keep the engines spun up ready for a quick exit, and for the Gods' sake, try to remember that as far as they know, we're merchantmen!'

In the Med-bay, Russ was assisting the Med-construct place the unmoving Doctor onto the aggie, the already overloaded anti-gravity motors of the floating stretcher groaned as they took his weight.

'Could do with laying off the Suckling Pigs,' He commented.

'His Body Mass Index is well above the recom...' Replied the Med-construct

'Thank you Gentlemen,' Interjected the Captain, striding into the room, 'Can we not speak ill of the almost dead? Let's get him down to the docking bay.'

As they moved through the tube towards the Hellingly, The Captain turned to Russ, 'We're merchantmen remember, but be ready, the signal is me punching When in the chest.'

Russ nodded; As the door opened, they were confronted by six construct guards armed with pain sticks and a remote floating drone, effectively just a set of scanners and a speaker.

'Follow me, we will take you to Dr. Eduardo.' said the drone, turning away from them and moving towards the interrior of the ship.

The Captain and Russ shrugged, and pushed the whining aggie in front of them. As they followed the drone, the construct guards fell into formation, three either side of them. They walked down a number of well lit corridors and finally stopped outside a secure medical unit. The drone sang a short string of modulated beeps and the door opened. The group entered the room and the guards took up defensive positions around its perimeter.

'Zis iz der patient?' Asked Dr Eduardo, pointing at When's prone form on the aggie.

'Yes, he's my First Officer,' Replied the Captain

'He looks very bat,'

'Erm... yes, he's been getting slowly worse over the last few days.'

'Ve vill soon haff him up and about and doink whateffer it is First Officers do!'

'Good... Oh no!... He's going into cardiac arrest!'

'Cardiac? No, my instruments clearly show zat...'

'No! he's dying!' The Captain hammered on When's chest 'Don't leave me, you're the best First Officer I've ever had!'

'But, dear laydee, he iz not haffink a heart atteck!.. Oh!'

Dr Eduardo's exclamation was caused by Russ reaching underneath the aggie, pulling out an Ion Sprayer and de-activating all the guards and the surveillance systems with extreme prejudice. When eased himself upright and took his chainsword from its secret compartment, the boils on his face and hands quickly shrinking, but his head was still fuzzy.

'Where's my crewman you filthy patient molester?' Yelled When, waving his chainsword at the blurred shape in front of him.

'He's over there,' Whispered Russ, turning him to face the Company Doctor.

'Right, yes,' mumbled the Doctor, his vision clearing.

I... I... Don't know vhat... Please... vhat are djou talkink about?'

'You picked up a prisoner at Chandra, she was one of my crew, we want her back.' Explained the Captain.

'Prisoner? I don't know about zer prisoners, I'm an immunologist!'

'Damn!' breathed the Captain and delivered a blow to the side of his head that cleanly knocked him out, 'When, find out where Dorys is, Russ, clear us a route.'

When accessed a nearby computer terminal, 'She's in secure storage, just down the corridor, although we're about to have company.'

Russ grinned and pulled a blaster from the aggie, 'Follow the noise!' He laughed and jumped out into the corridor.