Chapter 19
Kill Switch
HIMS Ultor Sanguinis, Orbit of Erdi
When Dr. Willowbrook said there was two days of recovery and three days of rehab after surgery, Yasuko took that to mean that she would only be in Sickbay for five days. However, mostly for the purposes of monitoring her progress, she remained hospitalized. It wasn't like her room in Sickbay was that much different from the quarters they had given her, but being in Sickbay reminded her too much of her time in the infirmary of Sturla's estate. Those were memories she didn't like dredging up.
Yasuko had pushed herself a little too hard during training today and ended up spraining her ankle. She'd probably be fine by tomorrow, but she would have to take it easy until then. Though she tried to shoo him away, Lowen insisted on lending her his shoulder as she made her way back to her room. She didn't want to go back to Sickbay.
When they got to her room, Lowen let go of her and said, "Here we are."
Much as she wanted to put up a cool front, she clumsily told him, "Yeah, thanks."
Lowen stepped inside and let the door close behind him. What was he up to?
"You plan on stickin' 'round?" she asked. Part of her thought it wouldn't be such a bad idea.
He had a complicated look on his face. Something was up.
"What is it?"
"You... you haven't been told, but you need to know. Your arm... It wasn't given to you without conditions."
Yasuko had a bad feeling, but she tried to play it off.
"Nothin's free," she said. "What's the conditions?"
"You... you have to realize that people, people with enhancements... they can be a real danger. There's a risk of instability. Even if you don't factor in any issues with the enhancements, there are things like combat stress, preexisting psychological conditions... And then there's the fact that you're not a regular Imperial citizen and your loyalty is seen as suspect—"
"Get to the damn point, Lowen," Yasuko said.
Lowen reached behind his head and said, "Feel around here, at the base of your skull." As she was doing that, he said, "You feel that lump?"
"Yeah..."
"That's a miniature explosive device."
"A bomb? They stuck a bomb in me!?"
Panicked, Lowen tried to calm her down, saying, "E-everyone with augments has one! It's SOP! It's not just you!"
"Nobody told me shit about this!"
Instead of retreating further, Lowen actually turned things around and stood his ground.
"Would it have changed your mind?"
That forced Yasuko to stop dead in her tracks.
"No..." she admitted.
There was an awkward silence between them. Eventually, it was Yasuko who spoke up.
"So they can just pop me whenever they feel like it?"
"No, it's only meant as a last resort."
"What's to keep someone from setting these things off?"
"The device only responds to a special coded signal that's virtually uncrackable."
"'Virtually'?"
"Nothing's 100%, but you can be sure that they don't want anyone hijacking the kill switch."
"Who's got their hand on the button?" Yasuko asked.
"I do," Lowen said. "It's usual for the immediate superior to have control and because you're assigned to me..." He paused. "Also... I insisted on it."
"You did?"
"I... I didn't want anyone else to do it."
"So you'd do it?"
"Don't put me in that position, Yasuko."
Yasuko balled up her fists.
"I guess things haven't changed much... Why am I not surprised?"
"Don't say that, Yasuko. We'd never do what the pretender did to you. We should've told you. I should've told you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I didn't know how to go about it, but at this point, I didn't want you to hear it from anyone else."
"'Fraid I might punch a hole in anyone else?"
"No, because it's my responsibility."
"An' you're jus' so goddamned responsible, eh, Herr Leutnant?"
"Come on, Yasuko, stop it."
It wouldn't be accurate to say Yasuko sighed. It was more like a growl or snarl as she vented her frustration.
"Ah, fuck it."
"Yasuko..."
"What? You gonna give me shit 'bout my language again?"
Lowen shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Yasuko."
"Whatever. Beat it, Lowen."
"Yasuko, I..."
"I'm tellin' you to take a hike. You apologizin' won't change shit an' the more you do it, the more it's pissin' me off. Jus' go."
"Alright, Yasuko," Lowen said. "Go easy on that ankle. You can take tomorrow off and recover."
"You don't want me cooped up in here," Yasuko said. "I'll be better off trainin'. I'll be fine."
"I'll see how you're doing in the morning and we'll take it from there," Lowen replied. "Good night, Yasuko."
"Yeah, yeah..."
Lowen opened the door and was about to leave when he stopped and looked back like wanted to say something but thought better of it. That was smart of him because Yasuko was in no mood for it. She wanted to hit something, but any unauthorized act of violence on her part might get them reaching for that damn button. She'd just have to make up for it in tomorrow's training.