The Unexpected Guest - Part 2
Last week a body was discovered... What will we find this week in our second instalment of Allen Stroud's short story 'The Unexpected Guest'
A dead body.
The man’s hands dangle from the back of the ship. His head hangs lifeless, face away from me. He has dark hair, with hints of grey.
“Saul, I need you to stay where you are. A medical team is en-route. They’ll be with you in seventy-five seconds. Whatever you do, don’t touch him. You can’t help.”
“Can I least put the crate down?” I ask.
“If you do, the transport may activate and head to dispatch. We need all the evidence in one place. Saul, please, just stay exactly where you are. “
“Okay.” There’s nothing to do but wait and stare at the dead guy.
Who is he?
Who was he?
I’ve been a station dock worker for thirty years. You hear on the stories about things being found in freight. Most of them aren’t true, but everyone has a tale. This is the first time I’ve found a dead body.
The medical drone scuttles into view, an Achilles design, with four spider-like legs and two extendable arms. Someone back at Control will be piloting it. There’s a hopper on the back, with some sort of Remlok suspension system attached. It grabs the body and bundles it over its shoulder. The Remlok envelopes him, stretching to fit over his whole body. The computer inside will be analysing the body for life signs and triggering a laboratory of stimulants to get a response.
Good luck with that.
“Okay Saul, the medi-drone is clear. Can you put the cargo container back where you found it please then make your way back here for debrief.”
“Sure, understood. On my way.”
