Back in Omega-15's Rostock Station, the Orca rested from her trip back to the front. The interrogation and 'pat-down' of the lovely Klaw Dya Mueller had revealed a small incision at the nape of her neck and something hard just under the skin. Rage suspected her body had been subjected to the same type of cybernetic invasion that his had. But, aside from getting the homing beacon aboard the Orca, exactly what else was she programmed to do? They had no way of knowing. That is why she had been locked in the spare cabin during the journey back. Better to play it safe. After landing they had marched her down to the station infirmary.
"Yes, she does have something just under her skin there. But I will not remove it without her consent." The middle-aged doctor stated quietly, firmly.
At his elbow was the station chief. "She has really done nothing wrong. Her story about the medallion is just as likely as your suspicions about her."
Rage stared at the girl, arms crossed. "Very well, doc... we'll leave it up to her."
She looked frightened, reached out to grab Sledge's big hand for support. "What do you think?" she asked him, eyes moist.
Sledge shook his head and rubbed her shoulder. "Baby doll, if it were me I'd let him take the thing out. You didn't have a cy implant put in yourself." She shook her head. "Then someone else did. I wouldn't want someone else controlling me..."
"Will..." she turned to the doctor. "Will it hurt? Will I suffer any long term problems?"
"I don't believe so... not from the operation itself. The procedure is quite routine. But if this thing is what we suspect and if there is a fail-safe..."
"...a what?"
"A mechanism to prohibit extraction. It's used in the case of murderers and child molesters. There is a small mechanism in the implant that will kill the patient if extracted."
"What about mine?" Rage interjected.
"You said yours was damaged... by a blow to the neck."
"Yes."
"A lucky blow... probably disabled the mechanism, if there was one... could have just as easily killed you... the blow had to be substantial."
"Yeah, that 'bones' on Leads said so, as I recall." He turned to Klaw Dya. "Sorry. Looks like a crap shoot. Up to you, but I won't let you back on my ship with that thing in you." He turned to Sledge. "Sorry buddy." His gunner nodded absently. He may be the only one but -- dammit -- he was certain she was innocent. This was not fair, not for someone so young! Rage was speaking again now. "Chief, have you gotten any other reports of the Hessians using these God-forsaken things?"
"No," he shook his head adamantly, "this is the first we've heard of it. But we will definitely be on the watch for it now. I will personally file a report today with Bounty Hunter Central Command. If this is a new strategy, you may have just helped stop it before it gets going good."
"Well, that's something at least." The skipper of the Orca shook the station chief's hand and that of the doctor, shot a look -- 'I'm sorry' in his eyes -- at Sledge, and left the infirmary. He didn't like the position he had put his friend in but it couldn't be helped. He was not about to jeopardize the crew for a stray, even one as pretty as this.