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"Salt Lake Station in sight, Captain," said the helmsman on the bridge of diplomatic yacht carrying the Med Force Enterprise delegation to the station.
"Very good," replied Commander Schmidt. She then contacted the station.
"Salt Lake Station, this is Commander Nichole Schmidt of the Ambassador's Arc of Med Force Enterprises requesting docking clearance aboard station," she commed.
"Roger, Commander, you have clearance to dock. Mooring pad two is ready," replied the voice.
"Affirmative, Salt Lake, mooring pad two. We will see you station side," she replied as she sat in her seat.
"Helmsman, take us in," she told him.
"Yes, Ma'am," he replied, doing as she instructed.
In his quarters, John Holliday himself was making sure his old robes of diplomacy were still in good order. Standing before a mirror, he looked himself over once and then twice before calling over his right hand, Dr. Jill Xi, to check him. It was a rarity that they travelled together for a mission but this one had a lot of importance. A joint venture with Cryer Pharmaceuticals was something they long sought and it would be a huge boost to both groups.
He spoke with Jill as the docking sequence began. "Thank you for joining me on this. Your expertise and organization will be most valuable." With that, the docking clamps secured to the exit.
"John," called Nichole, "you and Jill may head onto Salt Lake when ready."
Aboard Syracuse Station, the comm device on the secretary's desk started ringing. She answered it through her neural net in-ear interface.
"Cryer business office, how may I help you? Oh, they're already there? I'll dispatch a shuttle immediately."
She hung up and opened the door into Donnel Bucksworth's office.
"Mr Bucksworth!"
"Yes, dear? What is it?"
"Dr. Holliday and Dr. Xi from Med Force Enterprise just arrived at Salt Lake Station. Get ready to leave in five, I'll call Dr. Felcher."
"Oki dokes, time to do some business then."
He rose from his desk and went to the cabin, then put on his favorite business suit. The one he'd usually use when he feels lucky enough to close a great deal. Bucksworth went out with a grin on his face, as if he's about to close the deal of a lifetime even though there's no real money involved. A feeling he hasn't felt for a long time.
Mr. Bucksworth and Dr. Persimony Felcher met at the docking bay and boarded the shuttle for a short 10-minute ride through the tradelanes.
Dr. Felcher, having his workflow rather unpleasantly interrupted, wasn't told much about that meeting. As a man of science, he has a rather pessimistic approach. He calls it the "realistic approach", but in truth, he's just bitter that not all research bares fruit.
"Say Donnie, you know I don't like this kind of stuff. Why drag me out of my lab like this? Who are we even meeting?"
"These guys are Med Force Enterprise, a non-profit who use our products and want to cooperate on research. Dr. John Holliday and Dr. Jill Xi"
"Dr. Xi? Rings a bell or two. Maybe I'm just thinking about Omicron Xi. I really hope it's gonna be worth it."
"Trust me on this one, buddy. I have a great feeling about this. We have a lot to gain from cooperating with them."
"Isn't that what you said about Atka?"
"Oh come on, it was Vespier's idea, not mine..."
"Well, as long as they're not Gallic, I'm fine with it."
"They're Zoners."
"Good."
The shuttle docked at Salt Lake Station and the two neatly-suited men were escorted out by a stewardess into the docking bay. They walked onto the reception deck; Bucksworth proudly with his chin up, while Felcher slightly lagged behind.
"Excuse me, sir, we've scheduled a meeting room here to meet with Med Force Enterprise."
"Ah yes, you must be from Cryer. You've arrived just in time, the pair from MFE are being escorted to the meeting room from the other docking bay as we speak. Allow me to show you the way."
As they walked through the hallway, approaching the meeting room, Bucksworth grew a bit worried that Felcher's mood could ruin the day. He nudged Felcher and whispered:
"Hey, buddy, I know you don't like these kinds of meetings, but I really need your expertise. Please, try to be nice."
"I'll do my best, Donnie. Sure hope things will go in our direction."
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Doc and Jill were escorted to the meeting room. They were the first ones there so Doc began a slow walk about the room as he examined his surroundings. It was a new place so his curiosity got the better of him. The chairs were quite comfortable as he took a seat in one.
"It seems they know how to treat their guests," he said to Jill. Jill was quiet as she went over some info on her datapad.
Commander Coyle had come to the station before under previous ownership so he had a chance to review her report. Within a few minutes, their hosts arrived and Doc rose to his feet to greet them. Doc recognized Bucksworth from him picture but not the other man with him.
"Mr. Bucksworth," he stated with his hand extended, "it is good to meet you. This is my partner, Dr. Jill Xi. She keeps things organized which is part of why I invited her here."
Entering the conference room to a warm greeting, Bucksworth immediately grabbed Holliday's extended palm with both of his hands and shook it with excitement.
"Nice to finally meet you in-person, Dr. Holliday! And you as well, Dr. Xi! I hope your flight here was a pleasant one. I've also brought a partner along with me. Meet Dr. Persimony Felcher, our head of R&D."
Felcher proceeded to shake Holliday's hand as well, while Bucksworth took a seat. His handshake was rather more cold and professional, although his face expressed a visible hint of a smile. It may have been for the realization that he finally gets to meet scientists of his own caliber, or perhaps it was due to Holliday's wide hat which he found amusing.
"Pleasure to meet you, Doc."
He sat down at the meeting table, facing Dr. Xi and giving her a gentle nod for a greet.
Once everyone settled down, the station employee who escorted Cryer walked into the room gracefully.
"I hope you find your seats comfortable and the table roomy enough. It's not everyday we host a meeting for executives of a major corporation aboard. May I offer you some drinks? Coffee perhaps?"
"That'd be wonderful, thank you! I'll have an extra creamy Cappuccino, please."
"A Doppio Espresso for me. Thanks."
Pleasantly surprised and rather flattered by the excellent service given aboard the station, Bucksworth sighed in relief of any worries he previously had about this meeting. He waited patiently for the pair from MFE to make their orders, then the meeting could finally begin.
"Alright lady and gentlemen, you probably all know why we're meeting here, but I'd like to make sure we're all on the same page. Prior to this meeting, Dr. Holliday and I have discussed possible ways for our organizations to collaborate on research. The benefits for each side are quite obvious, so we're here to openly discuss which aspects of collaboration we can offer each other and to which extent. One such idea for a collaboration we've entertained so far is opening a communication channel through which MFE would report cases from the field and Cryer would perform analysis and offer a suitable treatment. This is, of course, only the initial thought. I'd very much like to hear your opinions and extensions of the idea."
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Doc removed his hat, seated Jill, sat down himself and ordered himself a seltzer. He listened to Bucksworth start things off. Doc nodded with his introduction.
"I do not think I need to remind anyone that illnesses are common and new ones crop up often," Doc explained. "We research more what causes it and using what we have, what can we treat it with? Elixers, pharmaceuticals purchased from Cryer in their singular form or even combined. With our biodomes on Med Force One, we try using what we grow and have even gone as far as trying natural remedies coming from all over Sirius and even Gallia so yes, sharing this information would be vital to us both."
He sipped his seltzer. "So first, as you have suggested, opening a secure channel between our groups is a great idea. I would also propose having representatives from Cryer being part of Med Force staffs as we have the same on Cryer facilities. Of course, each living under the rules, regulations and standard operating procedures with their hosts. How do you feel so far on my thoughts?"
Bothered by a particular detail in Holliday's response, Felcher felt the need to speak up and point out facts from his research.
"I couldn't help but notice that you mentioned the usage of 'Elixirs' in your medical practices. Quite a funny story, actually. One of our field operatives has stumbled upon said 'Elixirs' sold in Bretonia and brought an assortment over to our labs for analysis. What a complete waste of time it was! Each and every one of them proved to have absolutely no medical use whatsoever. Most of them were water with food coloring and flavor additives. I even heard one of the scientists on my team call them 'funny juice'. I understand that, as a non-profit, it's hard to come by medicine to give to patients in dire need, but mixing real medicine with said 'Elixirs' really points out how dire your need for effective medicine is."
He turned towards Bucksworth with a very serious expression, his eyes shining bright with the flame of his passion towards medical research.
"Donnie, is there any way you reckon we can help them out with that? Maybe somehow subsidize the medical supplies to their bases? We can't have people out there, real sick people, taking colorful fruit-water for medicine."
"You are absolutely right. We can't let that happen. I'll have to consult with the board of executives, but I'm pretty sure that given the situation they'd agree to send a few care packages free of charge."
Bucksworth smiled towards all the attendants in the room, then turned his look back towards Holliday.
"Regarding the other matters at hand: I feel like you're jumping the gun with this offer, it's way too soon. There's a lot of things to consider, especially the fact that Cryer is a for-profit company and our employees get paid a salary to work under certain conditions. Those conditions are rather specific, and they're determined and agreed upon using a collection of preset employment contracts offered to new employees. Sending people to work aboard MFE installations would require making a dedicated contract listing all the specifics of working exclusively with a third party, which is not something we usually do. And don't even get me started with health and safety insurance, that'd be one deep bureaucratic nightmare!
Furthermore, I'm afraid it'll introduce social problems between our employees and your volunteers. Knowing that someone on your team gets paid for their work while you're not is... Not great for the morale..."
He looked up at the ceiling and stroked his beard intensely, trying to think what he could offer as an alternative. Then, he remembered the conversation he had with Cryer's board and how other joint projects were dealt with. He took a good sip of his coffee and turned towards Holliday again with fresh thoughts.
"There's one thing I think I already offered previously, which for us would be a safer way to implement your idea. We have mobile lab modules which we can easily deploy on any spatial installation. They're fully functional and come equipped with state-of-the-art Cryer equipment. The best part about them is that our field medics already have 'working in a mobile lab' listed in their contract terms, so we won't have to deal with any legal issues, and your volunteers will know it's an external team they work with. I believe it solves most of the problems I mentioned earlier. We can take care of the deployment and operation costs, even help you pay the bills or have our commercial fleet supply your bases in turn."
He looked at Holliday with the same excited grin he had at the start of this meeting, hoping for the best possible outcome that'll leave both parties satisfied.
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When Bucksworth finished, Doc's comm started to buzz. He rolled his eyes in disgust as he excused himself figuring it to be an emergency.
"I told you not to call me while I am here," he said rather annoyed. He listened and grew annoyed as he did. He simply answered, "So be it. Now do not bother me again."
He simply turned off his comm to be sure it wouldn't happen again but he was visibly annoyed as he cursed in Latin. The only thing his hosts would pick up was that he was cursing their government.
He then turned his attention to his hosts. "My apologies for the disruption. Most have little knowledge of Med Force Enterprises and we keep it that way. The work we do, the training we provide, the research we perform medically and scientifically. For people to know even some of it, we would be considered monsters like doctors of old were when they would hide in wooded cabins as they had jars of human parts to study for treatments. People also think that as we are not for profit that everyone who works for me is a volunteer. Well, they are paid through the many donations we receive and through our trade ships. We just do not charge our patients."
He was noticeably annoyed but doing well to contain it. "Morale is not a problem for my people. They love their work first and foremost. As to who they work with matters not. I will keep my people paid you can yours. If we can work side by side with the likes of the 46th fleet, the Crayterians and even people you see as enemies, I have no doubt that working with your people will not be a problem."
He then gave Felcher a smart smile. "You are right about elixers which is why we invested in them. They make for a great starting base. Add some medicines, manufactured or grown, they actually make for a very good remedy."
He leaned up a bit toward Felcher. "I know Cryer is more into traditional medicines but we use more as in what nature provides. Penicillin was a mold and therefore natural. We have had a lot of success with our work."
He sat back. "I do agree. Mobile lab modules are quite easily deployed. We keep a few on our hospital ships for ground deployments for when our ships cannot land. I am thinking really that the only supplies your ships would need to bring are those from your bases."
Apart from the greeting and introduction Jill had remained silent for most of the meeting. She was angry and, in her mind, rightly so.
How long ago was it? Oh yes, over three years ago.
And yes, it had been three years since she wrote Cryer about a mutually beneficial cooperation regarding a anti-radiation drug she and her team had developed. She reached out to Cryer several times and yet no response whatsoever.
Ah well, time to drop your attitude girl She thought to herself as she looked accross the meeting room. Focus! We are talking about Elixers now. Get your act together! and with that last thought she addressed the group.
"It is true that in certain areas in Sirius, elixirs are of such poor quality that plain water would be more beneficial. Yet, even with what your scientists may name 'funny juice', they at times still have a positive effect. It is not unlike doctors prescribing placebo's. Even these can have a positive effect on patients when they believe the treatment works."
She let her words sink in for a moment before adding:
"Now that of course, does not mean we can simply go about handing out placebo's while hopingthe power of the minds is strong enough to overcome an illness. Far from that, but as a pharmacist I have learned to not only search for treatment in the form of commercial medication. I have learned that researching local medicine as well as the household remedies helps us to come up with the best possible pharmaceutical therapy. One which is often more easy embraced by the population.
Consider it a combination of that which is old and trusted and what science has proven to be effective."
Utterly confused with what's being said by both doctors from MFE, Felcher held his head in both hands and muttered a few incomprehensible words. Then, still very confused, he raised his head and finished his Espresso in one sip. The little shot mug hit the table with an impact that made a loud noise. It was obvious that the conversation angered him, but it wasn't too rare of an occasion as Felcher tends to be rather short-fused.
"How can you possibly say that I'm right, that these are indeed placebos, and yet invest so much time and resources in them? It just doesn't make any sense, for crying out loud! Why wouldn't you just invest all that into-"
Bucksworth couldn't take any more of that and had to put an end to Felcher's outburst.
"Persi, settle down please! You're missing the point! Calm down and allow me to explain."
Felcher was still angry and confused, but he trusted Bucksworth as the two have worked together for a long while. He took his hands off the table and turned entirely towards Bucksworth, cradling the little shot mug in his palms underneath the table.
"Alright mate, I'm listening."
"As a businessman, I can understand the psychological aspect of those Elixirs. People are familiar with them, especially those out there who can't afford medicine. They're called 'home remedies' for a reason - anyone who has no access to medicine can make them at home. Now, imagine being in a situation where all you've known are Elixirs, and a doctor suddenly offers you modern medicine. Quite literally a hard-to-swallow pill, is it not?"
"Okay, I can see your point. I wasn't looking at the psychological aspect of it much."
"I wouldn't have expected you to, your focus is on improving the effectiveness of medicine. That's why we're both here - you're aware of the scientific aspect, and I'm aware of the psychological aspect. That's how we make good products together."
"You're right, we are a good team after all. Thanks, I needed that."
Felcher settled down and placed his shot mug on the table again. Both of them turned back to the guests in the room, hoping that they didn't get offended by Felcher's little outburst. Bucksworth was optimistic about the situation, and tried to continue as if nothing had just happened.
"And now with our new potential partners, I believe we could revolutionize the medical industry together and make it so much more accessible to the greater public."
He looked at Holliday specifically, flashing a smile to lighten the mood a bit given the unpleasant call he took previously and the generally heated atmosphere in the room.
"So, if I understand correctly, are we greenlighting the deployment of Cryer mobile labs on MFE stations? I could order the dispatch of convoys with mobile labs and medical supplies as soon as we're done here."
The discussion among the folks from Cryer gave her some time to think of what she just said as well as get her thoughts straight
I need to get this issue off my mind and in the room...
"Before we get into the mobile labs let me apologize for my long silence first. Apart from our, perhaps unorthodox use of medication according to your views, we did develop a radiation treatment over three years ago. Actually, we even tried to contact you about this on numerous occasions as to get this to the masses and help us develop it further."
She took a quick look at Doc before continuing...
"As I was the one to contact you about our findings three years ago I was a bit... well... angry about never having gotten a reply. Yet having said that we are here now and it's time to look forward to a..."
She took a sip of water...
"...to a mutual beneficial way of cooperation. We have products and research which we can share and yes, it's one big step ahead of elixirs.
I think it's good that you know this as well as that which has been on my mind for over three years before we continue. As a pharmacist I always give openness to what I prescribe"
Jill smiled after that last sentence. And not just a normal smile, it was a true smile. The one which could lighten up a room.
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