Doctors, Researchers and Mercenaries, Oh My!!

[Riley Mackenzie]

Riley turns on the gurney and it lifts to its default hovering height. The body on the gurney however, deserves an explanation. It's robotic, it's headless, and its name is Shamus 2.0'Shawnessey.

As he heads towards the conference room pushing his presently deactivated friend, Riley's mind races. He feels deeply out of his depth here. Entering the medical profession was not something he ever planned on, but it happened. The only formal medical training he's ever had was Gaian field medicine back when he was an Edinburgh Guardsman.

Still, fear is a good thing. Fear forces evolution, and evolution is cool.

Since Riley has yet to begin his professional medical schooling, for now, he thinks of himself as evolved into a porter. Shamus is the brains. Riley is mostly here as tech support.

Speaking of brains, Shamus' brain is in the hands of the robotic carcass. It's a heavy titanium sphere called a 'F.N.O.R.D. Unit.' it has a small pineal crystal stuck to it like a magnet, and another crystal is similarly stuck on the chest of the body on top of where the primary power supply is located.

Riley stops nearby the conference room door and begins to attach a good-sized visual monitor he brought with them. Once finished, and minimum power on, another pineal crystal begins generating heat inside one of Riley's pockets.

He pulls it out, and when he lets go, the crystal attaches to the monitor like a magnet, and just like that, Shamus is awake.

Riley still doesn't understand how or why the crystal trick works, but he's still amazed that it does.

The robotic body holding the titanium brain lifts its monitor and turns to look at Riley.

"Hi, Mate." Shamus said.

"Hey Dude. No time to explain." Riley responded. "We are about to attend a diplomatic meeting led by Doc with some merc group. That's all I really know at the moment. I think we need to be here though."

"So, no pressure then, huh?" asked the blurry-faced Shamus sarcastically.

Riley ignored him and helped him to his feet before they walked into the conference room together.

---