Have Tech, Will Travel (SCE Books 1-4) - Keith R. A. DeCandido_. [et al.] [74]
Lense glanced at the readings. Nothing dangerous detected. She could safely eliminate the forcefield, but she would keep the body in stasis. Otherwise, the smell would be unbearable, and she wanted to prevent the body from decaying any further. She touched a button, then stepped beside the body.
A thought occurred to her. “Emmett,” she said, “have you ever performed an autopsy?”
“I am perfectly capable of performing an autopsy.” He looked offended. “It’s a standard part of my programming.”
She held up a placating hand. “Of course, you know how to do one, but have you ever actually done so? On an alien, about whom we know nothing?”
He looked a little excited. “No, I haven’t.”
“You’ll find this fascinating,” she assured him. “I’ve been doing some comparative research on how this used to be performed in the old days, and how it’s done in other cultures. A few hundred years ago, they had no holographic technology. If you wanted to find out how someone had died, you had to literally cut them open.”
The sensitive hologram stared, mouth slightly open. “That’s . . . barbaric,” he stammered.
“Well, naturally, we think so, but that’s only because we have other methods to gain information,” she replied. “And there’s something about actually seeing inside a body, touching it, weighing the organs. It makes you respect death a little more, I think.”
“I prefer to respect life,” Em replied primly.
“Of course you respect life. Every doctor does. But on this mission, you and I are dealing mainly with the dead. You’ll need to cultivate respect for them, too.”
Em’s face furrowed. “But, Doctor, surely dealing with a holographic representation shows more respect to the body than cutting it open.”
“Yes—after a fashion. But let’s begin. You’ll see what I mean eventually.”
Despite everything that had happened, Lense couldn’t help laughing at the expression on Emmett’s dark face. “Don’t worry. We won’t be dissecting the body, I promise!”
Em looked very relieved. Still chuckling, Lense gave instructions to the computer. “Computer, prepare to construct an accurate holographic replication of the body on the biobed. All weights and textures must be exact.”
The biobed closed over the body and a lavender beam washed through the form.
“Prepared and awaiting data,” replied the computer in its cool female voice.
“Project the alien’s skeletal structure,” Lense ordered. “Keep it in the same position as it would normally be if held in place by tissue.”
Immediately, the skeleton appeared on the empty bed. It could easily have been mistaken for that of a human, save for the narrower jaw, extreme indentations of the skull at the temple point, longer finger bones, and a rib cage that extended almost to the hip.
“What conclusions do you draw from this?” she asked Em. He carefully examined the skeleton, leaning in to peer at it, his hands clasped behind his back.
“No, no,” said Lense. “A good doctor uses more than just his eyes. Touch it.”
Em was hesitant. “We are not programmed—”
“You’ll need to learn to exceed your programming here, Emmett. Go ahead. Touch it. Like this. Computer, adjust image to permit removal of individual bones without disturbing the construction.” Lense stepped forward and picked up the skull. She ran her fingers over it, feeling the smooth, slightly oily texture.
“This is unusual,” she said, caressing the indentations in the skull. She handed it to Emmett. “What do you make of it?”
“Perfectly circular,” he said, emulating her and running his fingers around the holographic skull. “It’s unlikely that this is a natural development.”
“Part of the torture that we think may have been performed?” It was a leading question, but she wanted to push him.
“No,” he replied with certainty. “The indentations are too old, too well-integrated into the skull structure to have been inflicted upon an adult. These modifications were begun when the patient—” His face fell a little, realizing that there was