Ship’s Notes: C-131 and Clarkson

On Susana’s advice, I have decided to delay revisiting C-131 until after we pick up new crew in the Tien Terra system.  In particular, she wants a roboticist for unmanned exploration, and both a biologist and a biotechnologist to actually study the plants and any samples.  This seems reasonable, but I am unsure as what sort of fiction I could use to stage the hiring.  A roboticist, sure, but a biologist and a biotechnologist?   I have asked Gestler to look into alternative hiring schemes.

Meanwhile, there is the question of what to do with Clarkson.  I have given orders for Dr. Tanaka to stop torturing him and for the doctor to try and repair Clarkson to the point where he can survive without life support.  The doctor has complied, so far as I can tell, and with minimal grumbling.

But… once Clarkson is capable of living without mechanical assistance, what should I do with him?  I doubt that I can simply leave him wandering freely on me – if I were in his shoes, I might harbor a grudge against the doctor in particular, but possibly the rest of the ship as well.  Could I accept his promise that, if given freedom of the ship, he would not hurt or damage or sabotage anything?  Dr. Tanaka offered to surgically modify part of Clarkson’s brain, as to make him non-hostile, but that does not seem like much of a solution.

And if I did have him wandering my hallways, well, we are taking on new crewmember in a few days, and they might wonder as to this damaged man who wanders the decks.  Am I supposed to say that he fell down a ladder?

I suspect that the best option may be to render him unconscious and keep him stored on life support somewhere.  A medically induced coma – Gestler’s apparent favorite means of high-end incarceration, but also a reasonably ethicalish choice.

The other question is, of course, what to do with him in the end.  Releasing him on Tien Terra Beta (or even Tien Terra Gamma) might land us in trouble with the authorities, but certainly would not be good for him – he does not speak the appropriate language, he has no understanding of the technology used in the Linked Systems, and his only skills are likely combat-related.  On top of that, I suspect there were be severe mental damage from being tortured by Dr. Tanaka, which will certainly not help matters.

C-131 is not a habitable planet, New Eden doesn’t take visitors, and that leaves New Arcadia.  New Arcadia is certainly somewhat out of the way, and would be his best choice, save that he is sworn to a mentally damaged ruler who is busy losing a war, and, by the time we get there, may have already lost the war.  It’s a possibility, though I’m not sure how good his life will be.  Full-blooded soldiers are almost always absorbed into the victorious force, if they do not die in the battle, but Gestler notes that the full-blooded soldiers mostly stayed loyal to Lord Jackson Whitevale, and Lord Harry Whitevale was left with half-bloods and lesser men.  This, in Gestler’s opinion, was part of why Lord Jackson was able to hold his own in the conflict, though I suspect that Gestler may be biased on the subject of half-bloods.  I wasn’t willing to ask about Clarkson in particular, but I am not sanguine on his chances.  We could possibly drop him elsewhere.  I think this is the best option for him.

Lastly, there’s the possibility of euthanasia.  I asked the doctor what would be best for Clarkson, and he considered euthanasia as preferable to Clarkson living with the memories of what had happened.  I am unsure whether this is the doctor being serious (I have never been tortured) or him being self-serving.

Once Clarkson is able to communicate, I will let him make his opinion known.  I do not know whether he will be sane enough to make a meaningful decision.