Kintsugi

by HD Weikle

By their third day out Gardner was finally feeling relief from the constant rains of Europa. The detective began to reflect on the sudden turn of events that was about to cast him ashore on possibly the worst planet in the Corporation’s holdings Enceladus, some called it hell and he was going to be ArkCorp’s law in residence. He smiled at the absurdity of the situation, ‘Better to rule in hell than serve in heaven’ he thought to himself. 

The whistle outside his door interrupted that thought, he had an appointment for breakfast with his new partner Chief Medical Examiner Calhoun. He had insisted that ArkCorp assigned her as his medical officer for the duration, it was one of his perks to choose a team even if it was to be just two. Besides, she had some leads to the crimes he was assigned to investigate. There were now three retired ArkCorp synthetics one on Enceladus and two back on Earth, all with their heads removed and Calhoun was the only officer that had examined all three.

 

“Coming,” he grunted as the whistle sounded again. He released the door seal and as it slid open he suddenly knew why he had chosen her. ‘Damn she was good looking,’ he thought to himself.

“Ready,” she asked as she waited in the corridor. He wasn’t, he’d rather have stayed the entire trip locked in his cabin reading. Socializing was not his strong suit and from what he’d heard there were about 90 other passengers this trip, almost all of them deportees and he knew what that meant, expulsion from Earth, marooned on a hellish moon condemned to isolation and totally dependent on regular supply ships like this one to deliver the necessities of survival. These weren’t criminals like those he was used to dealing with, corrupt officials, organized crime, cyber crime and the occasional murderer; these unfortunates were the unlucky who were born with some genetic abnormality that medical science couldn’t rectify, usually a personality disorder that was considered on the spectrum, autism, schizophrenia, OCD, and a whole range of personality issues that threatened the stability of society under the corporation’s controlled society. They were being removed not for crimes they had committed but for the offense of being different, alien to their fellow man. It was locked in their genetic code and no science could correct that. They could not be terminated so the corporation had simply decreed that they be cast away and left to their own devices.

 

Gardner had never actually met one of these poor souls and he wasn’t looking forward to meeting one now. That could wait once he was on the job. Something about being the chief law enforcement officer on a world of alien personalities sounded like a challenge he could rise to but to socialize with them was antithetical to his innermost self, the authority and the isolation of being a cop.

The transport ship Michener wasn’t a large ship but well equipped for these fast hops between colonial planets. It made use of a steady one G acceleration drive with a breaking sequence beginning at the half-way point; made for a relatively comfortable journey. ETA was two days from now, plenty of time to review the files Calhoun had brought along and plan their investigation.

“Ready,” he lied.

Making their way to the mess he continued the conversation. “I’ve been giving some thought to this character we’re supposed to contact in the colony, Dobrow. His dossier is real thin, not much at all except that he volunteered to immigrate to Enceladus and he was born somewhere near Old Moscow in the Ural Mountain region. No family and no records other than service in the first Colonial War and a dishonorable discharge.” He said the last with a tone that implied suspect rather than ally. “He’ll be valuable I suppose with that background but I’m not about to trust him until he proves his worth.”

“CI?” his companion interrupted.

“Oh, that’s right, you egghead types spend most of your time behind a microscope. CIs are Confidential Informants, beats wearing out shoe leather running down leads when you can just bribe a CI to lead you in the right direction.” He felt awkward explaining this to her but better she knew what she was getting into now than later.

“I brought the two files on the Earth incidents, better photographs.” She said, indicating a sealed envelope in her right hand. “Thought it would be a good place to begin.” 

The mess hall was nearly deserted, a few passengers, he assumed were deportees sat in either small groups or alone staring blankly at their surroundings as though having quietly succumbed to their fate. The three man crew, Gardner guessed, was already on station.

Gardner and Calhoun picked some items from the breakfast selection and chose a table somewhat removed from the others. “I suppose you’re excited to be on this assignment, it means a sure promotion for you as chief medical examiner, perhaps a whole sector.” He was trying to make small talk while keeping an eye out for any activity, his suspicious nature had always served him well.

“No, not excited exactly, I'd say more curious than anything else. I’m looking forward to learning who these people are.” She answered. “Of course I understand their disabilities but I’ve never actually studied the phenomena of genetic abnormality. They look just like normal people, like us.”

“No, they are not like us, They are here not for who they are but what they are and you might want to start viewing them as alien…” He stopped mid sentence aware of a man approaching their table.

“Excuse me, but my companions and I have been speculating that you two are the new commandant and medical examiner for the colony. My name is Collins, Mark Collins,” thrusting his hand out.

Garner eyed the creature for a second caught off guard by his friendly manner. Standing the detective secured a firm grip on the man’s extended hand and turning toward the coroner said, “I’m Detective Inspector Gardner and this is Chief Medical Examiner Calhoun, you’re welcome to join us.” Thinking no time like the present to get this over with.

“Thank you.” The man accepted, sitting, “Forgive me, but I expect you have some questions for me. I’m a passenger aboard this Devine Barque.” He seemed to smile briefly at his thinly veiled attempt to invoke an image of the ship of the damned. “I’m a professor of ancient history at Svalbard UNIS and, my misfortune, my crime if you will, is that I am what they term a neurodivergent polymath.” He paused for a moment as if examining his own words. “Ultimately I’m too broken to be repaired. Unlike someone born with a visible deformity, without say an arm or a foot that can be corrected with a simple appliance, by regenerative engineering my different mind can’t be replaced and worse may even be a  mutation, a sudden change in speciation, what they call a saltation.” His voice now became urgent, slightly stressed,” again he paused as his appearance became furtive, he continued. “Although on reflection I suppose I’m somewhat of a recluse. I need  to be careful around people which makes me suspicious I suppose.” So I wanted to meet you as soon as possible since we are to be cast together on our new little world. Friends will be a necessity I imagine.” He suddenly stopped talking as if aware that he was rambling. “Well, welcome to you both, if I can be of any service.” Touching his brow briefly he turned and walked back to his group.

Once the man was out of earshot Gardner suppressing his astonishment said, “That was interesting. I was imagining our first contact would have had a few loose screws, some deep seated disability that made him a burden on society, instead what do we get a — what did he call it — neurodivergent polymath?”

 

Calhoun who had sat quietly throughout the encounter with the other passenger now spoke. “Have you ever heard of the Japanese art of Kintsugi?”

Surprised at her sudden interruption, Gardner replied, slightly irritated, “What? No, why?”

“It’s an ancient tradition dedicated to preserving what is still useful even if broken by mending it, putting the pieces back together, making it whole, usually a broken piece of pottery which is carefully reassembled using lacquer mixed with gold or platinum dust with no attempt to conceal the evidence of the break. It transforms the object into more than a vessel; it becomes a work of art, a new entity altogether. You still thinking alien?” She said half smirking. “Maybe we’re the aliens.”