MBULANCE SHIP begins with ''The Secret History of Sector General'' - White's introduction discussing the series to date - then proceeds to the 3 linked short stories of this volume, introducing Sector General's special ambulance ship Rhabwar (named for a famous figure in Tralthan medicine, being Tralthan-built). Some misconceptions might arise for new readers (or even fans of the series who haven't previously encountered this book). Rhabwar isn't special just because it's an ambulance ship; those are actually common in White's universe already. What's special is that somebody in the Galactic Federation government has applied some lessons learned from Sector General's previous adventures. (Points to the author for giving an interstellar civilization credit for some common sense.) Someone has noticed that over the last 20 years, the Monitor Corps has found 3 new civilizations while Sector General has found 7 - since distress calls are much easier to find than any other communication signal. Once contact has been made, the hospital's track record for establishing friendly relations is also much more impressive than the Corps' - since saving lives makes a MUCH stronger impression than ordinary diplomacy. Until the opening of this story, the Federation hasn't had a set policy for dealing with mysterious distress calls - on the face of it, why would they, until it became obvious that they needed one? Calls that DIDN'T happen to fall within Sector General's area have usually resulted in the death of any unknown aliens involved, since regular ambulance ships are specialized for various known species (usually only one or two). Rhabwar, therefore, has been specially built to handle all kinds of atmospheres, shapes, and sizes on its casualty deck, and is kept in reserve for distress calls that don't correspond to any known flight plan. (As a bonus, of course, it can fill in for just about any known species' ambulance craft, if needed.) Senior Physician Conway, his wife pathologist Murchison, and the fragile Cinrusskin empath Prilicla (with their considerable experience of ship rescue operations and first contacts) have been assigned to Rhabwar. White also introduces Naydrad, the caterpillar-like Kelgian heavy rescue specialist, as part of the new Rhabwar team. ''Contagion'' - As a shakedown assignment for Rhabwar, the team has been assigned to an ordinary search-and-rescue job: responding to a distress call from the Earth-human-crewed scoutship Tenelphi. This job begins as an opportunity for White to introduce the ship and Captain Fletcher as he and the medical team begin feeling out their relationship (which continues throughout the book). After all, what could go wrong with a simple chore like rescuing the Tenelphi? ''Quarantine'' - After the Tenelphi job, Rhabwar's first proper assignment - answering an unknown distress signal - cropped up soon afterward: responding to a distress signal from a ship torn apart by hyperdrive failure. One survivor was found: a child of the previously unknown species. ''Recovery'' - O'Mara orders the medical team and crew of Rhabwar to spend their on-duty time aboard ship until they've established routine procedures. (The crew's training in rescue procedures by the medical team and the reciprocal training in ship procedures didn't get launched properly in all the excitement, so White smoothly provides the usual overview of species classification for those who came into the series late.) Their next rescue job introduces the two species later known as the Blind Ones and the Protectors of the Unborn.

lgrsfic/L:\bib\James White\Ambulance Ship (1761)\Ambulance Ship - James White.epub

zlib/Science Fiction/White James/Ambulance Ship_1656297.epub

James White, 1928-

Random House, Incorporated

Ivy Books

Del Rey

Fawcett

United States, United States of America

A Del Rey Book SF, New York, ©1979

1st, First Edition, PS, 1979

1st ed, New York :, 1979

September 12, 1979

1st, 1979-09-12

lg_fict_id_417577

AMBULANCE SHIP begins with "The Secret History of Sector General" - White's introduction discussing the series to date - then proceeds to the 3 linked short stories of this volume, introducing Sector General's special ambulance ship Rhabwar (named for a famous figure in Tralthan medicine, being Tralthan-built). Rhabwar isn't special just because it's an ambulance ship; those are actually common in White's universe already. What's special is that somebody in the Galactic Federation government has applied some lessons learned from Sector General's previous adventures. (Points to the author for giving an interstellar civilization credit for some common sense.) Someone has noticed that over the last 20 years, the Monitor Corps has found 3 new civilizations while Sector General has found 7 - since distress calls are much easier to find than any other communication signal. Once contact has been made, the hospital's track record for establishing friendly relations is also much more impressive than the Corps' - since saving lives makes a MUCH stronger impression than ordinary diplomacy. Until the opening of this story, the Federation hasn't had a set policy for dealing with mysterious distress calls - on the face of it, why would they, until it became obvious that they needed one? Calls that DIDN'T happen to fall within Sector General's area have usually resulted in the death of any unknown aliens involved, since regular ambulance ships are specialized for various known species. Rhabwar, therefore, has been specially built to handle all kinds of atmospheres, shapes, and sizes on its casualty deck, and is kept in reserve for distress calls that don't correspond to any known flight plan.

CALLING DR. CONWAY. . .
There was a lot of talk about the vital importance of his new assignment, but it still seemed like a demotion to Senior Physician Conway. After twelve years of outstanding service--and the most incredible experiences imaginable--Conway couldn't quite appreciate the "honor" of becoming an ambulance attendant at this stage of his life.
True, the insectile empath, Dr. Prilicla, would be with him--and so would the eminently desirable Nurse Murchison--but it was definately a comedown for a Senior Physican of his status to be conscripted as part of a first-aid team for disabled spacefarers.
Then the first call came--and Conway faced the problem of treating a spaceship crew's mysterious ailment. . . without wiping out every patient and doctor in Sector General!
A GRIPPING NOVEL OF A FUTURISTIC HOSPITAL'S BATTLE TO CONTAIN A POTENTIALLY DEADLY EPIDEMIC. . .

2011-11-04