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I
felt sad hearing Eli’s words but it was much less awkward for me since I had
said final goodbyes to several people on Ranjisan. When my grandfather was in
the last two days of Tseen Ke I slept in the room with him. Although I can’t
say it was a fun experience it was nothing like the devastating death
experience on Earth. At least in Eli’s case he could spend his last days at
home with his family. Medical treatment was reduced to just making the patient
as comfortable as possible.
    Sunday morning I decided to visit Eli one last time. His
mother came to the door with tears in her eyes. “Eli just went back to the hospital.
We’re leaving in a few minutes.” She didn’t need to say anymore. I was thinking
that either he is in unbearable pain or they are intending to keep him on life
support until he passes. When I walked into his room at the hospital, I quickly
realized it was both. He was obviously in a great deal of pain or discomfort
and he was connected to several life support machines.
    “I’ve had enough,” I screamed silently in my mind while
Eli’s family huddled around his bedside. I decided I would do it. If I could
find the right kind of Tseen Ke needles and I had enough time alone with him, I
would do the right and honorable thing. I would end Eli’s life.  

5
- A question of conscience
     
    I remembered skimming through a medical journal article
about the Earthly science of acupuncture. It seemed that somewhere along the
way, the human race had scratched the surface of Ranjisan’s newer forms of
Tseen Ke. I thought it was odd that Earth had apparently been using this
ancient Asian science while on Ranjisan it was relatively new. The closest
thing to Tseen Ke puncture needles I would find on Earth would be acupuncture
needles. But as I thought about it more I realized it wouldn’t be practical.
The first problem was that on Earth you can’t just walk into a drug store and
buy acupuncture needles. You need to be a licensed practitioner. The other
problem would be the procedure itself. If it worked on humans the same as on
Ranjisi, the procedure would take about an hour. It would be almost impossible
to be alone with Eli for an hour at the hospital. Also, people would see me
coming and going from his room and most likely someone would recognize me.
    It was a dilemma. I knew it was time. Eli knew it was time.
He had been ready for a long time. I would need to find another solution. The
best solution would be getting a Tseen Ke kit from Ranjisan. The kit consisted
of three drugs administered in three simultaneous injections. I couldn’t do it
with Earthly medicines. I didn’t know enough about them and if I did learn of
something that could produce a quick and painless death, the drug would
undoubtedly be securely locked up in a drug pantry.
    The best solution would be the smuggling of Tseen Ke kits
from Ranjisan but that was also impossible. My only Earthly
contact was Frank and I couldn’t talk to him about it. He didn’t have
the same kind of intimate contact that I had with humans. I knew he would not
be able to feel or understand my feelings about how the human death experience
was a devastating period of needless suffering.
    It appeared I would not be able to help the only friend I
had on planet Earth. Instead of spending his final days in comfort and with
dignity, the final two months of Eli’s life consisted of pain, fever and life
support systems. It was all wrong. I knew it in my mind and heart. But there
was nothing I could do.
    I had attended funerals on Ranjisan before but there were
several things that made Eli’s funeral one of the saddest experiences in my
life. First of all, the funerals I attended on Ranjisan were all funerals for
people who lived to their natural old age. Eli didn’t need or deserve to die so
young and with such little dignity. He could have been cured with Ranjisi
medical advancements. But most of all, I was being selfish. Eli was my only
human friend. I