Calling Medical Aid (R231C)
Using the radio/communicator available in any starship or ship’s boat, on a PS robot, or in any land area with life support,
you can call for medical aid. You cannot call if you are "wanted" in the system (R228). Medical aid provides immediately
emergency first aid at the scene, and immediate transportation to the nearest medical center in the star system.
To determine the cost of medical aid, count the number of land areas from your position to the nearest medical center.
Ignore land steps, simply count areas. If the center is on another planet, count to any spaceport or colony on this planet,
and then count one more area to a spaceport (or colony) on the other planet. For each area of distance, multiply by the base
cost by three. Thus one area away costs three times (3x) the base price, two areas away costs nine times (3x3x), three areas
away 27 times (3x3x3x), etc. If you cannot pay for emergency aid, you are discharged from the medical center after one hit
heals and become "wanted" in that system until the debt is paid at any bank in the system (as a result, you could be arrested,
etc., and never have a chance to pay later, even if you have the money!),
When being transported to a medical center by this method, normal entry encounters are ignored. However, the medical aid
group will only transport the person who needs healing, not his friends, vehicles, etc.