Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Chapter 2-
On the flight deck of The Ascension Of Nian, Arbat's sky-borne aircraft carrier, Xander and Jeng stood watching the hasty departure of the med-ship. Jeng paced, uneasy,
“Something is wrong,bad wrong-a small ship capturing an ArBat field commander and then just sitting there?Doesn't that stink of some kind of mischief to you?”
“I do think it's strange,Solau,but my instinct for coming trouble isn't as keen as yours,maybe they had engine trouble or a bad landing and they are waiting for a rescue themselves.”
Jeng didn't argue,he had no evidence of Jacks' capture being anything other than routine harassment. Wind whipped the lean commander's robe like garb,at this altitude,the turbulence was cold and brutal.He idly toyed with one of his many knives,his battlefield intuition was unrivaled,his ability to quickly and unerringly detect potential danger had made him not only an outstanding commander, but a cunning and vicious warrior.
“I don't know, Ara,I hope our eyes are wide open when the other boot drops, though, these CFM sonsabitchs get more aggressive all the time.”
The woman nodded and seemed about to reply when she stiffened,eyes wide,
Jeng was already running for the control deck.
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Simm cradled his broken commander, screamed impotent in his comms.
The secondary explosion in the aft of the ship was a fire-laced,concussive instant.He managed to shield Jacks with his body,but knew that he too was injured.The desperate adrenaline of wound and the urgency to save Jacks surged through him;if the explosion had damaged the drive cells,and in all likelihood it had, the entire ship would be a firestorm in seconds.
An emergency hatch would be found farther forward in the ship.Body screaming with pain and effort, Simm managed to get Jacks over his shoulder and stumble forward.
The hatch was open,deployed as an emergency measure. Behind the two men,the ship was an earnest conflagration now. Small explosions randomly shook through the structure, staggering the mech pilot's already shaky steps.A few more agonizing steps and they would be through the hatch and in the dubious safety of the desert.
A detonation sounded,harsh and sudden, to Simm's right as he half carried,half drug Jacks through the hatch. The frame work began to buckle with a metallic howl. Frantic, the mech pilot shoved his commander out of the opening with all the force he could muster.
As the the hatch buckled,Simm saw the med-ship and men running toward them.Ploy-steel,hot from the fire,scissored into his lower back and pelvis,trapping him in the burning ship.A cold calm filled him,he had completed his mission. He closed his eyes, a grim satisfaction pushing at the corners of his mouth. Simm sagged as he struggled for consciousness. Hands were on him,metal screaming under a rescue mech's cutting equipment and his body, limp and mangled lifted free. Cold and an uncontrollable shaking gripped him. Around him, he heard the shouts of his rescuers, there voices tinny and distant.
A merciful numbness crept over him and his vision faded,merciful dark consumed him and the entire world was swallowed in its anesthetic tide.
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A light gray mask concealed all but brown-black eyes, "Good morning, Pilot...you've out quite a while, I see that you're fully back."
The voice of Laralyn Kith, ArBat's Head Of Surgery,
" A....a drink?" Simm's voice was a scarce, jagged whisper.
The doctor's hands, ever gentle, helped the wounded man quench his thirst.
"We are always short on time," She said, her voice, muffled by the mask, was grieved and tired," I've personally been working on you for the better part of a week, and there is no way I can save your spine."
She pulled off her mask and drew up a chair to sit beside the mech pilot. She took his hand in both hers, compassion softened her sorrow,
" I've repaired all I that I can, you made it by the narrowest of margins. Your lower spine was badly crushed in the rescue, you have lost the use of your legs permanently. I'm sorry."
Simm felt a nausea boil in his gut. He was worthless, worse, a liability using precious medical supplies to keep him alive,
"You shoulda..."
He was interrupted by a familiar harsh voice, close to his right hand side,
" Stow it, Simm- you know none of us would let you die, you dumb bastard... And before you start to despair, you not out of the fire now, not by a long shot."
Simm looked to his right as quickly as his injured muscles would allow. Pain lanced his body, though ominously absent from his lower half.
" Commander...At least... at least you're alive" the young man gasped
Jacks look softened, he reached out a hand from under the foliage of tubes and wires. He squeezed Simm's shoulder,
"I'm sorry, The last thing I wanted was to cost you your legs, Pilot. You got courage for miles, as well as my respect and gratitude. I owe you my life, in all probability, the lives of all ArBat. We are alive, such as it is, and we have work to do. All isn't lost."
ArBat's commander withdrew his hand and sighed a painful breath,
" You've got some adjusting to do, some thinking and grieving. It's going to be hard ride for you Pilot, you've been all action. You need to get your head around all this, and we need you out of that head as soon as you can manage."
The man paused, his face gaunt with new burden, "I've been awake worrying longer than our good doctor would have preferred , I'm going to sleep. When I wake, we are boots on the ground, that means you too. Good night."
Jacks head relaxed against the pillows,
"I'm sorry..."
On the flight deck of The Ascension Of Nian, Arbat's sky-borne aircraft carrier, Xander and Jeng stood watching the hasty departure of the med-ship. Jeng paced, uneasy,
“Something is wrong,bad wrong-a small ship capturing an ArBat field commander and then just sitting there?Doesn't that stink of some kind of mischief to you?”
“I do think it's strange,Solau,but my instinct for coming trouble isn't as keen as yours,maybe they had engine trouble or a bad landing and they are waiting for a rescue themselves.”
Jeng didn't argue,he had no evidence of Jacks' capture being anything other than routine harassment. Wind whipped the lean commander's robe like garb,at this altitude,the turbulence was cold and brutal.He idly toyed with one of his many knives,his battlefield intuition was unrivaled,his ability to quickly and unerringly detect potential danger had made him not only an outstanding commander, but a cunning and vicious warrior.
“I don't know, Ara,I hope our eyes are wide open when the other boot drops, though, these CFM sonsabitchs get more aggressive all the time.”
The woman nodded and seemed about to reply when she stiffened,eyes wide,
Jeng was already running for the control deck.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Simm cradled his broken commander, screamed impotent in his comms.
The secondary explosion in the aft of the ship was a fire-laced,concussive instant.He managed to shield Jacks with his body,but knew that he too was injured.The desperate adrenaline of wound and the urgency to save Jacks surged through him;if the explosion had damaged the drive cells,and in all likelihood it had, the entire ship would be a firestorm in seconds.
An emergency hatch would be found farther forward in the ship.Body screaming with pain and effort, Simm managed to get Jacks over his shoulder and stumble forward.
The hatch was open,deployed as an emergency measure. Behind the two men,the ship was an earnest conflagration now. Small explosions randomly shook through the structure, staggering the mech pilot's already shaky steps.A few more agonizing steps and they would be through the hatch and in the dubious safety of the desert.
A detonation sounded,harsh and sudden, to Simm's right as he half carried,half drug Jacks through the hatch. The frame work began to buckle with a metallic howl. Frantic, the mech pilot shoved his commander out of the opening with all the force he could muster.
As the the hatch buckled,Simm saw the med-ship and men running toward them.Ploy-steel,hot from the fire,scissored into his lower back and pelvis,trapping him in the burning ship.A cold calm filled him,he had completed his mission. He closed his eyes, a grim satisfaction pushing at the corners of his mouth. Simm sagged as he struggled for consciousness. Hands were on him,metal screaming under a rescue mech's cutting equipment and his body, limp and mangled lifted free. Cold and an uncontrollable shaking gripped him. Around him, he heard the shouts of his rescuers, there voices tinny and distant.
A merciful numbness crept over him and his vision faded,merciful dark consumed him and the entire world was swallowed in its anesthetic tide.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A light gray mask concealed all but brown-black eyes, "Good morning, Pilot...you've out quite a while, I see that you're fully back."
The voice of Laralyn Kith, ArBat's Head Of Surgery,
" A....a drink?" Simm's voice was a scarce, jagged whisper.
The doctor's hands, ever gentle, helped the wounded man quench his thirst.
"We are always short on time," She said, her voice, muffled by the mask, was grieved and tired," I've personally been working on you for the better part of a week, and there is no way I can save your spine."
She pulled off her mask and drew up a chair to sit beside the mech pilot. She took his hand in both hers, compassion softened her sorrow,
" I've repaired all I that I can, you made it by the narrowest of margins. Your lower spine was badly crushed in the rescue, you have lost the use of your legs permanently. I'm sorry."
Simm felt a nausea boil in his gut. He was worthless, worse, a liability using precious medical supplies to keep him alive,
"You shoulda..."
He was interrupted by a familiar harsh voice, close to his right hand side,
" Stow it, Simm- you know none of us would let you die, you dumb bastard... And before you start to despair, you not out of the fire now, not by a long shot."
Simm looked to his right as quickly as his injured muscles would allow. Pain lanced his body, though ominously absent from his lower half.
" Commander...At least... at least you're alive" the young man gasped
Jacks look softened, he reached out a hand from under the foliage of tubes and wires. He squeezed Simm's shoulder,
"I'm sorry, The last thing I wanted was to cost you your legs, Pilot. You got courage for miles, as well as my respect and gratitude. I owe you my life, in all probability, the lives of all ArBat. We are alive, such as it is, and we have work to do. All isn't lost."
ArBat's commander withdrew his hand and sighed a painful breath,
" You've got some adjusting to do, some thinking and grieving. It's going to be hard ride for you Pilot, you've been all action. You need to get your head around all this, and we need you out of that head as soon as you can manage."
The man paused, his face gaunt with new burden, "I've been awake worrying longer than our good doctor would have preferred , I'm going to sleep. When I wake, we are boots on the ground, that means you too. Good night."
Jacks head relaxed against the pillows,
"I'm sorry..."
