Carpathia IV: Episode 289 - Limb and Limb
Blood Agony
The sunstone grenades thrown, the rescue team broke into a flat run to the storage area and the ladder to the shuttle car. Echoing through the corridors, they could hear shouts and alarms. As they continued, door panels started to flicker. Later, sparks rained from the lights. The gas grenades were already doing their work, affecting many systems in the area. Even the vashtari were in disarray, as they passed at least one who took no interest in them, rushing in the opposite direction with a tool kit.
Arriving at the storage room door, it was either locked or stuck. No time for fiddling with door locks. Trex set her disruptor to explosive rounds and blasted the door off of the storage area where they came in. If she forgot that the room was full of weapons or simply hoped they wouldn't be explode, she didn't say. They didn't, thankfully, and all rushed in.
Trex: Hana, get up there and tell us if everything is clear.
Hana was the right choice, for he didn't even need the ladder. He simply positioned himself directly beneath the hole, squashed his body flat, and then leaped clear through it. Seconds later, he stuck his face into the opening.
Hana: All clear!
Trex: Shep and Tamati, you're next. I'll guard the door and go last. Put the seats down flat so we can treat the injured.
Shep: Yes, Lieutenant. On my way.
With Sylvar tightly secured to his back, Shep lunged up the ladder as Tamati prepared to follow.
Tamati: Hang on tight, Commander.
With the same speed, up Tamati went, though he had to press his body tight against the ladder to fit both his muscular self and Joust through the hole at the same time. One by one, the rest followed until only Trex was left. Trex tossed her last sunstone grenade out the door before climbing up the ladder herself.
Above, Trex found the shuttle car nearly sorted, with all seats but the front folded flat to create a cavernous cargo space, a much easier setup for Tamati to deliver any needed medical aid.
Trex: Teek drives. Shep, take shotgun and work the guns. Kit, sit behind and monitor navigation and comms. Let's go!
Amenaru: One last thing!
Amenaru circled around to the open rear hatch and fished the box of sunstone grenade box.
Amenaru: Your tablet, Trex.
With an idea of what Amenaru had planned, Trex handed over her tablet without question. Amenaru snatched it away, pointing it at the box. After some aggressive poking and swiping at the screen, he kicked the box down the entry hole and climbed into the shuttle car through the rear hatch. Trex followed and closed the door. After a quick head count, it was time to go.
Trex: That's everyone! Hit it!
Teek punched the accelerator and, after some wheel spin dramatics, the car sped back the way it came.
Amenaru: I forgot to ask. How long does it take to get to the end of this vent?
Teek: Eight or nine minutes, depending on obstacles.
Amenaru: I set the box of sunstone grenades to detonate in three!
Teek: I can't go that fast, but we'll be out of range of the blast by then!
Shep: Sentry bots are activating. Deploying weapons.
A pair of guns emerged from each of the front fenders. The others peered out of the windows, but there was little to see in the dimness, other than swarms of red dots of light. It took a moment, but it dawned on the others that these red dots were the sentry bots, and they were closing in.
Shep: Several dozen closing in, mostly from the front. Almost in range.
The sentry bots were in range first, however, and began to pepper the shuttle car with disruptor blasts.
Kit: Armor and shields are holding, but it won't last like this.
Shep began firing, picking off the sentry bots one by one, yet still the hoard came closer until they were surrounding the car.
Shep: I can't hold them off!
To the horror of those nearby, Mikado put one of the passenger windows down and, before anyone could stop him, started to climb out.
Mikado: Teek, keep it as steady as you can!
From there, Mikado hopped onto the roof of the car while the others frantically rolled up the window. Just two more steps on the roof and then a crash when Mikado landed on the hood. There was a flash of red when he activated his scythe and he started swinging away at the sentry bots, sending bot parts flying everywhere.
Between Shep on the guns and Mikado slashing anything that came near, few shots came through and this worked, for a few minutes. Then, there was a loud sound and the car, the entire Blood Agony, in fact, shook, knocking Mikado off his feet and sending him crashing into the windscreen. Without Mikado to slice the bots, many shots came through unimpeded, one hitting his upper thigh, blasting it apart and sending his leg bouncing away into the darkness. Same with the next shot that hit his shoulder.
With the last hit, Mikado slumped limp against the windscreen and began to slide off toward the passenger side. Shep knew he had to do something, but also couldn't let off his guns. As Mikado slid further from the edge, the sentry bots stopped firing and went dark, crashing to the deck as though losing all power. The car plowed through the dead bots while Shep lowered his window and snatched Mikado just before he sipped off the car and into oblivion.
Behind them, the dungeon-like blackness of the heat vent started to glow red. Brighter and brighter until it was evident that a thunderous wall of flame was fixing to overtake them.
Quenya: I think those sunstone grenades set off all the munitions!
Trex: Fast as you like, Teek! Kit, contact Shadowdancer and have the triage bay standing by!
The shuttle car lurched as Teek put his foot down while Shep struggled to get Mikado through the window and passed to the back of the shuttle car.
Tamati: Just a little more! Someone clear a space and get the tourniquet clamps out of the medical kit!
With struggle and effort, Shep and Tamati finally managed to get Mikado's remaining lower limb inside the car. Shep raised the window while Tamati laid Mikado out flat on the floor. Tuomas held out a pair of metal rings with control pads attached to them.
Tuomas: These, Lieutenant?
Tamati: That's it. Gimme one of them. and someone lift his lower half. And someone call Shadowdancer and tell them we have critically wounded!
Tuomas handed over one clamp while others lifted Mikado from his bum. Tamati immediately wrapped the clamp around what was left of his leg, not much, as it turns out. Only the upper thigh remained. With the clamp attached, Tamati pushed several of the buttons on the control pad and it squeezed his leg tight. Though the bleeding didn't stop entirely, it slowed considerably. Tamati held out his bloody hand to get the next one which Tuomas handed over without comment.
With both clamps in place, Tamati fished around in the medical kit for more instruments. Meanwhile, the fiery red glow coming in the back window grew brighter with each passing second.
Teek: We're almost at the end! My wheels up controls are jammed!
Shep ripped off the service door on the dashboard and started tinkering with the systems.
Shep: I'm on it!
Teek gunned the engines as much as he dared while the fire continued to approach.
Bridge, NCCS Shadowdancer-A
Back on the bridge, tension mounted as the crew watched the little dot dance between the rescue team and the vashtari. Chaos did not do it justice, but somehow, they all made it out. Once the team were packed into the shuttle car and on their way out, Aire gave the order.
Aire: Set course to intercept Blood Agony on the port side, Q6. Ramei, take command of the shuttle bay.
Ramei responded while already on his way to the lift.
Ramei: On my way, Captain.
Aire: Nalma, monitor the Blood Agony's status when we get close. I especially want to know if they deploy any of their regular ships.
Nalma: I'll keep an eye on their hangar bay doors.
It took mere minutes for the Shadowdancer to close the distance. As they neared interception, Baal announced another communication.
Baal: Message from the shuttle car. They have critically wounded.
Not what Aire wanted to hear, but it was better than dead.
Aire: Bridge to sick bay.
Sorchae: Sorchae here.
Aire: Shuttle car reports critically wounded. Have the triage bay ready.
Sorchae: It's ready to go. I'll get down there with my staff and have gurneys ready.
Aire: Acknowledged. Aire out.
Nalma: Reading power fluctuations in the Blood Agony, mostly from the port side. No hangar bay doors open. If the shuttle car keeps its current pace, estimate docking in two minutes.
Aire: Helm, get us into position. Tell Ramei to open the doors.
Shuttle Car
Fire licked at the rear of the car with only a thin shield hugging close to the metal keeping it from melting out from under them. In front of them was the end of the heat sink and, hopefully, freedom. No more obstructions before them, a straight shot to the end.
Shep: I've got control of the wheels!
Teek: Wheels up now!
Shep pulled out one of the relay cards and shifted it to the adjacent slot. The car into a slight wibble, but the wheels shifted to hover configuration. Though against the rules to use induction engines in a confined space, Teek decided to chance it and blasted the shuttle car the final few meters to the end of the heat sink, emerging from the hole with a blaze of fire trailing behind which quickly dissipated into space.
Shep: I've got Shadowdancer's location. Sending now.
Teek: Got it!
Even with the Shadowdancer appearing like a tiny grain of sand in the distance, the induction engines closed the distance quickly. Within a minute, Teek had the car lined up with the shuttle bay. Teek shifted back to thrusters just at the last moment and slowed rapidly, though still approaching the shuttle bay too fast.
Teek: Wheels down!
Shep: Putting wheels down!
Teek full reversed thrusters to slow the car as much as he could. Even with this, the car skidded upon landing and Teek yanked the wheel to the right as hard as he could, sending the car sideways, slowing the skid even faster. By the time they came to a halt, the shuttle doors were already closing.
Ramei: We got 'em, Captain! Go, go go!
Commissioned art in this episode from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Less_End
Colourbrand
Falke2009
