“But you three are covered in the Roe’s body fluids now. Will you again be infected?” Jodie asked.
“No. Paul and Gretchen are already immune. I became immune when I was cured,” Brinley said. There was a sudden snapping sound from under her. “Tennard! Oh no, his leg has broken.”
Indeed, his left leg was canted at an odd angle and was no longer kicking.
“But look at his eyes,” Gretchen said. “They are clearing.”
Tennard’s eyes were still orange, but lacked the intensity of shortly before. The black of his pupils was back, and he was blinking rapidly.
“I know where we are. I do,” Tennard said with some slurring in his words. “I know.”
“Tennard, let the treatments work. Just relax as much as you can. I am here,” Brinley said and stared into his eyes which were fading like light from the sky tube as dusk.
“I know… where… Brinley?” Tennard mumbled.
“Yes, Tennard. I am here. You will be well.” She was crying profusely and tears were falling onto Tennard’s chest.
Paul and Gretchen relaxed their grips.
“I cannot believe what I am seeing. Yet, I do believe it,” Jodie said. She brushed her straight black hair away from her eyes. She then noted that Sigmond was bleeding and in need. She rushed to his aid, kneeling down and trying to help him stop the blood flow.
The elevator jerked a bit as it began to descend again. Hector stood near the controls.
By the time the freight lift had reached the lowest level, Tennard’s eyes were normal again. He was still lying on the deck. Jodie had a rough bandage around Sigmond’s forehead and that bleeding had greatly slowed.
“What happened? My arm and my leg are broken?” Tennard asked in confusion. “Last thing I recall, Sigmond and I were trying to cut open a door. I think. Is Sigmond safe?”
Sigmond groggily sat up and looked to Tennard. “I was struck and my head hurts severely. But I think I am safe. Were you caught in the elevator door as it closed? Where is the Roe that attacked us?”
“I am connecting you with the med kit on your arm, then it will fix your leg,” Gretchen stated. She connected the wires to opposite sides of where she estimated the bones were broken. Tennard felt the pain lessening and a tingling sort of sensation happening.
“We cured you from being a Roe!” Brinley stated with a huge grin on her face.
“What?” Tennard asked. “I was infected?”
“That cannot be, right?” Sigmond looked at him. “The elevator crushed you, and you fell to the floor. The Roe must have been shut out on the other side of the door. No one can cure the Roe.”
“That is right!” Martha called from her distant position on the lift. “There was no Roe here. Just two injured Free Rangers.”
Jodie whirled on them. “You saw it with your own eyes! His eyes were bright orange. He was a Roe! He was striking at them.”
“I saw two men get injured by the elevator door. One was writhing on the floor in pain. The other bleeding and hurt. I saw nothing else. No Roe.” Hector was adamant.
“That is what I saw also,” Martha added.
“Surely, Sigmond, you admit to what you saw?” Jodie said.
“My head really hurts. Yes, his eyes were… orange. I think they were, but something hit me. I jumped out of the way of the elevator door and barely got inside myself. Then Tennard was injured. That is what I saw,” Sigmond replied. “I did think there was a Roe. Maybe? This is all so confusing.”
“His eyes were bright orange!” Brinley said and got right into Sigmond’s face. “We all saw it!”
“Please do not yell at me. My head is throbbing,” Sigmond replied.
“You saw a trick of the light,” Hector replied. “We are all stressed by the CPO forcing us down from the plateau. Add to that the injury that these two normal men received. It was all just stress. We cannot let some over active imaginations run rampant in a crisis.”
Gretchen had attached the medical kit to Tennard’s leg now and that treatment was progressing. She was focused on his needs, hoping to finish soon so as to use the med kit on Sigmond.
Martha was standing near Hector now. Hector went on, “Two injuries by a door that was closed way too hastily. These men were injured unnecessarily.” Martha was nodding her head in agreement.
“I know what I saw,” Jodie stated with confidence.
“With all that has happened, it is no wonder. In this crisis, you, Jodie, may have lost your focus and panicked. It happens sometimes to everyone,” Hector said. He had a most unpleasant leer on his face. “Leadership has been hard and is stressful. The plateau was not secured, the CPO came, you slammed a door on two Free Rangers, and now you have a wild tale about some Roe being cured? Perhaps you need to take some time to recover from all these incidents?”
“Hector, I know your ambition. But this is too much,” Jodie fumed.
“I know what I saw!” Brinley declared.
“That man was a Roe,” Paul added. “Tiffany? Can you do a recorded playback of what happened with this man?”
The voice of the AI Tiffany came out on area audio. “Yes, I have the incident fully recorded with sound and visual from Paul’s, Brinley’s and Gretchen’s perspectives.”
“An AI?” Martha asked incredulously. “You expect us to believe an AI? They can be programmed to display or say anything. Jodie, you know how meaningless the testimony of any artificial intelligence system is.”
“I know,” Jodie stated. She sounded defeated. “However, I also know what I saw. Tennard was a Roe.”
“Jodie, you are delusional,” Hector said. “No one can cure a Roe. I imagine I will have to speak to the Trade Master about you, and this repulsive lack of leadership.”
The elevator reached the lowest level, and the doors automatically opened. Hector and Martha rushed out and sprinted down a corridor.
“Your injuries have been treated with bone growth stimulation. The med kit says they will be fully healed in 72 hours,” Gretchen said to Tennard. “I must help that other man now.” She pulled the wires off of his leg and rinsed them in antiseptic gel as she approached Sigmond.
“Tennard, why are you here?” Brinley asked. “Why is Sigmond here?”
Tennard looked up and then informed Brinley about what had happened with the security automacubes attacking the other safe zone. He reported the event in a concise, but complete manner.
“They are all dead?” Brinley asked with a quaver in her voice. “All of them were killed? Murdered?”
“By order of Constable Larissa,” Sigmond said. Gretchen had connected him to the med kit, and his head was clearing. The gash in his forehead had been treated with a gel that came from the kit. The skin was knitting together as he spoke. “A medical automacube told me Constable Larissa ordered the killings. I believe she is in the Wilds, right?” He rubbed his sore head. Even though the medical kit was treating him, he was still exhausted, anxious, and worried.
“That is the same person who killed that man Ferdinand and tried to kill us,” Paul said. “Why would she slaughter innocent people?”
“She is evil,” Brinley said in a low and controlled tone. “Constable Larissa, of E Habitat, she just dominates the Wilds.” Her eyes were burning with anger.
“The med kit says your injuries are nearly healed. The concussion is receding and this injection will stimulate blood replacement,” Gretchen stated as she took another syringe from the kit and injected it into Sigmond. “The treatments are finished when you eat this tablet.”
Sigmond took the small tablet and swallowed it. “I do feel better. What was that tablet for?”
“You are now immune from the Roe infection,” Gretchen stated. She turned to Jodie, “I can have the kit make you one as well.”
Jodie considered and then answered, “Yes, thank you.”
Gretchen connected the medical kit’s wires to Jodie’s arm. A moment later, a tablet slid from the side of the kit. Gretchen handed it to Jodie.
“Yes,” Gretchen replied.
Jodie ate the tablet.
Gretchen packed up the medical kit and placed it back on her belt. “Brinley? I am sorry to hear about what happened with your people.”
Brinley was about to respond when a loud tone was heard coming from Jodie’s mini-computer. She pulled it out and spoke, “This is Jodie.”
Rodgeeri’s voice came through, “Jodie, Hector and Martha are here with some wild stories. Are you safe?”
“Yes, Trade Master, I am well. I will be there shortly. There were two men injured, but they are better now,” Jodie replied. “I believe they can make it to the living quarters area.”
Both Tennard and Sigmond nodded their agreement.
“Hector is babbling about you losing your mind? Was there a Roe attack?” the Trade Master asked. “Martha is demanding an investigation of your competence.”
“Rodgeeri, do you think I have lost my abilities?” Jodie asked.
“These stories are pretty extreme,” Rodgeeri the Trade Master agreed. “And with Ivana’s report about the safe zone near E Habitat, I am not sure what is happening. She just docked here after being unable to unload or even dock there. She was on a trade mission and says all those hanger bays are open to space and inoperable. She says there was explosive decompression with human remain in the hanger bays, stuck into the webbing along the walls.”
“I will be there shortly,” Jodie said, and ended the conversation.
“This must be avenged,” Brinley said coldly and flatly. “I am going to the Wilds.” Brinley sprinted away down the corridor.
“Brinley wait!” Paul called after her. He then ran after her.
“Brinley?” Gretchen also called. She then looked to Jodie, “Can you..”
Before she could ask, Jodie replied, “Yes, I will make sure these two get to the living quarters and get a place to rest and recover. I also have some clarification to make with the Trade Master and others, and would like to hear more about what happened at the other safe zone.”
“Then I am going with Paul and Brinley!” Gretchen called back as she sprinted away. “I think Brinley is going back to that frozen place.”
“It will not be frozen now,” Jodie replied, but she doubted if Gretchen heard her.
11 back to the wilds
“Brinley? Please talk to me!” Gretchen called as she and Paul finally caught up to her. Brinley had stopped at a bulkhead door and was entering the sequence to open it. It led to the hanger bay.
“I am going back to the Wilds. Larissa cannot be allowed to get away with this,” Brinley said confidently, but with malice.
“We should talk this through,” Paul said. “What will you do back in that frozen place?”
“It is not frozen now, and I will just confront Larissa,” Brinley said with determination. “She slaughtered all my people. There is a price to be paid, and I will be the collector.”
The bulkhead door slid open. Brinley marched ahead and came to the small shuttle.
“What?” She yelled. The shuttle’s nose was disassembled and parts laying in orderly rows on maintenance mats. “Rodgeeri! What has happened to my shuttle?”
The Trade Master came out from a doorway. “Brinley. I enjoyed your meat so well I wanted to give you a gift and was repairing your shuttle for you.”
“I need to leave immediately!” Brinley remarked. “My people were slaughtered. It will take me at least four hours to repair this!”
“More like six, to get it all refined and aligned,” Rodgeeri said. “I thought you would be at Jodie’s Minstrel Show for more than enough time for my surprise gift to you. I am sorry. I honestly thought the repairs would be a way to assist you. And I too have heard disturbing news about your safe zone. I am sorry. It is said the hanger bays there are open to space and inactive.”
“They were all murdered. I need to leave now,” Brinley said and opened the door to the shuttle and started filling her backpack with tools, supplies, and anything else she could think of. “I will find a way in, I will walk there if I have to, but I am going now.”
“Brinley, we can take the ship we flew,” Gretchen said. She looked at the runabout, its sleek blue finish gleaming in the light of the hanger bay. It was even smaller than the shuttle.
“Yes, I will take that,” Brinley said emphasizing the I. She slung her backpack over her shoulder.
“But we must come with you. You saved our lives from Larissa before. We will not let you face this alone,” Gretchen said.
Paul gave them both a puzzled and troubled look, but said nothing.
“The runabout only seats two, and with all my equipment, that second seat will be full,” Brinley said as she opened the canopy of the runabout and set her gear in the posterior seat of the runabout. “So, I am going alone. Better than being trapped here.”
“Brinley, it is my fault you are trapped here without your own shuttle. I have a proposition. I will trade you your load of dried beef, all of it, for a short-term lease on one of my own runabouts. You will still own your 14S shuttle, and I will finish the repairs on it. When you come back, I get my runabout back, and you are free to go in your own shuttle. But I keep the beef,” Rodgeeri said, with a sly grin. “Do we have a trade?”
Brinley walked over and stared at him. “I can only fly one ship at a time and I have no time to get another runabout ready from storage.”
“It is already set to go. Which of you flies the leased runabout is of your own concern. You three came here as a team for trading, and I am making an offer to all three of you. Do you accept?” Rodgeeri asked. “The offer is only good for the next three minutes.” He chuckled a bit, but his eyes revealed that he knew exactly how serious this situation was.
“Brinley, we can do this. But only together. Just like when you rescued us,” Gretchen added. “We owe your our lives.”
“Besides, where else do we have to go? We are trapped here on the Vanguard, so we might as well stay with you,” Paul stated. He then realized how discouraged that sounded, and added. “But we want to help you as well. I know we do.” Paul paused for a moment then added, “Besides, two ships might prove to be necessary.”
Brinley gave Paul a look, but then walked over to Rodgeeri and clasped him on the shoulder. “If your runabout is ready to leave in these three minutes, I accept your offer.” She tried to grin, but failed and her mouth remained drawn and tight. The anger inside of her was more than she had ever experienced in her life. She tried to sound as professional as possible, but it was hard. “My model 14S will be finished when I return, correct?”
“Yes. The runabout you are leasing is my own for personal uses. It is always ready. I have certain lady friends whom I visit on occasion. It is in the far hanger,” The Trade Master stated. “Remember, if you cannot gain access to your safe zone’s hanger, just come back here and we will conclude our deal.”
“Paul, I will go with Brinley,” Gretchen said. “If you can fly that runabout with all the equipment?”
“I can fly it. Tiffany can help me, and I will follow you, right?” Paul replied. He was hesitant and unsure.
“You do not have to come. This is not your fight,” Brinley said and nodded to Rodgeeri. He led her away.
“What? Hey! Well, I did not say I would not go. I will come,” Paul stammered. He watched for a moment as Gretchen and Brinley followed Rodgeeri away. He then turned to the shuttle and grabbed all the Dome 17 equipment he could find. “I do not want to freeze again, so I am taking everything we have.” He mumbled to himself. “Food, clothing, tools, weapons. Yes, I must bring the weapons, and fusion packs, and torches. What else… I will just take everything I can pack in.”
“Taking a variety of supplies is a wise course of action,” the AI Tiffany said through the private channel of his communication link. “There are many unknown variables in this proposed course of action.”
&nbs
p; “What are we going to do there?” Paul asked.
“That remains to be seen,” Tiffany replied. “It is helpful that Gretchen is going with Brinley. Gretchen can help to mitigate the anger Brinley is experiencing. Although, from my observations, the anger is justified. However, humans tend to make reckless decisions while in emotional states of anger. Additionally, the enemy, Constable Larissa, has taken egregious actions. You should not underestimate the threat she poses.”
Paul carried all the Dome 17 equipment to the runabout and stuffed it in around Brinley’s backpack. The posterior seat of the runabout was crammed full of items. Its small space had no room for even another data stick. He secured the gear with webbing material to keep it in place.
The Colony Ship Vanguard: The entire eight book series in one bundle Page 39
