by Unknown
Jo didn't move. As Mike looked around he noticed her hand hanging limply beside him. "Jo?" he called.
When he turned to look more Jo slumped sideways and slid toward the side of the plane. Quickly, he grabbed her by the waist and held on tight. For the first time he saw the crimson stain spreading across her clothes. A knot of fear gripped him as he desperately fought to control the Spirit while keeping Jo from tumbling out of the plane. All he could think of was getting Jo to safety and getting her help.
Mike struggled on, steering his craft towards the dunes in the distance, tears streaming from his eyes. His arms began to ache as he held Jo in her seat. Even the controls seemed to get heavier as he had to compensate for the weight of Jo hanging over the side.
"Oh God! Hang on Jo. Hang on!" he cried to her, not knowing if she could hear him.
Tosh and Hadaie had gone back down to the planet surface to try and talk Terma and Doneda into coming to the ship. When they heard the sound of a small engine overhead, they both looked up to see the Spirit fly about a mile away from them toward the river. “Who is that?” wondered Tosh. Hadaie suddenly straightened. His eyesight was much more acute than Tosh’s. “It’s Michael and Jo,” he nearly shouted. Upon further examination, he noticed Jo slumped nearly out of the plane as Mike was trying to hold her in and fly. “She’s been hurt!” he cried out.
Now Tosh was seeing the same thing. “We need to get over there to help them. Mike will land that plane,” she said.
Hadaie looked at Terma. “Go!” Terma said to him.
Hadaie began to run. Tosh was amazed that he suddenly disappeared from view. Only a torn path through the brush gave any indication where he had gone. In desperation, he would give his last effort to save his friend. The hair on his head turned bright red and the clothing began to smolder. Still he ran faster.
It seemed to take forever for the little plane to make the dunes, but eventually Mike saw a flat clearing with a wide enough space for him to set the Spirit down. He swerved around over a grove of trees on the edge of the clearing and maneuvered the plane so that it was heading into the breeze. With great difficulty he eased back on the throttle to near idle and the little plane began to ease down toward the ground. When near the ground, he pulled back on the stick and flared the Spirit, which seemed to want to stay in the air. Finally, with a slight shudder, she touched the ground and began rolling along. With his free hand, Mike reached up and flipped the ignition switch and the propeller in front of him quickly slowed and stopped.
As soon as the wheels stopped moving he leapt from his seat and pulled Jo into the shade under the silver wing. He quickly yanked off his shirt and placed it under her head. The tears were coming again now as he saw the woman that he had only just professed his love, laying in front of him.
He knelt beside her had took her hands in his. "Hold on Jo," he pleaded. "Don't leave me."
Jo's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him. He felt her hands squeeze his. "Oh Mike. This isn't what I wanted for you," she said quietly.
Mike placed his fingers on her lips. "Don't say anything," he said trying to smile through the tears. "I messed it up. I'm so sorry."
"Oh, don't be," she tried to reassure him. "It was fun. It's not your fault. You got me out of Brana's hands didn't you," she said to him before wincing in pain.
Mike moved closer to her and tried placing his hands around her. Each movement was thwarted when she grimaced in pain. He finally placed both his hands by her head. Mike was almost getting frantic.
"Just hold on Jo. I don't want to lose you now. I don't think I could live without you."
Jo lifted her hand to place it on his cheek. "Oh Mike. I love you so much. No matter what I won't ever leave you," she said with all the love she had. Suddenly she stiffened and screamed, “OH MIKE!" Her eyes were wide open and seemed to bulge from her.
Mike placed his head next to hers. "Easy. Don't move," he said kissing her cheek. "I really meant it you know. Marry me and we'll go flying any time you want."
"In our little Spirit?" she asked looking up at their plane.
"In our little Spirit."
"That would be wonderful."
"What else can a man do for someone he adores?"
Jo sucked in a breath and grabbed Mike with all her strength. She began gasping. "Mike. Hold me. Hold me!" she screamed.
Mike scooped her up in his arms and held tight. He was rewarded by feeling her entire body go limp under him. Her eyes closed and she hung in his arms. She seemed not to move at all.
Mike eased Jo back to the ground gently. He began to sob uncontrollably, pouring his emotions out like water from a bucket. His whole body shook with the sobs as he cried, “Dear God. Please don't take her from me." He sat back on his legs and lowered his head. The tears flowed from his eyes and onto his chest. His hands still clung to hers and he began rubbing them in his as he cried. If any man could mourn more for any other person, Mike would never meet him.
Suddenly he felt someone pull him away. He saw Hadaie kneeling, his uniform in tatters and smoldering, beside him. Mike could feel the heat from Hadaie’s body on his skin. Hadaie felt for a pulse. There was none. “We need to call for help,” he said.
Mike stared at him through the tears. “Mine is gone and I don’t see her’s. I can’t lose her, Ulon. Please help us if you can.”
“Take mine,” Hadaie said as he pulled the radio button from the remains of his shirt collar.
Hadaie opened Jo’s hand and placed his fingertips on hers. He closed his eyes and concentrated. It was if the hair on his head had turned to flame. He stiffened as he tried to take control of her body and will Jo’s heart to begin beating.
Terma came sprinting up as she began breathing. He saw Hadaie’s hair turn to a bright orange.
“Wilkes to Lexington, medical emergency, three to stream directly to sick bay," she said. Hadaie, Jo and Mike were immediately streamed away. Terma stood along beside the Spirit.
It didn’t take long before Tosh and Donada reached the small aircraft sitting alone in the sand. Terma was getting emotional. “He was sacrificing,” he said to his wife. Donada took her hand to her face, “Oh no.” she muttered.
Tosh looked at them with concern. “What does that mean?”
Donada looked at her with tear filled eyes. “It means Hadaie was trading his life for hers.”
Chapter 19
Showdown
"Get her on the table," barked Doctor Nolan.
Mike lifted Jo's limp body and gently laid her on the stasis table. Doctor Nolan was already scanning Jo and looking for vital signs. Once Jo was on the table, he activated the unit which stimulated her heart and lungs. Doctor Nolan was looking intently at the readings, but also keeping an eye on Mike. There were streaks on his face where he had been crying and he was staring at Jo almost as if he were willing her to remain alive.
“I have a pulse. Start blood infusion. I need as much as she can hold,” Nolan called out. “Now hand me the extractor and bring me a portable stimulator!”
The door to sick bay suddenly opened and Mike’s mother came rushing in. Stopping only briefly to scan her surroundings, her eyes locked on Michael and she rushed to him. She saw the tears in his eyes – something she had not seen for a very long time. When she got to his side, he didn’t say a word. He simply placed his face in her shoulder and held her tightly.
No one noticed Hadaie slump into a chair and lose consciousness. One of the attendants cried out and rushed to his side. Hadaie didn’t move. He too was picked up and placed on a table. While Dr. Nolan worked on Jo, Dr. Emerson worked on Hadaie. She had studied alien physiology and was somewhat familiar with Angelan medicine, but so far, she could find no reason why he was not responding. He was cold and his skin mottled. His hair was retaining its bright red color. She also noticed that he looked totally emaciated. Something had taken all of the energy out of him.
While both teams fought for their patients, Tosh, Terma, and Donada came into the
room. Olena followed them. Her father had explained what had happened on the way to sickbay. Very quickly, without understanding why, Olena ran to the table and placed her hand into his, placing their fingertips together. As if he had received an electric shock, Hadaie’s body convulsed. She continued to hold his hand as her hair, once again, began to glow. Dr. Emerson was about to send her away when Terma told her, “Let her bring him back.”
In under a minute, Hadaie’s skin began to regain its color. Soon his eyes fluttered open and he looked to see Olena glowing beside him. His hand reached up and she placed her fingers against his on the other hand. It only took a few minutes and his breathing became normal.
At the other table, Mike continued to try and will Jo back to life. He looked totally destitute. “I can’t lose her now, Mom. Not now,” he sobbed. Mary Wilkes didn’t understand at first. But with each change in Jo’s treatment, she saw the longing in his eyes and the desperation he was feeling. Suddenly she realized what was happening. She held her son closer, “She’ll be fine, Michael. She’ll be back to you in no time,” she said softly.
Tosh was noticing Mike’s actions too. She could feel the intensity of his feelings for Jo as well as the severe pain it was causing with the prospect of her loss. She walked over to him and put her arm around both Michael and Mary. "She will be all right," she said. "Let's stand back and let the doctor work."
They all stood back a few steps and Mike seemed to relax for a moment. Dr. Nolan began an immediate transfer of blood to Jo and used a medical streamer to actually beam the bullet out of her body. He then engaged the cellular stimulator to cause the body to heal rapidly, closing the wound naturally.
"The bullet entered low on her right side," he said. "It passed through one of her kidneys and continued upward, nicking the liver and pancreas, and then lodging in her diaphragm," he said holding up the deformed bullet in his hands. He dipped it in a solution and handed it to Mike. "You can show it to her later," he said smiling. "Right now she's not too well, but give me a few minutes. I am going to remove the destroyed kidney, but she will grow a new one in just a few days. The rest will be back to normal by the time she wakes up," the Doctor smiled.
Mike looked as if the weight of the world had been lifted. He was shaking a little now, but that was not something for the Doctor. Tosh led Mike and his mother to a seat near the bulkhead and began talking to him softy. In a moment, Mike turned to his Mom almost urgently. “Mom, I need to get Grandma’s ring.”
Mary saw the look in Mike’s eyes and knew for sure that something wonderful had happened these few days he had been away. ‘You sure?” she asked.
Michael nodded his head. “No doubt, Mom. I want this.”
Mary smiled and said, “I’ll be right back.” She then quickly left the room.
Mike then turned to Commander Tosh and began whispering to her. After only a few words, Tosh nodded and smiled at him. The Doctor could tell he was thanking her for something.
Turning back to his patient, he could see the all of the lost blood had been replaced and she was breathing much better. Two minutes more and all the wounds were healed. Not even a scar remained. Dr. Nolan motioned for Mike who quickly ran to the table. Eagerly, he switched off the stasis unit and watched as Jo blinked her eyes open. Mike already had her hand in his. He was the first one Jo saw. Both Tosh and the Doctor could see the joy she felt when she saw him. Both of Jo’s parents came in the room in time to see Jo lift her hand to mike’s face and then watch as he bent down to kiss her.
An hour later, Commander Tosh slumped heavily in her chair beside Dickson. She could almost feel the strength leave her as she finally got back to her position on the bridge. It was a tired set of eyes that finally turned to her captain and smiled at him.
In his place, Dickson watched her take a moment. As busy as she had been over the past few days, he was surprised she could stand at all. He also knew that if he were patient, she would tell him all she needed to say. He also knew she could sense his anxiousness and would let him know soon.
"We almost lost Miss Rainey and Hadaie," she said. "The doctor was amazing in getting Jo back. She had a bullet through one kidney and into her diaphragm. It also nicked her liver and pancreas. A few more minutes and she would have been gone," she said with a sigh. Then she looked at Dickson with a knowing look. "That young man Mike Wilkes stayed with her the whole time. I think he did more to help her than even our good doctor," she grinned. "He was the first one she saw when she woke up. Hadaie had poured all his energy into her to keep her alive. The others called it ‘sacrificing.’ Terma said that if his daughter hadn’t gotten to him, he too might have died.”
“What did she do?” Dickson asked.
Tosh chuckled. “She simply touched him. The more I get to know the Angelans, the more amazed I become,” she said with a sigh. “It’s Mike and Jo that surprised me. According to her friends, she hated him. Now he won’t leave her side. Amazing!”
Dickson chuckled. "The two top students at the University," he said shaking his head.
"And very much in love," Troy added in a wistful tone. "As a matter of fact he asked me to do him a favor. That's what took me a while to come up here," she said with a sly grin.
"What about the aircraft?" Dickson asked switching gears.
Tosh sat up in her seat slightly. “Commander Lawson is bringing the aircraft aboard now," she said. "We got it out of sight quickly.”
Dickson nodded. "Good," he said. "Now I'll let our friends know they are safe."
He was just turning around when the watch officers reported, "Captain, you are being hailed from the planet's surface."
"On screen."
President Rapheli appeared on the screen. He looked anxious. "Captain. We are ready to begin. The king and I ask only one thing," he said.
"And what is that?" the Captain asked.
Rapheli grinned. "A diversion. We would like for you to get his attention in the next 10 of your minutes and hold onto it. It will allow us to finish our plans," he said.
Dickson nodded thoughtfully. "Very well, when shall I start?"
"Just monitor our television signals. I believe you will know when," the President said.
"Very well," the captain said. "I think I know just what will get his attention. Good luck. Dickson out." Then he turned to the watch officer. "Red alert! Full power to all systems," he ordered. The lighting systems on the bridge and throughout the ship changed immediately as the alarm went out. "Prepare to leave orbit. I want to let Mr. Levid see what superior technology really is," the Captain said returning to his chair.
On the bridge of the Amad Por, Levid was anxiously monitoring the military buildup on the planet. The glee was still on his face as he soaked the coming destruction in. Occasionally word would come in that caused his eyes to open wide and his pupils dance. The latest word from the planet had caused him to twirl around in his chair.
"They are ready to launch," a crewman reported. He had been watching the telemetry going back and forth from the missiles and their launch computers. "Massive military buildups on the borders. It can happen any time now," he said.
"It is too good to believe," Levid said giddily. "These simpletons will destroy each other in one quick blow! I can't believe they could be so stupid."
Another crewman spoke up. "The leaders are broadcasting now sir."
Levid swung around. "Put it on. Put it on!"
On a television like screen above him, King Raterc appeared to be speaking. The sound was turned up.
"For years now we have been building up for this time. Right now, our military forces are standing ready. We have suffered grievous atrocities at the hands of our enemy. Recently thousands were killed needlessly through poisons at their hands. The time has come to stop this. Look at the weapons of our justice," he said. The image changed to a launch site with the top of the missiles sticking out of the ground. "I am giving the order to begin our justice now," he said. Almost immediately, a gout of flame sprouted fro
m the exhaust ports and the slender missiles rose into the sky. The King continued, "Aboard that rocket is one of our atomic warheads streaking toward our enemy."
He continued to speak as Levid jumped from his seat and began shouting and pounding his men on the heads. "Look at that! They did it!" he screamed with joy.
"There is a similar launch from the other side," the first crewman said. Levid ran to him and looked at the instruments and then up to a television screen showing the launch. He slapped the man on the shoulder. "Marvelous. Just marvelous."
Across the room a third crewman looked up in alarm. "Sir! We are being hailed by the Earth people!"
Levid scowled at him. How dare he interrupt his joy. "Ridiculous. They left days ago with our shuttles following like idiots."
"But it is the one called Dickson," he said.
Levid paused a moment. What could this be about? "Let me hear him."
"Dickson to Levid. Are you there?" came the Captain's voice over the speakers.
Levid placed his hands on his hips in defiance. "Too late, Dickson. My experiment is in the final stages! There is nothing you and people can do about it."
"Possibly," Dickson said, “however, I thought you might like to see some more of our technology."
The crewman stood up from his station and looked at Levid with bewilderment. "Sir, there’s a ship coming in to view from the other side of the planet!"
Levid turned quickly. "Let me see it."
ESS Lexington moved rapidly from the opposite side of the planet, her lights blazing and her massive size almost dwarfing the Theran moon as it passed between. It swept around the Amad Por and stationed itself just in front of it, seemingly blocking her way. The Lexington dwarfed the Amad Por by a huge margin. Even her running lights seemed to light up the smaller ship.
Levid sat down in his chair and stared at the image before him. Then he ran to a view port to see it first-hand. The apparition before him was even more spectacular when seen by his own eyes. "Very impressive," he finally said under his breath.
