Self-Rescuing Knights

Posted on Tue 9th Apr, 2019 @ 10:18pm by Commander Paul Graves PsyD & Commander Mikaela Locke & Commander Jasmine Collins-Keller & Lieutenant Commander Alora Baro & Makila i'Hartelhai
Edited on on Sun 26th May, 2019 @ 5:06am

1,420 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: A Diplomatic Affair
Location: Tramway, near deck 730
Timeline: MD 1, 16:30

Skye had screamed as they were jostled about only to have everything stop in the dark. She'd instinctively held on to a safety bar for dear life, what her mom used to call her 'spider monkey' move because she was so agile and once she latched onto something didn't tend to let go. A sophomore at her school, she'd thought she was all grown up, but right now she wanted nothing more than her mom or dad to show up and fix this. She checked herself; she didn't seem broken, just bruised, well thank the gods for that.

She didn't think her parents would magically show up, though, and as some talked about whether to go or stay, she heard one voice in the dark giving orders. Something to do, to focus on, that helped. A plan. She had to have a plan. Everything was better with a plan. Suddenly she remembered something and pulled at the messenger study bag still wrapped cross ways on her body, good it was still there. It was somehow comforting to still have when the lights came on and she was temporarily blinded....

Aiko brought the full-spectrum lights up by running her fingers up the bargraph, then used the light to examine the rest of the information the panel provided. "Okay," she said, loudly enough for the other girls to hear clearly. "The second car is still attached to the track. It's feeding a trickle of power through, but neither that nor the batteries are going to be enough to get the gravity back on. Plus, this car is in an unstable situation. I recommend we evacuate to the back car."

"But..." came a small voice from somewhere, "the computer lady said to stay put and wait for rescue."

"Censor that," Yucholl called back. "We're not delicate princesses! We are the armored champions of Saint Joan's!"

"I'm a princess," someone called.

Menali burst into helpless giggles for a moment. "Thanks for the laugh, 'Randa. I needed it. Now let's move toward the other car, shall we? Can you see the hand-straps?"

"You think I'm kidding," Miranda grumbled. She blinked as the lighting returned. "Oh, good. Yeah, now I can see the hand-straps."

"Then grab my hand and come with me, Your Highness." Menali said. "I'll get you out of this here trash compacter. Yucholl, how are you and Aiko?"

"Bringin' up the rear," Yucholl called back.

"Everyone, look around you," Aiko directed. She could dimly remember evacuating from the ship the night her mother died, and this was entirely too like that; her voice trembled, even as she gave directions. "If there's anyone unconscious, or too hurt to move, or too scared to move, make sure they don't get left behind! Littles! Find a big, and hold her hand to keep her safe! Bigs need reminding not to do dumb things, so you hang on as tight as you can!"

Sarah didn't consider herself a little, so she looked around to see if there was anyone who needed help. She was disgusted to realize she might be the youngest in the car. Little, indeed! She had plenty of practice in microgravity, because of father's former position, so she pushed off and floated carefully over the heads of those who were still clinging to seats or the few floating loose. It worried her to see how many there were. Surely medical help would show up soon? She bumped softly against the last pole and waited her turn to exit.

"Wait," Teagan spoke up. "Some of us...me for one, are going to have difficulty moving." She didn't want to seem like a baby but there was no way she should be moving, nor the girl with the head injury. It would be safer to stay behind. "And we don't know how the movement will jar the car around. There is a lot of debris floating about. It might be safer to sit still." She thought for a moment. "Or move in pairs only...slowly...and carefully. I will stay back with anyone else that can't move. You said yourself, the tram car is in an unstable position." Teagan was thirteen and didn't expect the older girls to listen but she hoped they would consider her advice. She knew there was no way she was going to be able to float around everything to get to the other car even in microgravity. Her arm was still broken and in great pain.

Avik made her way back to Teagan. In a soft voice, she said, "I think the electricity to the tracks will surely be turned off soon, because workers can't come down here to help us if it's still on." She was trying to be practical and act as she thought her mother would. "How's your arm? Do you want company, if the others decide to move to the other car?"

Teagan paused a moment and then nodded, ashamed that she was afraid.

"Then I will stay," Avik said, settling down next to the girl she had previously only had a slight acquaintance with. She reached into her backpack and took out a water bottle. Opening it, she gave it to Teagan. "This might help stave off shock. I want to put my backpack under your feet, raise them a little. That might help, too."

"Does anyone have a tricorder in their possessions? I am a nurse and might be able to assist some of the injured." Makila's shoulder ached terribly but with help she too could do her part.

"I have an electronic video magnifier with a light, but no tricorder," Miranda said. "Would that help you?"

Just at that moment, the girl with the head injury moaned, groggily. "I..." she started to say, before her voice trailed off into nothing.

Skye looked around for the sound. Seeing a girl nearby with a head injury, carefully crawled the few feet over to her, trying to help.

The young girl groaned again, her eyes were heavy and her breathing slow and shallow.

Menali gave the injured girl a worried look, as well. "Miranda, I'm going to make sure you're in the other car, and then I'm going to come back here. We might need your magnifier."

"It's all yours," Miranda said. She braced her feet around a seat leg so she wouldn't go spinning around the seat in the micro-gravity and dug the item from her backpack. "You break, it you buy it."

"If I break it, my parents will kill me," Menali assured her. She slipped the magnifier into her purse. tucked the shoulder strap over her head, and escorted Miranda and her backpack toward the rear of the car, one hand-strap and foothold at a time. For anyone else, kicking off and floating toward the rear door might be a good idea. For someone with vision as bad as Miranda's--bad idea. She could crash into the rear door before realizing she was about to collide with it.

"Okay," Aiko amended, her voice still shaky, but loud, "If you feel safe moving, move toward the aft car. Let's give the nurse room to work. Triage?" She thought that was the right word. "There's a medical kit here, ma'am, but I'd be surprised if it's got more in it than plaster and aspirin."

"We'll stay behind," Yucholl called, her long, serpentine lower body still wrapped tightly around the standpole. "My tail gives me an advantage in microgravity; I can help anyone move who needs it." Her voice didn't shake, but her arms around Aiko were tightly wrapped, indeed.

"I feel like a darned monkey," Miranda groused as she moved from hand-strap to hand-strap.

"Your backpack's not helping," Menali said to her as they moved toward the rear of the car. "You want me to take it? That'll make it a lot easier for you to move."

Miranda paused, sighed, and nodded. She got another foothold and unslung the pack, handing it to Menali, who put it on her own shoulder.

"This thing is chock-full," Menali said. "What do you have in it?"

"You know, the usual." Freed of the cumbersome pack, Miranda was moving much faster now, as Menali carefully floated in small leaps beside her. "Water bottle, make-up, magnifier, telescope, pens, cell, PADD, eyedrops, toothbrush, an orange--"

"Kitchen sink?"

"That, too."

Skye tried to keep the girl awake, "She's got a head injury..." She called before talking to the girl, "Are you ok?

The girl turned her head slightly towards Skye and groaned again, weakly.

 

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