The Pegasai Saga Epilogue
20 Aug 2016Jellicoe
I was floating in pure light surrounded by every colour of the spectrum, somewhere in the far, far distance a vaguely familiar voice was speaking but I couldn't make out what it was saying. I felt I was moving upwards and that the light was parting around me I was moving towards what looked like a surface (I can't explain light having a surface but it made sense at the time), then I remembered a face snarling hatred, a gun, a shot then nothing. I must be dead and this must be the afterlife, perhaps the voice was my mother, it was recognisable as female now, I reached the 'surface' but the light remained and I could see two faces, a man and a woman but not my mother or father, angels?"Is this heaven?" I managed to say.
The man smiled. "Not unless I'm Saint Peter. Welcome back lad, you gave us a real fright." I knew I knew the man but I could not remember who he was. I was lying on a bed in a softly lit white room, my stomach was covered with dressings.
"What happened? I was shot, I should be dead."
"you very nearly were. The gunshot triggered the internal sensors so we got to you quickly, you lost a lot of blood but the bullet somehow missed all your vital organs. You've been very lucky."
"If I was that lucky I wouldn't have got shot." Doctor Firman I remembered the ships physician but who the woman was I had no idea. "I need to see Claude, there's a traitor on board, we need to contact Craddock, I have to get to the bridge."
"You are going nowhere young man." The woman spoke for the first time. "This might be your ship but right now you are my patient. The re-gen packs need twenty-four hours to do their job, move now and you'll open yourself up all over again."
"Stannis you've been out for over seventy-two hours." Doctor Firman said gently. "It's all been attended to, Craddock has the data, we're aboard the Resolution in deep space somewhere in Ra. This is Doctor Howarth, she's a trauma care specialist on Craddock's staff that he's assigned to us, I managed to stabilise you but she's the one who saved you so I suggest you listen to her."
"What about Rapley?"
"He's dead. He tried to shoot his way onto the bridge and the marines cut him down."
"I need to see Claude."
"No." Doctor Howorth replied firmly. "You need rest and I will make sure you get it."
"I need to see Claude, I need to know what's happened and work out what to do next. I've been on my back too long already."
"One more word out of you young man and I shall have you sedated. I didn't save you from that mans bullet so you could kill yourself for him. Twenty-four hours complete rest, then we'll see."
Doctor Firman looked questioningly at Howarth and gestured to his pocket, she nodded reluctantly. "You can have a look at this." he said passing me a holo disk "It's from Craddock." I played the disk as soon as I was alone, Admiral Craddock's hologram looked tired, his usually bright eyes heavy and black rimmed.
"Sorry I couldn't wait till you woke up M'boy but I can't stay still for long it would put us both at risk. I'm leaving Doctor Howarth with you, she's very good and won't stand for any messing, as I'm sure you've discovered." he smiled. "The data's being decrypted so fingers crossed it's useful and your first officer has given me a lot to think about, you did well. I can only repeat my warning; dark forces are moving and they threaten us all. Find somewhere quiet and lie low, do nothing to draw attention to yourself and stay out of trouble." I lay back and thought, I would leave the core but I had no intention of staying quiet.