Duty, 40: Where the Circle is Closed
30 Apr 2023Meowers
Oftenly, when you're in an immediate danger, and seconds, even split seconds matter, you may feel the world around you slowing down, and whilst there's a scientific explanation to that, I'd like to add a little more of romantic meaning. As if it were the Time itself, slowing down its pace for you and you only, giving you a chance to change your mind, to rethink, to find a better path, to react in a better way. A chance that might appear only once in a lifetime.
Charging into a desperate attack, I let the thoughts of my past to invade, to overpower my mind, to drive my hand. The same past that placed me in a loop, the same past that did all that to me, the past that I hated and still hate. The past that never had any good, warm memories attached to it. And, letting my past to affect me now, the same way it happened that day, I will never get a different future. I will never break these chains. To control my future, I must stop the past from controlling my present.
"You mean a lot to me, remember it", said Mion down there, on the ground. Mion. We were together in my dreams, building a future, actually having a future. And my dreams, they've always been the place where I felt myself alive. They've always been my safety, my shield, protecting me from adversity, injustice, darkness. My reason to keep moving forward, sometimes even a reason to exist, no matter the odds. For years. Throughout my entire life. And what was that, if not the chance to make those dreams begin happening in the reality? Why shouldn't I let the thoughts of my possible future to form my present instead?
At least to try. It is already more than nothing. The nothing I've had in my past.
I grabbed the stick and pulled up as sharply as I could. Marshmallow hadn't enough energy to boost or even alter the trajectory significantly, yet successfully avoided a head-on collision. Moved away out of the death's gaze. Flat, heavily armoured bottom part of the ship collided with the crippled Hydra, cracking the beast, making it spill its green fluids from the gaping wounds, and sending both of us diving into the atmosphere. Everything started to tumble after the impact, and my vision faded...
* * *
Master alarm sirens wailing. My hands weak and trembling, my vision blurred, my thoughts are an unrecognisable mess. I saw flames engulfing the ship on reentry. The ship, and my enemy. The Hydra. What was left of it, shattered pieces. It was dead. But, I was alive. Still alive...
Thankfully, the emergency protocols kicked in, rebooting vital systems. And maybe my combat suit medport activated too, injecting something into me, to wake me up... Didn't have any time to look at the datapad. Marshmallow fought for her life, struggling against the atmosphere, trying to stabilise and slow down the fall.
I couldn't really see a thing... Everything was blurred. I had to strain my eyes to see the altitude and speed readings, and, doing so, I was unable even to see the horizon. Thankfully... It was a muscle memory, I brought the settlement coordinates onto the screen and tried to aim. Stabilising the descent and trying to decelerate at the same time. Main engines were totally out, but at least I've had some manoeuvring thrusters left in a somewhat working shape. Pulling the nose up, letting the flat and armoured bottom face the incoming air flow, resisting it... I tried to perform some kind of an old aerobraking technique.
Still, overshot by something like a fifty kilometres, but at least I didn't fall into the water. Levelling the ship on the last metres, hoping that... Marshmallow will hit the ground and slide on the grass, like an iron, to full stop nicely, without any jumping, tumbling and falling apart, I braced myself.
Speed, around one hundred. One-digit altitude. And, another impact... Darkness.
* * *
I was on the floor... Couldn't move, even breathing was painful..shit, couldn't see anything, helmet was covered with blood, and the glass was broken... I couldn't even feel..any limbs, do they..were they still there?.. Shit... And that dizziness, lost some blood... Hah, not surprised... And I heard that..metal screech, someone had tools to..force-open the emergency airlock... I heard voices..but couldn't reply... Hadn't enough breath to say a single word, just..whispering... Crap, that's useless, suit comms are out... But, those voices, they were... They were getting closer and closer. I activated the recorder in my helmet, hoping that thing was still alive... Had to stop putting any strain on what was left of me. And, that female commanding voice...
"Harris, Moreno, search for the pilot! Hagman, Harper, Frederickson, assess the damage!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"...powerplant is still operable on minimal, but there's a severe coolant leak, right thrusters are fried..."
"There she is, in the cockpit!"
"How is she?"
"Bad, ma'am. Vitals are stable but faint. That combat suit is keeping her alive."
"...bless the reinforcements, she lost the right wing, but the engine mount is still here..."
"Broken arm, broken leg, another leg is wedged between the seat and the console part, several broken ribs, blood loss..."
"Sh*t. Do your best!"
"She's a tough one, I hope she'll pull through."
"...black box says she was giving some work to those thrusters to compensate, could've been worse..."
"Gave her some proper painkillers. Can't give more, suit medport have already made too many emergency shots."
"...this ship is sturdy, we could make it spaceworthy to reach the Hercules and make proper repairs..."
"Request the needed parts! We need them now! Moreno, grab the stretcher, we're taking her outta here!"
"...some coolant pipes to create a makeshift circuit, a set of stabiliser electronics, hull panels, oxygen tanks, armature, cables..."
"Here, now! Rip the f**king seat off, she needs that leg to kick ass!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"...external stuff is a mess, but the internals are holding together, we might even take off today..."
"Harper, clear the debris, we need a smooth way to the exit!"
"On it!"
Then I felt... They took my broken body carefully and moved me onto the stretcher. And, someone leaned over me, looking into my face... I heard that female voice again. Close to me. That time, it was quiet and reassuring.
"Hang on in there Muir. Continue to be strong. It can be hard not to lose hope and to never stop fighting. But some things in life are worth fighting for, and a brighter day will always come...
You've shown great courage, fighting for a cause...but now it's time to fight for something more important. More precious...
Always believe in yourself. Never give up....and fight for life."
And was that voice... the same I heard in the speech?