A Dire Request from a Refugee Mother
23 Feb 2024Andromedae
The conversation started with, "Excuse me, are you a rescue pilot?" I turned to find an older woman looking at me with sunken intense eyes, "Yes, ma'am I do fly rescue missions, but I have not flown any this week." She looked hollowed, worn, just simply tired. She had the look of a woman who has cried so much that she has no tears left to cry. "My family is in Nu Guang, do you know where that is?", she continued. 'Yes ma'am", I replied. She continued, "I know I have no right to ask you to fly into danger, but they are all I have. I lost everything to the Thargoids. My home, my husband, and now I may lose my children." I didn't interrupt her, and she continued. "We were in Sedi Carnot Ring when it happened. They were boarding a rescue ship. The crowd... it was thick." I nodded in understanding. "The children were holding my hand... then they weren't. I was being swept into the rescue ship. I only prayed that they would be taken aboard. I couldn't see them... it was so crowded... the screaming... the crying. I couldn't see them..." Her voice trailed off.
I gently held her hand, and said "they weren't on the ship were they?" "No", and her face turned to the ground ashamed. She continued while staring blankly at the ground, "We have been moved from system to system. We were always together. This was the third time. I was always afraid this would happen. Sam... Sam he is my oldest. He is 14. He looks after his sisters and little brother. I know he is looking after them. You must... please...save them."
After rescuing almost 10k people, this was the first time I was actually asked. Before, I just volunteered. It was the right thing to do. How could I say "no". This woman, mother... widow was asking me to give her life back to her.
I looked at her, she turned her war-torn face to me. "I will make haste to Nu Guang, and I will bring your children back to you." I promised.
This war with all of its uncertainty. How could I make such a brazen promise? My chances of finding 4 kids in an evacuating starport of 241 million people. My chances were nearly nil. I couldn't let her hope die in my hands though. "What are all their names ma'am?" Her face brightened lightly, "Sam, Emily, Naira, and Ben." she quipped.
I squeezed her hand and said that I would return. Now I was giving myself a little hope too. Thargoids are a messy lot, and rescue ships get tracked down and destroyed all the time. What if I did find those children, and then died trying to bring them back. My mind was racing.
I departed from the Rescue Ship BertSchinger in Haritanis muttering to myself... "ECM... check... Heat Sinks... check." Flying a big rescue ship like an Imperial Cutter is quite a busy set of tasks. That was good I needed to be distracted. Three jumps down... two jumps... next jump. "Damn the instruments are going squirrely... shit... hyperdiction. "Dang they got me good" I remarked as I was twirling around like a tempest in a teapot. I got control... boost... boost.. heat sink. Shit there are three of them... Will this FSD cool down faster. Retract turrets.
Jump.
I arrived at Sedi Carnot Ring without further incident. The local AXI pilots greeted me on the way in. Compared to them, I am just a rookie. God bless them.
I went to the Pilots Federation registration desk for rescue pilots. I saw Mira. She looked worn out. "Registration please" she remarked without looking up. "You look like shit Mira." She turned a wry smile in my direction. "So do you Draconis... so do you." Mira was beautiful you see. The kind of beauty that turns the heads of both men and women. Though now, she looked very tired and gaunt. She volunteered at the start of the war to help the Rescue Rangers. A year of constant stress can make someone beautiful look old fast.
"I need some help, Mira." The look went from smile to concern. "What's wrong?", she asked. "Nothing is wrong with me; I need some help finding some lost children." Her face now went to a saddened state. "A mother asked me to come here and find them Mira. She has lost everything. I can't let her down.", I said. "God Draconis what have you done? You can't make promises like that. You know how dangerous this work is." she replied in a sad angry response. Her face was now red, and she was shaking her head. "Please Mira" I implored. Her anger softened. "You can look over in Section D6, that part of the terminal... it's...abandoned" her voice trailed off. Then curtly and abruptly, she snapped back. "It is displaced children. I try to get them on any ship, but you know how it works Draconis. They have no money, advocates, or influence." I looked and smiled at her. They have you Mira, and that is the best advocate they can hope for." A slight smile returned to her lips. "I don't know if you are pouring on the charm...", she started. "No, it is true Mira.", I interrupted. "D2 Draconis... D2" she let out a tired sigh.
I can't really describe D2 without making myself sick. Hundreds of children sleeping on anything on any flat surface. Security standing by to keep some semblance of order. Though I could see that this was the small straw draw of duty. They looked tired and sad too. I started calling out names, Sam, Naira, Emily... Ben. After about an hour, a dirty faced boy looked at me and said, "Mister... we register our names over there pointing at a table. A lady crosses them off when she puts us on ships." I thanked the boy who was looking at my hand. I had a bottle of water in it. "Here you go kid, I think you need it more than me." He snatched it from my hand and in what seemed like a gulp. It was gone.
I walked to the table. Indeed, there was a hasty stack of papers piled semi-neatly on the table. There were hundreds of sheets. The names were written by children, some illegible. A small cabinet sat behind the table. It was partially open, and I could see more paper in it. What is this I asked? Well it seems, that all the names on the papers in the cabinet were crossed off with a thin line, and a script letter "M". Ahh Mira, you clever girl. Those must be the kids she personally got transport for.
Looking through the completed transport lists first, I saw a lot of names crossed out, and a number of un-crossed. with a "U". After hours looking at the names, I didn't find any of the children's names. Starting back on the lists on the table, about halfway through the stack there they were. All four names written by most likely a 14-year-old boy. There it was: HOPE.
I tried once more to yelling out the children's names to no avail. I returned to Mira. "What is "U" on the lists?" I demanded. She turned her face quickly to me startled at my abrupt demand. "Unknown... Unknown, I mean I called out their names and no one came forward. After a couple of attempts, I would mark it "U" and file it. It is the best I could do!" she demanded. Realizing my abruptness, "I understand. The children are on the list on the table. No "U"s. I am just holding out hope." Mira's face softened. "I guess you called for them?" she replied. "Yes, multiple times." I replied. "The children are sometimes scared of adult males. Especially, if they don't recognize them." she remarked. "I can try it to see if they will respond to me. Sometimes the children wander too. Boredom, hunger, and thirst motivate them to move around the starport.", she further remarked. "I would appreciate it.", I said. She got up and I started to follow her to section D2. She stopped and turned around, "Adult males remember? Stay here."
In what seemed like an eternity, she returned by herself looking disheartened. "Well?", I said, but I already knew her answer. "No signs of them.", she replied. My heart sank. I felt a hole in my soul. Mira could see the gut punch her remarks had made. "Draconis... look... I mean..."; a long pause, then she continued. "Hope is not lost yet, they might not be there for a number of reasons at the moment. I need you though." I looked at her blankly. "All these kids need to get out of this system. I need YOU to do it." The slap of reality scored a direct hit. "Of course, Mira, of course.", I replied. "I will look for those children for you, but you need to help me get these other children out. I promise I will keep looking."
"Follow me.", she said. We walked together back over to D2. "Children, this is my friend Draconis. He is a rescue pilot. He has a really nice big ship and wants to take you to the Rescue Ship. I trust him with my life and now I want you to trust him with yours..."Mira repeated the kids names I was looking for again to no avail, and then continued on her list. Once we had a full complement of children, we herded them past the throng of people clamoring to board any vessel out of system. I loaded the children in their seats with Mira's help.
As Mira was walking down the ramp, she turned back to me. Then in a remarkable swift movement planted a kiss right on my lips. and then whispered in my ear: "You are a hero... be safe... and get back soon." I stood stunned. As quickly as the kiss, she was down the ramp. Damn... she was still beautiful. Maybe I misjudged harshly.
"Request departure... Roger Romeo Echo Sierra. You are clear for departure to Rescue Ship Bertschinger. God Speed." No sooner than we initiated our jump, hyperdiction. This time the stakes were too high. I needed to get out of this. I could hear the children screaming, but I needed to keep my cool. "Remember your training.", I said to myself. Damn three of them again. Oh no, we have a problem, they are directly in the path I need to jump. Boost, Boost, Heat sink, Dammit missiles... 3...2...1 ECM. Boost, boost. Shields collapsing. More missiles... boost, boost, boost..3..2..1. ECM. Clean FSD. Retract turrets, boost...
Jump.
The screams of panic went silent. Then, a single little voice. "We made it." The rest of the trip to the rescue ship was uneventful. The faces of the waiting parents while the kids were going through processing was agonizing to watch. "I can't stay. I made a promise." The Captain of the Rescue Ship looked at me and nodded.
The trip back to Nu Guang was uneventful. It appeared to be the calm before the storm. I arrived at the starport and started walking down the ramp in the hanger. I was greeted by Mira with 4 children to one side, and a whole throng on her other side. I knew. Mira had found them.
Before Mira could open her mouth, I grabbed her and gave her a kiss. "Well! That was unexpected." she exclaimed. The children began to laugh and tease. I looked at the older boy and said "You must be Sam. Your mother sent me to find you, your sisters, and brother." He nodded with a weary look. "Mira, I think you are the goddess Hope in disguise." Again, we set the children in their seats.
As we were walking down the ramp, she kept walking this time. "Hmm.. are you forgetting something?", I remarked. Mira turned around with that sexy wry smile. "No, I don't want you to get used to it too much... Hero Boy. Next time you come back, buy me a drink and I might just give you that kiss."
Alright Mira, I will be back.
We arrived back at the rescue ship and started to unload. Sam and company started to leave. "Not so fast, I am bringing you back to your mom myself. I promised her that, and I intend to keep my promise. We are going in system to Gentle Gateway. You can all ride up here with me except Ben. He needs to be buckled in back."
We arrived at Gentle Gateway, and walked to the reception area where their mother was located. The children met their mother's eyes just as I walked in. A mad dash ensued, followed by hugs, and tears. I just stood back and enjoyed the moment. Suddenly, the old woman walked over to me with teary eyes. She started to speak, but no words came out. "I promised" I said, and she nodded. I turned to walk away, and I heard Sam say to his mom, "I want to be a Rescue Ranger when I grow up."
I turned and smiled. "You will be kid."