MSMF Prompt #79: Disability
What happened to the lights?
"Aaaa!" Sparx pulled back on the control knobs and tried to orient himself. He poked around with his tail, trying to get the lights back on in his cockpit. "Come on, come on, where's that manual override?" he muttered to himself. He could sense the Fist Rocket going into a spiral but without any kind of visual orientation, he wasn't sure how to stabilize it.
Then there was the bone jarring crash. Sparx didn't know what he'd hit, but he hit it hard. Then he heard the distinctive sound of Otto's saws cutting through the side of the cockpit, but the expected gleam of light never came. Cockpit must be full of smoke from the crash. What did I hit?
"Sparx, I've got you, hold on!" Chiro gently slung the red monkey over his shoulder and moved him out of his piloting perch. Chiro set him down and Sparx pulled himself into a kneeling position, feeling the warm metal of what must be the Fist Rocket beneath his knees.
"I don't know what happened, the lights just went out inside my cockpit," he said. Why am I shaking so much? I've been through worse crashes than this in my life, why is this one making me shake?
"Perhaps you shouldn't try to move," Antauri cautioned.
"Antauri's right, you may have sustained a concussion," Gibson agreed.
"I'm okay, just finish pulling me out of the cockpit, it's pitch black in here!" Sparx said.
"What do you mean? You are out," Nova said.
"Come on, I can't...I can't see!" It's my worst nightmare come true, I'll never be able to fly again if I can't see!
He felt someone pick him up and then heard rocket packs activate. A brief flight, then the distinct whirr that signaled a port opening in the Super Robot's hyper-armor. A little farther and the rocket packs turned off. A few moments later, whoever had picked him up deposited Sparx on what must be an exam table in Gibson's lab.
Sparx forced himself to remain calm, even though it was exceedingly frustrating not knowing what was going on. He could guess, though. It felt like his helmet was removed, and his antenna ears. The table was hard and cold, but he forced himself not to shiver. I may be blind but I still have some dignity to preserve. It seemed like hours before Gibson said anything.
"Diagnostics can't find any physical cause for Sparx's condition," Gibson pronounced.
"What's wrong with me?"
"Sparx, you're going to be all right, we're going to fix this," Nova said, taking his hand. He leaned toward where he heard her voice coming from, and laid his other hand on hers.
"What if it's permanent? I'll never be able to fly again. I've always been afraid of loosing my sight and now it's finally happened." I feel like half a monkey. If I can't fly...what do I have to live for?
He laid back on the cold, hard table and turned his head toward Gibson and Antauri's voices. He half-listened to the conversation, until he sensed Gibson standing over him.
"Now where were we? Ah yes, is it time for the dissection party?" Gibson said.
Sparx heard the characteristic whirr of Gibson's cybovac drills and reached toward where he thought Gibson was to push him away. "Keep him away from me!"
"Gibson, are you all right?" Antauri asked.
"Never felt schmurplur! Actually, I think something's very wrong with me," Gibson replied.
No kidding, I've never heard brainstrain say such weird stuff. Well, at least, that kind of weird. I think everything he says is weird. Something must be wrong. What's happening to us?
Sparx tried to take deep breaths, to keep calm. How was it Antauri always explained this meditation thing? Breathe in the good, breathe out the bad? He listened to the sounds around him, the scraping of metal against metal that probably was a second exam table being placed next to his. A clank, probably Gibson being forced to lie down.
He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. "It's just me, Sparx," Nova said quietly. "I've got bandages. Just relax."
"How could I not?" Sparx joked. "Thanks Nova."
She didn't say anything, just started to wrap the bandages around his head. He could hear Chiro and Antauri having a discussion but he didn't pay much attention to it. Then there was a crash. Nova helped him stand up and he leaned on her as they walked out of the lab.
"Why was there no intruder alert?" Antauri asked.
"So I'm guessing it's not the pizza delivery guy," Sparx cracked.
The battle began in earnest. Sparx couldn't see who or what they were fighting, but he wasn't going to stay on the sidelines. He activated his magnets, then tried to guess where to shoot. Hey, this isn't that hard, I'm doing okay!
Then he heard footsteps right behind him. He charged his magnets and turned around. "Tryin' to sneak up on me huh?"
"No, no, get away!" Nova screamed.
"Nova?" Oh no, did I hurt her? Maybe I shouldn't be firing blind...I'm just useless. An explosion knocked him off his feet.
The room quieted down, the battle over. "Where's Nova?" Chiro asked.
"Somethin' happened to her, she totally lost it!"
"It was as if she had no courage...or porridge...or tiny electric rocks," Gibson said.
"Yeah, she was scared!" Otto added.
"Come on, we better make sure she's all right!" Chiro said. Sparx felt someone guide him toward the transport tube and into it.
I can't even find my tube without help, what good am I in this condition? He listened half-heartedly to the conversation in Nova's room. He felt someone take his hand, Nova maybe? They walked out into the hallway.
"Look out!" Chiro cried.
Sparx heard weapons fire, then whoever was leading him ran. Must be Nova, it sounds like her scream. Something hard connected with the back of his head and he fell to his knees. "Ow, watch where I'm goin'!" He felt the sensation of motion and guessed they were in one of the transport tubes.
"Nova?"
"Yeah Sparx?"
"Where are we going? Shouldn't we stick together?" Man she knocked me hard, my head feels like it's going to explode.
"I'm too scared, I just want to hide!" Her voice was trembling. I've never heard her this scared, it's just not like her. What's happening, how is this happening?
"No, we need to find the rest of the team!" he insisted. I wish I didn't need her to lead me, I'd drag her back to the team.
"Come on Nova, I heard Chiro down this way."
"No, I want to find a place to hide, I don't like it in here!"
There were footsteps, then, "Antauri?" Nova's voice perked up.
"What? Where is he?" Sparx guessed that was who made the footsteps.
"Nova, Sparx, run. I don't want to hurt you," Antauri said.
"Antauri?" Nova breathed.
"What's goin' on?" Sparx demanded. Then he heard something whizzing by his head as Nova roughly pulled him down to the floor. A moment later, she had him by the arm and was dragging him at high speed. I feel like a rag doll...and like my arm is going to come out of its socket! Owww...
"No, we're trapped!" Nova finally let go of his arm and he was able to kneel down on the floor. He heard the crackle of what must be Antauri's energy bolts charging up.
"Magno-Field Shield!" He could sense Antauri clawing at the magnetic shield. "I can't hold him, you've got to deactivate his battery!"
"No, I can't do it!" Nova was shaking, he could feel it as she cowered behind him, hands on his shoulder.
"You have to Nova, I need you to be my eyes. First we gotta stun him." He felt a breeze, Nova shaking her head he thought. Antauri growled.
"Now!" he commanded. Come on Nova, help me out here, please!
"Sting Ring!" A thud, probably Antauri being thrown backwards. But the Sting Ring won't hold him long!
"Magno-ball blazer!" He felt Nova grab his wrist and aim the shot. A louder thud, and this time Antauri had to be stunned. "There's not much time, deactivate him, now!"
He felt Nova let go of his hand and listened as she scurried over to Antauri. A thud, she'd flipped Antauri over and opened his jet pack. There was a scream from Nova. Don't know what happened but she's loosing her nerve. "You can do it Nova, you have to."
He heard a click and knew Antauri was deactivated. He heard Nova return to his side. "I knew you still had it in you." He reached out and managed to place his hand on her shoulder without flailing around too much. "Now come on, let's find the others."
Nova took his hand and they made their way back to the transport tubes. It seemed to take forever. "Where did you lead me to anyway?" he asked her. She refused to answer. They slid down the transport tube to the main level.
"Sparx, the tubes are sealed!" Nova said. "We're stuck!"
"Not for long. Help me aim at the cover!" He activated his magnets and felt Nova's hand on his wrist. "Magna-tingler Blast!"
"I may not have the Power Primate, but I still have my monkey combat training!" Chiro was saying. His voice sounds different...oh well, no time to worry about that now.
"And the monkeys that taught you!" Sparx felt Nova let go and he aimed his magnet at where he thought Mandarin was.
"A blind buffoon and a witless coward, this is too easy!" Mandarin laughed.
Sparx listened to the conversation between Chiro and Mandarin, wondering what was going on. That sounds like the automatic defense pillars activating...must be, Mandarin seems to be challenging the Robot. Oh no, he's threatening Chiro!
"Who's afraid now Mandarin?" Chiro said.
Mandarin screamed, and then suddenly, Sparx could see some light filtering through the bandages on his head. He unwrapped them and saw Chiro standing a few feet away. Thank goodness! I'll never take seeing for granted again!
"Wow, wish I could have seen that. Looking good kid." He gave Chiro a wink and a thumbs up.
"Thanks," Chiro said.
Then he winked at Nova, and cried, "Boo!" The sight of her towering over him, fist at the ready, a low growl eminating from her throat, was the most glorious sight just then. "Just testing!" He held his hands up in surrender. Now that's a sight for sore eyes...not sure how I'll get out of this in one piece though. I guess I should have thought of that before I tried to scare her.
"I think it's safe to say that our manifested phobias have rescinded their hold," Gibson said, pulling Nova away and saving Sparx.
I'm sure glad for that, and I'll never take vision for granted again.
THE END