Tightrope
"Hold on Cara, please…"
Carried in the arms of her best friend, twenty-four year old Cara flickered in and out of consciousness. Her icy blue eyes were glazed over with pain, the creamy color of her skin growing paler with each passing moment as blood flowed from an open wound on her right side.
Raider panicked as he stared into Cara's eyes watching the bright-eyed beauty in his arms fading. Being three years Cara's senior, the man cared for her deeply. He laid her down gently, pushing his sandy-blond curls from his piercing cerulean eyes before rolling up the right sleeve of his grey button-down shirt. On Raider's wrist sat what appeared to be the shoddy combination of a computer and wrist-watch, the product of years of inventing and struggling. He fell to his knees on the soft green grass that had been yet untouched by the soot and ash of the burning city of San Francisco behind them.
It had started as a routine infiltration, an attempt to gather extra weapons and free captured civilians and revolutionaries alike from the recently constructed obedience dome and away from the clutches of the wicked tyrant Doctor James Eckert, or "Insano" as he was better known as. Ten years prior, the doctor had taken control of the United States, worming his way into the white house and transforming the position of president into a dictatorship. The man was brilliant to say the least, taking advantage of the fragile American system during the changing of an era into what had been imagined one hundred years prior as a "Steampunk Era". Now in the year 2110, robots ran rampant under Insano's guidance, terrorizing the citizens. Cara and Raider had become two of the three leaders of a new resistance movement to free the United States from Insano's control and had felt it there duty to go into the fray to free their comrades.
Cara gasped in pain as she squirmed slightly on the grass. "Raider…"
Raider hushed Cara gently, placing his hand over her wound as his wrist-bound device made a whirling noise. "It'll be alright Cara. You'll be fine…" His voice faded off as the device sparked and a small ripple of energy burst forth, halting the bleeding. Raider kept his hand in place as he groped through Cara's coat pocket, drawing out a little yellow device with a circular screen. He pressed a few buttons as an image of a man with wavy jet-black hair and large hazel eyes appeared on the screen.
"Jigen here…Raider, what are you doing with Cara's communicator?"
Raider growled under his breath. "The mission failed. Cara's hurt. Get that flying hunk of junk to us now!" He looked to Cara frantically. "I don't know how long my time band will be able to freeze the bleeding…"
Jigen paled slightly before nodding. "A-alright, we'll be there soon." The yellow communicator screen went blank as a little red light began to flash repeatedly upon the device. Raider sighed, trying to keep his hand steady over Cara's wound. Every few minutes the wrist-watch sparked as the result of poorly developed upgrades in his hurry to get to the mission objective hours prior.
A heavy beating sound of engines came up from the East side of San Francisco as a large mechanical ship pushed its way through the smoke and flame rising from the city. The steel paneling of the ship reflected the flames as it flew over the city and into the large grassy fields where Raider and Cara were sitting. As the ship landed, Jigen ran from the ship, the fringes from his black vest and frayed pants swayed in the wind as he made his way to Raider and Cara. His eyes were filled with panic as he helped Raider lift Cara up, the wristband sparking once more before going dead.
Raider swore angrily. "Damn machine!" He looked to Jigen, his eyes struggling to keep from seeing Cara's wound. "Get her to the medical bay. I did what I could to protect her." Jigen nodded in thanks before turning and running back to the ship. Raider watched the large man hurry into the ship, sighing as he limped to the ship, glancing back at the ruined city sadly before taking off, leaving the ruins behind him.
Three days passed as Raider waited anxiously for his best friend to recover in the medical bay. As he wandered through the halls of the King Andre, Raider found himself in front of Cara's laboratory and was shocked to hear the soft sound of snoring from behind the door. Quietly, Raider pushed the door open slightly and groaned as he looked in.
Cara was asleep at her lab bench, her long white lab coat covering up the beige bandages that had been wrapped around her upper body. Her golden blond hair fell around her face while her glasses were skewed on the bridge of her nose. Raider moved quietly into the lab, oblivious to a lavender vial bubbling on the right side of the room. He never understood exactly while Cara preferred to use relics in her scientific experiments, but he respected her dedication. Placing his hand on Cara's shoulder, he shook her gently. "Cara?"
Cara groaned as she blinked; her nose twitching as she woke up. She messed with her glasses as her eyes adjusted to the slightly dimmed light of the overhead panel. Her eyes widened as she noticed the lavender vial bubbling over as black smoke began to rise into the air. Unseen by Raider, Cara noticed minute cracks forming along the glass as the flame from the Bunsen burner below licked the sides. Frantic to stop the vial from shattering, Cara jumped from her stool towards the vial, knocking over beakers as she reached and pushed Raider out of her path. As she grabbed the vial, the glass shattered in her bare hand, some pieces embedding themselves into her palm while the rest joined the lavender liquid on the grey-tiled floor below.
Raider stared for a moment before snapping back to reality, going to Cara's side and examining her hand. He winced at the pieces of glass embedded in the woman's bare palm. Shaking his head, Raider looked back up into Cara's eyes. "What are you doing in here Cara? You should be back in the medical bay…" Raider said softly, eyes darting quickly to Cara's side before returning to her face.
Cara had a sheepish blush in her cheeks as Raider plucked the glass out of her palm before wrapping it in a bandage. "You know I hate hospital wings…they're so lifeless…"
Raider raised an eyebrow at Cara. "And a chemist's laboratory isn't the same way?"
Cara turned her head away, slightly embarrassed at being called out. "Not to me. This place is my sanctuary…" She fiddled with her hands as she turned away slightly. Raider sighed, placing his hand on the back of his neck and rubbing it in slight frustration.
"Cara, I know you're scared of hospitals, but pushing yourself like this is absolutely absurd." He paused for a minute before speaking softly. "Does Jigen know you're in here when you should be in bed?" Raider noticed Cara freeze for a moment as he mentioned Cara's husband Jigen, Captain of the King Andre. If he couldn't get the young woman to see reason, Jigen would be able to.
"No he doesn't, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell him." Cara said, quickly going to the corner of the room and gathering a broom and dustpan.
Raider sighed again, his frustration building as Cara continued her stubborn streak. Despite this, he couldn't help but smile slightly as he watched Cara rush quickly around the laboratory. Since meeting Cara two years ago, Raider had grown to love the young woman's determined and stubborn attitude, finding her dedication to the cause of freedom truly inspiring.
Raider walked along the dock of a Resistance port off the coast of Florida, fiddling with his wristwatch time-device as he examined the metallic ships in port. Unaware of where he was walking, the tall British man felt a body collide with his, causing him to stumble back slightly as he heard a soft thump. Looking up from his device, Raider noticed a beautiful young woman on the ground and he immediately went to her.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." He said apologetically, helping the woman to her feet. She stood only about five feet tall, maybe two or three inches more. She brushed her hair away from her eyes and smiled at Raider. "It's alright, no harm done."
Raider gulped slightly, the feathery and bell-like quality of the woman's voice causing his heart to flip slightly. "Eh…so, where are you off to?" He asked, trying to keep conversation with the woman so he had an excuse to know her better. The woman smiled again, pointing towards the largest ship in the mechanical port. "I'm on my way back to my ship." She looked Raider up and down critically, catching the man off guard. Her eyes caught on the time device Raider wore on his wrist. "Hmmm…are you an inventor by any chance?" Raider nodded, his mouth slightly dry as he tried to speak. "Uh, yeah. I've been working on a device to freeze time that can be transported anywhere." He motioned to the wristwatch. "I think it may help in the fight against Insano."
The woman nodded as firm resolve filled her eyes and caught Raider off guard. "Alright, it's decided then." She took hold of Raider's hand, dragging him towards the ship. Raider was surprised at the strength of the strange woman. "Uh…what's been decided?" He asked nervously. She smiled back at him. "You're joining my crew. We could use an inventor." She straightened up and offered her hand to Raider. "My name is Captain Cara Mitchells. My partner and I run the King Andre." She looked expectantly at Raider before he shook his head and took her hand.
"I'm Raider Forsyth. I'd be honored to join you and your…partner." Raider said slightly hesitantly. Cara smiled wider. "Wonderful! Come with me!" She said as she dragged the tall man onto the King Andre.
Three hours later, Raider wandered the ship's sprawling hallways as he tried to get used to the maze of rooms and corridors. As large as the ship appeared on the outside, it felt even bigger on the inside. Raider sighed, shaking his head as he leaned against the wall and tried to figure out where he was. As he leaned there, a boom was heard from down the hallway, catching Raider's curiosity. He walked towards the source of the sound, noticing smoke emerging from beneath a doorway. Raider gulped, pushing the door ajar. His eyes widened as he saw Cara on the ground.
"Captain!" Raider called out in shock as he ran to the woman's side. He ignored the pieces of glass that had scattered along the room. He wasn't sure what to do as he looked down at Cara. He reached down to help her, but she batted his hand away as she coughed and brushed the soot from her glasses and coat.
"Hmm…I think I need to reduce the amount of diethyl ether peroxide in my next batch…" Cara muttered, standing up before adjusting her glasses and glancing over at Raider. "Oh, hello there." She smiled at Raider as he stared in disbelief.
"You get blown up by an experiment and all you can say is that you need to change the formula?" Raider asked incredulously.
Cara shrugged. "Well yeah…what else would I do? Science is full of mistakes and things that go boom. One can't afford to get scared just because something explodes in your face." She moved towards her workbench, reorganizing her vials and beakers as Raider continued to stare. He just couldn't believe how carefree his new captain was, and it frightened him slightly.
"What on earth have I gotten myself into?" He muttered to himself as he left the laboratory and Cara behind him.
A tap on his shoulder drew Raider out from his stupor as he looked down at a concerned Cara. "Raider, are you alright?" Raider's mouth went dry again as he looked into Cara's eyes before glancing at her bandages.
"I-I'm fine." He turned away from Cara. "Get to the medical bay before you strain your injuries even more so. If you're still here in twenty minutes, I'm telling Jigen you won't stay put, and making sure he has you strapped down until you completely heal."
Cara pouted a moment before sighing. "Fine, I'll go…" She stepped passed Raider through the door and down the hallway towards the medical bay. When Cara had vanished from his sight, Raider took a seat on her abandoned stool as he rubbed his temples and sighed, her smile still in his mind. His eyes wandered the lab, catching the sight of a photo in a splintered wooden frame. Raider picked it up and brushed away the thin layer of dust obscuring the figures in the portrait, a small smile on his face. His fingers gently traced the outline of Cara's face before his glance turned to the man beside her. Raider frowned slightly, causing him to pause a moment. He and Jigen had not been particularly close when they first met. No matter what they always found something to argue about. Raider found himself constantly wondering if his presence on the ship was actually worth the frustration. Yet despite their constant debates, when it came to Cara, neither man could resist her charms, nor could they refuse her orders. Although Jigen was the official captain of the King Andre, Cara pulled the strings behind everything.
Raider had been on the King Andre for about two months when his first major blow out with Jigen occurred. After joining the crew, Raider had set to work on improving his wristband time device. The improved facilities and available resources had helped, but he still couldn't seem to get the calculations correct. Besides this, Raider couldn't help but find his thoughts constantly turning to Cara. He looked down at the incomplete device in his hands and groaned before placing it down again and rubbing his eyes. Standing up, he went to leave his workshop when Jigen appeared in the doorway. "Raider, we need to talk."
Raider didn't look Jigen in the eyes as he spoke up. "What is it Captain?" Jigen's eyes narrowed at the tone of contempt in Raider's voice.
"Watch that tone of yours. I know Cara picked you because you're an inventor, but it seems to me you haven't really been doing anything useful." Jigen pointed to the workbench that held Raider's time band. "You haven't even managed to complete that little wristwatch time band of yours."
Raider growled under his breath. "You have no idea how difficult calculations for magnifying and altering the time streams are to figure out. I'm attempting to build a device that will revolutionize and change the tide of battle in our favor." He moved to leave the room, but Jigen followed him down the hallway.
"Well, maybe if you didn't spend every day going to Cara's lab and spent more time working, you'd have it done by now." Jigen challenged, causing Raider to stop and turn around.
"You know, if I didn't know any better captain, I'd say you're jealous of me." Raider said in as calm a voice as he could muster.
Jigen scoffed slightly. "Me? Jealous of you? Unlikely."
Raider smirked slightly, stepping towards Jigen. "Admit it. You're jealous because Cara and I have intellectual conversations of real worth. That's more than you can claim. All you have is a ship. Without Cara you wouldn't be able to properly fight against Insano."
Jigen growled, tightening his fists as he stepped closer to Raider. "Cara saw you fiddling with that damn thing at the port, and she felt sorry for you. That's why you're here. She doesn't care about you." Raider's eyes widened with anger, causing Jigen to smirk. "I've seen how you look at her. As much as you say I have nothing of value, I argue that at least I have Cara, which is more than you can say."
Raider grabbed Jigen's vest and growled angrily. "Shut up you overgrown ape. You wouldn't have her if it wasn't for the fact she happened to meet you first. If Cara had met me before you, she'd love me more."
Jigen swung his fist up and into Raider's cheek, sending the blond-haired man into the wall. Raider looked up with anger and hatred in his eyes, wiping away a dribble of blood on his cheek. "You'll pay for that…" Raider lunged for Jigen, pulling him down to the ground as the two exchanged blows with each other. The two men rolled around on the floor before something slammed on the ground, causing the two to stop and look up.
Cara stood before the two men, holding the black steel alloy staff she used in combat tightly in her right hand. Her eyes were harsh and angry as she glared at the two. Despite being much shorter than the men, the young woman was terrifying dressed in her black and silver ensemble. She spoke in a dangerously calm voice.
"Would you two like to explain why you're acting like five year olds fighting over a toy?"
Raider and Jigen simultaneously gulped and scrambled to their feet. Jigen sported a black eye while Raider's lip was split open.
Cara's eyes were cold as she spoke. "I don't know what the hell you two are fighting about, but it needs to stop. We have bigger problems to deal with, and I don't have the time or patience to be breaking up your petty squabbles. Grow up and get your act together, or you will both answer to me in the training room. Is that clear?"
Raider and Jigen gulped again, turning pale at the idea of facing the short woman in practice combat. "C-Crystal…"
Cara smiled, putting the staff over her shoulder. "Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go practice my Chi Gong." She turned and walked away as the men stared at each other. Jigen sighed and reluctantly put his hand out, catching Raider off guard.
"Truce?"
Raider eyed the extended hand suspiciously before taking it. "Truce…"
Raider smiled to himself as he thought back to his fight against Jigen, his hand subconsciously moving to his formerly split lip. Despite his jealousy, Raider couldn't help but respect Jigen on a few levels, particularly the man's fighting skills. He watched Jigen fly the King Andre with ease, mastering the skies with ease and acting the match for Insano aerial units. It was certainly something Raider couldn't do, so in that way he respected the man. After their spat, a begrudging friendship had built up between him and Jigen, but most of that had been influenced by Cara.
Raider sighed as he put down the photo and rubbed his temples. Cara. Everything always came down to her. Her smile, her voice, her natural curiosity…No matter what it was, something drew his mind to the lady captain. Raider stood from the stool and walked from the laboratory, making his way down to the mess room as he passed by sets of living quarters. From within the mess came the chime of a clock as the hour turned to three am. With a groan, Raider walked into the room, grabbing a bottle of whiskey from a nearby table before walking over to the wet bar Jigen had installed about a month before. He put the bottle to his lips as he sat on the stool.
"Geez Raider, hitting the bottle this late?"
Raider sputtered, spitting out the whiskey as he looked to his side to see Jigen looking at him oddly. Jigen wore a black cooking apron stained with sauces that varied in colors from red and yellow to a strange green. That was another thing Raider could concede defeat in, Jigen was undeniably the master of the ship's kitchen. He wiped the liquid from his mouth.
"Bloody hell...way to scare the crap outta me…" Raider eyed Jigen's apron. "Any particular reason why you're in the galley?"
Jigen shrugged as he took a seat next to Raider. "Couldn't sleep, so I figured I'd make a snack. Besides, I wanted to get a head start on meals this week for Cara. You know she's going to start skipping them again once she's back in her lab."
Raider chuckled slightly. "Yeah…she will." He took a swig from the bottle as Jigen sighed and took it from him.
"Alright, what is it this time? Cara right?"
Raider looked away guiltily. Jigen groaned, putting the bottle behind the wet bar. "Man, I thought we had this sorted out."
Raider growled bitterly. "Hey, I've been trying. You'd be just as bad if we switched positions and you damn well know it."
Pulling out the stool from behind the bar, Jigen sat opposite of Raider. "You're right, I would be. I gotta say, you've got a major balls sticking around here and pining for a girl you'll never get." The glow of the lighting fixtures in the room caught on a gold band Jigen wore on his left hand, causing Raider to wince as he saw it.
"Well…she's my best friend…possibly the only one I've got in this hellhole of a world since Insano blew up England three years ago. I can't just leave…"
Jigen nodded in understanding, putting his hand on Raider's shoulder. "I gotcha, I'm just surprised you tolerate being around me. I still can't believe you were willing to be my best man two weeks ago…" He raised an eyebrow at Raider.
Raider shrugged. "Hey, I've been trying to balance our friendship too man. After we beat the crap out of each other that one time, I've been too afraid to cross Cara." He joked half-heartedly. His laughter seemed strained as he shook slightly. He kept laughing for several minutes in an attempt to keep from punching Jigen. He wiped tears from his eyes as he looked over at Jigen. "Sorry man…"
Jigen shook his head, keeping his hand on Raider's shoulder. "Dude, I understand. I may not particularly like it, but there's nothing I'm going to be able to do to stem your feelings for Cara. You're a damn good inventor Raider, even if that wristwatch of yours won't work right." He joked, trying to lighten the mood.
Raider sighed. "You know what it feels like? It's like…I'm walking a tightrope, trying to balance my friendship with you with my emotions for her. You both let me on this flying rust bucket, and I'd be lying if I said I've liked being here the whole time, but I'll be damned if this hasn't become my home. I'm just trying to keep from losing it."
Jigen nodded in understand. "I can get that…" He looked up at the clock. "Hey, you should try and get some rest. I know you haven't slept since Cara was wounded." Raider didn't speak but stood up from his stool. He moved to leave the room before Jigen called out. "Seriously, you need to chill out with all this. You may be my friend and this may be your home, but I can't have another man do something to try and take my wife from me." He warned as Raider disappeared into the hallway.
Raider felt frustrated again as Jigen's words echoed in his ears. He slammed his fist into a nearby wall before crumpling to his knees. "God damn it…" He growled. He stayed that way for a moment before pushing himself up and into his workshop. He pulled a screwdriver and other tools down to the workbench, tearing the watch from his wrist. In a flurry of movement, Raider worked on the device for hours, rewiring and redesigning the watch. He pulled away old gears and replaced them as he looped more wires and hooks into the device.
As the sun began to rise, Raider wiped away the sweat from his forehead, looking at the sleek new wrist-bound device. It had expanded into almost a gauntlet, complete with a screen and a series of buttons. Raider breathed deeply, pressing a series of buttons. At first there was static, but then it glowed. Raider smiled; turning and throwing a ball in the air before pointing the device at the ball. The sphere froze in midair as it got caught in the wave of energy. Raider laughed triumphantly, plucking the ball from the air. He placed it on the table before inputting a series of commands. On the screen flickered an image of two people, a young woman with blond hair fighting alongside a man with long black and curly hair. Raider grinned as he prepared to input a final command, when he got a better look at the woman's face. Cara looked so happy beside Jigen as they fought together, her eyes a glow with joy as she laughed.
Raider gulped as his finger trembled over the button. With a simple command, he could alter time so as to ensure his own happiness with Cara. Everything he wanted with her could come true. He shook his head, looking for another moment in time from which he could erase Jigen. He tried three more times, but he stayed his hand every time he saw Cara's joy with Jigen. He never understood what had drawn Cara to Jigen in the first place; maybe he was just too blind to see it. Raider sighed, pressing a button and causing the screen to go dark. "Damn it…" He pulled the device from his wrist and held his head in his hands. "I can't do it…I can't take away her happiness with him. I'm too weak…" Standing up from his chair, Raider made his way to the medical bay. The sun was rising as light filtered through the windows of the ship.
Raider breathed deeply as he stood outside the medbay, pushing the door open carefully. What he saw drew him to tears. Cara was lying asleep in her bed as expected, but beside her sat Jigen, also asleep and with his large arms wrapped gently around Cara's svelte and fragile body. Her head was on Jigen's shoulder and there was a smile on her face. Raider felt a tear stream down his cheek as the room filled with light, and he smiled.