REACH FOR THE STARS
Izzy sighed with relief as the ship came to a stop. They'd managed to loose them . . . just in time. He'd patched the engine the best he could but it was looking decidedly shaky . . . all they could do was give it a chance to cool down, then see what could be done.
Tai is going to kill me, the red haired navigator thought. After all, we promised we'd be back for Hikari's birthday—
Still there was no use postponing the inevitable. Hikari was besides, a reasonable person who would understand their circumstances. Tai, on the other hand—
Izzy stopped at the smell of smoke winding down the corridor. Of course—that second jolt. We were hit twice—he ran the rest of the way.
"Tai!"
The bridge was thick with acrid smoke . . . Izzy brought up a hand to protect his mouth. "Tai?"
"Izzy! The bridge took a direct hit—I'm stuck—"
Relief. Tai was alive.
"Hang on a second," Izzy grabbed metal pliers from the repair kit and waded through the smoke to reach his partner. The twisted metal made his wince—but not half so much as the thought that Tai had been trapped under there—who knew how badly he was hurt.
"Ow!"
"Are you okay?"
"Izzy, it's my job to ask the stupid questions!"
He was being sarcastic—Izzy hoped that was a good sign. "Hold still--I'm going to cut you free."
It was difficult--Izzy only hoped he would not cut Taichi. There was one time he thought he had--Tai had gasped, but when Izzy asked him said he was fine. Not that it could have made any difference to what he did--there was only one way to free Tai.
"There," Izzy knelt, looping one arm around Tai. "Can you stand?"
"I can try," Taichi managed to get himself upright but he was none to steady. Izzy just hoped they could get to the infirmary before Tai passed out--his companion was taller than him, and Izzy wasn't certain he could lift him . . .
"There," he said with relief, as they half fell into the infirmary. "Infirmary computer activate."
The lights flickered on, the only response to his voice command.
"This isn't good," Tai murmured besides him.
"You think?" Izzy didn't normally indulge in sarcasm but he was worried. If the computer wasn't activating that could only mean their power supplies were being depleted fast. A leak somewhere now could be fatal--
"I'm going to have to patch that--"
"Later. Getting you fixed up comes first." With only minimal difficulty they were able to get Tai onto the examination bench. The scan mode didn't want to work at first but Izzy hotwired it and got it to work--albeit slowly.
"I'll be back in ten, to see how it's going. In the meantime, I have to fix the leak." And check that the fire in the bridge isn't spreading and that there aren't any anywhere else--
"Mmm--" Tai didn't sound too aware. Shock was probably catching up with him.
Shutting the bridge off and draining the oxygen out to be redirected to other parts of the ship took care of the fire. The leak was harder to locate and was going to be a pain to fix, being located in the underside of the ship, the propeller drives to be exact. Izzy shut the power flow to the drive off, knowing that they were now unable to move until said leak was fixed.
The ten minutes up he returned to Tai.
"You shouldn't be sitting--"
"Relax. The computer said burns, nothing worse than that. Oh, blood loss and they recommend immediate treatment--"
Izzy didn't believe him and called up the data reading of what the computer had told Tai. "These are not just burns Tai. We don't have the equipment to treat these . . . you need a real doctor." Izzy was aware they didn't have many options.
"How's the rest of the ship?"
Izzy gave him a report in a few sparse sentences. "Taichi, there's only one thing we can do--"
Taichi growled. "I hate injections . . . and those pods creep me out."
"It's illogical. Your burns will hurt you more than the injection," Izzy was glad Tai had decided to act rationally, "And they say it's just like sleeping in the pods."
Taichi was quiet as they both helped to manouver him into one. "Izzy--stop thinking about it."
"What?"
"You're thinking that if you don't get into that other pod they'll be more energy left for me--"
Izzy didn't need to reply, his startled expression was proof enough of the accuracy of Tai's statement.
"Forget it. I don't need you to be all noble and sacrifice yourself for me. It wouldn't work anyway."
"How's that?"
"We agreed didn't we? We're a team--the best team in the galaxy. One of us doesn't do something, the other doesn't either--we promised we'd always be together, and you're not leaving me, not even for a second."
"I mean that much to you, huh?" Izzy said with a grin.
"Don't get mushy, yet--I haven't finished. Don't even think that you'd be helping me either. Because if you're not here when I wake up--I'm going to spend the rest of whatever life I have being miserable and hating every second of it."
The determination in Tai's voice made Izzy gasp. "But--"
"Izzy, you're my life. If you go--there'd just be no point."
The navigator smiled, stroking Tai's chin then leaning in to kiss him. "If you say so. I'll send out the distress call, then see if I can't jumpstart this crate somehow--"
"Mmm," Tai sighed as Izzy kissed him one more time. He gave the needle a dark look. "You'd think that if we can build space craft capable of bridging immense distances at the speed of light, we could make an injection that didn't hurt--"
"When we get back, you can mention that to Mission Centre." Izzy administered the injection efficiently. "That was so bad, was it?"
"Not for you, maybe," Tai muttered. "Izzy, can you stay? Till you know--"
"Till you fall asleep. Of course," Izzy leant over the pod, stroking Tai's hair. He smiled, at the serious expression on his companions usually cheerful face. "We're going to be all right, you know. I'm not going anywhere, and you're definitely not--"
Tai smiled at him. "I love you. Have I told you that?"
"You may have mentioned that once or twice . . . personally, I thought you were just in it for the sex--"
"Izzy!"
"What, I'm not allowed to tease you occasionally?" Izzy kissed Tai again, seeing the injection slowly working. "Don't try and fight it, surrender to it. I'm going to be here when you wake up after all."
"Good, because I'm sure as hell not living without you--"
Tai was asleep. Izzy smiled, kissing his partner's forehead once more before sliding the pod door shut and activating the deep sleep mode. Not one to waste time he turned back to the task of dealing with the ship board emergency.
******
"Twenty years," I repeat. "It makes my head hurt just thinking about it."
"Dude," the goggled boy--Daisuke, I think his name is--says. "That could just be the injections." He's about the same age Izzy and I were when we received our first comission--and just as enthusiastic, despite the strange device on his leg. From mid thigh down, it's covered in metal, to which various hardware is attached. It makes fast movement difficult.
"Sorry about that," the red haired girl says, rubbing the back oh her neck in a shamed way. She's got the same metal panel type thing covering most of her arm.
"I don't think there's any harm done," I assure her. I'm disposed to like these two--their hair is almost the same shade of Izzy's. I'm kind of concerned about the thought of my Izzy free floating in space, but he's got more than enough power to last him, and knowing Izzy, will have plotted himself a nice safe orbit. I just need to get the computer started again and download his course then get our ship working again so I can find him.
Then I'll give him hell for scaring me like that.
"Well it certainly hasn't affected your appetite," the girl--Jun, smiles, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Only person I've seen eat like that is Dai."
"Tell me more about this ship. It's Mission?"
"Uh-huh. A cruiser. We're on a regular patrol, just guarding the perimeters," Daisuke explains. "Captain Takenouchi is so strict though, everything has to happen exactly on schedule--I don't know what she'll think of you."
"Stand up Dai--we're about to find out," Jun hissed, straightening her uniform. I frowned at the sudden flash of metal but before I could say anything, the door clicked open and Ishida entered, with the Captain.
She looked to be about my age, although she had the air of someone a lot older, cool and detached. Her uniform was neat, hair perfectly groomed. "So, you're the distress call?"
"Half of it. My partner's still out there--" I answered.
"So Yamato informed me."
Yamato--so he does have a first name.
"We have a rather strict schedule to keep, so we cannot offer to look for your partner, especially as it seems he's had quite a while to drift. However, we will offer you a booth on this ship to the nearest port, and transport for what we have salvaged of your craft."
"But--" Daisuke interrupts, immediately hushed by his sister.
"This mission will continue on schedule," the Captain resumes calmly. "No interruptions. What qualifications do you have?"
"6 yrs with Mission, 4 of which I've been an active member. I'm a qualified mechanic and pilot--"
"Mechanic," The Captain turns to Ishida. "Put him in with the mechs and see that he doesn't cause trouble."
"Of course," Yamato murmurs, holding the door open for her as she leaves. "Show him round and get him somewhere to sleep Motomiya," he commands before leaving himself.
"All right!" Daisuke whoops, once his superiors are safely out of hearing. "Dude--wait till you see this ship--"
I ease myself off the bed slowly and stumble. Jun catches me.
"Maybe you should get him some sleep first, Dai."
*****
"It makes no sense," Daisuke complained, sorting through various items of clothing. "You've been sleeping for twenty years. You can't still be tired."
I stifle a yawn. "Try exhausted. These for me?"
"They should fit. They're the regulation nightwear."
I snicker. "Mission centre tells you what you have to wear to bed? That is absurd!"
"They didn't when you were a recruit?"
"Hell no. Then again, they gave up trying to make me wear a uniform after the first dozen got damaged seriously while on duty."
"Cool," Daisuke says.
"But you're not wearing a uniform."
"But I'm a mech--I'm not worthy of one."
"A mech?"
"Mechanic." Dai sighs. "I'm not proper crew."
"That's . . . that's bizarre. Where I'm from--I mean, when I'm from, mechanics were just the same as any member of the crew. In fact most pilots were trained as mechanics, like me. I mean, what happens if you're in a scouter shuttle that gets into trouble?"
"Pilots are assigned a mech. We work in twos. Like you and your partner."
"Izzy was a mechanic, navigator and technology expert."
"You're kidding--you got your own navigator? You must have been some pilot!"
"What's with the past tense? I'm still a pilot--technology can't have changed that much."
"I guess--hey, tomorrow, when you're feeling better, maybe we could look at your ship. I've been collecting old parts as a hobby, I could help you fix it up so you can find Izzy."
"Thanks," I smile. It's nice to know someone wants to find my partner as much as I do--I mean, that Captain could care less. Not that you can fault her for wanting to stick to her schedule, but still--
"Man, that would be so cool, being a pilot and having a partner like that--" Daisuke flopped back onto the top bunk. "I wish I could be a pilot--"
"What's stopping you?" I ask, slipping the regulation nightwear over my head.
"Everything," Daisuke says gloomily.
"Everything?"
"Well dude--look at me!" Daisuke points to his leg. "I'm half machine--they don't let cyborgs take charge of the bridge--"
I stare at him. "Cyborg?"
"Yeah, dude, didn't you know?" He sounds as surprised as I am.
"No . . . Give me a sec." I steady myself, then climb onto his bunk. "So what part of you is robot?"
"My leg, a lot of my side here--and there's a lot more inside you can't actually see." Daisuke frowns at me. "You've not met a cyborg before?"
"The last twenty years weren't that much of a social experience," I tell him. "Mind if I take a closer look?"
"Go for it." Daisuke let me examine his parts, telling me about the accident. "So, you see because of the parts, I don't qualify for Mission. Law says you have to be at least 60% human to be a pilot. Because of a mechanical failure or something."
"And how much are you?"
"75%."
"Seventy--" I stare. "That must have been some accident."
"Yeah."
Daisuke doesn't seem all together happy with this topic. "I'm sorry, are my questions bothering you? Izzy always tells me I have the tact of a Nguememon--"
He snickers. "No, it's just . . . well, you're mostly human, right? See, most skins won't give me the time of day--they barely tolerate Jun and she's only 40%--"
I listen trying to take this in. Discriminating against someone on the basis that they have robot components? "Something tells me we're not in Kansas anymore."
"Huh?"
"Oh . . . just an old joke. Ask me about it tomorrow, and I'll try and explain."
"Explain . . . you mean, you still want me to help you with your ship? It doesn't matter that I'm . . . you know--"
"Dude, I need all the help I can get. And even if I didn't--I'd rather have your help than that stuffy captain's."
Daisuke beams widely. "I knew I'd like you."
"Huh?"
He's already buried himself under his blankets. "Sooner we go to sleep, sooner it'll be morning."
I grin, climbing under my own blankets. I had the same attitude when I was that age.
