Title: Rescue Run

Author: Lady Rheena

Genres: Alternate Universe, Action/Adventure, Romance

Rating: R

Disclaimer: If you recognise it from a fandom, I probably don't own it. That includes the world of The Matrix, all its characters and the concepts it entails. The idea of the Fleet and the Planetary Coalition are technically my own, but you'll probably recognise bits and pieces from various sci-fi media.

Chapter notes: If you don't like my trivialising Neo's whole messiah thing, you're reading the wrong fic.

Part 22- Getting Underway

'He's good. Too good. At least for me. I'll have to hand him over to Alyss for the rest of his prelims once we get back to the Gormenghast.'

'High grade?' Dena asked.

Maloney grimaced.

'First, or I'm a glass-ball clairvoyant. He's pretty impressive. And Terran stock too! That'll have the PTB hopping around in little circles, so it will.'

'I suppose you're going to pull strings and get him on the first lift, then?'

'Not a bit of it!' He grinned at her surprise. 'There're quarter of a million very excited and overhappy people down here. I'm going to need him as a booster station to keep 'em under control, at least until we get some decent grade down here from my lot.'

'Would Alyss come?' The head Psi officer on the Gormenghast, Captain Alyss Rosaan, was an impressive first-grade ESP who headed up the communications department for the supership. Dena had only met her a couple of times before since the fighter crews tended not to have much contact with the officers based purely in the command centre.

'I reckon she would- if I could get Neo to shout at her.'

'Huh?'

'He's picking up tricks faster'n I can think how to teach him about them. Within an hour of me walking into his quarters he was floating his boots around the room, much to Trinity's amazement.' Maloney laughed. 'She's a funny ol' thing, that one. Just sits and watches him do all this crazy shit like it's a circus show. Although that may be partly to do with that prophecy business.'

'Neo told you about that?'

'I did some discreet poking around. At least until he caught me and gave me a look like he'd just caught me in bed with his mother.'

'Sounds like you're getting along just fine.'

Maloney shrugged.

'He's a nice guy. Learns fast, like I said. Doesn't ask many questions, either. Nothing worse than an ESP who asks lots of questions about how come his brain can do all this shit. With Neo, he doesn't care how it works, just so long as it works.'

'You want me to send a com to Wingeye once they arrive?'

'Naw, I'll borrow some of his juice and we'll hit a personal line with Alyss. That'll get her interested and piss off the hierarchy when she pulls Psi jurisdiction on the Commander.'

'Your call, Lieutenant.' Dena left him standing by the doorway into the dock operations centre and headed out onto the walkways to watch the progress of the hoverships as they made their stately way down a secondary access tunnel to the enormous storage caverns beneath. She had to admit that the sentimental pilot in her grieved a little that the vessels which had served so long and so well had to meet such an ignoble end as being left to rot in a cave underneath the city they once protected, but there was no feasible alternative. The ships were just too slow and clunk-assed, as Niobe put it, to compete with the little drop shuttles for the speed of the surface runs needed. Now that the teams from the Voltaire had arrived and were busy processing every inhabitant of Zion level by level, ready for the lifts, the only thing stopping them was the lack of the Gormenghast in orbit. Deciding there was nothing else she could do while the dock was being cleared out she left for the residentials and went to pay Zee a visit. Cas was there with the twins, Lorri and Isaac, since their quarters were on the same level and Lock had judiciously allowed movement within levels until, as he took great glee in saying, they went to condition orange.

'Mind if I come in? I'm feeling a bit superfluous up in the dock, what with all the big men in their hoverships showing off right now.'

'Sure you can,' Zee said, rising to pour her a cup of water. The room seemed a little barer than usual but there were no bags sitting by the door, so Dena guessed that their level had already been processed.

'Got your chips already?' she asked.

Cas nodded and rolled her sleeve up to display the slightly reddened patch of skin in her upper arm.

'And they took our bags. What happens to the cargo?'

'It gets coded with your new ID so there won't be any mix-ups at the other end. Cargo gets loaded in with each lift along with personnel.' Dena became aware she was in Council Speaking mode and smiled to soften her words. 'Fleet procedure keeps all baggage separate after it's tagged to make sure people don't try sneaking in extra oddments.'

Cas nodded to that.

'And I know some here who'd try, given half a chance.' She gave Lorri's hair an affectionate ruffle. 'Huh?'

The little girl giggled slightly and avoided Dena's gaze.

'Oh yeah? Someone trying to go over their weight allowance?'

'She wanted to bring her rag doll along,' Cas said. 'I told her clothes only. She can easily get another doll.'

'I hope you managed.'

'We did okay. Not much to bring, really.'

'What about you, Zee?'

'Fine,' she said, sitting back down. 'Although I was a little worried about these-' indicating her bangle-laden arms and other jewellery. 'Will I have to take them off?'

'Of course not,' Dena said. 'I doubt that lot weighs in at more than a kilo, right? Well you get a kilogram extra allowance either way just on your body mass to account for things like that.'

'Along with sudden bingeing?' Cas asked wryly.

'Could I take Dolly then, mama?' Lorri wanted to know.

'No, Lorri, they said no carrying anything!'

Dena had to laugh at the disconsolate look on the little girl's face. Truth be told, she didn't mind children all that much, provided they were someone else's and could be handed back.

'Hey, Lorri, once we get up on the Gormenghast I'll see if I can't find you another doll, huh?' She held out a hand and Lorri climbed up onto her lap for a cuddle. 'After call, we can't have a little colonist like you dropping to the new Zion without a doll to keep her company, eh?'

'Dolls are stupid,' Isaac said disdainfully. 'Sides, we're gonna fly in a spaceship! That's cool!'

'Now there's a point we all agree on,' Cas said wryly.

'Is it true about zero gravity?' Zee asked suddenly, then looked embarrassed. 'I just- I don't think I've got much of a strong stomach, and…'

'No zero-g in a drop ship, Zee,' Dena assured her. 'Just the acceleration, and you'll barely feel that with the couches as well-padded as they are.'

'Oh. Good. I was kinda worried about that.'

'So we don't get to float?' Lorri asked.

'No floating,' Dena said with a grin. 'It's called a g compensator, and if you ever go into Fleet school- which I would highly recommend you do- you'll learn all about it.'

'Fleet school?' Isaac stopped fiddling with the hem of his sweater and stared up at her. 'Really?'

Lorri moved over to let her brother on the other half of Dena's lap as he clambered up.

'Is that where you went? To learn to fly?'

'That's the one. And if you're good enough they'll let you go to Mars and you can be an officer.'

'Like you?' Lorri asked.

'Uh-huh.' Dena caught Cas' eye. 'Sorry. I shouldn't be out on a recruiting barge here.'

'Oh no, you go right ahead.' Cas smiled. 'It can't be any worse than operating on a hacker ship, or volunteering for the APU corps or the infantry…' then she sighed. 'At least in your Fleet they aren't going to get themselves ripped apart by sentinels.'

'Surely it's our Fleet now, too,' Zee put in thoughtfully. 'I mean, that message said welcome to the Coalition. That means we're not just Zion any more, right?'

'You betcha it does,' Dena said, smiling at the affirmation of the other woman. 'And it means you can stop worrying. Fleet's good at what it does.'

As the children climbed down to resume their game- an adapted form of marbles rolling old boltheads at each other on the woven rug- Cas turned serious.

'What about the sentinels? Surely they'll- I mean they'll know what's going on, won't they?'

'They'll detect the ships, if that's what you mean,' Dena said. 'But you know, I once flew lift duty in an evacuation on Sirius Prime where we had privateer isolationists- who are basically just as hostile as the machines towards ordinary humans- bombarding the carriers while they tried to load. Fleet brought in the marines and the fighters along with some big destroyer floaters to sweep wide. You know how many of the evacuees we lost there?' She went on without waiting for an answer. 'Three people who didn't follow their lift orders and got killed when a building collapsed on top of them. And there were two hundred thousand people in that colony. Not that many less than here, if you really think about it.'

'Three people,' Cas murmured, shaking her head.

'And they didn't follow orders,' Dena reminded her.

'So we do as we're told and we'll get out fine,' Zee said, smiling. 'That's what Link told me. He was helping the medics unload, he said they know what they're doing.' She reached across and touched Cas' hand. 'We'll be okay. I know it.' Then her gaze lifted to Dena's. 'What's Capella like? Have you seen it?'

'Only the scans from the survey ship. But there were sure some nice pictures. It looks…a lot like Earth used to look, I think.'

'It can't be any worse than this planet,' Cas said with sudden vehemence, glancing down at her children. 'I can't wait to see their faces.'

'I can't wait to see all your faces,' Dena said with a slight smirk, then checked her chrono. 'The Gormenghast should be making contact in about twenty minutes. I'd better get up there before Deadbolt sends out search parties for me.' She stood. 'From what I saw of the figuring, you ladies should be on the same lift. So you keep an eye on each other, and I'll tell whoever's flying you to be careful over Zee's stomach.' Pausing at the door, she gave the kids a wink. 'And I'll see you two on the Gormenghast.'

They both giggled at her as she went out, giving Cas and Zee a final nod. Outside the walkways were unusually deserted as most people elected to remain in their homes until notified otherwise. That made her smile slightly, remembering a transplant operation she'd once done on Proxima Centuri, moving fifty thousand people from one planet to the next. Everyone had been more than co-operative, not moving one inch from anywhere until they were told, anxious to make their lift. Like when a haulier reached its destination all the civilians were like cows on a rope for fear of having their drop time put back.

She reached the command centre, set some hundred metres directly beneath the dock ops building, to find Commander Lock staring at the main communications equipment as if daring it to malfunction.

'Anything yet, sir?' she asked.

'Not yet,' he replied, seeming glad of the distraction, and rose to greet her. 'Where've you been?'

'Just down for a walk. The place seems almost empty, everyone's sitting tight for now. If this is the type of discipline you can reduce a whole city to, Commander, I sincerely hope you consider enlisting with Fleet after we reach Capella.'

'Enlisting?' He blinked in surprise. 'I hadn't thought about it. Once we reach…' he shook his head a few times, a little overwhelmed. 'I will think about it now, Captain.'

'Not too hard, Commander,' she said easily. 'You're going to have enough on your plate.'

'So I'm beginning to gather,' he remarked just as Mattis, one of those on com watch, gave a shout.

'Commander, we have an incoming signal!'

'Let's hear it, mister!' Lock grabbed up a headset and tossed a second to Dena. There was a brief fizzling sound as the scuttlebug relays powered up and then the clear voice a com officer.

'This is the Gormenghast to Zion Control, do you read? Over.'

'Affirmative, Gormenghast, we read you loud and clear,' Lock said, before remembering to add, 'Over.'

The voice changed.

'This is Commander Wesley Pryce speaking. May I know whom I'm addressing? Over.'

Lock gave Dena a look of utter jubilation before replying.

'This is Commander Jason Lock. It's damn good to hear you, sir. Over.'

'Likewise, Commander, likewise. What's your status? Over.'

'The teams from the Voltaire are almost three-quarters of the way through our civilian population. All military personnel are prepped.' Lock paused. 'We're ready when you are, Commander. Over.'

'That's excellent news. Carrier one is coming in to the surface now. The first drop shuttles should be with you in about twenty minutes. I'm afraid it's all uphill slog from here for a bit, Commander, but I have the impression there's nothing your people can't handle. Over.'

'Thank you for the vote of confidence, Commander,' Lock replied, grinning openly. 'Our first forty will be ready for lift when your shuttles reach the dock. Over.'

'Glad to hear it. Fleet condition orange now in action, Commander. Gormenghast out.'

Lock looked at Dena.

'He didn't ask for you.'

'Why should he?' Dena shot back with a grin. 'He needed to speak to the man in charge. I'm afraid that's still you, Commander.'

'Just my goddamn luck.' He removed the headset and raised his voice so the entire room could hear him. 'All right people, we're on condition orange. Evacuation is now officially underway. We've got Capella, so let's prove why they gave it to us. You all have your orders. Implement them.'