The Second Night
Adjustment
Ayaz blinked his eyes open and stared up at the crackled ceiling above him. He had no memory of climbing up in the upper bunk bed. Not wanting to awaken the others, he carefully shifted in bed only to see Horst in the bunk in level with his. The scientist was fast asleep facing the other direction. Ayaz peered over the edge only to moan slightly as a wave of nausea washed over him. He forced the bile down his throat and closed his eyes for a moment, hoping the episode would pass. After a while, he carefully gave it another try and, this time, he was able to make out the sleeping form of Mathieu in the bunk beneath him and Osman to his right, beneath Horst. Ayaz found himself wondering if he looked as haggard and drawn as Osman or as pale as Mathieu and reasoned he didn't really want to know, nor did he care. There was nothing he could do about it.
He looked back upon their mad dash across the world with a mix of dismay and relief. As they'd been on the run from the sun, there hadn't been time for reflection or time to grasp nor understand the fact that the population of the planet had been severely diminished and that a disaster of major proportions had occurred. The emeralds in his pockets weren't that important anymore; nothing felt important anymore – other than to stay alive and help those around him.
He'd formed a tight bond with the small group of passengers and crew that remained of flight 21 and he wasn't going to let any of them down. He was worried about Zara and Dominik because they were the ones least prepared to accept the life in the bunker and she'd clashed with the soldiers too many times already for her own good. He knew she was frustrated; they all were. However, Zara was worried about her ailing son – after all, they had been on their way back to her home country, Russia, to make sure Dominik would get better. It must have terrible to learn that the experienced surgeons and experts, who were supposed to have handled the little boy's care, were all dead. To make matters worse, not a single doctor lived in the vicinity and now Dominik would be forced to spend his time with roughed soldiers in a dirty bunker for an unforeseeable future, making it even more difficult to breathe than it had been on the aircraft.
The woman could be both fierce and feisty when she wanted something and she didn't back down an inch unless she was forced to. She was a straight forward, bossy woman and he appreciated her directness. In fact, he'd come to think of her in another way than just another passenger on an airplane. He didn't know when that had started, he just knew that it had.
Ayaz found that he had a silly little smile on his face as he thought about Zara and quickly chided himself. He eased back onto the bed, trying to ignore all his aches and pains from the beating he'd taken at NATO, silently wondering why that idiot Terenzio Gallo hadn't appeared in the bunker.
OOOOOO
Horst woke up to Laura's soothing voice coming from somewhere beneath his bunk. He blinked tired eyes open, feeling refreshed in a way he didn't think was possible after the last week.
"Hey," she said kindly as she found him watching her from above, leaning slightly over the small bedrail.
"What time is it?" he whispered.
"Too early," Mathieu replied.
Laura let out a soft laugh as she gently reached out with her fingers to remove the matted soft curls from his forehead. "Go back to sleep, Mathieu. That's the best thing for you," she said.
Horst watched as Laura smiled at the pilot even though his eyelids had already slid close again. She got up from his bedside and came to stand next to him.
"How are they?" the scientist asked carefully as he looked from Mathieu to Osman.
Laura sighed as she let out a deep breath. "Shall we go and see if there is any coffee in the mess hall?" she suggested.
He nodded and quickly got out of his bed to join her. Like most of them, he'd collapsed on top with all his wrinkled clothes on.
As they closed the door behind them Horst studied the nurse. She looked tired and worn, worried.
"It's not good, is it?" he asked. "Is the infection coming back?"
Laura shook her head and offered a faint smile. "No," she reassured him. "Mathieu is going to be fine. I am going to make sure of that this time."
Horst stopped dead in his tracks and turned to Laura who'd been walking next to him. "Laura, it's not your fault. None of what happened is your fault."
"I could have made sure he got some rest, that he stayed away from strenuous activities and I could have cleaned the wound for him. Then none of this would have happened. We're just lucky Sylvie managed to land the plane in Brussels or we'd all be dead."
Horst gently placed his hands on Laura's petite shoulders. "Look, if anyone is to blame it's Terenzio. He was the one who shot Mathieu in the first place. Then we all could have taken turn to assist Mathieu. Helped him fuel up the plane, figure out a route to travel, but - in the short amount of time I have known him - I am not sure he would have let us. Besides, he is the pilot; the only one able to fly the plane properly." Horst's seriousness was suddenly replaced by a tight smile and a twinkle in his eyes. "If it hadn't been for the seriousness of the situation-" he trailed off and shook his head. "You should have seen Sylvie's face when Jakub told her she had to land the plane. She was ready to splash a bucket of water over Mathieu and drag him to the cockpit."
They shared a smile as Horst let go of Laura's shoulders and they began to walk again. "I am glad we found some respite, even though it's not exactly five-star hotel. What Mathieu needs is to sleep, that way his body can fight off the bacteria in his bloodstream. His vitals have already improved since yesterday."
Horst breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good, it means we can get out of here again, just take the plane and leave if things are starting to go south."
"You don't trust the soldiers?" Laura asked curiously.
He shook his head. "Not really."
"Well, where would we go?" she asked. "It took us long enough to find this place."
Horst looked defeated for a moment as he shook his head. "I don't know. How's Osman doing?"
"His pulse is no longer erratic and he's alert. He has got burns on his hands from where he touched the fence and he's shaken up but I expect him to make a full recovery. He just needs some time to recuperate."
"And before you ask," Laura continued as Horst opened his mouth to say something. "Ayaz is going to be fine too. Terenzio got in a few punches but other than a few cuts and bruises and some contusions, there's only the concussion to worry about."
"I'd say that is enough," Horst replied. "You should have seen him in the jeep – he was utterly confused. It was quite scary to see how one person could go from very concentrated and committed to not knowing whom he was and what he was doing."
"It is common when it comes to head injuries such as his. Perhaps I should have seen it coming but I am not a doctor-,"
"Laura, that's not your fault either. It's Terenzio again. I can't believe I am saying this but I am glad he didn't make it."
OOOOOO
Felipe and Heremans walked up to the colonel who sat alone in the small room that worked as an office.
"Sir, do you have a moment?" Felipe asked curtly.
Lom frowned curiously as he shrugged and leaned back in the chair. "Sure, what's on your mind?"
"The civilians, sir. They're going to cause trouble and they will limit our supplies," Felipe reasoned.
"And what are you suggesting we'd do about them?" Colonel Lom asked carefully.
"Perhaps we should send them away," Heremans spoke up.
"Here is where this starts to get complicated," Lom replied coldly. "Ambassador Bisset wouldn't let me do such a thing and she and Gerardo are officially in charge of this bunker."
Felipe pursed his lips together in a thin line but remained quiet.
"Now, there are people within that group that comes in handy," Lom reasoned.
"I can only think of two," Heremans argued. "The scientist and the pilot – the airplane pilot."
"I do hope you are not planning anything stupid," the colonel said sternly as he leaned forward in chair and fixed the two soldiers with a glare.
"Of course not, sir," they chorused.
Lom broke into a tight smile. "Good," he said. "Why don't we round them up and have a proper introduction? That way we learn their skills instead of guessing them based on circulating rumors."
OOOOOO
"We have to make some use of you down here," Colonel Lom said in English for the benefit of the various nationalities in the bunker.
With the exception of Mathieu, Osman and Ayaz, they were all gathered in the mess hall.
"I need to know what you can do, what expertise you possess?" Lom said seriously as he glanced around the crowded room.
The civilians who'd broken into the bunker the night before stood before him, surrounded by the soldiers. He sought out Sylvie and nodded at her. "I believe they are your people, tell me what they can do. Or better yet, start with what you can do."
She glared at him, hands on her hips, but when she spoke her voice was calm and steady. "I am a former helicopter pilot."
"You helped Mathieu fly the plane here too," Jakub added.
"I am not licensed for any type of aircraft. Mathieu is the real pilot," she deadpanned as she never took her eyes off Colonel Lom.
The polish colonel nodded. "Mathieu is obviously sick and injured, how did that happen?" he asked.
Jakub shrugged. "There was some commotion at the start of the flight."
"A soldier hijacked the plane and forced us to travel away from the sun. We all thought he was crazy," Ines filled in.
The military man narrowed his eyes at the young woman. "I am sure we can come back to that later," he replied sternly and turned his attention back to Sylvie. "Will the pilot be alright?"
It was Laura who nodded this time. "With a few days of rest and recuperation-," she began.
"You are the nurse," the ambassador, Gerardo, spoke up for the first time.
"That's right," she confirmed softly. "I worked as a home care nurse before all this."
"That might come in handy," the colonel remarked as he once again refocused on Sylvie and began to study the tall man standing next to her. He was polish, just like himself. "And you're a flight mechanic?" he asked for confirmation.
"That's right," Jakub answered.
"Good. We have a C-17 Globemaster standing at the runway. Have you performed any maintenance on that particular type of aircraft?"
Jakub shook his head. "No, I can't say that I have. But I am very familiar with the type of aircraft we arrived in – the A320."
"What is the condition of your aircraft?" A young German soldier asked as he stepped forward.
"A little roughed around the edges," Sylvie replied.
"Just like your pilot then," Colonel Lom remarked. "I want a full report on the condition of that aircraft as soon as you can."
Jakub nodded.
"Is he just going to order us around like that?" Zara asked angrily. "We are civilians. We do not belong-,"
"Exactly," Felipe cut her off, his tone of voice short and cold. "You don't belong here. You showed up at our doorstep, uninvited, and now you're running around the place like you own it."
"Enough, sergeant," Colonel Lom cautioned coldly.
"I work as a climate scientist," Horst offered, trying to diffuse the situation.
Lom arched an eyebrow in surprise. "Then perhaps you already have a solution to this reversed polarity thing that's going on outside? I find it annoying to be forced to live in caves like our ancestors."
"No, not yet," he replied dutifully. "Our primary goal has been to stay alive. We've all been working together-,"
"Then perhaps now, when you don't need to be concerned about the sun in the same way, you can start up some kind of research lab here?" The colonel suggested. "Maybe you can work together with the nurse?"
Laura looked bewildered for a moment.
"You do know a thing or two about human anatomy and stuff like that, don't you?" the military man stated seriously.
Laura nodded in disgust. "If you're even suggesting that we're going to test things on humans-," she spoke up fiercely.
He raised his hand to stall her. "There are plenty of rats to go around here," he offered. "Take all you want."
Laura shuddered at the mere thought of causing harm to any living thing.
Seeing her reluctance, the colonel added. "There is no time for hesitation. You need to toughen up, get rid of your emotional baggage and start making progress if you want to get out of this place ever again."
The soldier standing next to the colonel and the ambassador – Felipe - nodded at Ines. "You. What's your expertise?"
"I-," she hesitated. "I'm an influencer."
The group of soldiers started to snicker.
"Well, there are not many people out there to influence anymore, is it?" Felipe returned cockily.
"There is no need for mockery," Ambassador Bisset interrupted.
The Colonel wiped the small smug smile off his face. "No, you are right," he deadpanned. "From now on you can work in the kitchen. Same goes for Zara."
"Yes, we heard you have expertise in that area," another soldier, called Hermans, said gleefully.
"There is nothing wrong about being a waitress," Zara protested angrily. "Even though I consider you old enough to grab your own plate and be able to bring it back to the kitchen when you've finished eating without any assistance."
Hermans took a step toward her and was roughly manhandled back to where he stood earlier by Colonel Lom. "I thought I said not to let anyone get under your skin, huh?" he whispered coldly in the soldier's ear.
"Yes, sir," he mumbled sheepishly.
"And I work with security," Rik said proudly.
"Security, huh?" Felipe asked skeptically. "You don't look like you are able to stop anyone from breaking and entering."
"No, no," Rik protested lightly. "I work with the systems."
"I am sure we can find something for you to do as well eventually," the colonel replied.
"He can clean the toilets," Heremans suggested.
"Okay, you're all dismissed," the colonel waved lazily.
"That went well," Horst said in a subdued voice to Laura.
"What are we going to do?" she replied worriedly as Sylvie and Jakub joined them.
"Not much we can do at the moment," Jakub answered.
"He's right," Sylvie reasoned. "We are protected here and there's plenty of food and water."
"I'll say we take the plane and leave," Zara suggested as she appeared next to Sylvie with Dominik in tow.
"And just where would we go?" Jakub asked in a lowered voice.
"He's right," Rik said. "We are out of fuel and Mathieu is in no shape to fly at the moment."
"So, we're just going to accept that they're bullying us?" Zara asked angrily.
"For now, I think we have to," Horst replied.
OOOOOO
To be continued