Chapter 14:
Fighting to stay alive.
As troopers, we always thought that the we've been through the worst of things. We took to arms against a horde of merciless bugs who wanted nothing more than human extinction. We fought for every millimeter of ground and space. We questioned the decisions of superiors whose orders we were meant to follow. Outnumbered, outflanked, and backed into a corner, we battled against overwhelming odds. Every time we suited up and got ready for deployment, we knew we were doing so knowing that there was a possibility that we were not going to survive the mission. Every single time we were called upon, we were called to stare Death in the eye.
We fought to stay alive.
But we were wrong. Or at least just partially right.
Real life isn't much easier. There were no bugs or threats of mass extinction. There were no orders to tell you what to do. Instead, you're left on your own to decide your own fate-- to survive.
Our time in the Alliance Terretories almost made the Bug War look so simple. If you see a bug heading for you, you take your rifle and pull the trigger because you know that being is your enemy. But in people-- in human beings-- how can you tell who you can trust? The corrupt government who experiments on children to make them human weapons? The space pirates living life in the fringe with their own code of morality? The military officer trying to keep his squad alive no matter how doubtful his alliances may seem? The trooper who wants to do it by the system? The girl who is used to surviving on her own?
I remember a time in the Valley Forge when Andy lent me her music player while she snuck out to do solo training on the VR. There was a song that asked one single question over and over again. "Do you know your enemy?" Back then, the answer was clear as day. The Arachnids were the enemy.
The Terretories gave us a little slice of real life-- life after being discharged. One day, we would be stepping out of HQ to deal with people not bugs. There would be no orders coming down from the higher ups if we should cross the street and eat the cake. Time would be our own. We would be our own Command.
And on that day, the question in that song would come back.
"Do you know your enemy?"
-- From the diary of Robert Higgins
"Wow." Kaylee stared at starship accompanied by several fighter ships passing by overhead atop the hull of Serenity. A shadow passed over them when it blocked out the sun for a moment. She watched it fly effortlessly until only the blinking lights could be seen against the sheer cover of clouds. "Captain, you think The Alliance would ever have a ship like that?" She turned to face the man welding beside her.
"Sure hope not." He looked uneasily at the fading lights. "It's getting crowded in my sky." There was a furious yell of frustration from the cargo bay. "Not to mention my gorram ship." The Captain added when he saw Jayne march out of the firefly and glare at him.
"MAL!" He growled. " That... that..." He stuttered in anger. "You can't be serious about keeping him!" He finally let out.
Inara dropped the paint brush onto it's holder and stared down at the nagry man from Serenity's wing. "What could he possibly have done this time Jayne?" She asked exchanging a quick smile of humour with the Captain.
"He.." Jayne huffed. "I was tidying up the storage compartments like Mal said to do, and when i slide the panel over, there he is! Staring right at me." He yelled. "Dropped my box of tools on my feet and everything!" He threw his hands in the air. "We can't keep him!" He repeated.
"But Jayne, he's cute." Kaylee argued.
River slowly walked out of the firefly calmly and faced Jayne defiantly. "We were merely playing the game Zoe suggested before she left to see to the engine part. According to her, it is a classic game when one is babysitting." She informed the larger man.
"You ain't even qualified to babysit." Jayne blurted out.
"I am of sufficient age." River defended herself.
"River," Kaylee called out curiously. "What game were you playing?"
The psychic girl looked up and smiled. "Hide and go seek. It's quite challenging." She said without explaining before walking back inside the firefly.
Jayne stared incredelously at the girl walking away then returned his attentions to the three working on the ship's hull. "We ain't keeping them both!" He fumed while the two ladies couldn't stop giggling at his expense.
"Keeping who Jayne?" Simon asked as he accompanied Zoe back to the ship. .
"The kid!" He exploded.
Zoe merely shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Run along Jayne." She smiled wry at the man dismissing his anger.
"Mal!" Jayne argued.
"You got a problem with that kid, you talk to Zoe." The Captain sighed bracing himself for bad news. "Zoe, I ain't seeing an engine part with you." He noted ignoring the stream of curses Jayne let out as he stormed off.
"There ain't none, Captain." Zoe frowned placing her hands on her hips. "They sold the last bit day before yesterday and they don't know if they're getting any more in the future."
Mal Reynolds pounded Serenity's hull obviously frustrated. "Tian a." He sighed looking up at the sky defeatedly.
-- -- - -
Sgt. Zim eyed every trooper gathered at the small hospital room. They seemed to squirm in their seats which he thought was thoroughly fitting. It might have taken him weeks having to clear all details with the local government, but he reached the city of Beaumonde to bring his troopers back home. All the paperwork seemed trivial now. The political mess this event has caused within SICON walls seemed unimportant. The SICON diplomatic envoy heading to Ariel after dropping him off in Beaumonde was far from his mind. The Roughnecks were what's important.
Their reunion was marked by relief. He was relieved they were mostly okay and alive. They were relieved that they were found. Never had Sgt. Zim seen the troopers so subdued. He didn't expect them to rejoice to high heavens but he didn't expect them to be so guarded either. Being in an unknown place was taking a toll on them. Watching over an unconscious comrade was making it worse.
For a moment, the only sound in the room were from the monitors that flanked the girl's bed. The sergeant watched as the pale girl breathed normally like she was just asleep. If only she was just asleep. In the past weeks, he's been making sure to check up on the troopers almost like a parent. He knew the situation but not the details.
"How long has Anderson been in a coma?" He finally asked.
"Six weeks, two days." Doc answered soberly. "There have been complications since we last talked." He sighed.
"Complications?" The sergeant frowned.
"Andy caught pneumonia from the aspirator. We almost lost her again." Doc shook his head and sighed. "She's stable now. Antibiotics are doing what they're supposed to."
"Is she stable enough to be transferred to the tank?" He asked.
The medic nodded. "Probably even better if she took the swim. The bots could monitor and regulate everything better than we can here." He said.
"Well then," The sergeant took a music player from his pocket and quickly placed earphones on the still trooper. "You might as well be as comfortable as possible, Anderson. Lavigne said this might help." He gave her a small smile that he knew she wouldn't see before pressing play.
"Um.. Sarge?" Higgins uncomfortably raised his hand. "What's going to happen to us?"
Sgt. Zim raised his gaze to the pilot sitting at the corner of the room. "I can't speak for Fleet, Ibanez but I'm fairly certain this applies to you as well." He crossed his arms over his chest. "SICON's taken to great lengths to keep this away from the media as possible which became complicated seeing as one of their reporters--" He glanced at Higgins, "--was one of the missing. So, as far as the civilians know, you're all MIA in Hydora and you were rescued." He slowly stressed. "I know it's not going to sit well with any of you but this is a highly political matter that can't be solved by shooting guns at each other. At least, not yet." He said meeting each of their gazes. " Let the good men and women of SICON do their jobs. You've done yours." He finished.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but get us out of here and bring on the bugs." Rico chuckled.
"You're not listening to me, son." Sgt. Zim glared at the lieutenant. " I said, you've done your jobs." He repeated. "We're going back to Earth. You're all going to get debriefed and discharged. You've served above and beyond your tour of duty. Every one of you." He let a smile slip.
"No way!" Dizzy Flores gasped in shock.
"Seriously?" Carl Jenkins exchanged a look of amazement with the red head.
The sergeant nodded solemnly. "Oh." He smirked. "Except maybe Rico."
"What?!" The lieutenant's face fell.
"Your records show you've skipped Officer's training." He grinned. "That's mandatory. No exceptions." Sgt. Zim almost sang.
"You gotta be kidding me." Rico slumped against the chair dejectedly.
"Time to hit the books Rico." Brutto teased. "Think you can handle papercuts?"
"At least I know what to give you on your birthday. A box of band-aids." The pilot joined in while the officer groaned.
"What about Andy?" Jeffrey Gossard suddenly asked. "If she doesn't wake up..." He trailed on.
"Rules are clear." Sgt. Zim gave him a grim smile. "By Power of Attorney, if she is unable to make decisions on her own, as the case is now, an agent of her choosing will make her medical decisions for her." He quoted and shrugged. "SICON is ready to give her the best possible care that could be afforded in around HQ and I've discussed the possibilities with Sgt. Lavigne." He shook his head warily. "The sergeant decided to opt out." He revealed.
"That's crazy!" Doc exclaimed.
"He refused care?!" The reporter questioned.
"She needs medical attention." Gossard argued.
"Now, I know why they're friends." Brutto shoved his hands to his pockets.
Sgt. Zim lifted his hand to calm them down. "According to the sergeant, they have people at home to take care of her. Remember that respecting his decision is respecting hers. Now-" He paused arching his eyebrows expectantly, "- anyone want to tell me how this happened?"
Bruto smirked and the sergeant knew he was going to regret the words that would come out his mouth. "Ibanez can't fly." The trooper offered.
"It's going to be a long way home." The sergeant sighed.