Friendship

A friend is someone who supports, encourages and loves the other. A life treasure. Friendship is the emotional bond that ties two friends together; it is a treasured connection between the two individuals.

Losing a friend. Well…

The feeling of loss turns into courage - the courage to crush any obstacle to revive the friendship in which they once had.

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." Proverbs 17:17

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RATCHET & CLANK~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 6: Stalemate

"Did you see that?"

A meteor that looked as if it was once apart of the Kreeli comet flew by the duo's ship.

"Isn't it amazing, Clank?"

"It truly is, Ratchet."

On their way back from a planetary defence meeting in the Breegus system, Ratchet and Clank found their route in the midst of a meteor shower. The space rocks were so miniscule they formed a sheet of colour covering the space before them, and created a sound much like soft rain on the roof of Aphelion.

Clank admired the celestial event before him and took the time to appreciate the beauty of the Phylax sector. Ratchet just crossed his arms and enjoyed this time he spent with Clank; he was content observing such a spectacular sky-show with his best friend.

As the shower cleared, the duo could see the Polaris sun in the far distance. Ratchet activated Aphelion's auto setting and she set a course for Polaris. He then turned to Clank with a yawn.

"That meeting was almost as boring as the time Qwark made us watch paint dry," he held his forehead and smiled dryly.

Clank let loose the usual trademark giggle, "He wanted us to guard the statue of him so no imperfections were to mutilate his 'glorious visage'."

"I remember all too well Clank," Ratchet snickered, "speaking of Qwark's imperfections, when's the next election?"

Before Clank could respond Aphelion announced an incoming signal.

"Incoming distress signal from signature code 2247-06-Echo," Aphelion spoke in her usual tone.

Ratchet raised his eyebrows as Clank immediately spoke up, "Somebody is in trouble."

"But that's not a ship code," Ratchet hastily inputted the source number and observed Aphelion's monitor, "It's from a planet."

"Then the planet must need our assistance!" Clank spoke at Ratchet with alarm.

"But if a whole planet is in danger don't they usually contact the Galactic Defence Force?" Ratchet squinted at the monitor as Aphelion traced the signal.

"Maybe they recognised Aphelion's signature code on the main line," Clank pondered, "or maybe we are closer to their location than the Defence Force."

Ratchet became silent as he gazed into the monitor's display. Aphelion had calculated the location of the planet in distress. It was a moon just south of the Verdigris Sector; a lone moon that had lost its orbit. What would people be doing on an isolated moon? Were they mining it? Was it a mining accident? Ratchet felt more concerned than suspicious.

"Maybe. Well whatever the reason we should go help them," Ratchet said while clicking in his seat harness, "Aphelion, upload coordinates for the Verdigris Sector."

"Affirmative," was the feminine reply and the ship changed its course.

Unbeknownst to the duo, a ship situated on the same route was waiting for them.

A slow beep emitted from Aphelion's dashboard indicating an approaching ship. Unfortunately, it was too late.

"Ratchet, a ship is nearby," Clank announced the obvious while pointing to the radar.

Ratchet barked at his own ship, "Aphelion, is it friendly?"

Aphelion's reply made Ratchet's fur stand on end, "The ship's signature code is unknown or not registered."

A different beep sounded.

"WARNING! Unidentified anomaly approaching!"

The duo stiffened. Ratchet immediately grabbed hold of the steering.

"Switching to evasive manoeuvres. Aphelion! Engage Qantm Reflector!"

Aphelion's reply was indistinct and impossible to understand.

An alarmed lombax tried again, "Aphelion! Did you hear me?"

The reply was now nothing but static.

"Why isn't she responding?"

"I am detecting an unknown radiation. I expect it is what is disrupting Aphelion's commands," Clank turned away from Ratchet and looked out the right side window, "What ever is coming for us must be transfusing it."

Grunts and moans came from Ratchet as he was determined to get a response from Aphelion. Neither command nor button he pushed worked.

"Clank! Try to override Aphelion's auto mode!" He called out after abandoning his own idea.

Though Clank didn't respond. His eyes were fixated on the giant, bright light travelling behind them. Whatever it was, it was getting closer. Clank blinked in transfixion as Ratchet's frustration sounded in the background. And closer. The before beeping sound amplified as the object finally came into view on the radar. Ratchet now watched the screen in horror as the large red dot portrayed the unidentified blast of matter right behind them.

Without pausing to think, Ratchet grabbed for Clank and held him tight against his chest. Closing their eyes, the duo held each other bracing for impact. The repetitive fast-paced beeping from the radar was the last thing they heard before the calamity struck.

The unknown matter penetrated the right side of Aphelion from the rear. The blast was so great it split a large hole in Aphelion's shell. Ratchet winced as he felt the right side of his body take the impact of the great force. The explosive sound hit the lombax's right eardrum leaving an excruciating tinnitus. It was then when Ratchet felt Clank leave his arms.

"CLANK! Hold on!"

Ratchet grasped Clank's hand as tight as he could as the force of the outside space began sucking out his friend. Where Clank once sat was now the large, gaping hole. Ratchet sat in the pilot seat bound by the harness to Aphelion's protective shell; his arm aching as he pulled against the force.

"I'm not letting you go," Ratchet forced his voice through his oxygen helmet, "I'm not losing you. Not again!"

Though his vision blurred, Ratchet watched as Clank's mouth moved in attempt to reply. The green of Clank's eyes merged with Aphelion's flashing warning lights creating bokeh in Ratchet's vision. Sounds of a deteriorating ship were the only sounds that filled his ears as his view of Clank became no more.

He was gone.

Like a star swallowed by a black hole, Clank was gone and so was half of the ship. If Ratchet's heart wasn't beating as fast as it was, it would have sank; he still felt the shape of Clank's grasp in his hand. Realising the declining state of the ship, he turned his attention to Aphelion and tried to get her to respond.

"Aphelion! Status report!" Ratchet shouted over the devastation desperately wanting a reply, "Aphelion? APHELION!"

Aphelion's eventual reply was scratchy, unclear and kept cutting in and out. Ratchet clutched the steering frantically trying to override Aphelion's auto setting himself. The ship rolled. It was like the sky was caving in. The stars danced in a kaleidoscope of colour in Ratchet's vision; he was losing consciousness. The ship's pressure was crushing his ability to stay awake.

"…Clank." Was the last thing the lombax uttered as the psychedelic display before him lulled him into a state of unconsciousness.

The dancing stars and twirling colours faded to white.

As he closed his eyes the loud rumbling of a crashing ship was alleviated.

"Nice aim you have, Lawrence," a shrilled, malevolent voice broke the heavy silence haunting the unknown ship.

There was no reply as the butler watched Ratchet's ship spiral out of control and descend into the atmosphere of the near planet Rykan V.

A lowly blink from Lawrence followed the commands of his employer, "Set a course back to the moon, we must reposition as quick as possible. Do it now! HURRY!"

A soft, maleficent snicker escaped the doctor. Lawrence didn't need to turn around to know Nefarious had the unconscious Clank in his clutches.

White.

White still filled the mind of Ratchet – then the ship impacted.

Ratchet awoke to the sudden jerk of his body. A massive gasp left his mouth as if it was his first breath. His eyesight still blurring, he grasped the sides of Aphelion's inner protective shell until the ship had finally become stationary. Then it was quiet.

Wiping what he assumed was blood from his mouth, Ratchet observed the scene before him with unclear vision. Beside him, the right side of Aphelion appeared to be almost wholly destroyed. The place where Clank once sat had vanished completely. This was an unhappy reminder that Ratchet had lost the battle for his friend.

Ratchet's thoughts of Clank were suddenly intercepted by Aphelion's attempt to speak.

"Ratchet," she tried, her voice so distorted.

Ratchet only understood "Clank", "sorry" and "damaged."

"Don't worry," Ratchet rasped, his heart still beating fast, "I promise I'll fix you."

Ratchet stroked Aphelion's dashboard; debris obscured it. He winced feeling his right arm burn under the rays of the sun beaming through what was left of the windshield. Cradling his arm, Ratchet watched as the monitor started flickering.

"Come in, rookie!" Cronk's face appeared on the shattered, hardly working monitor.

"We received your distress call and have pinpointed your location," Zephyr's face now.

"Help is on the way, so hang tight!" Cronk appeared again.

"Rook, are you okay?" Zephyr appeared once more.

"What happened?" They both said in unison.

Ratchet dropped his helmet on the floor.

"Clank's gone…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ V~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~