Chapter Nine
"The signal is gone, Ratchet," Clank said from aboard the duo's small vessel. "The computer can no longer trace the ND cargo ship. However, we still have the coordinates for its destination."
The Lombax sighed deeply; his focus remained on the space in front of them. He pondered what could've happened to it.
"Something serious must be going on. But what?" he contemplated.
His hand reached to his nav-unit noticing the synchronization he began earlier was activated and linked with Femka's communicator finally. His head looked back at the view before him and then jumped to the device with stupefaction.
"Clank, I think her comm-link is working. I think I have her location. Upload it to the computer for me."
"Affirmative. Uploading information." Clank leaned in to the computer to examine the data displayed. "We are close. She is in the Bogon galaxy in sector seven on planet Aranos."
"In that case we'd better step on it." The mechanic adjusted the controls to the ship.
"Indeed. Miss Femka was certainly not dressed for Aranos's cold temperatures," the little robot added.
Their ship was in a neighboring galaxy near Bogon; and with Femka's comm-link operating it made it easier for them to pinpoint where on Aranos her exact locality was. They would make it there within hours and hopefully it wouldn't be any longer.
• • •
Femka's eyes slowly opened. The smell of smoke and fumes drifted aboard the ship. Her body was still strapped into the seat. The ship survived and so did she. Her breath was still short and the room felt titled. The cargo ship crashed head on into the ground. The front end was smashed inward as the rest of the ship stuck out of the snow covered surface diagonally. Luckily for Femka, the cockpit was higher than the tip of the ship itself. She woke up forcibly fiddling with the seatbelt lock to free herself. She tumbled limp out of the chair and rolled onto the ground coughing at the inhale of smoke. She needed to get out of there. The first thing that was on her mind besides air was Ipsin. She hoped he died in the crash or evacuated. Right now her mind wasn't straight—she had no energy to run away from him. Her thin arms pushed her up and she stood on her two feet adjusting her body weight to the forward tilt of the vessel. Through the smoke she could see the outside. Snow was everywhere. They crash landed on a mountain. Femka didn't know it but Aranos was practically all mountains. She pushed her body onward to search for an exit. The door to the hallway was broken open and the lights all around were shattered or barely functioning. Femka found an exit near the pilot control room from where she came. It was a door with a wheel on it but it was already partially opened. The crash must have done that job. She pushed on it with whatever strength she could muster and the heavy metal door opened with a loud creak. The frigid wind blew through the opening and Femka covered with a shiver her exposed arms. Goosebumps immediately traveled up her legs and over her skin. She climbed down a ladder on the side until she had to let go and drop a foot to the ground. Her legs stung from the sudden impact and she fell when her ankles gave out. The ground was freezing. Her lips quivered. But she tried to stand up again. She walked forward wanting to get away from the ship. She had no idea where she was going or what was around her. All she could see from the place where she walked were mountains and some trees. If she could find someone or maybe make her way to the base of the mountain she would okay. But Femka didn't know anything. She didn't even have her communicator anymore; her legs would just keep moving on until she couldn't push her body any more.
She heard a ship flying near her. The woman's head lifted up to watch it. It must have noticed the cargo ship and went to investigate. Someone may be able to help her. Her voice quivered as she tried to run back to the wreckage. She was only walking for ten minutes. The ship from the sky landed near the wreck and someone stepped out. Femka could hardly see who it was. But she noticed now that it wasn't a ship at all, it was a pod. Her feet stopped moving and she just watched. Her eyes tried to focus on the person exiting the small craft. Four other pods landed as well and she moved closer to see who it was.
"Oh, no," her voice whispered as her eyes went wide. "It's him. He's alive. He escaped the ship… He's gonna look for me."
Femka took small steps backward until she turned around and began to run. It was Ipsin who did exit the first pod. Just like he wished, if the ship survived he would investigate it to see whether or not Femka was still alive. She was. But she was running away now, slowly, but surely. The men from the escape shuttles hadn't noticed her and neither did Ipsin. He was busy entering the ship and gathering information. He was determined to find her. He asked the remainder of his crew to locate her. They spent hours just searching the ship but there was no trace of her. A man outside noticed something, though. Foot prints on the snow. The sky was clear at the moment but they were fresh. They were headed down the mountain. Ipsin took a look for himself.
"She's alive," he said with a pleased expression.
"Do you want us to send out a search party or somethin'?" one of the crew members asked.
"Yes. Make sure you track her down as fast as possible. She'll be dead soon if you don't."
"Yes sir."
"When you find her, inform me and bring her to me. I'm going back to Igliak to retrieve the mother ship in the mean time. I've got plans that need to be set in motion."
"Whatever you say sir."
Ipsin left the remaining crew and entered back into his small pod. It blasted off back into the sky and left the planet within moments. The crew requested back up to initiate a search and find. The aliens that were in the operation were only doing it for money. There was always some kind of service like them in a universe so diverse. They didn't take sides. If you had the bolts then they had the time, something like the 'Thugs 4 Less' association, more or less. More of them arrived—some already had been stationed on this planet to begin with.
"Y'know, I expected more money for this," a brute said rubbing his hands together to keep them warm.
"It comes in installments," the other replied as they guarded the ship. "But it is kind of pointless to watch over this piece of junk."
"I know what'cha sayin'. Huntin' is where it's at."
"Yeah, exactly, but it's not the same when you can't kill 'em, you know what I'm sayin'?"
"I know what'cha sayin'."
Four heavy bodyguards stayed behind at the ship, while four others went out to search for Femka on foot. Several air-born thugs went looking as well. As for Femka's whereabouts, she was miles from the ship already but she was wearing down fast. Her limbs were frozen, her toes where white and her lips were turning the same color as her hair. She couldn't walk anymore. It was hurting so much. But she couldn't stop, she had to move. She just had to. Oh, but the burning feeling inside her lungs and the stinging feeling of the cold air biting at her skin, it was telling her to submit. Her next step sent her tumbling ineptly down a small hill as her ankle gave out again. The tired girl rolled until she hit something unpredictably soft. Her glasses had fallen off of her face as the thing she bumped into turned around and stared down at her adjusting a pair of glasses of his own. His details were blurred but he was a big, blue fellow with a black beard who wore suspenders that compensated for his "wide" build. Femka grunted trying to stay awake; the stranger easily helped prop her up. What was anyone doing out here anyway? Was he fixing a pipe in the middle of nowhere? She couldn't stay awake any longer, her eyes shut and she was limp against the stranger.
Ratchet and Clank, however, were approaching the planet. The ship flew through the snow filled clouds following Femka's comm-link. The shipwreck could be seen from their view in the sky.
"Ratchet, the ND ship is below us. Femka may still be inside." The small robot's expression was filled with worry.
"Let's hope she's alright." Ratchet steered the ship to descend noting the few people around it. "I wonder what they're up to."
The guards at the base of the ship noticed Ratchet's vessel coming in for a landing several miles away. Two were signaled to stay behind while the other two would go on ahead and see what the ship was about that landed.
The duo hopped out of the ship and into the snow. Clank was secured on Ratchet's back as they headed out on the mountain toward the crash site. The walk wouldn't take more than fifteen minutes or so but as they trucked through the barren, snow-covered, rocky wasteland (also known as Aranos), they were soon to be greeted by the two brutes that went to investigate. The two aliens were watching from afar as they could see the Lombax marching onward.
"What's he doin' here?" one said taking cover from behind a tree.
"I don't have a clue. Maybe he's with that girl we're lookin' for."
"Should we tell Ro?"
"What? He's by himself. He doesn't even look armed. We can take 'em out easy," the tough alien said taking out a rather large gun and aiming it at the unsuspecting Lombax. His eye squinted as he looked through the scope to lock on. "Easy…"
Just as the brute fired his shot, Ratchet slipped on a patch of ice tripping and landing face forward hearing the sound of a gun fire over his head. Clank saw the laser that went by in the air being on Ratchet's back. The Lombax's eyes went wide and he sat up looking around with his ears back.
"Did someone just shoot at me?" his tail fluffed.
"It came from over there," Clank pointed to a group of trees as the mechanic stood up.
Ratchet turned his head to peer at the foliage seeing the two thugs ready to shoot again. Without another pause their weapons fired and the Lomax rushed to take cover.
"What gives?" he yelled diving behind a tree.
"Perhaps they are protecting the cargo ship?"
"So, then she must be alive."
"Indeed. Or whatever is on that ship is rather valuable to them. Or perhaps they just do not like you."
"You think?" he said moving his head away from view as another beam of light spit past his face. "Well," Ratchet glanced at his communicator, "guess I'll just have to take them out."
"With what? You have brought nothing to fight with other than your wrench."
"Is that doubt I'm hearing? Or are you chicken?"
"I am no chicken. I am only the voice of ignored reason."
"Ah, don't be such a buzz kill. Ready?"
"I do not have much choice," Clank sighed.
"Alright! Three, two, one…!"
Devoid of any plan, Ratchet ran from his cover and toward the two thugs that were declaring open season for the last Lombax. He evaded every shot to his best and dashed at one of the men jumping on him and swinging around him holding onto his neck.
"Hey!" he yelled trying to reach the nuisance behind him. His arms couldn't reach. "Get 'im off me!"
"Uh, right!"
His partner held up his gun ready to shoot but the frustrated alien was wobbling around too much trying to get Ratchet off his back.
"I can't shoot if you keep moving around like that."
"Just do it! Just shoot him!"
The other alien shook his head and opened fire nearly shooting his comrade in the process. Ratchet hung on for dear life grateful to the alien being a terrible shot. He pulled out his wrench hanging on with one hand and hit it against the thug's head with all his strength. He stopped moving around and eventually fell forward dropping his weapon. Ratchet stood up with a smug smile on his face and looked to the remaining brute smacking his wrench against his palm.
"I ain't afraid you, little kitten." His gun pointed at the Lombax.
"No?" His ears went down suddenly. "Are you afraid of the elusive yet very dangerous Aranosian Guhltawk by any chance?" Ratchet took a step backward.
"Why would I be afraid of one of those?"
The man slowly put his gun down from his face hearing a heavy breathing sound behind him. His head lifted up and turned it very carefully to see what was back there. Ah. An Aranosian Guhltawk, breathing down his back, no less. They were very big carnivorous, mammalian creatures that lived on the planet's mountain tops. This one looked particularly hungry, showing its big set of teeth to the both of them. It growled deeply unleashing a low roar. Ratchet's ears folded out to the sides and he was off in a dash.
"Run!" he yelled letting his legs carry him.
The thug behind him panicked with a small yell holding up his gun to the growling creature and opening fire. The Guhltawk bellowed snapping at the man taking his gun as he still held onto it, throwing him and his weapon in the air.
"Keep running, Ratchet, it is chasing us now."
The Lombax turned his head to see the monster catching up fast.
"Oh, c'mon! You didn't even eat the other guy, did you?"
The creature just roared gaining speed on the mechanic and his friend. Ratchet hurried as fast as he could—it was a good thing this was all downhill. Unfortunately, like before, the mechanic slipped on ice with a yelp sending him forward and he began to tumble down the mountain side. The hungry carnivore still followed with heavy leaps and cries. Ratchet's body flipped in the air and he landed on his chest with a groan from the pain.
"You must get up, Ratchet. That beast is coming," Clank urged.
"Just… just a second… I hurt a lot right now…"
Ratchet pushed his body up with his arms and feet turning around to see the Guhltawk advancing with a giant leap. The Lombax screamed scrambling to his feet and darted down the rest of the mountain. It was getting a little steeper. The mechanic was finding it hard to keep a good balance—also stopping, though that wasn't wanted, was impossible. There was someone at the base of the mountain. Ratchet yelled at them hoping they would hear him as he ran. The person turned around to see what was shouting at him. It was the man who found Femka. She was passed out in his arms with a blanket or something around her body. The running Lombax couldn't stop himself and he collided with the man bouncing off of him not even causing him to move an inch. Ratchet slowly stood on his two feet shaking his head and body of the snow that covered him. His head titled when he noticed who he bumped into.
"The Plumber?" he said with a twitch off his nose. "Is that…" He blinked his eyes wide with a gape of his mouth. "Femka!"
"Do you two know each other?" he asked.
"We've been looking all over for her! Where did you find her?"
"The poor thing stumbled down the mountain side over there. Bumped into me while I was taking a look a pipe."
"Ratchet…" Clank interrupted the mechanic's conversation pointing to the creature that was still pursuing them.
"Oh, no…"
The Plumber sniffled through his nose with a light smile handing Femka's sleeping body to Ratchet as he walked toward the Guhltawk. The massive beast stopped when they met ways and growled at the plumber showing his fierce teeth. He wasn't fazed one bit. The blue plumber took out a tool of his own and smacked it against the monster's nose.
"You get outta here, now."
The creature squeaked a small noise through its mouth.
"Go on. Get!" he shooed with his hands. "Off with ya."
The Guhltawk sniffed with a heavy exhale like its feelings had just been hurt. It turned around and scurried back up the mountain path and in through a small forest. Ratchet stood there confused as ever but his puzzlement didn't last when he looked back at the woman in his arms. They couldn't just stand there; she was probably close to death by now.
"I have no idea how you just did what you did but thanks. I really need to get her back to our ship," Ratchet said looking at the Plumber who was returning.
"All in a day's work. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got another appointment."
Ratchet watched the strange man walk away whistling some tune and he quickly summed his ship to rendezvous at their location. Ratchet looked down at Femka as their ship circled above for landing. He pressed two fingers onto her throat to check her pulse. It was hard to feel for but it was still there, though faint and slow.
"We must take her to a hospital," Clank said standing on the ground by his partner's feet.
"Right."
• • •
"Femka?"
She could hear a familiar voice calling out to her. It was the same voice like long before, that month ago when she was asleep for a few days. The dream was different this time but everything was white.
"Femka?" the voice said again.
Her tired eyes pushed to open even just a small crack. All objects were blurred together with the bright background. Femka was in an infirmary still on planet Aranos. She was brought there in the nick of time. She was suffering from mild hypothermia and dehydration. If she stayed out there any longer she would have froze to death. She could feel something on her face—one of those oxygen tubes was up her nose with a mask to cover it. Femka coughed feeling phlegm surface in her throat and something pinching at her arm. Her chest hurt, it was tight. After coughing again her eyes opened more and her head turned to look about the room.
"Fem."
Her head turned to the voice. Surely enough it was the Lombax she admired and Clank was right by his side. Her eyes opened wider. Oh, was she happy to see him. She only wished she had the energy to leap up out of bed. She pushed her back up but when she tried to speak her voice was raspy and crackled with a cough.
"Hey, take it easy," he said standing up and gently pushing her to lie back down. "You're sick. The doctor said you have bronchitis. He also said that you have asthma, which is pretty important to know, since I had no idea. But you'll be alright. You just need to relax here for a little bit, okay?"
Femka shook her head with an anxious visage about her.
"Why not okay?" One of his ears flinched as he stared at her confused.
"I have to tell you…" Femka tried speaking again and only coughed as a result. "It's about… I…"
"Calm down, don't get excited. You can tell me later."
"No…," she coughed and her voice squeaked as she again tried to sit up. "I have to tell you now."
"Fem, lay down." His hands held her shoulders.
"Ratchet, maybe we should listen to her. It may be vital for us to hear."
"It's about Ipsin," she continued after Clank and stared at Ratchet. "He was the one who kidnapped me." Another cough was muffled through her oxygen mask. "I know what he's doing. I know what he wants… He's gonna come back for me…"
"Oh, not if I have something to do about it. Do you know where he is now?"
"No," she said somewhat scared.
"It's alright. Lay back down, now. We'll get off of Aranos as soon we can."
Femka nodded and put her back against the bed. She was frustrated that she was sick. It meant that she had to stay in the hospital for however long and couldn't leave until she was better. Bronchitis took weeks to go away from what she was used to. Ipsin was sure to come to the planet by then and who knows what he would bring with him. She just didn't want to go through with what she did earlier all over again. She also didn't want Ratchet to deal with him but it seemed personal for him now. Ratchet left her side for a moment to speak with the doctor while Clank kept her company until he returned shortly after.
"We'll leave soon. The doctor needs to prescribe something for you, though. And yes it's safe." He smiled. "It'll just help with your bronchitis. I'm not sure how medically advanced your planet is but it should make you feel better in a day or so."
"How did you find me?" Femka asked looking up at him.
"We tracked the ship's serial number. We even have the coordinates of where it was originally headed for."
"Indeed," Clank approved. "We were able to synchronize with your comm-link before we lost track of your whereabouts first, however."
"Right and so now that lunatic's run off somewhere, huh?"
Femka simply nodded and coughed slightly.
"I knew he wasn't right upstairs. What did want you for?"
"He said at first he wanted my necklace, and that the incident in the alley at Meridian was a setup so he could take it. But then he saw what I could do, and he wanted to use my ability for something."
"For what?" Clank asked.
"For some device. He said he knew everything about the material in my necklace. He called it Neroltrium and that it was from his solar system on some planet. He told me that a long time ago some tyrant mined for Neroltrium and he used it to his advantage but he was thrown over. Ipsin wants to make a device like that tyrant did and use it to finish what he started… I think." She paused to cough another time. "Ipsin said he wanted to blow up some planet where his species was from. He said he wasn't from Polaris at all."
"So that's why he wants to come for you? He wants to use your ability like some kind of battery?" the Lombax questioned.
"Yeah, that's what he said. And… my necklace… It made me curious. I think my planet may be in your universe somewhere, because of the Neroltrium being scattered. It made it to Earth just like it made it to Igliak."
"That's good news," he smiled to her again. "But we've got a demented researcher to find first."
Femka smiled up at him. She felt weak from more than just being sick. He stunts back on the cargo ship depleted her of her energy. It might take a good rest before she was up on her feet like normal. She hoped that the medicine the doctor would give her would help. When he came into the room, Femka could only understand him through the translator's frequency that Ratchet carried with him. He gave her a bottle of capsules and told her how she must take them. Eat first, drink something and then have one twice a day until the bottle was empty. Typical procedures just like at home.
The woman was demanded to stay until the end of the day when she was allowed to be released. The clothes she came in were exchanged for something more suitable for her to wear. She was able to walk around but Femka felt light-headed and tired. The ship was waiting outside for her and the three went forward and inside. Femka sat down in the back of the hull and lain down on the seats there as the ship began to take off into the air. A few thoughts entered her mind as they left the planet. One thought concerned her things left on Pokitaru and another about not being able to see Veldin. She was too sick for sightseeing; and at the moment it was imperative to apprehend Ipsin—or at least find out where he was. Those other things would just have to wait for now.
"Where are we heading first, Ratchet?" Clank asked as the planet behind them was no longer visible.
"We're going back to Polaris first. I know we have Ipsin's coordinates but that doesn't mean he's there right now. Also, I don't want Femka with us when we look for him."
"Is it a good idea to go to Polaris, though, considering that is where Doctor Ipsin is living?" The small robot's eyes blinked with a spin. "Perhaps we should alert Captain Qwark of the situation?"
"Do we really have to?" Ratchet's ears pressed backward.
"I suppose it is not necessary but he could alert the museum if by chance Ipsin is there."
"Well, you're probably right. We don't know where he is anyway."
The Lombax pressed a few buttons on the panel in front of him opening up a connection to Qwark's office back at Meridian City. The line rang for a moment until a voice answered. It wasn't Qwark, though.
"Hello, you've reached Galactic Presidential Captain Qwark's service desk. How may I help you?" a feminine voice spoke.
"We need to speak to Qwark, it's kind of urgent."
"May I ask who's calling?"
"This is Ratchet."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Ratchet, but the President is busy at a meeting. Would you like me to send you to his voice mail?"
"No, I'd like you to let me speak with him," Ratchet said slightly irritated and pondering what exactly Qwark even did at a meeting—besides taking credit for everything accomplished not by himself.
"I'm sorry sir, but he's in dispose. This meeting is very official, very important. That's what the sticky note said on his door."
"Look, it's really crucial that I speak with him… now."
Ratchet's ears flinched when he could hear another voice in the room. It was definitely Qwark's. The mechanic's brow lowered and his face was dry hearing a whispered conversation between the woman on the phone and the President himself.
"One moment sir," she said.
Femka was listening from the end of the room with an amused expression on her face. She could hear the talking going on in the background.
"Alright, Mr. Ratchet, he will speak with you now."
"Oh, great."
There was a moment of silence until the President's voice spoke on the line finally.
"Hello?"
"Qwark? Listen, I have to ask you something very important and—"
"Ah, Ratchet!"
"Yeah, hi, anyway, Qwark, there's someone who's—"
"I wasn't expecting a call from you. You know, I was in a very important meeting concerning some very important matters."
"Yeah, I'm sure it was. Could you listen for a second?"
"Sure, sure. But just to let you know, I usually schedule my phone conversations, as my busy agenda is… busy. But when my secretary here told me who was on the line, I ignored my eleven o'clock appointment with the interior designer and took your call instead. I've been thinking about changing the long carpet to a royal blue color but I had a revelation last night at three in the morning, realizing that my office would be suited to a green colored carpet instead. Emerald green, to be exact."
Ratchet rolled his eyes to the back of his head after hearing Qwark ramble.
"Okay, Qwark. There's a man named Doctor Ipsin Ro. He works at the National Museum of Science and Archeology there in Meridian."
"Oh, I know that fellow. Strange, obsessed over rocks… Pretty boring, if you ask me."
"We're trying to find him. We need to find him," the Lombax stressed.
"I didn't think you were that into rocks."
"I'm not! But we have to find him. He's a lunatic. We just came back from Aranos, because he kidnapped a friend of mine all for a necklace with a rock on it and his ship crashed there. He ran off somewhere but we don't know where he is. He's got some weird plan up his sleeve and it's important that he's located so he can be apprehended or something!"
"I knew he was crazy about rocks," Qwark whispered out of the side of his mouth.
"Extremely."
"I'll see what I can do for you, old friend. In the meantime, I've got some business to attend to about my tacky foyer."
"We'll stand by for your call."
The transmission cut out.
"Hopefully Captain Qwark will be able to find Doctor Ipsin," Clank said looking at his friend.
"So do I." Ratchet shook his head. "What a nutcase."
"I do not agree with his logic either."
"What logic?" Ratchet's voice cracked with a smile and sarcasm.
For the meanwhile, Ratchet would let the ship still head in the direction of Polaris. It would take them several hours to get back there anyway, so they had time to wait for Qwark's message. Between now and then, Femka would sleep and Ratchet would make a stop at one of Gadgetron's vendors. Picking up a weapon or something might come in handy for later on. Eventually a personal message was received by the ship's computer a few hours later.
"Incoming message from Captain Qwark." Clank proceeded to read the typed message silently.
"You know, it's kind of funny. I can hear his voice in my head when I read it," Ratchet said with an odd look on his face that slowly went unpleasant.
Ratchet and Clank,
I was able to contact the museum concerning that Doctor what's-his-face. Unfortunately, they told me that he was in earlier but he quit his job for some random reason that I really wasn't at all interested in. But don't worry. We'll keep our eyes peeled for him! Oh, by the way, you should see what I did with the office. I was thinking about putting a giant chocolate fountain in my room. Anyway, I've got some other matters to attend to.
Sincerely,
G.P.C.C.L. Qwark
"He quit?" Ratchet sat up in his seat.
"Hm, well, after what he has in mind, I do not think it would be possible for him to have another job in Polaris. Though, it makes me wonder what galaxy he is from exactly."
"There goes one way of knowing where he is. I guess if he's probably not coming back to Igliak it's safe to take Femka there. Then, we can go to those coordinates and see if he's there or not."
"Yes. It is doubtful that he knows Miss Femka is with us at the moment. But if he searches for us later, I am sure that he would think she would be with us then."
"Exactly."
"Incoming message from unknown ship," Clank announced.
"Who now?" Ratchet bothered to ask giving Clank the okay to open a link between the two ships.
A familiar face appeared on the screen.
"Ipsin. Just the guy we were looking for," Ratchet said with a perk of his brow.
"And just the Lombax I wanted to see. I do believe that you have something that belongs to me."
"I don't know. Last time I checked Femka wasn't 'something' and she definitely didn't belong to you."
"Don't be smart." Ipsin's face grew stern. "Hand her over, rodent, or I will open fire on your vessel."
"I don't think you're that intrepid."
"Ratchet, please do not tempt him," Clank pleaded.
"C'mon. He'd endanger Femka. He won't shoot us."
"I disagree. I may not want to harm your cargo but I'm not going to stop my ship from firing at you until you can no longer control your direction. You have one last warning. Give Femka to me and you can go about your life. This doesn't even have anything to do with you anyway."
"I really beg to differ, Doctor." Ratchet gripped his controls firmly in his hands.
"Fine then. We'll see how fast you fall." His transmission ended.
"Ratchet, we cannot combat his ship. The radar is showing it as far too large for any of our weapons to dismantle it."
"I'm aware of that."
"Then what do you propose we do?"
"I haven't thought that far yet…"
There was a thud from the back of the ship. Ipsin wasn't joking. He had instantly opened fire on them. Ratchet quickly increased the small vessel's shield uptake as well as speed. The bounce woke Femka up from her sleep. She missed the little conversation. Her confused face looked about the ship and the pilots.
"What's going on?"
"Oh, hey, glad you're awake. We found Ipsin."
"You did?"
"Yeah, and he's currently shooting at us. Unfortunately, I don't really have much of a plan at the moment, so we might be a little screwed."
"No. I have an idea." Femka stood up, still tired and sniffling. "Open up another link with him."
"Shouldn't you tell me your plan first?"
"We'll negotiate. Just open a channel."
The Lombax shrugged his shoulders and attempted to send a transmission to the crazed researcher. His face was in view and somewhat surprised to see Femka standing there this time.
"Come to your senses?" he asked without a pause.
"Ipsin, if you promise to stop shooting at Ratchet and Clank, I'll do what you say."
Both the Lombax and the small robot looked at her strangely. Ratchet only hoped that she knew what she was doing. Ipsin again seemed taken aback but kindly nodded his head.
"Of course. I told them it had nothing to do with them. But if you really wish to comply with me, then fly your vessel over to my ship and I will let you land in the hanger. Some men of mine will be there to greet you and bring you to me. But Ratchet and Clank must stay behind and leave instantly. Don't try anything funny, either."
"Okay. I understand."
The researcher ended the transmission and Ratchet stared at her like she was insane.
"What're you doing?"
"I'm infiltrating his ship."
"What, by yourself?" the mechanic said skeptical.
"I can destroy it from the inside. You saw his other ship, right? The one that crashed? I did that. I can do it again."
"Yeah, but how will you escape? And how will you stop him? He escaped last time—hence why he's here right now. And besides, you're sick. You hardly have the strength to do something like this."
"Well, you don't have a plan, do you? What else is there?"
There was a minute of awkward quietness before Clank broke the silence.
"Perhaps we should let Miss Femka go about her plan. It may seem unorthodox but it is all we have to follow."
"Alright, fine," Ratchet gave in begrudgingly steering the ship to Ipsin's vessel.
As they approached it one of the sides opened to reveal the hanger. Before entering Ratchet stood up from his seat and took off his communicator and handed it to Femka.
"You'll need this since you lost yours. Hide it somewhere."
Femka stared at the device and put it in her shirt near her chest staring back at Ratchet with a small smile and a shrug.
"That works…" His tail flicked back and forth and a sigh escaped his mouth before he spoke again. "Clank and I will keep the ship in close proximity. We still have the coordinates of where he was going to in the first place—hopefully that's still where he's heading. Anyway." His hand scratched the side of his face and he stared at Femka. "Just be careful."
"I will."
She smiled at him as bravely as she could. She was nervous as all hell to just do what she had in mind but Ipsin needed to be stopped this time. Ratchet returned to his seat to land the ship in the hanger. Femka watched the outside as she could see a few men entering the spacious room and coming toward the ship. She felt a knot forming in her stomach—and it wasn't from the bronchitis she had—it was from the thought of dying. She had seen death in the face a couple times already during her stay in this foreign universe. Today might not be the exception. Another thing rattled her mind once again, her personal thoughts. Those were dismissed fast when Ratchet came back to her.
"Are you ready?"
"I guess so." Her eyes looked at the floor. "There's no turning back now, though," she said looking at the door to the ship and glancing back at her friend. "Well, here I go."
The woman reluctantly waited for the exit to open and she stepped off of the ship. She didn't look back to her friends but instead marched forward to the group of thugs or crewmen who were waiting for her.
"I really hope she knows what she's doing," Ratchet said watching her move onward with the men.
"We must have faith in her decision. I am certain she will manage," Clank reassured his partner as their ship began to lift off and fly out of the hanger.
"Well, just to be safe, we'll follow him. I installed that cloaking device onto this ship a couple weeks ago."
Clank wasn't surprised that Ratchet removed the device from his other ship to put it onto the one they flew now. Regardless, their vessel stayed close by with Ipsin. Ratchet would keep them out of sight and listen for anything from the communicator he gave to Femka, only hoping there was no jammer within Ipsin's ship. Back inside the massive transport, the Earthling was being escorted directly to Ipsin in the control room. She wasn't happy to see that man again. Her body was still feeling weak and fatigued. Occasionally she would cough but the pills she took earlier were helping. But it was his fault she was like this in the first place. She glared at him when she entered the room only to see him smiling.
"It's nice to see you, too," he chuckled.
"Shut up. You got what you wanted."
"Indeed I did. I have something to show you now. Come with me."
He seemed to be unfazed by her anger and walked right past her. The men behind her pointed with their guns for her to follow him. She had no choice but to comply. But in her mind she was only thinking about what she should really do to take this lunatic down. Ratchet was right. Her plan was just as half-thought-out as Ipsin's was. Femka didn't know really how to go about this. At the same time, however, she only could imagine what he wanted to show her. He ended up leading her down several long hallways and corridors until they took a lift down to the heart of the ship. There was the room that harbored the ship's supercomputer. Ipsin seemed proud about it for some reason. Femka's eyes didn't focus on him so much as they were fixed on all the computers and wires that were around her.
"Do you like it?" he spoke walking further into the room that suddenly was lit more with his steps. "I've worked ages to get this ship to the way it is now. And it's very special."
"Yeah?" Femka stared at the man.
"Mhm. I've modified it for you. Actually, it's been modified for the Neroltrium for decades but since you're here I made some quick re-modifications in the short time we spent apart."
Ipsin stepped to the middle of the room to reveal something that looked like the Gyro-Cycle but stationary. There were wires coming out of the sphere-like object. He motioned the woman to come closer to it. She looked at the bizarre thing and turned her confused gaze over to Ipsin.
"I see you're mystified. Let me to explain. This machine here will allow you to connect with the ship's computer and supply it with your energy making this large vessel the most powerful and destructive thing anyone's ever seen. Like I said before, I've been working on this for awhile and it was originally just used for the Neroltrium alone. But now it'll work for you. What do you think?" he smiled at her.
"I think you're insane… still."
"Ah, of course. Well, Femka, there's more to my story than what I mentioned before," he began. "Sergua's species, my species, had always been rather insistent in the past. It's still like that today. The reason I came to Polaris was because I was banished."
"Banished?" That didn't shock her at all.
"Yes. I was forced to leave my planet for studies that were inhumane. I was studying with the remaining Neroltrium. It's just so fascinating. But I was told I must stop, but I didn't want to. The stuff was deemed illegal long before I got my hands on it. There's so much you can do with it, though! It's so powerful! But I suppose that's why they wanted me to stop. They say it can go to your head. With the Neroltrium that I had I was making outstanding inventions. Unfortunately, they found out and banished me. So, I went to Polaris, since my name easily spread about our solar system. I wouldn't be accepted anywhere, because of the things that I'd done. In Polaris no one knew my name and as I mentioned before I was ecstatic about the Neroltrium that made it to planet Igliak. It was just coincidental that I happened to be there. Amazing, isn't it? Ah, but now I need to finish the job."
Femka watched flabbergast as the man walked past her and over to the computers, typing some things in and turning some knobs before coming back to her.
"You and I will show those fools back in my solar system, won't we?" He took several steps toward her.
She only backed away nervously and shook her head keeping her eyes on him.
"You have to. You have no choice. Your friends left you here with me and there's no way you're getting off of this ship. You must comply."
His face was unyielding and his voice sounded like a machine. He was really twisted. Though, Femka could merely continue her steps away from him. She didn't want to be a part of this. Ipsin grabbed a hold of her wrist and brought her closer to him. She tried to get away from his grip but his hand wrapped tight. His fingers pressed into her small wrist.
"Let me go!" she winced with a cough.
"A little sick and weakly, aren't we? I don't think you'll be much of threat to me."
Ipsin forcibly dragged her along back to the center of the room to the sphere despite her resisting and trying to punch or kick him. He was able to easily toss her into the chamber and connect her to the system by attaching some sort of cuffs to her that covered hands and feet forcing her to stand and keeping her in place.
"Let me out!" she yelled as he closed the sphere shut. Her yells were muffled.
"What now, genius?" she yelled at herself mentally. "You're stuck in here and you can't even gather up the strength to blow this piece of machinery up."
She watched helplessly as the obsessed researcher worked away at the computer terminal near her. He was initiating the program that would link her body with the network of the ship, permitting it to take her energy when conjured. Ipsin looked back at her when everything was set-up on his end. The computers around her were flashing symbols and lights—even the sphere she was trapped in was lighting up.
"By the time we make it to the Reiggel galaxy you should be healthy enough to give my ship some of your power. Until then, enjoy yourself in that globe."
The Doctor smirked at her and began to exit the room leaving her behind.
"You bastard! Get back here and let me out!" she screamed as hard as she could. She felt her throat stinging and another heavy cough slipped from her mouth. "Great," she said with a crackle of her voice. "I'm screwed…"
The moment of despair blew over quickly when she heard the communicator under her clothing sound off. Her eyes looked about the room to see that Ipsin was gone. She was the only one there.
"Femka? Can you hear me?"
She stared back to her shirt and responded with a raspy whisper.
"Yeah, I can hear you. I'm trapped in here, Ratchet. I'm stuck in the middle of the ship in some… weird, ball thing…"
"Don't worry. We're following his ship. He hasn't detected us yet. We're going to land outside and make our way to you. Can you synch your comm-link to my nav-unit?"
"No, I can't move my arms or legs. I'm stuck. I don't know when he'll be back or how long it'll take to get to Reiggel."
"Reiggel? Is that the galaxy he's going to?"
"Yeah, it's where he's from. He said by the time we get there I should be healthy enough for him to commence his asinine plan."
"Alright. Just hang tight for a little while longer. We're approaching the ship now. Beginning radio silence."
The transmission ended.
"Please hurry." Femka sighed through her nose.
On the outside of the hulking ship, Ratchet's small vessel was making a landing on the side still keeping its invisibility.
"Déjà vu, huh?" Ratchet said to Clank unstrapping himself from his seat.
"Let us just hope the enemies inside are just as insipid as the pirates were," Clank remarked hopping out his chair.
"Well, if they're anything like the guys we met on Aranos, then I don't really think there's much to worry about."
The mechanic changed his some of his wardrobe to fit the elements they'd be entering. His gasmask naturally went onto his face knowing that he had to fulfill the same procedure like he did on the pirate ship. Clank jumped onto his friend's back when he was ready and the both of them left the ship to walk along the side and look for a good entrance, one that wouldn't cause too much of a ruckus.
"This looks good enough. Femka did say she was in the center of the ship, so…"
The Lombax got to work, removing one of the panels with his wrench. It was a little more difficult this time. It wasn't just one panel he had to remove, there were also other slates of metal and wires he needed to cut until the two finally made a breech inside a room. Unfortunately for them, there was a crew member inside with them. The henchman looked back at the stranger with a confused but menacing look shortly after. His gun lifted from his side but before he got a chance to fire, Ratchet ran up to him kicking it from his hand and smacked him over the head with his wrench watching him fall to the floor with his tongue hanging out.
"Phew. That's taken care of. Let's find Femka."
Ratchet stuck his head out from the room they were to look around the corridors. There were men here and there walking about, most of them were robots, however. It was always easier to have a robot army anyway nowadays. Ratchet would take the risk and run out of the room but not before trying to synchronize his nav-unit with Femka's location aboard the ship. The thing was too big just to go running around looking blindly for someone.
"Aha!" he exclaimed quietly having obtained Femak's whereabouts.
She wasn't that far. Just a couple floors below and straight ahead. Ratchet proceeded out of the room with a dash on his feet. Robots ahead spotted him naturally and opened their fire on him. Luckily there were a few weapons he was able to bring along with him. Easy to say, when the going got tough, the though got dancing, unwillingly of course, by means of the Groovitron. Causing a ruckus wasn't exactly on the agenda anymore. The Lombax was being bombarded, so he had to retaliate with force. Ipsin already knew something was amiss. One of the robots sounded the alarm. Femka saw the lights flashing from the computer room she was in and held her breath for Ratchet and Clank. The two, meanwhile, were almost there.
"Ratchet, Miss Femka should be in a room directly ahead of us," Clank alerted his friend.
"Got'cha!"
As the Lombax advanced to the door there was a loud shot from behind him causing him to dive to the ground to avoid the damage. His head lifted and looked back to see Ipsin with a large robot firearm at his side.
"Don't enter that room, Lombax."
"What, this room?" he stood up pointing to the door near him with his thumb. "I wasn't even thinking about it."
"Don't play games with me. You've really gotten on my nerves. I think I understand why the Cragmites wanted to wipe your species off the map."
"Oh, really? Look, crazy Doctor-researcher…"
"I'm not crazy!" the red alien retorted with a snap. "I'm not going to let you ruin my plans! I've worked too hard on this!"
In his anger he ordered the machine standing near him to fire continuously at the Lombax some feet ahead. Ratchet dove out of the way as the shots knocked the door off its track. Femka gasped at the action that busted into the room.
"Ratchet!"
Femka's muffled yell barely traveled to Ratchet's large ears. He lifted his head from the smoke created by Ipsin's maniacal shooting and saw his entrapped friend.
"Fem!" He began running in the room ahead.
"Stay away from her!" Ipsin yelled behind him and let his robot do the negotiating.
Some of the bullets fired into the computer room hitting his equipment creating small sparks. Ratchet continued to make his way to Femka regardless of crazed man's warning.
"Get me out of this thing!" Femka pleaded with a cough.
"I'm trying, I'm trying! It's hard to concentrate with this nut job yelling obscenities behind me and shooting at me."
The sphere opened up as the mechanic tampered with the computer terminal next to it. He jumped inside with her and tried to disconnect the braces that were on her feet and hands but they wouldn't budge.
"Just break them off!"
"I don't want hurt you." His ears moved backward.
"Ratchet, Ipsin is drawing near," Clank warned.
Ratchet turned around to see the Doctor coming forward with his death-bot and other men behind him. He stopped firing realizing the damage he was doing to his computers.
"Step down, rodent, and I promise I won't kill you slowly," the researcher demanded.
Ratchet turned around to watch the Doctor stand in the room with his support by his side. The mechanic situated himself in front of Femka.
"I think I'd die quicker drowning in puddle than by you. All you've been doing is having other machines do the job for you," Ratchet remarked with a sarcastic smile.
"I don't think you're much different, mechanic. You've been using weapons yourself. You're just as dependent as I am on technology."
"Are you kidding? I could take you out with my bare hands."
"I'd like to see you try." Ipsin raised his brows and signaled his crew to remove the Lombax from his position.
He was strict to make it a point to not open fire while in this room. Some of the equipment was already damaged—but just lightly. Ipsin wanted Ratchet away from Femka. Some overgrown men ran towards him and he charged them back jumping from the sphere his friend was being detained in. They would try to fight for his weapons but just because Ipsin told his men not to shoot didn't mean that the mechanic wouldn't. He wasn't here to prove a point; he was here to take back Femka. One of Ipsin's men, however, came after him from behind swooping down on the Lombax's shoulder with his gun and sending him to the ground. He rolled onto his back as the fearsome alien was about to ram the butt of his gun onto him with all his might. Ratchet turned the power on to his hover boots moving his legs in the air and created a flame to torch the man's gun as Ratchet was sent backward from the push of the boots. He watched as the alien dropped his hot melting firearm and whipped his hands around from the searing sting. The mechanic stood back on his feet coming face to face with another thug when he did. He swung his gun around at him and smashed it on the ground with Ratchet hopping out of the way. They were trying their best to gang up on him and Femka only watched from where she was. Her eyes followed Ratchet but were taken away by Ipsin moving close to her. He was pressing some buttons on the terminal by her again.
"You know, it's a good thing that creatures like Ratchet are easily distracted." He glanced at her with a frightening smile. "We're still far from Reiggel but I'd like to try my cannon power on something nearby first, just to see how well you keep up, that is."
The sphere closed around Femka once again and she yelled out to Ratchet. The yells from around the room didn't let hers carry across well. He was being bombarded by thug after thug. How many of these guys did Ipsin have lying around this ship anyway? He commenced with his operation. There was an asteroid belt he would test it on first. Something small and easy. Everything was ready.
"Now to see if the connection between you and my computer actually works," the depraved man said hitting another switch.
Femka watched with a turn of her head at the lights on the sphere that lit up and made a humming sound. The cuffs around her hands and feet lit up brightly as well. She cringed at the loud electric sound the machine was making.
"How is this even supposed to work?" she yelled out to Ipsin.
"It's supposed to provoke the energy inside you and then it'll flow through the machine and into my ship."
"Provoke?" Femka exclaimed.
The loud sounds from the machine forced Ratchet's attention in Femka's and Ipsin's direction nearly getting him hit over the head with a bludgeon.
"Guess he wants to get a head start."
"We must rescue her and put an end to this madness," the little robot proposed.
"Agreed."
Ratchet was on the other side of the room thanks to his attackers coming at him one after the next. He could see Femka from where he was until another thug and a few robots stepped in his way.
"Yes, provoke," the Doctor answered Femka. "I doubt you were just going to give me the energy willingly. You know what shock therapy is, right? Think of it as something like that."
Hearing him speak like that made the woman flinch and pull with her arms and legs. She wasn't about to get electrocuted! She squirmed but nothing to her avail—she was stuck in those braces. She could hear the machine cycling through some thought process as Ipsin pressed a few keys on his consol. A small jerk of electricity jolted through Femka's tired body. She winced and yelped at the sudden feeling. It felt like static shock, when you accidentally touch another person's skin and you get zapped. It was like that but to a greater degree. Femka knew what he was really trying to do. He wasn't provoking the energy; he was provoking her so she could conjure it up in her distressed, emotional state of mind and release it like she did before. She couldn't let him do that—no matter how much it hurt. Ipsin saw the look on her face. His hand immediately forced the amps up a notch and Femka only trembled from the pain.
"We can play this game all day until you pass out," he said emotionless releasing another shock.
"I don't know how much of this I can take…," Femka winced. "I have to think… This ship is designed for Neroltrium. If I want to overpower it I have to summon up as much energy as I can. I have to concentrate."
Femka's eyes closed after receiving another gracious dose of electric torture. She was going to give Ipsin what he wanted; she was going to give him more than he could handle. She squeezed her hands inside the braces that hid them and curled her fingers in her palms. Her eyes opened to see Ratchet fighting his way through and coming towards her. Her eyes closed again tightly, her breath slowed down until she held it. Everything felt like it was slowing down all around her as well. Her mind closed off to the things that were going on outside and she focused as hard as she could. Femka let herself travel to all the moments that brought her pain and suffering—even the small things. The necklace around her neck began to lightly glow.
"That's it… That's it…" Ipsin cracked a small smile. He watched Femka's exterior waver with the blue and purple aura. His eyes watched his computer gauge. "A little more…"
He eventually got a little more and a little more after that as well. His face was filled with every joy. His entire ship was completely repowered with limitless energy. Though, it was starting to get out of hand. She managed to build up enough energy in such a short period of time. His fingers quickly moved across the terminal to switch off the machine but a spark flew at him blowing off one of the panels on the side. Ipsin ran up to the sphere and opened it.
"You've done enough, Femka."
She wasn't listening to him. Her eyes were still shut tight and she continued to pump the stuff out of her body and into the machine. The lights in the room flickered. A sight all too familiar for him and the others. Ratchet stopped running and looked around feeling yet another déjà vu loom above him. The men who were assaulting him ceased as well. Some of them knew what was going on again as they remembered from the last endeavor. Ipsin tried to reach out to Femka but he was shocked in the process. His attempt to undo the cuffs around her hands and feet failed as well. It was hard to just stand near the woman.
"Can't you hear me? I said enough!" he yelled.
His ship was beginning to shake on the interior. The computers in the room flashed a warning sign as the supercomputer directed the message over the intercom.
"Not again…," he lamented.
With a grunt the red alien ran to one of his men and took a gun from his hands. If he couldn't talk her out of her destruction he'd shoot her instead. He aimed the gun at Femka ready to fire.
"No!" Ratchet yelled from close by. He ran to Ipsin and grabbed a hold from behind him.
"Get off me!" he shook and thrashed until Ratchet released him. He swung around pointing the gun at the Lombax.
"You can't shoot her!"
"Why not? I have enough energy anyway! If she keeps this up my whole ship will go down in smoke!"
"I don't really see a problem with that." Ratchet jumped at Ipsin once again lifting up his gun as the man fired a shot to the air.
He would fight him tooth and nail until that gun was out of his hands. He knocked it away from him with a swift kick of his foot. Ipsin wasn't much of a combatant. The Lombax leaped at Ipsin pushing him down to the ground holding his arm against his neck.
"Remember when I said could take you out with my bare hands? I wasn't joking."
"And what now?" the Doctor exhaled deeply. "Are you just going to let her continue with the rampage of my ship? We'll all die if she doesn't stop."
"He is right, Ratchet. We must find a way to calm Miss Femka down so we can leave. We will worry about Ipsin another time. Right now our lives and hers depend on it," Clank asserted forcing Ratchet to life himself off of the man.
He slowly backed away from Ipsin until he turned and ran to Femka taking his eyes off of the researcher that lay on the floor. Femka was working up an electric storm from the center of the room. The terminal that was next to her was toast and the computers around were falling apart. The room was becoming a deserted mess. Ipsin's men left long ago. They weren't about to be killed twice. The braces around Femka's hands and feet were breaking off slowly but she still wasn't letting up. Her eyes were closed tight and her expression was intense yet full of distress.
"Femka!" Ratchet yelled out to her. "You have to stop!"
When she didn't listen he attempted to reach out to her but only was shocked when his hand came close just like Ipsin was.
"Fem! Enough!" he yelled again. "She's not listening, Clank."
"Despite your wishes to not cause her pain, I believe it is necessary to break the links on her hands and feet. Maybe then she will respond."
Against his better judgment, he agreed with Clank. She was slightly suspended the way she was. If she dropped maybe it would bring her to her senses. Ratchet took out a gun and blasted off the wires connecting the cuffs to the sphere. Femka fell forward landing on her hands and knees and then to the ground. She grunted after hitting the floor and opened her eyes breathing heavily, the aura of blue and purple electricity floated around her body. She glanced up at Ratchet who kneeled down to her level.
"I'm alright…," she said quickly with her voice shaken trying to sit up.
"Good, because we need to get out of—" His sentence cut off as his friend fell back down to the ground. "Fem!" He turned her over lifting her head up.
"I… I'm so tired…"
"Don't worry, I'll carry you out," he said in a hurry picking her up in his arms.
"I've been meaning to tell you something…," she began as Ratchet started to run out of the room. "Except I've been having trouble…"
"Fem, don't talk, just conserve your energy and try to stay awake. We'll be out of here soon."
"But it's important…"
Ratchet hurried out of the room and down the collapsing corridors. He didn't see Ipsin as he left. The thought left his mind instantly when a piece of ceiling panel fell in front of him almost knocking him off balance. He hurried around it and moved fast to locate his ship. The path they took before was barricaded with rubble and wreckage.
"Crap. Okay, look for another way. Another way…"
"Ratchet, I have to tell you," the woman tried again but was ignored.
The mechanic hurried down a different hallway. Any hopes of using the elevator were quickly tossed in the trash as the computer's intelligence was deteriorating by the second. Another inconvenience was the lack of oxygen circulating throughout the ship. The further up Ratchet went the more he noticed it was harder to breathe. The oxygen mask he was wearing earlier went straight onto Femka's face.
"I really regret only having one of these," he said as he rushed down a familiar hallway.
There it was—the room they entered through. The oxygen was thin and barely existing from the removed panel that was letting it all out into space. Ratchet held his breath (if that actually works) and carried Femka out of the ship. His vessel was close by no longer under its cloaking device. Holding his breath was turning out to be a terrible decision. The Lombax felt himself suffocating as he ran to the ship. The side door opened without delay as he stumbled in almost dropping Femka, his breath released and his eyes blinked watering as he inhaled the supply of oxygen on the ship.
"Clank, detach the ship and get us out of here," he said catching his breath.
The small robot leaped from his friend's back and hopped over to the controls. The ship separated from Ipsin's damaged vessel. The fireworks were still going on inside. A small explosion gave lift to Ratchet's equally small ship and it began in another direction.
"Set coordinates to Polaris."
"Aye-aye. Initiating auto-pilot."
Ratchet's ship turned around and flew over Ipsin's exploding vessel. The thought of whether he was still even on it or not crossed all of their minds. If he was, he was dead by now. The mother ship was deteriorating section by section. They flew further away from the mess and behind them they could see an explosion in the distance sending all of the ship's parts throughout space. Femka was looking up at Ratchet with half-opened eyes. He sat down with her on his lap in the back of the hull taking off the mask on her face and propping her head up slightly with his hand and arm. A small smile revealed itself from underneath the gasmask. He gave a whimsical smile back at her. Not a moment later she passed out. Everything went black again. It was safe to say that she wouldn't be waking for a long time.