Jane rubbed her hand over her face, feeling Maura standing next to her. She lowered her hand, staring at the black body bag as it passed the two of them, being pulled into the elevator to be taken down to the medbay. The body would be prepared there before they gave a service. The brunette felt numb, the presence of Shafter humming, trying to calm people not working on her own nerves.
Konif made sure that the thrusters were locked into place, the meter dancing in the red zone.
"Warning, not enough power to support-"
"Ah, shut up." The pilot said, clicking off Andi's over head voice.
"Are the thrusters able to handle all of this heat?" Palmer asked in his odd voice.
"Yeah. If they're able to use light speed I'm pretty sure that they can handle this." Konif sighed, locking out the controls.
"Hapsha has light speed?" he asked, suddenly intrigued.
"Sure do. But Captain Rizzoli doesn't like to use it, too much risk. You know, with not really knowing where you'll end up. We keep it under lock and only use it for emergencies. "
"I see." She heard him turn and shuffle away as she continued to monitor the ship. Glancing over her shoulder she saw that Palmer was standing in front of the air passageway, the door open, air rushing by made his hair dance a little; the soft blue light from the tube shining on his face making it easier to see him.
"Watcha doin?"
"I was thinking, if we, by chance, need to stay in here longer than twenty-four hours, well, could we stay in the Air passage way?" Konif's smile was sad.
"We can't Professor. The air get's shut off just like it does all over the ship when the Commander turns it off. Good idea though." He made a soft noise, closing the doors again. The click of them shutting echoed throughout the H.C.C.
"Weird isn't it," he explained seeing Konif's raised eyebrows. "The H.C.C. when no one is up here." The redhead leaned back in her chair; looking through her Holoscreen's and out over the pitch black bottom floor.
"Yeah it is. I like it better when people are actually down there… or if the lights are on." He smiled at her. "Professor, why did you stay?" she suddenly asked. The little man glanced at her before shrugging again.
"For the glory of course!"
"Glory?" she asked with a chuckle.
"Think about it pilot, if Hapsha doesn't come out of this black hole, all three of our names will forever be remembered! Oh! The fame!" He dramatically raised his hands making Konif laugh. "In all seriousness my dear, I have nothing left to live for. I have lived a very full life and I want to offer my assistance to you."
"Thank you," she said looking at his profile before turning back towards the screens, clicking her gloved hand against her armrest waiting for Jacobs to speak to her. She looked down at her hand, playing with the gloves. Is this how Dad felt? Konif thought, fear turning in her stomach as the thought of her father pressed on her mind. He had willingly given his life to protect the rest of his squad from the pressing forces of the Olnich. She could have gone on one of the escape pods had evacuated like everyone else and watched the Hapsha be torn apart as the black beast ate it. But as soon as Palmer told her that they might be able to save the ship, she was ready.
"They say that you know when you're going to die." Konif spoke softly, looking over at Palmer who was standing silently next to her. The little man glanced at her before speaking.
"I had a daughter once. She died, in child birth."
"I'm so sorry to hear that." The professor shrugged his shoulders continuing.
"I was on my way to the hospital where she was, high on my endorphins if you will. But as I was going there I felt this, glow inside of me like I was on top of the world." Konif noticed his eyes mist over as he got lost in the memory. "But, just like that," he snapped his fingers. "It vanished. I knew. I knew that my daughter was gone same with her child." Konif thought back to when she was walking down the hallway with Jane in the academy when something had made her stop, making her freeze, only later on finding out that her father had died. "But," Konif was pulled out of her thoughts when Palmer spoke again. "I do not feel that now. Maybe we'll get lucky." She smiled at him.
"If we get out of here Professor, I owe you a drink." He let out a wheezy laugh.
"I will be most pleased to share one with you."
Smiling she sat forward moving her hands across her station before a massive orange screen popped up, a map of Hapsha. She could practically feel Palmer's eyes go wide.
"Impressive isn't it?" The little man nodded his head, looking at all of the hidden passages and escape routes that he didn't know about. The redhead swiped her hand across it, flipping through floor after floor until finally spotting a blue dot that was blinking softly, moving down a hallway in Wing D.
"Ah, Wing D. I'm very fond of that wing. Nice and quite; not to mention the garden that's down there, very nice to walk through." Palmer said. Konifs face paled her stomach rolling.
"Palmer move," she managed to get out, bolting out of her chair and running to the nearest trash shut. Palmer jogged over, grabbing her hair and rubbing her back soothingly as the pilot retched. She straightened up, wiping her mouth and breathing heavily.
"Sorry about that…"
"Nonsense, I have been feeling like doing that for some time now. I fear that we are only going to get worse before it gets better." The red head nodded grimly. They walked back over to her chair slowly; she stood behind it fighting nausea. They watched as the dot suddenly stopped in the middle of the hall and stayed frozen.
"What is she doing?" Konif asked, watching as the dot slowly blinked indicating that the Commander had stopped walking.
"Maybe she found the space suits?" Palmer guessed.
There came a crackle from her station a soft green light blinked. Confused Konif clicked it; Jacobs voice came out of a speaker, breaking in parts.
"I tri-bzzt-ed to c-call you ov-ver my Omnicuff, b-b-but it woul-buuu-dn't get through."
"I think the black hole is the cause of that deary," Palmer said. Jacobs talked as if she didn't hear the Professor.
"I could only f-grrrg-ind o-o-one su-bbbzt-it." Konif groaned.
"Remind me to force Jane to get more of those later on," she whispered to Palmer. "Well Commander, one's better then fucking none. Where is it? If anything I'd like to have it for the professor over here." Palmer scoffed at her as she joked about his age.
"Brrrr-it's in st-or-orage room twen-geerzt-ty four, W-wing-bzt D."
"Alright. What's the situation with the gravity, you gunna head over there now? We need more power."
"Th-th-that's wher-bbburrr-e I am now-w-w."
"What?"
"I said –bbbzttt- t-t-that's where I am no-gruur-w." Konif's eyes went from the blue dot to Palmers worried face. She quickly sat down in her chair, her nausea forgotten. Swiping the screen going to look at the engine room, sure enough there was a red light blinking there indicating that someone else was in the engine room.
"But if you're there, who the hell is in Wing D?" Konif asked.
"S-s-some one's in W-bbbrrrr-ing D-D-D?" Jacobs shocked voice came through.
"That's what the map says." Konif pulled up Wind D's map alongside the engine room's one looking at both lights. Jacobs next words were too scrabbled for Konif and Palmer to understand.
"Hold on Hailey. I'm gunna see if I can clear this up." Palmer looked back up at the screens were Wing D map was. He looked hard at the dot, his heart pounding. Closing his eyes he felt the twist of his stomach. The small man gulped trying to stop the need to throw up. His bones ached, as if something were tugging on them from all directions.
"Konif, I am more than willing to go down to Wing D and see who that is." Konif glanced at him, her hands moving over the controls.
"Palmer, I would feel better if you stayed here. I'll go take a look." He nodded; silently relived that Konif was going. "How's that Commander?" she asked.
"Much better, now it doesn't sound like you're talking through a shoe."
"The professor is going to stay here while I go down and check out what's going on with Wind D."
"All right. I'll give you a few minutes before shutting off the power. Make sure you have your sonic pistol out; I don't want anything to happen. We're already in a shit storm. You have five minutes Pilot." Konif stood up, placing her hands on the Professors shoulders pushing him into her chair.
"You stay here and keep us both updated on what's going on."
"I thought you can't speak through your Omnicuff?"
"We can't with the black hole interfering but," she reached down, grabbing something. "I can use this and just connect it to the Hapsha's communication channel." She held up a small black bud, putting it in her ear.
"Very old school Pilot Konif." Palmer smiled at her as she tapped his shoulder before turning. She walked briskly, hopping up the stairs, pounding her fist into the elevator call button.
"Can you hear me?" she asked as she stepped into the elevator.
"Quite well actually," came the Professors high voice. She swiped her thumb over the smooth metal of her Omnicuff without looking. She heard the soft click and hiss of the metal as it opened, allowing the sonic pistol slide out, eeeeing as it charged.
Her breath caught in her chest as the doors silently opened, revealing a long dark hallway, a small section of it lighting up from the elevator. Her military training kicked in. Raising her Cuff, light spilled out of it, reflecting off of the walls. She shined it to her left and then right, making sure the hallway was clear before fully stepping out, the doors closing behind her stopping the warm flow of its lights.
"Alright I'm here; you can tell the Commander that she can turn off the gravity. Don't forget to strap yourself in Palmer," she whispered, her soft footsteps echoing down the hall and bouncing back to her.
"Commander, Konif says that you may now turn off the gravity. Konif, the dot still isn't moving, it's just down the hall from you, around the bend," Palmer said in her ear. She waited for Jacobs to turn off the gravity before going any further and looking, not wanting to be caught off guard by the sudden change. "Konif, the Commander told me to tell you to turn on your E.E.O. She is also turning off the air, applying all power to the engines." Konif looked down at her right arm, she knew she had to time this right otherwise, she won't have enough oxygen. The ship groaned and the soft hum in the background started to get softer as the gravity slowly shut off in sections of the ship. Konif closed her eyes as she felt herself become lighter, her feet floating off of the ground, her hair lifting up. A wheezy laugh sounded in her ear.
"My word! This is extraordinary!"
"I take it this is your first time in zero-G?" Konif asked preparing herself. She took a deep breath and felt it. It was very subtle, almost impossible to detect but she felt the air on her face disappear. She held her breath as long as she could, pushing herself forward, slowly exhaling. "Why yes it is, I awoke in my quarters, not the Cryo hall. Dr. Peirce kept me asleep, thinking it would shock my system. Oh how I wish he could see me now!" The man laughed again.
When her lungs were at the point of inverting on themselves she quickly turned on her E.E.O gasping as air filled her body. She was covered in a soft blue bubble, it protected her from the loss of air and if needed space.
"Yeah, I kinda wish I could see you. How are the power levels?" She heard the Professor breath out.
"It appears that it's no longer flashing red." Konif rubbed her face. She was slowly making her way down the hall, seeing the bend up ahead.
"Listen to me Alex we need it to be flashing red; that means that we're going fast enough. Look, do you see the automatic thrusters? I was using them earlier."
"I am no pilot Konif!" Palmer practically yelled in her ear. She cringed, stilling herself.
"You need to do this. I just want you to slowly move them forward until Andi tells you that there's not enough energy to keep up the demand. I want you to stop just as it starts to speak. Do you think you can do that?"
"I will try." She held her breath waiting. Suddenly the ship started to shake violently, her body moving back a little bit, as the ship picked up speed. She grabbed the railing, making sure her mass matched the speed of the ship.
"Is the ship supposed to be shaking so hard?" Palmer's worried voice asked.
"Yeah, you're fine, just keep it up. Remember, as soon as Andi speaks stop." She shined her Omnicuff down the hall where she had come before pointing it were she needed to go.
"OK, OK, I've stopped, but the ship slows every time I take my hand off of the throttle." Konif could feel sweat dance off her neck, the ship was cold but she felt like she was sitting next to a sun.
"You need to lock them in place. There's a Holo button next to them. It kinda looks like an almond. Just press it and they should lock." She gripped her stomach, closing her eyes waiting for the Professors response.
"They're locked," his voice was full of relief, no longer in charge of the massive ship.
"Congrats Palmer, you just flew you're very first battle ship. I've already made sure that Hapsha is on a direct flight path into that thing, but I'll still have to be up there when we actually enter it. But you should be fine for now." She pulled herself forward, floating to the floor. She gripped the grates with her fingers pushing herself forward her Omnicuff ahead of herself.
Konif felt off, the plug in her ear made one of her ears deaf, but her good ear couldn't help as it picked up a scraping sound behind her. She whipped around, light flashing behind her. She swirled it this way and that, panting, her heart pounding in her chest. She already hated the dark but now she was hearing things. She tried to calm down, seeing nothing behind her. She looked up, the bend was still a little bit away, and so she pushed off only turning when she knew nothing was behind her. The windows reflected the light from her Cuff. They were creepy with the plates over them, blocking out the view of space and replacing it was dark red metal.
"How's our friend?" she asked Palmer, glancing behind herself.
"He still seems to be there."
"It's odd though. Who would disobey an opportunity to evacuate?" Jacob's voice flittered through her ear piece, no doubt standing next to Palmer now.
"No idea," Konif whispered back now reaching the bend. She slowly came around it pointing her Omnicuff out. She couldn't help herself, she burst into laughter.
"Hahahahaha, you guys, it's a rat. There's a rat just floating here!" She said, stopping herself in front of the squirming animal.
"A rat? How the hell did a rat get aboard the Hapsha?" The commander asked. Palmer answering her.
"Dr. Charles had a few, running tests on them if I recall correctly."
"Well as long as this little shit is the cause of the extra light, I feel much better." Then she heard it again, a shuffle. It was odd, like someone walking, scrapping there foot behind them. She turned around again, slower, shinning her light, coming empty handed again. "You guys are sure there's no one else down here besides me and Mr. Cuddles?" She asked her heart pounding.
"Konif…. The rat isn't the extra light," came Jacobs's voice.
"W-what do you mean?" She couldn't stop the fear that laced her voice.
"The light is gone Konif. It just faded out." The redhead turned around, the floating animal no longer there. She felt the sweat bead out of her forehead, the small liquid floated away, causing a shutter to pass through her body.
"The fucking rat isn't here either." She looked around herself, making sure it hadn't floated away from her.
"Olllllllgggaaa," something whispered past her, making the hair floating against her neck move. She whipped around, shinning her Omni light everywhere, her sonic pistol charging.
"Who's there?!" she shouted into the darkness of the empty hall.
"Who are you talking to Konif? There's no one else in the hallway with you." Jacobs said in her ear bud.
"I'm over here my little firefly." Fear wove its way up her spine as she slowly turned around where that voice had spoken. There standing in the hallway, not floating, was her Father. His hair was cut close to his scalp, a little gray at his temples, his eyes a dark grey just like hers. Her heart pounded in her chest, taking in his appearance. He was clad in his formal uniform, his medals decorating his chest.
"Dad?" she asked, her voice broke as she spoke the word.
He smiled at her, his body vanishing and then re-appearing a few feet away; slowly he disappeared and re-appeared, farther each time until she couldn't see him anymore.
"Konif? What's going on? The dots back but it's moving away from you." Konif ignored the words in her ear, dashing after her father.
Jane turned, Maura moving out of her way, but staying close. She slowly walked through the silent working people, trying to get Hapsha cleaned up. Shafter's arm brushed her own and she heard the blonde staying close. She paused turning slightly, offering her hand knowing how overwhelmed the woman must be. Maura quickly grabbed it, gripping hard trying to keep calm.
"Konif… Konif!" Jacobs yelled into the intercom, only receiving static. They watched as the blue light of Konif raced after the green of the unknown person.
"It seems they are going into the garden." Palmer's face grew white as both dots suddenly disappeared. "Olga!" He couldn't stop himself from yelling, getting the same silence as the Commander. They stared at the map, saying nothing, willing for either of the dots to come back on, indicating that there was indeed life. After a few minutes Jacobs spoke up.
"I'm going down there Palmer." He heard the click and hiss as her Omnicuff opened, allowing the sonic pistol to come out. The professor looked up at her, scared. "You'll be alright Alex. Just watch my back." She put an ear bud in her ear and then floated over to the Air Passage way. He heard her mumble before she went inside the tube.
"God this is going to be a bitch to get through without air." The glass doors hiss closed behind her, leaving Palmer alone in the massive room. The Holoscreen's the only things offering up light. He shifted, trying to sink down into the chair hoping it would make him feel better. But the blackness pressed on him.
He turned his attention towards the Holographs that showed the outside. All he could see was more black, but at the corner he saw a few flickers of white. They were entering the mouth of the beast, Konif needed to be here. He looked up at the massive map of Hapsha as a red dot flickered on, just at the edge of the screen in the Air Passageway.
"There's still no sign of them Commander." Palmer said looking at where the garden would be. Jacobs voice came out in huffs as she attempted to push herself forward, barely gaining purchase against the slippery sides of the tube.
"When I find Konif I'm going to kill her myself." Palmer didn't reply just trying to keep focused on what was happening and not the creaking of the ship.
Jacobs finally pulled herself out of the tube, floating around slowly in the empty dark hallway catching her breath. She shined her light in the direction of the gardens, pushing herself down the hall. Her breaths bounced off the walls making it feel like someone was behind her, but she knew it was just a trick of the structure of the hall. But she couldn't help it as goosebumps spread up her arms.
"Konif told you that the ship was already set on a path right?" she asked, pushing lose hair out of her face.
"Yes she did. But she also said that she would still need to be up here in case something went wrong." Jacobs laughed, trying to lighten the mood. The darkness of the hall making her eyes dance around.
"Nah, I think you got it."
"Deary, I think I would rather have a heart attack than fly this ship. I don't know how Olga does it. Very impressive indeed." Jacobs agreed, keeping a steady speed.
"What a slut." Jacobs froze. She knew that voice. The deepness of it, the gruffness of it, and the way it always made a rage spread throughout her chest.
"I'm glad I was able to teach her a lesson." She swallowed, trying to wet her suddenly dry throat. Closing her eyes for a second she opened them, pushing herself around firing her sonic pistol without aiming first.
A blue sonic blast erupted from her pistol, hitting the wall causing a black scorch mark, smoke disappearing. Jacobs panted, her cuff still raised.
"You missed me, just like you did last time."
"I KILLED YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Jacobs screamed, firing again at nothing. She froze as she felt a hand brush her neck someone whispering into her ear.
"Is that why you're in the military? So you wouldn't have to go to jail. You know you wouldn't last a second in there, they'd eat you up." Jacobs swung her elbow, trying to catch the man in the solar plexus, but she yelped as it hit the metal wall, sending pain through her whole arm. Palmer buzzed in her ear, trying to gain her attention but she ignored him. Light flickered in the corner of her eye and she fired again.
Jane squeezed the blondes hand back and tried to ignore the looks from people. She needed to make an official announcement about all of this, but now, it was a time to morn. There came a cry from the second floor just as Jane, Maura, and Shafter stopped at the first floor's railing, looking over the awake H.C.C.
Palmer froze all of his movements, the tapping of his foot, his eyes looking around and his heavy breathing, shock paralyzing him. The red dot vanished. The professor gripped his stomach. Quickly he un-hooked himself out of the straps going over to the garbage shut. There was no air to suck his vomit down, but it was better than letting it float around in the cockpit.
He wiped his brow on his sleeve, the moister just sliding against the blue shield that his Simitu suit produced. He sighed turning around, stopping himself before he could float forward.
"He looks just like you doesn't he Dad?" His daughter was kneeling down on one knee, her arm wrapped around the waist of a tiny boy who was shyly looking up at him.
"I wook just wike you Grandpa." Palmer stared as they both smiled and waved at him, both slowly fading out.
Konif gasped as the water line in the gardens broke, the pressure making the water spray out. She could feel it wrapping its cold hands around her, stealing all of her warmth, making her shiver as her core temperature dropped.
"There, there firefly, don't want to go and catch a cold do ya now?" She felt something weigh down on her shoulders. Gold pins glittered off of padded shoulders; she was wearing her father's coat, warmth spread throughout her body, stopping the shivering. Jeff Konif walked around, facing his floating daughter. "Much better now isn't it?" Konif tried to smile but it was wiped off as her father grinned at her, blood trickling down his mouth. His formal white shirt started to turn red too as fake bullets were fired, ripping through his delicate skin. He fell make in slow motion, disappearing before he hit the ground, taking the warmth with him. Her teeth rattled against each other, leg muscles twitching as they tried to send heat throughout her body.
"No no no no no." Konif repeated, gripping her head, trying to remain calm. Her father was all she had. The only family she had. But now that he was gone, now that he left her again she screamed out, her hands pulling on her hair.
Konif froze, she heard someone shouting outside of the gardens fallowed by a gun shot. Her muscles jerked, god she was cold, so cold. She floated over to the door, opening it and listening someone was talking. It sounded like a man, she couldn't make out what he was saying so she decided to try and get closer to hear him. She turned the corner and shined her light down the hall spotting Jacobs.
Jane grimaced, looking down at a frozen Alex Palmer, not letting anyone near him but not speaking also.
"We should just give him some time Jane, I'm sure the Professor will talk soon enough," Shafter hummed. She closed her eyes, remembering waking up this morning, how easy it was then.
Woah. So this chapter was originally like 7,000 words so I broke it in two so it wouldn't be such a long read. Good news is that the next chap should be up by tomorrow because I already have half of it written.
Thank you everybody who reads and thank you everybody who reads and reviews it truly makes my day. Keep the guesses coming!
Take Carey everyone and happy Tuesgay! - FTP