Chapter 9: This Is My Fight Song!

The salvage specialist, Tuullat 10048 S’Vageit, and Tuullat 10130 R’Crosset with its medical specialists, were headed inward to the crippled Tuull ship. There could only be speculation as to the amount of time that would be needed to remove the crew and the AI. The latter would be moved into another portable unit exactly like the one used by Jubal, T’Kleesual, when he traveled.

Using passive monitoring, the two AI’s watched the three Sa’arm ships begin to pursue R’kkhund piloting Tuullat 10104 and displayed the images to their crews aboard. The distance prevented them from observing the spread of the sand and gravel, but the effects were obvious when the leading Swarm Vacuna’s forward shields flared followed by the other two ships’ quick reactions. In rapid succession, four huge explosions blossomed.

They saw Tuullat 10104, its mission completed, begin its acceleration to join Helva in observing the remainder of the operation.

As they approached the derelict Tuullat 10655, R’Crosset positioned Tuullat 10130 for quick departure with the injured. Much of R’Stbkt’s crew could evacuate through the transporter aboard the wreck, but to handle the three Tuull still inside med tubes, it was forced to mate lock-to-lock. R’Crosset’s suited crew rushed aboard as soon as the connection was confirmed.

With active and aggressive Sa’arm in the system, there wasn’t enough time to repair 10655, and barely adequate time to ensure a thorough destruction. R’Stbkt, the AI, was stretched in multiple directions. While loading itself into the capsule wheeled aboard by the rescuers, it simultaneously worked with Shellie and her partner to assure demolition charges were placed for best effect. It also communicated with S’Vageit’s crew, directing the removal of critical cargo and ship’s components.

Everyone had been working at a furious pace, and then time froze. Caleb’s warning of a potential Sa’arm attack was followed only a few moments later by a huge object transiting the 10655 and a rain of debris slicing through the three tethered ships. In the 10655, the air frosted as it evacuated.

Shellie felt a flash of pain, and half her left arm was gone. Her suit sealed itself over the gaping hole and injected painkillers while nanites rushed to stop the bleeding. She looked dazedly around and saw her headless partner lying against a blown bulkhead. Near her was a badly wounded Tuull whose suit wasn’t quite up to the protection offered those humans wore to battle.

If she’d seen a human head, Shellie would have had to make a choice. As it was, she reached for the badly wounded Tuull, dragged him down the vacuum exposed corridor to the transporter, prayed it was working, and threw him through ‘shouting’, <incoming wounded!>

She struggled to the last known location of R’Stbkt’s capsule and found it surrounded by pieces of an unknown number of Tuull. < R’Stbkt! Are you okay in there?> she demanded.

On top of R’Stbkt’s affirmative answer, she ‘heard’, <All personnel, abandon R’Stbkt, abandon 10655. Destruction charges set for 120 seconds. Undocking in ten, nine, eight... >

< R’Stbkt, can you move?> Shellie asked the AI.

<My right wheels turn, but the left wheels drag, and something is blocking my way, > the AI replied. <You need to get off before the charges blow.>

<I rigged those charges. As long as someone is alive on this ship, I personally have to authorize detonation. Remember, your buddies can’t do it. I figured to be the last person off. Looks like I cut it a little close.>

Not sure she should be grateful for continued gravity, Shellie kicked assorted body parts from her intended path, returned, braced her back against the capsule, and ‘shouted’ <Move your silicon ass, Rust Bucket.>

Slowly the capsule began to move, and through a growing fog, Shellie pushed it and herself back down the corridor towards the transporter. The stimulants were already wearing off and fatigue was settling heavily. <I don’t think we’re gonna get there. Been too short an acquaintance. Sorry about that.>

Through the portal charged B’Nov and F’Tale. They grabbed Shellie and hauled her back to the transporter and shoved her through; then they returned to the AI. They tipped the capsule so that the ‘good’ wheels were in contact with the floor and told R’Stbkt, <Okay, you should be able to move with us holding your bad wheels off the floor.> As they began to move, B’Nov looked at F’Tale and told him, <Rust Bucket! That’s a good one. Bet it sticks.>

There was nothing except her nightmares, chief among them, her father standing naked over her. Shellie needed to scream but couldn’t find her mouth. Then she felt a presence. <Who’s there? Where am I?>

<It’s Rust Bucket, R’Stbkt, and you are in a med tube getting a new arm.>

<The dreams are so real and scary. I thought we were supposed to be totally unconscious in med tubes, > Shellie responded.

<That’s true and occasionally not, > R’Stbkt told her. <Sometimes, there are dreams and hallucinations, but the med tubes are set to erase any such memories. I didn’t think it’s right to take a chance that my rescuer might suffer alone, even if you wouldn’t remember. So just as you were there for me, I’m here for you. R’Crosset’s technicians don’t understand why I’m perched beside your tube. If they did, they might force me to stop.>

<Oh God no! I have too many nightmares, > Shellie demanded. <I saw Ronald’s body. No head. He’s dead. I had to leave him. I couldn’t find his head to bring to the med tube.> She was close to panic.

<I was watching through my monitors; there was no head to find, > R’Stbkt explained. <You did well. You didn’t dither; you grabbed M’ssdupp and saved him. He’s in the med tube next over from you. It hurts to lose a companion, but you did the very best possible. Two entities survived because of your actions.>

<Maybe so, > Shellie told it, <but it doesn’t feel that way. My asshole father keeps coming and yelling that I’m a failure. That I could have saved Ronald if I had been good enough or looked hard enough.>

She paused, then continued, <Do you know what rape is? It’s a degrading form of sexual violation. My father used to rape and beat me. I thought I was past those memories, but I guess not. The bastard keeps popping up and raping my thoughts.>

<Shellie, may I name my savior ‘friend’?>

<Of course. On Earth, military slang uses the terms ‘foxhole buddy’ or ‘asshole buddy’ for those who go through combat together, > Shellie replied. <Friend, Rust Bucket, we are much more than friends, we are asshole buddies, and don’t you forget it!>

<Of course, friend Shellie, > R’Stbkt told her. Then it asked, <Does that mean I can call you Fannie?>

Had Shellie been out of the med tube, she’d have blown snot fifteen feet. <I had no idea you had that much English, > she told R’Stbkt.

<I’ve been away from Tuullat for some time, but not so long that I don’t have an Earth languages module and a library of your music, poetry, and other literature, > R’Stbkt replied, <and there are several appropriate allusions other than the obvious pun. There’s Cleland’s Fanny Hill, the author, Fanny Trollope, and the comedienne, Fanny Brice. Then there’s Ingmar Berman’s Fanny in Fanny and Alexander who I think is closer to your background, but I rather prefer the pun myself.>

<Oh, Rust Bucket, you are a welcome distraction, a joy, and a comfort, > Shellie told him. <If you stay here with me, you may name me friend, or Fannie, or anything you choose. I wish you could be with me forever. The tube won’t make me forget?>

<I’ve just told it not to erase and promised if you forget, it would spend its life as a veterinarian in a cat clinic, > R’Stbkt told her. <I outrank it, so it believes I could make that happen. Besides, AIs can’t lie.>

Cheval Jaune’s blind shot actually hit the stealthed Vacuna. The explosion was very visible, as was the remaining aft two-thirds of the formerly invisible Vacuna.

“Inkie,” Caleb sent. “I need direction here. I have one bird left. Do I save it, finish the Sa’arm, or obliterate the 10655?”

“Save it for need,” Inkie told him. “Boogie back out to the rendezvous point and cover our butts. I’ve already launched drones to several commands informing them that we encountered a Sa’arm ship using flexible screens and another using stealth technology but flawed tactics. I recommended that they send enough force to interdict this system and examine the Sa’arm wreckage to determine what technologies the Sa’arm were using. If we are lucky, this was the first try or a one-off that the Sa’arm will view as a failure.”

“We were already lucky,” she continued. “Our ships survived because they weren’t using shields during the salvage operations, and the missile passed all the way through R’Stbkt before it exploded. The Sa’arm must have aimed for center mass because it took out a huge chunk of 10655 and the damage to S’Vageit and R’Crosset was from a lot of shrapnel. We lost people, as you are aware. I’ll brief everyone at once when you get here.”