Chapter 4: Catastrophe

Mizu naturally recoiled a bit in the pilot room as the front bow of the Itrean shuttle flew forward and went careening into the Eugine Trinh. Severed from within, the explosion tore the vessel in half. Like detonating a can, the remains of the forward section smashed into the shuttle. It knocked and damaged the magnetic landing struts as the Eugine Trinh seemed to hold barely. The wreckage went floating as Mizu gasped in surprise.

While the explosion wasn’t that loud in the Eugine Trinh, it reverberated in the hangar bay like a sledgehammer. Without gravity to hold the blast in, the concussive shockwave went in all directions. Even the flame from the burst went out like a balloon. Consuming as much of the oxygen as possible in the vicinity, the flame bubble went out quickly. What was left was nothing but showering debris. Small shrapnel pieces would continue to fly in all directions until they met contact with a solid object. These shards of dangerous metal could kill anything and anyone that stood in its way. Even the Eugine Trinh was a victim as hundreds of tiny fragments bashed into the port side.

The rear portion of the Itrean shuttle’s remains was slow but moved with ever consistency. It bashed into the dorsal section of the parked shuttle adjacent to it as the debris went upward. With the fire quickly out, what was left was nothing but alarms that went off in the Fort Batrice hangar bay. Mizu’s jaw remained agape as he could see the scene. It was pure pandemonium. The explosion was so powerful that it ripped the lower deck plating below where the shuttle was, damaging the lower compartments below.

“Holy shit!” Mizu finally said.

“What the fuck happened!?” Hamiza yelled out.

“The Itrean shuttle exploded!”

He looked at everything. His memories of the past rode through his head. The flashbacks of the attack on New Phnom Penh were obvious. The hangar bay alarms were a shrill repeating tone that could dig into your ears. It was appalling to behold. The guards that stood by the shuttle were torn to pieces by the blast. Blood formed floating droplets as they went away from the original explosion. Mizu could even recall seeing the remains of an Itrean arm that bashed into the viewport of the Eugine Trinh before the momentum pushed it away. The shrapnel dug into the building areas, to the hangar bay doors, and the landing decks around it. If he were outside, most likely, he would be dead or suffering from severe injuries. The explosion was less than a split second, but so much had happened...

“Control Tower ... any Control Tower!” Hamiza yelled out. “This is the Eugine Trinh! We had an explosion next to us! All crew on the shuttle accounted for ... Mizu ... are you alright?”

The explosion shook up Hamiza, but she was doing her best to keep calm. Mizu simply nodded his head. He had no words for what just happened. All that he knew was that he bore witness to another tragedy on Batrice. The question was, who was alive? Who had survived and who had died as a result of this? Whoever was responsible for this was going to pay dearly for their actions.

“Ugh ... shake it off ... shake it off,” Mizu said to himself. He had his eyes closed. How long had transpired? He forgot the track of time. He continued to check his body as he put his hands to himself. The explosion didn’t reach the interior of the Eugine Trinh. Thankfully the light armor was just enough to withstand the outer concussive force of the blast.

The memories started to come back to him over and over again. His hand went to his left ear. A railgun round had ripped his ability to hear correctly without the help of ear augments. He would take deep breaths as he kept his eyes closed.

“I am alright,” he told himself. “Hamiza is fine ... I am alright ... I am alright.”

More of the memories rushed through his mind. He walked out of the shuttle after it was deemed safe enough to do so. He remembered seeing the port side of the shuttle dented, charred, and hit with scorch marks. He was thankful the Itrean shuttle was armed but carried limited ammunition. Nothing was armed, and there was no possibility of anything stray to hit the Eugine Trinh. Despite how horrific the blast was, his mental faculties were the only things that seemed to be dented.

There was no word yet ... that was what he remembered at least. The cause of the explosion was still being determined.

“Petty Officer Mizu?” a female voice called out to him.

“Yes ... yes,” Mizu replied as he opened up his eyes. He took a deep breath as he regained his composure as quickly as he could. He had to make sure that they could see that he was alright.

He sat on a comfortable framed chair in an office lobby until he heard the female voice. With the centripetal force pushing down on his body, he felt the artificial form of New Sydney’s gravity once again. No longer in his spacesuit, he was now in his familiar jumpsuit uniform. He stood up from the chair as he looked at his surroundings. It was mostly a mental and physical health evaluation center. There was a nice enclosed glass room next to him where there were a simple wooden framed desk and two chairs. One chair was for him, and the other was for the doctor.

The doctor was a calm and friendly one. Mizu knew that she just got done talking to Hamiza. This doctor was an older woman that most likely came from Southeast Asia of former Earth. She wore a light blue overgarment that was more common for doctors that are on duty. Mizu felt a little bit tense about the situation. The fact was that he felt a lot of anger in his system. He didn’t need to have a doctor tell him that he was well or not. He didn’t think that this was the time to go through this, even if it was a must-have.

“Come and have a seat,” the doctor said in her accent, which sounded distinctly of an Indonesian accent. “My name is Doctor Bulan. I wanted to have a talk with you after the recent events that transpired this morning.”

“I am fine,” Mizu said as he walked in and had a seat. The glass pane door slid closed as it kept their voices confined within.

“My responsibilities after the events that transpired today are to see if you require any physical or mental help.”

“They already checked me at the clinic earlier,” Mizu replied as he kept his hands and arms composed. “A little explosion isn’t going to knock me down.”

“While your record shows that is true, I just had a chance to check the greater detail that your body had been inflicted with within at least two years. Is there anything that you want to talk to me about?”

Mizu knew where she was going at. He almost rolled his eyes, but anything that he said could be used against him. He didn’t want to hear the words or be told that he was unfit for duty.

“I am fine,” he tried to reassure her.

“I know that today has been an intense day for you.”

“You can say that again...” he remarked as he crossed his arms.

“Among one of the things that I have checked out on your medical report is the fact that you received damage to your left hearing. This was caused by the fact that you were at the bombardment of New Phnom Penh over a year ago.”

“Yes, and I was medically cleared fit for duty once I got my ear augmented so I can hear from it again.”

“So it shows ... but that isn’t what I am worried about.”

Mizu gave a look of concern from his face. He was apprehensive that she was going to say it.

“According to your records, your brother is dead. He died over a couple of months ago. You were in a traumatic event over a year ago. Recently, you lose a family member, yet you didn’t take much leave time. You then resumed your duties and then experienced this event.”

“Doctor, I am fine,” he tried to be adamant. “I was already questioned by the authorities. I ... along with the recorded camera footage were the only ones to witness the events.”

“I read the security report,” she said as she tapped a display on the desk. It began to show the data as it was coming in that they could easily read together. Mizu himself didn’t want to read it. “According to this, all but one of the deck crew survived the explosion, and that person is currently in critical care. All but four of the T’rintar clan delegation is alive. Ambassador Ifra is unconscious and in critical care. Her personal guards are dead, and her husband Ambassador Kane is in a coma.”

“And your point is?”

“I am worried about your mental health. You witnessed carnage for possibly the second time. I am here to evaluate you to see if you are fit for duty.”

“Doctor Bulan, I will be blunt,” Mizu clarified. “Since I was young, I wanted to fly. I was inspired by things that the great Gabatrix did. He was a pilot. I want to have the women all around me like he did. I don’t want to be given special permission or treated like an invalid because I saw a big explosion next to me, let alone death. I want to serve Batrice.”

The doctor smiled at him. “Your patriotism is understandable, but right now, even with the recent series of events, I have to be on the fence when it comes to your feelings. Right now, I am not completely convinced that you should be on duty.”

“What is that you are suggesting?”

“I think that you need to take some leave time and start to see psychological counseling. We have that here on the station.”

“And be called weak?” he asked as he gave a stubborn look at her. “My brother’s death was tragic, but I don’t want to quit my job. Fort Batrice needs me. Batrice needs me. The UHN needs me. I can’t fail that. I just want to see justice be done to those that are responsible.”

She took a deep breath as she looked at the record and then looked hard into his eyes. “Right now, I am the only one that stands between you and your work. You tell me that you are alright, but I am left with a debate on that decision. For now, keeping you here would only exacerbate the situation. If you feel that you can continue your work, then I won’t stop you, but ... any incidents that happen, and I will have you put into mental health. Batrice needs people, as you said, but those that keep things repressed can end up hurting themselves or someone else. Remember, there is no shame in asking for help. You serve Batrice, and we serve you.”

The words of Chanvatey. The last sentence from the doctor was a phrase spoken by him. There was a sense of calm as he could feel that she was only trying to bring awareness for his wellbeing. At least being told that he could continue his duties was more than enough. He didn’t want to be removed from work. Not now. Somehow, he felt that if he could just be in a little longer, he could help Fort Batrice find these terrorists. That was, of course, assuming it was a bomb. In his mind, if it involved having to go to the opposite side of the galaxy to blow these bitches up, then so be it. Then maybe ... just maybe he could mourn a little bit, but that road didn’t seem to be an easy one.

“I understand, Doctor ... Thank you for letting me continue to serve my colony,” he said to her.

“I will go ahead and release you so you may continue with your duties,” Bulan explained. “I am sure that the command staff will be bringing in more questions to ask you to help with their investigations. I am going to be making a request to your divisional officer to ease up on your workload. The same has been applied to Hamiza, so you are not the only one.”

“You probably won’t have to do much, Doc,” Mizu noted. “They still have to collect all the shit in the debris from that explosion. They can’t open the hangar bay doors and can’t send me out to go and fetch their stuff for them ... at least until they finish up on the investigations.”

“Regardless, be easy on yourself. If you feel the need, come to here, and we will help you. Our doors are open 24/7. We have doctors and counselors to meet your needs.”

They were comforting words to hear. Mizu knew that more questions were going to be brought up to him. The only thing that he would have to fear is the command staff above him that needed to know answers. He knew that he was crucial for this upcoming major investigation. Over nineteen people were dead, both Itrean and human alike, with possibly more on the way. The damage was extensive, and he knew this was just the beginning.

Mizu’s hand went to his head as he made his walk down the passageway. The explosion continued to run through his head. The station had stood down to condition two. General quarters had ended, but the place was still on high alert. After several hours, there was always the commotion of individuals and personnel trying to remain on station. There were no other explosions or any form of attack that was observed so far. It was as if something horrific had happened, and then it was becoming tranquil again.

Mizu’s next destination was the place that he felt inclined to go to next. It was just after the medical ward visit, and he still had time before he would see his divisional officer. There were the sounds of overhead announcements for surgeons and medical staff to report to the military hospital areas. The wounded were being treated and taken care of while the critically injured were being looked at first.

The location was not that far from the emergency rooms. Fort Batrice had numerous hospitals and emergency triage areas, and this was just one of them. It was here that the echoes of that powerful explosion could be seen firsthand. While the clinic area was separated from the emergency areas, Mizu felt obligated to see as much as possible. A part of him felt that a terrible crime had occurred. He wanted to remember every face if possible. If they were going to die, then he wanted it to stay in his mind. If they were going to survive, then it would be a celebration.

His walk down the medical passageway was different than ever before. He felt that this would be burned into his memory. Hover stretchers were being moved around. He could see men or women with various injuries. Some were hit with only cuts or scratches by the flying debris. While there were only so many people outside that took the worst of the explosion, the others below the hangar bay also got hit by the blast. He even recalled seeing a woman that was missing a foot that had been carefully bandaged. A nurse was carefully by her side as the patient was crying.

Mizu walked past it trying to keep it all in his mind. There were additional rooms that had a variety of personnel that doctors and physicians were looking over. He realized how lucky he was. If the explosion had been any more powerful, it would have taken the Eugine Trinh, himself, and Hamiza along with it. A part of him told him that he didn’t want to be there. These sorts of things could mentally scar him more and more, but he couldn’t stop. He instead kept walking forward. The announcements only became background chatter.

As he reached the end of the passageway, he approached a set of closed, clear doors that had two sets of guards put in place. Each guard consisted of personnel dressed in body armor and assault rifle at the ready. It was the surgery room. A sign written in English and Chinese was posted with the words “Medical Staff only past this point.” It was evident that one of the dignitaries was in there. If this was an attack, then the UHN needed to take the precautions necessary to safeguard the lives of the highest essential individuals there. He approached the two guards that looked at him, but he decided to come to a stop. He could choose to walk in, but he wasn’t going to push his luck.

Mizu instead turned to look at the door that was closest to the surgery room. This place also had a set of guards posted by a sliding door. This was one of the emergency rooms that were taking care of the wounded. The collection of guards that were there was a sign that somebody also important was in that room. It mainly was enclosed, but he approached as one of the guards looked at him for a brief moment. Mizu wanted to see who was in there.

It was difficult to tell at first. The sliding doors had glass slits to see inside. The sensors on the door did not recognize Mizu as he got next to it. No additional people were coming or going in, and if need be, he would get out of the way just as quickly. Two physicians were over a person’s body. The mounted table had a life-support machine connected to it. The body was that of a man that was lying flat and unconscious. One of the physicians was a woman with a tool or device that was lit and going over the skin.

Mizu looked more and more and realized to his horror that it had to be Ambassador Kane. His skin was beyond recognition. The explosion was so violent that the couple was clearly within the blast range. Some of the shrapnel hit his body, but it was the burns that were the most apparent sight. The flames of the blast had gone outward and engulfed the couple. Charred and broiled, the skin had been seared. The only way Mizu could recognize that it was the ambassador was that he could see the front portion of the clothes. The face was covered up with bandages, and he was clearly unconscious.

Mizu’s head had turned to the surgery room. It was clear now that the other set of guards was to oversee the other ambassador that was in that room. Ambassador Ifra’s fate was unknown to him, but it had to be bad. He stepped away from the door as one of the physicians backed away from the body of Kane. She gave a sigh of relief. Another physician was gesturing her to take a break and catch a breather. She felt inclined as she walked towards the door that Mizu was looking out of. Mizu naturally stepped aside to watch the door slide open.

The physician had a pale complexion to her. She had medical gear and scrubs on her. The woman seemed outright exhausted as she found a nearby couch to go and have a seat. She didn’t hesitate as she briefly closed her eyes.

“Doing alright?” Mizu asked her as he got next to her. He went and sat down next to her. She seemed like a younger adult that was around his age.

She opened up her eyes as she looked at Mizu. “Yes... , “ she said in a Japanese accent. “They prepare us for many things, but this is the first time that I have seen things like this.”

“I know...”

The woman nodded her head. “I am just a simple enlisted corpsman. This is my first month on this station, and now I have to treat the Ambassador to the T’rintar clan.”

“I know how you feel. Nothing like on-the-job training, right?”

She said nothing at first as she looked at his uniform. She was clearly more fatigued that she didn’t even recognize that he was in his military jumpsuit. Finally, she looked at him more and more.

“You are not one of the medical staff?” the woman asked him.

“No. I was part of the people brought in after the explosion. I witnessed the whole thing. My name is Mizu.”

“Corpsman Keina,” she replied. “You saw the whole thing?”

“Yes. I was in the nearby shuttle when the Itrean shuttle blew up.”

She shook her head. “I saw one and knew he was dead. We got the spacesuit off of him to see that the shrapnel went right through him.”

“What about Kane?”

She shook her head. “Kane’s injuries were obvious to us, and we almost didn’t recognize him either. The burns were severe. We got him stabilized at the moment, but he has first, second, and third-degree burns on three-quarters of his body. We pulled out four pieces of shrapnel with one that hit near his heart.”

“Is he going to live?”

“We don’t know yet. I have to be optimistic and say yes. I am more worried about his wife.” She paused as she looked at the surgery room near them. “Ambassador Ifra is in far more serious threat. Five pieces of shrapnel struck her. One took her left leg clean off. The other one took her right hand and wrist. She was bleeding badly when she came in. The other pieces of shrapnel hit her brain, lungs, and another one hit the womb. We don’t know if she or her baby will live.”

“Is she stabilized?” he asked her.

She shook her head. “No ... the T’rintar battleship is sending one of their physicians, but the damage to the hangar bay needs to be taken care of.”

“They should be opening up Fort Batrice’s dorsal and ventral hatches for shuttle and transport access soon. They were created for emergency situations like this.”

“The sooner they can get one of their own physicians in here, the better. Our doctors only know so much about Itrean anatomy. Only their biology and a little bit of luck is the only thing that can save the Ambassador.”

Mizu’s feelings on the injured ambassadors were not too much of a concern to him. He didn’t know them and only viewed them as bureaucrats like most politicians. Regardless, to see the two together to be ripped apart by some horrific explosion was something that he couldn’t deny either. He began to consider the others of the blast.