Chapter 63: A Chorus of Mercy

"Go ahead," I said, putting my left hand up next to my ear.

"Meiko," Maggie's voice said. "We have a teleport unit near Morrigan, but we are going to have a problem. The gunner is barely conscious and won't be able to get out of the pod without help."

"Can someone from Morrigan do it?" I asked.

"No," Maggie said. "I already asked. The grid is charged so anyone setting foot on it would be killed."

I considered the situation. "We've done that kind of teleport before, but that was after the fight was over and the ship could be motionless. If we are going to do this, the teleport unit has to hold position while we handle the transfer."

"Paula is running it," Maggie said. "And the big Sa'arm ships are still holding back. We have a ten minute window where we can pull this off."

"Donna!" I shouted. "Do we have anyone who can wear a pressure suit for an emergency teleport? But we only have about five minutes."

Donna stepped out of the medical bay. "What?"

"One of the gunballs on Morrigan took a hit. It's dead on their grid, but the gunner is alive. They are asking if we can teleport them here," I responded.

"Injured?" Donna asked.

"Yes," I replied with a nod. "They will need help to reach the pod."

Donna frowned. "Nathan! You are the most fit. Can you get into a pressure suit fast? And can someone ask Amanda if she'll mind if we borrow her concubine?"

"Go for it!" Amanda's voice rang out. "But will this disrupt the teleport for Deb? They have the last of her armor off and are carrying her to the teleport pad."

"The pad is clear," I called out. "Kitty, run the teleport while Nathan gets ready. Maggie, give us four minutes and make sure that Paula can put the teleport unit right next to the gunball."

"Teleporting now!" Kitty called out.

There was a moment of silence. In my ear, I could hear Kitty gasp, but no words followed the gasp. Instead, the teleport pad in front of me and near the medical bay glowed for a moment.

The glow faded and I could see Orlando holding someone up. An arm was draped across his shoulder. He lifted his companion up and started to stagger his way to off the pad. Michael noticed and ran forward to help.

"Don't touch her right side!" Orlando screamed. "She's got acid burns all over her."

Michael slowed down. "Do you want a gurney?"

"No," Orlando replied. "We have no time. Just lead me to the medical pod we are going to put her in."

Shawna appeared from the main medical room. "The closet pod on the left is clear. Can you run?"

Orlando shocked me as he used one arm to lift Deb from the ground. With surprising strength, he cradled his mistress in his arms as he stepped off the pad and ran towards Shawna, who scrambled out of the way. Michael followed Orlando, shouting that he'd help lift her into the pod.

"Meiko!" I heard Paula call out. "I have the teleport unit in position, but the Sa'arm are starting to advance. Captain Evans says he can only hold position for a few more minutes. Is Nathan ready?"

"Nathan?" I called out.

"How do I make sure that this suit is sealed properly?" he asked. I looked up as he walked into the room from an alcove I had not noticed before. He had on a silvery suit topped by a spherical helmet. His gloved hands twitched and played with an imaginary collar.

Donna waddled over to him. She grabbed his arm and pressed a couple of buttons on his right forearm. "Watch the lights, if they both turn green the suit is sealed properly," she said sharply.

"Meiko? What will I do when I get there?" he asked.

"The mobile unit should be right next to the damaged gunball. The unit is basically an airlock and will be holding atmosphere when I send you. Once the door is open, step onto the gunball, grab the injured gunner and jump back into the unit. Do not touch anything except the gunball and the injured gunner," I said.

"Will the airlock close before I teleport back?" he asked.

"No," I said. "I can teleport you from a vacuum back to the atmosphere here, but teleport from atmosphere to a vacuum causes problems. All you will have to do is touch the pad and I can bring you back."

"He's ready," Donna called out. "Is the pad clear?"

"Kitty, I'm handling a rescue port, keep the pad clear. Paula, is the pod in position?" I spoke into my headset.

"Yes," Paula replied. "But you need to hurry. Some of the Sa'arm fighters have changed course and are heading toward the carrier that the admiral brought. Morrigan is part of the screen and will be taking fire in a minute or two. I have pad four."

"I've been following the pads. I already have it hooked up. Nathan! Get on the pad!" I shouted.

The man nervously skipped forward and jumped onto the pad. He turned back to me and was shaking his head as I activated the teleport to the mobile pad.

Nathan disappeared from the pad. I watched the readouts. They soon indicated that the airlock of the mobile pod was depressurizing.

"I'm in a dark tube," Nathan said through the radio in the suit.

"No shit!" Donna said. "That's what one of those mobile teleports is. The door should open in a moment."

I giggled. "Donna, I think Nathan is a bit nervous. We should be a bit more supportive."

The reply was a loud sniff. "No one gave me support when I was out there in the cold darkness of space ... But I guess it wasn't in the middle of a shooting fight either. Stay calm, Nathan, I'm sure Amanda wants you back in one piece."

"Not funny," Nathan muttered. The display on my console showed that the airlock had completed its cycle and the door was opening. "Doors now opening," Nathan continued. "I can see the gunball. It's a mess. There is a lot of jagged metal here that I have to step over."

"How is the gunner?" Ed asked over the headset. I looked up in surprise. The elder citizen was standing in the entry to the medical room and covering his right ear with a cupped hand.

"Curled up in a ball. I just see the suit but the left arm is moving," Nathan said. "One moment, let me step over. I can see a good platform to check on the gunner."

"Hurry," Paula said. "Morrigan has just increased thrust. She's about to go back into the fight."

"There's a lot of sharp fragments of metal," Nathan replied. "I don't want to risk the suit. Now give me a second, I've managed to step so I can kneel by the gunner. He has his arms over his stomach and there is something staining the suit. I'm guessing he took a hit from a sliver."

We all waited in silence for about thirty seconds. Then there was a loud sigh from Nathan. "I'm no doctor. I need a minute to get the gunner out of his harness. I can see a bit more. Add a shattered shoulder to some severe abdominal injuries. The suit has two sealed holes just above waist level and the gunner's left arm is bent behind him."

"I'll get a pod ready," Ed said. He turned back towards the medical room. "Shawna, activate the new program I set up on pod seven. I think we'll have to put the gunner in with the suit still on. Removing it might cause him to bleed out."

"It slows down the healing," Shawna said. "The nanites end up taking hours just to dissolve clothing."

"Ed's right," Donna said. "The gunner has already spent at least thirty minutes with two holes in him. I don't want to imagine the damage we'd do if we removed the suit."

"Mieko," Nathan called out. "This gunner can't help me. He's unconscious. I can pick him up in a fireman's carry and jump to the pad, but..."

"Do it," I said as I adjusted the controls. The pad would now activate the instant Nathan touched it, bringing him and anyone he carried back to Ishtar.

"On one ... two..." Nathan called out. There was a grunt and then the pad in the room lit up in a bright flash of light. Donna and Ed rushed to the edge of the pad as the light began to dim.

"Craig," Donna called out. "Roll the gurney onto the pad. We need to get this one into a pod fast."

Craig grabbed a gurney and began running toward the teleport pad. I could see Ed and Donna standing next to Nathan. He had a body draped over his shoulders. The man staggered toward the gurney as Craig reached the edge of the platform.

"Meiko?" I heard Paula whisper.

'Sorry," I replied as I turned my eyes back to the console. "Nathan has arrived back safely. You can get the teleport unit out of the way."

"I should tell Amanda that her concubine is back safely," I said.

"I heard," Amanda replied. "The AI appears to be tracking what is said and will route information to interested parties. How is the gunner?"

"I don't know," I said as I looked up. The teleport pad was empty of people. While I was concentrating on the console, the gunner had been taken into the medical room. "They have him in the medical room already."

I watched the doorway, hoping someone would come through. The fate of the gunner was a mystery I wanted to know more about. However, before anyone appeared, a new klaxon started to blare.

"Damn!" Yvette screamed. "Tif, turn that damn thing off. What is the matter now?"

"Tracking reports one of the dead Sa'arm scouts is going to crash into the planet!" Tamara called out.

"What about the atmosphere?" someone cried.

"It's too fast," Tamara responded. "And the scan says the armor is intact enough that it will survive its plunge without breaking up."

"Where will the impact be?" James asked calmly.

"Somewhere in the mountains to the west of us," Tamara responded. "But we'll feel it here."

"Are you sure?" Yvette asked.

"The AI probably is," James said. "Sa'arm ships are huge by our standards. The Sa'arm are larger than us to begin with and they have more crew on their ships. It's going to be as if a large meteor hit the planet."

"That's what the AI is warning," Tamara replied. "Impact is expected to be in four minutes."

"Everyone, make sure your area is prepared for the impact," James said. He sounded almost unnaturally calm. "Reggie, do you need more people?"

"We can handle it," Reggie said. "You had the nursery reinforced a long time ago, and the main room doesn't have anything that can be knocked around. We already have the babies secured there, so we should be able to ride out anything."

"Will the power be disrupted?" Ed called out. "Some of the medical pods should probably go into emergency mode if we might lose power."

"Based on current tracking and the size of the damaged scout, the damage to the colony will not cause a disruption to the power supply," the AI offered.

There was a light flashing on the teleport console. It indicated a communication from a blocked unit. I reached out a tentative hand and then switched to the incoming call. "Ishtar teleport control," I stated firmly.

"Um ... damn..." a male voice stammered. "Um ... look, some of the guys here aren't happy with how everything went down ... um..."

I raised my hand, almost immediately realizing that the speaker could not see it. "Wait. Who is this?"

"Oh! Sorry, but I just thought you'd know ... I don't know why you've never met me ... I mean, I don't know who you are either, but you're on the planet and..."

The signal cut out for a moment and then an older voice took over. "Damn kid. I knew some of the marines in this company were a bit wet behind the ears, but you don't babble. The private was asking if we can help."

"Who?" I asked again.

"This is Sergeant Watkins. We were part of the company that was just on the planet," the older voice said again. "We'd like to help."

I reached out to put the communication on hold. For a moment, I just stared into space, but then I activated my contact with the rest of the planet. "James, I just received a communication. It appears some of Colonel Johanes' men want to help."

"They what?" James asked. "Damn ... We could use the help, but I have to get ready to handle the lasers. Yvette, why don't you listen in, but allow Meiko to do most of the talking. We can definitely try to crash train some laser gunners if they have anyone with armor."

"What's wrong?" Yvette asked.

"Deb is hurt, Amanda and Xavier are both down while their armor is repaired. Barbara and Alexis are still in medical pods from yesterday's fighting. Brad should have his armor back in five minutes, but right now only Linus and I have armor. The lasers are turning around in fifteen minutes, but armor repair is running over an hour," James said.

I was in the process of switching the communications back to the sergeant when Tiffany's voice broke through. "Admiral Timmons! Admiral Timmons! Please respond! We need status!"

"What's wrong?" Yvette called out.

"Captain Evans, status!" James called out.

"Sa'arm fighters got through our screen. They used some missile that was designed to penetrate deep into a target. The carrier took a hit on the flag bridge," Captain Evans replied.

My console was beeping. I was reminded that I needed to resume the communications with the marines. My fingers reached out to make the adjustment.

"Sergeant," I said as I flicked the switch. "Sorry for the delay, we have a small crisis here."

"That's why we are volunteering to help," the man replied. "There's no question that the orders we were told about were not all the orders that Colonel Johanes had."

"The only job on the planet that we can use marines for would be as gunners. I remember that when you arrived James was told that none of your people had the training to use those," I replied.

"These men are marines, they can and will improvise and adapt," the sergeant growled. "If you bring us down, we'll listen and learn as quick as we can."

"They need armor," Yvette whispered. I wondered if the sergeant could hear the comment, but he said nothing.

I sighed. "Firing the lasers requires that you wear marine battle armor."

"Meiko!" James called out. "No more than four gunners. We don't have space here for more. However, we need bodies for search and rescue."

"What?" I replied.

"Problems?" the sergeant asked. "Oh, and any of my guys can get into armor, but it would take some time."