"Captain. Captain! God's on bicycles, York, get up!" A voice was shouting abuse from a long way away, but it had to compete with the ringing in my ears and the buzz of static. Eventually i recognised the voice. Cavendish.
"I'm OK." i muttered, although i knew that i wasn't. "Let me up."
I reached out a hand and started to climb to my feet. A moment later i was back on the floor. I think i screamed, but the pain drowned everything out. It went on forever, blinding stabbing light in my head. Suddenly it stopped and all i could feel was a slight irritation in my leg and cool blood running through my veins. I lifted my head. The overhead lights were out and all i could see where the beams from the Bad Girls' lamps. I could just see one of the Bad Girls withdrawing a small syringe.
My breath was loud, trapped in the vacuum hood. I should have been able to hear the crew. I tapped the side of the hood with my finger. The marine gave me a sign to show she understood that my comms was down.She held out her hand, fingers splayed; stay put, then got to her feet and trotted out of my field of view. A few seconds later she was back. Hall. The markings on her armour showed it was Hall. Nonaka was behind her. As i tried to sit up they both leaned forward and held me down. The comms crackled.
"...out of here."
Livingston, get over here!" Livingston was the team's main medic.She slid to a halt beside me. Like all the others her face plate was dark and i couldn't tell what she was looking at.
"Captain..."
"He can't hear you. Comms are out."
"OK. Keep him still while i have a look." I felt a tugging on my leg, but the powerful analgesic was doing its job well. I think she was using a canister of coagulant and tissue filler.
"Gods in a row." whispered Livingston. "Cavendish."
"In a minute."
"Cavendish. Now."
"This better be good." Even under stress Cavendish didn't usually sound so irritable.
"We need to get York out of here."
"Him and the rest. What do you think we're trying to do?"
Livingston turned away. "Cavendish! York's going to die if we don't get him out of this vacuum."
Cavendish appeared. Now there were three of my bodyguards crowding round me. Over the comms net i could hear Nonaka organising the other survivors.
"Can i pick him up ?." Asked Cavendish.
"No.both femurs are shattered and i think his hip is fractured. We need to get him in to an EVAC bag."
"There aren't any. We've used them all."
"Get somebody out of one and put York in."
Up to now i'd been hearing the words but they hadn't really made any sense. Suddenly something clicked into place.
"No! Nobody gets sacrificed for me." I managed to raise myself up on my elbows. "Are you clear about that?"
"Sir."
I looked around. There were several bodies scattered around the chamber. The remaining Bad Girls were with Nonaka at the far end. Between us the floor plates and bulkhead had buckled in several places. The ship had taken a bad hit. "Are we still under fire?"
"Yes, Sir."
The bridge was armoured and situated in the core of the ship. As we got closer to the escape ships, we were more vulnerable to enemy fire. I'd surrendered and ejected the power cores. According to the conventions of war they should have ceased fire. Bastards.
"Why is nobody moving on?"
"Because the hatches are jammed." Snapped Cavendish. "If they could get through, they wouldn't be hanging about. The reactor won't last much longer." She turned and stomped away. Something was bothering her, but it would have to wait. We were trapped in this compartment and it looked like we didn't have anything to get us out. I wasn't prepared to give up yet.
"There aren't any. We've used them all."
"Get somebody out of one and put York in."
Up to now i'd been hearing the words but they hadn't really made any sense. Suddenly something clicked into place.
"No! Nobody gets sacrificed for me." I managed to raise myself up on my elbows. "Are you clear about that?"
"Sir."
I looked around. There were several bodies scattered around the chamber. The remaining Bad Girls were with Nonaka at the far end. Between us the floor plates and bulkhead had buckled in several places. The ship had taken a bad hit. "Are we still under fire?"
"Yes, Sir."
The bridge was armoured and situated in the core of the ship. As we got closer to the escape ships, we were more vulnerable to enemy fire. I'd surrendered and ejected the power cores. According to the conventions of war they should have ceased fire. Bastards.
"Why is nobody moving on?"
"Because the hatches are jammed." Snapped Cavendish. "If they could get through, they wouldn't be hanging about. The reactor won't last much longer." She turned and stomped away. Something was bothering her, but it would have to wait. We were trapped in this compartment and it looked like we didn't have anything to get us out. I wasn't prepared to give up yet.
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