Space Rescue One Read online

  "I can see that they're old. However, they're not listed. I'm going to check you out a bit more carefully. Just in case, you understand?"

  Richard remarked, "I'm beginning to understand only too well, Doc. Go ahead, you're only wasting your time."

  "Let me be the judge of that."

  ***

  Try as she might, Shelly still couldn't pick the lock. She was more than frustrated when the door budged some before her clothing caught it. Quickly, she got in Richard's bed after stashing the picks under the bed. Then she mumbled, "What? Who's there?"

  "Richard. It's me, Richard. You've got my door blocked."

  "Oh, sorry. I guess I threw my clothes off in the dark expecting you to be here before I fell asleep. Let me turn on the light and I'll get the door unblocked."

  "Okay."

  Richard entered his room, seeing that Shelly was indeed naked as she'd been before. He easily smelled the alcohol on her, though she didn't sound truly drunk.

  "Where were you, Richard? I expected you to be in bed."

  "I was getting a physical exam with the rest of the team. You ought to remember that," he answered.

  "Oh, yeah, that. I had mine earlier today. Or was it yesterday?"

  "Doesn't matter which. Why are you in my room?"

  "I came to thank you."

  "For what?" asked Richard.

  "For a lot of things. For instance, you once saved my life."

  "Forget it."

  "Forget it? How can I? Don't you even care about others?" Shelly asked.

  "I care. I just don't need to be rewarded is all."

  Indignant, Shelly exclaimed, "Maybe you don't want to be rewarded, but I need to show my thanks. Or isn't it permitted in Richard Saber's book to permit others to express themselves even if Richard Saber isn't willing to express his own self?"

  "I'm not telling others how to express themselves. I'm just not interested in being thanked. I get more than enough satisfaction in seeing others still alive when I can make the difference."

  "Oh, you do, do you? Well, you're not putting me off this time."

  Richard agreed, "Yes, I am."

  "No, you're not or you can forget ever asking me for a date. I don't go out with men who won't let me express myself."

  "You're being hardheaded."

  "Maybe I took a page from your book. Now get naked and in bed."

  ***

  "Richard, you look much better than usual," Chief Dickson said.

  "I slept much better than usual last night," Richard replied.

  "Maybe I should set you up for another late night physical then."

  "It wasn't the physical exam," Richard responded.

  Shelly walked into the wash area wearing one of Richard's towels. Isaac was about to say something more, then stopped upon seeing her. Suddenly, he knew what Shelly meant about not being in trouble if she was caught. He kept his mouth shut when she followed Richard into the same shower cubicle.

  Entering the next cubicle, he couldn't help overhear the giggles and other sounds as Shelly and Richard did more than shower together. He could only hope that it was an act on her part. Still, it was quite apparent to him that she was going all the way in her acting. He hoped that the results were worth what the two of them were doing.

  "Attention all personnel. Space Rescue One is on scramble alert. All Medical Teams are on scramble alert. Level one emergency. Attention Rescue Team Leaders. Report to the Captain ASAP. Attention all personnel. Space Rescue One is on scramble alert. Level one emergency. Attention Rescue Team Leaders. Report to the Captain ASAP."

  Isaac felt a chill go down his back as the call went out over the intercom. There had been several level two emergencies before, but never a level one since he'd joined the ship. It was clearly important. Already, he could feel the ship firing up its engines. In seconds, certainly less than a minute, the ship would charge through space on its way to answering the mission call. It was all he could do to rinse the last of the soap out of his eyes and struggle into his clothes a few moments later. Even then, he was barely dressed as he ran out of the wash area for the briefing.

  Inside the next cubicle, Richard froze, leaving Shelly to wonder for a moment.

  "What's wrong?" she asked.

  Richard answered gravely, "It's a level one. It's going to be real bad out there. Stop it now! We need to get dry, dressed, and ready for whatever it is. Lives are on the line. Lives that depend on me, er, us."

  "We won't be there for some time to come, I'm sure. Come on, let's play some."

  He emphatically replied, "No! We have a responsibility to be ready. Now finish showering and move out."

  Shelly looked at Richard's suddenly changed behavior as if she was seeing something she'd missed before in his personality. Whatever it was, he was a totally different person. Judging by his appearance, she decided it was best not to argue. She nodded and released him.

  ***

  "Chiefs, we have a true level one emergency," Captain Shortner said.

  "It's that big?" asked Chief Dickson.

  "Yes. The Midwestern Pride is on fire. Initial reports are that her hull is compromised in at least two places. We have casualties and fatalities reported. Our job is to get to the ship, evacuate everyone, and see that the injured receive medical treatment," Shortner answered.

  "Is the Pride being written off?" Chief Brunner asked.

  "Most likely, it will. This isn't a tow job. It's strictly rescue," Shortner answered.

  "What's her cargo?" Chief Brunner asked.

  "Wheat," Shortner answered.

  Brunner said, "Nasty stuff when it's in an enclosed area. Did the wheat cause the hull compromises?"

  "We're pretty sure that it did," Shortner answered.

  ***

  Isaac looked at Richard and Shelly's brutally serious faces with amazement. He found it hard to believe that only minutes before, Richard and Shelly were engaged in . . . He let the thought die before it ate at him. Nonetheless, he didn't see any feelings between the two of them as they sat at the breakfast table and waited for his briefing.

  "It's an onboard fire. Explosions are probably occurring, too. There are two known hull breaches. Also confirmed casualties with fatalities. Our job is strictly rescue evacuation. No towing," Isaac said.

  "Armor suits?" Richard asked.

  "I think it's called for, so yes."

  ***

  "Double check your suits. Then check your buddy. Richard, you're with me," Isaac said.

  "Still don't trust me?" asked Richard.

  "That's not it at all. Let's just say that I'm starting to respect you even if you don't have a personality. I'd rather have you check my suit for this call than anyone else right now, though I don't know why. Maybe it's because you've been on this team so long," Isaac answered.

  "Yeah, right."

  ***

  "Rescue Team One ready to shove off," Dickson reported.

  "Rescue Team Two ready to shove off," Brunner reported.

  "We're closing now. I'll give you a go in a few minutes," Captain Shortner said.

  The helmsman said, "Closing to one hundred meters."

  "Is this the closest we can get in to her?" Shortner asked.

  The helmsman answered, "It's standard policy for a level one, sir."

  "I know that. I'm asking if you can get closer. I don't care about the policy. The sooner we get those men and women off, the better. If we can do that by cutting the distance in half, then I'll accept the risk."

  The helmsman replied, "Yes, sir. Closing to fifty meters."

  ***

  Isaac ordered, "Jump!"

  Rescue Team One leaped from the Space Rescue One into the void between the two ships. Like eerie, silent ghosts tied by a thin thread, they drifted purposefully toward the Midwestern Pride. Chief Dickson caught hold of the Pride's hull first and linked himself to it. Using a heavily gloved hand, he put a sensor to the hull as the rest of his team lighted on the hull. Before the last technician was o
n it, he was radioing, "Too hot to enter this airlock. We'll have to walk to another one."

  "B Lock is our next best option, Chief," Richard said.

  "B Lock? Are you sure?" asked Isaac.

  "Trust me. I've been on a lot of freighters, Chief."

  "Okay, I will, this time. B Lock, everyone."

  ***

  Isaac put the sensor to the hull around B Lock. He held his breath as he watched the sensor readout. He only let it out when he saw that it was safe. "We're a go on B Lock. Standard entering order."

  Moments later, the airlock hatch opened with a green light over it. Chief Dickson and Technician Saber entered the airlock. The rest of the team stood by outside the airlock after passing inside two evacuation chambers to them. Seconds later, the green changed to red, then to double red, indicating that they were inside the burning ship. They waited for the lights to change once more. When the lights changed, two more technicians entered the airlock with two more evacuation chambers.

  Chief Dickson squinted through the swirling smoke, even though he still wore his suit and wasn't directly affected by it. He felt Richard patting him on the back. He turned in Richard's direction. That was when he saw the first body. Richard was already moving toward the victim.

  Chief Dickson followed Richard, pulling one evacuation chamber behind him. Beneath his feet, he could feel the vibrations of the ship tearing itself apart. Richard was already gently picking up the man and placing him inside the evacuation chamber for transfer to the Space Rescue One. Before Isaac could pass Richard to find another victim, Richard motioned for the Chief to take his chamber out and give him the empty one. Isaac wasn't sure just why he let Richard take his empty while he took hold of the filled evacuation chamber to return to the airlock where others could speedily transfer it to their ship.

  Isaac reached the airlock as Technicians Knight and Clarke stepped out of it. Quickly, he motioned for Clarke to take the full chamber back out to the other waiting team members. Just as smoothly, he took hold of Clarke's empty chamber to return to where Richard was last located. Technician Knight fell in behind the Chief.

  They met Richard halfway to where the Chief last saw him. Richard was pulling another full chamber behind him. Seeing them, he shoved the chamber in Knight's direction. Knight glanced at the Chief only to see the Chief nod for him to take it back to the airlock. Before Isaac turned back toward Richard, Richard was already taking another empty chamber forward. Chief Dickson hurried to catch up with him once more.

  Isaac stopped just behind Richard. Glancing over Richard's shoulder as he bent down to assist a victim, Isaac wanted to throw up when he saw the condition of another victim. Shakily, Isaac leaned on Richard's shoulder quite involuntarily.

  Richard turned his head inside his armored suit's helmet. He glanced at Chief Dickson's whitened features. Immediately, he understood. Perhaps the Chief would understand him more in the future. That is, if Richard decided to openly admit his private horror to anyone. He wondered if the Chief or some of the Technicians might leave the service after this mission. He knew of several former spacers who did just that after discovering how bad a fire was in an enclosed space with no escape. His prior team chief was one such spacer who left.

  Rather than use the radio, Richard touched his helmet to Isaac's so he wouldn't be overheard. "You need some air. This one's ready, Chief. Take him back for me."

  Isaac replied, "Yeah, uh, right. I'll take this victim back now."

  Richard moved to the other victim who drew the reaction from the Chief. He used his sensor to find a pulse. Amazingly, there was one. Using smooth, wellpracticed moves and exercising the utmost care, he gently picked up the victim to place into the evacuation chamber. He was glad he couldn't hear the groans and cries of the victim as he lifted. Nor could he hear the victim's last gasp.

  Technician Clarke moved up close with another chamber. He tried to pass Richard only to have a giant maul of a hand reach out to stop him. Richard pressed him toward the filled chamber, motioning for him to return with it.

  Clarke pressed his helmet to Richard. "The Chief said for me to replace you up front. You take him back."

  Richard protested, "No, I will not. You don't know what it's like here. I can take it."

  "Sorry, Richard, but you're going to have to take that one back yourself. I'm following my orders."

  Clarke shrugged off Richard's hand and moved toward the next hatch. Richard watched helplessly for a moment before something caught his attention. Something was wrong. Dreadfully wrong, but he couldn't place it for a moment. Then he remembered.

  Richard launched himself toward Clarke, knocking the man aside as a beam warped inward from another deck still burning out of control. Richard barely felt the beam hit him before he lost consciousness.

  Chapter 6

  "How are you, Richard?" Chief Dickson asked.

  "I feel like someone kicked me with a rocket blast," Richard answered.

  "You were. You've got a couple of broken ribs. The doctors say that you're going to be laid up here for at least a month."

  "A month? I can't stay here for a month!" Richard exclaimed.

  "I don't mean you'll be in sick bay all that time. It's just that no one is going to let you pull a mission for that long."

  "Did we get to everyone?" Richard asked.

  Isaac answered, "We got to most of them. There were a few on the burning decks who we couldn't get to in time. You saved Clarke's life, you know. Clarke, the old man, and I want to put you in for a medal."

  Richard said flatly, "Keep it."

  Isaac said smoothly, "Now why doesn't that response of yours surprise me? Well, you're going to have to put up with it this time. The captain said that this type of thing is good for the service. It helps counteract the bad publicity we're getting for no reason. Whether you like it or not, you're going to accept the medal you're awarded, even if we have to get you drunk to accept it."

  "Yeah?" asked Richard.

  Isaac said firmly, "You heard me. Just get it into your thick head that you're going to help the service, whether you want the medal or not. That's an order from the captain."

  "You're making it hard for me not to. If I refuse, you'll drum me out. Checkmate, right?"

  "That's one way of putting it. So, learn how to smile while you're laid up. I expect the ceremony will be held in about two weeks. That's how long the old man expects the recommendation to take in getting approved. After the ceremony is over, then you can grouse about it all you want and return to scowling instead of smiling. For now, your orders are to practice smiling. You can practice your smile on your teammates. They're waiting outside to see you."

  Richard sighed, "All right, you win. Send them in so I can get this over with. How soon do I get to move to my room from sick bay?"

  "The doctors want to keep you under observation for 48 hours. Then you can return to your lair and practice your smile when you're not being a beast."

  ***

  "He sure knew his way around that freighter. Mighty competent for a technician," Knight said.

  "Well, I never said that Richard wasn't competent. I was only concerned about his drinking. However, it looks like he has that problem under control now. I haven't caught him drinking since I gave him that order," Dickson replied.

  "Still, he sure led us into the right places. Clarke said he even knew when that beam was going. Said he seemed to be looking at it before it went," Knight said.

  Laumer asked, "How'd Clarke know where Richard was looking? I thought Clarke was about to go through the next hatch."

  Dickson answered, "He was, but he glanced back to see if Richard was going to follow my orders or not."

  "Why was he concerned about that?" Laumer asked.

  "Because I told him to make sure that Richard followed those orders. I didn't want to expose Richard anymore than necessary to that grisly scene. I wasn't sure he could take it without going back to drinking heavy," Isaac replied.

  "Like you did
last night?" asked Shelly.

  "Yeah, like I did. I still can't shake some of those faces from my mind. I can only imagine what Richard's going through with that to add to whatever was troubling him before," Isaac replied.

  "You really care about him, don't you?" Shelly asked.

  Isaac answered, "Yeah, I care about him. I care about the whole team. It's my job to care."

  "No, this is more than just your job that shows in your caring."

  "Maybe it is. Put it this way, I was asked to check on him when I took over as Team Chief. I thought I was supposed to get rid of him at first."