During Arc XIV: The Moebius Effect, President Kalson of Luna has gone over the deep end, and a trio of rebels have assassinated him before delving into the depths of Luna's caverns, where they set off explosives to destroy a lab full of Specialists that Kalson has been breeding for warfare. But the explosion has tragic results...
Far Room <Uncovered Area: Luna>
What may have once been a richly appointed chamber, appears as disused as the hallway that leads to it. Chairs that may have once been leather have cracked and burst, their foam stuffing hanging out. The paint on the wall is chiped and faded, and as with the rest of the facility the room is dark. At the far end of the table a small lump appears to be laying on it, and there appears to be something sitting in the chair.
Kedren remains quiet and still, hand on his gun, flat out on the floor face-up, facing the gap.
PA17014 edges out of the gap and looks around in the darkness as he pulls free. His eyes, faintly gleaming in the shadows, settle on Kedren. He stares, then says, simply: "I am unarmed." Then, seeming to ignore Kedren, he begins to take in the situation within the cavity.
Kedren slides the gun back into its holster. "Who are you?"
Business-like, head tilting slightly as he moves toward the rock trapping Herrmann, the Specialist moving through the shadows responds with a simple answer: "Military Unit PA17014." He then stands by Herrmann's rock, assessing the situation.
Kedren exhales. "Shit," he says, quietly. His face takes on an expression of resignation and sadness, not that the gesture means much in this near-perfect dark. "You're a Specialist, then. Do you have a mission, or a purpose, or somethin'?"
"At this moment," PA17014 replies, "my mission is to survive. I have been given no further orders." He turns toward Kedren, eyes faintly gleaming again. "Are you the commander of this facility?"
Kedren blinks. "My name is Kedren Arnassis. Corporal, LMMC. Who gave you your previous orders?"
"I had not officially been activated for duty," the Specialist replies, kneeling to study the angle of the rock pressing down on Herrmann's legs. "No one had given any mission objectives." Then, matter-of-factly: "He will lose these appendages. He has already lost a significant quantity of blood. It may be possible to find a transfusion kit in the wreckage of the facility. Are you familiar with his blood type? Are you medically trained?"
Kedren shakes his head. "No to both. I'm a soldier," he says, grunting as he rises, "Like you. At least, like how someone else intended you to be." He blinks again, shakes his head slowly against the slowly clearing shock to his brain. "Is there anyone else alive in there?" he asks, indicating the cloning room.
"Negative," PA17014 says, without any hint of emotion. He sounds focused, intent. "Are we likely to come under further attack? Can you give me additional information about what has transpired?" He moves to another angle, studying the rock and its placement.
Kedren grimaces. "It's ... a long story. A duffel bag full of plastic explosive detonated in the facility, causin' a massive cave in. But there won't be any further attacks." His voice grows more and more depressed as he keeps talking. "There any way to get that guy free o' that boulder? C'n you lift it?"
"Affirmative," the Specialist replies, standing to his full height, still looking down at Herrmann. "However, such action may be to his immediate detriment unless we can provide rudimentary medical care. Our first objective should be to increase the volume of breatheable atmosphere. His wounds are getting no worse, and his bleeding will only increase if I remove the debris. We must clear a path from this place, and prepare tourniquets and a litter to transport him. Do you have a light source?"
Kedren nods. "Dim. I dunno how long it will last." He fumbles around until he finds the datapad, turns it on. He walks towards PA17014 with it. "They never gave us that much depth of trainin' in Basic ... I mean, I've seen tourniquets an' litters used before, but never taught how ..." His voice is empty, hollow. He glances at the padd. "There's about ten hours of battery life lef'."
The Specialist turns to regard Kedren in the faint glow of the datapad. "The concept of a tourniquet is not terribly advanced. If a wound is bleeding, wrap it and apply twisting pressure until the bleeding is staunched." He then studies the pad in Kedren's hand. "Deactivate. Conserve its energy and your own. You are wounded, as well. Find a resting place. Stay in it. Do not move. I will gather supplies."
Kedren waves dismissively with his good hand. "Just a dislocated shoulder an' some minor cuts. I can work."
Eyes gleaming faintly, PA17014 responds: "You will work when there is work you can do. I am capable of navigating in the dark without aid of a limited light source. You are liable to suffer further injury. When we have freed your companion and prepared him for transit, you may drag the litter while I remove the debris in our path."
Kedren grunts his acknowledgement, turns off the datapadd, sits down.
That mission accomplished, PA17014 strides toward the gap leading back into the cloning chamber. He stops, then looks back through the shadows toward Kedren. "I will acquire fluids. Replenishment will be necessary for you and your companion." That said, he squeezes into the gap.
A short while later...
Kedren puts the back of his head against the wall. "Find what you were lookin' for?"
PA17014 squeezes back out into the cavity, carrying two plastic packets about the size of an opened adult human hand. The Specialist walks in a straight line toward Kedren, dropping the packets beside the corporal. "Type O transfusion packs. One for you. One for your companion, when he regains consciousness. It is an atypical beverage, but it contains necessary fluids and protein. I found others in storage, still viable for transfusion purposes, but since they are useless to us in that capacity, we will make do. I will continue to gather supplies for a litter." He turns and walks back toward the gap.
Kedren says, "Ifn' we re-set my arm I could be of a bit more use."
PA17014 stops at the opening, then looks toward Kedren. His eyes gleam in the darkness. "Conserve your strength. I will assist in your relocation once I have acquired the necessary components."
Kedren grunts his approval, picks up the blood pack.
The next day...
Twisting his way back into the cavity, PA17014 pauses to get his bearings and lets his gleaming eyes adjust to the shadowy confines. Herrmann remains trapped under a rock. Damien is still pinned, and also blocked from view by two large rocks. Kedren appears to be lying against the wall in the darkness.
Damien is asleep, breathing shallowly and quietly, as if he's really got anything else to do anyway...
The Specialist makes his way over to the pinned form of Herrmann, kneels and checks for a pulse. Finding one, he nods to no one in particular and then rises, stepping over debris to reach the pocket of space where Kedren sits. But PA17014 stops short of the target, and he whispers: "Corporal?"
Damien coughs a bit, dust from the surroundings entering his lungs as he sleeps. Regardless, he remains unconcious, his mind in a place far happier at present.
Kedren doesn't respond. His slumped form remains inert. PA17014 assesses the situation rapidly: A gun in the corporal's limp right hand. A datapad on the ground. Most of his brains on the wall. "Corporal..." The Specialist shakes his head, then picks up the datapad to read it. After a few moments, PA17014 tilts his head. He looks at the corpse, and continues speaking to it, even if the effort is futile: "Your error is compounded, not absolved, by this action. I required your assistance to save your companion. I cannot dig and haul him simultaneously. Now, he will die because of you."
Damien coughs again, his slight movements as he stirs kicking up more dust, which in turn, causes him to cough. Despite all this, he somehow remains asleep. At least until he sneezes.
Head tilting, the Specialist stands in the shadows and looks toward the direction of the coughing and sneezing. "Is someone there?" he asks, loudly.
Faintly, as Damien is still coughing, a "Yeah" echoes in the small room from behind a few large rocks.
"The corporal had not mentioned a third person trapped here," the Specialist observes. "Are you capable of movement?"
Damien shakes his head from sheer reflex. "Not for the most part... there's a rather large rock... and I can't feel my legs..." He sighs softly, trying to shift in his position.
"Understood," PA17014 replies, surveying the rocks blocking access to Damien. "I had counted the corporal among the valuable assets for successfully escaping this situation. Unfortunately, he has killed himself. This will hurt our prospects for survival."
PA17014 is standing near the slumped corpse of Kedren, looking toward the rocks currently blocking access to Damien.
"He did WHAT?" Damien shouts, "...shit..." He sighs, shaking his head, listening to his voice echo. "So we're screwed, huh?"
"I am unfamiliar with that term," PA17014 says. "However, I will assume from context that you request confirmation of likely terminal outcome. If that is the case - then, no, technically 'we' are not 'screwed.' I am uninjured, ambulatory and capable of continued effort. I might be able to manage carrying or dragging one of you, but not both. The corporal's suicide has exacerbated an already difficult problem."
Damien grumbles. "Just you? Is there any way to get more people down here?"
Deadpan, the Specialist replies: "I am afraid you managed to kill all the other help. I was the sole survivor."
Damien chuckles quietly. "Great... then why, may I ask, are you even considering helping us? Regardless, what about the rest of the people? Is there any way even out of these tunnels where you are?"
"I decided to help you prior to realizing your role in the obliteration of this facility," PA17014 says without a hint of emotion. "I was unaware of it until I read the note left by the corporal. For the last day or so, I have been tunneling through the debris."
Damien nods, invisible to the Specialist. "Great... good to know there's someone looking out for us... but you didn't answer my other question. Can you get to the city?"
"Yes," the Specialist replies. "But I cannot take you with me in your condition."
"Then leave me here." Damien says flatly. "There's bound to be people up there... get help. Drag Kedren's corpse with you if you have to..."
PA17014 tilts his head, gleaming eyes narrowing in the shadows. "Why would I desire to burden myself with dead weight when trying to shift debris?"
Damien simply blinks. "Hell... good point... just... if you can't do it yourself... get some more people... the city isn't dead for chrissakes... and if it IS dead, then make a damn call to someone offplanet.."
"I know no one - on planet or off," PA17014 says. "However, I will continue excavating and attempt to make contact with any rescuers."
Damien sighs softly, tone of voice softening. "I know someone offplanet... you got any way to send a message?"
PA17014 looks down at the diaper/loin cloth that serves as his only clothing. Then, he notices the datapad still gripped in his right hand. He nods slowly. "A datapad. This device also bears the note from the corporal. I will give this to the first person I encounter, and allow them to take further action."
Damien nods, wondering in his mind why, because he remains unseen. "That would work... but do you know how to use it? Perhaps if you sent the message, help would arrive faster... if all else, you could see if you could somehow get it into MY hands."
"It will not transmit from this depth," the Specialist replies. Then, matter-of-factly, he adds: "If you remain alive when I return with help, perhaps you will have the opportunity to utilize it." With that, he turns and makes his way toward a passage through the rubble.
Damien coughs. "Good luck, then... be careful. You're all we've got left down here."