VFF The Book Continues Part 6
POSTED BY: Colt99
UPDATED: Friday, June 3, 2016 04:01
VIEWED: 92656
PAGE 6 of 15
OUTSIDE
The Book’s hull reflects the light of the cannon fire as it streaks past. The Reaver ship looms behind them firing round after round into the blackness.
The Book rolls on her side and banks to avoid the fire. Movement can be seen on the wings as the shuttles move into launch position.
BRIDGE
Wash: You think it will work?
Colt: Sure it will work. *Sounding less than confident*
SHUTTLE
Mobbex: That sweetie of yours is going to get us all killed.
Abbey takes another swig of d'Orange, ignores him and preps the shuttle for launch.
UNDER THE FORWARD DECK PLATING
Sky and Spots wiggle through the small space towards the main hydraulic coupleling
Spots: We’re almost there.
BRIDGE
Colt just finished recording a quick warning message to send to the freighter if they get the chance.
Colt: You ready Wash? *She nods* Spots? *over the comm.*
Spots: In position just have to locate it
Colt: Make it fast we’re starting the count.
The automated countdown recording began.
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(moments earlier in the engine room)
spots is moving frantically about trying to set the engine for the burn.
Colt: Son you're coming with me and bring the wrench
Spots: ok (he grabs up his tools and follows the captain)
the Floor clang under their boots as the run headlong into the cargo bay and up the stairs to the second shuttle. Sky is waiting for them there
Sky: so whats the plan this time Colt
Colt: we are gonna use this shuttle as bait for those hungry sonsabitchs. Spots can you get this thing uncoupled
Spots: yeah I think I can..
Colt;Sky help him the best you can and son dont think do (he turn and moves quickly to the bridge)
Minuets later
both Sky and Spots are in the waist deep in the ship trying to get the shuttle to come off
Sky: come on I aint dieing like this
Spots; Im almost through... I got it.... I got it [Thunk] I dont go it..
Sky: well get it again!
Spots: working on it
Sky: Work harder!!!
Spots; you really thing shouting gonna help!
Sky: No but it makes me FEEL BETTER GORAMIT!!!!
Colt {over com}: Will you 2 shut up and work
Colt {over com}: Make it fast we’re starting the count.
Spots GOD DAMIT GOD DAMIT GOD DAMIT.... I goit hahaha i got it woohoo!!!
Sky: thats great son now lets do this
the voice of the onboard computer sound the numbers like the ticking of a clock
5
4
3
2
1
Colt: Do it now
[a loud thud sounds through out the ship as the wrench falls and the damaged shuttle floats out of its bay]
Colt; (muttering to himself) work work work
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As the countdown ended, Colt pushed the transmit button, sending the warning message to the freighter.
OUTSIDE
A yellow glow emitting from the tail of the Book starts to illuminate the sky. The Reaver ship stops firing its cannon and moves in for the kill. The glow continues to grow into a blinding light.
On the port wing the shuttle begins to hover just a few inches off of its docking platform.
Electricity fires through the Reaver’s grappler. The Reavers fire, just as the rear of the Firefly explodes propelling the small ship away.
The magnetic grappler shoots into space and connects. The vibration of the contact travels up the cable and can be felt through the large ship. The Reaver pilot immediately yanks the controls spinning the large ship over like an alligator’s death roll. To his surprise there is no resistance. His co pilot checks his screen and then looks out into the black.
The yellow streak is still shooting away. Attached to their grappler is the mangled remains of the port side shuttle.
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Colt listened to the cheers echo through the Book. Everyone near a com was hooting it up, happy to live another day. He had relieved Wash, and as much as she had earned a rest, it wouldn’t come soon. His ship was still hurt and the full burn had made matters much worse. On top of the damage the Reavers had caused, the burn with both shuttle in launch position had jammed up Abbey’s shuttle, preventing them from docking. Spots and Sky were seeing to it while Wash suited up to check the damage outside.
Colt checked the monitors again. They were in the clear…but.
He moved around the console, opened a storage bin and pulled a display with a tangle of cords from the box.
Sitting back in Wash’s seat he plugged in the various cables and launched a program on the portable screen. The tapped away at the screen, deleting the scroll of numbers, and entering new data. When he finished he went to the Cortex feed and plugged in again repeating the process.
He finished as Wash returned from her space walk.
Wash: Not as bad as it feels. I think we can limp her planet side to repair.
Colt: Glad to hear it.
Wash: Everything ok Cap? I mean most people live what we just did tend to be more… jovial.
Colt: Adrenalin must be wearing off. Get the suit stored and take a break. You earned it. Sky and I will get us dirt side.
Wash: Sure thing Cap. I heard Abbey opened up the liquor cabinet. Maybe I can score a stiff drink before she comes to her senses.
Sky enters and Wash exits.
Sky: Spots says Abby’s shuttle should be….
The distinct thud of the docking procedure interrupts her.
Sky: … docked now.
Colt: Ain’t you leaving?
Sky: Looks that way. Come on Colt you know…
Colt: *hearing the crew in the galley* I get it Sky. Take over here and we’ll talk later.
Colt heads toward the galley stopping by his bunk and lowering the portable screen down the ladder by the cables.
In the galley Abbey rushes into his arms. They share a deep kiss.
Colt: You been drinking?
Abbey: Well…a…a little
Colt: No drinking.
Abbey *smiling* Yes Captain
Mobbex comes over and slaps Colt too hard on the back.
Mobbex: I’d like to see the look on their goram faces when they latched onto that shuttle.
Oram: You’d have to be in eating distance to see that.
Mobbex shivers: Goram girl we’re celebrating don’t go ruining it like that.
Colt looks over at Brit who has sitting on the table, swinging her legs back and forth. She looks at him with a sympathetic smile and a nod.
Abbey grabs onto Colt’s arm: You heard the big man, feel like celebrating?
Colt: *somewhat distant*: I need to..see to some things. Sorry I’m a little spent here..I
Abbey: It’s ok …really.
They share another kiss and Colt heads back to the bridge.
Sky: Colt might want Spots to take a look at this.
Colt: What?
Sky: The NavSat and radar are glitchy. The Cortex is out. Everything is resetting but we can’t read anything behind us.
Colt: Don’t bother him with it right now. Let it reset.
Colt climbs down into his bunk. He went to the sink and filled a bowl with water then cups both hands and splashes the water on his face. He stares at the display on the floor. He looks in the mirror and shakes his head.
Moving to his bunk he takes up the display and switches it on. Leaning back in his bunk he stares at the real radar image, the one he had erased from the Book. It showed the freighters emergency beacon. Next to it was the flashing ping of the Reaver ship. He tapped the screen and the hours old Cortex recording he had removed began to play.
Freighter Captain: This is the Catalina. We are under attack by Reavers. Please send help.
Muffled female voice: OH GAWD
Voice: Their boarding
Freighter Captain: This is the Catalina. We are being boarded by Reavers. Lord help us
Muffled female screaming
Gun shots
The transmission stopped.
Colt flung the display hard against the wall, shattering it.
Colt: Gorammit
http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr360/shan_i_am/BookMasterSig
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sits silently in shock as the last tranmission hits home
That could have been us oh god .......
turns around and see a big fluffy y ellow bunny that look san awful lot like mobbex hopping on down the hall.......
Hits comm
****Oram you free??? *******
( sorry guys the mother board on my comp died finally g t it replaced)
I am a leaf on the wind
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abbey puttered around the shuttle for a while. Cleaning things, then rearranging then putting them back in their original place.
She sighed after a while, knowing that she was only doing it because she was too keyed up and very slightly tipsy. They had dodged a big bullet today. And the adrenaline was still pumping for her.
She couldn't stand being in the shuttle for a minute longer, so she exited it and made a beeline for the person she really wanted to see... Colt.
They had a lot to talk about, although now would not be the time. She just wanted to be near him. To tell him thank you. To...
She shook her head, clearing her thoughts and knocked on his door.
"Colt? Can I come in?" she asked.
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Colt hears the knock at the hatch. It’s Abbey. He doesn’t move, he doesn’t answer. Torn.
No one he would rather see right now but the last person he wants to face.
Those folks are dead because of me. Why the hell didn’t they run? They should have gotten away clean. Maybe they had engine trouble. I should have scanned them. Hell there was no time to scan them. Why the hell didn’t they..
KNOCK KNOCK
Abbey: Colt? You in there?
He took a deep breath and went to the ladder. “Come on down.”
Once inside she moved to hold him. He tensed up to her touch. She noticed.
Abbey: What’s wrong with you?
Colt: Nothing Darlin *Thinking It’s mine to bear*
Abbey: Oh I get it! You’re all over me when it’s a secret but now that it’s out in the open the thrill is gone.
She moves away from him. Crossing the small room and leaning against the dresser.
Colt: Wha…? No what are you saying? It’s not that.
Abbey: You don’t get to do this Colt. You don’t get to tell me you care about us. The THREE of us then push me away.
Colt: Abbey it’s not like that.
Abbey: Then what is it Colt? You practically shunned me when I was in the galley now you don’t want me near. Grayson said this was a mistake but I said he had it all wrong.
Colt: Grayson? That son of a…..*the full implication of what abbey is saying sinks in* Do…you think this was a mistake?
Abbey: Oh no you don’t. You don’t get to turn this around. You’re the one acting different. You are…
Colt: *almost a whisper* abbey you were right.
Abbey: You are a piece of work. Do you….what? Right about what?
Colt: The freighter. They didn’t make it. I thought…they could….they didn’t make it. You were right I shouldn’t have used them like that. *His body trembling*
Abbey looked at Colt. She ached inside but not for the freighter crew, not yet, Colt was her only concern. She moved to him and wrapped her arms around him. She could feel his clenched jaw still shivering.
She thought of what to say, you wouldn’t have put them in harm’s way if you knew they couldn’t get away. You did it for to save us all. You couldn’t have known they wouldn’t escape. In the end she went with the only words that would come out.
Abbey: I’m so sorry Colt.
They held each other through the night. They woke the next morning to Sky announcing they were beginning the landing sequence on Ezra.
Lying there feeling her warmth against him Colt was reminded of an old war saying. When you can’t walk you crawl, when you can’t crawl you get someone to carry you. Abbey had carried him through it last night.
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She woke up in the morning, she was laying on her back with Colt lying next to her, his head resting on her shoulder as her arms wrapped around him. Interestingly, his one hand was laying on her stomach like he was trying to connect with their child somehow. She didn't know if it was actually for that reason, but if he was trying to draw some support from anywhere he could, it would not surprise her.
It had been a tough night for him. He was restless, mumbling in his sleep or waking up with a jerk, terror in his eyes. She would comfort him any way she could when he did awake. He finally succumbed to a prolonged sleep about two hours ago.
So she didn't try to wake him. She just laid there and let him sleep, watching his face. He still looked troubled, which was understandable. It was a hard call. She didn't know what she would have done. Well, she knew, but then again, they'd be dead right now, so it didn't matter.
He shifted his weight again, moaning in mental agony, his grip on her moving to encircle her waist and then it tightened, drawing her close to him. it was a little snug, but she didn't try to escape. She only stroked his shoulder trying to comfort him.
"Sssshhhh..." she whispered to him. "It will be OK. I'm here with you... I'll always be here with you."
Then there was the announcement from Wash that they were about to land on Ezra. Colt stirred and woke up.
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He had been searching for them for a while, but it seems they had almost vanished into thin air. That is... almost.
Grayson got a wave from a contact of his.
"What have you got for me?" he answered gruffly, pleasantry dispatched as The Book's absence went on.
"We got a distress call from a freighter a few hours back. They were requesting help for a Firefly that was under attack from a Reaver ship," his contact told him. "It was the Book."
Dear God... Reavers, Grayson thought, his heart jumping into his throat.
"Are they...?"
"No, Sir. Seems they used the freighter that made the distress call to make their escape. They crossed their flight path and the Reavers changed targets and went after the larger ship."
"So they escaped?"
"Yes, Sir," his contact paused. "But the other ship, Sir. They stayed around to try to help the Book. Making that distress call for them. Well, all were lost. The Reavers boarded and killed them all."
Grayson swore under his breath, but it was a definite slam on Colt's character.
"Do you know where the Book went?"
"They are getting ready to land on Ezra."
Ezra. Definitely the wrong place for abbey and Oram to be. A major hub for slave traders. And the home base for Adlei Niska.
"Call an extraction team. I'm laying course right now."
"Yes, Sir."
Grayson cut the transmission at set course for Ezra.
"Just a few hours and this whole unfortunate experience will be behind us."
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Her stomach was still doing summersaults from the near miss with the Reavers. Much too close for her liking. Stumbling out of the docked shuttle, Oram decided that maybe sleep was the best option rather than anything else, so clutching the bottle that Mobbex had cracked open she wandered down to the kitchen area knowing they’d be in Ezra soon enough to fill on supplies and hopefully find some trail of Spots missing sibling.
The galley was an utter disaster, anything that wasn’t nailed down was thrown around and Oram groaned inwardly knowing the mess would be her job to clean the mess. She shuddered to think how the cupboards looked. She didn’t even dare contemplate what the damn infirmary looked like nor how much it was going to cost to replace broken supplies.
Easing herself onto one of the spare couches, she relaxed with a pillow that was surprisingly comfy. Taking a deep swig of the amber liquid, she let her mind begin to drift.
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