Tramp Wars: The Enemy

by Larry Roberts

“My crews will be here in a minutes Sargent just relax and you can tell me if we do anything wrong.” The Doctor smiled.

  Not happy with being taken off the rescue after finding the casualty the Sargent turned and started yelling at his men. “What the hell you slackers doing standing around with your fingers up your butts. Spread out and start checking cabins for survivors. Knock on each hatch and then listen. Yell if you hear a heartbeat or see temperature. Everyone take a separate passageway so you don’t interfere with each other. Report anything unusual, any sound or hot spot even if you think it is just hot tea. I don’t care how minor now move it.”

  “Sargent should we break in if we don’t hear anything just to make sure?” A marine Pfc. asked.

  Mark could not help himself as his mouth popped open. “No. We have one cabin that is air tight and if someone is passed out or a small child hiding because they are scarred you could kill them. We are going to have to drill into every cabin to check for poison and then lock into any cabins that are clean just to make sure someone isn’t hiding.”

  The First Office turned on Mark. “Just who the hell do you think you are boy? That is a command decision and…”

  “Shut up Harry. Mr. Collins is right.”

  The Sargent smiled at Mark greatly relieved he did not have to make that decision and saluted him. “Thanks Commander.” As he turned away. With the Doctor taking over this rescue he was eager to find another. “Come on guys you can kick the hatches in the dirty compartments later after they are checked, just in case someone has stuffed themselves safely in a bag or something.”

  Mark turned to the Sargent surprised. “Damn Sargent that is a good idea.” If you are carful, can you drill a sensor hole without contaminating the cabin inside if it is clean? At least long enough to get a reading and then drill an oxygen hole if it is clean?” Taking a breath suddenly realizing that the Captain should be the one running the show not his mouth that did not know when to shut up, but then the Captain and all the other officers seemed to be concentrating on the Doctor and the one live cabin. Mark shook his head and his mouth opened again without thinking. “Then if it is dirty, you can kick the hatch in and check to make sure looking for your miracle.”

  The Sargent had stopped when Mark started talking to him. “Hell yes Commander. That is a great idea.” Grabbing the sensor operator with his drill.

  “Hey.” Doctor Wells protested. “I need that sensor to monitor my patient.”

  “Your patient isn’t going anywhere Doctor.” Mark said. “Nor can you do anything from where you are until your guys get here.” Mark grimaced as he glanced at Captain Cook not believing she had not said anything yet to stop him. Then turned back to the Doctor. “The Sargent needs the sensor to find more victims.” Glancing at the marine with the oxygen bottle. “Tell the marine how much oxygen you want going in? How much positive pressure?” Mark hoped that would side track the good Doctor as the marine started drilling into the next cabins hatch.

  The cabin proved to be dirty and as the marine started to kick in the hatch Mark held up his hand. “Slow down marine.” Mark reached over and tapped the lock to the hatch and it slid to the side.

  Mark walked in not sure what to expect, but then he did not expect to see two bodies with dried blood that had run out of every one of their orifices. Trying to hold his stomach from losing whatever was still on it from the day before. Mark started looking around hoping to find something. He could hear the marine drilling the next cabin as he walked into the bedroom to see a couple of kids in their beds with pillows covered in blood. Laying cold and still.

  He walked out wishing he had not gone in. Seeing a red X across the hatch of the next cabin as the marine started on the next hatch past. Mark stopped, staring at the X.

  “I put that on the door to show the cabin is dirty Commander. I will put a big Zero on any I find that are clean.”

  Shaking his head. “Good. But start yelling and get help there before going on if you do find one clean.”

  Mark looked over at the marine looking at him as his drill worked at the next hatch. Mark frowned as he looked at the big Red X on the hatch between them. He did not want to go into that cabin. “Thanks Corporal.” Suddenly realizing how stupid and impossible the idea was that someone could be hiding inside any of the dirty cabins in a bag or box or anything and still be alive. “Mickey is there any chance at all that there could be someone still alive in any of the Dirty Cabins?”

  “Yes Mark there is a possibility. It is obvious that not all of the people died at the same time and some may have had time to prepare or stuff a child into a bag or climb into a box or put on a filter or like you, made one from wet cloths.”

  The Corporal finished drilling and marking the next cabin with a big red X before Mark stepped into the cabin he was looking at. He came back out a minute later with tears clouding his eyes having to hold onto the sill of the hatch to keep upright. He had wondered on the way inwhy the cabin was so hot and why the video screen in the living room was not on something a little more interesting than the damn park showing bodies of people and kids, but had then stepped into the bedroom and seeing the gore over whelmed the thought before he had time to muse.

  Finally looking up he found Captain Cook staring him in the eyes only inches away. “God Captain, the whole family is cold and dead. It looked like the mother was trying to stuff her child into a bag but she didn’t make it in time. The baby was still half out of the bag.”

  Captain Cook was going to tell him it was a waste of time until she heard his story, but now? “Listen Mark. You are right. This mother almost made it. A few minutes sooner and her child may have lived.” Getting Mark’s full attention. “That is until the child ran out of oxygen. You can do this. No matter how slight the chance. You have to do this until we get enough people up here to take over. We have to check every cabin.”

  “I have a live one here.” Half the deck must have heard the marine with the drill shouting. Even though he was down at the end of the park. “I see someone on the deck still moving and the air is only 3% toxin.”

  The Captain slapped Mark on the back. “Now, can you find me another one Mark? Find me the kid the mother managed to save before the kid suffocates.”

  Mark frowned. “Yes sir I will try.”

  “No damn it. Don’t try. Do it.” The Captain pushed Mark towards the next hatch with a red X on it. Then turned and started shouting orders.

  By the fifth cabin Mark was starting to get used to the bodies or at least not as affected by them. Though he still felt like he was in a neither world daze. It took until the 10th cabin before he stopped seeing the bodies as people but just things. Coming out of one cabin Mark realized that the deck was suddenly crowded with marines in armored suits and medical personnel in hazmat suits as another shout echoed around the park. Every cabin with an O on it had a group of people working on it even though there was no guaranty that anyone would be in any of them. Then he saw the first little girl being ran out in an enclosed bubble on a gurney and his spirits picked up.

  Going into the next cabin he found another body of a mother on her bed after finding the kids’ bedroom empty. Checking the closet from habit he was headed out when the end of a large suitcase caught his eye leaning against the far bed side bulkhead in front of the dead mother. A quick glance told him it was really cold compared to the unusually hot room. Walking out the bedroom door he turned away just as something moved. Freezing him in his tracks.

  “Mark, the suit case moved.” Mark dropped back down to look under the bed even though he had looked their already. It was a mess, but a mass of little things. Nothing big enough to move a suit case. Looking at the suitcase again it was still stone cold. Walking around the end of the bed and up to it he realized now it wasn’t just stone cold, it was a hell of a lot colder than the hot room around him. Looking at the thermostat he could see a bloody hand smudge where someone had turned up the heat.

  Someone? Mark thought. It had to be the mother
probably feeling the effects of the poison. Could she have stuffed the kids in the damn suit case before she died but then it would have had to have been a long time before she died for them not be poisoned too? Glancing at the vid screen in the living room it showed the park and a bunch of bodies. He realized she looked like she was staring at something when she died. It looked like she had been holding whatever she was staring at and then he noticed the streaks on the bed the size of the suitcase.

  Shaking his head he picked up the suitcase covered in moisture and he immediately knew the kids were inside it. Without thinking he headed for the door screaming he had two live ones with the suitcase clutched in his arms to his chest. All he could think of was getting the suitcase out of the contaminated section of the station as he heading for the airlock. But he hadn’t taken 10 steps outside the cabin when he was tackled by two marines as another jerked the cord on an inflatable stretcher. Mark fought to get the case back and head for the lock yelling for them to let go so he could get it out into fresh air. Then one marine sat on him and the second took the case and slipped it into the bag that was part of the stretcher’s top cover.

  The Medic that had inflated the lower half of the stretcher sealed the end and tapped a canister on the side and the clear plastic bag sucked itself down around the suitcase. The marine hit another control and the bag inflated into a man sized bubble as some kind of fog filled the bubble. Where upon the medic hit the original box and the bubble deflated again in a fraction of a second, sucking tightly around the case only to be inflated again into a nice sized bubble around the case. The medic reached into gloves that Mark had not noticed before extending his reach into the bag where he unfastened the case and started working on two baby’s putting oxygen masks on them before taking them out of the case and pushing it down to the end of the sack out of his way.

  Doctor Wells ran up and started giving the marine medic orders. Handing the other marine things to put through the lock into the bubble for the medic to use on the kids. When the medic did not work fast enough the Doctor slipped his hands into the gloves on the opposite side of the stretcher and started helping. Trying to do the work while slapping the medic’s hands away and then telling him to help when he had problems with his gloved hands inside the gloves of the chamber. While yelling for one of his Associate Doctors to come help work on the other kid. Then getting surprised when a Marine Doctor showed up instead and took the place of the medic. Doctor Wells gave the other Doctor the Evil Eye several times but they quickly settled down to working together helping each other on the two kids when needed. The marine Doctor much better at working with the double layer of gloves. Both of them yelling at the medic to be faster getting them things through the little airlock. Mark watched even after there were too many medics from both branches hovering round the stretcher to see anymore.

  Mark had not even known the marines had their own doctor. Shaking his head the marine that had tackled him slapped him on the back. “Damn good of you Commander.” Mark looked at him as the marine held up his hand to shake then pulled him up off the deck. “I’m Jackson. Gunner extraordinaire. I can hit a Gold Doubloon10 miles away with the first shot.” Slapping Mark on the back. “Who would have thought of putting a kid in a suit case?”

  “Ya, but the problem was that it is a damn expensive Carbon Travel Gorilla Space suitcase, guarantied not to freeze or get hot or damage valuables in a vacuum cargo hold.” Turning to the Marine. “I couldn’t see the kids’ heat signature through the damn case. Especially with the damn heat in the cabin turned up and the cases temperature turned down.” Mark’s mouth dropped open. “Damn. A hot cabin and a cold suit case! I know were two more may be. Damn me, I am so stupid. Grab those extra medics and follow me now and tell the other marines to go back and look for luggage in any hot cabins. It means the occupants lived for a while and had time to do something.”

  Mark was up and running as the marine started yelling and jerking medics away from being spectators and kicking them after Mark. Other marines started branching back out to inspect the cabins again.

  Going around the corner of the passageway they were in, he dodged into a cabin to soon for any of the medics coming around the corner behind him to see him. The first ones around the corner stopped as they wondered where Mark had gotten off to as the ones just coming around the corner trying to catch up ran right into the first bunch. The pile of medics rapidly building.

  Mark came out of the cabin to see a pile of medics and slid the suitcase toward them as Jackson came around the corner. “Half of you take the kid and the rest come with me.” Then mark took off again.

  The sickbay medics started fighting with the Marine medics over who would get to take care of the case until Jackson waded in throwing the Marine medics down the corridor telling them to follow Mark. Leaving the case with the ship’s medics.

  Mark ran into a cabin grabbing a suitcase and ran out giving it to the medics. Only thing was, as he gave them the case he realized that it was as hot as the cabin had been and not cold. A hot case probably meant that even though the weight of the case was right the kid most likely could not have survived the hours without oxygen.

  With a sinking heart he watch them open the case to find the kid dead with Riga mortise setting in.

  Mark turned away and started walking. Not going anywhere except just away from all the death. The kid was the last straw. He just wanted out but every passageway he started down he could remember going down already and seeing death. Then a passageway he had not been down yet loomed up and it was headed in the right direction and the lock out of there so he took it. Ignoring and stepping over the body lying across the middle of the passageway and all the red X’s on the cabin hatches. All he could think about was getting out of that hell hole. He just wanted to go back to sickbay and check on Dian to make sure she was all right. To take her in his arms and cry for all those that had died because he was not fast enough getting out of the tank.

  Then half way down the passageway the sound of running water got his attention. Mark didn’t know why except that it was irritating that someone was wasting water. Having spent a school year class working in the water department, wasting water was not acceptable. Even then he tried to ignore the sound and was within sight of the lock when he turned around and went back to shut the damn water off. The source was easy to find as water was running out from the cabin into the passageway. Entering, he was glad not to find any bodies just laying around as he followed the water into the cabin’s head and the steam wafting out of the shower. Then he pulled the shower door open and came face to face with a woman slumped down in the shower. The hot water spraying down onto a towel she had wrapped over her head across her face so he couldn’t see her face.

  Thinking of simply turning off the water and getting out of there, which was all Mark did as he slammed the shower door shut behind him. Going out of his way not to look at the body. Glad he did not have to look at yet another face.

  He was stepping out the cabins front hatch when he asked himself. “Why is she in the shower with her panties on and a soaking wet folded up towel over her head?” Mark stopped as his mouth dropped open in shock and noticed Jackson standing in the middle of the passageway staring at him and realized Jackson had been following him all along. “Get help. We have a live one in the shower. Hurry Jackson.”

  Mark turned around and ran back into the shower as Jackson started yelling into his comm. Slapping the water back on Mark fixed the folded towel that had fallen half off, taking her into his arms so he could place her head and towel more directly under the water spray.

  She moaned and opened her eyes looking out the corner at Mark’s face. She twisted around forcing Mark to grab her boob to keep her from slipping out of the spray as she turned to look directly at Mark. Wedging them both into the small one person shower stall. He watched a glint come into her bright green eyes as she stared at him. “I have you now babe. You will be all right now. I have you. Help is on the way. I am not g
oing to let you die. Not today.”

  “Mark, I need you to bight her neck?” Mickey flashed him.

  “What the hell you talking about Mickey?” Shaking his head. “I am no vampire or pervert.”

  “I have constructed small needles on two of your teeth to inject Nannites as well as anti-toxin into her blood. The few seconds you had the shower off along with the previous long term exposure will kill her before help can do anything even if they get here soon. I can keep her alive. You must bight her neck. Now.”

  “Shit Mickey.” Mark squirmed around wedging them both more tightly into the shower. He took a deep breath and deflated then pulled back his flexible helmet, took off his breather and then lifted her towel from around her neck and fallowing Mickey’s instructions he bit down hard piercing her neck into her main artery.

  Pulling his head back as he slapped his hand over the wound, the hot salty taste of blood filled his mouth as he swallowed, trying to get his breather back on so he could breath. The water stream soaking over both their heads washing the blood from his face, down the front of her huge bar breasts as he struggled to put his breather back on. Then to his surprise she lifted the towel and kissed him hard on his lips as the towel fell away. Mark finally managed to pull away as much as he could, though in the cramped shower, there was not much room and without thinking he slapped his breather over her mouth and nose. Pushing the button to clear the mask of toxins as he started talking to her, trying to tell her she would be ok now as he slipped the strap over her head and then with difficulty he pulled the wet towel across his own nose and mouth. Squeezing out the water several times trying to clean it as the hot steaming water washed over them.

  “Godstar Mickey! How the hell did I wind up with the damn towel?” Mark looked around as the head filled with medics.

  “This is not good Mark. You are being poisoned again.”

  “No Daa Mickey.” The girl’s arms came up around and hugged Mark. Continuing to stare at his eyes.