by Travis Sande
Inside, he saw a secondary door. That must have been the rift matrix. Before he could open the door, he heard Eilik behind him. The calm voice of his translator was defiant in the face of the circumstances.
"You must utilize a radiation suit." Eilik lumbered in behind Derrick.
Derrick swung around scanning the engineering area. He saw several suits hanging on the far wall. He ran for them as Eilik arrived at the rift matrix door. Eilik paused at the door, refusing to open it before Derrick was in the radiation suit.
"The matrix emits substantial levels of radiation, you must be safely inside the suit before we can enter." Eilik said. “Please accelerate.”
Derrick scrambled to put on the suit as fast as he could. The rad suit was very similar to those in the bio-lab, the only noticeable difference being material. It was far more rigid which made it more awkward to equip. Both suits were one piece with both shoes and gloves attached. The rigidity of the rad suit meant you had to get inside it while it was in the upright position. Two bars overhead aided in lifting your body up and in.
Derrick fumbled slightly but managed to get up and into the bottom half of the suit. Once both his legs were inside and situated, it became far simpler. He threw his arms inside, zipped it up, lowered the zipper guard, and adorned the helmet. Once he locked the ring in place he yelled, "Go!" and began moving to the door.
On the way to the door he closed the outer clasps of the helmet to secure it in place. As he got to the entrance of the door he was assaulted with light. Derrick reached up and moved the solar guard into place. He was shaken from the sudden exposure but undeterred.
"Two minutes until stable event closure." Luke's voice exploded over the intercom.
"Two minutes, Eilik!" Derrick yelled as he followed him inside. There was a large floating energy ball in the middle of the room with a small panel directly in front of it. Several static arms and apparatus surrounded the ball. Three red beams were affixed on the ball originating from emitters around the room.
It was a sight beyond Derrick's wildest imagination. He could see the ball warping and pulsating, reminding him of the membrane from months earlier. He honestly didn't know if that was abnormal, but it looked frightening to him given the magnitude of the device. Amber chunks floating with cracks of bright white highlighted the outline of the ball. It appeared as a molten ball ejecting pure white energy.
"Two minutes is for stable shutdown, to be safe, we must assume we have significantly less time." Eilik said. "You must initiate manual shutdown of lasers two and three. The automated system will be completing the shutdown of laser one any second." Eilik arrived at the panel and dropped himself on his mid-section appendage to begin operating it.
"How do I do that?" Derrick yelled as he ran to the laser marked with a two.
"I am unlocking manual override now, please be patient. A panel will open with an emergency shut down. It is imperative that we stagger the laser shutdown. The automated system..." Luke’s voice suddenly cut off Eilik.
"One minute and thirty seconds remaining, emitter one deactivated." Just as Luke finished his message the first beam shut off. "Fluctuations increasing, the matrix will not survive automated shutdown. Event closure is estimated at thirty seconds if fluctuations persist."
A small panel popped and swung open under the second emitter. A large red flashing button became visible to Derrick.
"Wait fifteen seconds and deactivate emitter two." Eilik said. "We no longer have time to wait for maximum safe shutdown. I am opening manual override for emitter three now. Once you have completed shutdown there, move to emitter three, fifteen seconds after emitter two is deactivated, shut down emitter three. I will do the rest."
Derrick was sweating as he watched the digital clock on the interface within the helmet’s face shield. The monotone translator belied the importance of Eilik’s words. Regardless, Derrick felt the impact of them. His breathing was accelerating rapidly as fifteen seconds approached.
"Fluctuations are unpredictable, estimates are between twenty seconds and one minute for event closure." Luke once again came over the emergency system.
Luke's voice made Derrick jump as he was focused intently on the timer in his helmet. He was very grateful for the inner-helmet interface. The clock inside would make his timing far more accurate. Given his heart rate and breathing he wouldn't trust his internal clock for anything right now.
Fifteen seconds arrived; Derrick pushed the emergency shutdown button. The beam was cancelled immediately with a violent pop. Sparks flew from the end of the emitter. Derrick jumped and shielded his face with a reflex. Regaining his composure, he quickly moved to emitter three. He only had to wait ten more seconds before he could shut down the final emitter.
"You guys better hurry, it isn't looking good." Luke said. “Guys… Guys!” Luke’s hectic impatience was adding to the stress.
"Ten seconds until final emitter shutdown, Luke!" Derrick called out.
"Eilik you will have to take some risks with Event closure. We can't wait much longer, we are on borrowed time as it is." Luke yelled in a panicked voice.
"I will wait the minimum safe stagger before shutting down." Eilik replied.
As Eilik finished his sentence, Derrick pressed the emitter three emergency shutdown button. The same pop occurred, and sparks rained down upon him.
"Three, two, one." Eilik finished counting down the five-second minimum stagger as Derrick fought off the sparks. “Initiating shutdown.”
Eilik closed the rift and in an instant the floating ball of energy collapsed. Derrick felt a painful pressure in his chest as it disappeared. Almost instantly a small light reappeared in its place and blinded Derrick. The pain in his chest amplified and he felt his feet leave the ground. He was utterly disoriented as he was sent through the air and crashed into the wall behind him.
Derrick opened his eyes, still partially blinded by the light he tried to ascertain what had happened. He opened his eyes wide in an attempt to fight back the haze that invaded his vision. "Eilik!" He called out.
"Derrick, sit back, please." It was Sian's voice, but how did she get here so fast.
"Sian! What happened, is Eilik ok?" Derrick reached out for answers as confusion tightened its grip on him. "Look behind you, is the matrix shutdown? Luke, did we make it?"
"Derrick!" Sian exclaimed as he felt her hands on his chest. She was trying to hold him down. "You're in the infirmary, you have been hurt. You must remain calm."
"The infirmary, how?" Derrick asked. Did the light cause him to lose consciousness? He felt fine other than a slight pain in his chest and haze in his eyes.
"There was an explosion. You were rendered unconscious. I am attempting to diagnose your injuries, if you can't remain calm I will have to sedate you." Derrick could hear the concern in Sian's voice.
"Ok, ok." Derrick relented, relaxing back down onto the table. "Is Eilik ok?"
"Eilik is in here with you, his injuries appear superficial. My primary concern is making sure you haven't sustained anything more serious internally." Sian released her hold on Derrick’s chest.
"I can't really see that well, everything is hazy in the center of my vision." Derrick said, growing concerned. If he was already in the infirmary his eyesight might be more permanent than he originally thought.
"You have sustained burns to your eyes and face. With the lengthy loss of consciousness my primary concern is damage to your brain. Eilik also said you contacted a wall quite hard." Sian’s words were both troubling and reassuring at the same time. Derrick was happy to hear that Eilik was okay and the ship had survived the procedure.
"How did my face get burned, I had the solar shield down on the suit?" Derrick asked.
"It appears that the energy involved exceeded the shielding capability of the helmet. It did its job you're still alive. You seem coherent which is good. Do you feel pain anywhere?" Sian pressed down on Derrick’s torso in several places.
"Yeah, my chest hurts right there.�
� Derrick called out as Sian’s fingers pressed down into him. “I remember feeling a pressure just before the light appeared. After that I do remember leaving my feet. Perhaps I was thrown." Derrick said. "The light was so bright, it completely disoriented me, I couldn't tell what was happening and then you were here."
"Ok, I do see several broken ribs and a pulmonary contusion. Are you having difficulty breathing?" Sian asked.
Derrick didn’t know if difficulty included pain. It hurt whenever he breathed in but didn’t feel a shortage of oxygen at all. “It’s not difficult, it just hurts.” He tried to answer her question the best way he could.
"I am going to monitor you for hypoxia to ensure fluids aren't inhibiting your lung function. Your facial and eye tissue should be treatable. Is there anything else? The diagnostic is almost complete I just don't want to overlook anything." Sian was fast and meticulous.
"That's it, other than getting knocked out and waking up here." Derrick had calmed down as the confusion faded. "Eilik is ok though? What about the ship? Is there any update?"
"The ship is fine; the event was contained within the rift matrix room. It has substantially more shielding than other sections on the ship. Yes, Eilik is fine. His natural resistance to radiation kept him relatively unharmed." Sian went on. “Only a few superficial burns.”
"I apologize Derrick, the interface I was using had an additional shield which protected me from the burst. I regret putting you in harm’s way." Eilik’s translator came from across the room. Instinctively look in its direction, he couldn’t make out Eilik through the haze trapped in his vision.
"There was no other option, I am glad we succeeded and that you're ok." Derrick attempted to free Eilik of any guilt.
Derrick heard the door to the infirmary open. He turned his head to face the sound and became frustrated once again at his impaired vision. He couldn't tell who came in, but he could hear footsteps closing in on him.
"How is he?" It was commander Lorn. The rasp in his voice had never felt so evident.
"He's stable and alert." Sian reported Derrick’s condition.
"Hello, commander." Derrick decided to speak for himself.
"How are you feeling?" Lorn asked.
"I’ve been better, but all things considered I am doing well. What is our status? I feel out of the loop here." Derrick wanted a more specific update on their situation. Losing consciousness at the moment of the closure left him feeling entirely disoriented. Everyone had shed the hectic panic; the mood was entirely different, and Derrick hadn’t quite adjusted to it yet.
"You and Eilik managed to close the rift successfully with no damage to the ship. Great job. Everyone, including myself, is grateful for your courage.” Lorn paused briefly to allow his appreciation sink in. “Without you and Eilik there is no guarantee we would even be here right now." Derrick felt Lorn’s hand on his shoulder.
"Happy to do my duty, sir. Your composure under fire is the real reason we made it through. You didn't hesitate at all." Derrick felt the commander deserved more credit for his ability to delegate so efficiently under pressure.
"Just wish it was me laying there." Lorn said. "As for our status, we are cut off. We have no way of communicating with the Triumvirate or Setu."
"They know we are coming, just won't be able to talk." Derrick said, adopting Sian’s mindset to remain positive.
"That's the other thing. The course adjustment you discovered was not an anomaly or due to the rift fluctuations. It appears to be a deliberate course change. We are still locked out of all the navigational controls. Once you are able I would like to have your input on the matter." Lorn brought the topic back to business.
"What's our new destination?" Derrick had forgot about the course adjustment he detected.
"We don't know, I am hoping your expertise will prove valuable on that front." Lorn said.
"I would like to start immediately." Derrick started to sit up but felt the pain in his chest and fell back down.
"I think you should stay here until you have recovered. Sian has just showed me that you have some internal injuries and visual impairment." Lorn’s words were understandable, but Derrick wasn’t going to let a little pain stop him.
"Then give me some painkillers and escort me to the bridge. I don't need my eyes to start evaluating our situation. The interface has audible options. I refuse to sit here while this is happening." Derrick fought to rejoin the crew.
"I leave it up to Sian. I understand your urgency, but I refuse to risk your health. There is no immediate threat to the ship. RIP bubble is stable." Lorn put Derrick in Sian’s hands.
"I’ll treat him with something for the pain. You will need to remain still once you are on the bridge. Your eyes will also need attention. I have prepared some lenses you can wear. They will totally obscure your vision but aid in healing. Ideally, I would put you in a mask as well to help the damaged tissue on your face. I can substitute a gel that will allow you to continue communicating." Sian said.
"You’re clearing him to return to duty?" Lorn asked.
"Once I have administered the various treatments, yes. Under normal circumstances I would suggest remaining prone to facilitate the healing of your ribs and lung. Just remain stationary once you have arrived at your station on the bridge. The less you move the more the nano-treatment will be effective." Sian’s voice muffled slightly as she turned away to begin preparing a treatment.
"Understood." Derrick was happy to hear he had a path back to duty.
"I am heading back up there with Luke, Eilik come with me. Sian, inform Hank when Derrick is ready to move." Lorn retreated out of the room
"Yes, sir." Sian replied.
Derrick could hear the commander and Eilik leaving the room. "See you guys up there." Derrick said. "Poor choice of words I guess but I will be there shortly."
"I look forward to it." Eilik said as they exited the room and the doors shut behind them.
"I'm all yours, Sian. Fix me up." Derrick said. "So, what are these lenses, do they hurt?"
"The lenses are designed for radiation burns exactly like this. The treatment was developed to treat crew that failed to use their solar shield." Sian said. "They might be uncomfortable, but they shouldn't hurt. Are you ready?"
"Yes, let's get this done." Derrick said, excited to get the treatment underway.
He felt Sian start applying a cool substance to him. It must have been the gel she was talking about earlier. Her hands slowly moved over his face, it was oddly relaxing.
"This is the gel, it will set up and harden in about three minutes. It will feel awkward but drastically improve the recovery time of your skin." Sian applied a thin, even layer of the gel to Derrick’s face.
After completing his chin, he felt her move away. Derrick could hear some rustling and a couple small clicks. She must have been getting something.
"Now for the lenses. You will feel some pressure when I begin putting them in, they must cover the entire surface of the eye. I will be as quick as I can, try to remain still. If there's any pain, let me know." Sian came closer. “Ready?”
"As I’ll ever be.” Derrick replied.
Leaning his head back he prepared for the lenses. He didn't know what to expect as he saw Sian's shadow moving closer to him. She pressed into his upper and lower eyelid, presumably to open his eye in preparation for the lens. Suddenly he felt the touch of something entering his eye. It was an uncomfortable experience, but Derrick kept still and quiet. After about three seconds, Sian was happy with the placement.
"How does that feel?" Sian asked.
"I can't see anything out of my left eye and it feels disgusting and uncomfortable. I can feel it rubbing against the inside of my eyelids and stuff when I move my eye." Derrick was completely grossed out by the feeling.
"That's normal, like I said, this will be uncomfortable. As long as you aren't feeling any pain I am going to put in the next one." Sian moved away briefly and returned.
"No pain, just weird.
" Derrick said. "Throw the other one in."
Sian repeated the procedure on the other eye and the world vanished from Derrick's view entirely. There was comfort in the darkness. The haze was a reminder of the damage his eyes had sustained. Darkness represented treatment and path to recovery.
"Again, how does that feel?" Sian asked.
"Weird, and gross, so perfect." Derrick jokingly dismissed the discomfort.
Sian laughed at his comment before continuing. "I am messaging Hank now, while he is in route I will provide you with a painkiller treatment. For now, your face has had its nerves destroyed by the radiation. Over the course of the next few hours you will feel them return. The accelerated healing provided by the gel should limit the duration of the pain. I am going to inject you with a nano-treatment for your internal injuries, so you will feel a slight prick."
Just then Derrick felt a pain on his chest as Sian inserted the needle. "That's more than a slight prick." He said.
"Well, the needle diameter is much larger to accommodate the treatment. What phrasing would you suggest I implement next time to accurately depict it?" Sian asked.
"Actually, what you said worked. It lulled me into a false sense of security. By the time I realized you were trying to stab me to death, it was over." Derrick could already feel himself returning to normal.
Once again Derrick could hear Sian chuckle. ‘Twice in one day’, he thought to himself. That was a new record as far as he was concerned. ‘I must be on a roll, or maybe being burned to a crisp and blind warranted a couple pity laughs’.
"I will continue using that then." Sian laughed a bit as she moved away from Derrick.
The door to the infirmary slid open and Derrick could hear footsteps. They were heavy, it must have been Hank coming to help him to the bridge.
"I am here to pick up a Derr... What is going on in here? Cucumbers on his eyes and a facial, is this a spa, Derrick? Why didn't you invite me?" Hank didn’t hesitate to make light of the situation.