A past that never is

The following day after we had met up with the Nebachadnezzar and dropped of Mauser, who was going to help Dozer with something. Today we were going to try and bring out Reactor, I was down in the mess hall eating breakfast before I went up to join AK. I had never seen an unplugging before, I had of course learnt the basics of unplugging while I had been in training, but I had a feeling that the real thing was somewhat different. I tossed my bowl in the general direction of the sink and headed up to the main deck, halfway there I heard the sound of a scuffle.

“Where the hell did you come from?” I could hear AK’s voice. There was no answering reply only the loud whine of an EMP gun, I heard AK scream. What the fuck? I thought. I quickened my pace; not even thinking about what someone with an EMP gun is going to do to me. I climbed up as quickly and as quietly as I could, AK lay on the floor unconscious, I couldn’t see whoever it was that had attacked him. I stayed near the ladder and grabbed one of the metal bars that always seem to be lying around here.

“I’m sorry, Captain, AK can’t come to the phone right now, he’s a little tired.” Drakis said. I stumbled backwards, my mind echoing the words that AK had said just a moment before.

((second person POV))

The phone rang on a few times and Roland was beginning to get worried, when someone finally answered.

““I’m sorry, Captain, AK can’t come to the phone right now, he’s a little tired.” Drakis’ voice spoke in his ear. Roland froze, what the hell was going on?

“What have you done to him?” He snapped.

“Oh, don’t worry. He’s still alive...for now. As for your little girlfriend I’m going to have some fun with her.” Drakis said.

“If you-” Roland started.

“If I what? And what are you going to do about it anyway? She’s here with me and you’re stuck in there.” He paused.

“Well here she is now, it’s been nice talking to you, Captain. We’ll do it again soon, yes?” The phone was hung up.

((Shifter POV))

“Oh there you are.” He said, in a calm voice. He pointed the EMP gun at me and fired, I leaped out of the way just in time and the bright blue light went streaming past me. I took on a defensive stance, but what the hell could I do against him while he had that gun? But this time instead of firing at me he swung the but of it at my face, I pulled my head back, just enough that it didn’t crack my skull open. Blood streamed down into my eyes from the cut that had opened just above my eyebrows, I moved backwards into the shadows and I couldn’t believe when he fell for that. He ran at me, swinging the gun like a club, at the last moment I side- stepped and whacked him in his ribs with the bar and he went down, but he was back on his feet almost before I had the chance to get a good grip on the bar. This time when I swung it at him I could feel the vibrations run up my arms, he didn’t get up and when I felt for a pulse I found one, I quickly bond his hands together. Then I went to check on AK, who was just coming round he had a burn on his back from the EMP gun. He looked around blearily for a moment, and then he saw Drakis tied up.

“You stopped him.” He said.

“No need to sound so surprised.” I smiled at him. Actually there was, I didn’t know that I was going to stop him either, all I knew was that I wasn’t going to let him do anything to me. I helped him to the monitors and then went to get the first aid kit.

“It’s going to be a fairly bad patch job, never did stick around for the first aid training.” I told him. He hissed with pain when I tried cleaning it.

“Or we can wait for Maggie if you’d prefer. With my luck it’ll end up worse than it is already is.” I grimaced at the wound.

“Yeah and after she’s done with me she can stitch you up.” He said.

“Huh?” I said in confusion. He pointed at my forehead, I touched it and hissed in pain, my fingers came away sticky with my own blood. I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

“Great, the Hammer the largest ship in the fleet can’t do it’s job properly because it’s operators are seriously trying to outdo themselves by seeing who can spend the most time in the infirmary.” I laughed and was joined by AK. It took us a few moments to get control of ourselves and when we did we remembered those that were in the Matrix.

“You’d better ring them. He,” I pointed at Drakis, “answered the phone just after I got here. Rol...Captain Roland knows something happened.” I said. He nodded and quickly dialled in the number, the phone was answered almost immediately.

“What have you done to them?!” Rolands voice came through the headset around my neck. I stared at AK and we both giggled, it wasn’t really funny, but I guess we were still a little tense over what happened.

“Not much, Captain. Shifter kicked his ass.” AK replied. There was an almost audible sigh of relief from the other end.

“Are you two okay?” Roland asked. AK looked down at himself then over at me and rolled his eyes.

“Just a few scratches, Captain you know how it is. We’re ready to pull you guys out now.”

“She’s just taken the pill. You got a lock yet?” Roland asked, putting his obvious worry aside to get the job done. AK turned his dark eyes on me.

“And this is how it’s done. A small typed of crosshair appeared on the monitor in front of him, and it quickly tracked through what looked like a long winding tunnel.

“Got her, Captain.” AK said. I got the co-ordinates of him and went to the cockpit, I wasn’t the greatest pilot, but I could fly the ship without crashing it into something until Colt got back out. I sat down at the controls and started up the engines. A few moments later Colt replaced me and I went back down to the main deck where AK was just pulling Maggie out, then Roland. I could see the concern he had for me in his eye, which wasn’t quite alleviated by my blood smeared face. Maggie took one look at AK and me and her lips quirked upward slightly.

“Are you two having some sort of competition to see who gets to spend the most time with me?” She asked lightly. AK and I glanced at each other and broke down in laughter, not an easy thing to do when you feel like you’ve been through the mill. Roland and Maggies stared at as if we had just lost our minds.

“I presume you two are no longer needed to operate up here now, so get yourselves down to the infirmary.” She continued.

“Yes, mommy.” I mumbled contritely. AK laughed again.

“Ow! Don’t do that to me.” He said.

“I didn’t touch you. It’s not my fault someone tried to turn you into a kebab, is it?”

“No, it’s you’re fault that I-”

“Infirmary! Now!” Maggie snapped. She herded is out the door as if we were wayward children, glancing exasperatedly over her shoulder at Roland.

“See you later.” AK called back. I started laughing again.

“You do realise that you’re acting like a child? I mean I didn’t give you any painkillers, so this must be the way you usually act. Do all men act children?” I asked.

“I don’t know. It just comes naturally to me.”

“That’s what I thought. Hey, Maggie will you give us sick notes so we don’t have to work for the rest of the day?” I was only joking when I said that. But she took me seriously.

“You could do with it. You’re still not better from the last beating you took.” She replied. AK grinned at the look on my face.

“You just walked right into that one, Shifter.” He said, as he pulled himself up on the table.

“Ahh...shut up, AK. This coming from a guy who makes for lousy target practice?” I grinned back at him.

“What is it with you two?” Maggie asked, as Roland came into the room. We had both been somewhat surprised to learn that we shared the same sense of humour, it may have been warped and a little battered around the edges, but we did still have one. AK and I glanced at each other and immediately our faces turned serious.

“What’s the point, Maggie?” AK asked. I shook my head slightly.

“See, Maggie this is how it is. Working on this ship we could be attacked and killed tomorrow. If we wait until tomorrow to have fun we might be to late, when our time comes then we can say that we had fun.” I added. AK nodded in agreement.

“Okaaay. Captain Roland, would you clean up Shifters face, while I look at AK?” Maggie said. Roland nodded and took the cloth that she handed him.

“You look like someone who’s lost their eyes, you know. A good look for you.” AK said from next to me.

“And I’d love to make a comment about how you look, but my eyelids are beginning to get stuck together and I can’t see you to tell you how you look. But I’m pretty sure you look like shit to.” I shot back.

“Can’t either of you be serious for five minutes?” Maggie asked.

“Of course we could.” AK said.

“But why would we want to?” I added.

“I give up.” Maggie murmured.

“About time.”

“Don’t worry, Shifter. We’ll convert her to our way of thinking. Soon the whole ship will join us in our quest to do the most damage to ourselves.”

“I hate to tell you this now, AK. But I think you’re going insane.”

“Yeah, well you’d know wouldn’t you? Is it fun there?”

“Like being on a constant holiday.” I felt Roland touch the cloth to my eyes and I tried to open my eyes a little, they were not so much stuck together. They felt gritty, like there was something in them.

“You’re both nuts, now be quiet.” Maggie said.

“Hey, Maggie. Thanks for the compliment.” I said cheerfully.

“Ok, ok enough. Both of you. You can continue this later, after we’re finished cleaning you up.” Roland ordered, I could hear the laughter, as well as the concern in his voice.

“You make it sound like we were five year olds who’ve spilt food all over their clothes.” I said.

“Well you are acting like it.” He said.

“AK, started it.

“Did not.”

“Did to.”

“Did not.”

“Did!”

“n’t!”

“Di-”

“Stop it!”

“Sorry, daddy.” I said contritely.

“Sorry, daddy.” AK echoed me. Roland sighed in exasperation, I wondered if he was beginning to regret being with me now?