[After a minute or so of staring each other down, John sits down and then Rog. Neither talks as the red light on John’s desk, the only movement in the room, continues to blink.]
Rog: Are you going to answer that?
John: Holy crap.
Rog: What?
John: It’s from Bravo.
Rog: Are you just gonna just sit there? Answer the damn thing.
John: We missed the call.
Rog: What?
John: But there is a message.
The Message:
John, this is Kyra, do you read? (brief pause—only static heard) I only have two minutes for this transmission, so I’ll be brief. We’ve been attacked, hit, bad—Bravo is dead in the water. Don’t know who or why. Don’t know if they will be back. We have only auxiliary power, which at our current rate of consumption will provide us with heat and air for six days, maybe less. Please send help. (another brief pause—sound of coughing heard in the background) John, in the event you do not get this message in time, I want you to relay a message from me, us. Please tell Rog and Yul and Trev and Mairi that we love them. (slight pause) Tell them to be strong and that our thoughts and prayers are with Yul. Tell Rog he is a helluva Hynerian and the best damn pilot I’ve ever known. Tell Yul I could not be more proud of her and that I know she will win this battle, she is just too stubborn not to. Tell Trev I want him to be the doctor he always dreamed he could be and I won’t take no for an answer. He has the ability, the talent. Tell him to believe. I do. Tell Mairi I’ve never known a more brave soul. Tell her to look to the future. Tell them all we have no regrets. Tell them to live their lives with no regrets, to live like Hynerians, to live in love. One more thing John. I have a favor to ask. Tell Cait and Ariel that you love them. Hold them tight and tell them today and tell them every day. Will you do that for me? I won’t take no for an answer. Understood? And one more thing John. You are a special man and there is something I need to tell you, something you need to hear. I—(transmission cuts out).
Rog: Is that it? Is there more? There must be more.
John: Afraid that’s it.
Rog: And she is praying for us? Frail that.
John: How soon can you be ready?
Rog: I’m ready now.
John: And Yul?
Rog: She’ll understand. What about Cait?
John: There’ll be hell to pay. (pause) There is one thing you need to know.
Rog: What?
John: Our fastest ship will take seven days to arrive at their location.
Categories: Story, Rog, John Discovery, Kyra
8 comments:
Ooooooooh!
Wonderful, wonderful chapter, full of suspence!
Another thing I love about this story is that it always makes perfect sense to me. To cite one instance in this chapter is the message Kyra leaves, the content thereof. I wonder how a person might feel in those circumstances, not knowing whether they are approaching the end (but with the scales tilted towards the affirmative), reaching out in this way towards the only known someone who could perhaps be their saviour, wanting desperately some sort of feedback and receiving none, not knowing whether the message will be heard, not knowing whether it will be the last form of communication to those loved ones, and it makes such perfect sense, or rather I imagine this would be the very thoughts on a person's mind in that situation. I.e. wanting to express love, wanting to offer comfort and in doing so take comfort, wanting to make sure that those left behind take advantage of the continued opportunity that they have to express their love for one another.
And then in turn coming back to John and the instant clarification that he feels that he must go, regardless of the reasons he offered for not doing so before or any others that might propel themselves into his way - there was no doubt of what he wanted to do, but there was the question of wouldn't or couldn't and now, hearing with certainty that there is life still on Bravo, hearing Kyra's voice very much alive, he will. The fact that they will not be able to get there quick enough, seemingly, offers no deterant in the face of that fact, and that is what I liked most about this turnaround. Once there was a definite chance, nothing and no-one is going to stop him (them) from taking it, from hoping that they might be successful in reaching the ship in time. Oh my, but this is exciting, as always of course, do so love this story and cannot wait for the continuance. If ever there was a cliffhangar, this would be it - but then I've, we've, said words to that effect too many a time to mention.
My thoughts drift to what Yul (and Cait) will say and I cannot imagine that Yul would express or feel anything but full support for Rog heading towards Bravo, regardless of her illness and her need for him to be there with her, I imagine she will agree instantly that he needs to be on his way.
Now what was Kyra going to say there at the end, I wonder. :-) And will we ever find out. Personally, I like the mystery of it, the idea of our continuing to wonder, John too - and if not John also, just us.
Babbling as per usual, just excited to see a chapter at a time when none was expected.
Love and hugs, x
But what about the image? :-D
Thank you Sweetest. This chapter has been in my head for so long I just had to get it out. Just back from the hospital so I'll be back later to comment on your comment. :-)
Sweet dreams, dear Poppet - and no rush on the comment, at all, in fact, you may gladly skip it completely if you tell me at some point what exactly the image signifies within the story (nice image btw :-D) - had it been more red than pink, I would have confidantly presumed it was directly related to the light from the signal. Is it? No rush on that either. :-)
Happy day ahead - wonderful news in regard to the day after! Beaming this far away. :-)
Sunshine, Yul will have mixed feelings. Outwardly, she will say all the right things and will not stand in Rog's way (although there is a twist in this whole Rog/Yul situation coming up very soon). Inwardly, however, is a very different matter. She doesn't want him to go, feels a certain level of resentment that he seems so eager to leave her in her time of need and is scared to death of being in hospital, an alien hospital, without him by her side. Mairi and Trev are just not the same. So, she struggles with these emotions that she doesn't like and doesn't fully understand.
Cait is a different story. John has guessed right, there is hell to pay for his decision to go on this "unauthorized" mission to save an alien female, a female Cait's intuition tells her is not just another woman. Now, the question remains, since it hasn't been written and we know John knows how Cait is going to react, does he tell her the truth, the whole truth, or does he soften the edges to protect his own hide. A future chapter, perhaps, will tell us more, but of the two (Yul and Cait) Cait is the one, understandably, that is going to have the hardest time comprehending what is going through her husband's mind and, and this is what bothers her the most, what is going through his heart. Let's just say she develops more than just a passing fancy in this creature called Kyra. :-)
As to what Kyra said, well, I'm not sure if we will find out soon, although we might find out later, which is to say, back on earth--maybe. We also don't know if she had "witnesses" to the next few words, which is to say did she continue to talk, even two or three words, after the transmission cut off, which would mean that Von and Em would have heard what she had to say. :-D
Oh, as for the image, I saw it representing the blinking light on John's desk. ;-)
Read the twist before this comment. But even if that hadn't have happened and it were 'just' living with her illness and an uncertain future on some level, one would expect her to feel resentment (choosing to acknowledge it or not), but that that would not stand in the way of knowing Rog should go and agreeing with that decision. Like you said, and I said above, this changes things somewhat.
Been throughly intrigued by the relationship between John and Kyra since the mere suggestion was first offered that there was some sort of connection between them - looking forward to seeing it from Cait's perspective. Looking forward to seeing more of Cait period.
More branches. And how beautifully they sway in the wind. :-)
Kyra's message made tears roll; so heartfelt and full of emotion. If only we could talk that way to those we love - every day. You've wow'd me again.
Completely agree Karen. No doubt about that in my mind at all. Life is so short. Say your peace while you can. :-)
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