Author's note: As promised, I have delivered this chapter, finished and ready for my readers and fans! Sure, it might be a little late in coming, but such is the life of a working writer. With this one, some resolutions happen, along with greater mysteries to come! What will they be? Read on to find out! Now shall we begin?
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"That... that's Khraldar! Thank the mother goddess!" Zaelina cried out, joyous tears streaming down her face. The cry for help rang out again and again, and several chiefs voiced their agreement that it was Zaelina's son.
"Sentries! Deploy scout drones and locate the source of that sound, double time!" Alex barked. The Sentries obeyed immediately, the drones detaching themselves from their armored bodies and flying down into the canyon. Alex turned and witnessed Vahltiem trying to shuffle away from the group while everyone was occupied with locating the boy.
"Detain Vahltiem, immediately!" Alex called out. The chief tried to pick up his pace to run, but was stopped by several Sentries, who stood in his way. The Artucian man tried to resist, but the Sentries were far too quick, and much more resilient than he was. Their coltan-titanium hands clamped down on the struggling man, dragging him to the Commodore.
"Now, Commodore, listen to me, this is all a big misunderstanding! If you'll permit me a few moments of your time..." Vahltiem said, but was cut off by a solid punch to the face which sent him to his knees. He cried out, as the force of the blow was enough to make his teeth rattle. He looked up at the human man with a measure of hatred, fearful of what he'd do next.
"Count yourself lucky that I hit you with my bare hand and not while I was in my suit," Alex told the man through clenched teeth. "Sentries, if he tries to talk, break his jaw. If he tries to run, break his legs at the knee," he ordered.
The Sentries chimed their acceptance of his orders, while Vahltiem looked at him in disbelief. He looked ready to protest when he saw the Sentries watching him, ready to carry out the Commodore's orders. The Artucian man promptly closed his mouth and didn't wish to test the obedience of the mechanical soldiers.
"Smart," Alex told him as he turned around and went back to the canyon. The chiefs were standing close to the edge, looking down, while Zaelina was distraught, trying to call out to her son.
"Zaelina, here," Alex called out as he booted up a holo screen on a tablet. It showcased a real-time three-dimensional rendering of the drones' search efforts. Zaelina stood and watched, praying and hoping that Khraldar was still all right.
They had just passed four-hundred feet in depth when they found him and Shazza! Both of them appeared to be caught on an icy outcropping. Khraldar seemed to have stable footing, as he was standing on an elongated spike that was flat and wide. Shazza wasn't as lucky, with several spikes protruding through weak points in her armor. Her head moved about and lolled like she was drifting in and out of consciousness.
"Khraldar! Are you all right?!?" Zaelina cried out, hope and panic laced in her voice.
"I'm all right mom. Just a little cut up. I'm more worried about Shazza though. She's bleeding everywhere!" he replied.
"He can hear me?!? How?" the woman asked.
"The drones have both microphones and speakers built into them. So, anything you say here, your son will hear down there," Korsa said to her. She then tasked one drone to get a closer look and saw that Shazza was bleeding steadily.
"It's a damn miracle that Shazza wasn't turned into mincemeat on the way down!" Natalya commented, seeing the dizzying array of ice spikes surrounding the stranded pair.
"Drone thirteen twenty-five, scan the skid path above them immediately!" Korsa called out. The drone chimed in acceptance and flew to obey the doctor's orders, scanning the area. The findings of which were enough to spur the doctor's next actions.
"I'm going down there to get both Shazza and Khraldar out! Nats, Kas, get me three lengths of rope and whatever climbing gear we have from the carts! Double time ladies!" Korsa commanded. Hopping immediately, both women rushed off to the carts to collect the needed items.
"Doctor, what are you doing?" Alex demanded of her.
"I'm going to climb down there to get both Shazza and Khraldar to bring them up. Khontarans are natural climbers, due to our second set of arms, but also such activities are encouraged by my people. I could easily out-climb anyone here, Sentries included. Besides, Shazza is my ward, as you said sir, so she is my responsibility to rescue," Korsa finished.
Alex thought about arguing, but thought better of it. Korsa had backed him into a neat little corner and had even cited his own orders in her favor! He smirked and nodded at her, knowing that to countermand what she had in mind was pointless. It was the best solution that they had to rescue both Shazza and the boy. Besides, trying to argue that he had a better plan was both stupid and a lie.
He turned and watched Kas and Nats return with the items Korsa had requested. They quickly went to work, adjusting the gear to Korsa's size and braiding the ropes. Not for Korsa's weight, but to accommodate Korsa's grip, as the ropes were crafted at a thickness for human hands. Alex was glad when Natalya insisted that the ropes they had on hand be five-hundred feet over the standard two-fifty.
She had told him it often helped to double up on certain things, especially survival supplies. You never knew what would happen while out and around, outside of civilization. Her instincts on such things turned out to be on the money in this case. Alex would have to learn to defer to her judgement for such things. He kept himself appraised of the situation below via the drones and so far, everything was holding.
"Doctor, are you ready? I'm not sure Shazza can hold for much longer!" Alex said.
"How do you know this sir?" Korsa asked as she made the final adjustments to her gear.
"Take a closer look here. It appears that she's only holding on because of several spikes that have punctured the weak points of her armor. Especially those of her left arm and it looks like it's dislocated," Alex said, showing her the closer inspection the drones had done on his command.
"And her hand looks like it's clutched onto a spike! Ladies, that rope finished yet?" Korsa called out.
"Just finished mama! Ready to go on your order!" Natalya told her.
"Sentries one-one-five-zero to one-one-six-zero, lock in by the edge in a line formation and take hold of the rope!" Alex commanded.
The Sentries obeyed and picked up the rope before they locked their legs and feet into the ice. Once they were anchored in, Korsa walked up and gave the rope a few experimental tugs. Satisfied that it wouldn't give with her weight, she latched the braided cord into her harness before proceeding to the edge. After activating her harness lights, she bent down and like a spider, and started moving down.
"Shit, Nats, you were right! It's a damn miracle that both Shazza and Khraldar weren't cut up into pate!" Korsa said over the comms.
"You going to be all right mama?" Natalya asked.
"I'm following the path through the crystals now, so I should be OK. Have those Sentries slack up some rope will ya? Need them to let down the rope about twenty percent faster!" Korsa called.
"You heard the lady. Speed up rope dispensation by twenty percent, but keep it steady," Alex commanded. The Sentries obeyed and lowered the rope faster. There were drones guiding and monitoring Korsa's descent, and everyone watched with bated breath.
"How far down is it right now?" Korsa called out a few minutes later.
"About two-hundred and fifty feet. Still have a bit to go before you get to them," Kasumi told her while watching the big woman scale the ice cliffs. Zaelina was watching, but she was beside herself, wanting to do something, but finding herself unable.
"Hey, Khraldar will be all right. Mama is a skilled climber and she'll bring him back," Natalya told the older woman soothingly while clasping her shoulder. Zaelina's hand shot up and clutched onto Nats' hand, finding comfort in the gesture.
"I think I see them! Or the surrounding drones, at least! I figure maybe another thirty feet, then have the Sentries hold the rope!" Korsa called out.
"Copy that Doctor," Alex said before relaying the order to the Sentry-Bots. Everyone watched with trepidation as Korsa moved closer to the marooned pair. Then she moved to where she was right next to them.
"Hello? Doctor Korsa?" Khraldar called out cautiously as he saw the woman nearby.
"Yup, I'm here Khraldar. Hang tight a second, I just need to get closer," she told him.
She approached the both of them, coming upon Shazza first. The poor woman was barely clinging to consciousness, and Korsa could see that she was badly wounded. She checked the wounds quickly, as she anchored the woman to the wall with a couple of spare ropes and pitons, to prevent her from slipping. After a quick look over, Korsa found nothing life threatening, and she kept going to the boy.
"Khraldar? I'm Doctor Korsa and I'm going to get you out of here," she told the young man gently. Korsa already had her helmet to transparent mode, and the boy could see her face. He reached up cautiously and took hold of Korsa's outstretched hand. Korsa pulled him up and took him in two of her arms.
"I've got him!" she called out.
"We see, Doctor! Well done! The Sentries are holding the rope and awaiting your signal to come up," Alex replied, his voice coming through the recon drones.
"Wait one! I need to double check Shazza first!" Korsa replied.
