| Phase 21 � Quit acting like it�s a rash!� he answered. Then, with a dangerous smirk, he mocked, � Oh no, Kris! I think you�re getting a sunburn!� The smirk got worse. � I think you need to cool down before going back inside!� I spun to get away, but he grabbed me around the waist and pulled me back against him. With a soft huff, he tossed me over the side and I sailed down toward the water. I heard a crack and the hiss of split air and then something wrapped around my body. I stopped and my arms and legs fell forward, hardly two sharls from the Yggdrasil�s body. I looked back up to the deck. I didn�t think your whips were that long. He shrugged. � They extend when something of considerable mass is on the other end.� Are you calling me fat? � . . . Are you calling me stupid?� What do you mean? � Even if I had been calling you fat, do you think I�d tell you?� Hm . . . He rolled his eyes and hauled me back up toward the deck. As I passed the bridge, I got an idea. Wait! Lower me back down a little! � Are you trying to get me in trouble?� Damn right. I knocked on the glass and waved at Sig, who turned ghostly pale, then red as Brigandier. He started to shout into a headset of his own and Bart suddenly tore his away from his head. � Ow! Shit!� I snickered. � Kris! You little bitch!� You didn�t have to let me do that, you know. I told you I was trying to get you in trouble. � Yeah, but . . .� He rubbed at his left ear. � Sig nearly yelled my ear off!� He paused. � Hm . . . How to get you back . . . Ah!� He swung me out into the ocean, where I landed with a �plap� sound. � Get out of that one!� I called the wings and flew up to the deck. � Damn it. I forgot about those.� I grinned cruelly. You do have a shirt I can wear, don�t you? He looked stunned. � You have your own!� Honestly, Bart. You don�t think I�m just going to let you get away with that, do you? � But I was getting you back!� Nuh-uh. You threw me into the ocean, so I got you in trouble. You started round two. � . . . You�re cruel.� Somebody�s gotta be. He took me to his room and dug through a drawer in his dresser. Pulling out a black zip-up shirt, he held it out to me. � Here. I can�t wait to see it swallow you.� With that, he took off his jacket and flung it on the floor and then went to his bed and sat on the edge. I removed my soaked shirts and put his shirt on in their place. I zipped it up all the way to my neck, where the zipper stopped. The collar was stiff and gave me an air of no-nonsense. I liked it. So? � Actually, it�s you. Dark, scary, and mean.� I snorted and decided to soften my injury to his pride. Turn around. He looked at me suspiciously, arms crossed. � No.� I grabbed the brush off his bureau and repeated myself one last time. Turn around, Bart. He did so and I carefully took his braid apart. I ran the brush through his hair slowly, memorizing where any knots might be. To my great surprise, I found over a dozen and ran into tiny ones everywhere else. When was the last time you brushed your hair? He shook his head. � I don�t remember. It was just a huge mess overseeing the outfitting of the Yggdrasil II with the necessary parts from the sand cruiser. I never had time.� All the better, I suppose. You would�ve torn it out anyway. � I wouldn�t have!� I began to brush his hair in earnest, pausing and taking time with each knot to cause him the least amount of discomfort possible. Once I was done I brushed just a bit longer to be sure I�d gotten everything, then split his hair into thirds and began to braid it. Then there was a low mumble from somewhere. I glanced around to find out where it was coming from, figuring it out an instant before the same voice snapped in a near yell, � Bartholomew!� Bart started and I realized he had been asleep. He put the headset on. � . . . Yeah, Sig?� he slurred quietly. There was a long pause. � Are you drunk?� � I was asleep,� was the tired, defensive snarl. � . . . Right. Wait, where�s Kris?� � She�s behind me, brushing my hair.� Hi, Sig! I called, so he knew that I�d been awake the whole time. � Hi. Look, I�ve been alerted that Axyl and Brigandier are restless.� � Restless? How did they even get online?� � Axyl can apparently online herself without help and she brought Brigandier along for the ride.� Bart groaned and took the headset off, dropping it on the bed. � Oh man . . .� I can take care of it, I offered as I tied off the end of his hair. Axyl knows better than that. I guess I�ll have to disconnect her auto line until she starts to behave herself. You go ahead and go back to sleep. Bart looked back at me. � You�re an angel.� I smiled and kissed him. He twisted himself around and deepened the kiss, nearly stealing my control of the situation. I was willing to give it up; I had no real idea how to proceed. But then he pulled away and briefly touched his nose to mine. � Really, Kris. Thank you.� You�re welcome. I had him lay down and drew part of the sheet and comforter over his shoulders (he hadn�t made his bed even though he�s supposed to, so I was able to do that) to keep him warm. I went to the Gear bay in time to see mechanics scatter from Axyl�s angry stomping (she was trying to keep from destroying the stall). Brigandier stood in his own stall, watching her quietly. Axyl S! She stopped. [Ah! A human who will listen!] I�m the only one who can understand you, stupid. [There is something coming this way. It�s enormous!] How far away is it? [Fifty kelts to the northeast from our position.] Oh, for heaven�s sake! They�re nowhere near us! Honestly, Axyl, if you can�t handle the privilege of having your auto line connected, I�ll disconnect it and solve your problem! [But they may have weapons!] You let me worry about that! I want you to stop putting yourself online! And I am not joking when I say I�ll take your auto line out! Now shut down and don�t online again unless you�re instructed! Axyl did as she was told with a soft grumble. I looked over at the still silent Brigandier, who was leaning on his repair shelf like it was a tabletop. You shut yourself down too! He did so and I went to my room. I flopped on the bed--boots and everything--and got about twenty minutes of rest, at the most. A jolt woke me and the collision alarms sounded. I sat up and looked at my outside wall, which was bent far inward and groaning from the water pressure on the other side. Suddenly, it gave and salt water poured into my room. I jumped up to leave, but the water abruptly quit coming in. Curious, I sloshed through the ankle-deep water and touched a force field of some kind that crackled when it was hit by something. � Kris!� came a yell from the next room. � Are you okay?!� I�m fine! *>*<* After hearing Kris� affirmative Bart ran from his room, slamming into the other wall. He ran down to the following room, Kris� room, and tried to open the door. But it was sealed; there was water in the room and the door couldn�t be opened. At least not from the outside. � Kris! Get out of there right now!� *>*<* Are you crazy?! I called back from the middle of the room. There�s at least three rhals of water on the floor! Wrong choice of words. � Kris, come out!� he insisted urgently. No way! It�ll get in the hall! � I don�t care about the damn floor!� he yelled. Then his voice softened. � I don�t know how long that field will hold. Please, Kris. Please, just get out of there. I can replace the floor or the room. But I can�t replace you.� The field began to collapse with a warning sizzle. I went to the door and opened it, allowing the water to drain into the hall. Bart jerked me out and away from the door and into him as the field broke. The door shut automatically and water crashed against the other side. Nothing leaked; the entire ship was watertight. I shut my eyes as Bart closed me in a hug. I could�ve been in there. I would have died if Bart hadn�t been so thick-headed. I could feel him trembling and rolled my head back to kiss his jaw. His headset beeped, startling us out of our silence. He twisted the microphone down, which switched the thing on. � Yes?� he asked, his voice quivering slightly. � We�ve traced the attack to a Gear not far from our position. They�ve made no other move so far. The missles hit Kris� room. The fields lasted two minutes.� Bart swallowed and held me tighter. � Yes, I know.� His voice was obviously shaking now. � Is she . . .?� � She�s fine. The field gave as she came out. We�re both shaken, but she�s just fine.� There was a deep, relieved sigh at the other end. � . . . Good.� Bart drug me to his room so he could get his jacket. � Sig, Kris and I are going after that other Gear. Have Brig and Axyl ready.� � Yes, sir.� We ran for the Gear bay, getting thrown into the wall from a second attack. � Sig! What was that?!� � Another group of missles. Just hit an empty storage room.� Bart grabbed my hand and led me down the hall. � Close off this side of the ship!� he commanded. � Have everybody move to the port side! They�re trying to sink us!� We got into the bay and the first thing we saw was Axyl straining against the repair shelf, her wings out threateningly. Brigandier, who Axyl had activated again, stood only half patiently. They turned as we entered and the terrified mechanics let out grateful sighs. � Hey!� Bart barked. � Quit it! Now!� They obeyed. Across the bay, Rico and Citan were about to board their Gears when the mecha came to life on their own. Axyl S! I roared. This is your last chance to get your act together before I rip out every circuit in your body and reconfigure your A.I. to my preferences! Complete silence filled the bay and Axyl�s wings drooped with a hiss of hydraulics. A single beep came from her. [Sorry.] Well, I hope you are. Axyl, you can�t get so worked up. It feels like Elements and if that�s true, rushing into the fight won�t help matters. The repair shelves rose and three Gears went right for the exit. Axyl stood still, waiting for my order. Bart went down to the bay floor and stood with Citan and Rico. � Citan, the ship needs a little bit of repair. Could you work on it?� � Yes, of course. But I will need help.� � I�ll help,� Rico volunteered. � Stier�s not that great in the water.� Bart turned. � You�re with me, Kris!� I waved my acknowledgement and had Axyl pick me up. He looked to the Gears next. � Hey guys!� They looked back at him. � Where�re you going?� Brigandier pointed at the door and clicked. [Out?] � Without me?� Another click with a slightly different tone. [. . . No.] � That�s what I thought. Get back here.� They returned like little boys in trouble. I watched them go by from my perch in Axyl�s hand, a smile on my face. The guys boarded their Gears and headed out. I got in Axyl and pulled ahead of Brigandier as we went down to the sea bottom. That Gear . . . I knew it . . . Haishao. <--Phase 20 Phase 22--> |