Project Unity: Search and Recovery, Chapter Five

Chapter Five

"Freya! What do you think you're doing?"

Freya looked up from her position on the ground and there he was, standing in the middle of the pod with his usual look of bemusement. For a brief moment, she knew it was wrong – him standing there – she couldn't pinpoint WHY it was wrong, but she knew it was so her brow furrowed. "Robert?"

Captain Hunt shook his head, chuckling, as he knelt beside her and started to wrest the wrench from her hands. "YOU should be resting," he commanded, helping her up from the ground.

"But the water purifier..." Freya argued, trying to pull away from him and return to the task. It was VERY important that the she unclog and clean the filters. Although, at the moment she couldn't think why it was so important. Puzzled, she allowed herself to be redirected toward the bed, putting much of her weight on his shoulders along the way.

"I will take care of the machinery. You did good enough getting us back here and setting up camp," he insisted. Freya frowned, trying to recall how they'd come to be back in the pod exactly. The last thing she could remember clearly was the oasis. She rubbed her forehead in frustration and let out a low growl. Robert jumped and spun toward her, "what's wrong?! Does your leg hurt? Is it the baby?"

Freya looked down at her abdomen and was shocked to see it had grown overnight – or at least since she could last remember. She looked to be at least six months along! "How long have we been here?!"

Robert cocked his head to the side and frowned, "what do you mean how long? You've been here with me the whole time Freya... it's been four months since the crash."

Her eyes grew wide and she shook her head violently. "No, not possible! We didn't have nearly enough food!" she exclaimed. "And they would have come by now..." she added with slightly less certainty.

"Freya, are you alright? We've been doing okay food wise – there's a bit of small game around and fruit. Plus, after you suggested pulling the solar panels off the hull, we got this place back up to almost eighty percent power so the synthesizer is back online. Granted, we only use it in a pinch to save the components..." Robert was gazing around their makeshift home with appreciation, clearly pleased with what had been accomplished during their stay. "As for rescue – you know as well as I do they'd never get through the weapons. That's why we left the hazard beacon on..."

Freya closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to remember anything he was saying but it was all blank. They were shot at, they crashed, they went to the oasis – that much she could recall. "I don't understand..." she muttered.

Robert leaned over her and pulled out the familiar medical injector. "Why don't you try to get some sleep? I'll get the purifier back online in no time." She didn't try to stop him when he pressed the device to her neck and she didn't resist the comforting pull of slumber, even as her son started to squirm in her belly.

------

"I wanted to thank you for selecting me for this mission Lieutenant," Skylar Fremont said, trying to sound both grateful and confident in spite of the jumble of knots twisting in her stomach. "I appreciate the opportunity."

"Don't thank me yet Fremont," Lieutenant O'Neill said, sparing her a brief glance. "May want to wait until we survive... or don't." The knots twisted harder and she bit the inside of her lip to fight back the sudden urge to throw up. "Think of it as on the job training."

"Can I ask," her voiced squeaked. "Can I ask why me sir? I mean why'd you pick me?"

"You can ask – but I don't plan to tell you," O'Neill said, grabbing the hand rail above them to remain steady as he walked back toward the hold. Unlike Unity, Captain Kay's ship, the Dareios, jostled them around as it sped through space and the captain made no attempt to warn them as she made sharp turns or sudden slow downs. Ben imagined flying with her was akin to riding with a race car driver from the handful of recordings he'd seen – dangerous, but fast. Kay assured them they'd get to the Xinji system within a day 'if the solar winds blessed them.'

Within the back hold, Liam was attempting to teach Doctor Azael how to play checkers with a bunch of cogs and bolts they'd scrounged but the pieces kept sliding around on them. "Where'd this woman learn to fly?" Liam was thrown from his crate and barely caught himself on the netting that secured the decoy beacons.

"At least we will arrive quickly," Doctor Azael said, offering a smile to the pair of officers. "By my understanding, one of your shuttle pods is equipped with minimal emergency rations and your captain and doctor have already been missing for ten days now. They will run out quickly if they survived."

"Is there any life at all on this planet?" Liam asked as he scooped the cogs and bolts into a bag. "Perhaps they could find more food if anything grows?"

Doctor Azael's brow furrowed for a moment before he shook his head. "I think not – but I cannot say for certain."

"Well how could you?" O'Neill said, "you've never been there." Doctor Azael said nothing, instead busying himself with returning their chairs, also known as crates, to their rightful places. Meanwhile, Skylar stumbled through the hatch, careening toward the deck as the ship jerked. "Fremont! What are you doing?"

"I... uh...." she tried to get to her feet and then tumbled again. Liam covered his mouth to hide his grin as the young trainee tried to right herself once more and finally got to her feet. "Sorry... sorry..."

Ben mentally counted to twenty and reminded himself of all the reasons he had chosen Fremont over the other trainees. In spite of her awkward mannerisms, she had been one of the steady pacers during every physical training he'd put them through. She scored exceptionally well on every test she'd been handed and had the potential to do well in any field she chose. Fact was, he suspected she'd outgrow security eventually and wanted her to see that sooner rather than later. By the time he'd finished his list, she was standing taller and looked almost comfortable. "Did you need something Fremont?"

"Garren," Skylar pointed toward the hatch she'd just fallen through, "suggested we all strap in. Guess it's gonna get rough?"

"Is that to say it hasn't been rough already?" Liam quipped with a grin. He offered Skylar a steadying arm and led her back to the bridge while O'Neill and Azael trailed behind them.

------

The shuttle was silent and dark again as Freya returned to consciousness. She kept her eyes shut, listening to occasional beep from the life support system and the faint hum of the synthesizer. It was important that both those systems – above all else – continued to work. Confident that all was right in her little abode, Freya opened her eyes and glanced around. "Morning sunshine," Robert said, immediately scooping up a metal tray of food to offer to her. "You've been asleep for nearly a whole day, you must be starved."

As if on cue, her stomach rumbled and she took the proffered meal. Though she couldn't even recall the name of the green, leafy vegetable or the taste of the purplish berries, she knew she liked them. She could imagine they'd found them in the oasis - although when or where exactly eluded her completely. As she slowly ate the food, she eyed Captain Hunt, with her brow furrowed. This was all wrong.

"Freya? Are you alright? Does your head still hurt?" he asked. He got to his feet and started messing with what appeared to be a stove top near the front of the pod. "How about some tea? With that orange bark – you said it was good for pain right? Or was it the leaf of that bush at the edge, I think we have some of those too." Freya stared at him, willing his words to make sense, but she couldn't recall any of the plants he described, let alone her analyzing them for medicinal properties. "Which one was it?" he asked, turning back to her expectantly.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about Robert. I don't remember," she said finally. Her meal forgotten, Freya dropped the berry in her hand and buried her head in her hands. "This is all wrong," she muttered over and over again.

Robert abandoned the tea and knelt in front of her, grabbing her hands and pulling them away from her face. "Freya, calm down. What's all wrong?"

"This! This is wrong!" She ripped her hands from his and motioned frantically around the shuttle. "I don't remember four months! I don't remember any of this! You.... you!" As a brief memory flashed across her mind, she scuttled back from him, her eyes wide. "You died Robert!" she whispered, tears stinging her eyes. "You died in the crash and I put you in there..." she turned toward the synthesizer in horror. "I came back to the ship alone – I was looking for you – and you were still in that chair. I had to cut you down and...." By then the swell of emotion overwhelmed her and tears flowed freely down her cheeks. Choking back sobs, she watched as the scene around her dissolved.

Robert, just inches from her, disappeared. The almost serene camp they'd set up was replaced with darkness and the lingering scent of charred components. Freya blinked several times before getting up, trying to collect her bearings. "Computer," she choked, swiping at the very real tears still on her face, "record log. The hallucinogenic has infiltrated the pod now – I can no longer be sure of what is real or fabrication. Before I lose complete control of my mind, in case rescue doesn't get here in time..." she trailed off, considering her words carefully. "I'm sorry Mom, I know we argued before I left and I'm sorry I didn't give you more time. As for you Meng – it's a boy, I bet he'd look like you. You're a good man and I'm sure you will command Unity with dignity and ease. I love that about you, I noticed it from the first time I saw you and I..."

Her words were cut off by the familiar zip of a flying weapons platform. This time though, instead of flying by her wrecked home, it let out a volley of shots. "Critical power failure," the computer announced. "Life support power failure expected in three minutes, fifty-nine seconds... eight... seven..."

Freya scrambled to her feet, wincing in the process. Through the forward window she could see the solar panel field she spent the day before crafting was sparking and smoking from the weapons fire. Almost every panel had a fresh hole in it and the electronics inside had no doubt been fried. She watched in dismay as the platform spun away, its mission accomplished. Freya sank into a chair and groaned, even as the computer continued to warn her about her impending doom. "Cue hallucination-bonanza in five, four, three...."

She broke off her countdown as the hatch flew open in a flurry of weapons fire.

------

Lieutenant O'Neill gripped the overhead rail as the ship dodged another small asteroid. "You really should strap in Lieutenant," Captain Kay shouted over the blaring proximity alert. "It's gonna get worse before it gets better!"

"I'm fine," O'Neill said, barely sparing a thought for the row of passenger seats behind him. It took them twenty-three minutes to navigate the field of asteroids and, as near as Ben could tell, Kay took great delight in skimming the surface of each one.

Just clear of the field, Kay knocked the ship in to coast and the rest of the team slowly got to their feet. "Well there she is," Kay said, leaning back in her seat. "A click or two more and the platforms would be on us, we'll be safe here for the moment. That one there," she said, tapping the panel in front of her, "is our first – and hopefully ONLY – target."

"What if we don't find them there?" Skylar asked in a minute voice. "I mean – it's only a one in three shot right?"

"It's the best shot," Kay said simply.

"Are you picking up a signal of any sort?" Ben asked, leaning closer to survey the panel screen. To his left, Garren shook his head after a moment. "This may all be for nothing then. How close do we need to be to scan the surface?"

"More than a couple clicks," Garren said, rolling his eyes. "Those platforms will be on us in minutes at most and there's a lot of surface to scan."

Kay glared at him but didn't argue. "I'd like to come around on the far side – won't stop the platforms from tracking us but will slow down their call home when they spot us."

"Are the Xinji likely to send reinforcements?" Ben asked.

"Probably not – but that doesn't mean they aren't capable," she replied. "As soon as we get close enough, we'll start the scan. I can transport the four of you to the surface if we find any sign of your shuttle."

"Transport?" Skylar squeaked, her eyes grew wide and her stomach began to churn again. "We won't be landing?"

Kay shook her head and Garren stifled a laugh. "Too risky – transporting means we can stay mobile and get out of here in a flash if we get overwhelmed. It's perfectly safe," she concluded, trying to reassure her.

"I think it would be best to go in environmental suits," Doctor Azael chimed in. "While the atmosphere is not deadly it is... unhealthy."

"I've got three in the back you're all welcome to – means one of you will need to stay on board though," Kay offered, glancing back at the team.

"Doctor, you stay behind," O'Neill commanded. Immediately the doctor began to protest but the Lieutenant cut him off. "You'd be limited in what you could do with heavy environmental gloves on correct?" Although Azael nodded, he tried to press the issue only to be stopped once more. "As soon as we find them, you'll be able to transport them up Captain?"

"As long as we're not under heavy fire, yes. Slap a tag on them and activate it – we'll bring them right up," Kay said.

Doctor Azael's usual smile turned to a scowl, "I could at least stabilize them, if needed. Before transport."

"If they're down there, they've been down there for at least ten days Doc. They're either dead or relatively stable – stable enough." Decision made, Ben motioned for the other two to head back toward the hold to suit up. "You can do more good up here I think Doctor."

"He's right," Kay said. She watched as Lieutenant O'Neill joined his team and then turned her attention toward the doctor. "I picked you for a reason Azael. You know that." Without further explanation, she turned back to the control panel and started maneuvering the ship closer to the planet. "Garren, grab me a pebble."

A few minutes later, they were dragging a small asteroid toward the planet and Doctor Azael watched as it was flung away from the ship. The two nearest weapons platforms zoomed after it as programmed and their line of sight to the planet was clear. "You've done this before," he noted with mild surprise.

Suited up, the team returned to the bridge and watched as the ship zoomed, unimpeded, toward the closest planet. "Initiating scan," the third crew man called out. "At least she's unpopulated, easy to pick out any anomalous readings."

"We THINK she's unpopulated, don't get too cocky Fink," Kay commanded. "And I'm sure our pod is not the only crash site down there."

"You're right, I'm already getting a dozen different pings on the continent. Any thing I could be looking for that would make your pod stand out from the rest?" Fink asked, looking over to O'Neill, who, in turn redirected his attention to Liam.

Liam paused to consider and then nodded eagerly. "The scrithinite shell!"

Fink stared at him for a moment, his mouth hanging open, before turning toward his captain. She chuckled and shrugged. "I don't know what that is..." he said finally.

Liam frowned, "of course you don't. Why would you? Let me see," he said, pushing the young crew man away from his own console to input a set of variables. "It's a super lightweight metal alloy we picked up decades ago from the Tivalli – we've been using it ever since for pods and fighters because it's so durable. There," he said proudly, pointing at the screen. "I can't imagine many Tivalli have crashed on this planet!"

Almost as soon as Fink resumed his search with the new search parameters, Garren shouted, "incoming platforms! I think they got bored of the rock!"

"How many?"

"Two, no make that four. They'll be within range in twenty seconds," he replied. "I have decoys one and two already prepped for launch."

"Deploy them and get another pair ready," Kay commanded. "Lieutenant, I suggest you and your team get on the transport pad – if we find your shuttle, I don't want to waste time. In that locker, you'll find a box of tags," she said, pointing to the small locker beside the pad. Fink – update?"

O'Neill pocketed three tags and then handed three to each of his team who followed his lead. Any unused would be returned. Then the trio collected their helmets and waited.

"I think I've got something!" Fink called eagerly. "Yes... yes... yes! It's either your pod of some other weirdo who's got your scrit... scrith?? Your metal alloy. Sending you the coordinates now Captain."

"Decoys working for the moment Capt'n. Three and four are in the shoot and ready for launch," Garren reported.

Kay nodded and swiveled around to her guests. "We'll hold them off as long as we can but when I say we need to run, you all are coming back with or without your package. Make sure you turn the comms on in your helmets so we can all hear each other."

Helmets on and activated, O'Neill nodded. "We're ready Captain, set us down as close as you can."

"Aye," she said, twisting back to her own console. "Activating transport now." Just as they started to disappear, the shipped was rocked with a glancing blow. "Garren! Deploy another decoy and get that bird off our side! Fink, did the team reach the surface?"

There was a long moment of silence in spite of the chaos before he nodded. "Picking up all three of their suits Cap. Just a dozen meters from the site."

"Bird took the bait, looks like decoy one was destroyed but decoy two is still in play. Three has a couple followers on its tail," Garren said, watching both his screen and the view port in front of them.

"Excellent, excellent..." Kay said. "Fink, keep an eye on our team. Garren, open a channel to the Xinji home world. Inform them that we have Tierran Azael on board and are here to collect the bounty."

End Chapter