Deep Space Endeavor 3 Death Match (21 page)

“That was a good speech this morning, too, Jesse.” She added as she began lacing up his boots. While Kimi was helping him dress, Josiah handed him a ration bar. “You are doing very well,” she concluded as she gently helped him up. Once he was standing, she began tending to the cuts and bruise on his face. She was very close to him and he noticed again that she smelled like jasmine, which for some reason made him smile. He took a long swig of his energy drink and Josiah refilled his canteen. He only ate half of his ration bar because he didn’t want to be sluggish when it was time to fight again.

“How is Captain Reed doing?”

“Suzy removed an explosive device from her abdomen, Garrinoras did indeed betray us. There is also one at the base of her skull that Suzy believes she cannot remove without killing her. Collin and Enso are both working on a plan. Don’t worry, Jess, they’ll save her.

“I’m too tired to be angry right now, but he will pay for this.”

“Yes, he will,” Kimi agreed.

Reece returned from a sweep of the area to check on the positions of their allies. “All of our people are stationed and ready for anything the Zinnebailans or Farannsians might try,” he began. “They won’t be able to take us at the end, trust me. You’re doing great by the way, Jesse, working on the leg like that was smart. Now relax until it’s time to go back, but keep moving that leg a little so it doesn’t get too stiff.” Jesse nodded and Reece made his way to the other end of the tunnel to begin another sweep to see if there were any signs of danger outside the stadium. He knew
Endeavor
would contact him if there were, but he wanted to be diligent.

“Do you think they are going to extend the break so it lasts until the advertised time?”

“Actually, that would be more beneficial to Garrinoras, so I believe they will. Why? Kimi asked as she gently helped him sit back on the ground.

“Because I’d like to lie on the ground and rest for as long as possible. Our doctor told me I wouldn’t be punching and kicking for two and a half straight hours, and I believed her.” He joked as he smiled at Kimi.” I’ll have to fight for five hours next session, so every second I’m not moving is extra time I can fight.” He finished off his energy drink and lay back down. Sergeant Rivada rolled up a jacket and placed it under his head, and he nodded his thanks. They were all silent as his crew stood guard, vigilant for any tricks the Zinnebailans might have up their sleeve.

Kimi looked at Jesse while he lay on the ground with his eyes closed and hated that he had to do this, especially for his ex. If it wasn’t for Cassie, they would probably already be together. The more she looked at him, the more she realized she needed to be with him. She knew she was ready, and she decided that she needed to tell him soon. She silently prayed that he would live through this and that one day soon, they could be together.

As it turned out, they did extend the break, but only ten minutes. The Zinnebailan guards came into the tunnel, and made Jesse walk back out into the arena. As he stood at the threshold of the arena floor, he looked back and smiled, holding his staff high above his head. He then walked almost one hundred meters and sat down on the golden dirt. He couldn’t cross his legs this time, and he didn’t close his eyes as he suspected his enemy was probably not coming from the tunnel. The Farannsians had probably given him a ride to another entrance onto the field of battle, and he was probably trying to sneak up on him from the side or behind. He sat there almost twenty minutes, thankful for every second he wasn’t fighting as he held on to his Bo staff. The
pirate crowd
was chanting anti-human slogans the whole time, and he began to laugh, drawing a chorus of boos. He also heard the encouragement from the pro-human crowd, and nodded thankfully to them. His thoughts drifted to Kimi and the smell of jasmine and once again, he found himself smiling. He shook the thought and focused to stay alert when he suddenly felt someone behind him. He rolled up onto his good leg as a large studded sledgehammer hit the ground where he had just been and the second session had officially had begun.

______

Cassie felt terrible watching Jesse fight
Garrinoras, and even worse since he had put his life on the line for her, especially after the way she left things. She had apologized to Jesse, which unbeknownst to her was being broadcast live, in front of the whole galaxy. Now, the first break was over and the fight had started back up. Several of the soldiers were very interested in seeing every second of the action, but she wasn’t going to be able to see how the day ended because it was time to go back to med-bay so that Collin and Enso could continue working on her problem. As afraid as she was for Jesse, she was even more afraid for herself.
Explosives attached to my brain stem? How are Enso and Collin going to be able to fix that? There’s not much chance I’m going to survive and there’s still so much I want to do
. As she sat there contemplating her mortality and waiting for a solution, she noticed that Bessa, Teha and several of the soldiers had gathered in med-bay to watch Collin and Enso work.

Suzy also noticed how crowded it had gotten so she stood up and readied herself to speak. “Alright everyone,” She began, “You all need to go except Cassie and our tech geniuses over there. We have to get this thing out of her head or Jesse’s out there for nothing, and they need to concentrate.” As everyone filed out, Suzy noticed that Cassie looked relieved.

“I’m probably not the most fun person to be around until they get this thing out of my head.”

“I don’t blame you, Cass, but don’t worry; Enso and Collin are the best. They also happen to be highly motivated to make sure you live through this.” Suzy smiled as she spoke, but Cassie could see the worry in her eyes. She wasn’t sure they were going to be able to come up with something.

“I think I have something, Enso.” Collin spoke so suddenly that it almost startled Suzy. They went on to whisper for a few minutes before agreeing and turning to see Suzy waiting impatiently for their explanation.

Collin had figured out how to get the implant out of Cassie’s head, but it was a good news, bad news scenario. He didn’t think she or Suzy would go for it. Enso had checked his findings, and they both agreed that it was the only way to remove the implant that stood even the slightest chance of success. Cassie saw the somber look on his face, and immediately turned to Suzy. She was more anxious than she had ever been and they both knew that he didn’t have reassuring news.

“There’s no easy way to say this, but there is no way to safely remove the device Garrinoras implanted in your head. Collin announced. “

“I’m sorry cousin.” Enso began with an apologetic frown.

“You said
safely
,” Suzy interrupted. “To me that implies that there may be a way which isn’t safe, but might work. We’re on a tight schedule here, so let’s just skip the word games and tell me the plan.” Suzy didn’t mean to be so direct, but with Jesse likely coming in injured, she wanted to be able to give him her full attention when he arrived. He would need it and he deserved it.

Collin looked as if he were choosing his words carefully and then thought better of it as he began. “The device in Cassie’s brain has attached itself to her brain stem. There is no way we can remove it because any tampering or cutting will trigger an explosive event. I have noticed a possible way to trick the device into becoming disabled. In which case, it will release its hold on Cassie’s brain and we can safely remove it. The downside of this idea is that the device will only disable if Cassie is dead. To safely remove the device, we have to kill Cassie.” He shrugged apologetically as he paused to continue.

Cassie looked over at him and began at not quite a yell, “That doesn’t sound like a solution, Collin, that sounds like I die. I thought the goal of this collaboration was for me not to die.” She found herself yelling, she didn’t mean to, but she was having trouble processing what Collin had begun to say.

“Yes, Cassie, that is the goal, please let me finish before you continue yelling at me.” Collin was a little frustrated by her outburst and didn’t intend for it to show. Her life was on the line and that was bound to make a person edgy. “We would have to time it perfectly because there won’t be a lot of time. The plan is to have Suzy stop your heart, I talk her through taking the device out of your head, and then she starts your heart again. It can work as long as you’re not dead too long. I know it’s a long shot and I would never suggest it if there were any other way, but it really is the only way.”

“It really is, Cass,” Enso began apologetically. “Believe me, this isn’t something I would let him suggest to you if it wasn’t the only possibility. The worst part is that you have to make a decision very quickly, because it is counting down. Garrinoras will not need to get through the jamming field, because if our calculations are correct, you’ll be dead in two hours.”

“It sounds like Garrinoras wants you to die while Jesse is still in battle,” Suzy concluded. “That monster wants Jesse to know you died, and then still have to come out and fight tomorrow. I really can’t wait until he’s dead.” Suzy began to prep for surgery as she washed her hands and put her gloves on. She was laying out all of her equipment while Cassie was pacing back and forth trying to make a decision. There really was no decision to make; if they did nothing, she would die. At least with this plan there was a slim possibility for success. She stopped her nervous pacing when she came to a decision. She nodded to Suzy and Suzy nodded back.

“Alright, let’s do it! Right now. Let’s do it before I change my mind.” Cassie got up on the operating table and lay down on her back. Suzy took off her shirt and hit her with enough energy to stop her heart.

“Alright, boys, quickly flip her over.” As Collin and Enso turned Cassie over on the table, Suzy picked up her scalpel and made the incision at the base of her skull. She quickly found the device as she inserted a medical cam. Collin began to tell her what she needed to do to get the device to release.

“Do you see that small indentation right there on the left? You must hit that quickly twice. Do not pause in between or it will not open. Very quickly, tap, tap.”

“That’s it?” She asked.

“That’s it,” he replied. “It’s a lot harder than it looks. Then, you have to take it out and restart her heart as quickly as possible.”

“Yes, I know that part, Collin, thank you.” She responded testily as she looked at the monitor while inserting the pin she would use to open the device. The first time she tried, she wasn’t quick enough. She started to become frustrated, knowing time was of the essence but let the feeling pass as she tried again. On her fourth try, the medical cam showed the device open. She quickly retrieved it and had Collin and Enso turn Cassie back over. She tried to start Cassie’s heart, but nothing happened. She tried again, but still no response.

“Cassie, stay with us!” She yelled as she began performing CPR, to no avail, then finally, she injected adrenaline directly into Cassie’s heart. “Stay with us!” She yelled again. She hadn’t realized she was holding her breath, but after a long moment, Cassie woke up with a deep inhale.  Collin and Enso clasped hands as Suzy was by her side, letting her know she would be all right.

“You are going to need to rest for a few days, no strenuous activity at all. I’m going to close you up now.” As she began to wipe the blood away so she could close the incision, she breathed a sigh of relief. She looked to Cassie’s cousin and gave him the instructions. “Enso, make sure she follows through with it, no strenuous activity. I’ll sit with her for a while, but I’m gonna have you move her to her quarters to recover. I don’t want Jesse to see how close we came to losing you when he comes in for treatment in a little while. I’ll leave one of the med-bots with you. Have SAMMI contact me if you need anything at all.” Enso nodded his understanding and she sat down in her chair, thankful that Collin and Enso had found a way to help her save Cassie. It would not have been good for the sector had she died and Jesse would have been out there in vain. Collin had left med-bay to tell everyone the good news while Enso sat with his cousin. He was holding her hand while she lay on the operating table regaining her strength. She felt weird, the adrenaline had her wide awake, but she felt so weak. Having her heart stopped and her head opened up for surgery had definitely taken it out of her. She was truly thankful to be surrounded by such talented people and once again was filled with regret over how she had treated their leader.

______

Jesse dodged the big hammer as Garrinoras again left an impression in the ground with his swing. He seemed to be moving pretty well, and Jesse had to wonder what kind of treatment he had undergone during his hour and twenty-minute break. Jesse couldn’t do anything about the cheating and favoritism, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. Garrinoras had been given a ride off the field, and an hour and twenty-minute break, while he had to walk off the field and was given a shorter break. Now his opponent was moving better than he should, and he was left wondering how while trying to stay alive. He should have been almost unable to stand after the punishment his knee had taken, not to mention being impaled by his own spike. He seemed to be standing and moving on it quite well. When he over committed on his next swing, Jesse saw his opening and hit him in the injured knee with his staff. He heard the clink of metal on metal and realized he had been outfitted with some kind of metal brace that was helping him to be able to compete at a high level.