Ghost Walk

[Jordan Maxwell]

The shots rang out, and suddenly, the pressure up against her vanished, and both women fell to the ground. Jordan just stared, lost in a daze, blood running down her arm as she looked at the monster that was before her. Why had they brought this thing on the ship, why had she come for Jordan. Could she smell the madness already on her from her previous encounter with Reavers? Could Jordan turn into something like her?

She heard Trance say her name, but she was still caught in a daze. It was a few moments before she could blink and look up at the pilot. “I’m fine, I need to make sure the engine is alright, you shouldn’t shoot in here… If you missed, it could have lead…” The mechanic’s voice trailed off as she just looked around for a moment, her mind still caught in the past, still seeing the woman biting into her arm. Was that what her family had to endure?

The thought of her family turned her stomach she fell back against the wall, and placed the back of her hand against her lips, trying to distract her own mind. Her eyes drifted closed for what seemed like forever, until she slowly started to snap out of her confusion. Jordan turned her head and looked at Trace, seeing his hand she took it, and stood slowly on shaky legs. Once she was standing she threw her arms around him hugging him close to her, her body still trembling.

[Trace Kennet]

Trace was amused by her seeming lack of concern for anything other than the engine, but he could see the wheels turning and the pain that was close to the surface. He had learned, however, from the past that it was best to just let it go. If she wanted to talk, she would. This was partially why he was taken so completely off guard when she hugged him. He let the moment last, but felt very uncomfortable. He felt the need to distance himself from her, before anything he would regret came to pass. Trace decided in that moment, that he wasn't going to get involved with Jordan, in anything closer than friends. He leaned put an arm on her shoulder, to steady her, and then pointed towards the stairs. "We need to get you up to the Doctor." was all he said.

He walked with her, a hand ready to catch her if she fell. They walked in silence, and if she asked him anything, he didn't hear. He was thinking, and things were becoming clear. they made their way into the med bay, and Trace leaned against the door. "Got another one for you Doc." He said, and then walked out, without saying a word. He made his way back to the engine room, replacing the pistol in the cabinet as he passed. Then he gathered up the body of the girl, and tossed her in the Bay next to the other one. "You were dead before I shot you..." He said, more to himself than anyone. "Pity it ended this way, your life."

He turned to leave, and then something caught his eye. around the Girl's neck, was a cross. Silver on a matching chain. On a whim, he bent down, and took it, rubbing the blood off it, and cleaning it on a nearby rag. "So." He murmured, looking down at it, "This is how you treat us? Let monsters destroy what makes us human?" He felt a hatred well up inside him, and he took a step, intending to throw the cross. But something stopped him, instead, he kept it. Placing it his pocket. Then he headed off to the bridge.

[Lars Engström]

Lars hadn't had much of a chance to react to the situation before Trace was gone. He should go after the pilot, but when he tried to stand, he found his ankle all but unbearably painful. Sitting back down, he reset the nav system, running a few extra checks to make sure everything was fine. Then he gritted his teeth and stood up. "Gorram it." He swore, in a harsh whisper, as he limped his way down the steps towards the infirmary. He all but ran into Trace, who was headed back up towards the bridge, looking worried, and a little shaken, but unharmed. "Is everything.." He began, but the man just walked past, and Lars figured they could talk later.

"Well, it is quite the party in here." He said, as he rounded the door and leaned against the wall of the sick bay. "Looks like you are quite popular today." He tried to smile at Lance, but it came out as a grimace. He took a closer look at the room, and then his voice became more serious. His eyes came to rest on Weston. "Is he going to be okay?" He asked, concerned, looking at Jordan as well. "You should be more careful down there." He said, trying to lighten her mood, she looked like she was about to throw up. Pale and shivering. "Those engine's are nasty places."

Lars felt awful. He limped over to Jordan, and draped his coat around her, hoping she would warm up, and then he headed for the Door. "Let me know when you have the time to take a glance at my leg." He said to the Doc, "But no rush, tend to them first." He sighed, and shook his head. As he made his way up to the common area, his mood sank lower and lower. He knew it was his fault that all this had happened, and he was disgusted by himself. "What have I done..." He muttered, as he sank into a couch, taking the weight off his foot. He lapsed into silence.

[Lance Howe]

The sounds of the struggle luckily were signal enough. As he was pulling himself to his feet, Lance saw Trace run down the hall after the reaver. It was a bit surprising that he seemed to be the only one to respond even though the captain, clearly a better fighter, had also gone up to the bridge and should have responded as well. By the time the doctor was recovered and on his feet there was already more gunfire. As the doctor reached the corridor there was some more and then he could hear voices from the same direction. The situation had apparently been dealt with.

Lance took a step inside and leaned back against the wall of the infirmary. There was still work to do with Jeff, Lars, and maybe more wounded but he needed the breather after what had just happened. Reavers were just as bad as the stories and this one was probably a lightweight since she had just turned insane and never had any cannibalistic fighting experience nor the opportunity to cut apart her own body.

As he brought himself back to work, Trace and Jordan showed up from their brush with death. Jordan apparently didn't get out unscathed. Bite marks on her arms and minor burns on her back showed her spirited defense. "Take a seat." he said unenthusiastically as he pointed to the table that was Jeff-less. He enjoyed his work but business was currently too good and no one was going to be getting the proper attention including Lance.

Before checking on Jordan's condition which appeared perfectly stable he made sure to check Jeff's vitals. Everything was a little weak but improving from what it had been earlier. He might even come to shortly if the recovery rate continued. Jordan's injuries were certainly severe enough to warrant a trip to the doctor but were by no means an emergency. The burns on her back probably hurt a hell of a lot at the time but there would be no lasting damage or scarring. Some ointment would take care of it. The bite to the arm was a different story. Luckily there had been no major tearing but it was certainly deep. If it had been a veteran reaver the risk of infection was enormous but even with a regular human bite it could still be bad. The wounds themselves would heal easy but the chance of permanent scarring, an ever present reminder of the event, was likely.

Lars came in as he started to disinfect her wound. "Standing room only I'm afraid, captain. This will sting." He said switching quickly from Lars to Jordan as he dealt with the wound and then back to Lars. "I'm not a psychic. He's breathing which is better than he was a few minutes ago. He might wake up in a minute or in a few years. He might be perfectly fine or he might have severe brain damage. All I know is that his basic organs are functioning and he's not going to die." He gave Jordan a shot to boost her immune system and then began working to seal the wounds. "Yeah, shouldn't be too long until I've got your mechanic back to work and then you're up."

[Jeff Weston]

Why is it always darkness when all the action is happening. I need a break.... from this. What is more why hasn't my suit med-system kicked in yet. Well if my helm is off then half of the med sensors are off lined and what is more that blasted reaver may have crushed my pulse sensors as well. Great I'm missing all the fun.

Jeff's mind raced with unheard questions. His hearing was also muffled and off for he did not hear the gun shots that rang out in the ship. So here he again slept away another battle. His suit was rewired to have better sensors detecting his medical health yet, the newness of the system made for odd function quirks.

A sensor on his wrist gaunlet picked up the odor of disinfectant. So thus it responed by injecting Jeff with a small doesage of addreinalian and charged for a full body wake up. The suit started to sing with a high pitch beeeeeeeeeeep. The suit sparked and Jeff's body jumped from the shock. The medical moniter squeeked, and then showed an increased heart rate.

Twisting a foot and pounding his fist on the table Jeff slowly came too. Foul words in german of the birthing aspects of the suits maker poured from his dry thoat. He was trying to move more but the suit still held his joints fast. The suit had gotten to heavy for his weakened body to move. As the suit started to charge up again to hit him again with another pop, Jeff spat out in russian the command codes to deactivate and unlock for medical treatment.

The suit chimmed to and it hissed and the latches popped. His chest plate popped open like the hood on an old ground vehical. Inside were rations of medical supplies and a few end of life meds. With the suit opened his breathing improved and his heart rate became steady.

Did I miss every thing again?

[Jordan Maxwell]

Jordan didn’t snap out of her trance until Lance gave her a shot, wincing she looked down at her arm, and had to look away. She fought to keep her mind on where she was, what was happening. However, the threat that she might slip back into her thoughts was there. Could she have become like that woman? She had heard that so many of the others in the vault had started going crazy over time, would that happen to her as well? She was the youngest, that still lived.

“Is it bad?” She forced herself to ask Lance as her eyes moved back to the bite mark. It appeared deep, but it also seemed as though Trace shot the woman before she did much damage. She was thankful for that, she needed to get the ship going full speed, were they even out of danger? She wasn’t sure, everything happened so fast… Her lips parted slowly to ask another question when Jeff pounded on the table.

The small mechanic jumped and pulled the jacket tighter around her, despite the pain that it caused. Her blue eyes watched Jeff as he almost seemed to be coming back from the dead. Well, not literally, but it was close enough for her. When his mask finally opened and he spoke Jordan sighed. “I almost got ate…. Do you need me to look at the suit again?” The girl didn’t know what else to say, her eyes were still distant even as she looked from one person to the next, even when she spoke, there was something missing behind her eyes.

[Jeff Weston]

Smiling maybe for the first time in his life Jeff wobbled his head and said.....

Naw just a little reaver mishap. No need to worry your pretty red hair about me. We're a bit tougher than we look. I would like your opinion on something......what's messing with my right shoulder it's not wanting to move to well.

Jeff pointed to his right shoulder and rolled to his left. The broken reaver blade was still sticking out of the double layered armor. He had improved the armor after the first run in with the reavers. Looked like he was going to have to improve it again and maybe his amo as well.

Coughing he rolled back on his back. That blasted reaver must have loosened some thing in his chest probably a internal stitch from the old wound or a muscle showed that it was still sore, either way moving for the future time was not going to be fast for a while.

[Lance Howe]

"No, it's nothing." Lance replied to Jordan's question. He was trying to be comforting but his tone of voice probably wasn't convincing. It still showed his frustration with the entire situation going to hell and the work still to be done. He had fought and survived through the ordeal but while the others could sit down and take a breather his actual job was just getting started. He had to pick up the pieces after the battle and it seemed just about everyone had lost a piece or two in the last one.

He was about to have one less worry as Jeff came "back on-line" or so it seemed. His suit emitted a high pitched sound causing the doctor to turn abruptly from Jordan and face the noise with useless medical instruments in hand as weapons. The noise was followed by Jeff thrashing about and then speaking gibberish. Lance suspected that he indeed had suffered brain damage or even possibly had caught Reaveritis like the girl, but after only a few seconds the suit opened and Jeff seemed to be back to his regular self... his regular cold and deadly efficient self.

Lance quickly moved over setting Jeff back as priority number one and leaving Jordan with a half finished dressing on her arm. "What the hell? Please tell me that thing isn't sticking into your back." Lance asked as he saw the blade fragment sticking out of the suit. The way he was acting the answer was probably that it hadn't gone all the way through but the man was tough as nails and maybe enjoyed laying on sharp objects that were impaling him. If he was fine then it all just fell outside his area because he had no ruttin' clue how the suit worked.

"Take it easy, killer." Lance said as Jeff laid back down. The doctor did another check of his vitals and tried noninvasive tests of reflexes and the like. Everything was looking acceptable... not good but acceptable. The doctor didn't know if Weston even had an off switch and could really rest but it would probably be for the best at least until they got to their destination. Hopefully they wouldn't need him to do any more spacewalks or gun battles in the meantime.

[Jeff Weston]

You like crab doc? .... Then you should have no trouble getting this thing off. Don't worry it's off so it's safe. There's clips joining each section. Unhinge those and each piece should come off freely. The body suit underneith is a different matter, leave it be fore now. If your have one of the core med-recorders the you could jack in to my right sleave's hardline and get your readings. Otherwise I'm sure you'll figure out my gaunlet with red's help. Oh about what you asked I'm pretty sure it didn't go through.

Jeff smiled at Jorden and waved for her to come closer.

You might pelps the toc true da rest dov ip.........

Weston closed his eyes as pain forced sleep upon him. His body was wanting sleep...good sleep not the half zombie like sleep he had since the first reaver attack had happen. As he passed into the realm of sleep his mind turned to the first crew he got close to and their Captian.