Get Into James Shorts - 35. The Agony of the Big-K

Blood gushed from the place where his finger had been torn off, but he didn’t seem to notice as he stumbled toward the body on the floor.

Chief Henderson had been torn to red bloody rags by the missile splinters that had blown the avionics repair bay into expensive junk. Two more members of their section were down hard in pieces and the other three who had just been there were... just gone.

Avionics Specialist Randy Doss realized that he was the only surviving member of his duty section. He was also stunned and his thinking was slow and fuzzy. His ship suit had detected decompression and activated. It's nanites deployed pressurizing the suit and began treating his injuries. He had not noticed a dozen other cuts, abrasions and the suit was warning him of shock and a possible concussion.

Slowly it came back to him. Incoming missiles, brace for contact, the collision alarm blared and that was the last thing he remembered.

The avionics bay, always neat and tidy under Chief Henderson, was a wreck bathed in the red hellish glow of the emergency lamps. Much of the equipment had been pulverized into unrecognizable junk. Sparks danced on some of the wreckage and smoke rose and raced away toward the bow.

His first instinct was to report the damage to Damage Control Central but the consoles were shattered and smoking. He ran to the main breaker box and shut down power to the compartment.

There was a lot of chatter on the suit network: reports of damage, fire in the hanger bay, the ship was losing pressure, cries of help from the trapped, injured and dying.

He quickly fired off a text message to Damage Control Central: AvSpec Doss: Avionics Bay 3. Compartment heavy damage. Turned off main power. I am last survivor. Moving aft to join Damage Control Team.

He looked forward toward the hanger and saw a faint glow on the bulkhead. It was a clear sign that there was fire forward.

Doss moved aft toward the hatch at the back of the compartment. It had been warped and refused to budge. It took a few minutes but he found a crowbar and peeled it open. Even in the suit he could feel the gale of air rushing through the hatch. He went back into the compartment, grabbed a plasma torch and then went through and spot welded the hatch shut.

The corridor that connected the shops at the back of the hanger led to a large locker room which was where casualties were gathering. A corpsman approached Doss and looked at a panel on Doss's suit and winced.

He said over the suit connection, "How are you holding up Doss?"

"I've had better days but I can work."

"We've got to get the casualties here aft. Can you help?"

"Can do."

Doss made a dozen trips from the Hanger ready room to the emergency triage station in the crew mess on deck 4. He was returning for his thirteenth when a massive explosion slammed him against the frame #223 beta.

*    *    *    *

He woke up with a start on a nice, clean bunk in sick bay. His hand was in a mitt and... he had to get back.

He put his feet over the side of his rack and his head swam.

A corpsman quickly appeared at his side and said, "Whoa there specialist. Where are you going in such a hurry?"

Doss looked around in a panic, "The ship.. the fire, I've got to get back."

The corpsman said, "It's over Doss. Kaga blew up three days ago."

*    *    *    *

Six weeks later...

Admiral Tanaka ordered, "Specialist 2 Randal Doss, Please step forward."

Doss stood at attention in front of the assembly.

"On June 4, 2465 at the 2nd Battle of Stonegarden, the Alliance Ship Kaga was hit and subsequently destroyed by two enemy Kraken-c class missiles. Specialist Doss, although wounded, managed to evacuate twenty-four wounded crew members from the carriers hanger crew. He was subsequently injured when the forward weapons locker cooked off and was evacuated to the Independence where he was in and out of a coma for a week."

"Specialist, your actions were in the best traditions of the fleet. I am please to award you with and advancement in grade and the Alliance Silver Star."

Tanaka handed the award to Doss and gave him a drill field quality salute.

Doss took the award and returned the Admirals salute.

He returned to his seat where the rookies he was training were sitting.

One of the young ladies said, "It looks good on you boss."

He closed his eyes and looked pained.

She asked, "Are you OK?"

"Remember this and remember it good trainee. Medals and awards aren't really for you. They are for your buddies that didn't make it. They are the heroes."