Rescue Run - Part II

Posted on Fri Jan 9th, 2026 @ 5:54am by Lieutenant Katya Davi & Commander Rhupert Tyree & Lieutenant Amy Gordon

1,627 words; about a 8 minute read

Amy and Kat had been pumping the trolley cart for a while and both their legs and arms were getting tired. But, according to the map, they were close to the broken-down rail car. Hopefully.

Kat could already tell that her lungs were becoming affected by the oxygen tanks. She didn't think of checking them to see if they had the same toxins as the colony, and she wasn't sure she would have given up if she had. They wouldn't be out here long, then both she and Amy would be back with the others and could have a talk with the doctor, if needed. Her first priority was to find the trapped miners and those who went to rescue them.

"You know, back in the day on Earth, there would have been people paying money to get the exercise we're getting right now." Amy commented between pumps. Trying to lighten the mood. Amy grunted slightly as she pushed down to continue the forward motion of the hand cart. "I am feeling the burn!"

She felt the trickles of perspiration stream down her face, "After this I think we're going to be deserving a lovely soothing bath. What do you think?"

Amy felt a tickle in her throat, her lungs were burning slightly. She wasn't certain if it were from the exertion or the oxygen tanks they were using. Looking ahead in the direction where they were going, Amy gave a smile. " I think I see something, Think this is the place?"

"A bubble bath," Kat replied, as she checked the map, then looked ahead. "Yeah. The bend is just ahead. We should find our first group there." She hoped at least some of them would be alive.

The cart rumbled around the bend, Amy's heartrate picking up, as she felt hope as well as anxiety building up. The anxiousness, was being concerned about those that had been trapped here. When the cart came to a stop, Amy stepped off and called out.

"Hallooooo! Anyone here?" her voice coming out somewhat muffled due to the breathing gear.

She pulled out her flashlight to shine into the darkness before them.

Ahead, where the track curved slightly through another natural, dormant lava tube the four person transport lay on its side, off the tracks and a pool of magma was growing from a crack in the left hand tunnel wall. Medical and emergency supply kits, spare mining tools and equipment lay scattered, some of it partially melted from contact with the superheated rock.

Kinna's eyes opened slightly at the sound of metal on metal. She'd given up hope hours ago and wasn't necessarily ready to believe in any form of higher being. Not after being abandoned years ago. Not even for this. She was ready to go, her body too stubborn to give up.

"There's someone alive," Kat said, stopping the cart. "I can hear them." She listened with her telepathy as well as her ears as she made sure the cart was secure. "Look around, they can't be far." She began to collect the medical and emergency kits that were still intact as she searched. "Hello? Where are you?"

Kinna heard a scratching over her comm but her arms felt too heavy to lift. Her beacon had been set to emergency automatically once the suit's sensors had registered the impact. She'd silenced it, though, and now she nudged at her good arm enough to slap at her chest, causing the strobe on her helmet to light off and a week BLEET sound from the chest pack.

All Kat's senses were focused on finding the person still alive. When she saw the light, she began to run. "We're coming!" She dropped to her knees beside Kinna. "We're here. Help's here." She pulled out the medkit and began to scan for damages.

Amy arrived next to Kat, looking down at the woman who seemed to barely hanging on to life. "I'll go see if there are any others, unless you don't sense anyone else." glancing to her team mate.

"I don't sense anyone else," Kat said. "But if they're unconscious, I wouldn't. I'll see what I can do for her if you can look for the others." She then began to scan the woman and see what they could do to help her.

"Okay will do so." Amy retreating further down the tunnel, she froze when she found the others. They weren't moving she ran her scanner over the first one checking for any sign of life, frowning and a stinging in her eyes, it was sad. No sign of life. She gently touched the one and then moved to the next, which was further down, she gasped noting signs of burning. She felt like retching as even though she had the filter mask on, Amy caught the scent of burnt flesh. She made another scan, nothing.

"Uh Kat I found the others, they aren't amongst the living anymore. One is badly burnt, the other not burnt but both definitely deceased." Amy's voice sounding raspy.

Kat paused, saddened at the news. "Thank you," she said quietly. Then she turned her attention back to the one survivor, more determined to keep her alive.

When the scan was complete, she checked to see if the medkit had the necessary supplies, then followed the instructions. At least this kit was for non-medics and told her exactly what she needed to do. She gave the woman an injection and checked her vital signs again. "She's going to need more help than we can give her. I can stabilize her for now, but she needs a doctor. Call the station and let them know what we found." They still needed to check on the miners.

Amy nodded, and called the station. "Nurse Weld we found a survivor, we'll be bringing her in, once we seek out the others. Time is of the essence. Will give you more information once we locate the others." waiting to see if there was a reply before she and Katya headed into the mine.

"Yeah, it'll take too long to get any help here, and if we go back, anyone left alive will likely die before we can return." Kat nodded to Kinna. "She's as stable as I can get her with what we have. She's not going to die in the next hour, so I think we should go on to see if any miners are still alive. I'll clear off the track while you wait for a reply."

Kat proceeded to move the damaged car off the track so they could continue. She didn't like the idea of going back now, knowing it meant death to any miners that might still be alive, but she also didn't like going ahead without permission. But waiting was not something she could do right now, either.

As soon as the way was clear, she went back to Amy. "Any word?" she asked as she ran a medical tricorder over Kinna again. The woman was still stable and not in danger of dying in the near future.

Amy looked towards Katya. "I got word, the one we found, will be alright but we'll need to quicken our pace." a furrow of worry could be seen through the transparent face of the EVA suit. She drew in a breath, feeling it catch in her throat causing her to cough. "I am also looking forward to getting back." she moved to briefly take a drink of water from the flask of water which had a straw. Making a face, Amy added, "And to some better tasting water." closing the flask and resealing the small opening she had made in order to drink.

Amy moved back to the trolley cart, getting into position to continue on.

"Yeah. I think these suits need to be cleaned out and the air tanks replaced. There's a tang I don't like very much. It's making it a bit harder to get a deep breath," Kat replied. She shook her head. "Let's do this and get back to the others."

Kat helped Kinna get secured on the cart, then took her seat so she and Amy could continue into the mountain and the mine. At least with Kimmi on board, they'd have someone to make sure they were on the right track--so to speak.

It took them longer than it should have to get to the mountain and both were out of breath when they arrived. "Let's pause here for a minute and do some scans," Kat suggested. "I want to see if we can get a read on what's inside."

Amy nodded, taking the moment to catch her breath, giving out a cough. Feeling the need to have a drink, she pulled out the water canister once more taking a sip.

She shuddered "Gah this water is tasting even more flat, but its wet." one more sip and she put it away making a wry grimace. "Definitely going to find something to take the taste away when we get back."

Amy pulled out her tricorder, to see if she were getting anything, so far nothing but Katya would have something a bit more refined on her tricorder.

"Can you pick up anything? I'm not being able to do so, maybe we need to go inside?" Amy looking at Katya.

"I'm picking up a lot of things," Kat replied. "None of them living. I'm not sensing any minds except for ours, either. Let's go a little farther in and see if we pick up anything. There could be something blocking our tricorders."

(To be continued...)

Agatha Smith
(Amy Gordon)
SS Adelaide

Kinna
Colonist

Katarina Diaz
SS Adelaide
AKA Katya Davi - USS Valiant

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