When the Sun Turns to Darkness

by Mr. David R. Dorrycott

copyright 2002 - 2006 C.E.

Chapter Four

Rude Awakenings

Rebecca woke to a massive headache. Opening her eyes to a darkened room she knew almost instantly where she was. You don't ever forget that hospital smell. "Nurse" she croaked, her throat too dry to allow

any real force to her voice. There must have been an intercom or open hatch as seconds later a woman dressed in white entered. She raised the light level some before coming to Rebecca's side. "What happened?" the prone woman asked, her voice still rough.

"Water first, talk second" her nurse answered. Rebecca knew from experience not to disobey. Nurses had a bad habit of 'misplacing' your shot records if you upset them. She drank. "That's a good MEO" her nurse said as she drank. "Now, what happened is you passed out in front of the XO. Wonderful first impression."

"Yeah" Rebecca answered, her now moist throat more able to form words. "Why?"

"That dear heart, took a bit of testing to figure out. Comes up you blood sugar was below the basement. You really should have eaten before reporting for duty, even if they were yelling like crazy. Drugged sleep, a full day without food. All this excitement. It does add up you know. We've been pumping you full of sugar, you've been asleep oh.. half a day now."

"Twelve hours?" Rebecca gasped.

"No silly, six. Okay. I forget you military types think twenty-four hours for a normal day."

"I'm not military. Not in a long time" Rebecca snapped.

"That's not what your records say Captain."

Rebecca's mouth fell wide open. She gasped for air, trying desperately to wake up from this nightmare. "I was a sergeant... Not some brass hatted fat bottomed lard headed chair warmer" she gasped.

"I'm afraid that's changed dear. While you were asleep someone decided to make all the crew military. Most are anyway. People in charge, like you, became brass hatted fat bottomed lard headed chair warmers. Captain in your case." The Nurse deftly slipped a needle from Rebecca's arm. "Nurses are lieutenants. Confidentially I think its so they can space us if we argue." She reached over Rebecca's body, slipping a second needle out before placing a bandage over that wound as well. "There. Now when you can walk your wife is going to take you home, clean you up, get some real food in your belly and send you off to the coal mines."

She stood, smoothing her plastic apron. "Lady and wife. This is going to take some getting used to. Some new words I think. How on Earth did you two manage it?"

"We slipped through the cracks I think" Rebecca admitted. "Can I see Kathleen now?"

"Certainly. And don't forget to eat all right? Or I'll stick those needles in that fat lard bottomed ass of yours next time Captain. Mam." She opened the door, calling out Kathleen's name before looking back. "Don't give her too hard a time Rebecca. She's had a very hard day herself." She left as Kathleen walked in.

"I'm supposed to take you home, fatten you up and send you to the pits" Kathleen announced as a greeting. She was trying to be cheerful, but her voice betrayed her fatigue... And something else. Rebecca decided not to ask. She simple shoved the sheet off her body, threw her legs over the beds edge... and passed out again.

To wake up with her head in Kathleen's lap. "You can't just jump out of bed dear, not after what you've been through. Even in one sixth gravity." Kathleen laughed as Rebecca's eyes fluttered open. She ran her fingers through Rebecca's dark hair as she talked. "Slow is the way. Now shall we try it again?"

It took nearly twenty minutes for the two to return to their quarters. Rebecca kept having to stop and catch her breath as her body continued to rebel . "Really you should stay in bed a day or two" Kathleen warned her. "But we need everyone right now so I'm going to pump your stomach full of food and your blood with a long term stimulant." She opened their hatch, helping Rebecca in, then closed and locked it.

"No roomates yet?" Rebecca asked, not knowing where she could safely steer conversation yet.

"Won't get any" Kathleen informed her. "We're married. We’re both officers and we'll be having really odd hours. So it was decided we'd be allowed this room alone. It's designed for a very small family anyway so we're not really causing problems." She sat Rebecca down on her bed. "Be right back. You lay down, try to get a few minutes sleep. XO's been on our ass to get you up and running, their finding some bombs and need someone small to fit in some really tiny places." She vanished suddenly. Rebecca looked around, still a little confused. Bombs she asked herself before finally laying down on the unmade bed.

Kathleen woke her gently. "Foods here. Come on girl if you need sleep that bad you better stay in bed."

"I'm fine" Rebecca argued. "Sorta." She looked at the food and her stomach felt like it was trying to jump up her throat to get at it. "Looks good" she managed, fighting a desire to inhale it all.

"Your starved" Kathleen observed. "Eat while I wash okay? Just try not to eat the silverware." Rebecca ate while her companion washed with a cloth and very little water, hardly thinking of anything but the food in front of her until Kathleen, freshly washed and in a clean crewsuit sat across from her.

"She said you've had a rough day" Rebecca said softly.

"She?" Kathleen asked.

"Nurse."

"Oh, Bobbie. Yes... Yes I have. We all have. They've had me screening arrivals. I get the adult women. Its split up to speed the process. We can't take certain cases. Things like AIDs, Cancer, mental cases, certain obvious lacks. Like no education above the eighth grade for adults. Everyone we pass is screened by our shrinks. Even you and I." She smiled weakly. "Actually, you got a by on that screen. While you were asleep we screened you for the no-nos. Mind Doc talked to me about you, decided anyone strong enough not only to survive the announcement, but get married and.. Well he said you probably were about as crazy as I am so he passed you."

"What happens if you don't pass?" Rebecca asked softly.

"They send you back. And soon no more shuttles are going to be going back now. So they will have to shove people somewhere. I don't know where. But they aren't coming with us."

"Worries you doesn't it" Rebecca asked just as softly.

Kathleen nodded in agreement. She was twisting her hands though, a certain sign of worry. "You don't see them Becky. All that hope shattered when I have to say no. Some just get up and walk away, others argue. A few fight but its the ones who just sit there or cry. I get to thinking. Why me? I lied to get up here. You lied to get me up here. I'm.. I'm just a stripper. What have I got that a million others don't?"

"Me" Rebecca answered. "Kath, I love you. I don't give a damn if you don't love me. I love you. With me that's all that counts. Yes you used me. Your not the first woman to use me. Do you think your the only person that's been used? I used friends to get you aboard. People I've known years and years. None of them are coming up. Most don't want to. They lied to support my lie, now you’re here." She pushed the empty tray aside, kneeling in front of her love. "Kath.... Your not the only one that got up here by lying, and you've a lot more to give to our survival than some Congressman's fat socialite wife."

"Maybe" Kathleen sobbed. "But there are so many......." She suddenly broke down, pulling herself into Rebecca's waiting arms. Rebecca held her gently, brushing her hair with one hand as Kathleen poured hot tears of pain.

"I kinda feel the same way Kath" Rebecca finally whispered. "Maybe its my military experiences. Maybe its how dad taught me. I left my family down there, left friends. It hurts, it really does. When this is over, when

there's time I'll greave too. But right now people need us. Need both of us." She lifted Kathleen's head, staring into tear filled red eyes. "If you want, I'll find a way for you and I to return to Earth. So there's only a little time before impact left so it'll be madness. We'll have each other and when the end does come I'll be there for you. If you want me. And there really is a chance Earth will remain livable in some places. Maybe we can find one of those places."

Kathleen fought her tears, managed finally to control herself enough to speak. "Y..You.. you'd do that?" she asked. "Llllll leave... this ship? Ga gah go back. You'll die." Her body shook in reaction, her arms suddenly wrapping around Rebecca's smaller form. Nearly crushing her. "I don want you to die. I love you" she cried.

Kathleen couldn't see the relief those words brought to Rebecca's face, could only feel the answering pressure of her partners arms. "And I love you. I won't live without you" Rebecca whispered. She sat on the rooms cold metal deck, holding Kathleen again until finally the woman lifted her head.

"I gotta go back to work" Kathleen husked. "I gotta, and you gotta. But... Becky? When we have time... Do... do you mind if I dance for you?"

"I'd love that" Rebecca admitted. "And your right, we're both late." The two helped each other stand, Rebecca finding she was still a little woozy even after her meal. When Kathleen injected the prescribed stimulate Rebecca thought her arm was on fire, but moments later the increased energy balanced that out.

"You need a full nights sleep when this wears off" Kathleen warned. "In fact, you'll get it wither you want it or not." She lowered her face, her lips closing over Rebecca's for a long gentle kiss. When it broke Kathleen smiled. "I think you have a lot to teach me" she whispered. "And I think I'm looking forward to learning it. Now we better get to work. Before they fire us."

Their paths split almost as soon as they left their quarters. A red eyed Kathleen returning to her job of screening arrivals, deciding who lived and who died. Rebecca to hunt for some madman's bombs, hoping against hope she wouldn't find any.

A little later the first bomb went off. After that it was pure madness.