Dynamic Patrol: Gel-Squad (Remastering!)

Chapter 8: Explorers

Tommy decided to regenerate the full 48 hours and then some; he was more exhausted than he believed. He did not dream while in liquid form. Instead of a landscape or perhaps a devious fantasy, he was deposited into a black void; it was just him in there. Sometimes, he would sit crisscrossed. Other times, he would run, probably trying to find a light at the end of a tunnel; other times, he would lie on his back, unsure if he was floating or lying on a solid surface like a floor or a couch. He spent much time with his thoughts; sometimes, they weren't pleasant. For this particular 48 hours, he was bullied by his mind about the outcome of his home planet and the outcome of the ship. Were there survivors? He should've gone back to make sure. Why did he decide to leave his home?

He traveled all this way but was still out of reach with his planet, out of tune. He was sure that if the buildings were burned, they would have been reduced to ashes by now. There was nothing he could do but sit here and be goop in a bucket. The thoughts were so painful he lost himself, and when he lost himself. He couldn't return to his solid state, much like the situation in the prison cell; gravity felt like a weighted blanket. He woke up when it became too much, even for him. Tommy rocketed out of the bucket and returned to his solid form, breathing heavily as he backed away from it like it was a monster. Never again. He exited the cave with a frown; the thoughts were still fresh in his mind, but he projected a pleasant mood, even if his thoughts were dark.

Looking around the camp, if that were the correct word(It was more of a beach with an escape pod and debris clustered together under a makeshift tarp to protect it from the elements.) Tommy observed the lines of tracks in the sand and followed it to D1; she'd moved from her spot and was messing with the escape pod. What was left of it anyway, she'd pulled apart the exterior panels and left a half-assembled skeleton. The components were used together in some kind of contraption; it was tall standing and built with components of similar origin. Tommy couldn't quite identify yet. She ran a thick, black, high-powered cable from the device to the one remaining functional power cell; the other cells fused together during the landing and lost their effectiveness. It seemed that D1 could salvage this one, and she could still charge external devices, like her own power cell. "That... looks like communications equipment." Tommy pointed, "Are you building a beacon?" Tommy questioned as he walked up to D1 as she continued to work on the beach. "That is precisely what it is. Do you have expertise in communications systems?" Tommy rotated his flat palm from one end to the other to show that he knew little about comms equipment.

In her trials, D1 quickly discovered that the comms array would burn out after being powered by a single battery. They were no longer reliable. In fact, they were lucky to get that at all. D1 continued to try, rewiring her bundle of wires and then trying to start the beacon again. Their fire withered out hours ago, but it didn't matter anyway. It was daytime, the suns were burning brightly in the sky, and it was no doubt the afternoon. Tommy made it to D1's position, and he noticed that her body was covered in sand, mainly her treads. "How long have you been working on this?" Tommy questioned, and D1 responded. "72 hours, 37 minutes, and 57... sorry, 58 seconds." Tommy's eyes widened, "I've been asleep for three days? And you've been doing this the whole time?"

"Yes." She looked up at him, not even bothering to move her body. Instead, she rotated her head 360°, looking at him briefly before returning to her work. "This module has been returned to 38.76% of its working capacity, and a signal will likely reach the mainland. I see your injury has healed." Tommy looked down at his lower body, shifting his feet from one side to the other and placing his hands on his hips in satisfaction, "Well... try not to shoot me again." Tommy smiled. He didn't even notice that he was healed. But that was beside the point, "You haven't been able to contact the mainland at all?" He questioned, "We will soon find out." D1 answered as she activated the module, sure her plan was going to work. The power cell immediately exploded into flames. Tommy quickly reacted; he clasped his hands together, and they fused and morphed into a big shovel. He stuck his tongue out of the corner of his mouth as he scooped up a big pile of sand and poured it onto the battery in panic. The fire was smothered, and Tommy breathed a sigh of relief.