Chapter 6

237 16 7

by bad-juju

by bad-juju

"Please hold still Aero." Ikora directed as she layers me down on the operating table.
"The damage done to your arm is extensive, to say the least." She continued. I groaned. She had again ignored my complaints about my chest, assuring me that there was nothing wrong with it. "We have given you some pain killers, so the pain won't be there, but you system may overload, causing you to pass out." She said as she motioned for me to remove the top of my neoprene jumpsuit.

I looked around. The room had a few warlocks in it. Some with Paraxic robes, others dressed as pupils of Osiris. Looking on from a window nearby, was fireteam Hidden Power.
I looked down at my chest. Nothing. No mark. No wound. No scar. Just the pain. The all-devouring pain that I was assured was a mere repercussion of the crash.
I rolled my eyes as she placed a hand on my head and pushed it against the table. "We'll make this go as quick as possible."

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INTERNAL TEMPERATURE RISING 300%
LAFT ARM REMOVED - ADVISE CAUTION
POWER LEVELS DROPPING
WARNING! CRITICAL LEVELS OF POWER REMAIN!

WARNING! CRITICAL LEVELS OF POWER REMAIN!
WARNING! CRITICAL LEVELS OF POWER REMAIN!

WARNING! CRITICAL LEVELS OF POWER REMAIN!
WARNI---------------------------

SYSTEM RESTARTING. . .

ERROR! UNIDENTIFIED ANOMALY!

RETRYING. . .

SYSTEM RESTARTING. . .

SUCCESS

AERO-4 ONLINE-STATUS:OFFLINE

REBOOTING CRITICAL SYSTEMS. . .

CRITICAL SYSTEMS ONLINE

OPTICS:ONLINE
AUDIO:ONLINE
OLFACTORY:ONLINE
RANGE OF MOTION:FULL

LEFT ARM WAS REATTACHED WHILE OFFLINE

WARNING! INTERNAL TEMPERATURE 300%
ADVISE VENTING THOUGH ORIFICES

POWERING UP. . .

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I sat up quickly. Then I instantly whished I hadn't. I was instantly dizzy. I nearly fell off the bed I was on. I looked around the room. Empty. I laid my head in my hands and then I noticed the smoke pouring from my chassis. "That can't be good." I muttered and as I said it more smoke poured out of my mouth. I looked towards the window of the room and no one was there either. I stretched out my new arm letting it catch the small amount of light that was in the room. It was good as new. No pain, no soreness.

Then I noticed the small whine coming from my chest. "What the- Argh!" I shouted as a sharp pain emanated from my chest. I pounded once hard on my chest and the noise stopped and the pain quickly subsided. Before I could even ponder what just happened the door to the room slid open.

I looked towards the door but no one was there. I walked over to the door and peered into the hallway. I looked left and right but no one was there. I turned around and shut the door behind me. By this time the room was nearly filled with a thin layer of smoke. And I watched in shock as the smoke moved as if being parted by a body. But there was no one visible. I took a defensive stance. The smoke continued to part for the figure that wasn't there.

"You cannot hide from me." I muttered under my breath as more smoke poured from my mouth. I ignited my hands and moved towards where I thought the figure was. I held my arms out wide, trying to push the intruder into a corner. I watched as the smoke moved rapidly back and forth into the corner I was corraling it into. "Reveal yourself and I may spare you." I said, not noticing my voice seeming to fill the room with a booming echo.

"Aero? What happened to you?" A voice called out. I didn't recognize it at first. I blew smoke out of my mouth at the voice and I watched as it moved around what appeared to be a helmet. I lunged at the figure feeling my hand grab at the figure's throat. There was a squeal, definitely feminine. "Aero..." The voice choked.

There was no clawing at my hand for release, there was no struggle for freedom. I couldn't hear her, Rage flooded my system and my grip on her throat tightened. My jaw locked into a twisted visage, smoke pouring from my face.

The next thing that happened was that there was a hand pressed against my cheek and there was an audible thud as the intruder's helmet clattered to the ground, and the invisibility effect rapidly wore off.

I was greeted with the pale face of Nemori. The pain in my chest spiked and I instantly release my grip on her throat. She slouched against me gasping for breath. I was speechless. What had just happened? "Nemori... I..." I stammered. She eventually caught her breath and looked up at me. She didn't look mad or scared, but there was a very clear look of confusion on her face.

"We heard you were in a crash on the Drednought, and we lost contact with you ever since." She paused and looked down, "I had to make sure you were alright." I was taken back. She really did care about me. I recalled our 'encounter' on Mars. Then she asked again, what happened to you?"

"I..." I studdered again. "I don't know."

Suddenly there was a loud pounding at the door. "Open up!" A voice shouted. Nemori quickly picked up her helmet. "I'm not supposed to be here." She said looking between me and the door.

She once against placed a hand against my face and pulled me closer to her. She quickly pushed her lips against mine, and I felt my body heat go up again and I noticed a light blush across her face.

And with that she was gone.