A True Hero

6 - Asteroid

The turbulence was getting worse.  Nicolette's stretcher shook violently.  

"T-minus 5 minutes!  I have to go faster or we won't make it!" Amai yelled, moving a lever forward.  

"Dreamer can't handle that, Amai!!" Jecra yelled back, clutching the wheel.  As if in response, the ship squealed and the metal on the ship's front exterior began to peel.

"Don't fail me now," Amai whispered and pushed the lever up all of the way.  

"Aargh!!" I moaned, the speed and velocity too much to bear.  I had no experience with hyper speed.  I gripped the Princess's stretcher even tighter, and her head fell and brushed my arm.  Something wet and warm touched me too.  Looking down, I saw her nose was bleeding.  The several cuts on my own body began bleeding faster too.  Suddenly, I was worried about her temple.  

"Falspar...can...you...grab a clean...bandage?" I shouted through clenched teeth.  I felt as though someone was skinning me.

"I...can..try," Falspar gasped, fighting the pull against us and bending down to the medicine bag.  After rummaging through it for a few moments, he found a roll of cloth.  "Catch," he said and tossed it to me.

I had a hard time catching it since it seemed time itself was suspended.  The bundle seemed to fight the pull too as it flew toward me.  I caught it with one hand and with the other clung to the safety handle.  I ungracefully dropped to my knees and took a stab to the gut from the stretcher.  Taking off her old bandage, my suspicions were correct.  The flow was harder than it had been previously.  I tore some cloth and dabbed the blood on her face.  I made sure no blood got in her eyes.  She had the most extraordinary green eyes.  I stuffed some cloth in her nose to stop that bleeding, too, and opened her mouth so she could breathe.  She'd probably have a fit later once she realized I shoved fabric up her nose.  Tying the new fabric around her temples, I fastened her down again and regained my balance.

"T-minus 2 minutes!" Jecra exclaimed.  "Amai, how much farther?"

"One and a half light years," she replied, grinning.  "I think we can make-"

SCREEEEECCCHHH.  She was interrupted by the painful sound of metal pulling away from metal.  The exterior armor in the front of the ship, previously peeling away, came completely off and hit the windshield.  Cracks spiraled down the glass in a spiderweb.  Jecra raised his shield in front of Amai to protect her, but no shards of glass flew in.  

"She's falling apart!" Falspar exclaimed.  More screeching was heard as the exterior armor of the ship continued to fall off.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious!" Amai yelled at him and pushed a big glowing button.  A green force field appeared around the ship.

"What are you doing?! You can only activate that once!" Jecra cried.

"We have one minute to escape or we're toasted," Amai replied.  "The shield stays active for a minute...ish.  This'll hold the ship together long enough for us to get out of this system."

"And if it doesn't last long enough?" I asked.

"Try to be positive," she complained but still gripped her seat.  

Suddenly, a timer appeared on the control screen.  It was counting down from a minute.  We've still got to go half a light year, I thought and said a quick prayer.  Several seconds passed in suspenseful silence.  It was so quiet, I thought I could hear everyone's adrenaline pumped heartbeats.  

Bum...Buh-Bum...Buh-Bum...

10...9...8...7... The timer read.  Sweat was rolling down Jecra's face.  I peered out the back window, unable to see anything but the white flashing light.