Tailspin, page 13
“We have time,” he replied.
“Can I—”
Niko held his wrist out, and I put mine to his.
“Go easy on the messages,” Lacy said. “There’s not a lot of time out there.”
I let out a laugh. “There’s going to be no time in here, either,” I said. “But I will message.”
Niko made to move, but Lacy pulled away from him, then came to me and, to my surprise, managed to wrap her arms around me. “Look after each other,” she whispered.
“Thank you,” I said and gave her back a little pat.
She laughed at that and looked to Niko. “You got nothing to be worried about. He’s virgin quality.”
My face flushed as they both left. Jim returned a moment later.
“You’re lucky,” he said. “Or unlucky. That will wear off in a few hours.”
“I’ll deal with it.”
Jim moved to take a seat beside me. “I have no doubt you will.”
“Who was that with Michaels?” I asked, though I felt the yawn stretching my mouth and went with it.
“That”—he sighed—”that was one of M-Corp’s generals.”
A general had come to see me, to see what I was worth. Jim and I traded glances. “You in trouble?”
He nodded. “Very much so.”
“Will you be okay?”
“I don’t know. They could strip me of my titles, force me into other service.”
“I’m sorry,” I said and lowered my head.
Jim’s head shook. “Don’t you dare. You’re the best thing that has crossed this hospital threshold in months. Years. If I had to do it again, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”
I yawned again; this one made my head spin. “Best get some more sleep while I can.”
“Should be able to give you something light tomorrow for the pain,” Jim said and yawned himself. “But yes, sleep. We both need it.”
I couldn’t go to sleep without looking at my new stats. I’d had no choice. There was one issue I saw right away: my mod use matched my mod capacity. That would cause some very real problems. I knew it would. Why had the X24 cost so much more? It irked me that I’d been given no real choice on that matter. But… what could I do. I needed it to fly.
Identification: Ruslan Korolyov
Species: Human
Bonus: None
Mod Capacity: 17 *with mods* 24
Mod Capacity in Use: 24
Stat
Current Points
Description
Mods
Quality
Dexterity
11 = *14*
Governs agility and movement.
M177: Right Arm Mod: 3
Cost: 2
(+DEX 3)
Professional
X24: Right Hand Mod: 3
Cost: 6
(+ to hand DEX 6)
Professional
Mental Power
8 = *11*
Governs swiftness and fortitude of the mind
X1 Cerebral Mod: 3
Cost: 4
(+MP 3)
Professional
AI-T17: ??
Cost: 4
(+PER 3)
Unknown
Perception
12 = *15*
Governs senses and connection to surroundings.
Brain Mod: 3
Cost: 4
(+MP 3)
Professional
Strength
8
Governs physical strength and damage dealt
Left Arm Mod: 0
Cost: 0
Toughness
9 = *13*
Governs the body and internal fortitude
Organelles: 2
*Lungs, Liver*
Cost: 4
(+TOU 4)
Basic
14
I did sleep, and I thought I slept well. Apparently it was a good few days of extra sleep. Sleep I must have needed still. It didn’t bode well for this new training regime though. I woke up with no more pain, which was weird when they had said it would be terrible.
Alba came whirling in and took a big breath in. “Breakfast smells good.”
When she put the tray down and took off the lid, I thought it smelled good too. I pushed myself up. I really wanted to use the bathroom first, but the idea of letting the hot food idle…I picked up my fork and stabbed a chunk of eggs, shoveling it in.
“Hungry?” she asked.
I was starving, and I looked outside. “Did I sleep for that long?”
“I think you’re past most of it now. It was a little fever induced once the extra help wore off. We thought you were going to wake up then, but you didn’t. That gave you the extra time you needed.”
“I feel like I’m ready to face everyone and everything they want to throw at me.”
“Good. You might have done a little running, but you’ve gotta get moving properly. Swimming and running this morning, in stages, then some weights this afternoon. You’ll have spaced breaks, protein shakes to help build your muscle mass, as well as other drinks on hand. Get in what you can while you can.”
I ate, and even though I knew I would be going swimming, I showered and dressed. I was making the most of everything around me. Noting the bruising in the mirror, I gave myself a full once-over before I headed out.
Roe met me downstairs. She didn’t say a word about what Niko and Lacy had done. Did she even know?
“Last night—” I went to say.
She held her hand up and just pointed to the pool. “In,” she ordered.
“Work?” I asked.
With a nod, we walked to the building. She led me to the dressing room and passed me a pair of watertight shorts.
“I want to hide, not show off all of this to a pool full of people.”
“There’s not that many. Several rehabilitation patients and their trainers, that’s all. It will be only Jim and I with you today, and we’ll watch everything. The others will stay in their own lane.”
I mean, they did, but that wasn’t the point. I undressed and caught my reflection everywhere. In the mirrors, the windows, and even the water before I stepped into the pool. There were several glances from other kids, or teens from those other lanes, and even a few of the instructors who looked my way, winced, and quickly looked back to their own charges.
I stood at the water’s edge. The others swam up and down, their pace rhythmic and relaxing. “Something wrong?” Roe asked.
“You’ve seen my history. Does it look like I’ve ever spent a lot of time near water?”
“Give me a minute,” Roe said.
I waited there in the cold while everyone around me swam. I found the nearest tutorial online and watched it. Fast. When Roe came back, she was in a one-piece suit, her hair tied up on the top of her head. “I’ll show you. Come on, follow me.”
More eyes seemed to be on me, and I hated it. It won’t last long, I told myself, it won’t.
“You can swim, though?” Roe asked in the water.
“There’s a fair number of rivers around, though they’re not meant for swimming.”
“So your dad took you where you could?”
“Stepdad,” I chided. Then I felt bad for adding that. Tsomak had done right by me in the end. I was here, after all.
“Well, let’s just go nice and steady. It’s not deep. This is just a swimming pool; it’s not for diving.”
“That’s good. The idea of a huge amount of water underneath me is not something I want to experience just yet.”
“They will get you out in the ocean at some point. You’re going to be training out there. You need to be able to swim and swim really well.”
When she swam away from me, I followed a bit like a ragged dog, but I did follow.
“Think of yourself more like a frog,” Roe instructed and spun around. “Like this.”
She pushed both her arms and legs out in nice sweeping arches. Her legs propelled her forward much better than my treading water up and down, so I tried it. The movement was much easier, and I could follow without shooting water all over the place.
My breathing at the other end was terrible, though. I touched the side, found my feet, and waited to catch my breath.
We made our way back to Jim, and I had to stop again, panting harder. “This is terrible.”
“I think this will do you better than running,” he said. “It’s better on your muscles at the moment and will give your body much more of the time it needs to heal. Come here first thing instead. They have a lifeguard on duty at all times. You can come and go as you please.”
I lasted the day, going nice and steady, then the next. I never even got a chance to message Niko, time flew by so quickly.
The morning of the 22nd, while I was looking for more lessons to listen to on the net, I finally decided I’d send Niko a message.
Me - Just letting you know I’m doing much better here. Bruising and healing all going well. They’re pushing me, but I’m pushing myself harder. See you soon.
After my shower that night, I stood looking in the mirror. I knew my bruises were also changing color. The next time I caught Alba looking me over, I asked her, “They look better, right?”
“The water’s doing you good, but they have a long way before they’re anywhere near looking better.”
I sighed and slipped my shirt on. “The rest of me?”
“New food regime could do with a bump up,” she said. “You’re not eating enough yet to do this amount of work.”
“It’s not a lot of work,” I said. “It just seems like it is, as I’ve never done anything like it before.”
“Maybe.” She straightened my collar for me like a fussing mother hen. It reminded me of my own mom and I wanted to call her. I needed to call her. First chance I got out of here, I would. I kind of liked being fussed over and the next thing I knew, she was trying to ply me with extra protein bars. I managed to hide a few, though she watched me to make sure I ate some.
***
Though Roe had worked very hard with First Lieutenant Bryd and a hired in rehabilitation team. It was getting me back on my feet, just not as fast as I wanted. Apparently, their team was already booked up, and that showed she said in my care. Bummer. She hadn’t managed to get me to the bottom floor the next week which I’d hoped. January soon came around, and we’d moved down steadily.
Where I couldn’t do some things physically, they both took to teaching me instead. Roe on the life of someone with expensive mods like mine and First Lieutenant Bryd on what life would be like on Ocean Oil Fields. That also meant very heavy sessions on everything basic to do with helicopters, with life as a special addition to a military unit.
I did not like that term special addition.
I sat with Roe one lunch and pushed my food about my plate, not feeling hungry at all. In fact the sheer scope of what lay ahead had me pretty depressed.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I don’t get all of this,” I said and put my spork down. “I’m nothing special, why am I even here. Why are you all spending so much time and money on me?”
Roe’s brows furrowed. “I just do my job, Rusty. I don’t really know.”
“See, no one can tell me anything, Jim and Alba don’t know why I’m special either.”
“Oh they know why you’re special,” Roe said. Her face flushed. “Those two have taken to you like I have.”
“Oh?”
“You have this determination; from the time you got here you never gave up. You push yourself every day to get what you want.”
“I still don’t know what I want.”
“You will,” she said. “I’m sure you will when you finally get in your first helo and into the air.”
I grinned at that. I hoped so. I really did. I wanted nothing more than to fly.
“Now eat,” she said.
I picked up my spork and ate, for her sure, but mostly for me.
Every day after that was as Bryd had said. Though not as intensive in training as it would be where I really needed to go. Ground School. It was killing me I wasn’t doing the training with them, but Doctor Brosk also wouldn’t discharge me till I was ready.
The next thing I knew, the 24th was here, that came around fast. I had that little tag in the corner of my view change.
Eighteen.
Another year had passed. This should have been a special birthday for me to be with my friends. Depression washed over me.
Eighteen.
It flashed again.
When I saw it, I found myself filled with pain, and I pushed the notification away.
“Morning,” Roe greeted as she came in, her grin wide and shining. She put a bag on the bed.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Don’t be coy.” She tipped it up, and there was a set of new, not used, clothes.
“Roe,” I chided. “You really shouldn’t hav—”
“From all of us. We wanted you to have something nice that wasn’t military.”
“Why?” I asked. I’d never had anyone taken such care of me. I mean my mom loved me, sure, but presents. It was freaking me out.
Roe’s face softened and she sat on the end of my bed. “They will tell you when they’re ready. For me, you remind me of my cousin. He never got spoiled, it’s just nice to do things for others. You looked like a waif and stray when you were brought in here. Now, not quite so much.”
My fingers touched the fabric. It was soft, yet I could feel it was pretty durable, too. “Thanks,” I said. Then I saw Alba and Jim in the door. “They’re never far apart.”
Roe laughed. “You don’t know, do you?”
“Know what?”
She leaned in and whispered, “They’re married.”
“Oh.” I’d never guessed that at all. “But they work opposite shifts?”
“Sometimes, but mostly because they wanted you in the best care.”
That was some personal sacrifice. “That’s…” I owed both of them a lot. In fact, I owed everyone here much more than a lot.
I stood and dropped my trousers, immediately getting a chuckle.
“I remember when you wouldn’t dream of doing that.” Roe laughed.
“You’ve all given me confidence,” I whispered. I slipped on my new pants and fastened them. They were a little loose.
“Belt,” she said and held one out to me. “I wanted you to have some room to grow. You’ve still got a bit of weight and muscle to put on.”
When I struggled with it, she helped me fasten it nice and tight. “They’re great,” I said. “Thank you. Seriously.”
The shirt was also just as nice, and the buttons shone in the light streaming in from outside.
“Now you look the part,” Jim said. “We’ve got a nice day out planned for you.”
“A day out?” I swallowed. “I can’t afford to take any time off. I—”
“You’re taking the day off. There’s a town with some local cuisine and a display you should see.”
A display?
The thought of local food, not hospital-building-me-up food or protein bars filled my mind with wonderful thoughts. My mouth automatically started drooling. “Roe’s been telling me about some of the local fish dishes and desserts,” I said.
“Exactly. Now we’re going out,” she said. “You can try it and dessert too.”
“I get the impression she’s more excited than everyone else for dessert,” I said to Jim and Alba.
“We have a small car outside,” Jim said. “Come on.”
I slipped my boots on, though they might have looked slightly off with the new clothes. I didn’t care.
“Let’s go, then.”
Since I had arrived, I hadn’t been outside of the complex at all. This would be a first, and to the local town no less? It had to be some kind of fishing village, and I was right. The car took us out of the complex and then down, deep down into the lands around us. Roe stared out of her window, and I couldn’t help but do the same out of mine. The view was amazing. The X1 was working overtime to help me process it all, but processed it I did, along with the feelings I had around it.
Then I smelled the rich, salty air. This was a whole other level of amazing. When I opened my window to get more of the breeze, it sent shivers down my spine.
“Rusty,” Alba said. “You’re acting like a dog.”
“Never smelled anything so amazing,” I said. “Seriously, this whole area is alive.”
“Is that because of his heightened senses?” Roe asked.
Alba nodded. “It’s like he’s experiencing everything again for the first time. This trip is like a twofold job. We’re taking him out for his birthday, and we’re getting him used to the extra sensory load.”
“Still working, I see.” I laughed.
“Kind of,” she replied. “It’s not often do we have someone fitted with X models. They’re both pretty special.”
The X1 never stopped working, and I wondered what a Tier-Five would do. I knew I was behind in my physical capabilities, but my mind was catching up fast. The lessons Niko had asked me to look at, though, were odd listening to. But I was zipping through them.
Even now, it was playing softly in the background for me to listen in.
The Vanguard Escapes 101 was a series of helicopter basics. I mean the real basics.
Introduction and General Principles of Helicopter Flight
Lifting Force
Systems
Controls
Rotor Movement
It went on and on, into the basics of general handling and safety, including emergency procedures, and then started to cover air exercises.
The first helicopter that was the most practiced in was a two-man bubble. It was older than anything, dating back to unchartered territory. How the hell had he found this? It was so old, but the reading was good. It couldn’t have deviated very much in the whole of the history of helicopters. This was a find and a half, and I was hooked.
