H: Waking up and unable to move, groaning softly. "I hurt, what happened?"
A: "Don't you remember? You were so brave."
H: "Why can't I move?"
A: "You're in a full body brace."
H: "How did I get out?"
A: "er..... Two men you saved were Pax Humanis. Apparently, they said they now owe you their lives and wouldn't let anyone else carry you out."
H: "I'm... so... tired... you and they... are... welcome." -- Anon Guest
Human Ren tried to come up with a coherent report for the people in Disaster Control[1]. Adrenaline, always one hell of a drug, had written over a lot of his memories. He remembered the normal business of the party like any distant, alcohol-tinted memory.
He remembered a bang far above, looking up and thinking, That ceiling doesn't look too good. Some piece of thin-slicing must have flared, because Ren didn't remember making the choice to grab whoever was near and shove them to the exit.
What he did remember was yelling, "Everyone flakk off outta here!" as he sprang from his chair. After that... things got fuzzy.
Screaming. Yes. There was a lot of screaming.
A noise like a tree falling that was not a tree because of the buzzing snap beforehand.
The feel of being slammed by an unstoppable force.
Grit.
Hard to breathe.
Pain.
And then he woke up in an ICU drawer with the visitor screen live and Stymp watching anxiously on the screen. She looked like she was on a hell of a lot of peace pills[2].
The good news was that Stymp was relatively unharmed. Weren't there two others?
"Hey... 'm I in antigrav?"
"No, you're on some really good medication."
"I can't move... whahappen?"
"Short story, a building fell on you." Stymp waited for him to stop laughing. "No, a building really fell on you. Every bone in your body had to be restricted."
"E'rybody get out?"
"Eventually. Yes. Fortunately you sounded the alert in enough time to make everyone run for the exits."
"I should'a got out with you?"
"Er. You ran back for your drink."
"It cost half'n Hour[3], I should think so."
"You almost made it, all the same. Your new bodyguards are impressed."
"Bodyguards? What'd I do?"
"You rescued two members of Pax Humanis on Shore Leave."
The ICU drawer opened, and alongside the Medik in full red livesuit were two fellow Humans who were doing their utmost to intimidate the Medik. How they radiated pure menace without moving a muscle had to be some kind of skill.
Ren bit his lip to stop saying, You'll have to step on me later. When I'm up for it. However the drugs were really good and what came out was, "Cutieeees..."
"Those are some good drugs," said one of the Human statues. "Can we have some?"
The long-suffering Medik checked Ren's responses to stimuli. "Please tell them that they can wait in the waiting room that's what it's for."
"Absolutely not," said Lovely Goon #2. "He saved our lives."
"We are eternally grateful," rumbled Lovely Goon #1. "We're guarding this life until we can save him in kind."
"Yooo guys bett'r be careful," Ren managed as the Medik upped his dosage. "Mum'll think we're married... hm nice idea. Hey wanna ge' married?"
"We'll wait for you to ask when you're sober."
[1] They analyse all disasters and accidents and attempt to find ways to make them never happen again.
[2] Some species are more literal-minded than others. Therefore, generic names for medication are after their purpose rather than what they stop.
[3] The galactic economy is based entirely on the one thing that cannot be hoarded and has to be spent - time.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / aaronamat]
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