#108 Quick Reaction

Posted on Wed Jan 4th, 2023 @ 9:52pm by Lieutenant JG Marcus Resch {Meji}

Mission: BUGS OH NO!!
Location: Rigo IV
Timeline: current

ON:

Marcus Resch walked the streets of Greenville, finding an open park/convention area between several large buildings near to the center of town. There were transporters placed randomly around the area for tourists and shoppers to go hither and thither without much fuss. Another item for that were skiffs with open air seating. The skiffs were oval shaped, and flat on the bottom for landing and the repulsor/anti-grav units to work properly. Bench seat were within, along the outer edges, the edges being the backs for the seats. People would load and unload from the aft section and a pilot would fly folks wherever they needed to go, or if they just wanted an aerial view of the city and all it had to offer. Rigo IV had their poop in a group as a colony and a tourist attraction.

Doctor Silk was no fun to be around right now, still sulking over what had happened with the Tuuran, and also missing his mate. He needed comfort but not the comfort of a friend. Resch hoped that Nira would return soon, and bring his daughter to see him, to offset the negativity with something absolutely positive. Then, there was Kirk. Jim was spending time with her family on the ranch, which was all fine and good and what leave was meant for. But, after a while, Marcus found it all a bit much, not having anyone or anything familiar to keep him from going stir crazy. So, he had used the transporter system and beamed to the city, which was awesome since it was covered in snow and had a very Earth-like appearance. Very Christmas. And, he did note that there were those from Earth, with businesses, who had decorated for that very holiday. It made him miss the great state of Montana that much more. What he wouldn't give to be able to go home to Kalispel and the great Glacier National Park. The Road to the Sun was epic, but not open during winter so there were shuttle tours now to take people to the top where the road simply ended.

Green had yet to return in the Euphrates, having made up some excuse about Starfleet Intel. He knew better, as did the others by the way they all avoided the topic. But, it was leave and she was weird with all the Meji stuff. Kirk had tried to explain some of it but her own knowledge in that area was limited. Resch, well, he was just glad to be Human. That was it, just a man with a will to overcome and the drive to keep going despite adversity. The very nature that made Humans who they were. Adaptability and the will to survive almost anywhere.

As he sat just inside the doorway of a small cafe picking at a Bajoran mapa bread muffin and sipping some hot coffee freshly ground and brewed, Marcus gazed out the window as he enjoyed the view of families and friends going about their day and enjoying the sledding hill that had been created in the park. He could see children of various species all laughing, crying and carrying on while their parents made the trek up the hill after every slide to let them do it again. If nothing else kids were good for cardio, he thought. As he watched he noticed that everyone stopped what they were doing, stopping right where they were as they all looked up and in the same direction. Getting up from his table he went outside and looked up, seeing a skiff that was acting odd and weaving this way and that. He looked at an older gent. "What's wrong?"

"That skiff is acting up, but there's no pilot, just a group of children aboard."

"What?!" Resch's eyes returned to the skiff as he shaded his eyes from the winter sunlight. "Where are the other skiffs?"

"All out doing tours..."

Marcus took off like a shot as the man was speaking, running over to a transporter kiosk. "Hey! Can you beam me onto that skiff?" He pointed at the skiff the young man/teen was watching.

"No way, Sir. These transporters are built for sedentary travel not moving objects. Plus, I don't know how to do that."

Resch gave a hissing F-bomb under his breath. His eyes looked all around the large open park area which brought an idea to mind even as he heard emergency sirens coming in. The vehicles stopped and began to bring out medical gear for when the skiff finally either landed or took a header into the ground. "There. That building. Can you beam me to the top of it?"

"That I can do. Step in."

Doing just that Resch kept his eyes on the skiff, seeing it headed towards the building he had spotted, ascending as it weaved that way. After a few moments he was caught up in the matter stream and sent to the top of the building he had designated. Once on top and looking around to orient himself, Resch ran over to the edge, leaning on the two feet wide edging and looking over and seeing the skiff coming closer but not making a beeline. If it kept going it would pass the building and ascend to leave Greenville, heading towards the sky mountains. With the modern technology of the buildings there was no ice as the edging was heated to prevent ice build up and possible falling ice that could injure people. Hopping up onto the ledge he jogged along. The skiff would pass a corner up ahead, some fifteen meters down, but it was his best option. On board he could see that the oldest child looked to be about twelve years old, all of them screaming and crying in terror. "Hey!" He called out, waving his arms.

A young girl saw him and got everyone to quiet down as she pointed. The twelve year old boy who looked to be the oldest was trying in vain to get control of the vehicle but to no avail. "You guys open a spot for me! I'm gonna jump aboard!" The skiff began to pick up speed suddenly, and again Marcus gave a hissing F-bomb under his breath. "Here I come so make room!" Running along the ledge towards the corner Resch never hesitated. He had to get aboard and get that machine under control. The people down below in the play area all saw him running along the ledge and what his intentions were. They all gasped, some people covering their mouths in fear as he got to the corner and leaped through the air, free falling feet first towards the skiff.

Landing in the middle of the open skiff, no children to crush beneath his boots, Resch did a tuck and roll as he made contact, rolling into a side panel on the skiff and impacting his back against it. He barked in pain even as the skiff wobbled from the new weight distribution causing the children to scream in fear as it bucked like a bronco. Using a leg and both hands Marcus got hold of the kids falling this way and that, making sure they would stay inside. His back ached but he could worry about that later as he saw a little girl, maybe seven, clutching the handrail along the edging of the craft with one hand, her body dangling on the outside of the vehicle as she had caught herself from going all the way to the ground. Resch dived over and knelt on the bench seat, grabbing her wrist and reaching over with his other hand to bring her back aboard, both of them rolling to the interior safety. Once she was safe he rolled onto his belly and crawled on all fours to the controls, the twelve year old still trying to get control. "Move!"

The boy moved and Resch could see the panel had been jimmied open and the wiring mucked with. As he worked to manipulate the controls he glanced at the boys hands, seeing debris from wire cutting on the hands. Another glance to the boy's waist showed he had a multi-tool. "What did you do?" He asked.

"I...I didn't..."

"You did, and you know it. What were you trying to do kill all your friends?" Resch was not shouting but his tone was not nice, nor gentle. "There is a reason adults fly these, not children," he calmed his voice as he said that, trying to be explanatory rather than accusatory. "Be glad I'm not your dad, I would tan your hide and ground you to your room until you were fifty." He kept looking at the panel trying to figure out what was what.

The boy gave a grin. "Do you know how to fly this thing?"

"Of course I know how to fly this thing," Resch retorted. ~Not exactly, anyway~ he said in his mind.

"I'll help," said the boy, pointing out what controls did what since there were no words just pictograph style Disney crap.

Resch was now standing where the pilot would, people below cheering and clapping that he had made it aboard and was now in control. But, they realized there was something wrong when the skiff began to weave this way and that, dipping in height and then climbing again. The boy who had jacked the skiff to begin with was now trying to reconnect what he had changed to get the vehicle started in the first place. This, of course, caused the anti-grav and repulsors to sputter and misfire which had Marcus tapping keys like crazy to keep the damn thing level and afloat. The kids behind him were rolling around in the floor area but there was no worry of them falling out unless the skiff suddenly tipped on its side. Seeing an ice skating rink in the distance he made his way that way as best he could, waving to people below to get out of the way and out from under the flight path.

Whatever the boy was doing he made the controls easier but there was a sudden drop in power. "Not good, boy! We're losing altitude..." And, losing it fast. But, as he got used to what was what Resch found he could 'steer' much better so he angled the skiff towards the ice skating rink. just as they got to the rink the skiff lost power enough to keep it afloat and began to dead drop at an angle, with an eight meter drop awaiting. Marcus turned and got in the middle of the kids. "Everyone cover your head on the floor!" They did so, screaming and crying as he covered them as best he could with his own body, trying to hold them all down, his hands gripping clothing on a few to remain in place. The skiff hit the ice hard, bounced a bit and then slid for what seemed like forever before careening into a large wall that was also a snow bank. All of them were doused in snow and ice but they had all weathered the crash and no one was hurt too bad. Bumps and bruises, at most, and a lot of anxiety.

Picking himself up Resch brushed snow from his hair and clothes, helping the kids do the same. All of them did not wait for that, instead opening the back and running away from the skiff crying and into the arms of their parents and guardians. Marcus turned to the boy but he was gone. Looking around he saw the kid crawling up and over the snowbank and disappearing into the crowd. "Figures." He said to himself with hands on hips.

The crowd on the other hand came forward and applauded his efforts, Resch receiving hugs and claps on the back for a job well done. Several of the emergency crew shook his hand as they informed him that they could have beamed aboard with their mobile unit, but with him and all the kids, there was not enough open space to do it safely. "It's okay, folks. They're safe, all that matters. Might want to consider better security on the skiffs, though. Just to be safe."

Walking away, back to the cafe, Resch was limping slightly from where his lumbar region had smacked that control panel. He could tell nothing was broken but damn it hurt. Stepping inside the cafe and taking his seat with a groan, Marcus was treated to whatever he wanted on the house. The staff stood around and talked with him for quite a while, and as time went by his back began to feel a bit better.

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