06-06-2016, 07:11 AM
After a few hours of exploration, Carmelita returned to the office. Chip had called her to say she had found a working nutrient synthesiser and moisture condenser, and having found a lot of dusty, empty hangars Carmelita was all too happy to call it a day.
The two of them sat around a coffee table, staring out at the setting sun. Chip was browsing the Dataverse while Carmelita made a face at the taste of the paste from the synthesiser.
A sudden gasp from her companion brought her head up, looking at Chip’s shocked expression.
“What’s the matter?”
“No no no no no…”
“Chip?”
“No no no no…”
“Chip! What’s wrong?”
“No no no…”
Carmelita got up from her seat and shook Chip’s shoulder. The girl’s eyes snapped up to Carmelita, moisture welling up in all three.
“My brother. He’s… he’s in trouble.”
“Your brother?”
Chip nodded
“Yeah. He looked after me after our parents were killed. We… we joined a rebel group. One of the protesting cells, printing underground newsletters and so on. Two months ago there was a surprise raid and we had to run for it. We got split up, I got to a teleporter to the Dunes before it was destroyed. I thought he was safe but…”
Wordlessly, she forwarded the message to Carmelita’s eyepiece. She ran her eye down it, picking out the details.
‘Hey Chip
I don’t know if you’ll get this, but I hope you’re alive. This’ll probably be the last message I send to you, I got caught in some crossfire on Tier 6. I’m holed up in a small slum with some bacta, but I can barely move my legs and Sullivan’s on my tail.
I love you.
Nimo’
Carmelita looked up at Chip, who was now crying properly. The girl stared at Carmelita.
“Please…”
“I’ll save him. I’ll need to take the patrol cruiser, you okay to stay here?”
“I’ll be fine. Save him. Please.”
---
Carmelita sped through the night, sand blocking out the stars in the rear view mirror. She brought up her Dataverse connection and began typing away, one hand on the wheel.
The two of them sat around a coffee table, staring out at the setting sun. Chip was browsing the Dataverse while Carmelita made a face at the taste of the paste from the synthesiser.
A sudden gasp from her companion brought her head up, looking at Chip’s shocked expression.
“What’s the matter?”
“No no no no no…”
“Chip?”
“No no no no…”
“Chip! What’s wrong?”
“No no no…”
Carmelita got up from her seat and shook Chip’s shoulder. The girl’s eyes snapped up to Carmelita, moisture welling up in all three.
“My brother. He’s… he’s in trouble.”
“Your brother?”
Chip nodded
“Yeah. He looked after me after our parents were killed. We… we joined a rebel group. One of the protesting cells, printing underground newsletters and so on. Two months ago there was a surprise raid and we had to run for it. We got split up, I got to a teleporter to the Dunes before it was destroyed. I thought he was safe but…”
Wordlessly, she forwarded the message to Carmelita’s eyepiece. She ran her eye down it, picking out the details.
‘Hey Chip
I don’t know if you’ll get this, but I hope you’re alive. This’ll probably be the last message I send to you, I got caught in some crossfire on Tier 6. I’m holed up in a small slum with some bacta, but I can barely move my legs and Sullivan’s on my tail.
I love you.
Nimo’
Carmelita looked up at Chip, who was now crying properly. The girl stared at Carmelita.
“Please…”
“I’ll save him. I’ll need to take the patrol cruiser, you okay to stay here?”
“I’ll be fine. Save him. Please.”
---
Carmelita sped through the night, sand blocking out the stars in the rear view mirror. She brought up her Dataverse connection and began typing away, one hand on the wheel.