Part 237: Ode to Raven
Mia calmly tapped her fingers on the console before the keyboard. She was overhearing some shouting outside. She wondered what could have gotten the survivors so upset. Locke had studied the paper he wrote down what the message from Helen was. He had been studying for the past twenty minutes. Mia worried he wouldn’t be able to figure it out before Watchman’s memory core shut down commenced. “I think I figured most of it out,” Locke whispered.
“What do you think?” she asked.
Locke showed her the piece of paper. It read You must Help us please activate spec. “Of course, I don’t know what that last one means.” He commented.
“Special?” Mia guessed.
“Special, what though?” the old man rubbed his head, “Specnatz? Spec . . .spec. . . “
Mia and Locke were interrupted by two people walking into the control room. It was the masked man Locke saw earlier fighting with Jenny. The blonde teenager waved to them both. “Hey, Jenny, who is your friend?” Mia asked.
“This is Raven,” she patted him on the arm, “He’s been wanting to look in nearly every building. I don’t yet know what he is-“
Raven then pointed at the screen, making a chirping sound. Mia looked at him and then back to the screen, the back to him again. “Raven knows about Watchman?” she asked.
“Watchman?” Jenny commented, “He . .he mentioned that, when he told us the story about how he rescued Claire.”
Locke then stood up and walked toward Raven. “Are you a Jaeger Unit?” he asked.
Raven agreed by shaking his head. Locke then came toward Mia, standing directly behind her. “Mia, bring up any information about the Jaeger Units.” He asked.
Mia quickly typed in, “Manifest of Jaeger Units.”
The words began to flap over the screen. Jenny leaned in, looking at large list of strange characters. Then she pointed toward a familiar name. “Oh, wow,” she said.
JAEGER UNIT 054> MONARCH
JAEGER UNIT 055> RAVEN
JAEGER UNIT 056> RUNAWAY
“Is there anything else on them?” Locke said, a little anxious.
“Not sure,” Mia typed, “Let me check the main menu again.”
> SECURITY SYSTEM CHECK
> ELECTROMAGNETIC PATTERN SCAN
> SUBROUTINE PROTOCALS
> SPECIMEN STATUS CHECK
“Speci -- SPECIMEN STATUS!” Locke pointed, “Maybe that is what Helen wanted me activate!”
Raven concurred with their findings, by pointing to it as well. Mia then typed, “Watchman, begin specimen status check.”
SPECIMEN STATUS CHECK COMMENCING
88 SPECIMENS FOUND, LOCKED IN STORAGE HOLD.
SPECIMEN ARE JAEGER UNITS
STATUS CHECK CONTINUING.
UNITS ARE IN VARIOUS STAGES OF DECAY.
TWO UNITS NO LONG FUNCTION DUE TO MASSIVE HEAD TRAUMA.
“Various stages of decay?” Jenny blinked, “How long have they been down there?”
“If Watchman is correct and I am pretty sure he is, that would be 48 years,” Mia whispered.
“Well . . .how do they eat?” the teenager commented.
Mia never thought of that. If they were locked down in the Hatch, where did their food come from? Raven slowly closed his eyes, a single tear dropping down his mask. Locke looked at him in a mixture of shock and awe. “DO . .they eat at all?” he asked.
Raven shook his head No.
“Not in 48 years?” Mia gasped.
Words on the screen flickered up with an ominous message.
WARNING
JAEGER UNITS HAVE EXCEEDED EXPIRATION DATE BY 47 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AND 13 DAYS. UNITS ARE IN VARIOUS STAGES OF DECAY.
DO YOU WISH TO TERMINATE? Y/N
“Terminate?” Mia blinked.
“That’s . . .that’s what she meant,” Locke slumped back down in the chair, “Helen knew I would have the ability to help her. I . . .I can’t imagine that. Down there for 48 years and starving to death, and not able to die because of what those scientist did to them.”
Jenny started to slowly cry. “That’s what you meant, “ she whimpered, looking at Raven, “Achieve rest for you and your family.”
Raven looked at Jenny with wave of sadness reaching over him. He was thankful to meet her in his last moments. He also felt selfish for doing what he needed to do but he could no longer tolerate the pain. He wanted peace; for himself and the family he knew for 48 years, trapped in a dungeon not of their choice. Raven slowly reached over Mia and typed Y onto the screen. “But, Raven,” Mia gasped, “You are on that list too!”
“He knows,” Jenny whispered.
The screen flickered with words again.
TERMINATION OF JAEGER UNITS COMMENCING
STAND BY
Raven took a deep breath, as a giant weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He slowly turned around and held out his hand to Jenny. The blonde teenager took his hand an he led her out of the building. They both turned the corner and proceeded to walk toward the back. Mia and Locke slowly followed them.
Raven looked around at the trees, taking in a deep exhale. He slowly turned to the young girl standing beside him. Jenny sniffed, trying not to cry. She didn’t know Raven that well but she knew she would miss him. The masked man looked at her and gently reached up, pushing the tears aside. “Raven, “ she whispered, “We had no time.”
The masked man shook his head agreement. Then he reached toward his side and pulled out his nunchuks. He cupped them together and then presented them to Jenny. The young teenager gently took the weapons from her masked friend. Raven then pointed them and then gently touched the side of her head. “No, “ she smiled, “I don’t think I will ever forget you.”
Raven then brought his hand up to his face and gently let it drop. Jenny knew basic sign language so she knew he had just said Thank You. “You’re welcome,” she sniffed.
Raven made a chirping sound, and looked to Locke. He gave him a thumbs up. The old man just shook his head, happy that this is what Raven wanted. Then the masked man jerked, grabbing his chest and collapsing to the ground. “RAVEN!” Jenny rushed toward him.
The masked man was coughing violently. He jerked and convulsed. Jenny took him and held onto him. Raven’s arms and legs were going numb, as his life support was being shut down. The blonde teenager gently stroked his masked head, as he laid her lap. His legs and arms continued to twitch for a few minutes. “I got you, Raven,” she whimpered, “I’ll be with you till the end.”
Raven made another chirping sound and then silence. His legs and arms were no longer twitching. Jenny held onto him rocking him back and fourth. The pain was deep within her. She wasn’t there for Martin but she was there for Raven. It didn’t stop the hurt of losing two friends in two days. Jenny slowly looked up to the sky, tears gently caressing her cheeks. “Please watch after him, “ she told the sky, “He deserves his rest more than anything. It’s . . .it’s what he wants.”
Mia slowly walked over to the young girl, placing her hand on her shoulder. “Jenny, I am so sorry,” she whispered.
“He was so brave, “ she kissed his mask, “He . . .chose how he wanted to die. We should all be so thankful.”
“Amen,” Locke whispered.
“We’ll help you bury him, if you want,” the Lakota girl offered.
“Yes, “ Jenny smiled, taking her hand, “Thank you.”
“What do you think?” she asked.
Locke showed her the piece of paper. It read You must Help us please activate spec. “Of course, I don’t know what that last one means.” He commented.
“Special?” Mia guessed.
“Special, what though?” the old man rubbed his head, “Specnatz? Spec . . .spec. . . “
Mia and Locke were interrupted by two people walking into the control room. It was the masked man Locke saw earlier fighting with Jenny. The blonde teenager waved to them both. “Hey, Jenny, who is your friend?” Mia asked.
“This is Raven,” she patted him on the arm, “He’s been wanting to look in nearly every building. I don’t yet know what he is-“
Raven then pointed at the screen, making a chirping sound. Mia looked at him and then back to the screen, the back to him again. “Raven knows about Watchman?” she asked.
“Watchman?” Jenny commented, “He . .he mentioned that, when he told us the story about how he rescued Claire.”
Locke then stood up and walked toward Raven. “Are you a Jaeger Unit?” he asked.
Raven agreed by shaking his head. Locke then came toward Mia, standing directly behind her. “Mia, bring up any information about the Jaeger Units.” He asked.
Mia quickly typed in, “Manifest of Jaeger Units.”
The words began to flap over the screen. Jenny leaned in, looking at large list of strange characters. Then she pointed toward a familiar name. “Oh, wow,” she said.
JAEGER UNIT 054> MONARCH
JAEGER UNIT 055> RAVEN
JAEGER UNIT 056> RUNAWAY
“Is there anything else on them?” Locke said, a little anxious.
“Not sure,” Mia typed, “Let me check the main menu again.”
> SECURITY SYSTEM CHECK
> ELECTROMAGNETIC PATTERN SCAN
> SUBROUTINE PROTOCALS
> SPECIMEN STATUS CHECK
“Speci -- SPECIMEN STATUS!” Locke pointed, “Maybe that is what Helen wanted me activate!”
Raven concurred with their findings, by pointing to it as well. Mia then typed, “Watchman, begin specimen status check.”
SPECIMEN STATUS CHECK COMMENCING
88 SPECIMENS FOUND, LOCKED IN STORAGE HOLD.
SPECIMEN ARE JAEGER UNITS
STATUS CHECK CONTINUING.
UNITS ARE IN VARIOUS STAGES OF DECAY.
TWO UNITS NO LONG FUNCTION DUE TO MASSIVE HEAD TRAUMA.
“Various stages of decay?” Jenny blinked, “How long have they been down there?”
“If Watchman is correct and I am pretty sure he is, that would be 48 years,” Mia whispered.
“Well . . .how do they eat?” the teenager commented.
Mia never thought of that. If they were locked down in the Hatch, where did their food come from? Raven slowly closed his eyes, a single tear dropping down his mask. Locke looked at him in a mixture of shock and awe. “DO . .they eat at all?” he asked.
Raven shook his head No.
“Not in 48 years?” Mia gasped.
Words on the screen flickered up with an ominous message.
WARNING
JAEGER UNITS HAVE EXCEEDED EXPIRATION DATE BY 47 YEARS, 4 MONTHS AND 13 DAYS. UNITS ARE IN VARIOUS STAGES OF DECAY.
DO YOU WISH TO TERMINATE? Y/N
“Terminate?” Mia blinked.
“That’s . . .that’s what she meant,” Locke slumped back down in the chair, “Helen knew I would have the ability to help her. I . . .I can’t imagine that. Down there for 48 years and starving to death, and not able to die because of what those scientist did to them.”
Jenny started to slowly cry. “That’s what you meant, “ she whimpered, looking at Raven, “Achieve rest for you and your family.”
Raven looked at Jenny with wave of sadness reaching over him. He was thankful to meet her in his last moments. He also felt selfish for doing what he needed to do but he could no longer tolerate the pain. He wanted peace; for himself and the family he knew for 48 years, trapped in a dungeon not of their choice. Raven slowly reached over Mia and typed Y onto the screen. “But, Raven,” Mia gasped, “You are on that list too!”
“He knows,” Jenny whispered.
The screen flickered with words again.
TERMINATION OF JAEGER UNITS COMMENCING
STAND BY
Raven took a deep breath, as a giant weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He slowly turned around and held out his hand to Jenny. The blonde teenager took his hand an he led her out of the building. They both turned the corner and proceeded to walk toward the back. Mia and Locke slowly followed them.
Raven looked around at the trees, taking in a deep exhale. He slowly turned to the young girl standing beside him. Jenny sniffed, trying not to cry. She didn’t know Raven that well but she knew she would miss him. The masked man looked at her and gently reached up, pushing the tears aside. “Raven, “ she whispered, “We had no time.”
The masked man shook his head agreement. Then he reached toward his side and pulled out his nunchuks. He cupped them together and then presented them to Jenny. The young teenager gently took the weapons from her masked friend. Raven then pointed them and then gently touched the side of her head. “No, “ she smiled, “I don’t think I will ever forget you.”
Raven then brought his hand up to his face and gently let it drop. Jenny knew basic sign language so she knew he had just said Thank You. “You’re welcome,” she sniffed.
Raven made a chirping sound, and looked to Locke. He gave him a thumbs up. The old man just shook his head, happy that this is what Raven wanted. Then the masked man jerked, grabbing his chest and collapsing to the ground. “RAVEN!” Jenny rushed toward him.
The masked man was coughing violently. He jerked and convulsed. Jenny took him and held onto him. Raven’s arms and legs were going numb, as his life support was being shut down. The blonde teenager gently stroked his masked head, as he laid her lap. His legs and arms continued to twitch for a few minutes. “I got you, Raven,” she whimpered, “I’ll be with you till the end.”
Raven made another chirping sound and then silence. His legs and arms were no longer twitching. Jenny held onto him rocking him back and fourth. The pain was deep within her. She wasn’t there for Martin but she was there for Raven. It didn’t stop the hurt of losing two friends in two days. Jenny slowly looked up to the sky, tears gently caressing her cheeks. “Please watch after him, “ she told the sky, “He deserves his rest more than anything. It’s . . .it’s what he wants.”
Mia slowly walked over to the young girl, placing her hand on her shoulder. “Jenny, I am so sorry,” she whispered.
“He was so brave, “ she kissed his mask, “He . . .chose how he wanted to die. We should all be so thankful.”
“Amen,” Locke whispered.
“We’ll help you bury him, if you want,” the Lakota girl offered.
“Yes, “ Jenny smiled, taking her hand, “Thank you.”
posted by Jason | 8:35 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home