Across the Rift 4
#1 of Across the Rift
Chapter 4
Mission
The first thing that Sean Turner felt upon regaining consciousness was a sharp pain in his shoulder. The second thing he felt was a dull throbbing pain in his skull. Finally he felt a rising nausea and turned his head and promptly threw up. It was only after this that he finally took note of his surroundings. He was in a dark room about 15 by 15 feet. Sean attempted to sit up but, upon leaning on his left elbow, felt a fiery pain in his shoulder and flopped back down letting out a groan of pain. At this Arutha, who had been snoozing quietly on another bed nearby, promptly woke up and rushed over.
"Don't move, your left shoulder is damaged and your skull is cracked, just lie still." This, spoken with anxious concern, caused Sean to decide to listen and stop attempting to struggle into a sitting position.
"What happened?" Sean asked quietly.
"You got whacked on the shoulder and head with a club, you've been out for two days." At this Sean suddenly attempted to sit up again, this time at the shock of the news.
"Two days!?" This time Arutha was forced to hold him down with one hand on Sean's good shoulder and the other on his chest. It was at this point that Sean realized he wasn't wearing his combat armor that he had been wearing during the fight, in fact the only thing he was currently wearing was the hide that had been draped over him.
"Where's my armor?" Sean asked suddenly. Arutha's face turned puzzled for a second, then he turned and walked over to a pile in a corner. Returning with Sean's armor he put it on the bed.
"I have to leave now, I must inform the council that you have awakened, promise you won't leave until I get back." Sean simply nodded and dropped his head back to the cot. Arutha twitched aside the door flap and stepped outside.
Sean then turned his attention to himself. His shoulder, he could tell by the feel of it, was simply dislocated. His head on the other hand, he didn't know about, he was probably concussed. Deciding to stand, Sean swung his legs over the edge of the cot and stood up. Immediately a wave of dizziness was upon him and he immediately started sway. After a few seconds it passed and Sean was able to walk around with not more than a bit of discomfort. Looking at the tight fitting combat armor, Sean knew he wouldn't be able to put it on with a dislocated shoulder. Gritting his teeth, he placed his left shoulder against the wall, and pushed. A wave of pain rolled over him at the 'click' his shoulder popping back into place. Sagging to his knees the pain quickly passed and he was able to use both his arms to gingerly put his suit back on. Exhausted, Sean collapsed back onto the bed and was soon asleep.
Sean awakened to Arutha gently shaking him.
"Come, the elders wish to speak with us again." Sean merely sat up without saying a word, not wanting the pain in his head to intensify, he and Arutha quickly exited the hut and began trudging towards the elders hut.
Upon reaching the hut, they were again stopped by the two large sentries standing outside. Arutha surrendered his sword and Sean did the same with his hatchet. However this time the guard remained blocking the path, staring meaningfully at Sean's firearms. With a sigh and a rueful shake of his head Sean unslung his rifle and unbuckled his pistol handing the weapons over to the guard, admonishing him to be careful, who merely grunted and stepped aside.
Inside the low and smoky interior of the elders tent, Sean was again confronted with the same image, the same elders in the same spots. Arutha sat down and so did Sean a few feet from the elders. They remained this way for several seconds before the middle elder suddenly spoke.
"These weapons you carry are of great power, are they common were you come from?"
"Were I come from, most can get access to weapons such as these, but I like to think mine are a cut above the average fare." Said Sean, who had spent many a day tinkering with his weapons. At this the elder seemed to almost smile, then his attention turned grave again.
"These weapons afford the wielder a great deal of power, in the hands of an immoral person great harm could be done. However we know you are not one such person, given the way you acted selflessly in protecting the village and later young Syphis." At this Sean merely nodded his head in acknowledgement.
"However there will be some who will seek to posses weapons of such power, through any means necessary." The elder continued and Sean could tell where this line of thought was heading.
"That will not be a problem." Sean said speaking for the first time.
"I don't think the Meechan are capable of wielding guns, they are after all built for human hands." At this many of the elders appeared relieved, one less thing they had to worry about.
"We are happy to hear this, However that brings us to our next topic we wish to speak to you about."
"During your battle with the raiders in Syphis hut you managed to incapacitate two raiders correct?" Sean nodded this was so and the elder continued.
"Do you know what happened to the third raider?" At this Sean shook his head no and the elder cast a look at Arutha.
"Did he not tell you?"
"I simply assumed Arutha had arrived and saved us." Sean replied confused, if Arutha hadn't saved them who did? The elder looked concerned for a second then he pressed on.
"In the world you come from is there such a thing as Nacha, or perhaps you might call it magic?" Sean nearly scoffed at this but then realized how serious the elder was and remembered how they had treated his weapons, not as magic, but an advanced form of technology.
"Where I come from, There is no such thing as magic, but there are stories of it." Sean said at last. At this the elder nodded his head sagely.
"In our world magic is known to us, but rare are the individuals able to practice it, to wield it."
"This is what I wish to speak to you about, During your fight with the raiders, Syphis managed to use the fire in her hut to attack the final raider." Sean thought back on his last conscious seconds and remembered there had been an intense feeling of heat.
"There is a place a few weeks journey from here, where young Nachi can learn to harness their abilities, for if they cannot control the power, it consumes them."
"We would be grateful if you, and Arutha, were to escort her there."
"Normally we would send many men to ensure her safety but we cannot do that now with the land in the state of turmoil it is in currently for it would put the safety of the village at risk."
"However we believe that a small force, especially with you and your weapons, would be able to make it."
"If you choose to accept this responsibility, you, Arutha, Syphis, and another Nachi who is currently in the village and is in the same predicament as Syphis will be given enough supplies for the trip."
Sean didn't fully understand exactly what was being asked of him but he knew one thing, he had a mission. These people were his new friends and he was going to do whatever he could for them. He didn't really have a choice.
He looked at the elder and calmly said two words which would without him knowing prove to be one of his biggest decisions of his life.
"I accept."
Sean quickly ran through the forest from where Arutha had dropped them off at the location the met. Sean quickly pulled the cover off the small computer built into the forearm of his body armor, which had been a second skin for him for some time now, he quickly flipped through menus until he came to one marked locator beacons. He had planted two beacons so far, one on Springer before he left, and another one in Arutha's hut. He selected beacon one and set off.
Sean made good time and was back at Springer in less than half an hour. Climbing aboard her he quickly descended and entered the war chest. Quickly grabbing a Rucksack and full tactical web gear, he began picking what he needed for the trip.
His biggest concern was running out of ammo. To remedy this Sean grabbed a PDW-90 and a Five-Seven Tactical pistol, both of which are chambered for the 5.7x28mm round which would make ammo sharing easier.
Pausing he looked over at the rest of his weapons, he didn't want to just take this but he wasn't sure if he could carry all that much. Shrugging he decided if need be one of the Meechan could carry some. He then fell to packing with relish. Deciding to use the two Nachi as pack mules for the food and such he decided he and Arutha would carry the weapons, to this end he grabbed a second rucksack and, upon stretching its straps out he decided it would fit Arutha, maybe not comfortably.
Guns probably would not require much thought so Sean fell to thinking over the problem of what he absolutely needed. First he grabbed his Battlefield medical kit, and on a sudden spur of inspiration three walkie-talkies for communicating with the Meechan. Almost as an afterthought Sean decided to also bring along his Hatchet which had been an almost constant companion since first stepping off the boat, although he had not enjoyed much success using it so far its familiar presence was reassuring.
He then began putting in ammo and after a moment's thought a box of claymores and a case of M-67s, grabbing a few pounds of composition 4, after all no demolitions expert wants to go without explosives. He then grabbed an USAS-12 and the appropriate ammunition.
Next he needed something with a bit more range than the CAR-15. Pausing he considered his options, He could take a M-500, a big rifle which would be able to put down even a Meechan in a single shot. Or he could take his M-110, firing a smaller round, but it was semi-automatic and weighed ten pounds less. Settling on the M-110 Sean wondered if he needed anything else. With a smile he grabbed every combat engineers favorite toy, a M202A1 FLASH and 12 rounds for it. Cramming all available room full with ammo of all sizes, 5.7x28mm, .458, 12 gauge, and 7.62x51mm.
Grabbing the Helmet for his armor this time he slid it over his head and was overjoyed when the HUD immediately popped and began displaying all sorts of useful information to him. Sean was calm and collected as he stepped off Springer and onto the sand, but anyone who knew him would have been able to tell he was excited to be off and doing something.