Max, my God, I can’t believe it. I thought you were dead. Why aren’t you dead?’ I shook my head and he passed me some water. ‘I heard it started in the linen rooms and I knew that’s where you were. I can’t believe you got out alive.’
‘Hey,’ said Kal sourly. ‘I’m alive too.’ I gave her the water and she took a good slug.
For a long time we watched it on the screen. Sussman had all the cameras working. These films, together with our own personal records were our reason for being here.
Slowly, Kal got up. ‘Come on, Max, on your feet. Let’s have a look at you.’
‘I’m fine,’ I said, because that’s what you always say, even if your head’s just fallen off, but clambered to my feet.
‘Sussman, get the med kit. So, what hurts the most?’
‘Well, the door fell on my head so I think I’ve got a bit of an egg. I swallowed my own body weight in smoke and my chest hurts a bit and I’ve burnt my hands. Otherwise it’s only a broken fingernail and loss of appetite.’
She sprayed my hands with medical plastic, to cool and protect the burns and I slapped a quick dressing on her forehead. ‘There, that should hold us for a while.’ We both turned to look at Sussman sitting at the console and monitoring the cameras.
I said, ‘How about you? What’s the damage?’
He’d split the screen to show all four cameras and was watching closely. ‘What? Oh, I’m fine, thanks. No problems here.’
Kal looked him up and down. ‘You’re not hurt at all? How’s that, then?’
‘What?’ He dragged his eyes from the screen.
‘You’re awfully clean, given the state of Max and me. How did you manage that?’
‘I was with the other drivers when the alarm sounded. We were dispatched to our vehicles to evacuate the tents. I waited until no one was looking and then got back to the pod. I kept an eye out for you two on the way, but missed you, obviously. So I cleared the door and got inside. The cameras had activated automatically, so I made sure they’d got the best angles and waited for you two.’
He became aware of the silence. ‘As per your instructions.’ The silence lengthened.
‘What?’ he said, defensively. ‘You said, “No heroics. I’ll kick your arses,” etc. So I came straight to the pod as instructed by my mission controller, that’s you Miss Black, and got on with our mission, which is to investigate and record.’
He was being over-defensive and belligerent. Behind Kal, I made ‘Shut up, Shut up’ signs to him, but he couldn’t or wouldn’t see them. He finished with, ‘So what’s your problem, then?’
She took a long step forward and seized his wrist. ‘Look at these hands. Did you even stop to pick up anyone out of the mud? Did you just step over them? Or did you actually knock them down in your mad dash to safety?’
The problem was that he’d done too little and he knew it. He was angry and guilty and defensive and it brought out his worst side. She’d done too much and she knew it – we’d both done too much and she was angry and guilty and defensive as well. They stood glaring at each other. I decided to risk life and limb and stepped between them.
‘Guys! Not now. Davey, go and check the disks are recording OK. No, now please.’
He stepped back and muttered something and that did it. She strode forward and pushed his shoulder. ‘What did you say?’
‘He didn’t say anything,’ I said, physically getting between them again. ‘He’s upset. We both are. It’s our first big assignment. It’s certainly the first time I’ve seen anyone die, and it’s possibly his as well and the noise from the horses didn’t help.’
It didn’t work at all. Her eyes narrowed. ‘Yes, that’s a point. From what you said when we got here, you thought your partner was dead. Good to know you’re sitting here safely when you think she’s burned to death in an explosion; especially since you sent her there in the first place. You really are a total waste
‘Hey,’ said Kal sourly. ‘I’m alive too.’ I gave her the water and she took a good slug.
For a long time we watched it on the screen. Sussman had all the cameras working. These films, together with our own personal records were our reason for being here.
Slowly, Kal got up. ‘Come on, Max, on your feet. Let’s have a look at you.’
‘I’m fine,’ I said, because that’s what you always say, even if your head’s just fallen off, but clambered to my feet.
‘Sussman, get the med kit. So, what hurts the most?’
‘Well, the door fell on my head so I think I’ve got a bit of an egg. I swallowed my own body weight in smoke and my chest hurts a bit and I’ve burnt my hands. Otherwise it’s only a broken fingernail and loss of appetite.’
She sprayed my hands with medical plastic, to cool and protect the burns and I slapped a quick dressing on her forehead. ‘There, that should hold us for a while.’ We both turned to look at Sussman sitting at the console and monitoring the cameras.
I said, ‘How about you? What’s the damage?’
He’d split the screen to show all four cameras and was watching closely. ‘What? Oh, I’m fine, thanks. No problems here.’
Kal looked him up and down. ‘You’re not hurt at all? How’s that, then?’
‘What?’ He dragged his eyes from the screen.
‘You’re awfully clean, given the state of Max and me. How did you manage that?’
‘I was with the other drivers when the alarm sounded. We were dispatched to our vehicles to evacuate the tents. I waited until no one was looking and then got back to the pod. I kept an eye out for you two on the way, but missed you, obviously. So I cleared the door and got inside. The cameras had activated automatically, so I made sure they’d got the best angles and waited for you two.’
He became aware of the silence. ‘As per your instructions.’ The silence lengthened.
‘What?’ he said, defensively. ‘You said, “No heroics. I’ll kick your arses,” etc. So I came straight to the pod as instructed by my mission controller, that’s you Miss Black, and got on with our mission, which is to investigate and record.’
He was being over-defensive and belligerent. Behind Kal, I made ‘Shut up, Shut up’ signs to him, but he couldn’t or wouldn’t see them. He finished with, ‘So what’s your problem, then?’
She took a long step forward and seized his wrist. ‘Look at these hands. Did you even stop to pick up anyone out of the mud? Did you just step over them? Or did you actually knock them down in your mad dash to safety?’
The problem was that he’d done too little and he knew it. He was angry and guilty and defensive and it brought out his worst side. She’d done too much and she knew it – we’d both done too much and she was angry and guilty and defensive as well. They stood glaring at each other. I decided to risk life and limb and stepped between them.
‘Guys! Not now. Davey, go and check the disks are recording OK. No, now please.’
He stepped back and muttered something and that did it. She strode forward and pushed his shoulder. ‘What did you say?’
‘He didn’t say anything,’ I said, physically getting between them again. ‘He’s upset. We both are. It’s our first big assignment. It’s certainly the first time I’ve seen anyone die, and it’s possibly his as well and the noise from the horses didn’t help.’
It didn’t work at all. Her eyes narrowed. ‘Yes, that’s a point. From what you said when we got here, you thought your partner was dead. Good to know you’re sitting here safely when you think she’s burned to death in an explosion; especially since you sent her there in the first place. You really are a total waste
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