The Cagliostro Chronicles II: Conflagration by Ralph L. Angelo Jr. Page A
Authors: Ralph L. Angelo Jr.
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hand.
“She’s gonna kill Troiano!” Red shouted frantically, fighting his way unsteadily to his feet . Mark grunted and stood painfully as well. But before either man could move the maglovator doors slid open and a blaster bolt rang out, striking Chakix/Ariel in the back squarely.
The maddened possessed woman dropped Dr. Troiano to the ground , then turned slowly toward the figure now pulling itself painfully out of the maglovator. Another shot rang out, catching Chakix/Ariel square in the chest, but the woman did not fall. She stumbled backward and began to walk toward the figure in the doorway again, her eyes sparking.
A third blaster bolt rang out again directly to Ariel’s chest. Mark screamed , “No!”
Like a puppet with its strings cut, Chakix/Ariel dropped to the ground , unmoving.
Immediately Troiano was on her feet and checking for a pulse.
“She’s not breathing ,” she called out.
M ark was at her side instantly. He turned to the man in the maglovator doorway, who finally fell into the command deck himself, collapsing on unsteady feet.
“Eddie! What did you do?”
“I-I was tryin’ ta save the Doc, Mark,” he moaned painfully.
Behind them Troiano called for a medical team and an anti-grav gurney . An instant later both sets of maglovator doors opened and disgorged security teams along with a medical team.
Eddie was helped to his feet and placed on one gurney while Ariel’s unmoving form was lifted to another. Red limped to Mark’s side.
Everything was a haze now for Mark Johnson. It was as if he was watching a program and not something that was happening before his eyes.
“Mark…” Red began.
“No, Red…” Mark slurred.
Troiano attached pads to Ariel’s chest and fired up her defibrillator unit. Ariel jumped once on the gurney, but lay silent immediately afterward.
“Clear ,” shouted Troiano as she fired the defibrillator a second time. Again Ariel’s body bounced up and down, and yet again lie still.
“Don’t do this , Ariel, dammit,” Troiano muttered, slapping her across the face twice before pumping her chest. Again Troiano charged up the paddles and slapped them onto Ariel. One last time her body jumped up off the gurney. Again she lay there silently.
Troiano began to charge the paddles a fourth time but felt a gentle hand on her shoulder . She turned and saw Mark standing there, his face grim.
“ Ann, don’t… Let her go…. She’s gone already.” He barely spoke.
“But…” Troiano began, then stopped as Red put a hand on her shoulder. Eddie had already been taken back to the medical deck during the commotion.
Mark walked over to Ariel’s still form and brushed his hands over her eyelids, closing them. Then he collapsed onto her, sobbing softly.
Chapter 15
Mark sat silently in his suite in the dark, s taring at nothing save his interwoven hands.
A soft knock came from his door.
“What is it?” he grunted hoarsely.
“It’s Danny an’ Red. We wanna seeya, Mark. We need ta talk to you. Open up.”
Mark sighed and tapped the remote on his table top near where he was seated. The door hissed open and both men cautiously entered.
“Mark…” Dan began, before Mark raised a hand to stop him.
“Look , I know you two mean well, but I need to be alone. After what happened, I can’t think straight right now. This whole mission has been one disaster after another, and now this. My poor beautiful Ariel.” He sunk his head into his hands and began sobbing again. “Boss…” Dan started again.
“No , Danny, I-I’m all right,”
“Look I need to talk to you about Eddie ,” Red cut in. “He feels terrible. He said his gun was only on stun. She shouldn’t have died from it. I checked everything including vids of the command deck and he’s right. He used a low stun.”
Mark raised his head, his eyes were red and he had a day old stubble. His hair was unkempt, and he had been in the same uniform at least a day and a
“She’s gonna kill Troiano!” Red shouted frantically, fighting his way unsteadily to his feet . Mark grunted and stood painfully as well. But before either man could move the maglovator doors slid open and a blaster bolt rang out, striking Chakix/Ariel in the back squarely.
The maddened possessed woman dropped Dr. Troiano to the ground , then turned slowly toward the figure now pulling itself painfully out of the maglovator. Another shot rang out, catching Chakix/Ariel square in the chest, but the woman did not fall. She stumbled backward and began to walk toward the figure in the doorway again, her eyes sparking.
A third blaster bolt rang out again directly to Ariel’s chest. Mark screamed , “No!”
Like a puppet with its strings cut, Chakix/Ariel dropped to the ground , unmoving.
Immediately Troiano was on her feet and checking for a pulse.
“She’s not breathing ,” she called out.
M ark was at her side instantly. He turned to the man in the maglovator doorway, who finally fell into the command deck himself, collapsing on unsteady feet.
“Eddie! What did you do?”
“I-I was tryin’ ta save the Doc, Mark,” he moaned painfully.
Behind them Troiano called for a medical team and an anti-grav gurney . An instant later both sets of maglovator doors opened and disgorged security teams along with a medical team.
Eddie was helped to his feet and placed on one gurney while Ariel’s unmoving form was lifted to another. Red limped to Mark’s side.
Everything was a haze now for Mark Johnson. It was as if he was watching a program and not something that was happening before his eyes.
“Mark…” Red began.
“No, Red…” Mark slurred.
Troiano attached pads to Ariel’s chest and fired up her defibrillator unit. Ariel jumped once on the gurney, but lay silent immediately afterward.
“Clear ,” shouted Troiano as she fired the defibrillator a second time. Again Ariel’s body bounced up and down, and yet again lie still.
“Don’t do this , Ariel, dammit,” Troiano muttered, slapping her across the face twice before pumping her chest. Again Troiano charged up the paddles and slapped them onto Ariel. One last time her body jumped up off the gurney. Again she lay there silently.
Troiano began to charge the paddles a fourth time but felt a gentle hand on her shoulder . She turned and saw Mark standing there, his face grim.
“ Ann, don’t… Let her go…. She’s gone already.” He barely spoke.
“But…” Troiano began, then stopped as Red put a hand on her shoulder. Eddie had already been taken back to the medical deck during the commotion.
Mark walked over to Ariel’s still form and brushed his hands over her eyelids, closing them. Then he collapsed onto her, sobbing softly.
Chapter 15
Mark sat silently in his suite in the dark, s taring at nothing save his interwoven hands.
A soft knock came from his door.
“What is it?” he grunted hoarsely.
“It’s Danny an’ Red. We wanna seeya, Mark. We need ta talk to you. Open up.”
Mark sighed and tapped the remote on his table top near where he was seated. The door hissed open and both men cautiously entered.
“Mark…” Dan began, before Mark raised a hand to stop him.
“Look , I know you two mean well, but I need to be alone. After what happened, I can’t think straight right now. This whole mission has been one disaster after another, and now this. My poor beautiful Ariel.” He sunk his head into his hands and began sobbing again. “Boss…” Dan started again.
“No , Danny, I-I’m all right,”
“Look I need to talk to you about Eddie ,” Red cut in. “He feels terrible. He said his gun was only on stun. She shouldn’t have died from it. I checked everything including vids of the command deck and he’s right. He used a low stun.”
Mark raised his head, his eyes were red and he had a day old stubble. His hair was unkempt, and he had been in the same uniform at least a day and a
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