When she opened her eyes, Buster had lifted Nate into his robotic arms and moved toward the medical bay with him.
The ship was still slanted, albeit not as much. Rey scurried to her feet, then held on with every step she took on her way to follow Tucker as he rushed to aid Buster with Nate.
When she got to the medical bay, the ship leveled off and it was apparent that Buster didn’t need any help.
“Buster, is he…?” Rey asked.
“Do you mean…expired? No. But I must work quickly.”
Nate wasn’t moving. He lay on his back on a table. Buster’s arms moved fast, almost in a blur as he attached an intravenous drip to Nate.
“He’s not bleeding,” Tucker said. “Why isn’t he bleeding?”
“He was struck with an EC7 burst,” Buster replied. “He is fortunate it wasn’t an EC9, or he wouldn’t be with us.”
“What is an EC7 burst?” Tucker asked.
“Enforcer control,” Buster spoke as he worked. “Designed to produce an injury that will cause death. It was used to extract information from detainees. Their lives were saved if they volunteered the information needed.”
“So you can save him?” Tucker asked. “I’m not a medical professional but it looks like that blasted a hole in him.”
“They did,” Buster said. “I will repair the damage. Rey, I need you on the other table. Hurry. Remove your shirt.”
“Excuse me?” Rey asked. “What…me?”
“Of everyone on this ship you are the closest match to him. You share the same blood type and other markers. I need to perform a skin and organ cloning. Please. Hurry.”
“Wait,” Tucker said. “You can’t take her organs, even to help Nate.”
“I am not taking her organs; I am cloning them to repair his. We must not wait.” He moved backwards, spun around, and retrieved a small rolling table.
“Is that possible?” Tucker asked.
“The procedure has been around for seventy-one years. I assure you it is perfected.” He positioned himself between the two tables.
Rey climbed up on the one that was across from Nate and removed her shirt.
As soon as she lay down, Buster’s torso opened and from it emerged an eight-inch square object. Out of that ejected two arms thinner than drinking straws. They moved outward like spider legs, each with four prongs on the end.
One arm rested on Nate’s wound, the other on Rey’s abdomen. She cringed when she felt the pinch.
“This will sting. I am told it is not very painful but now is the time to ask for an anesthetic,” Buster said.
“I’m good. Go.”
To say she was nervous was an understatement. Her body shivered from cold and nerves, despite how badly she tried to control it.
“My apologies,” Buster said. “It is nothing against your bravery, but for the sake of this procedure, I must administer a sedative.”
“Go on.” Rey nodded. She looked over at Nate.
Poor Nate, he looked pale and was barely breathing. She raised her eyes to Tucker, who stood looking just as nervous. One arm draped across his waist while he bit the nails on his right hand.
Then Finch appeared. “We’re steady and on our way…what…what’s going on?”
“He’s saving Nate’s life,” Tucker said. “Some sort of cloning transplant thing. Don’t ask. Rey’s a close match.”
“And you just let her do it.”
“I’m fine,” Rey said.
“No, she is extremely nervous. Her heart rate is too high,” Buster said. “Administering sedative now.”
Rey felt another pinch.
Finch asked, “Will he make it?”
“I believe so,” Buster replied.
“And what about Rey, will she be alright?”
Rey didn’t hear the answer to that. The sedative kicked in and she passed right out.
TWENTY-SEVEN
What happened?
Nate remembered getting that dolly and he went from that, to playing with his daughter, to opening his eyes and seeing Tucker.
“Hey, buddy,” Tucker said. “How are you feeling?”
“Sore, I think.”
“Yeah, you were shot up pretty bad. Took some sort of Riser hit to your belly.”
“Why didn’t you let me stay dead?” Nate asked.
“You never died.”
“Sure I did. I died.”
“Nope.” Tucker shook his head.
Buster approached. “Your vitals are stable, it may pain you to sit up, but unfortunately, the commander has informed the humans they must place on their life support suits.”
“We’re going through soon,” Tucker said.
“It appears,” Buster said, “the transplant was successful. He is not rejecting the organ clones.”
“Whose organs were cloned?” Nate asked.
Tucker stepped out of the way.
Rey sat up on the table next to him. She smiled and waved, then cautiously slid down with a wince.
“Can I give you a pain reliever?” Buster asked.
“No, I’ll be fine. I’m gonna suit up.” She moved slowly. “I’m glad you’re okay, Nate.”
Nate nodded and gave a closed-mouth smile. Tucker helped him to sit up and then eventually off the table.
“Anything I need to know to help him into his suit?” Tucker asked Buster.
“Just be gentle. I will aid and join you upfront.”
“Gonna have to put you in sleep mode, Buster,” Tucker told him. “When we go through that wormhole you may fry out if you’re on.”
“Very well. I can use a nap after all of this excitement.” Buster paused. “I have made a joke. Did you not enjoy?”
Tucker just shook his head with a laugh and finished helping Nate.
“There she is,” Finch said as Rey entered the flight deck in her suit. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I got punched in the gut, but otherwise fine. Nate is awake,” she replied. “He’s doing really well. Tucker is helping him suit up.”
“It is amazing,” Sam said. “That technology is eons beyond what we had.”
“Yet,” Rey said, “Buster said it’s been around for seventy years.”
“Crazy,” Sam replied. “And there he is…the Androski. Ready for another go through.”
“Hopefully, we can stop for a while this time.” Rey sat down, placing her helmet on her head. “Did you look at the logbook at all?”
“Not much, just enough to know that a lot of the ARC passengers left because of the Enforcers. They weren’t killing them but they were around.”
“They wouldn’t know to shoot them,” Rey said. “They didn’t have the bracelets.”
“But Nate did,”
