Week 27: Ray Kwan- Olympic

Full Prompt: “Olympic”

Story:

He could see her just up the hill. She had always been faster, especially when she was excited about something. Every time her enthusiasm sparked it was as if her senses, her very essence was dialed to eleven. She was better in every way, more intelligent, her smile beamed more magnetically, and in this case she was a much swifter runner. 

“Come on!” She goaded him.

“I’m coming… I’m coming!” He happily, but short-windedly reassured her.

He caught up to her where she stood, looking out over the precipice. He just began to glimpse the most majestic of waterfalls when she turned with a blank expression on her face.

“What’s wrong?” He implored as he put his hands on her shoulders in reassurance.

“Alert. Alert. Alert” a soothing, but resounding voice rang out, followed by abdominal discomfort. 

“What’s going on?!” He demanded as her image began to slip away.

“Alert. Alert. Alert.” The same voice repeated.

His eyes opened. “Ugh. Okay, okay…”

“Alert. Alert. Alert.” The voice continued as another mild electric shock was administered to his core. 

“DISENGAGE!… I’m awake, I’m awake.” He sternly barked before slowly sitting up.

Breathe. Right arm, left arm. Right arm, left arm. Breathe. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Unending until he decided it so. Lap after lap he propelled himself through the water, sometimes ferociously slapping at it to release frustration, other times sliding through it barely causing a ripple. Today he was slapping, all the while being reminded that hitting water hurts, but gently placing your hand in it can be soothing. Today he wanted to hurt. In a previous life he had been an olympic swimmer, but those memories were far afield. 

Dozens of laps later he emerged from the water and toweled off on the pool deck. He engaged the specially designed drainage and suction devices to evacuate the water and store it in holding tanks for the next day’s swim. He flipped another switch and watched the few remaining droplets rise from the pool basin into the air before evaporating. As he felt his own weight lighten he stared out the porthole into the vast reaches of space.

Chief Master Sergeant Levi Rourke, freshly awoken from his latest stint of suspended animation, was now limbered, fully awake, and free to move about the ship.

“Elaine,” he barked out.

“Yes Levi?” The ship’s artificial intelligence responded.

“Let’s go with 'Chief Master Sergeant' today.”

“Very well, Chief Master Sergeant.”

“And Elaine…”

“Yes Chief Master Sergeant?”

“Let’s get to work.”

Rourke buckled into the chair at his navigation and instrumentation panels, choosing to keep the artificial gravity disengaged. Sometimes the weightlessness helped with the reawakening process. Sometimes it just felt good. He checked the usual channels for transmissions, a few signals from things that weren’t worth his time. One of note. 

As he engaged the message- undoubtedly someone wanting him to do something dangerous- the proximity alarm sounded. 

“Elaine- we have company?”

“Yes, Chief Master Sarge…”

“Oh cut it! It’s Levi!”

“Yes, Levi. There are several comet chasers approaching from the stern. 

“Well, let's give them a warm welcome,” Rourke quipped as he reengaged the artificial gravity and shoved a phaser cell into his sidearm. 

Rourke put a bubble collar on and stood at the ship’s entrance to the bay doors. He watched as multiple long-distance, life-sustaining, rocket bikes docked with his ship. 

“Several weapons detected, Levi” the ship informed Rourke.

“Yes, I detected that as well,” he retorted as he sized up his guests. 

Safely docked, Rourke closed the outer bay doors and the bikers removed their helmets. 

“You can leave your weapons with your bikes,” Rourke sounded over the intercom. “That or I can open those bay doors right back up.”

All of his guests removed their visible weaponry and placed them on the ground near their crafts. 

“I am detecting only 40% honesty,” Elaine divulged.

“Good as it’s gonna get,” Rourke huffed.

At one time on an extended intergalactic exploration and data gathering journey, Rourke now navigated a different path. It had been many years since his means of interstellar travel had malfunctioned beyond repair. With every subsequent endeavor and mission to get it remedied he had built a name for himself. Traveling as far as he could with his ship’s capabilities and use of suspended animation he had become quite adept at getting around security measures and hostile forces. In his efforts to locate the one thing he needed he had become highly adept at locating, hiding, and transporting other things. After years of searching and countless exploits, this sector of the known galaxy referred to Chief Master Sergeant Levi Rourke simply as ‘The Runner.”

The ship’s interior doors rolled open and The Runner greeted his guests: “What can I do for you fellas?”