Lights flickered uncontrollably with the rise and fall of am electrical hum. The very colony rocked and shook, metal groaning in protest. Outside the stars faded away in a growing swath, consumed by the spreading darkness, pulling everything around it to its crushing embrace, to be consumed by the abyss.
Jake's eyes flickered open with a pained groan. His head felt sticky and cool with a resounding, lingering pain which echoed across his skull, threatening to spilt it in twain.
"Easy Jake, I got ya." Strong hands laid on his back to steady him. The pace in which he rolled over seemed to be more painful than his head with how long it took. He winced and dropped his arm over his face at the sight of the bright, flickering light in the hangar. The pounding in his head intensified three folks at the motion and burned just in the back of his skull.
Two pairs of strong hands took him under the arms and hauled him up to sit up. With wonder, the pain in the back of his head lessened to a throbbing sear. "Geeze that's a bad one, " the gruff voice from before commented with tightness. "Come on, let's get you up to the med bay. "
"They're probably packed. " Jake muttered, slowly uncovering his eyes and adjusting to the bright light once again.
"Your damn aversion to medical attention won't save you now boy. This cut needs attention and my bet is you have a concussion."
Jake grumbled under his breath, but made no move to stand. Standing felt all but impossible right now, weak as his legs felt, as if they were made of half solidified gelatin. "Any idea what happened boss? "
"Not a fucking clue. I think I passed out at some point."
Murmurs of agreement and shame echoed across the hangar. Less boxes than he had remembered being there. "Is everyone okay? " panic welled up as he turned to survey the battered room, searching for his younger brother.
"We got five dead," the boss said heavily, "And plenty of wounded. Aaron and Zach have gone to clear the hall so we can get people to medical attention.
Jake breathed a heavy sigh, feeling much calmer knowing his brother was ok. Figured the lazy little shit was fine. He was petulant far from danger when whatever hit the colony knocked them all out.
He frowned and reached around to the back of his head, flinching slightly at the burning sting spread across his scalp and the dry crust. He let out a sharp hiss of pain and let his hand drop beside him, "°What hit me? "
'From the look of it, wrench. Or the whole box of tools. Who knows. Could have been worse. Could have been the unfortunate sod who got hit by the saw blade. "
Jake winced at the thought. Hopefully that poor unfortunate soul was dead and out of his misery. He glanced around the room again, taking notice for the first time just how disheveled it was. Anything not secured down had fallen and strewn about. Tools, equipment, and parts littered the floor, occasionally resting in puddles or pools of blood.
It would take days to get the shop back in order, but that was the least of their worries right now...
Jake's eyes flickered open with a pained groan. His head felt sticky and cool with a resounding, lingering pain which echoed across his skull, threatening to spilt it in twain.
"Easy Jake, I got ya." Strong hands laid on his back to steady him. The pace in which he rolled over seemed to be more painful than his head with how long it took. He winced and dropped his arm over his face at the sight of the bright, flickering light in the hangar. The pounding in his head intensified three folks at the motion and burned just in the back of his skull.
Two pairs of strong hands took him under the arms and hauled him up to sit up. With wonder, the pain in the back of his head lessened to a throbbing sear. "Geeze that's a bad one, " the gruff voice from before commented with tightness. "Come on, let's get you up to the med bay. "
"They're probably packed. " Jake muttered, slowly uncovering his eyes and adjusting to the bright light once again.
"Your damn aversion to medical attention won't save you now boy. This cut needs attention and my bet is you have a concussion."
Jake grumbled under his breath, but made no move to stand. Standing felt all but impossible right now, weak as his legs felt, as if they were made of half solidified gelatin. "Any idea what happened boss? "
"Not a fucking clue. I think I passed out at some point."
Murmurs of agreement and shame echoed across the hangar. Less boxes than he had remembered being there. "Is everyone okay? " panic welled up as he turned to survey the battered room, searching for his younger brother.
"We got five dead," the boss said heavily, "And plenty of wounded. Aaron and Zach have gone to clear the hall so we can get people to medical attention.
Jake breathed a heavy sigh, feeling much calmer knowing his brother was ok. Figured the lazy little shit was fine. He was petulant far from danger when whatever hit the colony knocked them all out.
He frowned and reached around to the back of his head, flinching slightly at the burning sting spread across his scalp and the dry crust. He let out a sharp hiss of pain and let his hand drop beside him, "°What hit me? "
'From the look of it, wrench. Or the whole box of tools. Who knows. Could have been worse. Could have been the unfortunate sod who got hit by the saw blade. "
Jake winced at the thought. Hopefully that poor unfortunate soul was dead and out of his misery. He glanced around the room again, taking notice for the first time just how disheveled it was. Anything not secured down had fallen and strewn about. Tools, equipment, and parts littered the floor, occasionally resting in puddles or pools of blood.
It would take days to get the shop back in order, but that was the least of their worries right now...