"Where?" I queried the Wanderlust's AI again while trying to make sense of the medlab's readout. "243.2 by 122.99," Xerxes growled. "What the? That's empty space, isn't it?" "According to my charts, yes." Damn, there was no way get Xerxes to override an Imp Wolf's command. So empty space we were headed for. Still inwardly cursing the Wolf who had given that nonsensical command, I turned my attention back to the wolf I had on my ship. He'd given no indication of being injured by the blast until we had reached the Wanderlust and cast off. Then he had collapsed in slow motion like a puppet with its strings cut. I'd managed to get him to sickbay and on an exam bed before he'd totally lost conscious. When I removed his jacket and peeled back the lightweight kelvar armor he was wearing I found an unwelcome surprise. He was bleeding. Badly. Blaster hits cause severve burns. And his armored body suit and jacket did show signs of singing. But he had little signs of that, instead his chest and shoulder were lacerated, blood welling up from the wounds and dipping on to the exam bed and floor. The readouts said he was in shock - heartrate and pulse rapid, blood pressure and body temperature dropping. Damn. Like all scouts I had extensive first aid an EM training but this looked to be beyond me. I just hoped it wasn't beyond the medpod's automated abilities too. "Mara?" "Not now Xerk," I muttered. I needed to get the rest of the body suit off so I could get him in the medpod. Xerxes ignored me and continued. He does that sometimes. It's a cat thing. "We've got another problem. We don't have enough fuel to get to 243.2 by 122.99." I froze. If we didn't have enough fuel and if there was no way to contermand the wolf's order... ************************************************** Thanks to: quim2001, RDNA, Davo, Sharkey, Jim Burton, Wyrmmaster, Cake1 and Lalverson This is part of a joint story being done by myself and Lalverson. Check out his gallery for other portions of it.