Princess Rescue Inc (21 page)

“Least
it's not a paparazzi blitz Sarge,” Corporal Lewis snorted, eyes on the gate
arch. “I like the archway. Nice use of bricks to get that zig zag effect.”

“Eyes
in the game Lewis,” the Sarge snarled.

“Aye
Aye Master Sergeant.”

At
the edge of the moat they pulled up. The light buggies forming a perimeter
around the main group. Peasant refugees got off the vehicles and looked around
uncertainly. “Well, princess,” Ryans bowed his head to Deidra, “looks like
you’re on.” She adjusted her tiara, ignoring him. She huffed and got out of the
vehicle, chin high. She marched forward to the moat and called out something in
her native language.

“Interesting,”
Perry said hand to his ear wig. “Looks like she's giving them a tongue
lashing.  Too bad the computer can't handle her speed yet. Ah, a
reaction,” he observed. He watched as a man, most likely an officer ordered a
page to run off. “Going to buck the decision up the chain of command I see,” he
snorted. He really couldn't blame the guy; he for one wouldn't want to open the
gate to some strangers from a strange land.

From
a hundred yards away they could see the princess was angry, furious again at
not getting instant obedience. Ryans sighed watching Deidra look angrily up at
the battlements and fume. “I don't envy those guards,” he said as he shook his
head. “Keeping her waiting is pissing her off even more.”

Perry
shook his head. “Simple prudence. Would you trust a woman dressed as we are on
her word alone?” Perry snorted. Zara gave him a look and then got out and
joined her sister.

“Oh
great, now they're both going to be a pain in the ass. Kids these days, no
patience whatsoever,” Perry sighed watching Zara march up to her sister's side.
She called up to the men on the battlements. One of them appeared to recognize
her. She shouted up to them, answering questions.

Eventually
a Dominus arrived and looked down upon them. He talked to Deidra briefly and
then ordered the drawbridge down. He met them alone in the gateway after it was
lowered but the portcullis was still lowered between them.

“If
he's smart he won’t let her in with her temper,” Ryans joked.

Perry
snorted. “And risk it getting even more dangerous?” Perry asked.

“True.”

She
talked with him for a moment and then he ordered the doors and portcullis
opened.

“Let's
just keep the buggies here, go forward with the hummers shall we?” Ryans
suggested. Perry gave him a look. He grimaced. “Your call lieutenant, sorry for
stepping on your toes.”

The
lieutenant nodded. “You're right on both counts, I wanted to keep together, but
they look a tad nervous.”

They
entered the central town with a small force warily guarding them. Deidra led
the way, nose high.

“Whitewashed.
Nice,” Ryans murmured, taking in the imposing castle. “It's limestone at a
guess, a bit of granite mixed in here and there,” he pointed out. “Calcium
washed every couple of years to keep it clean and make it more impressive.”

Most
of the buildings had stone or brick ground floors. Some had that extended to
the second story. A few had timbers here and there, but most had what looked
like plaster covered walls for upper stories. He wasn't sure how they were
structurally supported. Perhaps arches inside? But of what material, stone?
Several buildings had stone arches on the ground floor.

Surprisingly
a few of the buildings on independent lots were made of reeds and bamboo. They
must be temporary affairs, from what they learned of this climate the long
snowy winter would make them hellish to be in.

“Are
those reed houses?” someone said over the net. “Damn, just like the marshes of
Iraq. That shit is super strong,” the soldier said before the master sergeant's
growl cut the chatter off. Ryans snorted.

Some
of the permanent buildings had shops on the lower floors. He could see a couple
hastily boarding up their shop as they approached. From the looks of it the top
panel formed an awning while the bottom had legs to form a counter. The woman
closed the panel and used a leather thong to tie the two panels together. The
dirty man looked up nervously as the vehicles crunched down the graveled brick
road. The couple flattened themselves against their doors. He waved a hello to
them. They just stared.

 He
nodded politely to those they passed, noting but turning a blind eye to the
animals in and around the place. They were everywhere, either milling about in
rudimentary pens, tethered to posts, or nesting in alcoves. Straw, suspicious
yellow stains and droppings were everywhere. He wrinkled his nose as the wind
shifted.

Ginger
coughed, covering her nose and waving a hand in front of her face. He grimaced,
feeling his begin to eyes water. “Yeah, it's a little rank,” he said softly.

“A
little?” Ginger murmured giving him a look as she turned away and waved a hand
in front of her face again. Her eyes were watering too. He shrugged.

“It's
a medieval castle. Get used to it. A stronghold. They weren't big on indoor
plumbing back on Earth at their peak, I guess not here either.”

Perry
eyes him and then snorted. “Yeah, a fortress. Bitch to get in to or out of. You
sure about this?”

Ryans
shrugged. “You've got a better idea?” he asked as they paused to let a group of
people on a convergent street pass. The soldiers were nervous but all were
locked and cocked and ready to rock.

Perry
sighed. “No, not really,” he grimaced. “Just not real happy about sticking my
head in the lion's mouth. I'm not sure I'll get it back.”

Sue
smiled. “Just go with the flow. I think Deidra will surprise you. Besides, I've
never met royalty besides her and her sister. This may be a once in a life time
opportunity!”

Ryans
chuckled. “Be careful what you wish for Doc.”

<==={}------------>

They
rumbled up the road leading to the inner keep. Perry looked a little nervous as
they drove over the wood and iron drawbridge and through the gatehouse and into
the inner courtyard. Kids playing what looked like grass hockey with curved
sticks and a hard ball paused and then hurried over as the vehicles stopped.

“This
had better be on the up and up. We're on fumes as it is, I'd really not like to
shoot my way out of here with so many kids around you know,” Perry said softly
to Ryans as they pulled into the courtyard behind the lead vehicle. He dodged a
goat and then parked next to a corral filled with alien beasts. Animals were
everywhere. Perry got out of the car and heard and felt the crunch of something
under his boot. He checked and wrinkled his nose at the crushed egg. “Perfect.”

Ryans
grimaced. “Yeah I know. We haven't had to the time or materials to set up the
still to make fuel.”

“See?
Maybe diesel would have been better?” Perry teased then shook his head. When
Ryans opened his mouth he went on. “Yeah I know, but it couldn't be made here
in the field. Yeah yeah,” he waved the storm Ryans was forming away.

“And
we would have been out by now if we were just using diesel.”

In
truth the ethylene was both a blessing and a curse. Each of the vehicles were
hybrids, able to run off of electricity, methane, hydrogen, diesel, biodiesel,
vegetable oil, or ethylene. Ethylene was the best of the home brewed fuels, it
was easier and safer to store. Right now the vehicles were running on their
last legs, solar panels and regenerative brakes could only do so much to
recharge the batteries.

Nate
was ecstatically checking each of the animals. He poked his head into a clay
bee hive and reared back as buzzing insects the size of cockroaches came out.
They formed a cloud around the hive then settled when a child misted them with
a smoker.

“That
was close,” Nate said wiping his brow and thanking the kid.

“Be
a bit more careful doctor, we can't afford to lose you to a stupid mistake,”
Perry called. Nate waved, looking a little sheepish.

“Honey?”
Nate asked then touched his mouth. The child looked confused. Nate pawed at his
pockets and pulled out a piece of candy. He handed it over. The child took it
and then unwrapped it. He popped it into his mouth and then nodded. “Sweet?”
Nate asked pointing to the hive. The child nodded. Nate smiled.

<==={}------------>

“Doc,
why don't you and Nate stay...?” Ryans said then turned away from her annoyed
look. “Or not,” he sighed and then raised his voice. “All right, Nate, you can
stay and get some film footage of the animals, just watch yourself. Ginger and
the sergeant will keep you company.” He nodded to the pilot. She nodded back.
She knew to watch the vehicles as well as the overzealous scientist.

“The
rest of you... let’s go.” He nodded to the princesses. “Follow the ladies,” he
said and waved to them. Deidra didn't turn to him but Zara did. He smiled and bowed
politely. Zara smiled tentatively back, but Deidra turned with a huff and
walked off. Shrugging it off they followed.

<==={}------------>

They
met the King in the royal court room. Doc recognized the signs of advanced
heart disease right away in the King. Deidra told him the story, sparing no
punches. When she got to the coach the King's knuckles turned pale and his lips
blue. His right hand went to his chest. The King heard the news that his son
had died and collapsed immediately. Sue got past Perry and rushed forward with
Ryans. Together they eased the King to the ground and then they performed CPR.

The
captain of the guard tried to intervene but the Sarge and Perry held the guards
off. Deidra waved them off. Doc looked up and called a page. She told him and
the youngest princess to get her med kit. When they hesitated she looked up and
snarled. “Go or he'll die!” Zara looked stricken but quickly turned. They left
at a full run.

Ryans
did the CPR reps, while the Doc handled breathing. When the pack arrived there
they injected the King with meds and then had to defibrillate him. The crowd
was aghast at their actions. The doctor had the guards push them back. When the
King began to breathe on his own the people  began to cheer. The captain
of the guard was amazed, sneaking a glance over his shoulder to them.

The
Queen arrived and rushed in. Others rushed to the King's side and they had to
push them back. Sue told the Queen she needed to get her husband to a quiet
room for monitoring and rest. The Queen stood and ordered everyone out.
Immediately the guards banged the butts of their pole arms onto the flagstones
to get everyone's attention and then hustled them out.

<==={}------------>

Doc
used the backboard built into the medical backpack as a stretcher. Together
they got the King to a room and treated him further. While he was asleep the
princesses updated their newly arrived mother with their news. She collapsed
against the dresser; hand over her mouth as she cried for her slain son. She
heard the brief outline of their travels and then shot a surprised glance to
Ryans. He hadn't been able to catch all of what they had said; the translation
system couldn't keep up with the speed. Some of the words were in Mandarin as
well, tripping the system up.

In
the courtyard the Sergeant had an altercation with a guard. The guard tried to
force him to move the vehicles but he refused belligerently. The guard got
violent and was put down hard, but not permanently. The sergeant let him up and
the guard limped off. A few minutes later he brought more people, all soldiers,
all heavily armed. Corporal Lewis called it in. Perry grimaced when he got the
news over the radio. He waved the captain over.

The
captain of the guard arrived with Perry and they settled things down.

“Damn
meter maid here wanted me to move the bus,” Waters said standing at attention.
The bruised guard stood before the guard captain, looking defiant but then
fearful when his boss gave him a dark look. Perry talked with the guard, and
then the guard captain. They began trading notes. Perry pulled out a tablet
from the hummer and showed them the video of the invading army.

<==={}------------>

When
the King woke he found his wife and daughters there waiting for him. Sue told
the Queen the King needed to rest, reduce his stress, diet properly, exercise
when and if he was better, and be checked regularly. He groaned and tried to
flirt with the Queen but she smiled and waved it off. She patted his bloated,
swollen hand. The royal healer arrived and was at first dismissive of the
Terran doctor until Ryans pointed out her training. “Well, I was trained by
Master Bron. He was the greatest healer of the Kingdom,” the healer said with
an authoritative sniff and disdainful air.

“Okay,
well, the Doc here was trained by over a dozen masters. She spent
eight
vigorous years studying
every
form of medicine. She's a
master
of
masters in her and your field,” Ryans explained patiently.

The
healer was dumbstruck. He rallied when he said that she must have been a poor
student to have so many masters. She looked confused, but Ryans explained that
on Earth they have schools where men and women teach things. “There are dozens
of teachers each teaching a special measure of a field of study like medicine,”
he explained. He turned and shook his head. “The doctor also attended as an
intern at a hospital, a place as large as the castle with thousands of
patients, many with different problems. Plus she's got the equipment to go
along with it,” he said pointing to the equipment monitoring the health of the
monarch.