Oxygen

Kai was jerked from her dreams by a pound on the door and a rough shout.           
         “Open up!  Vasska, get out here!  You’re under arrest.” 
         Kai cracked open the shade, but was careful to avoid being seen.  The invaders seemed almost inhuman, with their gleaming silver armor and helmets.  It was easy to see how they had sneaked up so easily, for the soldiers were covered in blue metallic camouflage gear.
         “We open fire in five!” 
         Lord Vasska still did not appear. 
         The air crackled and sizzled as lasers sliced through the air.  The metal wall of the palace was riddled with melting, oozing holes.  Kai ducked down to avoid being hit.  There was no way of knowing where bolts were headed since they were invisible.
         Already, Kai could feel the air seeping from the room. 
         This was her worst nightmare.  For the past eight years, Kai had always been trapped.  Life outside the buildings was impossible without air tanks, and there was nowhere to go even if she survived.  Her dream of the freedom back on Earth seemed impossible.  Also she dreamed of becoming a knight, but that was equally impossible for her.  There were no jobs for girls, especially an earth-born one.  Kai was much shorter than other citizens, and her dark hair and tan skin contrasted sharply with the almost white skin and blue-tinted hair of native-born colonists. 
         Kai had always been trapped, but her prison used to be a sanctuary from the emptiness outside.  Now, there was nowhere safe.
Kai stood up and tried to walk, but stumbled and tripped.  The room spun around her and blurred.  Kai’s breath came in short ragged gasps as her lungs struggled in the nothingness enveloping the room.  She lurched down the hallway on her hands and knees, not really thinking anymore, just moving, to the emergency supply room.  That room held the only thing that could save her life.
         The invaders pounded on the weakened doors.  There was a tearing, groaning sound, and Kai knew her time was running out. 
         The air was thin, and so was the door.  The invaders broke through. 
         Kai knew, even in her bleary, oxygen-deprived state, that she had to stay away from the invaders, those silver-blue monsters.  Finally she was at the door, lungs burning, eyes blurring, but still alive.  She eagerly reached for an oxygen tank and breathed deeply through the mouth piece.  Nothing.  Kai saw with horror that the air tank was pierced by laser bolts.  There was a faint hiss as the life force drained out. 
         Kai’s head pounded and lights flashed in her brain.  She frantically searched through the shelf of tanks, but they were all damaged.  Finally she found a tank without holes.  Kai ripped the plastic covering off the mouthpiece and breathed deeply.  The air almost tasted sweet.  Kai closed her eyes and waited for her burning headache to subside. 
Ever since she left Earth, Kai had been very susceptible to headaches and illness.
         The metal boots of the invaders clanked on the metal floor.  The hallways around the Lord’s quarters were lushly carpeted, but in the areas used only for emergencies it was bare aluminum.
         The invaders inched closer, intent on their prey, scouring the palace so no one could hide.  Kai hoped they would ignore the emergency supply cabinet. 
         
         Kai of all people had reason to loathe Lord Vasska.  Previous rulers had hired servants from the colony and paid them reasonable wages.  Vasska had instituted the so-called Earth Assistance Squad.  Kai was kidnapped after her house was overrun with blue-clothed soldiers, who claimed that their house was unsafe.  She was taken away “for her protection.”  Many times, Kai had wished he would die.  Now, she realized that, somehow, she was more worried about his life than her own.  She thought—hoped—that these soldiers would ignore her, an unimportant little earth-girl.  And more than that, she knew that dwelling on thoughts of her own death would swallow her in a black wave of panic.
         For all the destruction going on around her, in other parts of the palace, Kai felt strangely calm—disconnected.  She had plenty of air, some emergency food…But she couldn’t just stay here and do nothing!  A knight would give his life for his Lord!  Just because she would never be a knight didn’t mean she couldn’t act like one, to the best of her abilities. 
The ironic part was, there had been many female leaders of the colony, but girls were still forbidden from becoming pages.  Back on Earth, all presidents had been men, yet women were allowed in the army.
         Kai grabbed a LBX20, a laser rifle with a firing rate of 20 bolts per minute.  The recharge time was quite slow compared to more modern guns, because all the emergency equipment was replaced only every 10 years (the minimum requirement).  Technology had advanced a great deal, but Lord Vasska refused to “waste” more advanced weapons on emergency kits that might never be used.
         Kai took off her shoes and snuck up the maintenance stairs.  She opened the fire hatch in the floor (which was the ceiling of the room below).  Instead of fire sprinklers or fire extinguishers, the palace used fire hatches.  This hatch, and the one in the roof, would be opened in case of fire.  Then, the oxygen would escape from the room and the fire would be put out.
         This hatch led into Lord Vasska’s suite.  She could hear the soldiers.  They seemed to be in the next room, which was good.  Kai could get into position (on top of Lord Vasska’s canopy bed) and then make a lot of noise to attract the invaders.  Then, she would blast them with the LBX20 and give Vasska the air tank.  He was unconscious by now, certainly, even though this room was not as damaged as other parts of the palace.  It had been nearly 20 minutes since the attack and the oxygen was exiting fast.
         Kai began Phase 1: She swung down from the hatch.  Her feet landed on the canopy fabric.  There was a faint ripping sound.  Kai nervously edged closer to the supporting poles.
         Kai began Phase 2: She started yelling. “Hey you, soldiers!  Yeah, that’s right!  Come over HERE!”  The fabric continued to tear.  Kai tried to move her foot away from the quickly enlarging hole as the invaders hurried in.
         Kai began Phase 3: She started blasting.  Unfortunately she only got one bolt out.  Kai frantically squeezed the trigger, but it still wasn’t recharging.  The invaders also started blasting, with their LBX100s.  They could shoot 3 times as fast, so Kai had to revise her plan.
         (Unplanned) Phase 4 began: The hole in the canopy continued to grow and Kai tumbled through.  She crashed into the supporting poles, and her air tube caught on the ornate latticework.  Kai gasped, but her lungs filled with nothing.  Air poured out of the broken pipe. 
         The soldiers came closer.  Kai crouched against the headboard, frantically trying to pull down the trapped air tank.  She felt something warm and was shocked to see that it was Lord Vasska, unconscious.  Kai jerked away and accidentally hit a button by his pillow.  She yanked on the broken tube, trying to pull it down far enough that Vasska could breathe through it.          
One of the invaders slashed through the canopy wall.  The oxygen tank ripped free and crashed onto his head.  Kai sat, stunned, as the soldier’s blood oozed over the pure white quilt.
         There was a loud knock on the door.  Kai anxiously snatched up the soldier’s LBX100 to defend herself. 
         “Security!  Lord Vasska has requested our aid.”
         The invaders quietly backed away; the security guards had LBX180s.  Lord Vasska believed that anyone that was there to save his life deserved the best.
         “Halt!” the security officer called. “Hands where we can see ‘em.”  The invading soldiers were taken away, under arrest.
         By this time, Vasska had regained consciousness, thanks to the oxygen tube spouting air near his head.  The remaining security guard rushed to his aid.  Lord Vasska’s head was bloody (from the dead soldier, but of course the security guard was not aware of that).
         “Girl, what has happened here?” the guard asked angrily.
         Kai began her story in great detail.  She described the emergency supply room and the damaged air tanks.  Kai explained her plan, and Phase 4, the unfortunate part.  Phase 4 did have some good parts, though, she made sure to add.  Kai had hit the security alarm button, and she had found Lord Vasska and given him the oxygen before it was too late.
         “You saved Lord Vasska?” The security officer was amazed.  “I must report this to His Highness.”

-----

         Today was the long-awaited day of Knighthood for Kai.  Lord Vasska called the Squires up one by one.  “I hereby pronounce thee, Sir Kai!”  He handed Kai the ceremonial electro-laser sword, an LBX2.  It had a powerful electric current throughout the blade, and could shoot laser bolts from the tip; however it was mostly used for ceremonial purposes. 
         Kai remembered everything that had happened since the invasion of the palace all those years ago…
         Kai was jerked from her daydreams by a pound on the door and a rough shout.
         “Open up! Vasska, get out here! You’re under arrest.”
         All the newly knighted knights were silent.
         “We open fire in five!”
         Lord Vasska still did not appear.
         Kai was having an incredible sense of deja-vu.
         The air crackled and sizzled as lasers sliced through the air.  The metal wall of the palace was riddled with melting, oozing holes.  Kai ducked down to avoid being hit.  There was no way of knowing where bolts were headed since they were invisible.
         Already, Kai could feel the air seeping from the room.  Just like last time.
         But this was no longer her worst nightmare.  Kai wasn’t trapped anymore, helpless against the enemy.  She had succeeded before. 
         She knew she could handle this; she could handle anything!
         The air was thin, but the door was thick.  Lord Vasska had ordered all walls and doors reinforced after last time.  It seemed the invaders were having trouble getting through.
         The Great Hall was silent (except for the insistent pounding on the Great Door), despite the crowds.
         There was a tearing, groaning sound, and the invaders broke through.  The few guards in the Great Hall were instantly overwhelmed.
         Kai swung into action, but not literally this time.  She knew there was no hope of fighting off the invaders with their ceremonial electro-laser swords—the recharge time was just too slow.  Kai formulated a plan.
         Kai began Phase 1: She hid behind the podium so the invaders couldn’t shoot her while she her plan.
         Kai began Phase 2: She aimed her electro-laser sword at the chandelier and fired.  The thin chain holding it up glowed red.  Kai waited for the sword to recharge, shaking it impatiently while the charging bulb slowly grew brighter.  She fired again, and the chain began to melt.  Just one more bolt and it would break. 
         An enemy soldier had seen Kai duck behind the podium, and he could tell what her plan was.  If that chandelier fell, it would be a big problem.  The few remaining colonists and knights were fighting doggedly along the walls, by luck or plan he didn’t know.  He did know that his allies were concentrated in the center.  Right under the chandelier.
         Kai squeezed the trigger one last time.  The chain stretched, and finally broke.  Glass exploded outward.  Kai shrieked as shards dug into her leg.  The room grew blurry, and then black.
-----

         Kai woke up in the hospital with her leg aching.  Doctors discussed her condition nearby, not knowing she was listening.  “Her leg is badly infected.  We may have to amputate.” “Even then, she might not survive.”
         Kai groaned, and a doctor hurried over.  “Is there anything you want?”
         “Yes,” Kai whispered. “I want to see Earth again.”
-----

         Kai lay on the soft grass, aching for all the life she had missed here, but somehow finally content.  She breathed the sweet air, a part of some distant memory.  Kai heard a dog barking, suddenly reminded of the pet dog she had had before the kidnapping.  A soft breeze brushed over here.  With the warm sun shining down on her face, Kai smiled.  She was finally home.



Word Count: 2070