A story from the Squad 51 Universe…

The showers at Orbital Rescue Services (ORS) were slightly warmer than at home. They still didn’t use water, but some inventive cleansing mist. In ancient lore, Dagney Dagrun had read about hot showers and basins filled with hot water. She honestly couldn’t imagine it. Her squad partner, Kell Wexler, cleaned off in the stall beside hers.

“It was another thrilling day at ORS,” she said to Kell, drawing out the syllables, barely hiding her sarcasm. She could only see the faint shape of him through the distorted transparent panels of the showers.

“Hey, we fixed an oxygen leak. That’s always a good day’s work.”

“Maintenance could have done it if we weren’t so bored.” Dag Dag pushed the stall door open, unconcerned about fully exposing her long, fit body, grabbing the cleansing cloth hanging outside the shower.

More modest in disposition, Kell grabbed his cleansing cloth without opening the door, finished washing, then grabbed his civvies—warm clinging pants and a billowing tunic of soft thermal material. Once dressed, he joined Dag Dag on the benches to pull on his socks and boots.

She wore similar clothes, but they hung more richly on her. There was something about Dag Dag that bordered on regal, which no among of shabby or drab could touch. Her dark curls were cut short, seeming to highlight her high cheekbones.

“Want to—” Kell started.

A robot barged in and spun in circles on the floor at his feet. It flashed the magenta numeral one over its egg-shaped body. It had stubby arms and legs good for no purpose.

“That’s someone’s pet,” Kell said. The thing only rose as high as his ankle. Bending over farther, he peered closely at the thing. “Is something the matter?”

“Pipbit, Pipbit, Pipbit,” the robot squealed, continuing its frantic circles.

“Pets are programmed with their names.” Dag Dag flicked the comm link on her collar and brought up her holoscreen. “Pipbit is licensed by the Chogatti family.” She flicked her screen over to Kell. “Let’s go pay them a visit.”

The robot kept pace with them as they left ORS, waving to the next shift. Dag Dag’s eyes raked over the always exotic Lucy Ashida, and she paused for a moment. “It’s a shame she only has eyes for Nikili.”

“Nikili pretends not to notice,” Kell added. “Sometimes I think she has a thing for Lucy too, but she never quite gets there.”

“Ashida is wasting the best years of her life.” Sighing, Dag Dag waved at Lucy and flashed a flirty smile. Pipbit nipped at her ankles. Blinking at the pet, she shook her head. “All right, little guy. All right. I’m moving.”

“Maybe we should hand this off to Echols and Ashida,” Kell suggested. “I’ve been looking forward to grokking with my buds all shift.”

“Go ahead if you want to. I’ll see what’s up with PipBit and the Chogattis.” The little robot had trouble keeping pace with her long strides.

The dome on Orcus had issues and needed replacing. The government kept saying they were working on it. Like always, Dag Dag grunted at it when they left the ORS station. Because of its issues the streets on Orcus were narrow and the towers bunched up together. Some domes crumbled outside the dome from disuse. No amount of air rations could keep anyone alive in one of those.

PipBit hopped and squealed in a direction away from the Chogatti address. It butted against Dag Dag’s ankles and Kell’s, screeching like a siren.

“I think it wants us to go that way.” Kell squinted at the horizon.

The skies on Orcus were perpetual twilight because of the dome. The closest mini sun, Z’ha’Dum wasn’t as close as anyone would have liked, but it was close enough to make the planetoid more habitable.

“What’s over that way?” Kell asked.

“An abandoned water generator from when the first outposts came to mine Orcus.” Slowing her pace, Dag Dag let PipBit lead the way, its stubby legs churning furiously over the soft materials comprising the avenues.

The materials absorbed sunlight to generate power. The little bit of energy they produced heated the walkways and colony and helped recharge transports. However, the colony wasn’t terribly large, so people tended not to use transports. The surplus energy then went to help power residences and businesses. Everything had to pull double or triple duty on Orcus.

The old water generation factory crumbled at the edge of the dome. Squat and gray and nothing nice to look at, its door dangled askew across the crumbling threshold. Kell took out a scanner from the pack strapped to his hip. “The dome covers the first thirty meters.”

“Well, if PipBit goes farther, we’ll call ORS in.” Dag Dag crossed her arms and ducked her head through the broken door. “This place isn’t safe. I thought it was sealed off.”

“Who are we looking for?” Kell poked the scanner through the door. “The Chogattis have any kids?”

Dag Dag scanned the infor on her holoscreen. Being part of ORS had its perks. She wouldn’t have access to so much data otherwise. “One. A daughter.”

“Name?”

“Tamaree.” Dag Dag took a gingerly step fully inside and called the girl’s name. PipBit kept chirping and went over to a broken tile in the floor. Dag Dag sank to her knees, trying to see into the dark hole. “Tamaree? You down there?”

“Help,” a weak voice moaned from the depths.

“What is that?” Dag Dag asked Kell.”

“An old collection sump.” He swiped the scan onto his holoscreen and a complete schematic of the collection sump appeared with a dot representing Tamaree.

Dag Dag’s breath fogged in the cold air beneath the dome. The faint hum of failing machinery echoed somewhere below, mixing with the distant creak of shifting metal. PipBit chirped again, its little lights blinking urgently as it circled the broken tile.

Kell knelt beside her, tapping commands into his holoscreen. “The sump’s about four meters deep,” he said. “The tile’s weak—looks like it gave way under her weight.”

“Can she breathe down there?” Dag Dag asked, eyes narrowing.

“She’s on the border where the dome often fluctuates. We’ve got maybe minutes before the next fluctuation lets the real Orcus leaks inside.”

Dag Dag rubbed her palms on her thighs, scanning the interior of the old factory. She went over to examine old belting on the broken pump. Drawing a Gyver everything tool from the pack at her hip, she sliced through the belting. It fell limply to the floor. She looked for something sturdy to tie it to.

“Me.” Kell held out his meaty hands. He would hold her no matter what.

Dag Dag didn’t think twice about putting her life in his hands. “All right, Kell. You’re my anchor. PipBit, monitor the dome and the general area. Let me know if anything shifts, breaks, or otherwise. I’m going down.”

Kell’s gaze locked with hers. He drew the belting around his waist and looped both hands through it. “Ready.”

“Me too.” Dag Dag dropped the loose end down the hole and rappelled down the edge of the sump, the cold air biting at her through her warm clothes. She landed lightly on broken pipes and ice shards, careful not to disturb the fragile floor.

“Tamaree?” she called softly, scanning the shadows.

A coughing fit answered her. “Here.”

Dag Dag spotted the girl huddled against the far wall, bruised but conscious. “Where are you hurt?”

Frozen tears bathed the girl’s cheeks. Her lips had turned blue, and her dark curls fell in a tangle over her face. She couldn’t be more than seven. She pointed at her arm.

Dag Dag kneeled beside Tamaree and gently lifted the girl’s arm. The limb dangled at an odd angle.

“Broken,” she muttered. “Clean, though.”

Tamaree whimpered but didn’t cry.

“Tough as an Outling. Your parents are raising you right, kid.” Dag Dag crawled toward the hole and yelled up. “Kell, I need more belting or netting. Something to strap her to me when you pull us up. She can’t hold onto me.”

“On it.” Kell’s boots thudded as he moved through the wreckage above.

Dag Dag pulled out the roll of duct tape from her Gyver Everything tool. She snapped off a length of cracked pipe nearby and tested its sturdiness. “This’ll do,” she said to the dark shadows.

She fashioned a makeshift splint, bracing Tamaree’s arm and taping it securely. The girl hissed but stayed still, her face pale and tight.

Kell’s voice echoed down. “Found belting from a vent flap. It’ll work. Make way.” He dropped the belting down the hole.

Dag Dag retrieved it and hugged Tamaree against her body. She wrapped and wove the belting around herself and the girl, creating a secure sling to bind Tamaree against her. She returned to her lifeline and wrapped it under a leg and around her hands, gripping tightly. “Bring us up,” she called.

Kell loomed like a darker shadow among the shadows above. “Slow and steady.”

The belting smoothly pulled Dag Dag and Tamaree up from the icy floor. Feet dangling, she held tight to Tamaree. The belting strained with their combined weight and Kell’s tugs. The shaft walls creaked, the flooring above groaned, and rust rained down, but the belting and floor held.

After they cleared the hole, they lay on the floor, breathing hard. Kell’s strong arms reached down and righted them. “You all right, partner.”

She managed a tight smile. “Of course.”

“How about you?” Kell grinned at the young girl.

The girl nodded.

“You did great,” Dag Dag said, brushing a curl from the girl’s forehead.

PipBit chirped and did a slow circle around them, its lens eyes flickering blue in quiet triumph.

Dag Dag gave PipBit a quick pat. “Looks like rescuing kids from wells is officially part of the job.”

“Thought that went out of fashion millennia ago.” Kell coiled the used belts into a tidy pile and placed them out of the way. He nodded at the robot. “Good thing you came to get us, little buddy.”

PipBit chirped softly, its lights glowing steady.

They strode out of the factory, Tamaree in Dag Dag’s arms and PipBit trotting behind. “Family and a pet are a good look for you, Dag.”

She managed not to wince. He damn well knew there wasn’t enough adrenaline in family and pets for her. “Say that again if you don’t want to keep your face, Kell.”

He laughed and slung an arm around her. “You’re the best partner ever.”

She didn’t pull away, knowing she couldn’t have a better squadmate or friend. “Windsurfing outside the dome on the ice later?”

“Try to keep me away.”