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"You look very disappointed, over there."
Gi flashed Kwame a tired grin. "Sorry; I know. I was hoping to see them today." She peered through the window of the geo-cruiser to the ocean below, hoping to spot the pod of dolphins she'd been tracking the past few weeks. "I guess they're not in the mood to play today."
"It may be because of the weather," Kwame said, pointing ahead. "The storm is coming in fast."
Gi winced and took the flight stick back into her hands. "Let me just make one more pass, then we'll head back."
"I am sure your friends are fine, Gi," Kwame said soothingly, though he didn't argue as Gi dipped the geo-cruiser and banked left.
"I know," Gi said, sounding a little guilty. "It's just – with the tuna being so scarce at the moment, boats are coming further and further out to sea. I've been seeing more and more of them lately, and not all of them are careful." She chewed her lip and peered down at the sea. It was grey and dark, the waves capped with white foam that sprayed upwards on the wind.
"I hope there are no little fishing boats out in this weather," Kwame said, looking down at the ocean. "It looks quite rough down there."
As he spoke, the geo-cruiser bobbed through a pocket of turbulence, causing them both to clutch at the controls.
"It's getting worse," Gi agreed. "We should go back." She sighed and shook her head. "Sorry for the wasted journey, Kwame."
He smiled. "Not wasted. Merely – quiet."
She laughed and turned the geo-cruiser around again, gripping the controls as the wind smacked into them, catching the side of the craft and making it shudder.
"Good thing neither of us get airsick," Gi joked, though she felt rather tense as she glimpsed the purple clouds overhead.
"There is always a first time," Kwame murmured, tightening his seatbelt. "Are you all right?"
"I've got it," Gi confirmed, her fingers gripping the controls tight. "I'll let you know if I need help."
They flew in silence for a few minutes, though both of them could feel the storm getting worse. The geo-cruiser bobbed on the rough currents of wind, and rain soon began to lash at the windows, reducing visibility to what was merely a few feet. Kwame watched Gi glancing at the radar more and more frequently, her knuckles white as she adjusted their direction each time the wind knocked them off course.
"It's going to take a while to get home," Gi said anxiously. "I didn't know the storm was coming in so fast, or I wouldn't have kept us out so long..."
"We will be all right," Kwame assured her. "It is only wind and rain. We have survived worse." He gave her a smile which he hoped was reassuring.
She grinned back at him. "True," she said. "Though that thought doesn't exactly make this enjoyable."
"Let me know if you want me to take over."
Gi bit her lip. "I just – I can't keep us on course."
"Well, we are in no hurry."
Gi laughed, but she sounded nervous. She checked the radar again. Her arms were aching, but pride prevented her from asking Kwame to take over.
Lightning flashed overhead, and for a moment, Gi saw the waves below, lit up with silver peaks.
"This would be fun to watch from the porch," she said, wishing she was already home.
"It must look spectacular from a distance," Kwame agreed. He leaned forward in his seat a little, his eyes narrowed. Water streamed down the windows. "Gi..."
"What?" she asked, glancing at the radar again. The storm was all around them.
"I thought I saw –"
Lightning flashed again, and Gi saw it – too late. The trees were all lined in silver until the lightning fell away again and cast the island into darkness, cloud and mist rolling in over the windows of the geo-cruiser. Gi gripped the controls and tugged back, her heart pounding in her chest, her mouth dry. She felt something snag sharp against the left wing of the cruiser, and they bounced and rolled, the wind catching hold of them again.
She screamed, and felt Kwame's hands grip over her own, clutching the control stick, pulling hard to the right. The nose lifted, but there was another jolt, and Gi heard it this time; heard the squeal of metal as they fell again.
Kwame heard his own gasp, like his body was preparing to dive into deep water. He gripped the control stick and tried to pull back again, Gi's hands small and trapped under his own, but the wind had caught hold of them, and the left side of the craft was damaged and no longer responding.
Lightning lit up their faces for a brief moment, the treetops shining and wet in the rain, and leaves slapped and pummelled against the glass as the cruiser sank into the jungle, metal screaming and tearing open as they fell.
Kwame blinked, his breath ragged and loud in his ears. He didn't think he'd been out for long – a few seconds maybe. He drew in a slow breath and blinked again, trying to clear his head. Pain ran across his shoulders, and his face was wet. He hoped it was because of the rain.
He reached out tentatively, his shoulders protesting every movement. "What..." He pressed a hand to his forehead and tipped his head back. The control panel lay smoking beneath him, glass and shredded leaves scattered over the blinking lights. He hung from his seatbelt, the geo-cruiser upside down, the windows smashed in.
Kwame pushed a palm frond out of the way and tried to figure out how he was going to get down. "Gi?" He reached for her, more leaves pushed between them, broken and wet. "Gi, are you all right?"
He felt her, her arms hanging limp, stretched toward the floor. He pushed leaves out of the way and glimpsed her, her face pale, dark blood running up into her hair.
"Gi..." Kwame struggled with his seatbelt, clutching at the headrest until he half-fell, half-jumped from his seat. He hissed in a sharp breath as his hand took his weight, glass and the broken remains of the control panel pressing into his palm.
"Gi..." He knocked the leaves out of the way, aware that more smoke was starting to billow from the front of the aircraft.
He stood for a moment, feeling shaky. He touched Gi's cheek gently. "Gi? Can you hear me?"
She was slack and limp in her seat, her arms hanging toward the floor, her fingers half-curled and loose. Blood dripped from her brow.
Kwame jumped as something behind the control panel sparked loudly. Rain was starting to pool on the floor, dripping through the smashed windows and off the leaves that had pushed their way in.
"Gi, I am going to have to move you," Kwame said anxiously. "I hope I do not hurt you..." He unbuckled her carefully, catching her safely as she slid into his arms. She didn't stir or murmur, though he could feel her breath fluttering against the side of his neck as he staggered to the back of the aircraft, debris and water making him unsteady on his feet.
He winced and muttered apologies as he shifted Gi's weight across his shoulders, hoping he wasn't hurting her; hoping he wasn't causing her further pain or damage. He tugged one of the duffel bags out of the cupboard at the back of the geo-cruiser, his throat tight with anxiety. He could smell the smoke as it drifted back along the upturned cruiser, could hear the wires and electronics behind the control panel sparking and flickering.
He pushed the door open and stepped down into the jungle, Gi's body draped carefully across his shoulders. He ducked and hurried through wet leaves and trailing vines until he found an outcrop of rock. The beach was visible through the trees, though the rain was still pelting down, making everything misty and blurred.
Gi mumbled something as he set her down, and he leaned over her and checked her breathing, smoothing her wet hair away from her eyes.
"Gi?" He listened carefully, but she made no response. He frowned and glanced up, watching the rain drip from the edge of the outcrop he'd found. It wasn't the best shelter from the storm, but it would have to do for now.
He tore open the bag and rummaged for the first aid kit, wiping the blood from Gi's brow with antiseptic-soaked cloth. He was relieved to see it wasn't as bad as he'd first thought it to be.
Gi mumbled something again, and he tilted his head worriedly. He didn't think it was English, whatever she was saying. He leaned over her again, his fingers trembling slightly.
"Gi?" he whispered. "Can you hear me?"
She stirred, but Kwame put his hand on her shoulder. "Be still," he urged. "Try not to move."
Gi blinked, though her eyes were unfocused. "What happened?"
"We crashed. We –"
A loud crack and a splintering sound cut Kwame off. He looked back over his shoulder and saw a black plume of smoke rise into the air. Through the trees, he could see the orange glow of the fire that had started in the control panel of the geo-cruiser.
Kwame turned back to Gi. "Just be still," he said gently. "Can you move your arms and legs?"
Gi gave him a small wave to prove she could, and a weak grin flitted across her face. "Want to dance?"
He gave a sound that was halfway between a laugh and a groan. "Not right now."
Gi closed her eyes again. "I have a headache," she mumbled.
"I do not doubt it," Kwame muttered, pressing a bandage against the gash on Gi's brow. "Do you remember much?"
"Just the... the trees..." Gi frowned and blinked, trying to stay awake. "Are you hurt?"
He shook his head. "Just a little bruised."
"Have you contacted the others?"
"Not yet." Kwame quickly searched for Ma-Ti, though putting extra effort into it caused his head to pound.
Gi tried to sit up, but Kwame urged her down again.
"You should keep still," he said worriedly. "You have had a nasty knock on the head."
Gi gave him a shaky smile. "I've survived worse." She lifted a trembling hand and brushed her thumb over his lip. "You're bleeding."
Kwame touched his lip and felt the cut; sucked lightly and felt blood well to the surface. He was beginning to feel the aches and pains he'd sustained in the crash, and his wet clothes were beginning to chill him. He was sure a certain amount of it had to do with shock, but he didn't want to sit and think about that too much, in case he worried himself in a state of inaction.
"I'm cold," Gi said, voicing Kwame's thoughts.
"I will start a fire," he agreed, and he looked back over his shoulder at the geo-cruiser, which was well and truly on fire now, smoke rising into the air, rain hissing and spitting as it fell through the trees to the flames.
"Everything's wet," Gi said weakly.
"I will find something," he promised. "Do not move, all right?"
Gi murmured something that sounded like acquiescence.
Kwame scrambled out from beneath the outcrop and into the rain again, wet leaves brushing his shoulders as he pushed through the jungle. He shivered, wincing as his muscles protested new movement. He was beginning to stiffen up, bruises and cuts from the crash making themselves evident now that he had time to discover them. He picked a sliver of glass from the heel of his hand before he pushed on through the undergrowth.
The edge of the beach was lined with driftwood and seaweed. Kwame carried as much as he could manage back to Gi, piling it up against the rock, his fingers trembling, rain running down his skin. She watched him quietly, her face pale in the thin afternoon light. Thunder rumbled overhead, the storm still low and close.
"You got a Fire Planeteer in your pocket?" she asked hopefully, watching him stack the driest wood he could find into a pile.
He smiled and pulled a box of waterproof matches from the duffel bag. "Something that will do the same job," he said, "with less arguments."
Gi gave a low chuckle and closed her eyes.
The fire smoked at first, but Kwame was patient, and had been forced to light fires in wet weather before. He smiled in triumph when it finally caught, and warmth flooded outwards.
Gi breathed a sigh of relief, though she still looked pale and weak. Kwame leaned over her worriedly.
"How do you feel?"
"Like I just crash-landed," she admitted. "Sorry I'm not much help."
"I will not hold it against you," he promised.
Gi watched quietly as he fed more pieces of wood to the flames. "Kwame," she whispered, "I'm sorry we didn't turn back sooner."
He gave her a kind smile. "It is not your fault, Gi. The storm moved so fast; it would have caught up with us anyway. We are lucky we crashed somewhere solid."
Another smile flitted across her face. "I guess." She reached for him and he took her hand as he continued to feed the fire. Gi closed her eyes again.
There you are. Kwame sighed with relief when he finally caught hold of Ma-Ti.
Here I am, Ma-Ti answered. Where are you? Are you all right?
Kwame pressed his palm against his brow. He was aching all over. He glanced down at Gi, asleep at his side. Gi and I have crashed. The geo-cruiser is – it is gone. We need help.
He felt a momentary wave of panic from the Heart Planeteer before Ma-Ti reeled it back. We will be there as soon as we can. Do you know your coordinates?
No. We are on one of the islands to the south-west. Kwame frowned, feeling a little frustrated that this was the best he could give. We were blown off-course. Ma-Ti, do not leave until the storm passes. We are all right.
Where is Gi?
Kwame grimaced. She is here. She hit her head. We will be all right until you get here, Ma-Ti. Do not worry too much. He tried to put as much reassurance into that thought as possible. He wondered if Ma-Ti could tell how much pain he was in, and decided not to think about it too much in case those thoughts travelled over.
We will be there as soon as we can.
Kwame sighed and leaned his back against the rocky outcrop. He had no choice but to wait.
The rain had lessened, though the thunder still rumbled overhead, and the sky hung low and purple, heavy with cloud.
Gi hadn't stirred since Kwame had last disturbed her. He kept waking her up, not sure if it was a good idea to let her sleep or not – at least, not until someone could check her over and give a proper diagnosis of her injuries.
He tugged a blanket from the duffel bag and draped it over her, smoothing it lightly over her shoulder, watching her breathing. She stirred at the touch.
"Is it still raining?" she asked tiredly.
"Yes."
"Are the others coming?"
"As soon as the storm passes."
She breathed a sigh and looked up at him. "Hi," she said, and her eyes looked clearer this time. Her cheeks had a pink hue that hadn't been there before.
Kwame smiled at her. "Hello."
She gave a small laugh and sat up groggily, clutching one hand to her head, her fingers gently probing the bump at her hairline.
"Be careful," Kwame said worriedly, not sure she should be moving too much. For a moment he remembered the way she had hung limp in the pilot's seat, her arms swaying toward the floor, blood running across her skin. He swallowed and helped her settle herself, one arm across her shoulders in case she fell.
She leaned against him gratefully, dragging the blanket back up to her chin. "Nice work on the fire," she said tiredly. "I'll have to tell Wheeler to watch his back."
Kwame chuckled. "I do not think he has anything to worry about." He ran his eyes over the bruise that was slowly spreading across Gi's forehead. "Do you feel any better?"
"A little bit," she answered, though she didn't sound very convincing. "I'm really sorry, Kwame, about the geo-cruiser and how useless I've been –"
"Gi," he interrupted, "this is not your fault. And concussion does not equate to uselessness."
She leaned her head against his shoulder. "Kind of glad I crash-landed with you," she mumbled. "We'll be all right, huh?"
"Of course," he said, and he couldn't help but smile and feel a little warm glow in his chest as she uttered her faith in him.
"Yeah," she breathed, closing her eyes. "We've just got to wait for the others."
"They will not be long." He combed her hair back gently with his fingers. "Go back to sleep, Gi."
"You sure you can survive without my stimulating conversation?" she asked.
He chuckled. "I can last a little while longer."