part 2 - 2/28, Chapter 1b
[Author's Notes] This starts right after the broadcast by Nik Bloom. I didn't like how I wrote it. It's just a minor change.
Raki got the call mid-bite, as usual. Franklin already had his gear ready, because he suspected as much. The timing was just uncanny. If she got hungry during a game, before she could take 10 bites, a call would come in.
They got the details on the digibrain on the way out of the garage. Bus speeding. Suspected brake trouble. Heading for Fan Zingball bleachers. Trouble. It all just added up to that. Franklin drove, so she went to the back to ready the gear. The itenerance blared its sirens as it weaved through the fans and vehicles quickly.
Raki only chose stuff that Franklin and she would need for people able to move. Even though the digivision wasn't on, she could envision the scene. Two things could happen. Speeding bus could snap through smaller supports. If so, then bleachers would fall soon after. Or. Speeding bus into cement support. Raki winced. If so, explosion. Then fire. And smoke. Fire-weakened supports. Smoke-filled fans. Add up to bad rescues.
Franklin turned on the digivision in the cab. Nik Bloom. Sobbing. Not good. Means bus got there already. Whole force should be out for this one.
Raki wasn't sure which scenario she'd rather had. But either, rescue had to be fast. Which meant choices. She chose fast over infirm. Glancing at the screen of the digivision, she saw the second of her two probables came true. At first, the smoke from the wreck was blowing away from the stands, but the winds shifted. Escape was impossible.
She grabbed the gas masks and went up front to put one on Franklin. She put hers on; she could hear her breath from within the mask. She hated how the breathing would quicken the heart, which would quicken the breathing, which would quicken the heart and so on. She wished she could control the growing fear within her. Something was off tonight.
Franklin pulled up next to the burning wreckage and a quick visual told them everyone was either dead or behind a wall of fire. They headed to the other side of the bleachers where fans were trying to climb down off the top tiers. Raki looked out the window. The heat from the inferno threatened the integrity of the entire structure.
Screams led her to whip her head around. Another bus full of terror-filled screaming fans headed towards them and the bleachers. The bus swerved and missed the intinerance Raki and Franklin were in by inches. Both breathed out in relief. Franklin found the access tunnel that ran under the bleachers and drove through it. They could hear the bleachers straining above them under the double assault of heat and feet.
Halfway through the tunnel, a shuddering wave swept over them. The other bus must've struck. A worried look passed between the two Emergency Medical Specialists as they felt as well as heard the shock of the impact. Raki thought it looked like the entire bleachers buckled for a moment.
They emerged out of the access tunnel into chaos. The bleachers had caught on fire. Fans stumbled and climbed over fallen fans to get to an exit.
Just then, an explosion rocked the place.
*****
"F'nally!" Jimmie growled as he got to the front of the line for food and beverages. "Six beers, four dogs, three bags'a peanuts, 'n two p'pcorns. Ah know, ah know, it's frickin' 44 creds. Ah order da same thang week 'fter week, ya think y'd know me bah now." Jimmie gave what he thought was his most seductive grin and reached over the counter, "Ah know you, Ms. Deb-deb-deb who keeps alla us fed-fed-fed." He pinched the girl with a wink of his eye, as the girl squealed at the pain. A rap on his knuckles by a pair of very hot tongs forced Jimmie to jolt his arm back.
"Jimmie Cantrell! You stop sassin' the girls 'round here, or I'll call security."
Jimmie grinned. "Why, Ms. Mabel, now why would Ah sass some other ladies, while yer 'round, eh?"
"Now, that's what I'd like t'know!" Ms. Mabel stood there with her hands on her hips, holding an indignant stern look until Jimmie cracked up. She busted up as well, leaning over weakly as she held onto Jimmie's shoulder with one hand. "Lordy, lordy. One day, Jimmie, I swear I'm gonna take you up on your flirtin' and then what're you gonna do?"
Gallantly, Jimmie lifted her hand off his shoulder and kissed the back of it before letting go. "Why, Ah'm gonna m'rry yew 'fcourse."
Ms. Mabel dismissed Jimmie with a flick of her wrist as she turned to fuss at the girl serving Jimmie. "Now hurry up now, that there is Jimmie Cantrell, soon to be the Rayders' newest commentator," pointing at him.
While Ms. Mabel's back was turned, the customer behind Jimmie jabbed him in the ribs.
"Ouch! Wh' wuz that fer?" Jimmie turned to the irate man in a cowboy hat.
The cowboy sneered. "Yer s'posed t' represent us. How... how cud you flirt with that.. that thang?" He pointed at Ms. Mabel.
"Ms. Mabel's Ms. Mabel. Ain't no thang. Only means s'methang when yer meant ta. Oth'rwise ain't no thang but fun." With a tip of his cap, Jimmie nodded to the cowboy. "Yer oughta try it s'metime. Might make yer 'member how ta smile." Jimmie turned just in time to get the food from the girl. Grinning broadly at both the server and at Ms. Mabel, he took his food and left a nice tip.
Just as he was about to turn up the tunnel that led to his section, Jimmie glanced over to where the fans' teams play. He noticed a bus full of fans rushing through the lot, seemingly at the small arena and then *BOOM!* the bus hit.
Time seemed to slow. Jimmie whipped out his binoc and through them, he could see faces in the windows of the bus, mouths open either in horror or screams. Fists were pounding at the panes and some were cracked enough that a couple of fans were attempting their way through the window.
Jimmie couldn't tear his eyes away from the scene. Just then, he realized the orangy things he saw flickering up into his view were flames and at that instant, he heard the crescendoing sound of an itinerance's siren. He felt hope... die when the explosion came.
An unexpected sob bubbled out of him. Around him, people stared in horror at the spectacle unfolding before them.
The fire was spreading to the stands itself. Above, the fans were stampeding with a few falling through the beams of the stands onto the fiery bus. Right above the bus, the beams buckled under the heat of the raging fire.
Someone was tugging on his sleeve. Jimmie looked over and saw a total stranger shouting at him. "C'mon! Let's go help!" Jimmie watched as the stranger ran towards the entrance, tugging at other strangers' sleeves as he went along. He was relieved to see that few others who had been tapped, actually moved. Most like him, stood stunned.
Again time slowed as Jimmie realized that people were pointing past him at the fans' Zingball arena once more. He whipped around in time to see another bus careen into the same stands. This time, he could hear screams of people as fans showered the ground near where the second bus hit. Some, on the lower levels could drag themselves away, Jimmie fancied. But he had no illusions that the ones who fell from the higher tiers had survived, or wanted to.
He saw some fans falling to their deaths, the fall barely retarding the flames engulfing them. He saw others voluntarily jumping to their deaths, rather than risk the inferno that was making its way towards all at the top tiers. In the middle of the stampeding crowd, firefighters and EMS were like salmon swimming against raging waters. They directed people to safer routes, helped fallen ones get to their feet, created safe spaces around ones that couldn't get back up.
Jimmie spotted Raki once or twice with his binoc and marvelled that she could be in the midst of all that and be able to function. Realizing he had stood there for the past 15 minutes with his mouth wide open, Jimmie opened one of the beers he was carrying and chugged it. He looked out again at the carnage.
The stands gave a sudden lurch as one of the major support columns fell in a fiery blaze. Quite a number of fans fell through to the ground, screaming to their deaths.
Jimmie couldn't look any more. He turned around and threw up on the shoes of the person standing behind him. He then ran for it.
Raki got the call mid-bite, as usual. Franklin already had his gear ready, because he suspected as much. The timing was just uncanny. If she got hungry during a game, before she could take 10 bites, a call would come in.
They got the details on the digibrain on the way out of the garage. Bus speeding. Suspected brake trouble. Heading for Fan Zingball bleachers. Trouble. It all just added up to that. Franklin drove, so she went to the back to ready the gear. The itenerance blared its sirens as it weaved through the fans and vehicles quickly.
Raki only chose stuff that Franklin and she would need for people able to move. Even though the digivision wasn't on, she could envision the scene. Two things could happen. Speeding bus could snap through smaller supports. If so, then bleachers would fall soon after. Or. Speeding bus into cement support. Raki winced. If so, explosion. Then fire. And smoke. Fire-weakened supports. Smoke-filled fans. Add up to bad rescues.
Franklin turned on the digivision in the cab. Nik Bloom. Sobbing. Not good. Means bus got there already. Whole force should be out for this one.
Raki wasn't sure which scenario she'd rather had. But either, rescue had to be fast. Which meant choices. She chose fast over infirm. Glancing at the screen of the digivision, she saw the second of her two probables came true. At first, the smoke from the wreck was blowing away from the stands, but the winds shifted. Escape was impossible.
She grabbed the gas masks and went up front to put one on Franklin. She put hers on; she could hear her breath from within the mask. She hated how the breathing would quicken the heart, which would quicken the breathing, which would quicken the heart and so on. She wished she could control the growing fear within her. Something was off tonight.
Franklin pulled up next to the burning wreckage and a quick visual told them everyone was either dead or behind a wall of fire. They headed to the other side of the bleachers where fans were trying to climb down off the top tiers. Raki looked out the window. The heat from the inferno threatened the integrity of the entire structure.
Screams led her to whip her head around. Another bus full of terror-filled screaming fans headed towards them and the bleachers. The bus swerved and missed the intinerance Raki and Franklin were in by inches. Both breathed out in relief. Franklin found the access tunnel that ran under the bleachers and drove through it. They could hear the bleachers straining above them under the double assault of heat and feet.
Halfway through the tunnel, a shuddering wave swept over them. The other bus must've struck. A worried look passed between the two Emergency Medical Specialists as they felt as well as heard the shock of the impact. Raki thought it looked like the entire bleachers buckled for a moment.
They emerged out of the access tunnel into chaos. The bleachers had caught on fire. Fans stumbled and climbed over fallen fans to get to an exit.
Just then, an explosion rocked the place.
"F'nally!" Jimmie growled as he got to the front of the line for food and beverages. "Six beers, four dogs, three bags'a peanuts, 'n two p'pcorns. Ah know, ah know, it's frickin' 44 creds. Ah order da same thang week 'fter week, ya think y'd know me bah now." Jimmie gave what he thought was his most seductive grin and reached over the counter, "Ah know you, Ms. Deb-deb-deb who keeps alla us fed-fed-fed." He pinched the girl with a wink of his eye, as the girl squealed at the pain. A rap on his knuckles by a pair of very hot tongs forced Jimmie to jolt his arm back.
"Jimmie Cantrell! You stop sassin' the girls 'round here, or I'll call security."
Jimmie grinned. "Why, Ms. Mabel, now why would Ah sass some other ladies, while yer 'round, eh?"
"Now, that's what I'd like t'know!" Ms. Mabel stood there with her hands on her hips, holding an indignant stern look until Jimmie cracked up. She busted up as well, leaning over weakly as she held onto Jimmie's shoulder with one hand. "Lordy, lordy. One day, Jimmie, I swear I'm gonna take you up on your flirtin' and then what're you gonna do?"
Gallantly, Jimmie lifted her hand off his shoulder and kissed the back of it before letting go. "Why, Ah'm gonna m'rry yew 'fcourse."
Ms. Mabel dismissed Jimmie with a flick of her wrist as she turned to fuss at the girl serving Jimmie. "Now hurry up now, that there is Jimmie Cantrell, soon to be the Rayders' newest commentator," pointing at him.
While Ms. Mabel's back was turned, the customer behind Jimmie jabbed him in the ribs.
"Ouch! Wh' wuz that fer?" Jimmie turned to the irate man in a cowboy hat.
The cowboy sneered. "Yer s'posed t' represent us. How... how cud you flirt with that.. that thang?" He pointed at Ms. Mabel.
"Ms. Mabel's Ms. Mabel. Ain't no thang. Only means s'methang when yer meant ta. Oth'rwise ain't no thang but fun." With a tip of his cap, Jimmie nodded to the cowboy. "Yer oughta try it s'metime. Might make yer 'member how ta smile." Jimmie turned just in time to get the food from the girl. Grinning broadly at both the server and at Ms. Mabel, he took his food and left a nice tip.
Just as he was about to turn up the tunnel that led to his section, Jimmie glanced over to where the fans' teams play. He noticed a bus full of fans rushing through the lot, seemingly at the small arena and then *BOOM!* the bus hit.
Time seemed to slow. Jimmie whipped out his binoc and through them, he could see faces in the windows of the bus, mouths open either in horror or screams. Fists were pounding at the panes and some were cracked enough that a couple of fans were attempting their way through the window.
Jimmie couldn't tear his eyes away from the scene. Just then, he realized the orangy things he saw flickering up into his view were flames and at that instant, he heard the crescendoing sound of an itinerance's siren. He felt hope... die when the explosion came.
An unexpected sob bubbled out of him. Around him, people stared in horror at the spectacle unfolding before them.
The fire was spreading to the stands itself. Above, the fans were stampeding with a few falling through the beams of the stands onto the fiery bus. Right above the bus, the beams buckled under the heat of the raging fire.
Someone was tugging on his sleeve. Jimmie looked over and saw a total stranger shouting at him. "C'mon! Let's go help!" Jimmie watched as the stranger ran towards the entrance, tugging at other strangers' sleeves as he went along. He was relieved to see that few others who had been tapped, actually moved. Most like him, stood stunned.
Again time slowed as Jimmie realized that people were pointing past him at the fans' Zingball arena once more. He whipped around in time to see another bus careen into the same stands. This time, he could hear screams of people as fans showered the ground near where the second bus hit. Some, on the lower levels could drag themselves away, Jimmie fancied. But he had no illusions that the ones who fell from the higher tiers had survived, or wanted to.
He saw some fans falling to their deaths, the fall barely retarding the flames engulfing them. He saw others voluntarily jumping to their deaths, rather than risk the inferno that was making its way towards all at the top tiers. In the middle of the stampeding crowd, firefighters and EMS were like salmon swimming against raging waters. They directed people to safer routes, helped fallen ones get to their feet, created safe spaces around ones that couldn't get back up.
Jimmie spotted Raki once or twice with his binoc and marvelled that she could be in the midst of all that and be able to function. Realizing he had stood there for the past 15 minutes with his mouth wide open, Jimmie opened one of the beers he was carrying and chugged it. He looked out again at the carnage.
The stands gave a sudden lurch as one of the major support columns fell in a fiery blaze. Quite a number of fans fell through to the ground, screaming to their deaths.
Jimmie couldn't look any more. He turned around and threw up on the shoes of the person standing behind him. He then ran for it.
posted by resigned idealist at 11:57 PM
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