The Arrival
The gloomy darkness of the night lay siege upon the area with its full might. Another lightning bolt slashed from the cloudy mass overhead, reaching all the way down to the churning ocean’s surface below. A helicopter surged boldly through the clouds as the beam from its searchlight highlighted every massive wave underneath. The steady thump of the spinning rotors could barely be heard through the hostile melody of the roaring water and the shriek of the wind, the huge downpour causing the helicopter to be whipped mercilessly through the air.
"San Diego base, this is Jayhawk-03. We are approaching the destination point," announced the Sikorsky Jayhawk MH-60T main pilot once he recognized an unusual oval object afloat in the distance thanks to his night vision set. Because of the SOS signal they had received while on routine patrol, the Jayhawk-03 team managed to be the first upon the scene. "We have the ship’s hull in our sights," he added once the searchlight finally flashed upon the main target of the expedition.
The ship, once known as Merry Celly, floated on the dark surface like a wounded whale, the waves pounding against its side. Furious Mother Nature had already capsized the vessel and was slowly, inch by inch, dragging it beneath the surface.
"Base replying, Jayhawk-03. Have you located any survivors?" queried the male voice on the radio.
"Not yet, commencing search now," replied the pilot as he began a slow cycle around the white hull, carefully scanning the area. It was one of those moments neither the pilots nor the Coast Guard were fond of. Quickly recovering the survivors, if any, was vastly preferred to spending any length of time searching for them, as neither humans nor ponies could survive in the present weather conditions for too long.
"Night Shade, how’s the situation?" the co-pilot asked suddenly over the radio just as something quickly flew right next to the helicopter. The dark, navy-blue, winged silhouette with a cropped teal mane, outfitted in an orange rescue suit, began to swoop around the crash site with extraordinary precision. His spread wings, carrying several water strings upon them, slashed through the air like sharp razors, his keen eyes protected by a pair of aviator glasses as they studied the area around the boat carefully, trying to discern any signs of life.
"Nothing so far, Jayhawk-03. I’m going down for a better view."
With an accuracy that spoke of years of experience, he began to descend while narrowing the search area around the crash site. His comrades could easily follow his movements thanks to the pair of search beams integrated into his helmet, along with a set of illuminated wing pads.
"Jayhawk-03, I’ve spotted something on the starboard side of the ship’s hull," reported the pegasus as he illuminated the darkened sector with his searchlight. "I’m moving in." He slowly reduced his altitude before he landed directly on the yacht’s keel.
"Permission to open the door?" asked a female voice from the helicopter’s passenger cabin, right behind the pilot’s cockpit.
"Permission granted, Baton Rouge."
The fully geared mare pushed the door aside, causing the cool salty air and the reverberation of the engine to fill the helicopter’s interior. The aircraft moved parallel to the capsized vessel, allowing the mare to carefully observe the crash site.
"Jayhawk-03, I've located two survivors," reported Night Shade, whose helmet lights were now focused on two bodies.
"Okay, I see them," Baton Rouge replied. As the helicopter finally finished assuming a suitable observation position, she spotted a small yellow inflatable life raft with two survivors donned in orange life jackets. Being stuck to the yacht’s board provided them with enough cover from the rough waves smashing into the other side.
***
Night Shade flew down and landed directly on the yellow life raft, the vessel already partly filled with water. One of the ponies, a middle-aged stallion whose white fur and charcoal mane was matted as he kept a hold onto the life raft’s edge, gazed at the Coast Guard with undisguised relief.
"I’m the Coast Guard’s rescue flyer. Please, remain calm!" Night Shade shouted loudly, trying to outmatch the stormy ocean.
"Oh, thank the sun!" cried the stallion while trying to approach him, but despite the ship’s cover, the inflatable raft still bounced roughly, forcing him to remain in place.
Night Shade’s attention shifted to the second survivor, who lay on the other end of the life raft. The burgundy-haired auburn unicorn mare was wrapped in a life jacket, even as she was slumped unconsciously next to him. The right side of her face was covered in blood.
"She hit her head when a large wave tilted the yacht!" shouted the stallion while Night Shade checked the mare’s carotid artery. "I barely managed to pull her out!"
Night Shade breathed easier once his hoof sensed the mare’s stable pulse. Knowing he was fighting against time, he quickly took out some bandages from the rescue bag placed under the side of his left wing. He swiftly patched up the mare’s wound with the medical gauze and a bandage net. There wasn’t much more he could do for her in the present circumstances. They both needed to be taken aboard the helicopter.
"Alright, I’m going to get you both to safety!" Night Shade rummaged through the bag once more and pulled out a coiled safety rope. It was too dangerous to remain around the sinking shipwreck, so the best option right now was to tow the life raft to the recovery point located over a dozen yards from here.
"NO, wait… m-my daughter!" the stallion shouted while shaking Night Shade’s leg. "She’s trapped inside! Please… help her!"
That threw a wrench in Night Shade’s plans. Why didn’t the stallion tell him sooner? His eyes quickly shifted from the panicked father to the visible part of the yacht’s hull. The ship looked like it could sink at any minute. The situation was quickly deteriorating.
"Anyone else besides your daughter?" he shouted, even as they were rocked dangerously, the spray from the ocean striking them like icy bullets.
"What? Um… Captain Roberts! He was supposed to bring our daughter to the evacuation point, but they never showed up. Two of the sailors got swept away by the wave; I don’t know if they’re still alive. There was also the chief mechanic, but… but he was so drunk a-and heavy, I … I just couldn’t hold him any longer!" The stallion’s voice was heavy with guilt.
Night Shade had heard enough. No matter how harsh it might sound to some, there was nothing he could do for the casualties. His job was based on rescuing those still alive. His first priority was to secure these two before being able to scout the area for the two missing sailors. As for the ones trapped inside, there was no way for him to enter the overthrown ship. His body’s physiology wasn’t meant for diving, but luckily he knew just the right person for the job. He quickly switched on the radio communicator that lay right below his neck.
"Jayhawk-03, we have one unconscious and injured mare, and one stallion who seems to be fine."
***
"Copy that. Any other survivors?" asked the main pilot while observing everything from above. For safety reasons, he kept the helicopter a safe distance from the crash site.
"Two sailors have gone missing. I’ll scout the area, but it seems that the captain and a filly might still be trapped inside the ship. I’ll require some assistance here."
Night Shade’s radio statement immediately invoked movement behind the pilot’s cockpit.
"Requesting permission to get wet, sir," said the human Coast Guard member, who already began to put on his fins and the diver’s mask. He was assisted by the flight mechanic, Baton Rouge, a crimson unicorn mare whose helmet covered most of her sunny yellow mane. With her help, he soon sat on the edge of the cabin’s threshold, just a few meters separating him from the icy waters below.
"Granted. You have eight minutes," replied the main pilot, who brought the helicopter to a height that would allow the swimmer to jump safely.
As the Coast Guard’s rescue swimmer nodded his understanding, ready to take the plunge, a sudden firm grip halted him. Turning, he noticed the stony gaze of his female colleague whose hoof was holding him down to the helicopter’s cold floor. Despite her looks, there was some serious horsepower under those muscles of hers.
"Just remember to come back in one piece, got it?" Baton Rouge's concerned voice belied her impassive exterior, making him smile. He didn’t say anything, just patted her hoof.
"Swimmer ready to engage!" announced the mare through the intercom as she stepped away from her colleague. A moment later, she watched him jump out right into the hellish conditions of the waters below. "Swimmer on the way!"
The swimmer’s body was submerged in the rough sea for a few seconds before he breached the surface. The thumbs up he sent assured Baton Rouge that he had made it in one piece. "Swimmer’s okay. Thirty degrees to port and astern, Sam!"
"Copy that," the main pilot responded, and in a matter of seconds, the helicopter changed its angle while keeping its present altitude.
The helicopter’s search light remained focused on the rescue swimmer. The muscles in his body flexed as he fought against the strong currents. Being physically and mentally prepared for this job, each breath brought him closer to the main goal of his struggles.
Once his hand touched the yellow raft, he noticed Night Shade already hovering right beside it. With a towing line between the ring on his waist buckle and the life raft’s handle, the pegasus flew closer to his human companion who was about to dive inside the ship.
"Jason, are you sure you want to do this?" Night Shade asked hesitantly. "She’s going down pretty fast!" He knew that risking their own lives was a part of their job, but that didn’t absolve them from worrying about each other.
"I’ll be fine. Just take them to safety and keep a look out!" replied Jason, sparing the ship a glance.
The pegasus seemed conflicted, but there was no time for idle arguments. They both knew why they were here, knew that it was up to them to determine what they would succeed at.
"Okay, listen, Captain Roberts went further inside searching for the filly. The last time they saw her, she was somewhere near the cabins on the lower deck. Chances are that they might be trapped together!"
"Thanks, Night Shade, leave the rest to me." Jason’s words didn’t seem to assuage his pegasus friend, but there was little he could do to stop him.
"Jason, just don’t push it, okay?" pleaded the worried pegasus as he began to tow the raft behind him back to the recovery point. "Jayhawk-03, the first two targets are on their way. Get ready, Baton Rouge!"
"Copy that. Bring them closer, Night Shade," Baton Rouge responded, observing everything from inside the helicopter.
"NO!" Suddenly, one of the rescued ponies jumped out of the life raft as soon as it lost contact with the ship's hull. Jason watched in shock as the castaway stallion dived into the stormy water and pinned himself back to the yacht.
"WHAT IN TARNATION!?" came Baton Rouge's aggrieved voice on the radio, causing Night Shade to stop in his tracks. It didn’t take him long to realize that he had lost a passenger.
In a few moments, Jason managed to close the small gap between him and the rebellious stallion. "Sir, you need to go! It’s not safe here!" The wave from the other side of the yacht smashed right against its hull, causing the water spray to fall on them.
"No… my daughter is still trapped inside," protested the stallion, knocking a hoof on the ship’s hull.
"First we have to get you and your wife to safety!"
"No!" shouted the stallion, struggling valiantly to push the rescuer away. "My… daughter. Please, she’s my only child!"
Jason could feel the situation slipping away from them. Thanks to the unreasonable actions of the distraught father, he had lost many valuable seconds. The more he wasted his time here, the less of it remained for the diving operation to succeed. The rebellious pony was risking his life and their mission by either drowning or dying from hypothermia. He needed to refocus.
"Night Shade!" Using the radio transmitter, he called out to the pegasus who was about to turn around to reclaim the troublesome stallion. "Take the mare to safety. I’ll look after him."
Night Shade didn’t question this decision and promptly resumed his former task. "Wilco, standby. I’ll make this quick."
While watching Night Shade pull away from the crash site, Jason kept wondering how to subdue the stallion. Although his training had prepared him for dealing with troublesome castaways, this was the first time that he had encountered someone who simply refused any assistance. Quite a new experience, and at the same time… a real pain in the ass.
"We’re ready, Baton Rouge." Hearing Night Shade’s rapid report forced Jason to turn all his attention towards the recovery point. Settling himself below the helicopter, his friend was forced to battle the overbearing winds and currents, just to keep the life raft in one place.
"Alright, stand back, I’m bringing her in now," Baton Rouge replied. "What in Tartarus happened there? Is he a lunatic?"
"Worse! A desperate father sacrificing himself for the sake of his own daughter."
Baton Rouge just snorted mockingly. "Wow, we have a hero on the loose. Better hide the mares and foals."
Soon, the unconscious mare’s body was bathed in a blue glow. The magic lifted her into mid-air while keeping her in a supine position. As her head was kept still, in just mere seconds her limp body was surrounded by a blue protective sphere. Completely unyielding to the strong winds, the magic construct soon begun to rise towards the helicopter.
Unicorn magic and pegasus wings—they were things Jason had marvelled at in the past. Many of his predecessors had only dreamed of what was now at the Coast Guard’s disposal. He could still remember when his profession had been completely dominated by his kind. It made him curse some of his high-ranking superiors’ short-sightedness for not perceiving any potential in mixed crews earlier.
However, as time had passed, thanks to stubborn ponies and their human allies, the intolerant attitude known as the ‘human-only wall’ had eventually crumbled. The first pony cadets had managed to prove their usefulness in the field quite quickly. Thus, the combined human and pony forces had marked a new era in the US Coast Guard. It filled Jason with pride knowing that he was a part of one such group. As a team, they didn’t hesitate in lending their talents to the higher cause.
Of course, despite how many times he had marvelled at Baton Rouge's levitation techniques, he knew there was no time to daydream, even as he held the struggling stallion. They needed to save everyone and get the hell out of here.
"Alright, first castaway recovered. Bring the next one, Night Shade," ordered Baton Rouge, just as the blue sphere disappeared inside the helicopter.
"Sir, please go aboard the life raft," Jason asked more firmly and grabbed the stubborn stallion’s shoulder. The stallion didn’t seem to hear. Seemingly exhausted from trying to remain in one place, he just kept resting his head on the yacht’s hull with his eyes closed. The situation seemed hopeless, but Jason already knew the pony’s weakness, so he might as well play that card.
"Fine, stay here, you idiot! The more you struggle with us, the less we can do for your daughter!"
Somehow, Jason’s outburst seemed to bring the pony back to his senses. His stare assured Jason that he had gained the reaction he wanted just in time for Night Shade to arrive. With a little help from Jason, the exhausted stallion was placed inside the life raft.
"Sir, promise me that you bring her back... promise me… please," he begged, his eyes overflowing with tears.
It didn’t escape Jason’s attention that the yacht’s hull had sunk a few inches since their arrival. The risk he was about to take was enormous. There was no guarantee that those trapped inside were still alive, and his partner wasn’t confident in that assessment.
"Sam, we’re bringing in the second one. I’m moving inside the boat."
"Just make it quick, we’ll need to refuel soon," hastened Sam. The unofficial Coast Guard's motto which stated that they need to go out, but don't need to come back always seemed to struck his nerve.
Sadly, all this struggling with the panicked survivor had made them lose valuable time. Damn it, if only there was a time spell at their disposal to back them up. The sad truth associated with his profession was that, even with all the magic and Pegasus aerial support, they were still restricted by time and human technology.
Jason looked again into the father’s desperate face and asked, "What’s her name?"
The stallion’s eyes, full of hope and desperation, jumped to Jason at his sudden question. "Lion Heart, she... she’s eight years old. Thank y—" he cried, but his words of gratitude were interrupted by another crash of waves on the other side of the hull. The falling water spray caused the stallion to cover his face on the edge of the life raft.
When he raised his head, he noticed the raft moving away from the yacht’s hull. However, he couldn’t locate the human rescue swimmer anywhere near them. All that remained were the huge waves, the glow from the helicopter’s search light... and Night Shade who was towing him in the aircraft’s direction.
***
Meanwhile, inside the helicopter, Baton Rouge was already taking care of the injured mare. After placing her on the medical stretcher located by the left wall, she covered her with a rescue blanket to prevent her body from further losing warmth. Thanks to her basic medical magic knowledge, she managed to stop the bleeding on the mare’s head and was about to finish scanning her vital functions.
‘So far so good,’ she thought, the mare’s ragged breathing almost drowned out by the shrieking winds.
"Rescue swimmer going in." Sam's report made her disrupt the health scan and leave the victim to take a peek outside. She noticed Night Shade and the life raft with only one person on it. Her thoughts whirling, she gazed at the crash site, only to see that Jason was already gone.
Just a glimpse at the yacht’s present condition was enough to be concerned. She bit her lower lip, knowing how perilous the situation was for her colleague. She knew that this was what they were trained for, being exposed to danger so that others might live, but still…
Despite graduating from the Academy and completing the training camp, during which she had absorbed everything her teachers had imparted like a sponge, she could never remain indifferent when her friends were putting their lives on the line.
"Baton Rouge, are you there?" Brought back to reality, she gazed down. Night Shade and his life raft were already in position below the helicopter. "We’re ready… like, anytime now."
"Shit," she cursed herself for the momentary lack of professionalism. This was no time to get lost in her thoughts. "Okay, just give me a second."
As her horn glowed again, the next castaway was surrounded by the magic sphere. This time, she did not have to worry about holding his body still. He instantly lost his balance and fell on his flank when the sphere began to levitate towards the helicopter.
‘Hmph, serves him right,’ she thought bitterly, knowing exactly who was to blame for this mess. Just as the sphere containing the stallion crossed the threshold of the helicopter’s cabin, the mare quickly broke the spell, causing him to be dropped on his flank with a thud.
"Ouch, watch it, lady!" he protested, though his words fell on deaf ears as the mare turned to Night Shade.
"Both survivors on board. Good job, Shade," she told her friend who had already unhooked the life raft, allowing the ocean to carry it away.
"Okay, guys, I’ll scout the area for the missing sailors. Keep me posted," he replied and quickly resumed scanning the nearby waters.
In the meantime, Baton Rouge noticed that the rescued stallion approached her position just to have a look at the crash site. Before he managed to get a good view, he quickly got grabbed by the irate mare and pushed right back beside his wife’s stretcher. "H-Hey… lady, do you know who I am?"
"A dead colt if you don’t shut up! Stay right here, and if you move just an inch, I’ll beat the living shit out of you, GOT THAT?" Her reaction rendered both him and the two pilots speechless as they gazed at her with their mouths fully agape.
After covering the shocked stallion with a rescue blanket, Baton Rouge returned to her post. Perhaps she overreacted a little. But thanks to his stubbornness and irrational behavior, her friend was now short on time. She desperately wanted to do something, anything, just to aid Jason in his struggles.
After mulling over the situation in her mind for a few moments, she came across an idea. The problem was that it was rather a long shot. Her magical capabilities weren’t exactly on the alicorn sisters’ level, but if she used her remaining magic reserves with caution, Jason’s chances might just be higher.
She quickly made radio contact with the helicopter’s main pilot. "Sam, can you bring us closer to the wreck?"
Both pilots turned their heads right back at her. "What for?"
The mare gazed at the sinking vessel once more before she finally gave the answer. "I’ll buy him some time."
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Definitely a good opening with a high-octane setting that establishes the world and the characters.
Also, one mistake:
- Ship names are italicized.
7850357
Correction made, thanks for the notice :)
Hm, I like what you've done so far. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this to see where you go with it.
7850357 That's strange. It's italicized in the doc, so I don't know if it disappeared when carried across to this site.
In the words of the members of the old United States Lifesaving Service (forerunner of the USCG) 'The regulations say we have to go out. They don't say we have to come back.'
7853054
Good point. Made some changes in the dialog. I believe it sounds better now. Thanks.
I probably know less than you do about actual Coast Guard work, but this seems slightly off. The ship is currently afloat, it is sinking. This implies to me that it is losing buoyancy at a rather slow rate. My knowledge of physics suggests that once it goes below the waterline it will sink somewhat faster. If he keeps to the 8 minute limit (or even stretches it to 10) and assuming a 30 minute air-tank, the sinking shouldn't be a problem except in two cases:
1.) The extra time to swim back to the surface puts him over when the helicopter MUST return, and hypothermia (despite the fact I assume he is wearing a wet-suit), or something kills him before a secondary rescue can occur. I doubt drowning would be much of an issue since by dropping his weight-belt he would have a ridiculous amount of buoyancy (but might tend to make him float face down in such a case?), and even if a particularly nasty wave decides that he is going to be under water for a full minute, going to his regulator could counter that. It would require some presence of mind to stop swimming for the surface, insert his regulator, and turn on his tank (not sure if this step is necessary, or if the regulator automatically takes care of it?).
2.) He dives too fast and this causes some sort of problem. The Bends? Except that happens when going UP. Never-the-less I think there are maximum decent rates for divers. But this would require a pretty rapid loss of buoyancy by the ship, rather than the so-far slow decent it has had to this point.
TK to steady the ship? [Star Trek's Scotty]"I've got a lock. {Three/Two/One} being beamed up."[/Star Trek's Scotty]... that phrasing sounds wrong, but you get the idea...