Chapter II The Autumn - Part 4

A few minutes later, a robotic medical Doctor like machine came in to check on Locus. He noticed straight away a slight clunking noise that the machine made just by walking, the joints couldn't make a loud walk quite like Locus as the machine was well lubricated. "I'm here to check on a leg wound for Mr. Locus?" the medical robot asked in a strange speech pattern, it was holding a digital holographic clipboard with many different people on the list.

"Yes Dr, he's right there," the Sergeant said pointing out Locus.

It went near Locus, who was sitting on the same bench with all his armor off. The robotic Doctor slid on a pair of blue latex gloves and investigated the wound carefully. It examined the wound by lifting his leg, tapped the knee joint to make sure it was working properly. It dug slightly deep into the wound with a metal stick and very gently opened it up to view the inside.

Locus felt the metal stick go inside his leg, he held back the pain by biting his lip, "Don't worry sir, I'm just examining the damage, the pain will dissipate eventually," The Doctor assured him as it continued to look for any infection. It shook its small robotic head in a motion going left and right, "I couldn't find anything that would be contagious to him, but the wound could use some Hydrogen Peroxide."

Locus lifted his wounded right leg on his left leg's lap supporting it as he looked at it, "Any wound could use Hydrogen Peroxide," Locus said grabbing the bottle that was on the bench next to him. He dumped the whole bottle of Peroxide on the open wound, Hot hot hot hot! Was the signals sent to his brain as he dumped it almost completely draining it. Hollers of pain released from his mouth as he knocked the brown glass Hydrogen Peroxide bottle out of his hand and shattered it on the shiny floor.

"I could have done it for you sir, you must be cautious when using precious resources," The robotic machine suggested, trying to sweep up the large glass chunks using his hand.

"Apologies Dr, he's still learning the routine on this ship. Please accept his arrogance," he bowed solemnly.

Locus looked at The Sergeant with a gaze of rudeness, speaking on behalf of Locus's actions, "Oh, my apologies, please do make plans to correct himself on such occasions will you?" It collected the equipment it brought with him as it left the room to continue other tasks for the shift.

"I don't think it could be a Doctor if that's how it treats people," Locus told Sergeant Keith.

"Trust me, the robots on this ship are the best we can create. Even if it has personality, nothing you can't deal with, yes?" The Sergeant told him as he went and grabbed the items out of a regular yellow painted 3D printer. He walked towards Locus giving him something entirely new, "These new gadgets are compatible with what armor you have. The armor is getting a new paint job as we speak and being fixed up."

"Very good, when can I expect my armor to finish repairs?"

"Soon, but for now I want you to test these new gadgets you are gonna be working with," he told him, handing him the several gadgets in his hands. "Just step into that room and we'll begin."

Locus stepped into the room that Sergeant Keith told him to enter. The room was quaint, pure white color, surrounding all around him with no windows just the one doorway from which he entered. The room was a bit big, enough to stretch and move around. The room began turning into a plain simple bright white room and into an outline of blue data outlines. The lines turned from scribbles of numbers and into a vast open field of neatly cut grass, with bright blue skies and white fluffy clouds. The field was perfect as it was a simulation, the view was as if you were there in the exact place and time. It was too real to Locus, as he was never exposed to this kind of technology ever.

"Don't mind the scenery, it's just enormous amounts of data being piled together; try out that jetpack and see how long you can hover," a familiar voice said to him.

Locus equipped the jetpack by simply attaching it to his bare back no straps were needed as it stuck on tightly, it felt light as it pressed against his back, warm heat was felt on his skin, on his armor he would never feel a thing. He adjusted his stance to ready himself, he activated the jetpack by pressing a rectangular button, he was lifted off of the ground with ease. Locus never thought he would ever float in midair ever, that hidden small dream was made into reality. The Longer Locus flew, the more balance he was losing, he leaned too closely on his left and crashed on the ground. "You have to balance how you float while you fly, if you lean too far to the left or right, you crash. Try to focus on how you control direction," the familiar voice told him.

Locus listened and took the advice, he controlled how he floated. He readjusted his stance once again, he felt confident this time with a grinning smile lurking out as he jumped in the air, punched the jetpack, and he floated around the room with ease because of the advice.

"Good! Now let's try something else," the voice said as the flight simulation was shut off. Locus unequipped the jetpack and tossed it away. "Alright, now we will try the rope dart gadget, climb up this cliff."

The room transformed in front of his eyes, the tarein was converted from a perfect grassy field to a dry-bone mesa biome, the weather changed from cool sixty degree weather and into eighty degrees. A brown pixelated shape outline of a cliff popped in front of him.

He secured his rope dart attachment by equipping it on his right wrist. It was nice, snug, and felt tight. He tightened his fist, he felt ready.

He hastily throws his arm out, activating the rope dart mechanism.

The dynamic noise and feel of the wind as he zooms up to the cliff felt too real to him. Locus was feeling cocky as he mastered the rope dart easily, but he began to panic as a flashback suddenly triggered in his mind, it was as if it was happening right now. He lost the confidence he held on too, it slipped away from him as the rope dart jerked back to the gadget, causing him to fall on the not too distant ground.

"Are you okay sir?" The voice asked concerningly.

"Yeah," he ached as his vision had returned to normal, "I'll be fine."

"We'll move on from that one, we'll put partial mastery as a result. There's just one more gadget to test."

The room changed again one last time, the dynamic change was the same for the last two, except the simulation was different, it was raining. The area was a steep decline going into what appeared to be an endless pit of darkness. The floor was a reflective cyan glassy texture, with hundreds of skyscraper buildings in the background. A dark sky covered the skybox and atmosphere.

"Use your heavy traction boots quickly," the recognizable announcer told him as Locus was gliding down the steep plane at a fast rate.

Locus lifted his right foot, all of a sudden, his feet were turning into a pixelated boot, it felt heavy but not anchoring him down strangely. He stomped his foot on the ground, slowing him down dramatically. He did the same to his left foot as well with similar results. Locus passed the test with a breeze.

"Excellent work Locus, head back into the armory room immediately."

Locus left the simulation room as it turned back into the bright white color like before. He entered the armory again and was greeted by the Sergeant,

"How did it go?" he asked Locus resting both hands on his hips, curious to know how he did.

"You didn't watch me?" Locus asked, believing he saw the whole process, two questions lingered in his wondering; Who was watching me, and why was I having flashbacks suddenly? Questions to be answered another behaps, he thought.

The Sergeant shifted his hands and clasped them together behind his back, he looked at Locus seriously. Locus read the situation and began to ask him a single question, "Is something wrong sir?"

"I am…... concerned about you, and these tests proved that," he sharply replied.

"What's wrong...." Locus paused, he felt vomit rushing through his throat, vomiting up blood, he caught the blood before spitting it on the Sergeant. He lost consciousness and passed out on the floor. "I gotcha," Keith caught him before he dropped any further to the ground. He rested him on the ground gently and pressed a button on his radio signalling for help. He kept whispering, "Everything is going to be okay."

Several minutes later. Time: 05:31

Planet: Saturn: Region: Saturn's Rings.

Day: October 22, 22,236

"Is it expected?"

"Yes sir, he has symptoms of PTSD, but they don't seem serious, for now."

"He hasn't had his medication in sometime, it's unclear if he can operate without it. What do you think?"

"I think he needs more rest and proper analysis. He isn't ready for combat quite yet."

���The Venus operations are going smoothly?"

"Last I heard they were digging deeper to find more of those radiated shards."

"Good, hopefully the Scars don't find them."

"Me too Captain."

"Dr. Burns, I trust you more than anyone on this ship, you know that. I need you to get him back on his feet as quickly as you can. Can you do that?"

"Aye aye sir. I'll do everything in my power to heal him."