STEALTH and TRACK: BOOK ONE

C H A P T E R T H I R T Y-N I N E

THIRD PERSON POV

Tech pulled the unconscious Fern out of the water and collapsed on the pebbled shore. After throwing off his helmet, he turned her over on her back and shook her shoulders. "Fern? Fern, can you hear me?" he called, suppressing the urgency in his voice. When the female clone did not respond, he viscerally readjusted her, tilting her head slightly back, and performed CPR, blowing deep breaths into her mouth. He avoided chest compressions since she was still freshly injured, but it may come to it if—

Fern's body jolted upward then curled over on her side, and she began hacking out the water in her lungs. As she coughed and heaved slowly intermittently, Tech patted her shoulder blades from behind. "Alright, alright," he coaxed. "That's it."

"Tech?" she inhaled deeply and sighed with relief. "Thank the Force... I wasn't sure where you landed when we fell out of that tunnel... I feared I'd lost you. Jeez, I can't see a thing..." Fern blinked her eyes repeatedly, attempting to adjust them to the blackness.

"One moment." the intellectual clone said, retrieving and slipping on his helmet. He activated his night vision and scanned their surroundings. "It seems we are in sort of a cavern with an underground lake. This room is massive, but there aren't any obvious egresses. I suggest we walk along the water—there's bound to be cavity where the water is filtering from." He looked down at his friend. "Fern? Are you alright?"

She was holding her chest and continuing to catch her breath. "I hit the water on my bad shoulder... I'm fine, I'm—Ow..." She attempted to stand up, but quickly crippled back to her knees while applying pressure to her injury. The chilled cavern air bit at her wet skin; her tunic crinkled up as the soft fabric began to freeze stiffly. Her whole body shivered, though she tried to hide it.

Tech witnessed this and was hesitant on what to do. From his heat signature scan, Fern's body temperature was dropping dramatically. He himself was top-notch condition due to his body suit and armor. He sighed, perceiving if he didn't do something, Fern's state would worsen. "Unfortunately, Echo has the first aid in his pack. We must keep moving and locate an exit point, or at least a path... We also need to get your body temperature to normal levels, and the best way to do that is movement. Take my hand."

Fern obeyed, her teeth chattering, and the two of them trudged along the soft river bank using Tech's night vision. She clung onto his shoulder as a guide. Along the way, the spectacled clone became fascinated with the natural layout of the cavern. "The walls have a natural blue-gray hue; a mineral must be blended in with the rock to create a spectrum as such. And the stalagmites are like towers. They must be fifty meters tall or more."

"Tick, as much as I love the envisioning commentary," Fern groaned. "how about you start searching for a way out?" Her knees were growing weak from the chill, but she pushed herself to maintain his natural pace. When he realized walking was not warming her up, he scanned the area ahead and saw the river thinned out into a shallow creek. "Up there. We can rest for awhile." They travelled another thirty yards and paused at a dry spot against the cavern wall.

Fern, after collapsing her back against it, hugged her knees close to her while Tech leisurely rested with his helmet set aside. "Are you still cold?" he inquired.

"What gives you that impression?" She rolled her eyes, which were at last beginning to adjust. She could discern the shimmering blue light he had admired before along the cave's floor and ceiling. It was a fascinating sight -- one she would enjoy more if she wasn't freezing to death. The throbbing in her shoulder had ceased, at least. 

"Here," Tech ignored her sarcasm and began unhooking his chest plate and gauntlets, exposing his dry, black sark. "My bodysuit has thermal regulation." He waved her over. "Come."