The CHANGI BULLET

Chapter 15 - Contact

Ezra opened his eyes. His "alarm clock" was going off again, but at least he was not in the middle of a nightmare.

As he lay there, he attempted to move his arms and legs – check! He assessed how he felt in his own mind and still knew who he was and where he was going. He felt the urge to scratch his chin and found a full growth of beard, something which freaked him out for a second. So, he had been out for the proper period, that time. But then he remembered the sounding alarm. He sat up and once again saw Ari looking at him from his own bunk.

'Like it was only yesterday, Ari. More trouble?'

'It's a red alarm, Ezra. I have to wake everyone. I'll go up to the cockpit. Please handle everyone's waking up and gather them in the lounge.'

'In the Mess,' Ezra corrected.

'In the Mess. Then come up with Inggrid and Petrik.'

'Will do, Ari.'

As Ari left, Ezra got up with a big stretch. The alarm stopped, thankfully, but not the temporary tinnitus noise again. He went to Cerys first. He opened her bunk and saw her eyes flutter. He opened the Perspex covers for Dr Ghosh and Professor Stokes, then stepped back to Cerys. Her eyes shot to his face and she screamed in terror.

'What the actual fuck!?'

'Cerys, it's Ezra. Ezra Walker. You're on the Izzati.'

Her panic attack slowly subsided. 'Oh, my God.'

'See, you're still alive.'

'Am I? Really? I don't feel like it. Are we there yet?'

'Errrm, almost. Breathe deep, stretch and get up when you can.'

Dr Ghosh and Professor Stokes were stirring; the latter coughing up phlegm and looking quite distressed. She sat up and gestured that she was okay to Ezra.

'Ex-smoker,' she said.

Ezra went about opening the other bunks, returning in due course to see how people were reacting. Lottery winner, Rizki, let out some fast panic whimpers, before remembering where he was. There were cheerful obscenities from Roach and from Charles. The two Russians sat up and gave him thumbs up, like they had just woken after a night on a Russian Special Forces training camp.

'Are we all alive?' called Roach. 'Nobody suffer a leak, like in the movies?'

Then it was the turn of Inggrid to scream. Ezra, followed quickly by Cerys, hurried to comfort the co-pilot. They both asked her what was wrong.

'Shiro won't wake up!'

'What?' asked Ezra. He looked at Cerys for an explanation. 'What is she talking about?'

Cerys was hugging Inggrid.

Inggrid was pointing down at her feet. 'Shiro!'

Ezra realized that Inggrid had smuggled her pet cat on board. It was white, with light brown blotches, and quite clearly dead. Ezra reached out to touch its chest, being surprised to find a pulse. 'Hey, it's breathing. Inggrid, it's breathing, see. It probably just needs more time. Now, come on, pull yourself together. We've been woken for an alert.'

Ezra moved on.

'An alert?' asked Inggrid.' She reached for her hijab. She smiled at Cerys. 'An alert? Yes. Okay. I'm calm now. I'm ready to perform my duties. Thank you, Cerys.'

Everybody was on their feet. Roach and Medina were laughing and comparing facial hair. If people were talking, then they were talking about wanting food.