Don't Rocket the Boat

Although he's as surprised as anyone to see Reverend Judge Jacob Olden and Captain Mark Daniels disappear entirely into an overcoat pocket, Doc goes on about his business. After all, this kind of extreme weirdness is becoming routine. He stuffs the pistol, coat, and Q-TIP into his backpack while retrieving the medical kit.

Doc approaches the wounded. The heat of the boilers is starting to become unbearable. Marshal Mathews is kneeling between them, next to his boy. He's crying and sweating.

Doc kneels down next to him. "Marshal, I am deeply sorry. He was a fine man who did his duty when called upon and there ain't no shame in that."

"YOU KILLED MY BOY!" the marshal screams. He whips a pistol out of his jacket and fires it right at Doc's head. The bullet zings past his ear, the concussion of the blast rings bangs his eardrums.

Thunderhorse reacts with his ax, but he swings too high and hits the iron stove with a resounding WHANG!

Doc smacks at the Marshal's arm with his flashlight and hits, but the marshal does not relinquish the gun. He instead uses it to pummel Doc some more, hitting him in the cheek with it. Doc tries to hit him again with the flashlight, but the marshal blocks with his arm.

A large, bloodstained fist ends the tussle by hitting the marshal in the temple. He staggers and falls to the ground, crying. Doc kicks the gun across the deck.

"Danke," Doc tells Thunderhorse. He takes the marshal's hat and drops a ten dollar coin in it. "[This is money for that boy's funeral. You put money in it, too, then take it to the others. Make sure everyone donates. Don't forget the Judge's coins on the floor, either.]" Doc turns to the boat's crew and passengers still sitting in the coal bin. "We're passing the hat for the boy's funeral. Please donate generously." He returns to Thunderhorse. "[If anyone else tries something funny, knock them out.]"

Thunderhorse is confused at Doc's request to drop his hard earned silver into a hat, but trusts Doc's judgment and does so. He takes the hat and his axe and goes to do his work.

He sets the medkit down, opens it up, and quickly goes to work. He has Earl put pressure on the gash in his arm. He ties a tourniquet around Pete's leg to slow the bleeding. The bullet went clean through. He pours some alcohol on the wound and gets to stitching him up, finishing it up with a makeshift splint to help mend the bones.

Earl does not have the luck to be unconscious while Doc works on him. Fortunately, Doc has some local anesthetic in the medkit. He produces the syringe.

Earl shrieks. "Don't you go stickin' me with no needles!" he cries.

"I'll be stitching you up, so I'm sticking you with a needle anyway. Now, you either feel it once now for this numbing serum, or you feel it thirty times while I sew."

Earl reluctantly offers his arm. He yelps as Doc slides the needle in. He keeps his eyes closed throughout the procedure, but offers Doc no more resistance. By the time Doc is done, Thunderhorse returns with a full hat. Doc directs him to give it to the marshal.

Doc turns to the crowd. "You had better stoke these boilers and turn this boat around and get this man some help NOW! And if any one of you tells a single soul what you have seen, WE WILL come back and track you down!"

Doc gathers up his mess and stuffs the medkit back into the bag, making sure not to leave anything too medically advanced behind. He leads Thunderhorse the way forward with his flashlight, backtracking their way to the ladder to the Pu.

Steve calls up to them as they climb down. "Did you get it? What happened? What took so long?"

"We've got the pen. Sorry about the delay, I had some sewing to do. Reparations had to be made."

"What about the pipe? Did you get that? And my watch?"

"Well, not exactly." Doc reaches the bottom of the ladder. He pulls out the overcoat. "They're in the inside pocket. I'm not sure when they are, though."

"Is this Judge Olden's coat? Did you- was he the one who..."

"No, no, that was a soldier. He was armed and shooting at us. Judge Olden is alive. He's in the pocket, too."

"What?!"

"And Captain Daniels. He went in after him."

Dr. Ritenrong takes off his glasses and rubs his forehead, frustrated. "Wonderful. Lets get the hell out of here, please."

Thunderhorse completes the decent. Steve whacks the cargo bay doors button, closing them up with a slow whirring. The three head back to the cockpit and take their seats.

"Did you boys have a nice time on that boat?" The Autopilot asks cheerfully.

"Shut up and fly," Doc answers, taking the seat behind him. Dr. Ritenrong takes the copilot's seat.

"Sure thing, fella," the Autopilot replies just as cheerfully. "Engaging launch thrusters." He flips some switches and the engines start to fire up.

"Keep it on turbos for now. Get some distance between us and that boat before you take off," Dr. Ritenrong orders.

"Sure thing, fella." The android intones the exact same words as before. The engines continue to fire up. The ship begins to rise from the water.

"HEY! I said get get away from the boat!" Steve yells.

"Sure thing, fella," the thing says again. The Pu continues to lift vertically.

"Damnit!" Dr. Ritenrong undoes his harness and tries to get to the pilot's controls, but the ship is already in take-off and he can't fight the G-forces. "Shit! Kill the fucking thrusters!" He has no choice but to strap himself back in.

"Sure thing, fella," the android says in the same notes once again. The Pu rises higher and starts moving forward towards the horizon. Dr. Ritenrong mashes buttons on his side of the console in frustration. He gives up, and switches a monitor on to the external camera.

The Chesapeake is burning and listing to starboard. "Well, I guess that explains that." Dr. Ritenrong sighs. "God, I need a drink."

The Pu shudders as it breaks the sound barrier, climbing higher and faster across the Earth as it rises into space.