Ghostrider breathed a sigh of relief as the corpsmen arrived, followed several seconds later by Dr. Egan. He casually pushed a large mechanical device on wheels resembling a coffin/refrigerator
hybrid. The corpsmen waited patiently as Egan distractedly surveyed his surroundings, a look of confusion on his face.
Ghostrider approached him, rendering a smart salute. "Sir, Lt. Jeff 'Ghostrider' Jennings reporting."
"Reporting what?", Egan inquired, his blank expression unreadable.
"Uh...reporting that Lt. Schrader is still in his ship."
"Oh", Egan replied, his eyes focusing briefly, "well he'd better get out then."
Jennings stared at the doctor curiously. "He can't, sir", the pilot advised, "he's frozen."
"Ah, I see", Egan remarked. "You don't need me, then. What you need is a doctor."
"Sir, you are a doctor", Ghostrider reminded him less than tactfully.
Egan's expression changed to one of mild surprise. "You may have something there, Lieutenant." He looked down at the apparatus he'd been pushing. "Good thing we've got one of these,
then."
"What is that exactly, sir?"
"Well, it's a...", Egan searched his mind, "it's one of those things you put things in to keep them cold."
"Like a refrigerator", Ghostrider suggested.
"No", Triple J said, peering over his brother's shoulder, "more like a cryogenic stasis unit."
Ghostrider looked at his brother incredulously. "A what?!?"
"A cryogenic stasis unit", Triple J repeated. "I used to have one in college."
"Why?", Ghostrider inquired.
Triple J shrugged and tilted his helmeted head to the side. "I dunno", he replied, "just to have one, I guess."
Ghostrider shook his head miserably.
"So you know how to use one of these?", Egan asked hopefully.
"Sure", Triple J said confidently. "All you have to do is adjust these doohickeys over here", he explained reaching for the apparatus, "then you push that dealy over there..."
Frustrated, Ghostrider stomped back to the XP-2000 to check the other medics' progress.
