The third, and possibly LAST book in the series!
As two ships hurtle back home, humanity rushes to meet doomsday head on. At home three factions are fighting to save humanity, even as they fight each other. In deep space, colony after colony is falling to the invaders. In the ships, a girl who could remake the universe has turned her back on her past.
Familer characters, new characters. New dangers, new threats, new villains and a deadly conclusion that could bring humanity crashing down!
Every race goes Extinct. Are we next?
To new Readers: Too much damn stuff has happened in the past TWO books that I think it would take ten entire pages to sum it up nicely. So just go back and read those books
Rated Mature for violence, sex, and LOTS of swearing. Lots and lots of swearing. And probably some psychological trauma.
Prologue
The planet had a very...odd orbit. It was at just the right place so that it was traded off between the three stars that made up is solar system. Every few centuries it would get in the right orbital position to be grabbed by one of the stars and pulled into its orbit. This orbit created 'megaseasons' that defined life for the natural creature on the planet. They burrowed into the ground, laid long lasting eggs or went into some form of hibernation or the other. The years ticked by, and the only thing even approaching sentience on the planet watched the years slowly pas. It lay, hulking, in a ruined city. The city itself was something of an oddity, its story forgotten by anything living on the planet.
The colonist had come, and now they were quite dead. The rest of humanity had forgotten them, their true story being lost in legends and myths. Now only a few people even believed it existed, and only a few of those knew that it existed, and had seen the concrete evidence. The inhabitance had once been happy, free, and pleased to be ignored. Now they were dead. The sky, an odd lurid purple, was nothing more then a roiling, billowing collection of clouds. Now the last sentient thing on the planet sat, mesmerized by the sky. His, if you had to chose a gender, name was Hyde. He had watched the sky for longer then most humans breathed. And he still watched it.
The the ships touched down. Out of them came men and women, clad in space suits. Each of them held cobbled together weapons. None looked the same, though all did the same thing. They ran into the city, laser communication and encrypted radio signals dancing between them. The found Hyde. Hyde got up, trying to explain in his odd way, how important it was for him to keep at least four eyes on the sky, if not more. The humans did not take kindly to this perceived attack, so they shot him. Hyde fell, large chunks of his body suddenly turned to nothing more then light and heat. The intruders kept up the barrage until there was nothing left of Hyde but the light that had scoured the floors.
One of the human pulled of her helmet. Dark skin shone under the sunlight that filtered in, unobstructed by the purple clouds. She cricked her neck and turned around. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Target is down├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôLets move in the civys├óÔé¼┬Ø. One of her partners snapped a salute and turned away, still not taking off his helmet. The woman looked back, at where Hyde had lain. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry├óÔé¼┬Ø she said to the now dead creature. She walked out of the building even as the colonization fleet landed. Humanity had come to Darkside again.
Part One: Night of the Long Knives.
Michal Dobson looked out of a small window and sighed. It had been three weeks. Three god damn weeks and they had still made little progress in getting back home. Mike remembered why he liked cryogenics so much. They cut out the interstitial crap that went with space travel. Even with inertial dampeners, star drives and limitless amounts of recourses and energy, humanity still took its god damned time getting anywhere. And the fact that his love was married to somebody ten light years away grated on him. Lizzy, however, was a complicated woman. No, scratch that, she was simple enough. She just had lived a bit too long for normal relations.
Mike turned away from the unchanging star field and looked back around his room. They had shunted as many people as could fit into the mostly banged up cryounits. But seeing as how they had two hundred refugee's crammed in as well, the old and the infirm got first dibs. They had actually gotten most of them into cryo. All that meant was that Mike, and his squad...and the rest of the combat crew had to stay out. For four years. Mike sighed again, thinking of that time. Then again, he should be happy. He was getting farther and farther away from that damned planet.
Sargent Michal Dobson. Age, 97. Race, untraceable. Centuries of cross breeding and interracial marriage has marred the clear cut ethnic lines of the last few millennial. Some people still showed what would be called 'Caucasian' or 'African' traits. They were commonly known as throwbacks. Implants, full body implementation. Mike was one of the Trancendi, his body sprinkled with implants that made his inner workings more durable, more efficient and quicker. His brain had been scanned, neuron for neuron, into a complete quantum computer. It was theoretically possible for him to change bodies, even download his mind into a different body entirely. But Mike didn't think of those possibilities. He was more focused on what to do that would occupy the next four years.
He decided to look at his dossiers. After half a century of constant promotion and then nearly instant demotion, Mike had settled into a permanent ├óÔé¼┼ôprivate├óÔé¼┬Ø stage, his rank stuck. His carrier was far from over, as he had been funneled into a special branch of the Marines. Whenever strict military hierarchy worked against itself, in sticky situations that changed faster then the Marines could cope, an Irregular was there to think outside of the box. He had found this position to his taste, and had stayed there. Now he was faced with a rather large problem. He had been promoted, by Capitan Keller, to the rank of Sargent.
He looked through his squad, the people he would be commanding. It had been surprising, to say the least. Corperal Helena Lawry, Age, 45. Race, untraceable. Position: Sniper. Private Eve Montoya. Age, 19. Race, unidentified. Position: Irregular. Private Mankowski. Age, 33. Race, Russian. Position: Demolitions. Private Hicks Kene. Age, 25. Race, untraceable. Position: Heavy Weapons. Mike suddenly had a headache. He wondered if every new squad leader had headache's when they found out who they'd be commanding, or if the people in his squad were extra bad. He also noticed he'd be one man short. That was just great.
He thumbed down in the dossiers, trying to see if whoever had organized this had decided to put some notes other the name, race, age, and position. He had. Helena: Still recovering from immense trauma. Eve: Possible threat, please report any strange behaviors. Mankowski: Has a tendency to complain, address this. Hicks: Relationship with Eve, make sure it stays on the level. Mike threw the dossiers to the table, frustrated. Well that was a load of help. He heard a knock at the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôCome in!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The door slid open and revealed Sargen...no make that Lieutenant Glickson. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey Mike├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson said, walking into the room and sticking his hand out.
Mike got up, taking the hand ├óÔé¼┼ôHey Sarge...I mean Lieutenant├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, grinning. ├óÔé¼┼ôDoesn't quite roll of the tong the way 'Sarge' does, doesn't it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson said ├óÔé¼┼ôCan I sit down?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSure├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, offering him a chair. They both sat at the table. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôDid you get a monumental headache when you got who was going to make up you're squad? Or is the fact that I'm commanding...lets see├óÔé¼┬Ø he picked up the dossiers and read them off one by one ├óÔé¼┼ôAn alien, a boorish Russian├óÔé¼┬Ø he ticked those two off ├óÔé¼┼ôA complete stranger and my ex-lover, make me extra special!├óÔé¼┬Ø. He tossed the data slate to the table.
Glickson looked at the slate ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThats normal, but your special├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôAt least we can put off assembling them for now...nothings going to happen for four damn years├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôActually├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to get to full combat readiness as soon as possible├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Capitan doesn't much trust our...compatriots├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson said. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust to make it worse├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôBut do you have any advice?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWatch Mankowski├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson said ├óÔé¼┼ôWatch him even more then Eve. He's the one that can be either your greatest link, or your worst enemy. If you use him right, the man can work wonders├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd Helena?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked softly. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe'll get over it├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson said, his eyes looking through the window and into space ├óÔé¼┼ôEventually├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI never expected her to take it so hard├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's seen friends get hit by artillery. She's had blood splash her in the face, it was so close. But she's never needed to go into Psych for that├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Glickson sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't have an answer for that├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôMaybe it was true love├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôMaybe...I never would have thought it, before the fact...Helena's true love would be a woman├óÔé¼┬Ø. They were both silent after that. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo Eve joined the Marines?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYup├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson said, nodding ├óÔé¼┼ôShe joined the marines├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike and Glickson both thought about Eve. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat might be a problem├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's human, or so the doctor said...we should be fine├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI hope so├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Glickson said ├óÔé¼┼ôMy leave is getting eaten up here. I'm going to hit the bar. See you later├óÔé¼┬Ø. He walked out of the room.
The Eve in question was, at that moment, getting her back rubbed. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh your good at that├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve murmured into her pillow, her face mashed into the soft surface. Hicks shrugged. He was just doing what he had seen in some cheap holovids and hoped it worked. His hands worked down her spine, kneading it as best he could. Eve moaned as he did so ├óÔé¼┼ôThats nice├óÔé¼┬Ø she murmured, her eyes drooping. Hicks shrugged again. Then Eve was asleep. Hicks stopped his armature massage and looked at her. Black hair, perfect skin. Pretty eyes. She was...beautiful. Hicks laid down next to her and looked at her sleeping face. It was not the most flattering image of Eve, as he mouth was squashed partially to the side by the pillow. Hicks smiled. He still loved her to pieces.
Then Eve's eye opened, looking at him. Hicks smiled. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets do it├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo we have to?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hicks asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWe could just enjoy each other company├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve was struck silent a moment. Then they both started to laugh. The laughing lead to a kiss. The kiss then lead to mutual massage, with Eve trying her had on Hicks. That lead to the next level. Then it lead there several more times through out the night. Finally Eve lay, nestled up to Hicks, her back fitting to his front. ├óÔé¼┼ôHicks├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôTomorrows is my first day in the marines├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø Hicks said, running his hand through her hair ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's going to be hard├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo doubt about it├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve murmured. Hicks's hand found her left tit, stroking it. Eve giggled ├óÔé¼┼ôAgain?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The next day and she and Hick's got dressed. Hicks wore his shirt and pants well, but was showing a bit of sag round the waist. He was not hansom, not by a long shot, but neither was he ugly. A single scar ran down his face, and his chest also held there own share of scars. Eve didn't care. She still thought he was the handsomest man on the ship. They both walked to the designated meeting place for their squad. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo we're in the same unit├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI requested it├óÔé¼┬Ø Hicks said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey granted it, seeing as how we're both the same rank├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks, Hicks├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow I'll be able to watch out for you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Hicks laughed. But Eve was deadly serious. She hadn't told anyone. Not even her mother.
Elizabeth Montoya was asleep. A dime store romance novel, Doctor Darling lay across her chest, as she had fallen asleep reading it. It had been a favored of her second, and now dead, husband. She was dreaming of happy days, when she and Daniel and Eve were together. They were celebrating her birthday. Then gun shots and Eve was being dragged away. Lizzy woke up with a start, the book clattering to the floor. She ran her hand through her hair. Would the nightmares ever go away? Eve was safe. She was old now, old and strong. She didn't need Lizzy's protection anymore. Lizzy laid back down and tried to get some more sleep.
It proved impossible, and she got up, swearing. She walked out into the hallways of the ship. Tomorrows was her daughters first day in the Marines. Lizzy tried not to be over protective. In fact she thought her daughter joining the marines was the best thing that could happen to her at this point. She smiled wryly, thinking of the younger Elizabeth Montoya. The woman who had decided to give the finger to the law and become a pirate. She had never thought she would end up here, and in this job. She was a mother. That alone had been a twist. Who she was mothering was even stranger. Lizzy sighed, hitting a dead end. She turned around and walked back to her quarters. Then she stayed up till early in the morning, finishing off Doctor Darling. In the end, when Julia Simmons died of terminal brain cancer, and Doctor Darling drove his hover car off a cliff, Lizzy smiled, thinking of how that made Daniel cry every time.
Capitan Mechelle, of the star ship Excalibur, walked from one end of her bridge to anther. It was night time on the Hannibal, and night time here, actually. But she couldn't sleep. She was being paid for this, true, but shepherding a half dead wreck all the way back to SOL, with fifty four refugee's in cryo was not what she had in mind. The Excalibur needed only a small crew, but the Hannibal had sent some old and infirm civies over to their state of the art cryo system, and crammed the rest of the civies into their cryo system. So that left two crews with nothing to do. So now she was plotting a way to get more money.
It all hinged on Eve. If she could kidnap Eve and sell her back to the enemy, then she could get quadruple the price she was being paid now. Only problem was Eve was no longer an important asset. She was just a nineteen year old girl at this point, with nothing interesting or odd about her, other then her history. So...all Michelle needed to do was convince someone that Eve was human again. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I can tell you...just how to do that├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice said from behind her. Michelle spun. A man was standing on her bridge. For a second Michelle wished she had left the night crew stay on. But the ship practically ran itself while in transit mode. She was alone.
├óÔé¼┼ôDon't be afraid├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said, smiling. He wore a business suit, complete with a tie. His face was dark, darker then most normal people, and he wore a odd cloth wrapped around his head. After a few moments the name popped into Michelle's mind. A turban. That was it. She gulped and said ├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI am called Taraka├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said, bowing ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I need to dispose of Eve├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôW...Why?├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause she is a thorn in my side├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd she has not quite complied with the bargain I made her...so how about we strike a deal. You get Eve off the Hannibal and into my hands, and I will give you something beyond your wildest dreams├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Darkside: Extinction
Moderator: Moderators
Darkside: Extinction
Last edited by Zoombie on 23 Aug 2006, 06:57, edited 1 time in total.
You don't like Taraka?
Well too bad. He's here to stay. He's a nasty person, and he's teh bad guy. So you'd best get used to his meddling.
Oh and time for some new stuff!
Capitan Keller sat at his desk, frowning. He had a rather particular problem, one that he was sure had been faced by the most early space travelers. Refugee's crowded his cryogenic units, leaving no room for his crew. This he could live with. It prevented the refugee's from sucking out the supplies that his crew needed. Even so it would be stretched quite a bit, as they were already running low on some of the side orders. Like steak. He smiled lightly. Whoever had decided to send a interstellar spacecraft out with steak needed to be commended.
The biggest problem was sitting at his desk. It was a data slate, containing reports from his crew manger staff. Eighty five people on the ship belonged to belief systems that thought birth control was equatable to murder. Of those eighty five people, seventy two of them were married. Of those seventy two, thirty were pregnant and expecting in at least nine months. Keller had two choices. He could either order abortions, witch would immediately make most of the crew furious. Or he could simply let the births take place and find 'some' way of feeding them. It was going to be a hell of a problem. But he might as well worry about it now, and not nine months later when he suddenly had thirty more mouths to feed.
He slid his finger down the side of the data slate and read off some more reports. It seems there were also a record number of fights. Ten fights, all between the fifty three marines who had survived the operations around Dantana. A fight between a marine and another marine were discouraged harshly because if a marine couldn't kill his or her enemy in hand to hand combat, then Keller was sure they'd be booted all the way back to basic. So he called in the General. After a few moments General Sarris walked into the room. Keller smiled at her, his headache easing somewhat. On any other ship the Capitan would be worried about being court marshaled for having an affair with the marine commander. This wasn't even other ship.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarris said, sitting down on the other side of Keller's desk ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is about the fights?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller cupped his face in his hands, rubbing his eye ├óÔé¼┼ôyeah├óÔé¼┬Ø He said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can handle it├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarris said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've already set the marines to work. We've got three new recruits, and several promotions. They just need stuff to occupy themselves with├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller looked at his desk and called up a map of the ship. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis area├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, marking off a large chunk of the middle of the ship ├óÔé¼┼ôIs clear. There's no one there, so you can use it for a training ground├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sarris smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll get some of the new squad leaders started├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller leaned back in his chair ├óÔé¼┼ôYou open for tonight?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. Sarris grinned, yanking the zipper on the front of her suit down.
Mike looked at his assembled squad and his headache came back in full force. Mankowski stood at very poor attention, a cigarette dangling from the side of his mouth. Next to him was who Mike assumed was Hicks. Hicks looked like a strapping young man, with a light goatee growing around his mouth. He was leaning slightly closer to Eve, who stood next to him. He looked protective too. Eve, in question, still sent a slight chill down Mike's spine. His first encounter with her had left half his friends dead, the rest missing a limb. The then Sargent Glickson had gotten his arm torn off. He was one of the lucky ones. Mike suppressed the chill and examined Eve. She looked like a younger, more happy version of her mother. Her skin was not darkened, like her mothers, but her face was the same build.
Mike could see how she had hooked Hicks. She was pretty, damned pretty. It was a more wholesome kind of pretty then...before. Then she had been icy and alien. Now she looked...human. More alive, in an odd way. She was also holding the smartest attention of them all. She also looked to have the same preternatural balance and body control, as she almost never blinked and never wavered in her stance. Mike walked past her and looked over Helena. She seemed smaller, more withdrawn. She was also thinner, as if she were not eating as much. But she still held attention, and her uniform looked well pressed. That was all there was in his squad. There were normally six men and women in a squad, not counting the squad leader.
├óÔé¼┼ôAttention!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike shouted. Mankowski snapped into fine form, as did Helena. Hicks also snapped to attention. Eve's spin got straighter, if that were possible. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have some new faces, and some old ones. The old troopers will have to make sure our new boys get the rules down. From now on, this squad bunks together. No more private quarters├óÔé¼┬Ø. If Hicks or Eve looked disappointed about that, they didn't show it. That was good, as Mike had ordered that specifically because of their relation. It would also help solidify the squad. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have three hours to get acclimated. Then we are going to run some drill...dismissed!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The squad snapped off salutes and went from attention to relaxed stances. Helena walked away first, going to get her gear. Mankowski, as if he had expected the order, had brought his gear. Hicks and Eve walked out together, talking. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo Mike├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said ├óÔé¼┼ôOh...Sarge├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike frowned at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said ├óÔé¼┼ôhow do you like your new promotions?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts fine├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôMankowski...can you do me a favor?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said, grinning. ├óÔé¼┼ôWatch Eve├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôIf anything strange happens...tell me├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut the docs say she's human, and I'm liable to believe them├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôI like her well enough. She's a good girl...or at least part of her is. Its the other part I'm worried about├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Eve glanced around the corner, her ZX-74 light in her hands. The ZX series was a good one, but the 74 was the plastic version. It was light weight, and with caseless rounds. It also broke if used in mellee combat, and it had a tendency to overheat and break under extended fire. But it could hose down a large area with low caliber rounds. The rounds Eve was using were 'smart' rounds. If aimed at a friendly target, they blew themselves up before hitting the enemy. The fragments would still hit the target, but they would just sting, instead of penetrate. It hurt like bloody hell. So Eve was sure she wouldn't get hit. Then she saw a target dive around the corner, rolling into more cover. She fired a burst. The rounds slammed into the floor and the cover, witch was a foam sofa. Fluff flew in the air.
Another enemy fired back, leaning around the corner. The first man bounced up from his cover and fired a burst. Eve ducked back and the bullets smashed around her. They all missed, but a bit of fragments smacked her cheek. Eve winced, then looked back down her hallway. She signaled to Hicks and Mankowski, who ran to her. ├óÔé¼┼ôMankowski├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôCover me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mankowski unslung his heavy machine gun and rolled into the hallway, hugging the ground to make as little a target as possible. The two enemy fired and bullets smashed about Mankowski. One hit his leg, and the exoskeleton he wore locked down. His leg was now useless for the rest of this battle.
Mankowski still snapped out the stock on his machine gun and opened up. The couch exploded into a huge cloud of fluff as Mankowski hosed it down. Eve ran around the corridor and fired, aiming as best she could as she ran. A bullet of hers hit an enemy in the chest, and he fell, his exoskeleton sizing up. The second enemy tried to shoot her, but she dived forward at the last second and fired her gun, sweeping it around. The bullets raked his legs and the man fell. Eve stood up and placed her foot on his chest ├óÔé¼┼ôSurrender?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said, sitting up as best he could ├óÔé¼┼ôYour fast├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, helping him to his feet. Hicks walked over to the 'dead' man and tapped his medic stick onto his exoskeleton. The man's suit opened up and he got up, slowly.
├óÔé¼┼ôThat was impressive├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike murmured, running over the video footage. Eve had not quite dodged bullets, but she had reacted a bit faster then a normal human. It was eerie, until Mike remembered he could have pulled it off. He was not exactly a normal human either. So he passed over it without reporting it into the scientist teams. He still had to go over the battle with his marines. Might as well get started. He pressed a button on his desk and Eve walked in. ├óÔé¼┼ôSit down├óÔé¼┬Ø He said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes sir├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, smiling. She was still a bit to happy to be in the marines. It was a bit irritating to Mike, who had been forced into the damn organization.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou showed some superb fighting skills today├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThank you...sir├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, remembering to tack on the sir in the last second. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôthere is a problem├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve waited for what he would say. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't seem to back up the others in the squad, and even though you have Mankowski cover you, you still don't make use of the cover as well as we could. You were lucky the enemy were too busy hiding from the his machine gun to shoot you down. You can't deflect bullets with your mind anymore. Stop acting like it├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve gulped ├óÔé¼┼ôYes sir├óÔé¼┬Ø She said. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôenjoy your day off. Make sure you get some sleep. We're starting early next morning├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Lizzy lay back in her chair, enjoying her time. That was what she planned to do this entire trip. Relax and enjoy her time. She didn't have anything to run, anything to save. For a moment she worried about Eve. She immediately dashed those problem. Eve was a grown girl. She could take care of her self. Lizzy lay back again and closed her eyes. That balance lasted for five minutes. Then she sat up, swearing ├óÔé¼┼ôI need something to do!├óÔé¼┬Ø She moaned. She thought of what she could do. She could go to the cafeteria and hook up a man. Lizzy walked into her bathroom and looked at her self in the mirror. Her tattoo's were not as universally known as they once had been, but they were still pretty exotic.
Then she sighed, knowing that she couldn't just sleep with anyone. Jason was alive. He was waiting for her. She owed it to him. She owed him for waiting for her. She sighed. So sex was out, and sex was one of the better ways to piss away an evening. She thought about reading, but she had been doing enough of that for this week. Her mind wandered back to sex, and she grumbled at herself for it. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not that shallow├óÔé¼┬Ø She murmured ├óÔé¼┼ôI can do things other then sex├óÔé¼┬Ø. She decided to go talk with her friends. It felt odd to have friends, after being a loner for most of a century. She walked out of her room and walked down the hall, looking for Mike's quarters.
Mike heard the sound of a hand rapping on his door. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. The door opened and Lizzy stood outside. Mike gulped, looking at her. Thanks to the strange, mixed, up way the human mind worked, Mike wanted her more for not being able to have her. Something about not being able to touch someone made them all the more desirable. Mike cursed his backwards mind and smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôHey Lizzy├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat brings you around here?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm dying of boredom├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôWant to grab some friends and hit the bar?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSure├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I think Helena needs some friends right now├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôLets go grab her├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Helena sat alone in her room. She still felt as if it was not quite true, not quite real. Something about the last few weeks seemed unreal, hard to pin down, Too many thing had happened in a short time. She had fallen in love, for one thing. Then Tapp had died. Tapp had been funny, smart, and best of all...stubborn. Helena would never have looked at Tapp twice if Tapp hadn't been so damn stubborn. Now she was dead. That was another thing that Helena had never expected. She was hetero.,, was she? She wasn't sure anymore. But Tapp had been amazing, once Helena had managed to get past her fear and actually kiss her. It seemed silly now, being afraid of kissing someone. Who cared if they were a woman. Now Helena wished she had been less of a coward and had fucked Tapp's brains out as best she could. Now she would never get the chance.
Then she heard a knock on the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked, her voice soft. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey Helena├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said, opening the door ├óÔé¼┼ôIts us!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said ├óÔé¼┼ôCome in├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike and Lizzy walked into the room. Mike looked worriedly at Helena. Helena should thank him for his concern, but she couldn't quite find the will power. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're going to hit the bar. You're coming├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said, hauling her to her feet ├óÔé¼┼ôYour coming. Hell, I might be able to wrangle you a nice woman to have some fun with├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena blushed ├óÔé¼┼ôOkay├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Mike still looked worried.
They all sat at the bar. ├óÔé¼┼ôTheres a looker├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said to Helena, pointing. Helena gagged on her drink ├óÔé¼┼ôNo thanks├óÔé¼┬Ø she gasped. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh come on├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôWallowing in grief is just as bad as pretending its not there├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not wallowing├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said, her face flushing. Anger rose. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're not?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôThen you'd find some way to move on├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt wouldn't be fair├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said ├óÔé¼┼ôto move on without a thought├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôI've found that moving on is never the end. Just because you've started walking again, doesn't mean you forget where you've been├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôAH well├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said, turning away ├óÔé¼┼ôI bet she's too much of a coward to kiss anyone else, let alone a girl├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI am not├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena snapped. She was feeling more angry then she had in a long while.
Then she realized she was feeling more...anything then she had for a while. She grabbed Lizzy and pointed at the 'looker' that she had pointed out ├óÔé¼┼ôI bet I can get her into my bed without needing to get her drunk├óÔé¼┬Ø She said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI doubt it├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôMike, back me up├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. Mike grunted, not wanting to get involved. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said ├óÔé¼┼ôI bet my week of pay. If I get her eating out of my palm, then I get your week of pay├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not getting pay├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThen...just give me something then, all right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôI bet she's hetero├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI bet that wont matter├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said, getting up and walking to the 'looker's' table.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was that about?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked, turning to Lizzy. ├óÔé¼┼ôSometimes you need to smack someone to get them awake├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure thats a good idea, thought?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's not going to think about Tapp for this night. She's still going to grieve, but its not going to be her entire life. She'll be fine├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhatever you say├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, downing another bit of his drink. Then he heard the laughter of Helena from across the room. He looked around and saw that the two women where chatting like they were old friends. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe got lucky├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôI bet she's not hetero├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho cares?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats a question├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy murmured. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't have much to do for the rest of the night now├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Lizzy looked at him ├óÔé¼┼ôIs that an invitation?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt could be├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, not wanting to commit too much in case she would be offended. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell too bad├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't...not with my husband just ten light years away├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sudden longing burst in Mike's chest. He wanted to have her. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats fine├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, not looking at Lizzy. Lizzy smiled and patted his shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôIf it were just sex├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'd say sure. But with you...its more├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike sighed, looking at his drink. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can't├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ônot if its like that├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôCan it just be sex?├óÔé¼┬Ø He asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWould you want it to?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, turning to her. ├óÔé¼┼ôLier├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, smiling. Mike hung his head. He was lying. He didn't just want to share Lizzy with some...some 'husband'. So he would have to let her go.
Then Mike leaned in and kissed her quickly. Then he backed away. Lizzy smiled lopsidedly ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, walking away. Mike sighed, turning back to the table. ├óÔé¼┼ôWoman troubles?├óÔé¼┬Ø the bartender asked, rubbing a glass with one hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou could say that├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. ├óÔé¼┼ôwant to explain?├óÔé¼┬Ø the woman smiled at Mike, her teeth flashing. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts complicated├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø the bartender said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm open for the evening├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks, but no thanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, standing ├óÔé¼┼ôHow much do I owe you for the drinks?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNone├óÔé¼┬Ø The bartender said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts a free bar for marines├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, a bit nonplussed ├óÔé¼┼ôwell├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôhave this as a tip├óÔé¼┬Ø. He dropped the credit chits onto the table and walked out.
Well too bad. He's here to stay. He's a nasty person, and he's teh bad guy. So you'd best get used to his meddling.
Oh and time for some new stuff!
Capitan Keller sat at his desk, frowning. He had a rather particular problem, one that he was sure had been faced by the most early space travelers. Refugee's crowded his cryogenic units, leaving no room for his crew. This he could live with. It prevented the refugee's from sucking out the supplies that his crew needed. Even so it would be stretched quite a bit, as they were already running low on some of the side orders. Like steak. He smiled lightly. Whoever had decided to send a interstellar spacecraft out with steak needed to be commended.
The biggest problem was sitting at his desk. It was a data slate, containing reports from his crew manger staff. Eighty five people on the ship belonged to belief systems that thought birth control was equatable to murder. Of those eighty five people, seventy two of them were married. Of those seventy two, thirty were pregnant and expecting in at least nine months. Keller had two choices. He could either order abortions, witch would immediately make most of the crew furious. Or he could simply let the births take place and find 'some' way of feeding them. It was going to be a hell of a problem. But he might as well worry about it now, and not nine months later when he suddenly had thirty more mouths to feed.
He slid his finger down the side of the data slate and read off some more reports. It seems there were also a record number of fights. Ten fights, all between the fifty three marines who had survived the operations around Dantana. A fight between a marine and another marine were discouraged harshly because if a marine couldn't kill his or her enemy in hand to hand combat, then Keller was sure they'd be booted all the way back to basic. So he called in the General. After a few moments General Sarris walked into the room. Keller smiled at her, his headache easing somewhat. On any other ship the Capitan would be worried about being court marshaled for having an affair with the marine commander. This wasn't even other ship.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarris said, sitting down on the other side of Keller's desk ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is about the fights?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller cupped his face in his hands, rubbing his eye ├óÔé¼┼ôyeah├óÔé¼┬Ø He said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can handle it├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarris said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've already set the marines to work. We've got three new recruits, and several promotions. They just need stuff to occupy themselves with├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller looked at his desk and called up a map of the ship. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis area├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, marking off a large chunk of the middle of the ship ├óÔé¼┼ôIs clear. There's no one there, so you can use it for a training ground├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sarris smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll get some of the new squad leaders started├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller leaned back in his chair ├óÔé¼┼ôYou open for tonight?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. Sarris grinned, yanking the zipper on the front of her suit down.
Mike looked at his assembled squad and his headache came back in full force. Mankowski stood at very poor attention, a cigarette dangling from the side of his mouth. Next to him was who Mike assumed was Hicks. Hicks looked like a strapping young man, with a light goatee growing around his mouth. He was leaning slightly closer to Eve, who stood next to him. He looked protective too. Eve, in question, still sent a slight chill down Mike's spine. His first encounter with her had left half his friends dead, the rest missing a limb. The then Sargent Glickson had gotten his arm torn off. He was one of the lucky ones. Mike suppressed the chill and examined Eve. She looked like a younger, more happy version of her mother. Her skin was not darkened, like her mothers, but her face was the same build.
Mike could see how she had hooked Hicks. She was pretty, damned pretty. It was a more wholesome kind of pretty then...before. Then she had been icy and alien. Now she looked...human. More alive, in an odd way. She was also holding the smartest attention of them all. She also looked to have the same preternatural balance and body control, as she almost never blinked and never wavered in her stance. Mike walked past her and looked over Helena. She seemed smaller, more withdrawn. She was also thinner, as if she were not eating as much. But she still held attention, and her uniform looked well pressed. That was all there was in his squad. There were normally six men and women in a squad, not counting the squad leader.
├óÔé¼┼ôAttention!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike shouted. Mankowski snapped into fine form, as did Helena. Hicks also snapped to attention. Eve's spin got straighter, if that were possible. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have some new faces, and some old ones. The old troopers will have to make sure our new boys get the rules down. From now on, this squad bunks together. No more private quarters├óÔé¼┬Ø. If Hicks or Eve looked disappointed about that, they didn't show it. That was good, as Mike had ordered that specifically because of their relation. It would also help solidify the squad. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have three hours to get acclimated. Then we are going to run some drill...dismissed!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The squad snapped off salutes and went from attention to relaxed stances. Helena walked away first, going to get her gear. Mankowski, as if he had expected the order, had brought his gear. Hicks and Eve walked out together, talking. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo Mike├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said ├óÔé¼┼ôOh...Sarge├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike frowned at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said ├óÔé¼┼ôhow do you like your new promotions?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts fine├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôMankowski...can you do me a favor?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said, grinning. ├óÔé¼┼ôWatch Eve├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôIf anything strange happens...tell me├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut the docs say she's human, and I'm liable to believe them├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôI like her well enough. She's a good girl...or at least part of her is. Its the other part I'm worried about├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Eve glanced around the corner, her ZX-74 light in her hands. The ZX series was a good one, but the 74 was the plastic version. It was light weight, and with caseless rounds. It also broke if used in mellee combat, and it had a tendency to overheat and break under extended fire. But it could hose down a large area with low caliber rounds. The rounds Eve was using were 'smart' rounds. If aimed at a friendly target, they blew themselves up before hitting the enemy. The fragments would still hit the target, but they would just sting, instead of penetrate. It hurt like bloody hell. So Eve was sure she wouldn't get hit. Then she saw a target dive around the corner, rolling into more cover. She fired a burst. The rounds slammed into the floor and the cover, witch was a foam sofa. Fluff flew in the air.
Another enemy fired back, leaning around the corner. The first man bounced up from his cover and fired a burst. Eve ducked back and the bullets smashed around her. They all missed, but a bit of fragments smacked her cheek. Eve winced, then looked back down her hallway. She signaled to Hicks and Mankowski, who ran to her. ├óÔé¼┼ôMankowski├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôCover me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mankowski unslung his heavy machine gun and rolled into the hallway, hugging the ground to make as little a target as possible. The two enemy fired and bullets smashed about Mankowski. One hit his leg, and the exoskeleton he wore locked down. His leg was now useless for the rest of this battle.
Mankowski still snapped out the stock on his machine gun and opened up. The couch exploded into a huge cloud of fluff as Mankowski hosed it down. Eve ran around the corridor and fired, aiming as best she could as she ran. A bullet of hers hit an enemy in the chest, and he fell, his exoskeleton sizing up. The second enemy tried to shoot her, but she dived forward at the last second and fired her gun, sweeping it around. The bullets raked his legs and the man fell. Eve stood up and placed her foot on his chest ├óÔé¼┼ôSurrender?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said, sitting up as best he could ├óÔé¼┼ôYour fast├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, helping him to his feet. Hicks walked over to the 'dead' man and tapped his medic stick onto his exoskeleton. The man's suit opened up and he got up, slowly.
├óÔé¼┼ôThat was impressive├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike murmured, running over the video footage. Eve had not quite dodged bullets, but she had reacted a bit faster then a normal human. It was eerie, until Mike remembered he could have pulled it off. He was not exactly a normal human either. So he passed over it without reporting it into the scientist teams. He still had to go over the battle with his marines. Might as well get started. He pressed a button on his desk and Eve walked in. ├óÔé¼┼ôSit down├óÔé¼┬Ø He said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes sir├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, smiling. She was still a bit to happy to be in the marines. It was a bit irritating to Mike, who had been forced into the damn organization.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou showed some superb fighting skills today├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThank you...sir├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, remembering to tack on the sir in the last second. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôthere is a problem├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve waited for what he would say. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't seem to back up the others in the squad, and even though you have Mankowski cover you, you still don't make use of the cover as well as we could. You were lucky the enemy were too busy hiding from the his machine gun to shoot you down. You can't deflect bullets with your mind anymore. Stop acting like it├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve gulped ├óÔé¼┼ôYes sir├óÔé¼┬Ø She said. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôenjoy your day off. Make sure you get some sleep. We're starting early next morning├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Lizzy lay back in her chair, enjoying her time. That was what she planned to do this entire trip. Relax and enjoy her time. She didn't have anything to run, anything to save. For a moment she worried about Eve. She immediately dashed those problem. Eve was a grown girl. She could take care of her self. Lizzy lay back again and closed her eyes. That balance lasted for five minutes. Then she sat up, swearing ├óÔé¼┼ôI need something to do!├óÔé¼┬Ø She moaned. She thought of what she could do. She could go to the cafeteria and hook up a man. Lizzy walked into her bathroom and looked at her self in the mirror. Her tattoo's were not as universally known as they once had been, but they were still pretty exotic.
Then she sighed, knowing that she couldn't just sleep with anyone. Jason was alive. He was waiting for her. She owed it to him. She owed him for waiting for her. She sighed. So sex was out, and sex was one of the better ways to piss away an evening. She thought about reading, but she had been doing enough of that for this week. Her mind wandered back to sex, and she grumbled at herself for it. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not that shallow├óÔé¼┬Ø She murmured ├óÔé¼┼ôI can do things other then sex├óÔé¼┬Ø. She decided to go talk with her friends. It felt odd to have friends, after being a loner for most of a century. She walked out of her room and walked down the hall, looking for Mike's quarters.
Mike heard the sound of a hand rapping on his door. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. The door opened and Lizzy stood outside. Mike gulped, looking at her. Thanks to the strange, mixed, up way the human mind worked, Mike wanted her more for not being able to have her. Something about not being able to touch someone made them all the more desirable. Mike cursed his backwards mind and smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôHey Lizzy├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat brings you around here?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm dying of boredom├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôWant to grab some friends and hit the bar?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSure├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I think Helena needs some friends right now├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôLets go grab her├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Helena sat alone in her room. She still felt as if it was not quite true, not quite real. Something about the last few weeks seemed unreal, hard to pin down, Too many thing had happened in a short time. She had fallen in love, for one thing. Then Tapp had died. Tapp had been funny, smart, and best of all...stubborn. Helena would never have looked at Tapp twice if Tapp hadn't been so damn stubborn. Now she was dead. That was another thing that Helena had never expected. She was hetero.,, was she? She wasn't sure anymore. But Tapp had been amazing, once Helena had managed to get past her fear and actually kiss her. It seemed silly now, being afraid of kissing someone. Who cared if they were a woman. Now Helena wished she had been less of a coward and had fucked Tapp's brains out as best she could. Now she would never get the chance.
Then she heard a knock on the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked, her voice soft. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey Helena├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said, opening the door ├óÔé¼┼ôIts us!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said ├óÔé¼┼ôCome in├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike and Lizzy walked into the room. Mike looked worriedly at Helena. Helena should thank him for his concern, but she couldn't quite find the will power. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're going to hit the bar. You're coming├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said, hauling her to her feet ├óÔé¼┼ôYour coming. Hell, I might be able to wrangle you a nice woman to have some fun with├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena blushed ├óÔé¼┼ôOkay├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Mike still looked worried.
They all sat at the bar. ├óÔé¼┼ôTheres a looker├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said to Helena, pointing. Helena gagged on her drink ├óÔé¼┼ôNo thanks├óÔé¼┬Ø she gasped. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh come on├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôWallowing in grief is just as bad as pretending its not there├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not wallowing├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said, her face flushing. Anger rose. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're not?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôThen you'd find some way to move on├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt wouldn't be fair├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said ├óÔé¼┼ôto move on without a thought├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôI've found that moving on is never the end. Just because you've started walking again, doesn't mean you forget where you've been├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôAH well├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said, turning away ├óÔé¼┼ôI bet she's too much of a coward to kiss anyone else, let alone a girl├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI am not├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena snapped. She was feeling more angry then she had in a long while.
Then she realized she was feeling more...anything then she had for a while. She grabbed Lizzy and pointed at the 'looker' that she had pointed out ├óÔé¼┼ôI bet I can get her into my bed without needing to get her drunk├óÔé¼┬Ø She said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI doubt it├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôMike, back me up├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. Mike grunted, not wanting to get involved. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said ├óÔé¼┼ôI bet my week of pay. If I get her eating out of my palm, then I get your week of pay├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not getting pay├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThen...just give me something then, all right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôI bet she's hetero├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI bet that wont matter├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said, getting up and walking to the 'looker's' table.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was that about?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked, turning to Lizzy. ├óÔé¼┼ôSometimes you need to smack someone to get them awake├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure thats a good idea, thought?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's not going to think about Tapp for this night. She's still going to grieve, but its not going to be her entire life. She'll be fine├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhatever you say├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, downing another bit of his drink. Then he heard the laughter of Helena from across the room. He looked around and saw that the two women where chatting like they were old friends. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe got lucky├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôI bet she's not hetero├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho cares?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats a question├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy murmured. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't have much to do for the rest of the night now├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Lizzy looked at him ├óÔé¼┼ôIs that an invitation?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt could be├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, not wanting to commit too much in case she would be offended. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell too bad├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't...not with my husband just ten light years away├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sudden longing burst in Mike's chest. He wanted to have her. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats fine├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, not looking at Lizzy. Lizzy smiled and patted his shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôIf it were just sex├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'd say sure. But with you...its more├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike sighed, looking at his drink. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can't├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ônot if its like that├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôCan it just be sex?├óÔé¼┬Ø He asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWould you want it to?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, turning to her. ├óÔé¼┼ôLier├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, smiling. Mike hung his head. He was lying. He didn't just want to share Lizzy with some...some 'husband'. So he would have to let her go.
Then Mike leaned in and kissed her quickly. Then he backed away. Lizzy smiled lopsidedly ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, walking away. Mike sighed, turning back to the table. ├óÔé¼┼ôWoman troubles?├óÔé¼┬Ø the bartender asked, rubbing a glass with one hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou could say that├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. ├óÔé¼┼ôwant to explain?├óÔé¼┬Ø the woman smiled at Mike, her teeth flashing. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts complicated├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø the bartender said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm open for the evening├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks, but no thanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, standing ├óÔé¼┼ôHow much do I owe you for the drinks?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNone├óÔé¼┬Ø The bartender said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts a free bar for marines├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, a bit nonplussed ├óÔé¼┼ôwell├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôhave this as a tip├óÔé¼┬Ø. He dropped the credit chits onto the table and walked out.
More stuff!
Michelle wished that, as captain, she could oder the law's of physics. Simple physics made simple situations not nearly so simple. She was on the Excalibur. Eve was on the Hannibal. Both ships were within ten clicks, spitting distance. Both were accelerating towards light speed, falling away from the Dantana system. So it should have been a simple matter of launching a shuttle from one ship to another. Unfortunately, as her computer had told her, they were currently flying through the largish dust cloud that surrounded half of the Dantana system. At these speed, those dust clouds would act as gamma rays and any poor shuttle that was passing between the ships would be fried. The only reason Michelle wasn't coughing her lungs out was because the ship had a ramfield around it, batting these particals out of the way before the struck the ship.
She stepoled her fingers on her desk and sighed. Her Interrogator knocked on her door, standing outside her office. Michelle thumbed a button on her desk and the door opened. The Interrogator walked in, his bald head shining in the lights of the room. He was holding his customary clip board, and looked rather happy. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you so happy about?├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have found our first collaborator├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have?├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôTurn on your desk and find out├óÔé¼┬Ø the interrogator said. Michelle did so, pulling up a communication screen. A youngish man was there, smiling. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow much money?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou get straight to the point, Mr...├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle trailed off. ├óÔé¼┼ôLaurence will do for now├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said ├óÔé¼┼ônow how much money?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôFifty thousand├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd rising, depending on how much you do├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI also want a free ticket home. I'm out of this damn organization├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOf course├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said, smiling ├óÔé¼┼ôAwait our signal and don't do anything rash├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes mam├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said, snapping a half hearted salute.
Michelle turned of the screen ├óÔé¼┼ôTreachery always gets me exited├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said, standing up, running her finger over the table ├óÔé¼┼ôThis prompts a stirring in my loins├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes mam├óÔé¼┬Ø The Interrogator said, following her as she walked out of the door. They both walked down the rather sterile corridors of the Excalibur ├óÔé¼┼ôEven with some assassinations, some sabotage, we can assume the Hannibal will still out gun us four to one├óÔé¼┬Ø the Interrogator said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd at these range's they will get through our flack cloud as if it were tissue paper├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôTrue├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said ├óÔé¼┼ôAll we need to do is hit with our first shot├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe only have one shot, with the Tachyon cannon├óÔé¼┬Ø the Interrogator said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou wanted to save it├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Michelle stopped, seeing something out of the corner of her eye. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle stopped, turning to her Interrogator ├óÔé¼┼ôPlease see to this. And make sure we know everything about our first Judas. We may need more, we may need less├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Interrogator smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôI would love to see less├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, bowing ├óÔé¼┼ôI shall make sure to do as you wish, my captain├óÔé¼┬Ø. He turned on his heel and continued to walk down the hall way. Michelle watched him go, then turned. A man, wearing a business suit, was leaning against a door that branched off to a side corridor. IT was the stranger, Taraka. Michelle's cameras, once she went over their records, showed that he never entered the ship and he never left the ship. He was just there.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôI keep seeing biblical allusions. Eve, Adam...and now a Judas...├óÔé¼┬Ø. He stepped forward. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle asked, looking at him. He was normally a cryptic man, but now he was just babbling nonsense. ├óÔé¼┼ôNever mind├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôMy name, as well, is something of a religious undertone. But you need to research that yourself├óÔé¼┬Ø. Michelle sighed, crossing her arms ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy are you here├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôTo put it quite simply├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm dissatisfied with your progress├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts only been three days├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said. Taraka blinked ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYour minds work slower...thats right├óÔé¼┬Ø. Michelle looked at him, still a little worried about his sanity. She was sure he wasn't quite...quite...right. Taraka suddenly smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I want you too have Eve as soon as possible├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle asked ├óÔé¼┼ôYou never quite answered my questions├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause I can't├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts a need to know issue, as we all know├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said ├óÔé¼┼ôSo stop bothering me, because unless you can amuse me in some way, then there is nothing to see or do here for the next few months, when we get out of the dust cloud├óÔé¼┬Ø. Disgust flickered across Taraka's face and he stepped backwards, as if he was going to walk through the closed door. Then he did. Michelle stared at where he had been, blinking. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to know more about this...man├óÔé¼┬Ø she murmured, looking up and down the corridor that her Interrogator had gone down.
Eve slid down the corridor, secure that Helena covered her. The corridor had been mixed up, altered from the last few times that she and her team had gone down. Her team. Mike was letting her run the missions through, now. She was proud, knowing that Mike thought she had a good eye for tactics. At least thats what Hicks had said, but Hicks was sweet. And that meant he would say anything in bed. Eve smiled. She liked that about him, but it made it a bit hard to judge herself when that was all she had to go on.
Sure that the area was clear, she gestured. Mankowski and Hicks came out, ZX-74's ready. They formed up behind her. Eve didn't hear Helena moving to a new position, but she was sure that the sniper was getting ready to cover the next corridor. Then there were two gun shots and a quick burst of fire. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena gasped over their com ├óÔé¼┼ôBushwhacker bounced me. Three hits on the leg and pelvis...I'm not going to make it to th end├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve hissed, looking up and down the corridor. She could send the others forward, and abandon Helena, who professed that she wouldn't make it. Or she could go back and save her man. Or woman, in this case.
Helena looked up at the door. She had moved into a small avenue that she had found. Then the Bushwhacker had burst in, gun firing. Whoever commanded him had to be punished, letting a man run off like that. But he was on the ground, grumbling to himself. Helena had tagged him in the chest and head with an automatic pistol she kept at her side as all time, and he was now out of the operation from now on. He would have to sit there and think about the idiotic thing he had done. Helena, however, had no lets. Or at least they wouldn't move, thanks to the exoskeleton she wore. It had locked down when two bullets had 'severed' her spine and 'fractured' her knee cap.
Helena hated training missions like this. They were necessary, obviously, and certainly got the fear out of new guys. But she hated sitting around after getting tagged. She supposed that meant she should get tagged less. Then Mankowski and Eve walked into the room, Hicks backing them up. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena hissed. ├óÔé¼┼ôSaving you, ungrateful swine├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski hauled her to her non active legs. Eve got on her other side, grinning like an idiot ├óÔé¼┼ôHicks, cover us├óÔé¼┬Ø. They all started to hobble. They got half way to the objective when the enemy squad found them. The first bullet hit Helena, who was now 'dead'. Eve still shouldered her, firing from the hip with her ZX. There was a yelp of pain as someone took a bullet in the arm.
Then Eve was taken down, bullets stitching across her chest. She fell, her exoskeleton freezing. Mankowski dropped, using Helena's body for cover. Helena mouthed off to him, shouting about disrespect. Mankowski fired, tagging an enemy. The enemy fell back into the man behind him. Mankowski tagged him. Then a bullet slammed right behind his ear, and he pitched forward, helmet ringing with the impact. The exoskeleton froze up and he was forced in the position of having his face mashed against Helena's left breast. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet off me, you hulk├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena grumbled. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour elbow is in my lung├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski wheezed.
Hicks was entrenched, in cover. The three remaining enemy troops surrounded him, but he had picked up Eve's ZX. He fired madly, trying to keep the enemy's heads down. An bullet clipped the wall next to him. Hicks ducked and more fire was poured onto his position. Hicks grabbed a spent ammo magazine and threw it. It shot out of cover, drawing fire. He stood up and fired, running madly. An enemy fell. He got hit in his left leg, and he collapsed to his side. One of his ZX rifles skids over the floor. He brought the other one up and fired. A bullet caught an enemy in the head. That man fell. The last one shot Hicks in the chest. Hicks felt his exoskeleton freeze up, but he jammed his finger down on the trigger before it did. His finger was locked into the firing position, spraying the last bits of ammo out of his into the air. The man caught it in the legs and fell over.
They all lay there. The only one who could move, even a little, was the last man on the other team. He started to pull himself, slowly...painfully to the exit. Before he was even part way out of the room, Mike and the other sergeant walked into the room. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø the other sergeant said, a mousy woman named Julia, ├óÔé¼┼ôShall we call it a draw?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSounds right├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. They shook on it and Mike tapped his unfreeze button. Eve shoved Helena and Mankowski off her and stood up, snapping to attention. Mankowski and Helena got up, a bit slower, then saluted as well. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI failed, sir├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike looked at the spent bullet cartages and bullet holes that marked the walls. Then he looked at the other squad, who was still trying to get up as Julia unfroze them. Then he looked back to Eve. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets go to my office├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.
├óÔé¼┼ôEve Montoya├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, sitting behind his desk ├óÔé¼┼ôYou dithered for five seconds, deciding whether or not to rescue Corporal Helena... true?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI wasn't counting, sir├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut that is true├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ônow...even though Corporal Helena said she was not going to make it, you went back for her anyway. This cut down you're squad to one man. One man├óÔé¼┬Ø he sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôNow not only was this foolish and impractical, but it was also very impressive├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve blanched ├óÔé¼┼ôSir?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. Mike smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôNever leave a man behind. You are getting another commendation. Go enjoy your weekend. Training missions are done for now├óÔé¼┬Ø he smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôI think Hicks would be glad to see you├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Eve, Mankowski, Helena and Hicks all sat at there bar. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks for coming back for me├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said, smiling at Eve. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks for getting us killed├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski muttered, pulling another swig on his bottle. Eve grinned at that, punching him in the shoulder. Then she grabbed Hicks and planted a kiss on his mouth. Hicks set his cup down and hugged Eve closer to him. Then Eve shoved him off, frantically reaching for her cup. She downed the cup. ├óÔé¼┼ôHaving a good time?├óÔé¼┬Ø Elizabeth walked up ├óÔé¼┼ôEve?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah I'm fine mom├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, looking away. Lizzy smiled indulgently and walked past them to where Mike sat alone.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Hicks murmured in her ear ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere were we?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve giggled, sipping another bit of her drink. The fuzzy feeling that alcohol gave her was actually quite nice. It had never quite worked before she was...human. Then she forgot about all this as Hicks's hands found their ways into more ticklish parts of her. ├óÔé¼┼ôHicks, not here├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve murmured in his ear. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, get a damn room├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can get behind that├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. Hicks grabbed his cup and quaffed it in one gulp ├óÔé¼┼ôLets go├óÔé¼┬Ø He gasped, blinking away tears from his eyes. They both left the bar, holding hands. As they left, a woman walked in. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh boy├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena moaned, covering her face with her hand and looking away from the woman.
Lizzy walked up to Helena and sat down ├óÔé¼┼ôHow was she last night?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't ask├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. The woman, seeing Helena, walked over ├óÔé¼┼ôHey love, who's this?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust a friend├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow give me my money├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHere├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow leave me alone├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDid you two make a bet?├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot that you need to concern yourself with it├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll see you later├óÔé¼┬Ø. The woman grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôSee you later├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Then she imitated a whip crack with her arm and winked. Helena turned away and put her face in her hands ├óÔé¼┼ôOh god├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered. Lizzy looked at her. Then she put her hand over her mouth, laughing. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats going on?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Lizzy stopped laughing long enough to gasp ├óÔé¼┼ôWhip├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then she started laughing again ├óÔé¼┼ôYou must be sore!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, slapping Helena on the back. Helena wined and snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôYes!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy almost fell of her chair. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've been drinking├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski pointed out. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said, regaining her balance ├óÔé¼┼ôBut that makes Helena's new play mate none the less funny...yeah├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've been drinking a lot├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats for sure├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike shouted down the bar at them. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up Mike├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôSo what if I decide to let my self go once every few hours├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's bored├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said ├óÔé¼┼ôMust not have enough to do├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôThats right├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôI am bored. Maybe I can join the marines too├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can always├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike started to say, walking down to the others. ├óÔé¼┼ôI was speaking hypothetically' Lizzy said, downing another drink ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't want to join the marines├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sure you'd make a lousy marine├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats right├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow where is the door. It seems to have split in half├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then she passed out. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe needs to find something to do├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski muttered. Mike grabbed her around the shoulders and started to drag her out of the bar. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo I don't want to dance├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy murmured incoherently.
Michelle wished that, as captain, she could oder the law's of physics. Simple physics made simple situations not nearly so simple. She was on the Excalibur. Eve was on the Hannibal. Both ships were within ten clicks, spitting distance. Both were accelerating towards light speed, falling away from the Dantana system. So it should have been a simple matter of launching a shuttle from one ship to another. Unfortunately, as her computer had told her, they were currently flying through the largish dust cloud that surrounded half of the Dantana system. At these speed, those dust clouds would act as gamma rays and any poor shuttle that was passing between the ships would be fried. The only reason Michelle wasn't coughing her lungs out was because the ship had a ramfield around it, batting these particals out of the way before the struck the ship.
She stepoled her fingers on her desk and sighed. Her Interrogator knocked on her door, standing outside her office. Michelle thumbed a button on her desk and the door opened. The Interrogator walked in, his bald head shining in the lights of the room. He was holding his customary clip board, and looked rather happy. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you so happy about?├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have found our first collaborator├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have?├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôTurn on your desk and find out├óÔé¼┬Ø the interrogator said. Michelle did so, pulling up a communication screen. A youngish man was there, smiling. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow much money?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou get straight to the point, Mr...├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle trailed off. ├óÔé¼┼ôLaurence will do for now├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said ├óÔé¼┼ônow how much money?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôFifty thousand├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd rising, depending on how much you do├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI also want a free ticket home. I'm out of this damn organization├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOf course├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said, smiling ├óÔé¼┼ôAwait our signal and don't do anything rash├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes mam├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said, snapping a half hearted salute.
Michelle turned of the screen ├óÔé¼┼ôTreachery always gets me exited├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said, standing up, running her finger over the table ├óÔé¼┼ôThis prompts a stirring in my loins├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes mam├óÔé¼┬Ø The Interrogator said, following her as she walked out of the door. They both walked down the rather sterile corridors of the Excalibur ├óÔé¼┼ôEven with some assassinations, some sabotage, we can assume the Hannibal will still out gun us four to one├óÔé¼┬Ø the Interrogator said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd at these range's they will get through our flack cloud as if it were tissue paper├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôTrue├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said ├óÔé¼┼ôAll we need to do is hit with our first shot├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe only have one shot, with the Tachyon cannon├óÔé¼┬Ø the Interrogator said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou wanted to save it├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Michelle stopped, seeing something out of the corner of her eye. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle stopped, turning to her Interrogator ├óÔé¼┼ôPlease see to this. And make sure we know everything about our first Judas. We may need more, we may need less├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Interrogator smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôI would love to see less├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, bowing ├óÔé¼┼ôI shall make sure to do as you wish, my captain├óÔé¼┬Ø. He turned on his heel and continued to walk down the hall way. Michelle watched him go, then turned. A man, wearing a business suit, was leaning against a door that branched off to a side corridor. IT was the stranger, Taraka. Michelle's cameras, once she went over their records, showed that he never entered the ship and he never left the ship. He was just there.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôI keep seeing biblical allusions. Eve, Adam...and now a Judas...├óÔé¼┬Ø. He stepped forward. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle asked, looking at him. He was normally a cryptic man, but now he was just babbling nonsense. ├óÔé¼┼ôNever mind├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôMy name, as well, is something of a religious undertone. But you need to research that yourself├óÔé¼┬Ø. Michelle sighed, crossing her arms ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy are you here├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôTo put it quite simply├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm dissatisfied with your progress├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts only been three days├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said. Taraka blinked ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYour minds work slower...thats right├óÔé¼┬Ø. Michelle looked at him, still a little worried about his sanity. She was sure he wasn't quite...quite...right. Taraka suddenly smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I want you too have Eve as soon as possible├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle asked ├óÔé¼┼ôYou never quite answered my questions├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause I can't├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts a need to know issue, as we all know├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said ├óÔé¼┼ôSo stop bothering me, because unless you can amuse me in some way, then there is nothing to see or do here for the next few months, when we get out of the dust cloud├óÔé¼┬Ø. Disgust flickered across Taraka's face and he stepped backwards, as if he was going to walk through the closed door. Then he did. Michelle stared at where he had been, blinking. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to know more about this...man├óÔé¼┬Ø she murmured, looking up and down the corridor that her Interrogator had gone down.
Eve slid down the corridor, secure that Helena covered her. The corridor had been mixed up, altered from the last few times that she and her team had gone down. Her team. Mike was letting her run the missions through, now. She was proud, knowing that Mike thought she had a good eye for tactics. At least thats what Hicks had said, but Hicks was sweet. And that meant he would say anything in bed. Eve smiled. She liked that about him, but it made it a bit hard to judge herself when that was all she had to go on.
Sure that the area was clear, she gestured. Mankowski and Hicks came out, ZX-74's ready. They formed up behind her. Eve didn't hear Helena moving to a new position, but she was sure that the sniper was getting ready to cover the next corridor. Then there were two gun shots and a quick burst of fire. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena gasped over their com ├óÔé¼┼ôBushwhacker bounced me. Three hits on the leg and pelvis...I'm not going to make it to th end├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve hissed, looking up and down the corridor. She could send the others forward, and abandon Helena, who professed that she wouldn't make it. Or she could go back and save her man. Or woman, in this case.
Helena looked up at the door. She had moved into a small avenue that she had found. Then the Bushwhacker had burst in, gun firing. Whoever commanded him had to be punished, letting a man run off like that. But he was on the ground, grumbling to himself. Helena had tagged him in the chest and head with an automatic pistol she kept at her side as all time, and he was now out of the operation from now on. He would have to sit there and think about the idiotic thing he had done. Helena, however, had no lets. Or at least they wouldn't move, thanks to the exoskeleton she wore. It had locked down when two bullets had 'severed' her spine and 'fractured' her knee cap.
Helena hated training missions like this. They were necessary, obviously, and certainly got the fear out of new guys. But she hated sitting around after getting tagged. She supposed that meant she should get tagged less. Then Mankowski and Eve walked into the room, Hicks backing them up. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena hissed. ├óÔé¼┼ôSaving you, ungrateful swine├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski hauled her to her non active legs. Eve got on her other side, grinning like an idiot ├óÔé¼┼ôHicks, cover us├óÔé¼┬Ø. They all started to hobble. They got half way to the objective when the enemy squad found them. The first bullet hit Helena, who was now 'dead'. Eve still shouldered her, firing from the hip with her ZX. There was a yelp of pain as someone took a bullet in the arm.
Then Eve was taken down, bullets stitching across her chest. She fell, her exoskeleton freezing. Mankowski dropped, using Helena's body for cover. Helena mouthed off to him, shouting about disrespect. Mankowski fired, tagging an enemy. The enemy fell back into the man behind him. Mankowski tagged him. Then a bullet slammed right behind his ear, and he pitched forward, helmet ringing with the impact. The exoskeleton froze up and he was forced in the position of having his face mashed against Helena's left breast. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet off me, you hulk├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena grumbled. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour elbow is in my lung├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski wheezed.
Hicks was entrenched, in cover. The three remaining enemy troops surrounded him, but he had picked up Eve's ZX. He fired madly, trying to keep the enemy's heads down. An bullet clipped the wall next to him. Hicks ducked and more fire was poured onto his position. Hicks grabbed a spent ammo magazine and threw it. It shot out of cover, drawing fire. He stood up and fired, running madly. An enemy fell. He got hit in his left leg, and he collapsed to his side. One of his ZX rifles skids over the floor. He brought the other one up and fired. A bullet caught an enemy in the head. That man fell. The last one shot Hicks in the chest. Hicks felt his exoskeleton freeze up, but he jammed his finger down on the trigger before it did. His finger was locked into the firing position, spraying the last bits of ammo out of his into the air. The man caught it in the legs and fell over.
They all lay there. The only one who could move, even a little, was the last man on the other team. He started to pull himself, slowly...painfully to the exit. Before he was even part way out of the room, Mike and the other sergeant walked into the room. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø the other sergeant said, a mousy woman named Julia, ├óÔé¼┼ôShall we call it a draw?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSounds right├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. They shook on it and Mike tapped his unfreeze button. Eve shoved Helena and Mankowski off her and stood up, snapping to attention. Mankowski and Helena got up, a bit slower, then saluted as well. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI failed, sir├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike looked at the spent bullet cartages and bullet holes that marked the walls. Then he looked at the other squad, who was still trying to get up as Julia unfroze them. Then he looked back to Eve. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets go to my office├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.
├óÔé¼┼ôEve Montoya├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, sitting behind his desk ├óÔé¼┼ôYou dithered for five seconds, deciding whether or not to rescue Corporal Helena... true?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI wasn't counting, sir├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut that is true├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ônow...even though Corporal Helena said she was not going to make it, you went back for her anyway. This cut down you're squad to one man. One man├óÔé¼┬Ø he sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôNow not only was this foolish and impractical, but it was also very impressive├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve blanched ├óÔé¼┼ôSir?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. Mike smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôNever leave a man behind. You are getting another commendation. Go enjoy your weekend. Training missions are done for now├óÔé¼┬Ø he smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôI think Hicks would be glad to see you├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Eve, Mankowski, Helena and Hicks all sat at there bar. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks for coming back for me├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said, smiling at Eve. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks for getting us killed├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski muttered, pulling another swig on his bottle. Eve grinned at that, punching him in the shoulder. Then she grabbed Hicks and planted a kiss on his mouth. Hicks set his cup down and hugged Eve closer to him. Then Eve shoved him off, frantically reaching for her cup. She downed the cup. ├óÔé¼┼ôHaving a good time?├óÔé¼┬Ø Elizabeth walked up ├óÔé¼┼ôEve?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah I'm fine mom├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, looking away. Lizzy smiled indulgently and walked past them to where Mike sat alone.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Hicks murmured in her ear ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere were we?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve giggled, sipping another bit of her drink. The fuzzy feeling that alcohol gave her was actually quite nice. It had never quite worked before she was...human. Then she forgot about all this as Hicks's hands found their ways into more ticklish parts of her. ├óÔé¼┼ôHicks, not here├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve murmured in his ear. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, get a damn room├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can get behind that├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. Hicks grabbed his cup and quaffed it in one gulp ├óÔé¼┼ôLets go├óÔé¼┬Ø He gasped, blinking away tears from his eyes. They both left the bar, holding hands. As they left, a woman walked in. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh boy├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena moaned, covering her face with her hand and looking away from the woman.
Lizzy walked up to Helena and sat down ├óÔé¼┼ôHow was she last night?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't ask├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. The woman, seeing Helena, walked over ├óÔé¼┼ôHey love, who's this?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust a friend├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow give me my money├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHere├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow leave me alone├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDid you two make a bet?├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot that you need to concern yourself with it├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll see you later├óÔé¼┬Ø. The woman grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôSee you later├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Then she imitated a whip crack with her arm and winked. Helena turned away and put her face in her hands ├óÔé¼┼ôOh god├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered. Lizzy looked at her. Then she put her hand over her mouth, laughing. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats going on?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Lizzy stopped laughing long enough to gasp ├óÔé¼┼ôWhip├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then she started laughing again ├óÔé¼┼ôYou must be sore!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, slapping Helena on the back. Helena wined and snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôYes!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy almost fell of her chair. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've been drinking├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski pointed out. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said, regaining her balance ├óÔé¼┼ôBut that makes Helena's new play mate none the less funny...yeah├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've been drinking a lot├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats for sure├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike shouted down the bar at them. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up Mike├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôSo what if I decide to let my self go once every few hours├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's bored├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said ├óÔé¼┼ôMust not have enough to do├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôThats right├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôI am bored. Maybe I can join the marines too├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can always├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike started to say, walking down to the others. ├óÔé¼┼ôI was speaking hypothetically' Lizzy said, downing another drink ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't want to join the marines├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sure you'd make a lousy marine├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats right├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow where is the door. It seems to have split in half├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then she passed out. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe needs to find something to do├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski muttered. Mike grabbed her around the shoulders and started to drag her out of the bar. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo I don't want to dance├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy murmured incoherently.
Is this the end for our plucky hero? Read on to find out!
Eve awoke, groggy and confused. She immediately looked for her clock and saw that it was 20:00 hours. That would put it...early in the morning, she was too tired to translate the 24 hour clock to her more customary 12 hour. She slid out of bed, feeling Hicks snoring body next to her. She stood, hastily pulling on some pants. She danced over the floor, wondering why the floor's were cold and metal and she didn't keep her sandles next to her bed. She slipped her sandles on and looked around. The other marines were all asleep. Mankowski was still holding his beer bottle as he snored. Eve sighed, wondering why she was awake. There had been a reason, she had felt it. Now she wasn't so sure.
She shivered, the cold ship air causing her skin to break out in goose bumps. It was a unique sensation the first time, bothersome the second. Now she hated it every time. Eve walked to the bathroom that had been alloted to the squad. She walked inside and reached for a cup. It slid into her hand. She poured it full of water and walked out of the bathroom, drinking it. Then she realized what she had done and dropped the cup. It hit the ground and bounced off, making a loud clang. Water splattered over the metal floor and Eve froze. Helena murmured, rolling over in her sleep. Eve grabbed the cup with her fleshy, human hands, and shoved it into the cubbyhole that she had grabbed it from.
Then she sponged up the water and stood up, shivering again. This time it wasn't from the cold. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm back├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice murmured in her mind. Eve spun around, looking for the voice. ├óÔé¼┼ôWrong├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm in here, with you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh no├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve hissed, fear suddenly hammering at her mind. She knew that voice. It was her own. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou thought you could abandon your past, did you?├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou were wrong├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve hissed, walking mechanically to her and Hicks's bed. Hicks slid his arm around her waist and murmured in her ear ├óÔé¼┼ôYou all right?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø A snide voice whispered in Eve's mine. Eve forced it out, pushing herself into Hicks, enjoying his feel against her ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm fine├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Hicks murmured something unintelligible and fell asleep. Eve stayed awake quite a bit longer.
The next day was free. But Eve couldn't enjoy it. It seemed as if the voice had fled with dawn, but she didn't know that till she bedded down for the night. So through out the day she was constantly listening for it, worrying that it would show up and worried that it wouldn't. Hicks noticed that she was on edge, and asked her about it. She smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôIts nothing├óÔé¼┬Ø she lied, and they went on with what they were doing, witch took her mind off anything for a while. Being human had its advantages, after all. Hicks rolled off her, panting. ├óÔé¼┼ôHicks├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI was lying. Something is wrong├óÔé¼┬Ø. He went up on one arm, looking at her ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. Eve sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Laurence shoved the popcorn into his mouth. Popcorn was something few people really appreciated, now a days. They always went for the microwaved kind. He loved his air popped, no matter how hard it was for an air popper to be smuggled on board. The marine, Hicks, rolled off his woman, exposing her front to the camera. He had been tasked to watch Eve. So he would watch Eve. Getting paid for watching this was almost absurdly funny. Eve said something. It was picked up by the camera, but he knew the interesting part was over. Laurence rewound the tape and watched Eve. First she was on top, giving him an amazing view. Laurence breathed slowly, then shoved more popcorn in mouth. Eve and her boyfriend's movements got more frenzied. Laurence pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and watched.
Eve walked down the corridor, already suited up. Her exoskeleton was perfectly maintained, the way only a eager new recruit could maintain it. Laurence watched. She was no less sexy in battle armor, not to his mind. He smiled. Getting paid...for this? It was almost a crime. Eve heard something, turning around. Helena ran to her, coming into view of the camera. Laurence sighed. Helena was a freak. She'd never interest him. He focused around her, making sure to get a nice close view of Eve's face. Laurence grinned. Then he reached into his bowel and found that he needed to make some more popcorn. Laurence got slowly out of his chair and walked to his air popper. His workspace was cramped, but he didn't mind. It kept him out of sight, out of other's minds. He knew that Eve would never know he existed. He liked it like that.
Eve reported in with Helena. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have good news for both of you├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôHelena your request has been granted├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena looked surprised. Then elated ├óÔé¼┼ôThank you, sir├óÔé¼┬Ø she saluted. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you, Eve...or should I say Corporal?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, typing some buttons on his desk. The side of Eve's shoulder flickered off, then on again with her new insignia. ├óÔé¼┼ôT-Thank you sir├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve saluted. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts not that big a deal├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said ├óÔé¼┼ôJust means you're not completely worthless in training├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDismissed├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, smiling at both of them. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes Sir!├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve and Helena snapped new salutes, then turned and left.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy did you get all decked out, anyway?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI need more practice in this damn thing├óÔé¼┬Ø she gestured at the uncomfortable exoskeleton ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I thought he was going to give me orders, not a promotion├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt really is not that big of a deal├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts a start...and speaking of starts├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow was your start...with that brunette?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked, smiling. Helena blushed ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was fine├óÔé¼┬Ø she murmured ├óÔé¼┼ô├óÔé¼┬ØI still feel...guilty├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôTapp would have hated to have you piss away your life by being sorry for her├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena sniffed ├óÔé¼┼ôYour right, Eve├óÔé¼┬Ø she said.
Mike started to work again. Being a squad leader meant more paper work. Hurra. Glickson had told him that it was worse in the beginning, when you were filling out all the legal crap for new recruits. Mike had just one new recruit, but Eve was one hell of a new recruit. She had no race, no registration, no nationality. She didn't work for any corporation, she did not exist in any way shape or form in anything but the most secure government files. And still Mike had to fill out a waver, a pension, a retirement fund and a bunch of other...crap. That was a good word for it. Crap. He sighed, thinking that promoting her to Corporal was probably also going to give him a load of crap. He might as well get started. He started to type again. Then, on second thought, he turned on some music, then started to work.
Lizzy was going, slowly, insane. It had been about...two months. Eve, Mike and his squad were training perfectly, and she had nothing to do but watch them. She had read all her books, watched all her movies. She had gotten hammered out of her skull more then once, and even stoned once and a while. None of those helped speed up times glacial pace, and the days ticked by. They were still a month from exiting the dust field. Not that that would make an real difference, in the long run. All they would be able to do is move from one starship to the other. She was left with only three options, at this point, to pass the time. She could finally ease off on her celibacy and fuck someone. That was no answer. It would last for a while, but it would probably make her feel guilty. She was saving herself for Justin.
The second option was to join the marines. That always made Lizzy crack up, thinking of herself running around and shooting at people with some kind of hierarchy about herself. When she was going to shoot someone, she would be damned well doing it by her own damn reason, not when someone ordered her too. By comparison, Eve seemed to be loving it. How much she would love it in about three or so years when she was getting shot at, that was something Lizzy needed to see. The third and final option was to take up a hobby. Lizzy leaned over her model submarine and sighed. This was not her. But she still daubed glue on the knobbly bit that stuck out of the rudder and slowly slid it into place. She took her hand away. The rudder stayed in place for a few seconds, then fell off.
Mike walked into the room and was greeted by five gunshots. He stared at Lizzy, who had her gun out and aimed at what looked like a plastic German U-boat, WWIII model. He gulped, looking at the rather large chunks that had been blown off the model. Lizzy grinned sheepishly and slid her pistol back into her holster, witch lay next to the table. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôIs one German U-boat that will never threaten mankind again├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy giggled softly ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey did start three out of four. Thats a pretty good count├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe first one is debatable├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, raising his hand ├óÔé¼┼ôBut some could say the allies reaped what they sown├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôYou'd think, after the Nazis people would get the damn point├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Mike grinned as Lizzy picked up the submarine bits and put them in the trash bin. ├óÔé¼┼ôModeling├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôis not for me├óÔé¼┬Ø. A sudden image of Lizzy posing nude for a bunch of teenage art students flashed unbidden through Mike's mind. He coughed and looked away from Lizzy for a moment. His eyes fell on the data slate that was next to the wall. On top of the data slate was something far more valuable then he ever expected to see in this room. It was a book. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs...Is that a book?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you can believe it I've hauled this book over fifty light years and ninety years├óÔé¼┬Ø She looked at the worn cover ├óÔé¼┼ôKeep it in my breast pocket. I even managed to keep it with me on Dantana├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Mike frowned, remembering Dantana. It had been one of the hardest missions in his list. Right up there with the three other famous engagements he had been a part of. He had the honor of winning a purple heart on the battle for Hallie's Colony. A overeager sentry had sent a bullet through his kneecap while he was going to take a leak. He had been sent into a back bunker for the duration, as the actual battle occurred an hour after he took the wound. Mike smiled. He never told people that part and they just assumed he had taken it during the trench fighting. He never corrected them. ├óÔé¼┼ôMike├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. Mike blinked. He must be tired. He tried not to drift off like that. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThere's a reason for your visit, I hope?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh right...damn├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. He had forgotten.
Then, halfway out the door, he remembered ├óÔé¼┼ôLizzy├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe squad has already hit the bar. But if you want a quiet drink, do you want to come?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy looked at her model. She'd have to either fix it up or get hammered. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets get hammered├óÔé¼┬Ø She said. They both walked down the hall. The bar was quiet, far more so then normal. The squad's that normal filled it up were absent. That was a bit depressing, seeing as how ever marine on the boat could be crammed into this bar, and there were three other bars set up to service them. Most of those had been closed down, but Mike had had one turned into a training facility. The crew, who outnumbered the marines, could fill two and a half of the crew bars. Lizzy sighed, sitting on her stool and slowly drinking her alcohol out of a straw.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy echoed. They both felt a bit glum, looking around the mostly empty bar. It was as if they had come for a party and found that it had ended an hour ago, the gifts open, the laughter died away. The bartender walked over to them ├óÔé¼┼ôHello Sargent├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôMontoya. Can I do anything for you two?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're fine├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø the bartender said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have some extra ecstasy round back. You'll need to take anti-addictives and balancing chems, but it beats the hell out of what your drinking├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks but no thanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôI hate anti-addictives. They're to much of a downer├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The bartender moved away. After a few hours they closed, the bartender walking out and locking the doors behind her. Then she opened the doors and whistled at Lizzy and Mike ├óÔé¼┼ôHey! Get out!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right, all right├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said, getting unsteadily to her feet. Mike staggered along with her and they walked out. Then they walked out. The bartender watched them ├óÔé¼┼ôBrain cores├óÔé¼┬Ø She muttered. Then she locked the door for the night. Lizzy and Mike rounded the corner, laughing at some joke Lizzy said. The bartender shook her head at them. Brain cores always drank everyone else under the roof without even trying too.
They got to Lizzy's room. Mike opened the door for her, always the gentleman. Lizzy shoved him in first then walked in. The door slid shut behind her, plunging the room into darkness. There was a sound of cloth crinkling, then a wet smack. Then Lizzy murmured ├óÔé¼┼ôLights├óÔé¼┬Ø. The lights came on and she was backed onto the table, Mike pressing against her as he kissed her. ├óÔé¼┼ôMike├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said softly, her hands on his chest. That was all she needed to say, as Mike took a step back. Always the gentleman. ├óÔé¼┼ôMike├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôAm I a bad person if I want you to tear my clothes off and...├óÔé¼┬Ø she trailed off, looking away. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I'm speaking from my own opinion├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôI have a husband├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. She felt the need to explain it, for some reason. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd he's ten light years away├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôI can understand your trepidation├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy laughed ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd yet your finishing my sentences, your willing and your right here...├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôGod...even if I'm not a bad person I am completely insane├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAbsolutely├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôI think you should go before I make more a fool of myself then I am now├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôVery well├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Lizzy smiled at him ├óÔé¼┼ôMike├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have always been a gentleman. Even...no especially when getting the crap beaten out of you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike bowed, ducking his arm under his chest as he did so. Then he walked out.
├óÔé¼┼ôMike├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice cut across the hallway the instant the door closed. Mike spun. He recognized that voice. But more importantly he recognized the tone. He saw the dark figure, standing at the end of the hall way, long hair down over her face. Mike felt fear clutch his heart like a vice. He had a sudden image of Stevenson standing there, on a dirt road. A split second before his head was cut off by an invisible force that Mike would only become all to familiar with. He grabbed for his pistol, witch was not there. But then the figure was gone, as suddenly as if it had popped like a soap bubble. Mike stood there, sweat cold on his brow.
He ran down the corridor until he got to a security check point. He hammered on the door. Laurence almost had a heart attack. Eve was taking a shower, her perfect skin shining with the water pouring over it. He had been enjoying the show, and it was tragic to interrupt a live performance. But it would still be recorded, so he turned off the displayer and opened the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôSargent Dobson├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, gasping from his panicked run ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to check some video footage, ensign├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight, sir├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said, getting out the Sargent's way. Mike sat down in his chair. If he found the smell distasteful, he didn't show it.
Mike scrolled through the data until he found what he needed. He played the data. It showed him, alone. Then he spun, looked at something for about ten seconds. Then he turned around and ran. Mike panned the camera view. He had a great view down the hallway, and could see that there was nothing there. He checked on Eve's position. It showed she was taking a shower. She hadn't left the shower for ten minutes. Long before he saw his vision. He breathed a slow sigh of relief. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry to have bothered you, Ensign├óÔé¼┬Ø he walked out of the room.
Eve walked out of the shower, dripping and wet. She also had gotten rid of her hammering headache. It had not been the drinks, as she had taken her pill. She was about to continue that thought, toweling herself off, when she had the oddest feeling that she was being watched. She slowly looked around, as if trying to spot a camera. Then she shook herself. She was being silly.
Keller sighed contentedly. He loved the bath in his quarters. It was a small bath. But that was okay. He didn't really want to be too far way from Sarris, who floated with him in the bath. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis was a great idea├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarris murmured. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôDid you hear that one of the religious fanatics has changed their religion├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sarris slid on top of him and looked up ├óÔé¼┼ôReally?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked ├óÔé¼┼ôHow so?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôOne of the couples has asked for an abortion├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sarris shuddered. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked, looking at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts just ugly├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôIf I'm going to have a baby, I'm not going to change my mind├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Keller sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôyou want to have a baby?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sarris pushed herself with her arms and water slid off her back. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot yet├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, moving forward ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I would like to get lots and lots...of practice├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller's hands slipped down from her shoulders and over her chest. ├óÔé¼┼ôBest get started then├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller murmured. Sarris laughed and she kissed Keller. ├óÔé¼┼ôAfter we get court marshaled├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said, afterwards, ├óÔé¼┼ôI think we could get a nice place. Maybe on Mars├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarris said ├óÔé¼┼ôMars is too expensive, now a days. I was thinking Europa├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes comrade├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said in a very fake Russian accent ├óÔé¼┼ôWe shall live in Neo-communist Europa├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sarris laughed as he planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek.
├óÔé¼┼ôOperative├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice came through with some static thrown in for effect. It was not necessary, or even viable. Tachyons didn't care about some dust between two ships. They just went. But Laurence supposed that the static was so he never knew who he was talking too. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is Operative├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, speaking into the mic. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need some ducks taken out. Can you arrange some out the door deliveries?├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice said. Laurence did the code work in his head. They wanted him to kill someone, preferably shoving them out an air lock. ├óÔé¼┼ôDepends on the duck├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said. ├óÔé¼┼ôA Dobson Duck. We think he might be...trouble├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Mankowski sat in the bar, looking at Laurence. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's shifty, I know it├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat guy├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski pointed ├óÔé¼┼ôThat Laurence fellow. He keeps looking at Eve├óÔé¼┬Ø. Laurence, at that moment, was playing poker with another fellow. Eve looked at him ├óÔé¼┼ôIt must be my elusive charm├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's not that elusive├óÔé¼┬Ø Hicks murmured in her ear. His hand found a ticklish spot and she yelped, almost spilling his drink. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe looked out way again├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said ├óÔé¼┼ôGet a room you too! You kept me up ALL damn night, with you're 'oh yes's and 'I'll love you forever's├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou mean pillow talk?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena suggested. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes, damn it├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said, slapping the bar top ├óÔé¼┼ôPillow talk. At least grunt and moan so I can use my imagination and maybe whack off a bit├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôGod no!├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, looking at Mankowski with a mixture of disgust and revulsion on her face. Hicks guffawed. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve turned on him. She set her cup down. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hicks said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts funny?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôits gross├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. ├óÔé¼┼ôLike you don't when your alone in the kip├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhoever said I can't get what I need when I need it├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd who said she wants what she needs when she needs it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. Helena, Mankowski and Hicks all stared at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need a new drink├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, raising her hand ├óÔé¼┼ôbarkeep!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The bartender slid her a new bottle. It clattered against the five others. ├óÔé¼┼ôHuh├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôStill haven't broked my record├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou just said broked├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know. Broked├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, drinking from her new bottle.
Mike got up ├óÔé¼┼ôSquad├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm turning in early today├óÔé¼┬Ø. He walked out. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell well well├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said as Mike left ├óÔé¼┼ôOur smarmy friend is leaving├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHuh?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked, turning around. Laurence was walking out, whistling a tune. The door closed after him. Eve was suddenly reminded of her experience in the shower, where she thought she was being watched. She turned back to the bar top and said ├óÔé¼┼ôLast night when I was in the shower├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mankowski cut her off, saying ├óÔé¼┼ôIs this the XXX or the R rated version?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve smacked him.
Mike walked down the hallway. He took a left. Then a right. Then he spun around and grabbed Laurence. He smashed the man against the wall and pulled his pistol out and jammed it under his chin. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, his voice deadly ├óÔé¼┼ôTell me why the fuck you're following me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Laurence quivered ├óÔé¼┼ôUh├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWrong answer├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, thumbing down the safety. The gun clicked, ready to fire ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThink very carefully, Ensign. This gun has a hair trigger, and so do I. Tell me what the fuck you are doing following me and watching Eve?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI I I I I├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence seemed unable to say anything more then I. Mike growled at him, pressing the barrel into his forehead. ├óÔé¼┼ôI was told to follow you├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence squeaked.
├óÔé¼┼ôBy who?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd why?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI I I don't know├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said. Then Mike grunted, feeling something enter his stomach. He looked down. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut this works on everyone. Even Trancendi├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. He thumbed down the trigger on his stunner. The thing was set up to negate the electrical impulses, paralyzing someone for long enough to knock them out. Mike fell backwards, out like a light. Laurence snickered. Like a light, light an electrical device. Mike was, boiling it down, just an appliance. Only ten percent of his actual biological bits were left in his body. Enough to make him look human. Not enough to make him human. Laurence thumbed down the button on his belt and the camera feeds all cut off for this hallway. He'd have to doctor them later, but for now he was fine.
Then he started to drag Mike to the air lock, whistling a happy tune.
Eve awoke, groggy and confused. She immediately looked for her clock and saw that it was 20:00 hours. That would put it...early in the morning, she was too tired to translate the 24 hour clock to her more customary 12 hour. She slid out of bed, feeling Hicks snoring body next to her. She stood, hastily pulling on some pants. She danced over the floor, wondering why the floor's were cold and metal and she didn't keep her sandles next to her bed. She slipped her sandles on and looked around. The other marines were all asleep. Mankowski was still holding his beer bottle as he snored. Eve sighed, wondering why she was awake. There had been a reason, she had felt it. Now she wasn't so sure.
She shivered, the cold ship air causing her skin to break out in goose bumps. It was a unique sensation the first time, bothersome the second. Now she hated it every time. Eve walked to the bathroom that had been alloted to the squad. She walked inside and reached for a cup. It slid into her hand. She poured it full of water and walked out of the bathroom, drinking it. Then she realized what she had done and dropped the cup. It hit the ground and bounced off, making a loud clang. Water splattered over the metal floor and Eve froze. Helena murmured, rolling over in her sleep. Eve grabbed the cup with her fleshy, human hands, and shoved it into the cubbyhole that she had grabbed it from.
Then she sponged up the water and stood up, shivering again. This time it wasn't from the cold. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm back├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice murmured in her mind. Eve spun around, looking for the voice. ├óÔé¼┼ôWrong├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm in here, with you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh no├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve hissed, fear suddenly hammering at her mind. She knew that voice. It was her own. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou thought you could abandon your past, did you?├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou were wrong├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve hissed, walking mechanically to her and Hicks's bed. Hicks slid his arm around her waist and murmured in her ear ├óÔé¼┼ôYou all right?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø A snide voice whispered in Eve's mine. Eve forced it out, pushing herself into Hicks, enjoying his feel against her ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm fine├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Hicks murmured something unintelligible and fell asleep. Eve stayed awake quite a bit longer.
The next day was free. But Eve couldn't enjoy it. It seemed as if the voice had fled with dawn, but she didn't know that till she bedded down for the night. So through out the day she was constantly listening for it, worrying that it would show up and worried that it wouldn't. Hicks noticed that she was on edge, and asked her about it. She smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôIts nothing├óÔé¼┬Ø she lied, and they went on with what they were doing, witch took her mind off anything for a while. Being human had its advantages, after all. Hicks rolled off her, panting. ├óÔé¼┼ôHicks├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI was lying. Something is wrong├óÔé¼┬Ø. He went up on one arm, looking at her ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. Eve sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Laurence shoved the popcorn into his mouth. Popcorn was something few people really appreciated, now a days. They always went for the microwaved kind. He loved his air popped, no matter how hard it was for an air popper to be smuggled on board. The marine, Hicks, rolled off his woman, exposing her front to the camera. He had been tasked to watch Eve. So he would watch Eve. Getting paid for watching this was almost absurdly funny. Eve said something. It was picked up by the camera, but he knew the interesting part was over. Laurence rewound the tape and watched Eve. First she was on top, giving him an amazing view. Laurence breathed slowly, then shoved more popcorn in mouth. Eve and her boyfriend's movements got more frenzied. Laurence pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and watched.
Eve walked down the corridor, already suited up. Her exoskeleton was perfectly maintained, the way only a eager new recruit could maintain it. Laurence watched. She was no less sexy in battle armor, not to his mind. He smiled. Getting paid...for this? It was almost a crime. Eve heard something, turning around. Helena ran to her, coming into view of the camera. Laurence sighed. Helena was a freak. She'd never interest him. He focused around her, making sure to get a nice close view of Eve's face. Laurence grinned. Then he reached into his bowel and found that he needed to make some more popcorn. Laurence got slowly out of his chair and walked to his air popper. His workspace was cramped, but he didn't mind. It kept him out of sight, out of other's minds. He knew that Eve would never know he existed. He liked it like that.
Eve reported in with Helena. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have good news for both of you├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôHelena your request has been granted├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena looked surprised. Then elated ├óÔé¼┼ôThank you, sir├óÔé¼┬Ø she saluted. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you, Eve...or should I say Corporal?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, typing some buttons on his desk. The side of Eve's shoulder flickered off, then on again with her new insignia. ├óÔé¼┼ôT-Thank you sir├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve saluted. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts not that big a deal├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said ├óÔé¼┼ôJust means you're not completely worthless in training├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDismissed├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, smiling at both of them. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes Sir!├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve and Helena snapped new salutes, then turned and left.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy did you get all decked out, anyway?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI need more practice in this damn thing├óÔé¼┬Ø she gestured at the uncomfortable exoskeleton ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I thought he was going to give me orders, not a promotion├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt really is not that big of a deal├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts a start...and speaking of starts├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow was your start...with that brunette?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked, smiling. Helena blushed ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was fine├óÔé¼┬Ø she murmured ├óÔé¼┼ô├óÔé¼┬ØI still feel...guilty├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôTapp would have hated to have you piss away your life by being sorry for her├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena sniffed ├óÔé¼┼ôYour right, Eve├óÔé¼┬Ø she said.
Mike started to work again. Being a squad leader meant more paper work. Hurra. Glickson had told him that it was worse in the beginning, when you were filling out all the legal crap for new recruits. Mike had just one new recruit, but Eve was one hell of a new recruit. She had no race, no registration, no nationality. She didn't work for any corporation, she did not exist in any way shape or form in anything but the most secure government files. And still Mike had to fill out a waver, a pension, a retirement fund and a bunch of other...crap. That was a good word for it. Crap. He sighed, thinking that promoting her to Corporal was probably also going to give him a load of crap. He might as well get started. He started to type again. Then, on second thought, he turned on some music, then started to work.
Lizzy was going, slowly, insane. It had been about...two months. Eve, Mike and his squad were training perfectly, and she had nothing to do but watch them. She had read all her books, watched all her movies. She had gotten hammered out of her skull more then once, and even stoned once and a while. None of those helped speed up times glacial pace, and the days ticked by. They were still a month from exiting the dust field. Not that that would make an real difference, in the long run. All they would be able to do is move from one starship to the other. She was left with only three options, at this point, to pass the time. She could finally ease off on her celibacy and fuck someone. That was no answer. It would last for a while, but it would probably make her feel guilty. She was saving herself for Justin.
The second option was to join the marines. That always made Lizzy crack up, thinking of herself running around and shooting at people with some kind of hierarchy about herself. When she was going to shoot someone, she would be damned well doing it by her own damn reason, not when someone ordered her too. By comparison, Eve seemed to be loving it. How much she would love it in about three or so years when she was getting shot at, that was something Lizzy needed to see. The third and final option was to take up a hobby. Lizzy leaned over her model submarine and sighed. This was not her. But she still daubed glue on the knobbly bit that stuck out of the rudder and slowly slid it into place. She took her hand away. The rudder stayed in place for a few seconds, then fell off.
Mike walked into the room and was greeted by five gunshots. He stared at Lizzy, who had her gun out and aimed at what looked like a plastic German U-boat, WWIII model. He gulped, looking at the rather large chunks that had been blown off the model. Lizzy grinned sheepishly and slid her pistol back into her holster, witch lay next to the table. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôIs one German U-boat that will never threaten mankind again├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy giggled softly ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey did start three out of four. Thats a pretty good count├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe first one is debatable├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, raising his hand ├óÔé¼┼ôBut some could say the allies reaped what they sown├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôYou'd think, after the Nazis people would get the damn point├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Mike grinned as Lizzy picked up the submarine bits and put them in the trash bin. ├óÔé¼┼ôModeling├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôis not for me├óÔé¼┬Ø. A sudden image of Lizzy posing nude for a bunch of teenage art students flashed unbidden through Mike's mind. He coughed and looked away from Lizzy for a moment. His eyes fell on the data slate that was next to the wall. On top of the data slate was something far more valuable then he ever expected to see in this room. It was a book. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs...Is that a book?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you can believe it I've hauled this book over fifty light years and ninety years├óÔé¼┬Ø She looked at the worn cover ├óÔé¼┼ôKeep it in my breast pocket. I even managed to keep it with me on Dantana├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Mike frowned, remembering Dantana. It had been one of the hardest missions in his list. Right up there with the three other famous engagements he had been a part of. He had the honor of winning a purple heart on the battle for Hallie's Colony. A overeager sentry had sent a bullet through his kneecap while he was going to take a leak. He had been sent into a back bunker for the duration, as the actual battle occurred an hour after he took the wound. Mike smiled. He never told people that part and they just assumed he had taken it during the trench fighting. He never corrected them. ├óÔé¼┼ôMike├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. Mike blinked. He must be tired. He tried not to drift off like that. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThere's a reason for your visit, I hope?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh right...damn├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. He had forgotten.
Then, halfway out the door, he remembered ├óÔé¼┼ôLizzy├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe squad has already hit the bar. But if you want a quiet drink, do you want to come?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy looked at her model. She'd have to either fix it up or get hammered. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets get hammered├óÔé¼┬Ø She said. They both walked down the hall. The bar was quiet, far more so then normal. The squad's that normal filled it up were absent. That was a bit depressing, seeing as how ever marine on the boat could be crammed into this bar, and there were three other bars set up to service them. Most of those had been closed down, but Mike had had one turned into a training facility. The crew, who outnumbered the marines, could fill two and a half of the crew bars. Lizzy sighed, sitting on her stool and slowly drinking her alcohol out of a straw.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy echoed. They both felt a bit glum, looking around the mostly empty bar. It was as if they had come for a party and found that it had ended an hour ago, the gifts open, the laughter died away. The bartender walked over to them ├óÔé¼┼ôHello Sargent├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôMontoya. Can I do anything for you two?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're fine├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø the bartender said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have some extra ecstasy round back. You'll need to take anti-addictives and balancing chems, but it beats the hell out of what your drinking├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks but no thanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôI hate anti-addictives. They're to much of a downer├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The bartender moved away. After a few hours they closed, the bartender walking out and locking the doors behind her. Then she opened the doors and whistled at Lizzy and Mike ├óÔé¼┼ôHey! Get out!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right, all right├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said, getting unsteadily to her feet. Mike staggered along with her and they walked out. Then they walked out. The bartender watched them ├óÔé¼┼ôBrain cores├óÔé¼┬Ø She muttered. Then she locked the door for the night. Lizzy and Mike rounded the corner, laughing at some joke Lizzy said. The bartender shook her head at them. Brain cores always drank everyone else under the roof without even trying too.
They got to Lizzy's room. Mike opened the door for her, always the gentleman. Lizzy shoved him in first then walked in. The door slid shut behind her, plunging the room into darkness. There was a sound of cloth crinkling, then a wet smack. Then Lizzy murmured ├óÔé¼┼ôLights├óÔé¼┬Ø. The lights came on and she was backed onto the table, Mike pressing against her as he kissed her. ├óÔé¼┼ôMike├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said softly, her hands on his chest. That was all she needed to say, as Mike took a step back. Always the gentleman. ├óÔé¼┼ôMike├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôAm I a bad person if I want you to tear my clothes off and...├óÔé¼┬Ø she trailed off, looking away. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I'm speaking from my own opinion├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôI have a husband├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. She felt the need to explain it, for some reason. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd he's ten light years away├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôI can understand your trepidation├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy laughed ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd yet your finishing my sentences, your willing and your right here...├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôGod...even if I'm not a bad person I am completely insane├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAbsolutely├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôI think you should go before I make more a fool of myself then I am now├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôVery well├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Lizzy smiled at him ├óÔé¼┼ôMike├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have always been a gentleman. Even...no especially when getting the crap beaten out of you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike bowed, ducking his arm under his chest as he did so. Then he walked out.
├óÔé¼┼ôMike├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice cut across the hallway the instant the door closed. Mike spun. He recognized that voice. But more importantly he recognized the tone. He saw the dark figure, standing at the end of the hall way, long hair down over her face. Mike felt fear clutch his heart like a vice. He had a sudden image of Stevenson standing there, on a dirt road. A split second before his head was cut off by an invisible force that Mike would only become all to familiar with. He grabbed for his pistol, witch was not there. But then the figure was gone, as suddenly as if it had popped like a soap bubble. Mike stood there, sweat cold on his brow.
He ran down the corridor until he got to a security check point. He hammered on the door. Laurence almost had a heart attack. Eve was taking a shower, her perfect skin shining with the water pouring over it. He had been enjoying the show, and it was tragic to interrupt a live performance. But it would still be recorded, so he turned off the displayer and opened the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôSargent Dobson├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, gasping from his panicked run ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to check some video footage, ensign├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight, sir├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said, getting out the Sargent's way. Mike sat down in his chair. If he found the smell distasteful, he didn't show it.
Mike scrolled through the data until he found what he needed. He played the data. It showed him, alone. Then he spun, looked at something for about ten seconds. Then he turned around and ran. Mike panned the camera view. He had a great view down the hallway, and could see that there was nothing there. He checked on Eve's position. It showed she was taking a shower. She hadn't left the shower for ten minutes. Long before he saw his vision. He breathed a slow sigh of relief. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry to have bothered you, Ensign├óÔé¼┬Ø he walked out of the room.
Eve walked out of the shower, dripping and wet. She also had gotten rid of her hammering headache. It had not been the drinks, as she had taken her pill. She was about to continue that thought, toweling herself off, when she had the oddest feeling that she was being watched. She slowly looked around, as if trying to spot a camera. Then she shook herself. She was being silly.
Keller sighed contentedly. He loved the bath in his quarters. It was a small bath. But that was okay. He didn't really want to be too far way from Sarris, who floated with him in the bath. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis was a great idea├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarris murmured. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôDid you hear that one of the religious fanatics has changed their religion├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sarris slid on top of him and looked up ├óÔé¼┼ôReally?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked ├óÔé¼┼ôHow so?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôOne of the couples has asked for an abortion├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sarris shuddered. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked, looking at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts just ugly├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôIf I'm going to have a baby, I'm not going to change my mind├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Keller sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôyou want to have a baby?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sarris pushed herself with her arms and water slid off her back. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot yet├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, moving forward ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I would like to get lots and lots...of practice├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller's hands slipped down from her shoulders and over her chest. ├óÔé¼┼ôBest get started then├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller murmured. Sarris laughed and she kissed Keller. ├óÔé¼┼ôAfter we get court marshaled├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said, afterwards, ├óÔé¼┼ôI think we could get a nice place. Maybe on Mars├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarris said ├óÔé¼┼ôMars is too expensive, now a days. I was thinking Europa├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes comrade├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said in a very fake Russian accent ├óÔé¼┼ôWe shall live in Neo-communist Europa├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sarris laughed as he planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek.
├óÔé¼┼ôOperative├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice came through with some static thrown in for effect. It was not necessary, or even viable. Tachyons didn't care about some dust between two ships. They just went. But Laurence supposed that the static was so he never knew who he was talking too. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is Operative├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, speaking into the mic. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need some ducks taken out. Can you arrange some out the door deliveries?├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice said. Laurence did the code work in his head. They wanted him to kill someone, preferably shoving them out an air lock. ├óÔé¼┼ôDepends on the duck├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said. ├óÔé¼┼ôA Dobson Duck. We think he might be...trouble├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Mankowski sat in the bar, looking at Laurence. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's shifty, I know it├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat guy├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski pointed ├óÔé¼┼ôThat Laurence fellow. He keeps looking at Eve├óÔé¼┬Ø. Laurence, at that moment, was playing poker with another fellow. Eve looked at him ├óÔé¼┼ôIt must be my elusive charm├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's not that elusive├óÔé¼┬Ø Hicks murmured in her ear. His hand found a ticklish spot and she yelped, almost spilling his drink. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe looked out way again├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said ├óÔé¼┼ôGet a room you too! You kept me up ALL damn night, with you're 'oh yes's and 'I'll love you forever's├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou mean pillow talk?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena suggested. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes, damn it├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said, slapping the bar top ├óÔé¼┼ôPillow talk. At least grunt and moan so I can use my imagination and maybe whack off a bit├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôGod no!├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, looking at Mankowski with a mixture of disgust and revulsion on her face. Hicks guffawed. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve turned on him. She set her cup down. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hicks said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts funny?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôits gross├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. ├óÔé¼┼ôLike you don't when your alone in the kip├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhoever said I can't get what I need when I need it├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd who said she wants what she needs when she needs it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. Helena, Mankowski and Hicks all stared at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need a new drink├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, raising her hand ├óÔé¼┼ôbarkeep!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The bartender slid her a new bottle. It clattered against the five others. ├óÔé¼┼ôHuh├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôStill haven't broked my record├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou just said broked├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know. Broked├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, drinking from her new bottle.
Mike got up ├óÔé¼┼ôSquad├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm turning in early today├óÔé¼┬Ø. He walked out. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell well well├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski said as Mike left ├óÔé¼┼ôOur smarmy friend is leaving├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHuh?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked, turning around. Laurence was walking out, whistling a tune. The door closed after him. Eve was suddenly reminded of her experience in the shower, where she thought she was being watched. She turned back to the bar top and said ├óÔé¼┼ôLast night when I was in the shower├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mankowski cut her off, saying ├óÔé¼┼ôIs this the XXX or the R rated version?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve smacked him.
Mike walked down the hallway. He took a left. Then a right. Then he spun around and grabbed Laurence. He smashed the man against the wall and pulled his pistol out and jammed it under his chin. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, his voice deadly ├óÔé¼┼ôTell me why the fuck you're following me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Laurence quivered ├óÔé¼┼ôUh├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWrong answer├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, thumbing down the safety. The gun clicked, ready to fire ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThink very carefully, Ensign. This gun has a hair trigger, and so do I. Tell me what the fuck you are doing following me and watching Eve?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI I I I I├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence seemed unable to say anything more then I. Mike growled at him, pressing the barrel into his forehead. ├óÔé¼┼ôI was told to follow you├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence squeaked.
├óÔé¼┼ôBy who?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd why?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI I I don't know├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said. Then Mike grunted, feeling something enter his stomach. He looked down. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut this works on everyone. Even Trancendi├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. He thumbed down the trigger on his stunner. The thing was set up to negate the electrical impulses, paralyzing someone for long enough to knock them out. Mike fell backwards, out like a light. Laurence snickered. Like a light, light an electrical device. Mike was, boiling it down, just an appliance. Only ten percent of his actual biological bits were left in his body. Enough to make him look human. Not enough to make him human. Laurence thumbed down the button on his belt and the camera feeds all cut off for this hallway. He'd have to doctor them later, but for now he was fine.
Then he started to drag Mike to the air lock, whistling a happy tune.
Laurence...gets a promotions???
HUUUUUU!
You'll have to read and FIIIND OUT!
├óÔé¼┼ôAnyone seen Mike?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve turned around ├óÔé¼┼ôno, mom├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI haven't...why?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy looked around the otherwise crowded bar ├óÔé¼┼ôHe said he was going to be here tonight├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve looked around. All she saw was Hicks, who was drinking down his beer. ├óÔé¼┼ôHave you seen Mike, Hicks?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. Hicks swallowed ├óÔé¼┼ôNope├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI haven't seen him all night├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy moved away ├óÔé¼┼ôNow I'm worried├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, looking around ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll be back├óÔé¼┬Ø. She walked past some other patrons, practically shoving them out of the way. Eve stood up ├óÔé¼┼ôI think I'll go help├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôhe's probably just in his quarters├óÔé¼┬Ø Hicks said.
Eve put her cup down. She cocked her head, as if trying to hear Mike through the decks. Then she felt a definite shiver go down her spine. Eve shook herself. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't think he's in his quarters├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI think he might be in trouble├óÔé¼┬Ø. Hicks looked at her ├óÔé¼┼ôEve├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI really think he's in trouble. Come on├óÔé¼┬Ø she grabbed him and hauled him to his feet. Hicks set his drink down ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôFine...where should we start├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôI have no idea├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôNone at all, really├óÔé¼┬Ø. Hicks groaned ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôLets start at Mike's quarters├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôGood idea├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, pulling out her credit chit. She slid it into a receptor on the counter and deposited a hefty tip. It was not required. But it supposedly brought good luck.
Mike stared at the air lock door. Mounted on the door was some man's idea of a sick joke. There was a radio receiver and a clock. The receiver had been broadcasting static for the two minuets he had been there. The clock was counting down from twenty minuets. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, thinking that the receiver had to be two way ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are we waiting for?├óÔé¼┬Ø. He sat there. Another three seconds went down. Then. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø a voice over the com said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe stage is set. The actors have taken their positions├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell are you talking about?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked, standing. The air lock was very small, but he had enough room to stand and even pace from the left to the right. He started to pace. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe show├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe show is what we are here for. I could have sent you into space a long while ago. Not even your artificial mind and implants will stop the radiation from outside turning you into a red mist├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Mike stopped his pacing ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou put a clock on the door, so I assume I have...sixteen minuets to get rescued├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôCorrect├óÔé¼┬Ø The voice said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut there is a way to escape. It would be no fun otherwise├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike gulped. He tried to recall who had followed him, who had put him here. But he couldn't. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't remember who you are├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø The voice said ├óÔé¼┼ôSometimes a taser does that to a freak, like yourself├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike closed his mouth. He didn't feel like talking to this man would do him any good. After two minuets of looking around the air lock, the voice piped up. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø it said ├óÔé¼┼ôGiving me the silent treatment├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Mike smiled lopsidedly. The inner lock was welded shut and the electronic opening pad had been shattered. Even if he had had the strength of a gorilla, he couldn't have opened the weld. He'd need a anti-tank gun to break through the seal. Or, he thought, the powers Eve had given up. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice said, as if reading his mind ├óÔé¼┼ôI can see her...right now├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike looked up, still not speaking. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø The voice said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's looking for you, along with her boyfriend and her mother├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôI also saw her two nights ago, when she got the shower privileges├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike blinked. Then fury began to rise in his mind. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou sick fuck├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered.
├óÔé¼┼ôAm I getting you angry?├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice asked. Mike looked away from the com, as if that would make it shut up. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can see her in every position, every permutation. She is quite inventive...and her boyfriend is quite enthusiastic├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice said, still quiet even. Mike turned around and raised his fist. Then he stopped, not wanting to smash the set. ├óÔé¼┼ôStruck a nerve?├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice asked ├óÔé¼┼ôBut would you still be angry if I gave you...her. She bathes. She uses her shower. I see everything, and I record it all├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike leaned close to the set, his lips almost touching the receiver ├óÔé¼┼ôListen to me├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôVery carefully. When I get out of here I am going to find you. Then I am going to kill you. And it will not be quick...or pleasant├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôIts easy to make threats├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts harder to follow them through├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you have a chance...look up a woman named Cyanide. Look up how she died on Dantana. Its all in my report, see. Imagine that. Slower and done with a spoon├óÔé¼┬Ø. The voice paused. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh my├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôthat is...quite...severe├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike stepped away. Then he looked around the outer door. He had an idea. After some searching he found the hydraulics control for the door. It was sealed. It was never supposed to be accessed, as the hydraulics were what opened the door. Air locks were made to stay closed, unless opened. So if he could get to the hydraulics, he could make sure the air lock wouldn't open.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you look through your cameras and find him?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said ├óÔé¼┼ôCould you narrow down my search parameters? That way the computer can send me the most likely thing├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're looking for a male, possibly alone. About a meter and two thirds tall, black hair. No facial hair to speak of├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôcan you make the computer look for that?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow why don't you two let a man work. Why don't you two look with your own eyes. I'll PA you if I find anything├óÔé¼┬Ø he started a search on the computer. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôcome on Eve├óÔé¼┬Ø they both walked out of the room. The door closed behind them.
Laurence licked his lips, turning back to the computer. He killed the search. Then he picked up the com ├óÔé¼┼ôMike├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm looking at her...right now├óÔé¼┬Ø. He alt tabbed, brining up the video he had found. It was Lizzy taking one of her very long, very luxurious baths. She was reading a book, but even so the video camera got a nice good look. There was no response from Mike. Then...Laurence paused. He was hearing something from Mike. It was a rhythmic pounding sound. ├óÔé¼┼ôMike├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø. No response. He called up the video feed of the air lock. ├óÔé¼┼ôClever bastard├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence breathed.
Mike pulled his arm back. Then he slammed his first forward. More blood splashed around the area he had been punching. It had started to dent, but his knuckles were almost completely shredded. He had an amplified musculature structure, reinforced bones and some other implants packed in around his joints to facilitate movement. The practical up shot was that he could actually dent the thin metal that covered the hydraulic lines. Mike flapped his hand, feeling it. The skin had broken three punches ago. Now he was working on uncovering the metallic bones beneath it. It hurt like the blazes too, and there wasn't much Mike could do about that. He readied himself and slammed his fist into the red stain that he had created. The metal gave, enough that one of the corners bent outwards.
Mike grinned, despite the pain. Then he saw the clock was down to three minuets. He grabbed the out bent corner and hauled off. The entire thing bent outwards, visibly. Mike grinned again and jerked it off the corner. Half the plate came off, but that was enough for him to get at the hydraulics. Laurence, knowing he had to do something, slammed down the button on his computer that he had set up to eject Mike into space in case of this eventuality. The red light in the airlock flickered on, warning Mike the outer door was about to open. ├óÔé¼┼ôthree├óÔé¼┬Ø the computer voice said. Mike force himself to be calm. He punched the radio.
Then he grabbed a sharp plastic shard. Then he went to the hydraulic lines. ├óÔé¼┼ôOne├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice said. Mike had missed two in his motions. He brought the plastic chunk down with all his might. It bit into the hydraulic line. The door cracked open, breaking the seal. Mike felt wind tug on him, pulling him to the door. But the door was struggling, getting about half open. Then the hydraulics, spraying a gooey black liquid every where, gave up the ghost. The door fell back together with a loud clang. The wind abated as the seal was restored. The red light flicked off. Mike sagged against the door, relief swamping his system.
Laurence gulped. Mike couldn't remember him. He brought up a search engine, had it search for the air lock that mike was contained in. Then he picked up his com and dialed to the PA. ├óÔé¼┼ôWould both Miss Montoya's please come down to the security office├óÔé¼┬Ø. Not ten second later, Eve was at his door. ├óÔé¼┼ôI've found him├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said ├óÔé¼┼ôLooks like someone dumped him in an air lock├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh god├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve gasped. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut Mike, being clever, cut the hydraulics├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's fine. You can pick him up at any time├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere is the air lock?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. Lizzy arrive. ├óÔé¼┼ôits five three├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAir lock five three├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said to Lizzy. They both ran.
├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know. He tasered me. My memory is out, and its gonna be out for a while├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike snapped. The doc tightened the weave he put on his knuckles and Mike winced. It was still sore. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut you said he talked him├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut his voice was on a low quality transmission. I don't know what he sounded like exactly├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôyou should thank Ensign Laurence├óÔé¼┬Ø she beamed ├óÔé¼┼ôHe was the one who found you, all by his lonesome├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said tonelessly, feeling his hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can go now├óÔé¼┬Ø The doc said. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight, right├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. He, Lizzy and Eve all walked out.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo what was the man like?├óÔé¼┬Ø Capitan Keller asked. Mike sighed. He had gone over this with first Capitan Himmler, a stout man of Germanic decent and one of the last surviving captains from before the Dantana actions. Then Captain Himmler had asked for Mike to give his report to General Sarris. Then General Sarris had thought to ask Mike to tell his report to Captain Keller himself. Now Mike was finished. He was sick and tired of the entire affair. But he repeated what he had said to Lizzy, Himmler, Sarris and now Keller. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe was sick perverted bastard├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut what kind of pervert was he?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe...he enjoyed watching Eve...in...private situations├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, feeling embarrassed even talking about it, as if talking about it made him culpable.
Keller sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôThat├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôMeans that he has to be one of the security officers. We have ten security officers, and all of them have access to the security feeds. Now we can eliminate Laurence, as he was the one who rescued you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell obviously├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm planning to buy him some drinks in a few hours├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy don't you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm thinking of bumping that Ensign up a rank. He earned it├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike shrugged ├óÔé¼┼ôHe just said he was doing his job├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Keller grinned. Mike walked out of the office and Keller went back to his paper work. He would give Laurence a commendation, no matter what he said on the contrary.
HUUUUUU!
You'll have to read and FIIIND OUT!
├óÔé¼┼ôAnyone seen Mike?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve turned around ├óÔé¼┼ôno, mom├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI haven't...why?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy looked around the otherwise crowded bar ├óÔé¼┼ôHe said he was going to be here tonight├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve looked around. All she saw was Hicks, who was drinking down his beer. ├óÔé¼┼ôHave you seen Mike, Hicks?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. Hicks swallowed ├óÔé¼┼ôNope├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI haven't seen him all night├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy moved away ├óÔé¼┼ôNow I'm worried├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, looking around ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll be back├óÔé¼┬Ø. She walked past some other patrons, practically shoving them out of the way. Eve stood up ├óÔé¼┼ôI think I'll go help├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôhe's probably just in his quarters├óÔé¼┬Ø Hicks said.
Eve put her cup down. She cocked her head, as if trying to hear Mike through the decks. Then she felt a definite shiver go down her spine. Eve shook herself. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't think he's in his quarters├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI think he might be in trouble├óÔé¼┬Ø. Hicks looked at her ├óÔé¼┼ôEve├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôI really think he's in trouble. Come on├óÔé¼┬Ø she grabbed him and hauled him to his feet. Hicks set his drink down ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôFine...where should we start├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôI have no idea├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôNone at all, really├óÔé¼┬Ø. Hicks groaned ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôLets start at Mike's quarters├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôGood idea├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, pulling out her credit chit. She slid it into a receptor on the counter and deposited a hefty tip. It was not required. But it supposedly brought good luck.
Mike stared at the air lock door. Mounted on the door was some man's idea of a sick joke. There was a radio receiver and a clock. The receiver had been broadcasting static for the two minuets he had been there. The clock was counting down from twenty minuets. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, thinking that the receiver had to be two way ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are we waiting for?├óÔé¼┬Ø. He sat there. Another three seconds went down. Then. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø a voice over the com said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe stage is set. The actors have taken their positions├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell are you talking about?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked, standing. The air lock was very small, but he had enough room to stand and even pace from the left to the right. He started to pace. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe show├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe show is what we are here for. I could have sent you into space a long while ago. Not even your artificial mind and implants will stop the radiation from outside turning you into a red mist├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Mike stopped his pacing ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou put a clock on the door, so I assume I have...sixteen minuets to get rescued├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôCorrect├óÔé¼┬Ø The voice said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut there is a way to escape. It would be no fun otherwise├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike gulped. He tried to recall who had followed him, who had put him here. But he couldn't. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't remember who you are├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø The voice said ├óÔé¼┼ôSometimes a taser does that to a freak, like yourself├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike closed his mouth. He didn't feel like talking to this man would do him any good. After two minuets of looking around the air lock, the voice piped up. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø it said ├óÔé¼┼ôGiving me the silent treatment├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Mike smiled lopsidedly. The inner lock was welded shut and the electronic opening pad had been shattered. Even if he had had the strength of a gorilla, he couldn't have opened the weld. He'd need a anti-tank gun to break through the seal. Or, he thought, the powers Eve had given up. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice said, as if reading his mind ├óÔé¼┼ôI can see her...right now├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike looked up, still not speaking. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø The voice said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's looking for you, along with her boyfriend and her mother├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôI also saw her two nights ago, when she got the shower privileges├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike blinked. Then fury began to rise in his mind. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou sick fuck├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered.
├óÔé¼┼ôAm I getting you angry?├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice asked. Mike looked away from the com, as if that would make it shut up. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can see her in every position, every permutation. She is quite inventive...and her boyfriend is quite enthusiastic├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice said, still quiet even. Mike turned around and raised his fist. Then he stopped, not wanting to smash the set. ├óÔé¼┼ôStruck a nerve?├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice asked ├óÔé¼┼ôBut would you still be angry if I gave you...her. She bathes. She uses her shower. I see everything, and I record it all├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike leaned close to the set, his lips almost touching the receiver ├óÔé¼┼ôListen to me├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôVery carefully. When I get out of here I am going to find you. Then I am going to kill you. And it will not be quick...or pleasant├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôIts easy to make threats├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts harder to follow them through├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you have a chance...look up a woman named Cyanide. Look up how she died on Dantana. Its all in my report, see. Imagine that. Slower and done with a spoon├óÔé¼┬Ø. The voice paused. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh my├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôthat is...quite...severe├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike stepped away. Then he looked around the outer door. He had an idea. After some searching he found the hydraulics control for the door. It was sealed. It was never supposed to be accessed, as the hydraulics were what opened the door. Air locks were made to stay closed, unless opened. So if he could get to the hydraulics, he could make sure the air lock wouldn't open.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you look through your cameras and find him?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said ├óÔé¼┼ôCould you narrow down my search parameters? That way the computer can send me the most likely thing├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're looking for a male, possibly alone. About a meter and two thirds tall, black hair. No facial hair to speak of├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôcan you make the computer look for that?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow why don't you two let a man work. Why don't you two look with your own eyes. I'll PA you if I find anything├óÔé¼┬Ø he started a search on the computer. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôcome on Eve├óÔé¼┬Ø they both walked out of the room. The door closed behind them.
Laurence licked his lips, turning back to the computer. He killed the search. Then he picked up the com ├óÔé¼┼ôMike├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm looking at her...right now├óÔé¼┬Ø. He alt tabbed, brining up the video he had found. It was Lizzy taking one of her very long, very luxurious baths. She was reading a book, but even so the video camera got a nice good look. There was no response from Mike. Then...Laurence paused. He was hearing something from Mike. It was a rhythmic pounding sound. ├óÔé¼┼ôMike├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø. No response. He called up the video feed of the air lock. ├óÔé¼┼ôClever bastard├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence breathed.
Mike pulled his arm back. Then he slammed his first forward. More blood splashed around the area he had been punching. It had started to dent, but his knuckles were almost completely shredded. He had an amplified musculature structure, reinforced bones and some other implants packed in around his joints to facilitate movement. The practical up shot was that he could actually dent the thin metal that covered the hydraulic lines. Mike flapped his hand, feeling it. The skin had broken three punches ago. Now he was working on uncovering the metallic bones beneath it. It hurt like the blazes too, and there wasn't much Mike could do about that. He readied himself and slammed his fist into the red stain that he had created. The metal gave, enough that one of the corners bent outwards.
Mike grinned, despite the pain. Then he saw the clock was down to three minuets. He grabbed the out bent corner and hauled off. The entire thing bent outwards, visibly. Mike grinned again and jerked it off the corner. Half the plate came off, but that was enough for him to get at the hydraulics. Laurence, knowing he had to do something, slammed down the button on his computer that he had set up to eject Mike into space in case of this eventuality. The red light in the airlock flickered on, warning Mike the outer door was about to open. ├óÔé¼┼ôthree├óÔé¼┬Ø the computer voice said. Mike force himself to be calm. He punched the radio.
Then he grabbed a sharp plastic shard. Then he went to the hydraulic lines. ├óÔé¼┼ôOne├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice said. Mike had missed two in his motions. He brought the plastic chunk down with all his might. It bit into the hydraulic line. The door cracked open, breaking the seal. Mike felt wind tug on him, pulling him to the door. But the door was struggling, getting about half open. Then the hydraulics, spraying a gooey black liquid every where, gave up the ghost. The door fell back together with a loud clang. The wind abated as the seal was restored. The red light flicked off. Mike sagged against the door, relief swamping his system.
Laurence gulped. Mike couldn't remember him. He brought up a search engine, had it search for the air lock that mike was contained in. Then he picked up his com and dialed to the PA. ├óÔé¼┼ôWould both Miss Montoya's please come down to the security office├óÔé¼┬Ø. Not ten second later, Eve was at his door. ├óÔé¼┼ôI've found him├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said ├óÔé¼┼ôLooks like someone dumped him in an air lock├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh god├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve gasped. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut Mike, being clever, cut the hydraulics├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's fine. You can pick him up at any time├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere is the air lock?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. Lizzy arrive. ├óÔé¼┼ôits five three├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAir lock five three├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said to Lizzy. They both ran.
├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know. He tasered me. My memory is out, and its gonna be out for a while├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike snapped. The doc tightened the weave he put on his knuckles and Mike winced. It was still sore. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut you said he talked him├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut his voice was on a low quality transmission. I don't know what he sounded like exactly├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôyou should thank Ensign Laurence├óÔé¼┬Ø she beamed ├óÔé¼┼ôHe was the one who found you, all by his lonesome├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said tonelessly, feeling his hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can go now├óÔé¼┬Ø The doc said. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight, right├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. He, Lizzy and Eve all walked out.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo what was the man like?├óÔé¼┬Ø Capitan Keller asked. Mike sighed. He had gone over this with first Capitan Himmler, a stout man of Germanic decent and one of the last surviving captains from before the Dantana actions. Then Captain Himmler had asked for Mike to give his report to General Sarris. Then General Sarris had thought to ask Mike to tell his report to Captain Keller himself. Now Mike was finished. He was sick and tired of the entire affair. But he repeated what he had said to Lizzy, Himmler, Sarris and now Keller. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe was sick perverted bastard├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut what kind of pervert was he?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe...he enjoyed watching Eve...in...private situations├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, feeling embarrassed even talking about it, as if talking about it made him culpable.
Keller sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôThat├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôMeans that he has to be one of the security officers. We have ten security officers, and all of them have access to the security feeds. Now we can eliminate Laurence, as he was the one who rescued you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell obviously├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm planning to buy him some drinks in a few hours├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy don't you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm thinking of bumping that Ensign up a rank. He earned it├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike shrugged ├óÔé¼┼ôHe just said he was doing his job├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Keller grinned. Mike walked out of the office and Keller went back to his paper work. He would give Laurence a commendation, no matter what he said on the contrary.
I think opportunistic and sick would be a more apt word. He's opportunistic (I'm getting paid to do this, he thinks) and sick cause he's A) Working for equally opportunistic if less sick merc's and B) He's using his duty (Security Officer) to watch people in private situations. I call that sick in the head, but thats just me.
EDIT: Hurray! I was worried ComWiz was somehow the only one reading this damn story...
EDIT: Hurray! I was worried ComWiz was somehow the only one reading this damn story...
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Gillmor_TA
- Posts: 20
- Joined: 20 May 2005, 06:01
Someone who know's ANYTHING about history knows what the Night of the Long Knives is.
And some would be wondering when our little massicar is going to start.
Er...
Now!
Lizzy lay down on her sofa and started to pop the popcorn kernels into her mouth. After a moment the computer screen faded out and was replaced by the menu for the movie. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure this is a good one?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked, looking at Mike. Mike, who was taking the day off, sat down next to Lizzy's head and said ├óÔé¼┼ôOf course it is. Would I show you a bad movie├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy popped another kernel into her mouth ├óÔé¼┼ôMaybe├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Mike sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm hurt├óÔé¼┬Ø. After a few minutes the movie started. The two characters on the screen were in absurdly old uniforms. The movie continued.
Lizzy got sick of it at the line of ├óÔé¼┼ôGod damned Nazi Vampire freaks├óÔé¼┬Ø and sat up. ├óÔé¼┼ôI├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôcan't take this anymore├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike groaned as she turned the movie off ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats not cool about that?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts stupid├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said, looking at the box ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd the main character had a dumb hat├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat hat is awesome!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike objected. Lizzy sat down ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôLets watch one of my movies├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have a movie?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôbut I own a few├óÔé¼┬Ø. That brought Mike up short, confused. As he was trying to work out what she said, Lizzy got up again and started to rummage through her movies. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow about Gone with the Wind├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôOriginal or remake?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. Lizzy made a face ├óÔé¼┼ôOriginal, of course├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Michelle looked at the reports. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôOur operative, who has cost us over three million credits...has gotten this vital information about Eve Montoya├óÔé¼┬Ø. She tossed the data slate on the table. ├óÔé¼┼ôPornography!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted at the Interrogator ├óÔé¼┼ôWe do not pay him for a fucking PEEP SHOW!├óÔé¼┬Ø. She stood up, and leaned over the desk ├óÔé¼┼ôhe couldn't even kill a soldiers with a weapon made to kill him specifically! He had to be melodramatic and shove him out the air lock!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Interrogator didn't point out that Michelle had been the one to come up with the air lock idea. He was all for setting the taser to its max and burning Mike out. But he had to go along with what his captain wanted to do.
Michelle sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôSo we have three weeks left before exiting the dust cloud, and we have yet to really do much of anything. So I want you to tell him to put explosives here...here...here...and here├óÔé¼┬Ø she pointed out the positions on the Hannibal's ship, which was displayed on the desk. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust those?├óÔé¼┬Ø the Interrogator said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut...that won't even do much damage├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLook again├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said, smiling. The Interrogator leaned over the desk. Then he brightened. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh ho├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou are vicious, you are├óÔé¼┬Ø. Michelle smiled lopsidedly, looking at the Interrogator ├óÔé¼┼ôthis is going to be...fun├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, cocking her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow do we get the explosives over there?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôSimple├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Laurence swore softly, hauling off and putting all his weight on the pry bar. Then, finally, the door gave way and he slipped into the arms locker. The security cameras in the area were all flickering red, showing they were off line. Laurence guessed he had about ten minutes to get the explosives before one of the other Security Officers piped up about the blank spot in the camera grid. He grabbed the explosives, wondering if an extra three mill was really worth this? It wasn't nearly as much fun as his prior duties. But hell, he'd get to blow something up. Now he just needed to figure out how to get to the spots. He yanked the pry bar out of the door jam and it slid close behind him. Then he walked down the hall, hoping the bag wasn't too conspicuous.
Eve slipped her snoopers down with her right finger slowly. A green haze went over her vision. After a few moments red and blue bloomed. Eve grinned, slowly taking aim. The target shifted. Eve yanked back the trigger and her gun made a slight puffing sound. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit!├óÔé¼┬Ø the target shouted, falling out from behind his cover. Even though it was not an actual D.U bullet, the target's exoskeleton knew Eve was firing with a sniper rifle. So it acted as if the bullet had gone through the wall and taken him out. So the target fell down with a clatter. Eve stood up, her exoskeleton humming softly as it tried to keep up with the movement. It was supposed to keep her camouflaged depending on where she stood. If she moved slowly it would fit almost perfectly. But it didn't matter squat against snoopers.
Then Eve was shot in the back of the head. She fell face forward, eyes screwed up with anger. ├óÔé¼┼ôNever├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice said as a unfreezing rod tapped her shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôthink there's just one target├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes, sir├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, recognizing Mike ├óÔé¼┼ôI didn't know that you're in this exercise├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, feeling her helmet. Even a dummy bullet scratched the paint on her exoskeleton, and she'd have to get it rebuffed. Or just ignore the scratch and listen to what her Sergent was saying. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd never move that fast├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôI wouldn't have spotted you if you hadn't moved that fast├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôYes sir├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, tapping a button on her exoskeleton. The camouflage vanished, her exoskeleton turning its normal black color. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou certainly can aim with that thing├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Eve slid her helmet up so she could look at Mike without cameras. He wasn't wearing an exoskeleton, not exactly safe in a combat training area. The target, a Private Lee, had unfrozen. Now he was walking to them, also moving his helmet up from its down position. ├óÔé¼┼ôPrivate├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, nodding to him. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø Lee said ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose this means your on my side├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike raised his hands, his pistol tilting on his finger ├óÔé¼┼ôActually├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI just wanted to teach Eve here a lesson├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Lee said ├óÔé¼┼ôI hope she learned it├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve walked out, shaking her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo do I├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, looking after her ├óÔé¼┼ôSo do I. Also remember to try and keep your body temperature down next time├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lee nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôyes├óÔé¼┬Ø then he saluted ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôDismissed├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Eve walked down the hall. She was getting a little sick of these training exercise. How much did they really matter? She had done team training, some command and was starting to learn some sniper work. But if bullets started flying, would it help at all. ├óÔé¼┼ôMaybe I should start shooting people├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôHuh?├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice said. Eve looked up. It was that Ensign who had found Mike a week ago. What was his name? Laurence. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey Laurence├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat. Oh├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said. He was holding a bag at his side and looked very nervous. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats in the bag?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. Laurence gibbered, groping for some words. ├óÔé¼┼ôClothes├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said suddenly ├óÔé¼┼ôI was taking my clothes for washing├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. Laurence walked away, almost pushing past Eve in his haste. Eve felt a sudden feeling of distrust. He had saved Mike, but. She followed him. It looked like he was going to Aux Damage Control. He was. Laurence looked left and looked right. Eve ducked into a side hallway just in the nick of time. He didn't see her. Then he walked into Aux Damage control. Eve followed him, making sure to open the door quietly. She crept around the large computer banks that filled the room, humming softly. She leaned against one, sure not to press her hands against the sides as they were super cold, to keep their operations at the max speed possible.
The entire room felt incredibly cold, just from the bleed off of the computers. Laurence was pulling chunks of...explosives out of his bag! Eve felt a trickle of fear run down her spine. Those were harbor makers. They were made to clear out large land marks, rocks and landslides, things like that. If Aux Damage control wasn't in the near middle of the ship, it would breach the hull. Even here it would play havoc with the corridors around the place. And it would kill more then a few people. Eve looked around for a weapon, but she was plum out. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou could kill him├óÔé¼┬Ø A snide voice whispered in her head ├óÔé¼┼ôif you thought hard enough├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Eve felt colder then the super computer she was so carefully avoiding with her hands. Even her skin that was protected by her uniform felt practically frozen. Laurence stood up, looking at his handy work. Then he turned around and walked out of the room. Eve shook herself, shivering. Then she ran to the door and flung it open. Laurence grabbed her around the mouth. Eve bit down on his hand, but Laurence had the advantage of surprise. He, despite the blood flowing from the wound, managed to shove Eve into the chamber. She fell against one of the supercomputers, and her unprotected hand slammed against it. She jerked her hand off the computer and screamed, her upper layer of skin tearing off and sticking to the supercomputer like paint.
Then the door closed and locked. Laurence stood at the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou...├óÔé¼┬Ø he said softly ├óÔé¼┼ôYou were so beautiful, Eve├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve ran to the door and slammed into it. Her elbow made a strange cracking sound and she grasped it, feeling pain shoot up and down her body. She was human now. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo...so beautiful├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said softly. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou sick fuck├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôHow long have you been working for the enemy!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôMike said the same thing├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said ├óÔé¼┼ôbut Mike has the annoying habit of surviving├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôI have more then one gunshot to the head to my credit├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd more then one man killed├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat was before you threw away your powers├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said.
Eve blinked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou haven't├óÔé¼┬Ø a voice said in her mind ├óÔé¼┼ôNot yet├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôMy powers?├óÔé¼┬Ø she said softly. But Laurence was walking down the hallway, whistling. He got to his quarters and called up his...secure channel. ├óÔé¼┼ôBoss├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've gotten Eve in a rather special place├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere?├óÔé¼┬Ø the shadowy face that dominated the screen didn't show emotion, but he sounded rather elated. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's in Aux Damage Control├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said. The shadowy face shot up a half inch, as if the person suddenly sat up. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can't!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe was snooping├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I have the detonator, right here...in my hand├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Taraka shimmered into existence. Michelle looked up, annoyed. The Interrogator had put a filter into her com channel so she could speak without appearing as she was. She wanted to keep any listening people to not ID her. Not that anyone would listen, as it was a very secure channel. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't let him set off that bomb├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôOr we will let a Dijinn out of the bottle that will NEVER go back in!├óÔé¼┬Ø. He looked near panicked. That was enough to Michelle want to run screaming from the room. Anything that could make a man as obviously godlike as Taraka panic was far more then enough for a mere mortal. And Michelle had gotten used to thinking of her self so far below Taraka. Ever sense he had walked in on a...meeting she was having. The crewman had not wanted to leave, even after Michelle had pushed him off. Taraka had killed him.
It had taken her three weeks to get the blood of her sheets. Ever sense that day, Michelle had been more then afraid of Taraka. She was terrified of Taraka. But...he had promised her something that had kept her awake at night. Godhood. Michelle looked at Taraka, who had made teleporting in and out of a room and to God knows where seem completely normal, and thought what it would be like to be a goddess. ├óÔé¼┼ôLaurence├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, turning back to her computer screen ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you defuse the situation?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe I.Ded me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Michelle sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're coming out of the dust field in...two days├óÔé¼┬Ø she looked at her watch. ├óÔé¼┼ôEve is getting released├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said suddenly, panic in his voice. ├óÔé¼┼ôTaraka├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said, looking at him ├óÔé¼┼ôhelp!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Taraka sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt was Laurence├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, still nursing her hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôthe guy who saved Mike?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôHe practically said he was the one responsible for kidnapping Mike├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike's face purpled ├óÔé¼┼ôThat bastard├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat sick fucking son of a bitch!├óÔé¼┬Ø. He pulled out his pistol ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm going to kill him!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôMike!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy had to grab him ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have to at least question him first├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve felt something. ├óÔé¼┼ôHit the deck!├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve shouted and tackled both Lizzy and Mike. Then the bombs went off and fire flashed into the hallway.
Michelle gaped. The dust cloud was gone. It was there one second. Every single instrument on the ship said so, from Geiger counters to simple cameras. Then the next it was clear space. Perfectly clear. ├óÔé¼┼ôL...Launch shuttles├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôDetonate the bombs├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd prepare for shuttles to dock├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said, sining off. Michelle looked up at Taraka. But he was gone. Michelle leaned back in her chair, an absurd thought running through her thought. She wondered what a God was like in bed. Then she thumbed a button on her desk. ├óÔé¼┼ôLaunch shuttles├óÔé¼┬Ø she said.
And some would be wondering when our little massicar is going to start.
Er...
Now!
Lizzy lay down on her sofa and started to pop the popcorn kernels into her mouth. After a moment the computer screen faded out and was replaced by the menu for the movie. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure this is a good one?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked, looking at Mike. Mike, who was taking the day off, sat down next to Lizzy's head and said ├óÔé¼┼ôOf course it is. Would I show you a bad movie├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy popped another kernel into her mouth ├óÔé¼┼ôMaybe├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Mike sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm hurt├óÔé¼┬Ø. After a few minutes the movie started. The two characters on the screen were in absurdly old uniforms. The movie continued.
Lizzy got sick of it at the line of ├óÔé¼┼ôGod damned Nazi Vampire freaks├óÔé¼┬Ø and sat up. ├óÔé¼┼ôI├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôcan't take this anymore├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike groaned as she turned the movie off ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats not cool about that?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts stupid├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said, looking at the box ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd the main character had a dumb hat├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat hat is awesome!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike objected. Lizzy sat down ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôLets watch one of my movies├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have a movie?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôbut I own a few├óÔé¼┬Ø. That brought Mike up short, confused. As he was trying to work out what she said, Lizzy got up again and started to rummage through her movies. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow about Gone with the Wind├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôOriginal or remake?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. Lizzy made a face ├óÔé¼┼ôOriginal, of course├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Michelle looked at the reports. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôOur operative, who has cost us over three million credits...has gotten this vital information about Eve Montoya├óÔé¼┬Ø. She tossed the data slate on the table. ├óÔé¼┼ôPornography!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted at the Interrogator ├óÔé¼┼ôWe do not pay him for a fucking PEEP SHOW!├óÔé¼┬Ø. She stood up, and leaned over the desk ├óÔé¼┼ôhe couldn't even kill a soldiers with a weapon made to kill him specifically! He had to be melodramatic and shove him out the air lock!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Interrogator didn't point out that Michelle had been the one to come up with the air lock idea. He was all for setting the taser to its max and burning Mike out. But he had to go along with what his captain wanted to do.
Michelle sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôSo we have three weeks left before exiting the dust cloud, and we have yet to really do much of anything. So I want you to tell him to put explosives here...here...here...and here├óÔé¼┬Ø she pointed out the positions on the Hannibal's ship, which was displayed on the desk. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust those?├óÔé¼┬Ø the Interrogator said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut...that won't even do much damage├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLook again├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said, smiling. The Interrogator leaned over the desk. Then he brightened. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh ho├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou are vicious, you are├óÔé¼┬Ø. Michelle smiled lopsidedly, looking at the Interrogator ├óÔé¼┼ôthis is going to be...fun├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, cocking her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow do we get the explosives over there?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôSimple├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Laurence swore softly, hauling off and putting all his weight on the pry bar. Then, finally, the door gave way and he slipped into the arms locker. The security cameras in the area were all flickering red, showing they were off line. Laurence guessed he had about ten minutes to get the explosives before one of the other Security Officers piped up about the blank spot in the camera grid. He grabbed the explosives, wondering if an extra three mill was really worth this? It wasn't nearly as much fun as his prior duties. But hell, he'd get to blow something up. Now he just needed to figure out how to get to the spots. He yanked the pry bar out of the door jam and it slid close behind him. Then he walked down the hall, hoping the bag wasn't too conspicuous.
Eve slipped her snoopers down with her right finger slowly. A green haze went over her vision. After a few moments red and blue bloomed. Eve grinned, slowly taking aim. The target shifted. Eve yanked back the trigger and her gun made a slight puffing sound. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit!├óÔé¼┬Ø the target shouted, falling out from behind his cover. Even though it was not an actual D.U bullet, the target's exoskeleton knew Eve was firing with a sniper rifle. So it acted as if the bullet had gone through the wall and taken him out. So the target fell down with a clatter. Eve stood up, her exoskeleton humming softly as it tried to keep up with the movement. It was supposed to keep her camouflaged depending on where she stood. If she moved slowly it would fit almost perfectly. But it didn't matter squat against snoopers.
Then Eve was shot in the back of the head. She fell face forward, eyes screwed up with anger. ├óÔé¼┼ôNever├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice said as a unfreezing rod tapped her shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôthink there's just one target├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes, sir├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, recognizing Mike ├óÔé¼┼ôI didn't know that you're in this exercise├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, feeling her helmet. Even a dummy bullet scratched the paint on her exoskeleton, and she'd have to get it rebuffed. Or just ignore the scratch and listen to what her Sergent was saying. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd never move that fast├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôI wouldn't have spotted you if you hadn't moved that fast├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôYes sir├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, tapping a button on her exoskeleton. The camouflage vanished, her exoskeleton turning its normal black color. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou certainly can aim with that thing├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Eve slid her helmet up so she could look at Mike without cameras. He wasn't wearing an exoskeleton, not exactly safe in a combat training area. The target, a Private Lee, had unfrozen. Now he was walking to them, also moving his helmet up from its down position. ├óÔé¼┼ôPrivate├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, nodding to him. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø Lee said ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose this means your on my side├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike raised his hands, his pistol tilting on his finger ├óÔé¼┼ôActually├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI just wanted to teach Eve here a lesson├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Lee said ├óÔé¼┼ôI hope she learned it├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve walked out, shaking her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo do I├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, looking after her ├óÔé¼┼ôSo do I. Also remember to try and keep your body temperature down next time├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lee nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôyes├óÔé¼┬Ø then he saluted ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôDismissed├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Eve walked down the hall. She was getting a little sick of these training exercise. How much did they really matter? She had done team training, some command and was starting to learn some sniper work. But if bullets started flying, would it help at all. ├óÔé¼┼ôMaybe I should start shooting people├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôHuh?├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice said. Eve looked up. It was that Ensign who had found Mike a week ago. What was his name? Laurence. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey Laurence├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat. Oh├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said. He was holding a bag at his side and looked very nervous. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats in the bag?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. Laurence gibbered, groping for some words. ├óÔé¼┼ôClothes├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said suddenly ├óÔé¼┼ôI was taking my clothes for washing├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. Laurence walked away, almost pushing past Eve in his haste. Eve felt a sudden feeling of distrust. He had saved Mike, but. She followed him. It looked like he was going to Aux Damage Control. He was. Laurence looked left and looked right. Eve ducked into a side hallway just in the nick of time. He didn't see her. Then he walked into Aux Damage control. Eve followed him, making sure to open the door quietly. She crept around the large computer banks that filled the room, humming softly. She leaned against one, sure not to press her hands against the sides as they were super cold, to keep their operations at the max speed possible.
The entire room felt incredibly cold, just from the bleed off of the computers. Laurence was pulling chunks of...explosives out of his bag! Eve felt a trickle of fear run down her spine. Those were harbor makers. They were made to clear out large land marks, rocks and landslides, things like that. If Aux Damage control wasn't in the near middle of the ship, it would breach the hull. Even here it would play havoc with the corridors around the place. And it would kill more then a few people. Eve looked around for a weapon, but she was plum out. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou could kill him├óÔé¼┬Ø A snide voice whispered in her head ├óÔé¼┼ôif you thought hard enough├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Eve felt colder then the super computer she was so carefully avoiding with her hands. Even her skin that was protected by her uniform felt practically frozen. Laurence stood up, looking at his handy work. Then he turned around and walked out of the room. Eve shook herself, shivering. Then she ran to the door and flung it open. Laurence grabbed her around the mouth. Eve bit down on his hand, but Laurence had the advantage of surprise. He, despite the blood flowing from the wound, managed to shove Eve into the chamber. She fell against one of the supercomputers, and her unprotected hand slammed against it. She jerked her hand off the computer and screamed, her upper layer of skin tearing off and sticking to the supercomputer like paint.
Then the door closed and locked. Laurence stood at the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou...├óÔé¼┬Ø he said softly ├óÔé¼┼ôYou were so beautiful, Eve├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve ran to the door and slammed into it. Her elbow made a strange cracking sound and she grasped it, feeling pain shoot up and down her body. She was human now. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo...so beautiful├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said softly. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou sick fuck├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôHow long have you been working for the enemy!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôMike said the same thing├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said ├óÔé¼┼ôbut Mike has the annoying habit of surviving├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôI have more then one gunshot to the head to my credit├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd more then one man killed├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat was before you threw away your powers├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said.
Eve blinked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou haven't├óÔé¼┬Ø a voice said in her mind ├óÔé¼┼ôNot yet├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôMy powers?├óÔé¼┬Ø she said softly. But Laurence was walking down the hallway, whistling. He got to his quarters and called up his...secure channel. ├óÔé¼┼ôBoss├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've gotten Eve in a rather special place├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere?├óÔé¼┬Ø the shadowy face that dominated the screen didn't show emotion, but he sounded rather elated. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's in Aux Damage Control├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said. The shadowy face shot up a half inch, as if the person suddenly sat up. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can't!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe was snooping├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I have the detonator, right here...in my hand├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Taraka shimmered into existence. Michelle looked up, annoyed. The Interrogator had put a filter into her com channel so she could speak without appearing as she was. She wanted to keep any listening people to not ID her. Not that anyone would listen, as it was a very secure channel. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't let him set off that bomb├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôOr we will let a Dijinn out of the bottle that will NEVER go back in!├óÔé¼┬Ø. He looked near panicked. That was enough to Michelle want to run screaming from the room. Anything that could make a man as obviously godlike as Taraka panic was far more then enough for a mere mortal. And Michelle had gotten used to thinking of her self so far below Taraka. Ever sense he had walked in on a...meeting she was having. The crewman had not wanted to leave, even after Michelle had pushed him off. Taraka had killed him.
It had taken her three weeks to get the blood of her sheets. Ever sense that day, Michelle had been more then afraid of Taraka. She was terrified of Taraka. But...he had promised her something that had kept her awake at night. Godhood. Michelle looked at Taraka, who had made teleporting in and out of a room and to God knows where seem completely normal, and thought what it would be like to be a goddess. ├óÔé¼┼ôLaurence├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, turning back to her computer screen ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you defuse the situation?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe I.Ded me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Michelle sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're coming out of the dust field in...two days├óÔé¼┬Ø she looked at her watch. ├óÔé¼┼ôEve is getting released├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said suddenly, panic in his voice. ├óÔé¼┼ôTaraka├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said, looking at him ├óÔé¼┼ôhelp!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Taraka sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt was Laurence├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, still nursing her hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôthe guy who saved Mike?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôHe practically said he was the one responsible for kidnapping Mike├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike's face purpled ├óÔé¼┼ôThat bastard├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat sick fucking son of a bitch!├óÔé¼┬Ø. He pulled out his pistol ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm going to kill him!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôMike!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy had to grab him ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have to at least question him first├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve felt something. ├óÔé¼┼ôHit the deck!├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve shouted and tackled both Lizzy and Mike. Then the bombs went off and fire flashed into the hallway.
Michelle gaped. The dust cloud was gone. It was there one second. Every single instrument on the ship said so, from Geiger counters to simple cameras. Then the next it was clear space. Perfectly clear. ├óÔé¼┼ôL...Launch shuttles├óÔé¼┬Ø Michelle said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôDetonate the bombs├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd prepare for shuttles to dock├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Laurence said, sining off. Michelle looked up at Taraka. But he was gone. Michelle leaned back in her chair, an absurd thought running through her thought. She wondered what a God was like in bed. Then she thumbed a button on her desk. ├óÔé¼┼ôLaunch shuttles├óÔé¼┬Ø she said.