Darkside
Moderator: Moderators
My many fans, meet Mr. Marco, the mysterious master of the massive mansion in Leviathan!
Marco's mansion was odd. It looked like a gyroscope, floating in the center of the Leviathan's axis. The center disk was studded with windows, and was spinning madly. But twelve parts where cut apart from the disk, leaving large holes all over the thing. Each of the holes had a sphere inside of it, witch wasn't spinning. Peter assumed they where for zero gravity rooms.
The surrounding struts that held the disk in place each had several air thrusters on it, to keep the mansion from hitting any of the walls. The entire thing looked like it was incredibly precarious, as newer buildings that had spread up around it went through several of the struts, so if the thing moved just a few feet in either direction, something would break.
Amber landed first, her suit clunking against the disks entrance, which was situated on one of the support spokes. Liz landed next, her feet setting down like a graceful ballet dancer. Peter rebounded, and barely managed to grab onto the side of the spoke before floating off into space. The entrance was a small sphere of glass set in the spoke like a gem on a ring.
Liz pressed her hand against a small panel on the side of the orb and the thing slid open with a agreeable hiss. She pushed herself in, and was gestured for Peter to follow her. He did so. Amber simply stood, anchored to the side of the gyroscope by magnetic soles. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about Amber?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe'll be after shortly├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôOh, and about Marco...he is a little...odd├óÔé¼┬Ø
The orb detached itself from the spoke, and with tiny RTC's embedded in the side, it floated gracefully through space to the main disk. It was also rather cramped. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have a question├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, trying to afford Liz more room. She was also stuck in the other corner. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy is this thing so cramped?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz offered helpfully. ├óÔé¼┼ôUh...no├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts more along the lines of why are you so advanced compared to the Earth side government?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSimple├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said as the disk slowly filled the left side of the orb ├óÔé¼┼ôWhile the Landers where pulling themselves out of the third world war, the Launchers where continuing. Why do you think it too the Homeworld to rebuild to eleven billion people after a scant hundred years? After a five billion die off in the war?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter shook his head ├óÔé¼┼ôMost of the history before the 2010's are lost because its on digital, and you know how EMP screws that over├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, nodding ├óÔé¼┼ôThe launcher government, which is now the lander government too, the Union sent supplies and genetic supplements for humanity├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôand we basically built your world. Do you know how many people came out of the war building Democracy's? Mabey three city states out of several thousand petty dictatorships├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz continued ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd so we sent guns, settlers and tech down the the governments we thought were less homicidal then the rest├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWait, you interfered in out business?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, irked that the Launchers, even the Launchers of the distant past, had the gal to interfere with Homeworld. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell we think that a faciest earth sending out space fleets to invade and destroy us was not the most appealing of images├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz snapped back ├óÔé¼┼ôand├óÔé¼┬Ø she continued, not letting Peter respond ├óÔé¼┼ôwhile your people where busy crawling out of a radioactive shit pile, we where advancing our technology at a exponentially increasing rate├óÔé¼┬Ø
Peter glowered. The orb slid gently into the docking port and suddenly gravity reasserted itself on them. Then the side of the orb opened into a perfectly white corridor, lit with gleamingly bright white lights. It was a jarring difference from the warm glow of the rest of Leviathan. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôJust don't ask...dumb questions├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat dose that mean?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter snapped. Then the a door, almost inviable opened with a quiet hiss. Then a man, wearing a lurid red coat that trailed on the floor, its edge's trailing behind the man wearing it.
His face was sallow and so incredibly pale it barely stood out against the wall behind him. However he had sun glass's on, covering his eyes like goggles. His lips where thin and almost completely white. His hair was silver, and tied behind his back in a pony tail. His hands where covered with black gloves, and his shoe's where boots that squeaked as they walked over the floor.
├óÔé¼┼ôWelcome Elizabeth├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco, for that was who he was, said, opening his arms expressively. Peter noticed how his voice accented the Z's oddly, making it sound more like Elizeeabeth. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't bite├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, walking into his arms and hugging him around the waste. Marco steeped back slightly and held her at the shoulders, grinning. Peter noticed that he had incredible long canine teeth.
├óÔé¼┼ôHow could i muss up your fabulously tattoos?├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, brushing Liz's hair away from her neck. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt is quite a shame├óÔé¼┬Ø he said softly, regret filling his voice. Then he noticed Peter ├óÔé¼┼ôWho is this?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked, walking over to Peter and examining him, his eye's darting over the man's face, barely visible behind his sun glasses.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh thats Peter├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe picked him up off of the Transsteller liner├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI had be meaning to ask you about that├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, snapping his fingers. Part of the wall suddenly changed, a video snapping onto it. The news caster who was sitting at the desk was looking very grim.
├óÔé¼┼ôtoday├óÔé¼┬Ø the man on T.V said ├óÔé¼┼ôa horrific crime was perpetrated by the deadly Banshee's, Elizabeth Montoya and Amberly Wishbourn. A cruise liner, owned by Transsteller, was destroyed after they refused to transfer credits to the infamous woman duo. Over four thousand people where killed, including several prominent├óÔé¼┬Ø
Liz's face was twisted in fury. Marco, seeing this, snapped his fingers again, cutting the TV announcer off. The wall looked completely imperceptible in the white wall. ├óÔé¼┼ôBastards!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôLieing rat bastards!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI take it you did no such thing├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey'd better not of├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said quietly. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was some police stooge├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut we really need to find Peter a place to stay for a spell├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHey!├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter cut in, but he was ignored by both of them. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell if he needs employment, he should come with me├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, turning to the door he had entered ├óÔé¼┼ôCome Come!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, and Liz and Peter followed. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you do here?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked as they walked down the winding hallways, the sides of the white walls covered with pictures, moving or other wise. Most where Gothic in nature, and downright creepy. They looked so out of place, Peter found himself looking at them, noticing every sick and disturbing thing on them.
├óÔé¼┼ôI, unlike many of my brethren, believe that humanity's true potential cant be reached with genetic engineered, or crude surgery├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, throwing his head back and laughing ├óÔé¼┼ôLeeches and bone saws, thats what they are playing with├óÔé¼┬Ø He seemed amused at them, whoever they where. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø he continued as they passed a door that looked in on a large mess hall, with mabey five people eating some protonute out of bowls.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said again ├óÔé¼┼ôI test the mettal of my subjects, forcing them to confront the abyss. Its when the abyss stairs back, and they do not break that my students, my, have passed their lessons├óÔé¼┬Ø. Marco stopped, and turned around and stared into Peter's eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you understand what i am trying to do? No how could you├óÔé¼┬Ø he said before Peter could even open his mouth ├óÔé¼┼ôI am stressing humanity to the breaking point and beyond├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, gesturing with his hand widely ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd when they can stand no more, i push them harder until they reached the second level of reality, the next level of consciousness. Its a barrier that man was not meant to cross, but on the other side...lays something glorious├óÔé¼┬Ø
Marco reached up to his sun glass's and slowly pulled them off. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey either pass, or they go mad├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, his blood red eye's spearing into Peter ├óÔé¼┼ôThere are three rooms, where my former prodigies sit, manacled and chained. For if they where free, they would proceeded to rip out their tongs, tear out their eyes and drown in their own blood, rather then face the abyss.├óÔé¼┬Ø He paused, and Peter knew he was not exaggerating ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, brighting slightly, turning to the black wall to the left of them ├óÔé¼┼ôBehold├óÔé¼┬Ø.
He snapped his fingers and the wall suddenly went transparent. Outside the window one of the zero gravity rooms floated, completely opaque. Marco snapped his fingers again and the window snapped to the view into the egg, which was brightly lit. It took a few minuets for Peter to decipher what was inside it, as the effect was beautiful and disturbing.
Imagen a thousand disks, each polished and silver colored, with their edge's sharped to a killing edge. Now have each of them spinning around and around and around, in a miasma of spinning cutting disks, creating a constantly moving shape roughly the size and shape of the human body. ├óÔé¼┼ôIn the center of that├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôIs my prime student, Olivia.├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter gaped ├óÔé¼┼ôhow can she survive?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôSimple├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôThere is a cavity in the center of the disks, and in that cavity, Olivia stays completely still. If she moves anymore then a few millimeters, the disks will cut├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôShe has to stay perfectly still?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is to create discipline. If a man or woman can stay so still that even a machine wouldn't notice it, think of the guards they would make. Of the assassin?├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco smiled, showing off those teeth again. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe has been in their for three days now, not daring to sleep├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter gaped ├óÔé¼┼ôThats horrible├óÔé¼┬Ø He said.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, a frown drifting across his pale face ├óÔé¼┼ôBut its what she singed up for├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHuh?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. Liz, who was standing on the other side of Marco slapped her face, groaning silently. Peter realized how dumb that made him sound. ├óÔé¼┼ôI forget├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, seeming to not notice the huh ├óÔé¼┼ôYour new to Leviathan. Here the most precious commentary is free will. If someone violates someone's free will without them signing it off in a contract, then the Precinct will find them├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is the Precinct?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, glancing back at the mesmerizing disks. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Precinct is a secret police. I don't know who, or where, or how they operate├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut they know if someone 's free will is being violated without their permission. Then the violator will be taken away, in the night├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco's voice had become very grim ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd their brain will be removed surgically from their bodies├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Peter gulped, the disks flashing on the screen. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey the Precinct begins to torches them, from now until the end of the time.├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco had become very quiet. ├óÔé¼┼ôAh├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, brighting immensely, turning around ├óÔé¼┼ôAmberly, i was wondering how long it would take you to get here├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter glanced behind him and saw the forbidding amour that Amberly wore.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow, on with the tour├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, turning around and continuing down the hall. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is the entertainment gallery├óÔé¼┬Ø He said as they reached the next room. It looked like a gigantic egg. That is, completely white and oval shaped. ├óÔé¼┼ôi don't see any entertainment gallery├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, looking into it. ├óÔé¼┼ôLooks can be deceiving├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, stepping into it. Liz followed, looking warmly left and right. Peter steeped in gingerly, wondering about the 'tests' Liz had mentioned.
Suddenly, out of the corner of Peter's eye, he spotted something. He leaped back before a rather large spear, made of what looked like sharped ice. Unfortunately he was a twitch too slow, and the fore part of his left arm was clipped by the jagged edge of the ice. He jerked it back, and was amazed to see his arm was perfectly fine. Then the hologram switched off with a slight buzz as the hidden cameras turned off. ├óÔé¼┼ôReflex's are about human norm, and he has a good eye├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco dictated into his wrist, where a small recording device lay.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell was that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, his heart still beating roughly four times faster and harder then it had before. ├óÔé¼┼ôI told you this was the entertainment gallery├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôJust ask, and it will be delivered├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter looked around and said ├óÔé¼┼ôHomeworld├óÔé¼┬Ø to the air. Then the room snapped away, as suddenly as if it was turned off.
Peter found himself standing in a complete and absolute blackness. Liz and Marco stood off to the side, looking at him with mild interest. Amber stepped in, disconcertingly from nothingness. Peter supposed the room edited everything that WASNT specified out of its image. However that worked. ├óÔé¼┼ôPeriod?├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice asked, completely sexless and ageless. ├óÔé¼┼ôWorld War Three├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, remembering the discussion he had had with Liz.
Suddenly he was in the middle of a war, predictably. In the first few frenzy's seconds of wonder he thought he had steeped into a time machine. The bipedal walkers, massive armored monstrositys, carved with skulls and bone like edifice's on them to make their enemy's quail in fear marched across the muddy trench field. Bullets and partical weapons zipped back and forth between the two army's, and many caught Peter in the cross fire.
The bullets simply passed through him like ghosted, with some disrupting effects on the light that created them. Peter began to walk forward, mesmerized as the war thundered around him. Then he hit the wall. Liz stifled a giggle as the holographic war snapped out of reality, the camera's shutting down and the wall's pixels changing back to pure white. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow did that...what the?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter stammered, feeling the wall.
├óÔé¼┼ôHolograms are projected by cameras set in the wall, but most of the effect is created by pixel's on the wall changing color. Since we where not asking anything of it, it merely looked like a head ache inducing miazmia of light and thundering noise├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, cleaning his sun glass's off with his shirt. Liz was rubbing her head ├óÔé¼┼ôHolorooms always give me a head ache├óÔé¼┬Ø shes said and Marco continued his tour.
Marco's mansion was odd. It looked like a gyroscope, floating in the center of the Leviathan's axis. The center disk was studded with windows, and was spinning madly. But twelve parts where cut apart from the disk, leaving large holes all over the thing. Each of the holes had a sphere inside of it, witch wasn't spinning. Peter assumed they where for zero gravity rooms.
The surrounding struts that held the disk in place each had several air thrusters on it, to keep the mansion from hitting any of the walls. The entire thing looked like it was incredibly precarious, as newer buildings that had spread up around it went through several of the struts, so if the thing moved just a few feet in either direction, something would break.
Amber landed first, her suit clunking against the disks entrance, which was situated on one of the support spokes. Liz landed next, her feet setting down like a graceful ballet dancer. Peter rebounded, and barely managed to grab onto the side of the spoke before floating off into space. The entrance was a small sphere of glass set in the spoke like a gem on a ring.
Liz pressed her hand against a small panel on the side of the orb and the thing slid open with a agreeable hiss. She pushed herself in, and was gestured for Peter to follow her. He did so. Amber simply stood, anchored to the side of the gyroscope by magnetic soles. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about Amber?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe'll be after shortly├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôOh, and about Marco...he is a little...odd├óÔé¼┬Ø
The orb detached itself from the spoke, and with tiny RTC's embedded in the side, it floated gracefully through space to the main disk. It was also rather cramped. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have a question├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, trying to afford Liz more room. She was also stuck in the other corner. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy is this thing so cramped?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz offered helpfully. ├óÔé¼┼ôUh...no├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts more along the lines of why are you so advanced compared to the Earth side government?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSimple├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said as the disk slowly filled the left side of the orb ├óÔé¼┼ôWhile the Landers where pulling themselves out of the third world war, the Launchers where continuing. Why do you think it too the Homeworld to rebuild to eleven billion people after a scant hundred years? After a five billion die off in the war?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter shook his head ├óÔé¼┼ôMost of the history before the 2010's are lost because its on digital, and you know how EMP screws that over├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, nodding ├óÔé¼┼ôThe launcher government, which is now the lander government too, the Union sent supplies and genetic supplements for humanity├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôand we basically built your world. Do you know how many people came out of the war building Democracy's? Mabey three city states out of several thousand petty dictatorships├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz continued ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd so we sent guns, settlers and tech down the the governments we thought were less homicidal then the rest├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWait, you interfered in out business?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, irked that the Launchers, even the Launchers of the distant past, had the gal to interfere with Homeworld. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell we think that a faciest earth sending out space fleets to invade and destroy us was not the most appealing of images├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz snapped back ├óÔé¼┼ôand├óÔé¼┬Ø she continued, not letting Peter respond ├óÔé¼┼ôwhile your people where busy crawling out of a radioactive shit pile, we where advancing our technology at a exponentially increasing rate├óÔé¼┬Ø
Peter glowered. The orb slid gently into the docking port and suddenly gravity reasserted itself on them. Then the side of the orb opened into a perfectly white corridor, lit with gleamingly bright white lights. It was a jarring difference from the warm glow of the rest of Leviathan. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôJust don't ask...dumb questions├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat dose that mean?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter snapped. Then the a door, almost inviable opened with a quiet hiss. Then a man, wearing a lurid red coat that trailed on the floor, its edge's trailing behind the man wearing it.
His face was sallow and so incredibly pale it barely stood out against the wall behind him. However he had sun glass's on, covering his eyes like goggles. His lips where thin and almost completely white. His hair was silver, and tied behind his back in a pony tail. His hands where covered with black gloves, and his shoe's where boots that squeaked as they walked over the floor.
├óÔé¼┼ôWelcome Elizabeth├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco, for that was who he was, said, opening his arms expressively. Peter noticed how his voice accented the Z's oddly, making it sound more like Elizeeabeth. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't bite├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, walking into his arms and hugging him around the waste. Marco steeped back slightly and held her at the shoulders, grinning. Peter noticed that he had incredible long canine teeth.
├óÔé¼┼ôHow could i muss up your fabulously tattoos?├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, brushing Liz's hair away from her neck. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt is quite a shame├óÔé¼┬Ø he said softly, regret filling his voice. Then he noticed Peter ├óÔé¼┼ôWho is this?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked, walking over to Peter and examining him, his eye's darting over the man's face, barely visible behind his sun glasses.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh thats Peter├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe picked him up off of the Transsteller liner├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI had be meaning to ask you about that├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, snapping his fingers. Part of the wall suddenly changed, a video snapping onto it. The news caster who was sitting at the desk was looking very grim.
├óÔé¼┼ôtoday├óÔé¼┬Ø the man on T.V said ├óÔé¼┼ôa horrific crime was perpetrated by the deadly Banshee's, Elizabeth Montoya and Amberly Wishbourn. A cruise liner, owned by Transsteller, was destroyed after they refused to transfer credits to the infamous woman duo. Over four thousand people where killed, including several prominent├óÔé¼┬Ø
Liz's face was twisted in fury. Marco, seeing this, snapped his fingers again, cutting the TV announcer off. The wall looked completely imperceptible in the white wall. ├óÔé¼┼ôBastards!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôLieing rat bastards!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI take it you did no such thing├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey'd better not of├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said quietly. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was some police stooge├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut we really need to find Peter a place to stay for a spell├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHey!├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter cut in, but he was ignored by both of them. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell if he needs employment, he should come with me├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, turning to the door he had entered ├óÔé¼┼ôCome Come!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, and Liz and Peter followed. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you do here?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked as they walked down the winding hallways, the sides of the white walls covered with pictures, moving or other wise. Most where Gothic in nature, and downright creepy. They looked so out of place, Peter found himself looking at them, noticing every sick and disturbing thing on them.
├óÔé¼┼ôI, unlike many of my brethren, believe that humanity's true potential cant be reached with genetic engineered, or crude surgery├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, throwing his head back and laughing ├óÔé¼┼ôLeeches and bone saws, thats what they are playing with├óÔé¼┬Ø He seemed amused at them, whoever they where. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø he continued as they passed a door that looked in on a large mess hall, with mabey five people eating some protonute out of bowls.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said again ├óÔé¼┼ôI test the mettal of my subjects, forcing them to confront the abyss. Its when the abyss stairs back, and they do not break that my students, my, have passed their lessons├óÔé¼┬Ø. Marco stopped, and turned around and stared into Peter's eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you understand what i am trying to do? No how could you├óÔé¼┬Ø he said before Peter could even open his mouth ├óÔé¼┼ôI am stressing humanity to the breaking point and beyond├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, gesturing with his hand widely ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd when they can stand no more, i push them harder until they reached the second level of reality, the next level of consciousness. Its a barrier that man was not meant to cross, but on the other side...lays something glorious├óÔé¼┬Ø
Marco reached up to his sun glass's and slowly pulled them off. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey either pass, or they go mad├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, his blood red eye's spearing into Peter ├óÔé¼┼ôThere are three rooms, where my former prodigies sit, manacled and chained. For if they where free, they would proceeded to rip out their tongs, tear out their eyes and drown in their own blood, rather then face the abyss.├óÔé¼┬Ø He paused, and Peter knew he was not exaggerating ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, brighting slightly, turning to the black wall to the left of them ├óÔé¼┼ôBehold├óÔé¼┬Ø.
He snapped his fingers and the wall suddenly went transparent. Outside the window one of the zero gravity rooms floated, completely opaque. Marco snapped his fingers again and the window snapped to the view into the egg, which was brightly lit. It took a few minuets for Peter to decipher what was inside it, as the effect was beautiful and disturbing.
Imagen a thousand disks, each polished and silver colored, with their edge's sharped to a killing edge. Now have each of them spinning around and around and around, in a miasma of spinning cutting disks, creating a constantly moving shape roughly the size and shape of the human body. ├óÔé¼┼ôIn the center of that├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôIs my prime student, Olivia.├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter gaped ├óÔé¼┼ôhow can she survive?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôSimple├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôThere is a cavity in the center of the disks, and in that cavity, Olivia stays completely still. If she moves anymore then a few millimeters, the disks will cut├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôShe has to stay perfectly still?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is to create discipline. If a man or woman can stay so still that even a machine wouldn't notice it, think of the guards they would make. Of the assassin?├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco smiled, showing off those teeth again. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe has been in their for three days now, not daring to sleep├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter gaped ├óÔé¼┼ôThats horrible├óÔé¼┬Ø He said.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, a frown drifting across his pale face ├óÔé¼┼ôBut its what she singed up for├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHuh?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. Liz, who was standing on the other side of Marco slapped her face, groaning silently. Peter realized how dumb that made him sound. ├óÔé¼┼ôI forget├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, seeming to not notice the huh ├óÔé¼┼ôYour new to Leviathan. Here the most precious commentary is free will. If someone violates someone's free will without them signing it off in a contract, then the Precinct will find them├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is the Precinct?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, glancing back at the mesmerizing disks. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Precinct is a secret police. I don't know who, or where, or how they operate├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut they know if someone 's free will is being violated without their permission. Then the violator will be taken away, in the night├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco's voice had become very grim ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd their brain will be removed surgically from their bodies├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Peter gulped, the disks flashing on the screen. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey the Precinct begins to torches them, from now until the end of the time.├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco had become very quiet. ├óÔé¼┼ôAh├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, brighting immensely, turning around ├óÔé¼┼ôAmberly, i was wondering how long it would take you to get here├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter glanced behind him and saw the forbidding amour that Amberly wore.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow, on with the tour├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, turning around and continuing down the hall. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is the entertainment gallery├óÔé¼┬Ø He said as they reached the next room. It looked like a gigantic egg. That is, completely white and oval shaped. ├óÔé¼┼ôi don't see any entertainment gallery├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, looking into it. ├óÔé¼┼ôLooks can be deceiving├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, stepping into it. Liz followed, looking warmly left and right. Peter steeped in gingerly, wondering about the 'tests' Liz had mentioned.
Suddenly, out of the corner of Peter's eye, he spotted something. He leaped back before a rather large spear, made of what looked like sharped ice. Unfortunately he was a twitch too slow, and the fore part of his left arm was clipped by the jagged edge of the ice. He jerked it back, and was amazed to see his arm was perfectly fine. Then the hologram switched off with a slight buzz as the hidden cameras turned off. ├óÔé¼┼ôReflex's are about human norm, and he has a good eye├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco dictated into his wrist, where a small recording device lay.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell was that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, his heart still beating roughly four times faster and harder then it had before. ├óÔé¼┼ôI told you this was the entertainment gallery├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôJust ask, and it will be delivered├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter looked around and said ├óÔé¼┼ôHomeworld├óÔé¼┬Ø to the air. Then the room snapped away, as suddenly as if it was turned off.
Peter found himself standing in a complete and absolute blackness. Liz and Marco stood off to the side, looking at him with mild interest. Amber stepped in, disconcertingly from nothingness. Peter supposed the room edited everything that WASNT specified out of its image. However that worked. ├óÔé¼┼ôPeriod?├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice asked, completely sexless and ageless. ├óÔé¼┼ôWorld War Three├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, remembering the discussion he had had with Liz.
Suddenly he was in the middle of a war, predictably. In the first few frenzy's seconds of wonder he thought he had steeped into a time machine. The bipedal walkers, massive armored monstrositys, carved with skulls and bone like edifice's on them to make their enemy's quail in fear marched across the muddy trench field. Bullets and partical weapons zipped back and forth between the two army's, and many caught Peter in the cross fire.
The bullets simply passed through him like ghosted, with some disrupting effects on the light that created them. Peter began to walk forward, mesmerized as the war thundered around him. Then he hit the wall. Liz stifled a giggle as the holographic war snapped out of reality, the camera's shutting down and the wall's pixels changing back to pure white. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow did that...what the?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter stammered, feeling the wall.
├óÔé¼┼ôHolograms are projected by cameras set in the wall, but most of the effect is created by pixel's on the wall changing color. Since we where not asking anything of it, it merely looked like a head ache inducing miazmia of light and thundering noise├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, cleaning his sun glass's off with his shirt. Liz was rubbing her head ├óÔé¼┼ôHolorooms always give me a head ache├óÔé¼┬Ø shes said and Marco continued his tour.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo, what do you want to know about Elizabeth?├óÔé¼┬Ø the tired woman asked, a cigarette dangling between her fore finger and middle finger. The smoke rose languidly from its home rolled paper edge. The womans face looked like it had been folded over many times, giving her thick jowls. Her eyes had dark circles under them, and her hair was mussed up from weeks of not showering. A small chip stuck out of the back of her head, looking like a slab of concrete had buried itself there.
The man who had called her a few hours ago turned around, and lowered the trench coat down so that Ms. Montoya could see the blank white mask that was his face. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho said i wanted to ask you about your daughter?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall asked, sounding genuinely confused.
├óÔé¼┼ôAs you can see├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, walking down the hall of his mansion, Peter, Liz and Amber in tow ├óÔé¼┼ôI have everything needed to look after my students, all but a human face...other then mine├óÔé¼┬Ø. Marco grinned that fanged smile of his again. ├óÔé¼┼ôLiz├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter whispered to her, a throbbing vein poking out on his neck ├óÔé¼┼ôcan i talk to you?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôMarco├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôPeter and i need to discus something├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou cant just hire me off!├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter snapped once he and Liz had stepped into a small study that Marco provided for their discussion. It was jarringly different from the rest of the mansion, its walls made of wood and the entire thing feeling like some ancient home in the middle age's. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you mean, we cant just hire you off?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz snapped back ├óÔé¼┼ôthe cometary belt is not place for Lander, specially one as clueless as you├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôClueless?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you know how to fly a ship, fire a gun, or the social strata of Launcher government?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you know the difference between a pulse laser and a beam weapon? Or how to stay still in a space suite for a week, waiting for a rescue ship to show up?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter chewed his lip ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Liz smiled gently ├óÔé¼┼ôYou want revenge don't you?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter looked over his feelings, which where still jumbled. He felt out of sync with everything around him. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø He said definitely ├óÔé¼┼ôI want to kill that son of a bitch who...├óÔé¼┬Ø he trailed off. ├óÔé¼┼ôToo bad├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz responded ├óÔé¼┼ôAmber and i are going to spend as much time trying to NOT be near him. We will run away if the situation occurs that we are in the same square kilometer of the Marshall├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôBut...aren't you even remotely curious about what he wants, why he's after you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, looking at Liz's face. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo...why?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôdon't you want to know, just out of the sheer mystery?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. Liz looked as if that was the oddest thing anyone had ever asked her. ├óÔé¼┼ôI used to be a detective├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd the best part of the job was not being paid...it was finding out who did what├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôHow many times did that happen?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked, sitting down in one of the comfortable chairs that rested in the room. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot often├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter grinned, sitting down ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy do you think i quit?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. Liz laughed ├óÔé¼┼ôBut you know you'll have a good master, with Marco. Its easy, it pays├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz stopped as Peter held up his hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôI know...i know its moronic to think that i would be of ANY use in the jobs you do...but├óÔé¼┬Ø He put on his best hangdog expression.
Liz chewed her lip, thinking. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø she said after a few moments ├óÔé¼┼ôFinish the tour, then decide├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose i can do that├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut first, i have one question├óÔé¼┬Ø. He leaned in and looked left and right, as if to see if anyone was listening. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs Marco a...vampire?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, looking shocked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat did you think he was?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Amber, waiting for Liz and Peter to come out of their little chat, decided to screw it. She pressed a button the back of her suit and the back opened up. She slid out, the I/V needles and the wast evac tube sliding out automatically. It felt like a thousand knifes where jerking out of her, and in general unplesent.
├óÔé¼┼ôWondered when you'd get out of that machine├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôJust promis not to shoot at us this time├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, shivering in the sudden cold. The power amours heating control unit had broken down a while ago, and the inside was akin to a desert on a hot day. Or a oven. She whipped the sheen of sweat that was almost completely unbroken over her body off, and looked around, her knee's knocking together. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you have any clothes?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked Marco. Marco glanced over and noticed she did have no clothes.
├óÔé¼┼ôI forgot that damn suit had all those needles├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôWait here one second├óÔé¼┬Ø. He stalked down the corridor as Amber stood, shivering. Her skin, being pearl white, blended almost perfectly into the white walls. She grinned and plastered herself on the wall, feeling the coldness of them bite into her skin.
Marco came back holding a white bath robe. He couldn't see Amber. He glanced around and spotted a very slight discoloration on one of his walls. ├óÔé¼┼ôneed a cleaner to wash that├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered to himself. Suddenly two green eyes peered back at him from the discoloration and Amber stepped away from the wall ├óÔé¼┼ôHey, i can just use a shower├óÔé¼┬Ø She said. Marco grimaced and threw the clothes at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôWomen├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôAlways need to be clean├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Liz and Peter walked in at that moment. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about the power armor?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked ├óÔé¼┼ôMarco has promised to turn off the...tests├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôhopefully├óÔé¼┬Ø. Marco grinned as if it where a compliment. ├óÔé¼┼ôI just like to keep you on your toe's├óÔé¼┬Ø he said cheerfully. Amber was still nearly inviable with her white robe on, but was feeling a lot less cold.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis is the shotting gallery├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said as they walked into a long chamber that was so long they could actually see the curve of the mansions disk shape. Two men and a woman stood their, holding a verity of weapons. I, after taking a high school chemistry class, came to the inescapable conclusion that emotions are like a gas.
If you compress a gas, as anyone who has played with balloons or gas containers (especially the high pressure ones) knows, they increase their pressure on their container. If the pressure keeps up the container will explode.
If you just bottle up and compress a emotion a cram it down, deep inside you, you're increasing its pressure by trying to deny its existence. Like anger. Eventually its going to explode, and you're going to do something that you'll regret (like stab an offender in the face with a broken beer bottle at a bar).
Something go's with every emotion, but the one's that seem bottled up the most in people are violence and sex. Violence is hard to get out, cause its destructive. So physical activity, like running or martial arts, for example, can do wonders to make your anger just go away. video games help too. Anyone else come home and just be really mad and frustrated, and play some games and just feel way better?
Sex is easy, if you don't get wrapped up in silly puritan restrictions. If you think sex is dirty, your just going to make it worse. They didn't seem to be firing. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy aren't they shooting?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey are├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôStealthed fire arms├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey Marco├óÔé¼┬Ø the woman said, throwing her rife into a small niche in the wall. Peter noticed that it snapped into position exactly, as if it had been designed to be thrown into slots.
Which it hadn't.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou remember Olivia?├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco asked. Peter remembered the hypnotic disks that surrounded Olivia. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow did the test go?├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said, her deadly eyes washing over Peter. They seemed to go through him and through the bulkhead behind him, before stopping somewhere in interstellar space. Olivia had a fine boned face, that looked oriental in build. Peter couldn't tell if she was Japanese, Korean or Chinese, but her raven black hair was short cropped.
She was also quite pretty, in a cold way. Peter just found himself thinking of Chrissy more as Olivia walked away, tossing a salute to Marco. ├óÔé¼┼ôOlivia was once a zero gee commando. You know, deep insertion stuff├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, looking after his student ├óÔé¼┼ôShe is the most promising one here├óÔé¼┬Ø. He turned to Peter ├óÔé¼┼ôSo, do you want the job?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Peter didn't get to answer.
├óÔé¼┼ôFUCK!├óÔé¼┬Ø Shouted Amber, slapping her hand against the side of head as if she had been shot. She fell to the ground, and curled into a fetal position. ├óÔé¼┼ôGod damn it├óÔé¼┬Ø She sobbed, curling tighter and tighter. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats wrong?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked. Peter got to the floor and tried to see if Amber had been wounded in any way. But he couldn't see what was wrong.
├óÔé¼┼ôDo you have a implant remover?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber sobbed. Marco nodded mutely. Then remembered Amber couldn't see him. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet me to it├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, uncurling slightly. Her face looked like it was in wracking pain. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh fuck├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôYour implant?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou think?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber snapped back. Peter made a move to pick Amber up, but Liz waved him away ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll carry her├óÔé¼┬Ø She said.
Amber passed out half way there. Marco trailed behind them as Liz placed Amber gently down on the analyzer unit. The unit was a normal looking bed. Then several black and pointy things came out of it, looking more like torcher implements then medical devices. Then they descended over Amber's head and started to scan. She looked dead already, but Peter told himself that it was just her pale skin. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe'll be all right...right?├óÔé¼┬Ø He asked Liz. Liz was holding Ambers hand, staring at the black devices.
├óÔé¼┼ôAll right all right!├óÔé¼┬Ø The fat man said :I'll send it├óÔé¼┬Ø . Being over weight was supposedly a impossibly in a time of nano brain surgery and genetic engineeringly. Kilpatric took pride in flouring that belief. Now he was half on the floor, tears running down his face as he clutched the ruined husk of his hand. It looked like a blackened piece of meat, with deep red veins spreading over it. It smoked and was hot to the touch.
It also hurt worse then anything he had though possible. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy you want me to kill Amber?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWe smoothed the whole thing out...and the implants useful without being lethal├óÔé¼┬Ø Kilpatric said, trying to stand. The Marshall sat on the other side of his desk, cradling a flame pistol lovingly. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't want to just KILL the Banshee's├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said, looking at his watch ├óÔé¼┼ôI want them to suffer for what they have done├óÔé¼┬Ø.
He knelt over to Kilpatric ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you have done a small piece of our grand work├óÔé¼┬Ø the Marshall said ├óÔé¼┼ôLet me thank you├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Marshall forced Kilpatric's right hand away from his charred left one and, ignoring the man's screams, opened the ruined fingers on the left hands clenched fist. He slid a credit chit in there and closed the fingers again as Kilpatric screamed and screamed. The Marshall stood, his glove's slick with boiled blood. He looked at his watch ├óÔé¼┼ôIts only 12:30├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, and walked out of the shanty, under the Homeworld's sky.
The Marshall looked at the spasming woman. Her implant had been pitifully easy to manipulate into destroying her brain's neuralchemistry. Now the woman was suffering a accelerated version of old age, as arthritis and senility where brought about by a few changes here and there. My. Montoya would be dead in a few minuets. The Marshall left the womans small abode, and looked at the dissying interior of the forge asteroid Vulcan. Houses and more houses stretched up and above him, supported by the asteroids centripetal gravity.
He looked at his watch. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts odd to think its only 12:30, and I've done...so much this morning├óÔé¼┬Ø the Marshall said to himself, as he walked under the artificial lights of Vulcan....
The man who had called her a few hours ago turned around, and lowered the trench coat down so that Ms. Montoya could see the blank white mask that was his face. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho said i wanted to ask you about your daughter?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall asked, sounding genuinely confused.
├óÔé¼┼ôAs you can see├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, walking down the hall of his mansion, Peter, Liz and Amber in tow ├óÔé¼┼ôI have everything needed to look after my students, all but a human face...other then mine├óÔé¼┬Ø. Marco grinned that fanged smile of his again. ├óÔé¼┼ôLiz├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter whispered to her, a throbbing vein poking out on his neck ├óÔé¼┼ôcan i talk to you?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôMarco├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôPeter and i need to discus something├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou cant just hire me off!├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter snapped once he and Liz had stepped into a small study that Marco provided for their discussion. It was jarringly different from the rest of the mansion, its walls made of wood and the entire thing feeling like some ancient home in the middle age's. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you mean, we cant just hire you off?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz snapped back ├óÔé¼┼ôthe cometary belt is not place for Lander, specially one as clueless as you├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôClueless?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you know how to fly a ship, fire a gun, or the social strata of Launcher government?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you know the difference between a pulse laser and a beam weapon? Or how to stay still in a space suite for a week, waiting for a rescue ship to show up?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter chewed his lip ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Liz smiled gently ├óÔé¼┼ôYou want revenge don't you?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter looked over his feelings, which where still jumbled. He felt out of sync with everything around him. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø He said definitely ├óÔé¼┼ôI want to kill that son of a bitch who...├óÔé¼┬Ø he trailed off. ├óÔé¼┼ôToo bad├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz responded ├óÔé¼┼ôAmber and i are going to spend as much time trying to NOT be near him. We will run away if the situation occurs that we are in the same square kilometer of the Marshall├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôBut...aren't you even remotely curious about what he wants, why he's after you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, looking at Liz's face. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo...why?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôdon't you want to know, just out of the sheer mystery?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. Liz looked as if that was the oddest thing anyone had ever asked her. ├óÔé¼┼ôI used to be a detective├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd the best part of the job was not being paid...it was finding out who did what├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôHow many times did that happen?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked, sitting down in one of the comfortable chairs that rested in the room. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot often├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter grinned, sitting down ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy do you think i quit?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. Liz laughed ├óÔé¼┼ôBut you know you'll have a good master, with Marco. Its easy, it pays├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz stopped as Peter held up his hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôI know...i know its moronic to think that i would be of ANY use in the jobs you do...but├óÔé¼┬Ø He put on his best hangdog expression.
Liz chewed her lip, thinking. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø she said after a few moments ├óÔé¼┼ôFinish the tour, then decide├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose i can do that├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut first, i have one question├óÔé¼┬Ø. He leaned in and looked left and right, as if to see if anyone was listening. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs Marco a...vampire?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, looking shocked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat did you think he was?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Amber, waiting for Liz and Peter to come out of their little chat, decided to screw it. She pressed a button the back of her suit and the back opened up. She slid out, the I/V needles and the wast evac tube sliding out automatically. It felt like a thousand knifes where jerking out of her, and in general unplesent.
├óÔé¼┼ôWondered when you'd get out of that machine├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôJust promis not to shoot at us this time├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, shivering in the sudden cold. The power amours heating control unit had broken down a while ago, and the inside was akin to a desert on a hot day. Or a oven. She whipped the sheen of sweat that was almost completely unbroken over her body off, and looked around, her knee's knocking together. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you have any clothes?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked Marco. Marco glanced over and noticed she did have no clothes.
├óÔé¼┼ôI forgot that damn suit had all those needles├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôWait here one second├óÔé¼┬Ø. He stalked down the corridor as Amber stood, shivering. Her skin, being pearl white, blended almost perfectly into the white walls. She grinned and plastered herself on the wall, feeling the coldness of them bite into her skin.
Marco came back holding a white bath robe. He couldn't see Amber. He glanced around and spotted a very slight discoloration on one of his walls. ├óÔé¼┼ôneed a cleaner to wash that├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered to himself. Suddenly two green eyes peered back at him from the discoloration and Amber stepped away from the wall ├óÔé¼┼ôHey, i can just use a shower├óÔé¼┬Ø She said. Marco grimaced and threw the clothes at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôWomen├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôAlways need to be clean├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Liz and Peter walked in at that moment. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about the power armor?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked ├óÔé¼┼ôMarco has promised to turn off the...tests├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôhopefully├óÔé¼┬Ø. Marco grinned as if it where a compliment. ├óÔé¼┼ôI just like to keep you on your toe's├óÔé¼┬Ø he said cheerfully. Amber was still nearly inviable with her white robe on, but was feeling a lot less cold.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis is the shotting gallery├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said as they walked into a long chamber that was so long they could actually see the curve of the mansions disk shape. Two men and a woman stood their, holding a verity of weapons. I, after taking a high school chemistry class, came to the inescapable conclusion that emotions are like a gas.
If you compress a gas, as anyone who has played with balloons or gas containers (especially the high pressure ones) knows, they increase their pressure on their container. If the pressure keeps up the container will explode.
If you just bottle up and compress a emotion a cram it down, deep inside you, you're increasing its pressure by trying to deny its existence. Like anger. Eventually its going to explode, and you're going to do something that you'll regret (like stab an offender in the face with a broken beer bottle at a bar).
Something go's with every emotion, but the one's that seem bottled up the most in people are violence and sex. Violence is hard to get out, cause its destructive. So physical activity, like running or martial arts, for example, can do wonders to make your anger just go away. video games help too. Anyone else come home and just be really mad and frustrated, and play some games and just feel way better?
Sex is easy, if you don't get wrapped up in silly puritan restrictions. If you think sex is dirty, your just going to make it worse. They didn't seem to be firing. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy aren't they shooting?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey are├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôStealthed fire arms├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey Marco├óÔé¼┬Ø the woman said, throwing her rife into a small niche in the wall. Peter noticed that it snapped into position exactly, as if it had been designed to be thrown into slots.
Which it hadn't.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou remember Olivia?├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco asked. Peter remembered the hypnotic disks that surrounded Olivia. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow did the test go?├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said, her deadly eyes washing over Peter. They seemed to go through him and through the bulkhead behind him, before stopping somewhere in interstellar space. Olivia had a fine boned face, that looked oriental in build. Peter couldn't tell if she was Japanese, Korean or Chinese, but her raven black hair was short cropped.
She was also quite pretty, in a cold way. Peter just found himself thinking of Chrissy more as Olivia walked away, tossing a salute to Marco. ├óÔé¼┼ôOlivia was once a zero gee commando. You know, deep insertion stuff├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, looking after his student ├óÔé¼┼ôShe is the most promising one here├óÔé¼┬Ø. He turned to Peter ├óÔé¼┼ôSo, do you want the job?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Peter didn't get to answer.
├óÔé¼┼ôFUCK!├óÔé¼┬Ø Shouted Amber, slapping her hand against the side of head as if she had been shot. She fell to the ground, and curled into a fetal position. ├óÔé¼┼ôGod damn it├óÔé¼┬Ø She sobbed, curling tighter and tighter. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats wrong?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked. Peter got to the floor and tried to see if Amber had been wounded in any way. But he couldn't see what was wrong.
├óÔé¼┼ôDo you have a implant remover?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber sobbed. Marco nodded mutely. Then remembered Amber couldn't see him. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet me to it├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, uncurling slightly. Her face looked like it was in wracking pain. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh fuck├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôYour implant?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou think?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber snapped back. Peter made a move to pick Amber up, but Liz waved him away ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll carry her├óÔé¼┬Ø She said.
Amber passed out half way there. Marco trailed behind them as Liz placed Amber gently down on the analyzer unit. The unit was a normal looking bed. Then several black and pointy things came out of it, looking more like torcher implements then medical devices. Then they descended over Amber's head and started to scan. She looked dead already, but Peter told himself that it was just her pale skin. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe'll be all right...right?├óÔé¼┬Ø He asked Liz. Liz was holding Ambers hand, staring at the black devices.
├óÔé¼┼ôAll right all right!├óÔé¼┬Ø The fat man said :I'll send it├óÔé¼┬Ø . Being over weight was supposedly a impossibly in a time of nano brain surgery and genetic engineeringly. Kilpatric took pride in flouring that belief. Now he was half on the floor, tears running down his face as he clutched the ruined husk of his hand. It looked like a blackened piece of meat, with deep red veins spreading over it. It smoked and was hot to the touch.
It also hurt worse then anything he had though possible. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy you want me to kill Amber?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWe smoothed the whole thing out...and the implants useful without being lethal├óÔé¼┬Ø Kilpatric said, trying to stand. The Marshall sat on the other side of his desk, cradling a flame pistol lovingly. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't want to just KILL the Banshee's├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said, looking at his watch ├óÔé¼┼ôI want them to suffer for what they have done├óÔé¼┬Ø.
He knelt over to Kilpatric ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you have done a small piece of our grand work├óÔé¼┬Ø the Marshall said ├óÔé¼┼ôLet me thank you├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Marshall forced Kilpatric's right hand away from his charred left one and, ignoring the man's screams, opened the ruined fingers on the left hands clenched fist. He slid a credit chit in there and closed the fingers again as Kilpatric screamed and screamed. The Marshall stood, his glove's slick with boiled blood. He looked at his watch ├óÔé¼┼ôIts only 12:30├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, and walked out of the shanty, under the Homeworld's sky.
The Marshall looked at the spasming woman. Her implant had been pitifully easy to manipulate into destroying her brain's neuralchemistry. Now the woman was suffering a accelerated version of old age, as arthritis and senility where brought about by a few changes here and there. My. Montoya would be dead in a few minuets. The Marshall left the womans small abode, and looked at the dissying interior of the forge asteroid Vulcan. Houses and more houses stretched up and above him, supported by the asteroids centripetal gravity.
He looked at his watch. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts odd to think its only 12:30, and I've done...so much this morning├óÔé¼┬Ø the Marshall said to himself, as he walked under the artificial lights of Vulcan....
-
Archangel of Death
- Posts: 854
- Joined: 28 Jan 2005, 18:15
Well i have a hard time seeing if something is clear or not, as i know exactly what is going to happen next (Think...big!) and i know the motivations, secrets, desires, personalitys and vice's of every charicter...intamantly.
I also have godlike controll over EVERYTHING in the written world!
MUHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I also have godlike controll over EVERYTHING in the written world!
MUHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
├óÔé¼┼ôIs this really the way you want to spend your life?├óÔé¼┬Ø the man asked, his mustache bristling as he leered at her over the table. He threw the slate on the table. Small red letters spelled out the Police ticket she had received for pickpocketing. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs it?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. Liz sat, leaning back in the uncomfortable chair with her arms crossed. She had the beginnings of a tattoo on her shoulder, but couldn't afford the whole thing...yet.
├óÔé¼┼ôIs it?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIs it?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Liz jerked out of her revere, and looked away from the black machines to Peters face. He looked worried. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs it what?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs it fatal?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know├óÔé¼┬Ø she responded, and looked back to Amber's inert form. Marco looked through a data slate, thumbing his way down the entire sheaf until he had read the entire diagnostic.
├óÔé¼┼ôhmmm├óÔé¼┬Ø he said thoughtfully. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, moving away from Liz. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis implant hasn't malfunctioned├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said to himself ├óÔé¼┼ôThats quite incredible├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts not malfunctioning?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked, her head snapping over to Marco. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø the vampire said, licking his lips ├óÔé¼┼ôI need a drink├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, standing so fast her chair rolled away on its wheels. It clattered against the wall.
Marco looked over to Liz, as he had half turned around to leave. He tightened his hand, causing the rubber gloves to stretch under the strain. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat IS it doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôExactly what it was designed for, apparently├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, before turning out and walking out of the room. He shoved the door open, not waiting for it to slide open of its own accord. His hand left a slight dent in the side.
├óÔé¼┼ôDrink?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked ├óÔé¼┼ôAlso, is he REALLY a vampire?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, sitting down on the chair and using her feet to move it back to Amber's bed. ├óÔé¼┼ôIn the twenty fifty, some psycho named Cain created a genetic modification for his daughter. Made her the normal super strong, fast and smart that most super baby formulas come with. But Cain here├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz put her feet up on the side of Ambers bed and looked at Peter ├óÔé¼┼ômodified it a bit. Now a vampire's metabolism requires extra dose's of hemoglobin to function properly├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSo they suck blood...with those teeth?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôCain wasn't good enough to make them 'true' vampires. He settled with super strength, amazing dexterity and reflexes, improved eyesight, a faster metabolism to make their wounds heal faster and a extreme lack of mellinin├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo the sunlight will kill them?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôUV radiation will kill them really really fast, and painfully...if thats what you mean├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said.
Marco steeped in. His face was incredibly flushed, compared to its normal pallor. ├óÔé¼┼ôNothing like a shot├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, sighing contentedly.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo as you can see here├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, pointing at the hologram. Liz stood, leaning against the far side of the holochamber wall, while Peter was standing right next to Marco, looking at the image in wonder. The implant looked like some demonic spider, all red and pulsating, with veins and tendrils bifurcating and bifurcating again and again through Ambers brain. Marco was pointing at a thick tendril of veins that pierced a specific part of the brain, which was highlighted.
├óÔé¼┼ôThat is the amygdala ├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd those tendrils are pumping electricity through it, in a specific sadistic way. Its causing fear. A fear so intense that Amber's mind, her psyche has...hidden away. If we get it out in time then she will require a lot of psych rebuilding├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWill we get it out in time?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet it out?├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI have already disabled its power supple. Then i found this secondary complication├óÔé¼┬Ø. The hologram spun and twisted until they could see a single little pipe that stuck out like a slender knife.
├óÔé¼┼ôThat is connected├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said as the highlighted area of the brain changed to a clump of putty. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat is the ANS, or autonomic nervous system , and it regulates a verity of thinks you don't think about; Like breathing├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat dose it do?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe ANS or the Implant?├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco asked, looking at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe implant!├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, looking insulted. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen i turned off the power, it disconnected something in the ANS...Amber stopped breathing and her heart stopped beating a while ago├óÔé¼┬Ø
Peter looked at Liz, but she looked unperturbed. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs she...dead?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you mean by dead?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Marco, looking at the other man. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell...she's not breathing...├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah...but her brain is still alive├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said. Peter was about to ask something else when Liz got up ├óÔé¼┼ôI know who did this├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôArther Kilpatric├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôHe installed two implants in Amber. One for sustaining cold temperatures better then most, and that one├óÔé¼┬Ø she pointed at the hologram.
├óÔé¼┼ôShe wanted to be scared?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôKilpatric said it was a reflex booster...and it seemed to work├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôWell...you wanted to come along├óÔé¼┬Ø she looked at Peter ├óÔé¼┼ôget ready to go├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll look after Amber till you get back├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait...go where?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. Liz smiled crookedly ├óÔé¼┼ôI hope you like our Homeworld enough to go back to kill someone├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┬Øis it?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Liz looked up at her father ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was just a hundred ISC├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôA stolen hundred ISC├óÔé¼┬Ø her father said, sitting down ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you don't do something with your self, then pickpocketing is all you will ever do├óÔé¼┬Ø. He leaned backwards and sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôYour mother is calling Amber's parents at this moments├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAmber?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked, sitting up ├óÔé¼┼ôwhat dose she have to do with this?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôDo you think we are blind?├óÔé¼┬Ø her father asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWe know you work together and-├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou leave Amber out of this!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz shouted, standing. Her father grinned wryly ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you partners in crime?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz snarled and spun on her heel, and strode up the stairs to her room. Her father leaned back in his chair, sighing again. ├óÔé¼┼ôI called Ambers parents├óÔé¼┬Ø his wife said, walking in. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are we going to do with her?├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are we going to do?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, answering Peters question as they drifted through the city of Leviathan. Peter had a hard time concentrating on her, still enthralled by the city. It had started to dim as night fell. ├óÔé¼┼ôPeter!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôare you listing?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter snapped his head back to her and she continued. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz started ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to kill Kilpatric, but first we need to sell these damn drugs, but BEFORE that├óÔé¼┬Ø she pulled out a small communication device from her pocket ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to make a few calls├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø the mechanic said, crawling out of the maze of blue wires and glowing computer bits that he had spent the last hour poking through ├óÔé¼┼ôThat is one nice A.I you bought├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz replied ├óÔé¼┼ôTop of the line model too├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe programmers must of missed some emergent behavior├óÔé¼┬Ø the mechanic said ├óÔé¼┼ôthats the only explanation i can think of├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, and the Mechanic pushed off the floor and wafted out of the door.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat's emergent behavior?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know, you are getting really pedantic├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats this? Whats that?├óÔé¼┬Ø she mimicked a puzzled expression ├óÔé¼┼ôRead a fucking book├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then she moved up the ladder and into the pivot point of the ship. Peter followed her and they both strapped into the acceleration chairs that sunk into the walls of the outer layer of the pivot point that was normally retracted during the Banshee's rotation phase.
The Banshee dropped out of Leviathan and into space. Peter fell asleep under the peacefully half Gee they where accelerating at. The ship shifted to rotation phase as it drifted through the solar system, down towards the sun. Liz left him in the chair, not willing to wake him. Peter dreamed of his home, before the arco, before the cruise liner, before now.
His home in the shanty town, where life was rough and brutal. Where life was simple, and its pleasures so few and far between that anything he could use to make himself feel better, he would. Drugs, prostitution and brutal sports. The thrill of combat, the visceral beatings of people who failed to cough up the ISC to pay his gang off.
Peter woke, troubled at remembering the odd pleasure of ramming a jagged piece of metal between the head and the shoulders, and watching with distant fascination as blood spurted outwards in a perfect arc. He was momentarily disoriented, wondering why he was tied down. He struggled for a few seconds before he fully awoke, and he jerked himself out of the chair.
The ship was docked and in zero gravity. And a stranger was sitting in one of the cushions. Peter looked at her and tried to figure out who she reminded him of. ├óÔé¼┼ôLiz?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. The woman grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôUntatooed, uncolored Liz├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôI got my skin paint removed. I kind of stand out with it on├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are we?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, still groggy. ├óÔé¼┼ôdrifting towards Homeworld. I sold the drugs at a comet base, and now we just need to get through the pickets that are scattered throughout the asteroid belt├óÔé¼┬Ø
The ship drifted along for a few hours, and Peter wasted the time by reading a book on Leviathan's history. It was dull, plodding and had him reading it for hours before anything really interesting happened. Liz spent the time looking through the pivot, as if she could spot a incoming picket ship before the ships sensors. In the end, Peter decided to put down the book, sliding it into its slot so the slate could recharge. He clucked down in a cushion and tried to get some sleep.
He woke up a few hours later, and the tedium of slow space flight continued. But once they passed the picket ship's range, Liz throttled a brutal two gee burn, now they didn't need to worry about attracting attention with their drive flame. They slipped through space much faster, but Peter spent most of his second day in a cushion, turning every hour to prevent blood pooling in parts of his body and generally screwing up his circulatory system.
The third day he was waken by Liz's voice calling him from somewhere above him. Peter got up, pushing off harder the necessary in the sudden one gee that the ship was in. He almost flew into the ground, used to lugging twice his body wight around. Glad he no longer felt like he was a overweight weakling, Peter climbed the latter towards Liz's voice.
He found Liz in the pivot, watching the stars twirl around them. The sun was amazingly bright, and before them lay...Homeworld. Now that he could enjoy the view, Peter's breath was taken away. ├óÔé¼┼ôBeautiful├óÔé¼┬Ø. But he found himself looking at the way the light went around Liz's face. She saw him staring out of the corner of her eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked, turning to look at him full on. This only reinforced what Peter through but he jerked his eyes to the planet ├óÔé¼┼ôHomeworld├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.
├óÔé¼┼ôIf you like planets its alright├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, a bit too gruffly. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo, where are we going?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. Amber looked at one of the viewing panels set in the walls of the pivot and read off ├óÔé¼┼ôNew Hope, Russia├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNew hope?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, incredulously ├óÔé¼┼ônew Hope...not New Home?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz looked at him ├óÔé¼┼ôYes, new hope├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI grew up their├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, feeling cold ├óÔé¼┼ôTill i got lucky and moved to France├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell, you might be more useful then i thought├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, turning back to the view screen. She ignored the planet almost completely.
New Hope, like all shanty towns, was built around an Arco. This arco in particular was nick named Golgotha, named for the thousands on thousands who had been killed by the Tzars, in the 2020's after WWIII. Golgotha was made of near solid concrete, more then a mile wide and several hundred story's tall. It was reinforced with steel and its upper levels slowly transitions to something that could sway in the wind. The thin was adorned with dark edifices. Gargoyles, statues and leering face's spotted the black sides, and the entire thing felt like a ominous castle. It was also the first Arco ever made, by Tzar Rubold the Fifth. Peter still thought it looked creepy as hell. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou lived in that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked as they looked at the pictures she had gotten from the Internet.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôI lived in that├óÔé¼┬Ø he pointed at the massive sprawl of homemade shanty's that spread out around the strip mine of the Arco. They almost touched the wildlife preserve, but the algae vats made enough that only some very fool hardy, or hungry, risked poaching for real meat. The wildlife preserves where protected by some serious eco terrorists, and more then a few army's. Then their where the wild animals themselves. Each of the wild animals had been descended from something that could survive something most humans couldn't.
They set the Banshee down in LEO, low earth orbit, its engine down and the entire thing running on silent. Liz said that was to avoid detection from the Landers rather pitiful radar scanners. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are going to take the Banshee down in a hour or so, once we are in the right position├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôTill then get ready├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôIs it?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIs it?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Liz jerked out of her revere, and looked away from the black machines to Peters face. He looked worried. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs it what?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs it fatal?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know├óÔé¼┬Ø she responded, and looked back to Amber's inert form. Marco looked through a data slate, thumbing his way down the entire sheaf until he had read the entire diagnostic.
├óÔé¼┼ôhmmm├óÔé¼┬Ø he said thoughtfully. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, moving away from Liz. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis implant hasn't malfunctioned├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said to himself ├óÔé¼┼ôThats quite incredible├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts not malfunctioning?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked, her head snapping over to Marco. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø the vampire said, licking his lips ├óÔé¼┼ôI need a drink├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, standing so fast her chair rolled away on its wheels. It clattered against the wall.
Marco looked over to Liz, as he had half turned around to leave. He tightened his hand, causing the rubber gloves to stretch under the strain. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat IS it doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôExactly what it was designed for, apparently├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, before turning out and walking out of the room. He shoved the door open, not waiting for it to slide open of its own accord. His hand left a slight dent in the side.
├óÔé¼┼ôDrink?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked ├óÔé¼┼ôAlso, is he REALLY a vampire?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, sitting down on the chair and using her feet to move it back to Amber's bed. ├óÔé¼┼ôIn the twenty fifty, some psycho named Cain created a genetic modification for his daughter. Made her the normal super strong, fast and smart that most super baby formulas come with. But Cain here├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz put her feet up on the side of Ambers bed and looked at Peter ├óÔé¼┼ômodified it a bit. Now a vampire's metabolism requires extra dose's of hemoglobin to function properly├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSo they suck blood...with those teeth?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôCain wasn't good enough to make them 'true' vampires. He settled with super strength, amazing dexterity and reflexes, improved eyesight, a faster metabolism to make their wounds heal faster and a extreme lack of mellinin├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo the sunlight will kill them?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôUV radiation will kill them really really fast, and painfully...if thats what you mean├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said.
Marco steeped in. His face was incredibly flushed, compared to its normal pallor. ├óÔé¼┼ôNothing like a shot├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, sighing contentedly.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo as you can see here├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said, pointing at the hologram. Liz stood, leaning against the far side of the holochamber wall, while Peter was standing right next to Marco, looking at the image in wonder. The implant looked like some demonic spider, all red and pulsating, with veins and tendrils bifurcating and bifurcating again and again through Ambers brain. Marco was pointing at a thick tendril of veins that pierced a specific part of the brain, which was highlighted.
├óÔé¼┼ôThat is the amygdala ├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd those tendrils are pumping electricity through it, in a specific sadistic way. Its causing fear. A fear so intense that Amber's mind, her psyche has...hidden away. If we get it out in time then she will require a lot of psych rebuilding├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWill we get it out in time?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet it out?├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI have already disabled its power supple. Then i found this secondary complication├óÔé¼┬Ø. The hologram spun and twisted until they could see a single little pipe that stuck out like a slender knife.
├óÔé¼┼ôThat is connected├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said as the highlighted area of the brain changed to a clump of putty. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat is the ANS, or autonomic nervous system , and it regulates a verity of thinks you don't think about; Like breathing├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat dose it do?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe ANS or the Implant?├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco asked, looking at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe implant!├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, looking insulted. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen i turned off the power, it disconnected something in the ANS...Amber stopped breathing and her heart stopped beating a while ago├óÔé¼┬Ø
Peter looked at Liz, but she looked unperturbed. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs she...dead?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you mean by dead?├óÔé¼┬Ø asked Marco, looking at the other man. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell...she's not breathing...├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah...but her brain is still alive├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said. Peter was about to ask something else when Liz got up ├óÔé¼┼ôI know who did this├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôArther Kilpatric├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôHe installed two implants in Amber. One for sustaining cold temperatures better then most, and that one├óÔé¼┬Ø she pointed at the hologram.
├óÔé¼┼ôShe wanted to be scared?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôKilpatric said it was a reflex booster...and it seemed to work├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôWell...you wanted to come along├óÔé¼┬Ø she looked at Peter ├óÔé¼┼ôget ready to go├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll look after Amber till you get back├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait...go where?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. Liz smiled crookedly ├óÔé¼┼ôI hope you like our Homeworld enough to go back to kill someone├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┬Øis it?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Liz looked up at her father ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was just a hundred ISC├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôA stolen hundred ISC├óÔé¼┬Ø her father said, sitting down ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you don't do something with your self, then pickpocketing is all you will ever do├óÔé¼┬Ø. He leaned backwards and sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôYour mother is calling Amber's parents at this moments├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAmber?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked, sitting up ├óÔé¼┼ôwhat dose she have to do with this?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôDo you think we are blind?├óÔé¼┬Ø her father asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWe know you work together and-├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou leave Amber out of this!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz shouted, standing. Her father grinned wryly ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you partners in crime?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz snarled and spun on her heel, and strode up the stairs to her room. Her father leaned back in his chair, sighing again. ├óÔé¼┼ôI called Ambers parents├óÔé¼┬Ø his wife said, walking in. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are we going to do with her?├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are we going to do?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, answering Peters question as they drifted through the city of Leviathan. Peter had a hard time concentrating on her, still enthralled by the city. It had started to dim as night fell. ├óÔé¼┼ôPeter!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôare you listing?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter snapped his head back to her and she continued. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz started ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to kill Kilpatric, but first we need to sell these damn drugs, but BEFORE that├óÔé¼┬Ø she pulled out a small communication device from her pocket ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to make a few calls├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø the mechanic said, crawling out of the maze of blue wires and glowing computer bits that he had spent the last hour poking through ├óÔé¼┼ôThat is one nice A.I you bought├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz replied ├óÔé¼┼ôTop of the line model too├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe programmers must of missed some emergent behavior├óÔé¼┬Ø the mechanic said ├óÔé¼┼ôthats the only explanation i can think of├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, and the Mechanic pushed off the floor and wafted out of the door.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat's emergent behavior?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know, you are getting really pedantic├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats this? Whats that?├óÔé¼┬Ø she mimicked a puzzled expression ├óÔé¼┼ôRead a fucking book├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then she moved up the ladder and into the pivot point of the ship. Peter followed her and they both strapped into the acceleration chairs that sunk into the walls of the outer layer of the pivot point that was normally retracted during the Banshee's rotation phase.
The Banshee dropped out of Leviathan and into space. Peter fell asleep under the peacefully half Gee they where accelerating at. The ship shifted to rotation phase as it drifted through the solar system, down towards the sun. Liz left him in the chair, not willing to wake him. Peter dreamed of his home, before the arco, before the cruise liner, before now.
His home in the shanty town, where life was rough and brutal. Where life was simple, and its pleasures so few and far between that anything he could use to make himself feel better, he would. Drugs, prostitution and brutal sports. The thrill of combat, the visceral beatings of people who failed to cough up the ISC to pay his gang off.
Peter woke, troubled at remembering the odd pleasure of ramming a jagged piece of metal between the head and the shoulders, and watching with distant fascination as blood spurted outwards in a perfect arc. He was momentarily disoriented, wondering why he was tied down. He struggled for a few seconds before he fully awoke, and he jerked himself out of the chair.
The ship was docked and in zero gravity. And a stranger was sitting in one of the cushions. Peter looked at her and tried to figure out who she reminded him of. ├óÔé¼┼ôLiz?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. The woman grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôUntatooed, uncolored Liz├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôI got my skin paint removed. I kind of stand out with it on├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are we?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, still groggy. ├óÔé¼┼ôdrifting towards Homeworld. I sold the drugs at a comet base, and now we just need to get through the pickets that are scattered throughout the asteroid belt├óÔé¼┬Ø
The ship drifted along for a few hours, and Peter wasted the time by reading a book on Leviathan's history. It was dull, plodding and had him reading it for hours before anything really interesting happened. Liz spent the time looking through the pivot, as if she could spot a incoming picket ship before the ships sensors. In the end, Peter decided to put down the book, sliding it into its slot so the slate could recharge. He clucked down in a cushion and tried to get some sleep.
He woke up a few hours later, and the tedium of slow space flight continued. But once they passed the picket ship's range, Liz throttled a brutal two gee burn, now they didn't need to worry about attracting attention with their drive flame. They slipped through space much faster, but Peter spent most of his second day in a cushion, turning every hour to prevent blood pooling in parts of his body and generally screwing up his circulatory system.
The third day he was waken by Liz's voice calling him from somewhere above him. Peter got up, pushing off harder the necessary in the sudden one gee that the ship was in. He almost flew into the ground, used to lugging twice his body wight around. Glad he no longer felt like he was a overweight weakling, Peter climbed the latter towards Liz's voice.
He found Liz in the pivot, watching the stars twirl around them. The sun was amazingly bright, and before them lay...Homeworld. Now that he could enjoy the view, Peter's breath was taken away. ├óÔé¼┼ôBeautiful├óÔé¼┬Ø. But he found himself looking at the way the light went around Liz's face. She saw him staring out of the corner of her eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked, turning to look at him full on. This only reinforced what Peter through but he jerked his eyes to the planet ├óÔé¼┼ôHomeworld├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.
├óÔé¼┼ôIf you like planets its alright├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, a bit too gruffly. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo, where are we going?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. Amber looked at one of the viewing panels set in the walls of the pivot and read off ├óÔé¼┼ôNew Hope, Russia├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNew hope?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, incredulously ├óÔé¼┼ônew Hope...not New Home?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz looked at him ├óÔé¼┼ôYes, new hope├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI grew up their├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, feeling cold ├óÔé¼┼ôTill i got lucky and moved to France├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell, you might be more useful then i thought├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, turning back to the view screen. She ignored the planet almost completely.
New Hope, like all shanty towns, was built around an Arco. This arco in particular was nick named Golgotha, named for the thousands on thousands who had been killed by the Tzars, in the 2020's after WWIII. Golgotha was made of near solid concrete, more then a mile wide and several hundred story's tall. It was reinforced with steel and its upper levels slowly transitions to something that could sway in the wind. The thin was adorned with dark edifices. Gargoyles, statues and leering face's spotted the black sides, and the entire thing felt like a ominous castle. It was also the first Arco ever made, by Tzar Rubold the Fifth. Peter still thought it looked creepy as hell. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou lived in that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked as they looked at the pictures she had gotten from the Internet.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôI lived in that├óÔé¼┬Ø he pointed at the massive sprawl of homemade shanty's that spread out around the strip mine of the Arco. They almost touched the wildlife preserve, but the algae vats made enough that only some very fool hardy, or hungry, risked poaching for real meat. The wildlife preserves where protected by some serious eco terrorists, and more then a few army's. Then their where the wild animals themselves. Each of the wild animals had been descended from something that could survive something most humans couldn't.
They set the Banshee down in LEO, low earth orbit, its engine down and the entire thing running on silent. Liz said that was to avoid detection from the Landers rather pitiful radar scanners. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are going to take the Banshee down in a hour or so, once we are in the right position├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôTill then get ready├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The smell hit her first. Liz crinkled her nose as Peter showed her through the dense streets of New Hope. Liz didn't think anything about it looked hopeful. Baby's ran underfoot, and men, women and more children chattered, yelled and clamored, creating a cacophony that rivaled anything Liz had ever heard in her life. The street's where packed and filled with bikes.
Yes bikes. Liz had asked what those where when they arrived in New Hope. Peter had laughed and told her what they where. It seemed to Liz that it was a frightfully dangerous for people to drive through those crowded streets without any protection. In space you had your ship, your suit and your wits. These bikes though...they looked like some antique tortcher devices.
├óÔé¼┼ôWatch out!├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter shouted, and jerked Liz out of the way. A bike went through where she had been a few seconds ago, and almost collided with at least ten other people in the crowd. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou should watch your back├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôthis place is more dangerous then it looks├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets get out of this crowd├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said. Peter nodded, as the crowds din increased to deaning.
The nearest alleyway was incredibly quiet, compared to the noise of the crowd. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats better├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, leaning against one of the shanty's that lined the ally way. This one was made of wood, an amazing sensation for Liz. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo this is what wood feels like├óÔé¼┬Ø she said to herself, running her hand over it. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've never felt wood before?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked incredulously.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts impractical in space├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôObviously├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts just...you've never been to Homeworld?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNope├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôMainly its because...well...i never got round to it├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter suddenly looked away and held up his hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you have a knife?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz looked down the ally that Peter was and felt around in her hip pack. She had brought some water, ISC and finally a small medical pack. She opened that. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo knife, scalpel or anything else sharp├óÔé¼┬Ø she said finally.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou have any weapons?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou'd better not take it out, lady├óÔé¼┬Ø a shadowy figure said from down the ally. Liz's back stiffened as four or five men advanced from the depths of the back ally's of the city. One of them held what looked like a...a...Liz didn't know what it was. It looked like a long blade attached to a gilded hilt. Mabey like a large knife. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter whispered.
├óÔé¼┼ôYour going to hand over all your ISC├óÔé¼┬Ø The man with the huge knife said, his friends flanking him. They each carried something that looked quite deadly. ├óÔé¼┼ôFuck you├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said as calmly as if he was stating the weather. ├óÔé¼┼ôPeter I don't think that is a good idea├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz whispered. ├óÔé¼┼ôFeisty, ain't you?├óÔé¼┬Ø the gang leader said.
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, steeping forward. He seemed more threatening then the man with the big knife. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said, starting to bring his big knife up. Peter was faster. His fist smashed into the man's solar plexus, and while his assailant was doubling over, Peter tossed him into his compatriots. Peter moved aside with a fluidity that even Liz couldn't match, dodging a blow with a old fire ax that would of decapitated the man.
Peter used his foot to kick the big knife that had clattered out of man's hands when he was tossed aside and grabbed it. He slashed it in a long semi-circle. Peter hadn't wanted to do any real damage, but one of the men was unlucky enough to catch the point of the sword in his eye socket. Till that moment he had kept himself under control. But as that man screamed and blood poured down his face, Peter found his other self taking over.
He kicked the man he had punched in the solar plexus savagely, then brought his sword down in between his shoulder blades. Blood splattered to the floor as the man died messily. Peter kicked the man's body off his sword and stabbed a man who had taken a light, shallow but long cut across his arm. He fell, the sword taking off half his face.
The other two men turned to run, the one with the now missing eye swearing continuously as blood dribbled to the ground. Peter ran after them, sword raised and a inhuman howl coming out of his mouth. ├óÔé¼┼ôPETER!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz shouted, grabbing his arm and jerking him back. The two men got away. Peter stood their fuming, blood pumping through his veins. It had felt dangerously good when he had killed those two men.
├óÔé¼┼ôPeter├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said. He kept his eyes fixed on the path the two men had taken. ├óÔé¼┼ôPeter!├óÔé¼┬Ø She said louder, grabbing him and forcing to look at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø she said slowly, keeping his green eye's on her blue ├óÔé¼┼ôTell me what the hell just happened├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter shook his head ├óÔé¼┼ôNothing├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat was not nothing!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou killed tw-├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Peter shoved her away ├óÔé¼┼ôI know what happened!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted. They both stood apart for a few moments. The crowd passed by the far side of the ally way, oblivious. No one had even noticed the fight, the shouts the thugs. Peter slid down the side of the wall to the floor, and stared at the sky. He started to chuckle.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNothing...├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts just├óÔé¼┬Ø he trailed off. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts been along time├óÔé¼┬Ø he finished after a slight pause. ├óÔé¼┼ôA long time?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked, pulling her knee's closer to her chest. She sighed disgustedly when she noticed something else only on Homeworld. Mud. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat, did you think i was a shop keep or a beggar, or something equally heartwarming before I became a detective?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked bitterly ├óÔé¼┼ôI used to own a entire block. When your fifteen and young, thats the entire world├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôBack then you lived and died by your sword, your knife and, if you are very very very rich, your gun├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow many did you kill?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôMore then you, by a high sight├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter responded and shuddered as a cold win went through the ally way ├óÔé¼┼ôWe'd better get going├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, slowly standing and whipping off his shirt. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait...is that ALL your going to say?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked, a little indignant.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhen did you start your life of crime?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, smiling wryly. Liz grinned back and they started to walk through the back ally ways again.
Arther Kilpatric looked up from his desk, a small wooden piece of crap that looked like it had been hacked out of the tree it came from by a blind woodsman, and gaped as Elizabeth Montoya and a rather skinny, unassuming man walked into his store. The store was specifically designed to look worthless, and not worth the effort of robbing.
The desk was crap, the furniture was shabby and poorly made, the clothes dropped around the place made it look like a teenagers den. The only thing that was value looked worthless. It was what looked like a large probe, black and encrusted with very sharp implements. It was an implant planter. It ripped into a persons brain with the subtlety of a bull hitting a china shop, but it worked.
├óÔé¼┼ôLiz├óÔé¼┬Ø Arther smiled, hoping to bluff his way through it. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou fuck!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz shouted, closing the distance between them in a matter of seconds. The transition from standing to being smashed against the wall was so sudden he just saw a blur, then he was being held up by Liz's hands alone. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou sick fuck!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz shouted again. The man behind her simply leaned against the far side of the room and watched impassively.
├óÔé¼┼ôListen├óÔé¼┬Ø Arther started to say. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou listen. Now, in the outer cometary belt, a very good friend of mine is laying in a bed, comatose├óÔé¼┬Ø. Arther looked left, right and up very quickly with his eyes. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow, why would that happen?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked. Then she threw him to the floor. Arther, none to light, smashed into a chair and broke it. The unassuming man stepped lightly to the side as Arther's ample frame slid across the floor. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause, well, the man who installed the implant that was SUPPOSED to improve her reflex's just happened to be plugged into her amygdala├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell...the amygdala is...uhh..close to...the necessary├óÔé¼┬Ø Arther started to say, but Liz cut him off. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts in the wrong HEMISPHERE of the brain, Kilpatric├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz snarled, grabbing his lapels again and pulling him to his feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow...why did you send Amberly, you remember her? Pretty girl, who came round here with her bestist friends. Back when they where both young and unexperienced, easy to take advantage, you decided to put some leverage on us, preemptively├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôListen├óÔé¼┬Ø Arther said ├óÔé¼┼ôand really listen├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz slightly lessened her grip, but didn't let go ├óÔé¼┼ôI know, i did take advantage of you├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz tightened his grip ├óÔé¼┼ôBut i never was going to use it├óÔé¼┬Ø He said quickly. ├óÔé¼┼ôI see how that turned out├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz snarled. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't know this guy├óÔé¼┬Ø Arther said, his teeth chattering. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat guy?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHe doesn't exist├óÔé¼┬Ø Arther said ├óÔé¼┼ôI checked up, down, left and right. I hacked, paid off and in the end used every single possible data slot open to me. He doesn't exist├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz slowly let Arther down, and he steaded himself on the wall. Liz just noticed something. He kept his left hand behind his back. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat did he call himself?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked ├óÔé¼┼ôNo wait...├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Arther looked at her oddly. Liz looked at Peter. He got off of the wall he was leaning on. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Marshall├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy did you do it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked ├óÔé¼┼ôYou could of known that he was up to no good├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI knew that├óÔé¼┬Ø Arther said, his voice dull. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust look what he did to my hand├óÔé¼┬Ø he continued, holding up his hand slowly. Liz flinched back as the charred hand of Arther's came into view. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh god├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter muttered below his breath.
├óÔé¼┼ôHe said he wanted a reaction├óÔé¼┬Ø Arther said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd i have been living in near constant pain for the past week...├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Amberly forced her eyes awake. Something was standing over her. ├óÔé¼┼ôGod?├óÔé¼┬Ø she mumbled. Marco leaned down and into her blurry field of vision. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry, but i don't measure up to that capacity├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Amber sat up ├óÔé¼┼ôAre...├óÔé¼┬Ø she looked around ├óÔé¼┼ôAre they gone?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour amygdala, the organ in your brain that controls fear and anger, has been...either stimulated or repressed, depending on how it works├óÔé¼┬Ø
He was about to talk some more, but he noticed that Amber was crying. She curled slowly up into a small ball, and started to sob. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is wrong?├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco asked, looking her over ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you injured?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber slowly uncurled and Marco realized that she was laughing. Amber started to roll around on the bed, laughing hysterically.
She jumped out of bed, and kissed Marco. ├óÔé¼┼ôTheir gone!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôTheir gone! Their gone!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted. Marco, very put back by this particular turn of events, blanched. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. Amber beamed, the tears of joy running down her face nearly invisible against it. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe nightmares├óÔé¼┬Ø She said simply ├óÔé¼┼ôI know what the amygdala is├óÔé¼┬Ø she continued ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd not having it is as close to hell as i'm getting to in this life time├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWas it that bad?├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco asked. A spasm of revulsion mixed with abject terror crossed through Amber's face, coupled with a dark deadness in her eyes. She was remembering the time between when her implant went on to when it went out. ├óÔé¼┼ôWorse├óÔé¼┬Ø She said seriously ├óÔé¼┼ôNow, where is Liz?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked, brightening. ├óÔé¼┼ôOff to kill once Arther Kilpatric├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôWho ever that is├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh fuck!├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber swore, looking down at the blue surgical gown she wore ├óÔé¼┼ôI need a ship, a gun and some clothes├óÔé¼┬Ø she rattled off. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat? Why?├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco asked ├óÔé¼┼ôIs everyone so keen to leave my company?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo its not you├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts the Banshee├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat...your ship?├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco asked, completely out of his depth. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you have an operative that can come with me?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI need a copilot├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is wrong with the Banshee?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts not whats wrong with the Banshee...its whats IN the Banshee!├óÔé¼┬Ø she replied ├óÔé¼┼ôThat Data slate was far more deadly then i thought├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered to her self ├óÔé¼┼ôCan i have Olva as a copilot?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked before Marco could even respond to her last few statements.
├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose i could look int-├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco started to say. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, pecking him on the cheek. She left him, very very flustered.
Yes bikes. Liz had asked what those where when they arrived in New Hope. Peter had laughed and told her what they where. It seemed to Liz that it was a frightfully dangerous for people to drive through those crowded streets without any protection. In space you had your ship, your suit and your wits. These bikes though...they looked like some antique tortcher devices.
├óÔé¼┼ôWatch out!├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter shouted, and jerked Liz out of the way. A bike went through where she had been a few seconds ago, and almost collided with at least ten other people in the crowd. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou should watch your back├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôthis place is more dangerous then it looks├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets get out of this crowd├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said. Peter nodded, as the crowds din increased to deaning.
The nearest alleyway was incredibly quiet, compared to the noise of the crowd. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats better├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, leaning against one of the shanty's that lined the ally way. This one was made of wood, an amazing sensation for Liz. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo this is what wood feels like├óÔé¼┬Ø she said to herself, running her hand over it. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've never felt wood before?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked incredulously.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts impractical in space├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôObviously├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts just...you've never been to Homeworld?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNope├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôMainly its because...well...i never got round to it├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter suddenly looked away and held up his hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you have a knife?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz looked down the ally that Peter was and felt around in her hip pack. She had brought some water, ISC and finally a small medical pack. She opened that. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo knife, scalpel or anything else sharp├óÔé¼┬Ø she said finally.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou have any weapons?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou'd better not take it out, lady├óÔé¼┬Ø a shadowy figure said from down the ally. Liz's back stiffened as four or five men advanced from the depths of the back ally's of the city. One of them held what looked like a...a...Liz didn't know what it was. It looked like a long blade attached to a gilded hilt. Mabey like a large knife. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter whispered.
├óÔé¼┼ôYour going to hand over all your ISC├óÔé¼┬Ø The man with the huge knife said, his friends flanking him. They each carried something that looked quite deadly. ├óÔé¼┼ôFuck you├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said as calmly as if he was stating the weather. ├óÔé¼┼ôPeter I don't think that is a good idea├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz whispered. ├óÔé¼┼ôFeisty, ain't you?├óÔé¼┬Ø the gang leader said.
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, steeping forward. He seemed more threatening then the man with the big knife. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said, starting to bring his big knife up. Peter was faster. His fist smashed into the man's solar plexus, and while his assailant was doubling over, Peter tossed him into his compatriots. Peter moved aside with a fluidity that even Liz couldn't match, dodging a blow with a old fire ax that would of decapitated the man.
Peter used his foot to kick the big knife that had clattered out of man's hands when he was tossed aside and grabbed it. He slashed it in a long semi-circle. Peter hadn't wanted to do any real damage, but one of the men was unlucky enough to catch the point of the sword in his eye socket. Till that moment he had kept himself under control. But as that man screamed and blood poured down his face, Peter found his other self taking over.
He kicked the man he had punched in the solar plexus savagely, then brought his sword down in between his shoulder blades. Blood splattered to the floor as the man died messily. Peter kicked the man's body off his sword and stabbed a man who had taken a light, shallow but long cut across his arm. He fell, the sword taking off half his face.
The other two men turned to run, the one with the now missing eye swearing continuously as blood dribbled to the ground. Peter ran after them, sword raised and a inhuman howl coming out of his mouth. ├óÔé¼┼ôPETER!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz shouted, grabbing his arm and jerking him back. The two men got away. Peter stood their fuming, blood pumping through his veins. It had felt dangerously good when he had killed those two men.
├óÔé¼┼ôPeter├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said. He kept his eyes fixed on the path the two men had taken. ├óÔé¼┼ôPeter!├óÔé¼┬Ø She said louder, grabbing him and forcing to look at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø she said slowly, keeping his green eye's on her blue ├óÔé¼┼ôTell me what the hell just happened├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter shook his head ├óÔé¼┼ôNothing├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat was not nothing!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou killed tw-├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Peter shoved her away ├óÔé¼┼ôI know what happened!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted. They both stood apart for a few moments. The crowd passed by the far side of the ally way, oblivious. No one had even noticed the fight, the shouts the thugs. Peter slid down the side of the wall to the floor, and stared at the sky. He started to chuckle.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNothing...├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts just├óÔé¼┬Ø he trailed off. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts been along time├óÔé¼┬Ø he finished after a slight pause. ├óÔé¼┼ôA long time?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked, pulling her knee's closer to her chest. She sighed disgustedly when she noticed something else only on Homeworld. Mud. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat, did you think i was a shop keep or a beggar, or something equally heartwarming before I became a detective?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked bitterly ├óÔé¼┼ôI used to own a entire block. When your fifteen and young, thats the entire world├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôBack then you lived and died by your sword, your knife and, if you are very very very rich, your gun├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow many did you kill?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôMore then you, by a high sight├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter responded and shuddered as a cold win went through the ally way ├óÔé¼┼ôWe'd better get going├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, slowly standing and whipping off his shirt. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait...is that ALL your going to say?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked, a little indignant.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhen did you start your life of crime?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, smiling wryly. Liz grinned back and they started to walk through the back ally ways again.
Arther Kilpatric looked up from his desk, a small wooden piece of crap that looked like it had been hacked out of the tree it came from by a blind woodsman, and gaped as Elizabeth Montoya and a rather skinny, unassuming man walked into his store. The store was specifically designed to look worthless, and not worth the effort of robbing.
The desk was crap, the furniture was shabby and poorly made, the clothes dropped around the place made it look like a teenagers den. The only thing that was value looked worthless. It was what looked like a large probe, black and encrusted with very sharp implements. It was an implant planter. It ripped into a persons brain with the subtlety of a bull hitting a china shop, but it worked.
├óÔé¼┼ôLiz├óÔé¼┬Ø Arther smiled, hoping to bluff his way through it. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou fuck!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz shouted, closing the distance between them in a matter of seconds. The transition from standing to being smashed against the wall was so sudden he just saw a blur, then he was being held up by Liz's hands alone. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou sick fuck!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz shouted again. The man behind her simply leaned against the far side of the room and watched impassively.
├óÔé¼┼ôListen├óÔé¼┬Ø Arther started to say. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou listen. Now, in the outer cometary belt, a very good friend of mine is laying in a bed, comatose├óÔé¼┬Ø. Arther looked left, right and up very quickly with his eyes. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow, why would that happen?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked. Then she threw him to the floor. Arther, none to light, smashed into a chair and broke it. The unassuming man stepped lightly to the side as Arther's ample frame slid across the floor. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause, well, the man who installed the implant that was SUPPOSED to improve her reflex's just happened to be plugged into her amygdala├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell...the amygdala is...uhh..close to...the necessary├óÔé¼┬Ø Arther started to say, but Liz cut him off. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts in the wrong HEMISPHERE of the brain, Kilpatric├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz snarled, grabbing his lapels again and pulling him to his feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow...why did you send Amberly, you remember her? Pretty girl, who came round here with her bestist friends. Back when they where both young and unexperienced, easy to take advantage, you decided to put some leverage on us, preemptively├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôListen├óÔé¼┬Ø Arther said ├óÔé¼┼ôand really listen├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz slightly lessened her grip, but didn't let go ├óÔé¼┼ôI know, i did take advantage of you├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz tightened his grip ├óÔé¼┼ôBut i never was going to use it├óÔé¼┬Ø He said quickly. ├óÔé¼┼ôI see how that turned out├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz snarled. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't know this guy├óÔé¼┬Ø Arther said, his teeth chattering. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat guy?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHe doesn't exist├óÔé¼┬Ø Arther said ├óÔé¼┼ôI checked up, down, left and right. I hacked, paid off and in the end used every single possible data slot open to me. He doesn't exist├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz slowly let Arther down, and he steaded himself on the wall. Liz just noticed something. He kept his left hand behind his back. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat did he call himself?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked ├óÔé¼┼ôNo wait...├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Arther looked at her oddly. Liz looked at Peter. He got off of the wall he was leaning on. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Marshall├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy did you do it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked ├óÔé¼┼ôYou could of known that he was up to no good├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI knew that├óÔé¼┬Ø Arther said, his voice dull. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust look what he did to my hand├óÔé¼┬Ø he continued, holding up his hand slowly. Liz flinched back as the charred hand of Arther's came into view. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh god├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter muttered below his breath.
├óÔé¼┼ôHe said he wanted a reaction├óÔé¼┬Ø Arther said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd i have been living in near constant pain for the past week...├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Amberly forced her eyes awake. Something was standing over her. ├óÔé¼┼ôGod?├óÔé¼┬Ø she mumbled. Marco leaned down and into her blurry field of vision. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry, but i don't measure up to that capacity├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Amber sat up ├óÔé¼┼ôAre...├óÔé¼┬Ø she looked around ├óÔé¼┼ôAre they gone?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour amygdala, the organ in your brain that controls fear and anger, has been...either stimulated or repressed, depending on how it works├óÔé¼┬Ø
He was about to talk some more, but he noticed that Amber was crying. She curled slowly up into a small ball, and started to sob. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is wrong?├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco asked, looking her over ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you injured?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber slowly uncurled and Marco realized that she was laughing. Amber started to roll around on the bed, laughing hysterically.
She jumped out of bed, and kissed Marco. ├óÔé¼┼ôTheir gone!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôTheir gone! Their gone!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted. Marco, very put back by this particular turn of events, blanched. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. Amber beamed, the tears of joy running down her face nearly invisible against it. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe nightmares├óÔé¼┬Ø She said simply ├óÔé¼┼ôI know what the amygdala is├óÔé¼┬Ø she continued ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd not having it is as close to hell as i'm getting to in this life time├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWas it that bad?├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco asked. A spasm of revulsion mixed with abject terror crossed through Amber's face, coupled with a dark deadness in her eyes. She was remembering the time between when her implant went on to when it went out. ├óÔé¼┼ôWorse├óÔé¼┬Ø She said seriously ├óÔé¼┼ôNow, where is Liz?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked, brightening. ├óÔé¼┼ôOff to kill once Arther Kilpatric├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôWho ever that is├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh fuck!├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber swore, looking down at the blue surgical gown she wore ├óÔé¼┼ôI need a ship, a gun and some clothes├óÔé¼┬Ø she rattled off. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat? Why?├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco asked ├óÔé¼┼ôIs everyone so keen to leave my company?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo its not you├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts the Banshee├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat...your ship?├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco asked, completely out of his depth. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you have an operative that can come with me?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI need a copilot├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is wrong with the Banshee?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts not whats wrong with the Banshee...its whats IN the Banshee!├óÔé¼┬Ø she replied ├óÔé¼┼ôThat Data slate was far more deadly then i thought├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered to her self ├óÔé¼┼ôCan i have Olva as a copilot?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked before Marco could even respond to her last few statements.
├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose i could look int-├óÔé¼┬Ø Marco started to say. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, pecking him on the cheek. She left him, very very flustered.
Richy opened his mouth to say something, but Ron raised his hand, cutting him off. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait Wait Wait├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, the hand rolled stick of marijuana he left dangling between his fingers, almost completely forgetting it's existence. Richy looked over his shoulder at what Ron was looking at. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôThat is a looker, too bad she isn't blond├óÔé¼┬Ø he said to Ron. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou idiot!├óÔé¼┬Ø Ron snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôNot the girl. Look at the guy WITH the girl├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou've got to be kidding me!├óÔé¼┬Ø Richy said. Ron pulled one last time on his marijuana, then dropped it and ground it under foot. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets pay old Peter a visit├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Richy grinned and they both started to shove through the crowd that separated them.
Liz was blind raging furious. She could barely stop herself from attacking people in her way. ├óÔé¼┼ôListen├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôAmber will be fine├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts not that├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts the Marshall├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, looking over his shoulder. He was leading Liz back to the spaceport at the edge of the shanty town. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe did this to get a response. And i just gave him one├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôComing here was grade A stupid├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYou aren't hearing me disagree├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said. He spotted something out of the corner of his eye. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, standing still. The cloud moved around him like a river going around a large rock. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh crap├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, turning full around to Liz ├óÔé¼┼ôGet out of here, now├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôCops?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked, trying to look through the crowd. It was like someone who had never seen a cloud before trying to see an airplane on the other side of one.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôits worse then Cops├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz shook her head ├óÔé¼┼ôYou did all the fighting last time. I can defend myself├óÔé¼┬Ø she said stubbornly. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou picked a great time to become the warrior woman├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou picked a great time to be a chauvinist├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz shot back. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said. The two men where almost on them. Peter backed up involuntarily. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø he started again ├óÔé¼┼ôIts not that├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThen what is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI can handle two thugs in my sleep├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôThese aren't just any thugs├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, stepping back again. The two men walked up to him. The scarred one, his face looking like a poorly carved statue, grinned evily and clapped Peter on the back ├óÔé¼┼ôPetey├óÔé¼┬Ø he said jovially ├óÔé¼┼ôLets go├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, lets go├óÔé¼┬Ø His partner, a unwashed young man who looked like he spent to much time underground. They half pushed, half followed Peter into a back ally. The unwashed one, or Richy as Peter remembered him, grabbed Liz's arm. She socked him in the face. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh son of a bitch!├óÔé¼┬Ø He shouted. The crowed saw the fight, and spread out a little to allow them room.
├óÔé¼┼ôNot out here!├óÔé¼┬Ø Richy shouted, abandoning all pretense at being polite to Liz. Liz kneed him in the crotch. By then Peter, Ron , Liz and finally Richy, who was still holding his bruised testicles and whimpering. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Ron said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou came back to New Hope├óÔé¼┬Ø Ron said. ├óÔé¼┼ôBusiness├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI seem to remember that you left the old Deathhands without even leaving a note...in fact├óÔé¼┬Ø Ron had the decidedly vicious look in his eyes again ├óÔé¼┼ôYou made it look rather like you had been stabbed in a back ally├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYou and Lilly would never have let me leave├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh Lilly├óÔé¼┬Ø Ron said, sliding a unlit cigarette, rather then his normal marijuana, out of his back pocket. He gave it to Peter. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't smoke├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, but he still put it in his mouth. ├óÔé¼┼ôPeter, what the fuck is going on?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked. Richy was a respectful distance away from her, but she was smart enough to notice a hidden gun on a person.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you brought a date├óÔé¼┬Ø Ron said, moving over to Liz ├óÔé¼┼ôIs she good in bed, eh Peter?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked, looking Liz over like a lump of meat. ├óÔé¼┼ôRon├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôBack...off├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh, have i hit a nerve?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ron asked, looking mock indigence appearing on his face. ├óÔé¼┼ôI would love to examine your whore more intimately later, but i├óÔé¼┬Ø Ron said.
Peter punched him in the face. Peter had acted on impulse, and so his fist felt like it had punched a iron wall. However Ron fell backwards satisfyingly, blood streaming from a possibly broken nose. ├óÔé¼┼ôFUCK!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted. Richy pulled out his smooth bore pistol, a antique device that could barely be called a weapon. Peter looked at Ron as if he didn't know what had caused his sudden incapacitation. Everyone was tense, and with a gun at hand it took one wrong move to start a firefight.
Ron stood up, his hand covering his nose as blood streamed down his face. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou broke your loyalty to your clan, to your gang├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, dropping all pretense of being friendly ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd i was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt├óÔé¼┬Ø. Richy slightly relaxed his pistol, so he didn't aim it at Peter, but at the same time wasn't quite aiming it away. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut now, you've made thing a lot worse for your self├óÔé¼┬Ø Ron said.
Liz was tired of this. She plucked the pistol out of the unaware Richy's hands as he relaxed his guard. She then elbowed him in the stomach and kicked him in the stomach, sending him vertical a few inches before he collapsed. She then smoothly brought the pistol around to point it at Ron's leg. He barely started to say something before she blew his kneecap out.
Peter was rather surprised at theses turn of events. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat, you where thinking i can't do something myself├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. She turned back to the end of the ally way and walked out. Peter looked at the two thugs, who where on the ground, moaning in pain. He shrugged and followed Liz out of the ally way. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets get off of this shit planet├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, shouldering her way through the crowd. She was getting very good at going through crowds.
├óÔé¼┼ôIts what i always say├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said as they sat in the space port. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes, dear?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked sardonically. ├óÔé¼┼ôthe longer you stay at the bottom of the gravity well├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz continued, looking at the other people waiting for a trip to orbit. They had taken a plane from New Hope, which still operated a pitiful airport, and where now sitting in the space port, which looked uncomfortable similar to the air port they had been in over three hours ago.
├óÔé¼┼ôThe more your brain is compressed├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter finished for her ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've said that five times now├óÔé¼┬Ø he pointed out. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are sorry to report that shuttle flight 2..1...1....1...2├óÔé¼┬Ø the computer said, skipping over the numbers as it used multiple voice tracks to stated the number. ├óÔé¼┼ôDAMN IT!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Liz. Several people looked at her in annoyance.
├óÔé¼┼ôI landers├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz stated. ├óÔé¼┼ôIncluding me?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôif you had any sense you would of be born in space├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter laughed. An hour, a very low quality meal, and Liz commenting on how gravity forced itself on her. Finally they boarded the ship and it took off. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow this is the hard part├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz whispered. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't kill anyone├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter whispered. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to freshen up first├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, her voice at normal volume.
The where seated at the edge of the center chair block. Peter had never thought of how much shuttle's were almost exactly like planes, even though you had to stay in them for much longer. ├óÔé¼┼ôI wish i had paid for a Transsteller liner├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said to the man sitting next to him. The man snickered. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôTranssteller went under a few days ago, after the knowledge about the entire 'Liner hit by the Banshee's' came out├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said. Peter's grin melted away ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø he replied.
Liz walked into the bathroom, carrying a small bag. Landers, she thought,don't notice anything odd when a woman walks on board a ship with a small bag. She walked into a unoccupied stall and closed the door. It was a rather tight fit. That happens to block X-rays she grinned as she yanked the bag open. Inside was two vials, one black and one pink, a injector and her laser pistol. She took out the black vial and snapped it into the injector.
The movie was hackneyed. Its directing was poor, the camera angles awful and the acting wooden. So at least one person was happy when the screen at the front of the shuttle exploded. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz shouted, pointing her pistol at Peter's head in the classical hostage stance ├óÔé¼┼ôI am stealing the ship!├óÔé¼┬Ø. A security guard who was more on his toe's pulled out his gun. ├óÔé¼┼ôPut the piece on the floor, or i blow this man's brains out!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz shouted.
The guard grudgingly threw it on the ground, and the primitive, but still dangerous projectile weapon skidded across the floor. Liz bent over slowly and picked up the gun. It seemed to have six chambers, with a bullet in each. Liz held it in her other hand, which was hard as it was holding Peter by the neck. ├óÔé¼┼ôEase up a bit├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter whispered ├óÔé¼┼ôYour strangling me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz held him tighter and he shut up.
The two injections had done their work, so the crew and passengers recognized this wasn't just a random terrorist. This was Elizabeth Montoya, famed criminal complete with her trade mark tattoos. So for the more traveled people on board, it was like meeting a celebrity. Liz advanced down the row, her eye's darting over the people. None pulled a gun. The guard was keeping his hands up. The reached the bridge of the shuttle, a small and cramp room. Their was no one in it.
Peter was confused for a bit. Liz however let him go and slammed the door shut. The two guards outside the door looked shocked at the two of them secured the bridge. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell?├óÔé¼┬Ø one of the guards asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôTheir in cahoots!├óÔé¼┬Ø the other snapped at him ├óÔé¼┼ôGet someone with a laser pistol, or something├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôComputer├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôSet course for...├óÔé¼┬Ø she looked at Peter. ├óÔé¼┼ô120-332-910├óÔé¼┬Ø he said helpfully. ├óÔé¼┼ôWarning, this dose not comply to the set route for this shi-├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz shot the speaker for the piloting A.I. It exploded in a shower of sparks as the nearly invisible pulse laser slammed into it. Peter winced. The air of the cabin, or more accurately the dust motes in the cabin, reflected the light. Peter rubbed at his eye's as the after image of the laser burned itself into his eyes. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't look at lasers in air├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz reprimanded him. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow we wait├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, leaning against the wall. The cabin was rather spartan, with no windows, no displays and no clock.
Roughly a half hour later they got to the location, which was signified by a shuddering as the engines corrected for the ship's drift, which was pretty slow so it didn't interfere with the customers centripetal gravity. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou remembered the communicator, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked. Peter glanced at her slightly annoyed after pulling out the communicator. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said looking out of the small window set in the door.
The security guards had been trying to get into the cockpit. Their attempts, ranging from firing laser pistols at the door to hitting it with what looked like a lead pipe where largely unsuccessful. The ship suddenly shuddered and the gravity faded. ├óÔé¼┼ôCentripetal is down├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôGuss that means the Banshee's docked├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets go├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, hefting her pistol and tossing the six shooter to Peter in the micro gravity.
The door burst open and Liz slammed out into one of the security guards. One other fired, missed and hit the wall. The hull didn't breach, so the bullet ricocheted into the crowd that was now floating in the main cabin. Someone screamed, but by then Peter and Liz where zipping down the mostly clear hallways. Peter saw a man with a hole through his arm, but was sure that he would survive.
Peter opened the air lock, covering the security guards who where trying to get a good firing line through the increasingly panicking crowd. Liz darted into the Banshee, which had docked forcibly to the shuttle. Peter slammed the door shut as another bullet cracked through the space he had beens standing in. ├óÔé¼┼ôComputer!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz shouted to the on board A.I ├óÔé¼┼ôget us the hell out of here!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The Banshee disconnected from the shuttle and its engines flared to life and shot away from the Homeworld. Unfortunately Peter wasn't fully secured, and he fell backwards into the airlock door, sliding across the floor. He smashed against it as if he had been falling from a five story building. He felt something pop, then noticed his leg was at a rather funny angle.
Liz was secured and felt the brutal acceleration as the ship zipped away from Homeworld. After five or so minuets, the acceleration stopped and zero gee settled in the ship. ├óÔé¼┼ôGo to centripetal, ship├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said tiredly. Then she heard some screaming ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the...├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered to herself ├óÔé¼┼ôIts down by the airlock├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Peter looked at his kneecap. It seemed to have moved to the right a bit. So why did it hurt so damned much, was his main thought. The airlock corridor was short, but high gee had made his fall far more painful and damaging. Liz dropped into the short corridor and looked Peter over. ├óÔé¼┼ôGod damn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø He groaned ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell happened?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz looked over the wound ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've dislocated your kneecap├óÔé¼┬Ø she said.
A few minuets later she returned from the ships supply cabinet with a injector. ├óÔé¼┼ôHold still damn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Peter, nearly crippled with pain, forced himself to hold still. Suddenly pain went away. But he couldn't move. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't panic├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts the next best thing to a pain killer. A paralyzer. You can breath, look around, but don't try anything else. Just focuses on breathing├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter found that breathing was very hard.
Liz looked over the knee. Based off her very vague idea of human anatomy, you should be able to pop it back into place. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell this wont hurt, but it might make it worse├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said. Then she thought that mabey Peter wouldn't wand to hear that. She took the leg and straightened it. She heard a slight pop. The leg was straight, and the bump that she presumed was Peter's kneecap disappeared. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat looks better├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Amber looked at the ship. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is your ship?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked Olivia. The other woman sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôThats what everyone says├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said. The ship looked dilapidated, and seemed to hail from a prior age of space travel. Its engines where on ONE side, and the entire thing was made of aluminum and it looked entirely impractical for long term space travel.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell, come on board├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said, gesturing to a airlock that had a rather large wheel you have to open. Amber stepped up to it and Olivia jerked the wheel open and the door slid open. Amber stepped in and looked at the rusted wall's and dripping pipes. A single fan of unknown purpose spun around behind a grate. A light behind it cast a menacing shadow on the far wall. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is home├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said, pushing past Amber.
The ship slipped out of Leviathan's docking port, and Liz looked around the cockpit. It was small, cramped and looked like a lot of the walls was filled with pointless lights and switches. Olivia flipped two switches and a low rumble went through the ship. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat did you just do?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôStarted fuel transfer├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said, before pressing two buttons. The button's, which where red, suddenly flickered to a green color.
Then the engines on. The ship shot through space really really really fast. Amber felt gravity assert itself, but not in the direction the outside of the ship suggested. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said, seeming completely unperturbed by the gravity ├óÔé¼┼ôThis entire set up is a ruse. Who is going to board a ship that looks like its from 2003?├óÔé¼┬Ø she pointed out.
├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, a vein on her neck twitching as she tried to keep her head up ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you slow down to at least 1 or 1.5 Gee's?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh, sure├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said, turning a dial down on the dash board. The gravity relaxed and Amber got up slowly. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow long before we get to Homeworld?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. Olivia looked away from console ├óÔé¼┼ôAbout two days, or so at this burn. Less if we go faster├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you have a water chair, or something similar?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôA acceleration tanks in the back├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said.
Acceleration tanks where a product of a bygone day when only really adventurous landers went into space, and they did not want to spend a long time their. So, to keep up extream accelerations, they built Acceleration tanks. It looked like a cylinder, and had a lot of tubes and needles connected to to tubes. A bit too much like Amber's outmoded power armor for her, but oh well. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm going to speed up in a few moments├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia called back.
├óÔé¼┼ôImpatient little├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber muttered to herself, pressing the open button on the acceleration tank. The liquid inside drained away and she stepped in. She closed her eye's as a thick blue liquid started to fill the tank. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy is it always blue?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked as she felt like she was floating in space. It was surprisingly relaxing.
Olivia took the dial on the dashboard and turned it back up to its full settings. A readout on her main screen, typed out in glowing green letters that looked like something from the 1980's, let alone the 2000 era. ├óÔé¼┼ôETA:10 hours, five minuets. Aprox├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYou've got to be kidding me!├óÔé¼┬Ø Richy said. Ron pulled one last time on his marijuana, then dropped it and ground it under foot. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets pay old Peter a visit├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Richy grinned and they both started to shove through the crowd that separated them.
Liz was blind raging furious. She could barely stop herself from attacking people in her way. ├óÔé¼┼ôListen├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôAmber will be fine├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts not that├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts the Marshall├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, looking over his shoulder. He was leading Liz back to the spaceport at the edge of the shanty town. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe did this to get a response. And i just gave him one├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôComing here was grade A stupid├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYou aren't hearing me disagree├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said. He spotted something out of the corner of his eye. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, standing still. The cloud moved around him like a river going around a large rock. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh crap├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, turning full around to Liz ├óÔé¼┼ôGet out of here, now├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôCops?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked, trying to look through the crowd. It was like someone who had never seen a cloud before trying to see an airplane on the other side of one.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôits worse then Cops├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz shook her head ├óÔé¼┼ôYou did all the fighting last time. I can defend myself├óÔé¼┬Ø she said stubbornly. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou picked a great time to become the warrior woman├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou picked a great time to be a chauvinist├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz shot back. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said. The two men where almost on them. Peter backed up involuntarily. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø he started again ├óÔé¼┼ôIts not that├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThen what is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI can handle two thugs in my sleep├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôThese aren't just any thugs├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, stepping back again. The two men walked up to him. The scarred one, his face looking like a poorly carved statue, grinned evily and clapped Peter on the back ├óÔé¼┼ôPetey├óÔé¼┬Ø he said jovially ├óÔé¼┼ôLets go├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, lets go├óÔé¼┬Ø His partner, a unwashed young man who looked like he spent to much time underground. They half pushed, half followed Peter into a back ally. The unwashed one, or Richy as Peter remembered him, grabbed Liz's arm. She socked him in the face. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh son of a bitch!├óÔé¼┬Ø He shouted. The crowed saw the fight, and spread out a little to allow them room.
├óÔé¼┼ôNot out here!├óÔé¼┬Ø Richy shouted, abandoning all pretense at being polite to Liz. Liz kneed him in the crotch. By then Peter, Ron , Liz and finally Richy, who was still holding his bruised testicles and whimpering. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Ron said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou came back to New Hope├óÔé¼┬Ø Ron said. ├óÔé¼┼ôBusiness├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI seem to remember that you left the old Deathhands without even leaving a note...in fact├óÔé¼┬Ø Ron had the decidedly vicious look in his eyes again ├óÔé¼┼ôYou made it look rather like you had been stabbed in a back ally├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYou and Lilly would never have let me leave├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh Lilly├óÔé¼┬Ø Ron said, sliding a unlit cigarette, rather then his normal marijuana, out of his back pocket. He gave it to Peter. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't smoke├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, but he still put it in his mouth. ├óÔé¼┼ôPeter, what the fuck is going on?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked. Richy was a respectful distance away from her, but she was smart enough to notice a hidden gun on a person.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you brought a date├óÔé¼┬Ø Ron said, moving over to Liz ├óÔé¼┼ôIs she good in bed, eh Peter?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked, looking Liz over like a lump of meat. ├óÔé¼┼ôRon├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôBack...off├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh, have i hit a nerve?├óÔé¼┬Ø Ron asked, looking mock indigence appearing on his face. ├óÔé¼┼ôI would love to examine your whore more intimately later, but i├óÔé¼┬Ø Ron said.
Peter punched him in the face. Peter had acted on impulse, and so his fist felt like it had punched a iron wall. However Ron fell backwards satisfyingly, blood streaming from a possibly broken nose. ├óÔé¼┼ôFUCK!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted. Richy pulled out his smooth bore pistol, a antique device that could barely be called a weapon. Peter looked at Ron as if he didn't know what had caused his sudden incapacitation. Everyone was tense, and with a gun at hand it took one wrong move to start a firefight.
Ron stood up, his hand covering his nose as blood streamed down his face. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou broke your loyalty to your clan, to your gang├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, dropping all pretense of being friendly ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd i was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt├óÔé¼┬Ø. Richy slightly relaxed his pistol, so he didn't aim it at Peter, but at the same time wasn't quite aiming it away. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut now, you've made thing a lot worse for your self├óÔé¼┬Ø Ron said.
Liz was tired of this. She plucked the pistol out of the unaware Richy's hands as he relaxed his guard. She then elbowed him in the stomach and kicked him in the stomach, sending him vertical a few inches before he collapsed. She then smoothly brought the pistol around to point it at Ron's leg. He barely started to say something before she blew his kneecap out.
Peter was rather surprised at theses turn of events. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat, you where thinking i can't do something myself├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. She turned back to the end of the ally way and walked out. Peter looked at the two thugs, who where on the ground, moaning in pain. He shrugged and followed Liz out of the ally way. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets get off of this shit planet├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, shouldering her way through the crowd. She was getting very good at going through crowds.
├óÔé¼┼ôIts what i always say├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said as they sat in the space port. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes, dear?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked sardonically. ├óÔé¼┼ôthe longer you stay at the bottom of the gravity well├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz continued, looking at the other people waiting for a trip to orbit. They had taken a plane from New Hope, which still operated a pitiful airport, and where now sitting in the space port, which looked uncomfortable similar to the air port they had been in over three hours ago.
├óÔé¼┼ôThe more your brain is compressed├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter finished for her ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've said that five times now├óÔé¼┬Ø he pointed out. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are sorry to report that shuttle flight 2..1...1....1...2├óÔé¼┬Ø the computer said, skipping over the numbers as it used multiple voice tracks to stated the number. ├óÔé¼┼ôDAMN IT!├óÔé¼┬Ø shouted Liz. Several people looked at her in annoyance.
├óÔé¼┼ôI landers├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz stated. ├óÔé¼┼ôIncluding me?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôif you had any sense you would of be born in space├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter laughed. An hour, a very low quality meal, and Liz commenting on how gravity forced itself on her. Finally they boarded the ship and it took off. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow this is the hard part├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz whispered. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't kill anyone├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter whispered. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to freshen up first├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, her voice at normal volume.
The where seated at the edge of the center chair block. Peter had never thought of how much shuttle's were almost exactly like planes, even though you had to stay in them for much longer. ├óÔé¼┼ôI wish i had paid for a Transsteller liner├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said to the man sitting next to him. The man snickered. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôTranssteller went under a few days ago, after the knowledge about the entire 'Liner hit by the Banshee's' came out├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said. Peter's grin melted away ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø he replied.
Liz walked into the bathroom, carrying a small bag. Landers, she thought,don't notice anything odd when a woman walks on board a ship with a small bag. She walked into a unoccupied stall and closed the door. It was a rather tight fit. That happens to block X-rays she grinned as she yanked the bag open. Inside was two vials, one black and one pink, a injector and her laser pistol. She took out the black vial and snapped it into the injector.
The movie was hackneyed. Its directing was poor, the camera angles awful and the acting wooden. So at least one person was happy when the screen at the front of the shuttle exploded. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz shouted, pointing her pistol at Peter's head in the classical hostage stance ├óÔé¼┼ôI am stealing the ship!├óÔé¼┬Ø. A security guard who was more on his toe's pulled out his gun. ├óÔé¼┼ôPut the piece on the floor, or i blow this man's brains out!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz shouted.
The guard grudgingly threw it on the ground, and the primitive, but still dangerous projectile weapon skidded across the floor. Liz bent over slowly and picked up the gun. It seemed to have six chambers, with a bullet in each. Liz held it in her other hand, which was hard as it was holding Peter by the neck. ├óÔé¼┼ôEase up a bit├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter whispered ├óÔé¼┼ôYour strangling me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz held him tighter and he shut up.
The two injections had done their work, so the crew and passengers recognized this wasn't just a random terrorist. This was Elizabeth Montoya, famed criminal complete with her trade mark tattoos. So for the more traveled people on board, it was like meeting a celebrity. Liz advanced down the row, her eye's darting over the people. None pulled a gun. The guard was keeping his hands up. The reached the bridge of the shuttle, a small and cramp room. Their was no one in it.
Peter was confused for a bit. Liz however let him go and slammed the door shut. The two guards outside the door looked shocked at the two of them secured the bridge. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell?├óÔé¼┬Ø one of the guards asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôTheir in cahoots!├óÔé¼┬Ø the other snapped at him ├óÔé¼┼ôGet someone with a laser pistol, or something├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôComputer├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôSet course for...├óÔé¼┬Ø she looked at Peter. ├óÔé¼┼ô120-332-910├óÔé¼┬Ø he said helpfully. ├óÔé¼┼ôWarning, this dose not comply to the set route for this shi-├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz shot the speaker for the piloting A.I. It exploded in a shower of sparks as the nearly invisible pulse laser slammed into it. Peter winced. The air of the cabin, or more accurately the dust motes in the cabin, reflected the light. Peter rubbed at his eye's as the after image of the laser burned itself into his eyes. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't look at lasers in air├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz reprimanded him. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow we wait├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, leaning against the wall. The cabin was rather spartan, with no windows, no displays and no clock.
Roughly a half hour later they got to the location, which was signified by a shuddering as the engines corrected for the ship's drift, which was pretty slow so it didn't interfere with the customers centripetal gravity. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou remembered the communicator, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked. Peter glanced at her slightly annoyed after pulling out the communicator. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said looking out of the small window set in the door.
The security guards had been trying to get into the cockpit. Their attempts, ranging from firing laser pistols at the door to hitting it with what looked like a lead pipe where largely unsuccessful. The ship suddenly shuddered and the gravity faded. ├óÔé¼┼ôCentripetal is down├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôGuss that means the Banshee's docked├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets go├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, hefting her pistol and tossing the six shooter to Peter in the micro gravity.
The door burst open and Liz slammed out into one of the security guards. One other fired, missed and hit the wall. The hull didn't breach, so the bullet ricocheted into the crowd that was now floating in the main cabin. Someone screamed, but by then Peter and Liz where zipping down the mostly clear hallways. Peter saw a man with a hole through his arm, but was sure that he would survive.
Peter opened the air lock, covering the security guards who where trying to get a good firing line through the increasingly panicking crowd. Liz darted into the Banshee, which had docked forcibly to the shuttle. Peter slammed the door shut as another bullet cracked through the space he had beens standing in. ├óÔé¼┼ôComputer!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz shouted to the on board A.I ├óÔé¼┼ôget us the hell out of here!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The Banshee disconnected from the shuttle and its engines flared to life and shot away from the Homeworld. Unfortunately Peter wasn't fully secured, and he fell backwards into the airlock door, sliding across the floor. He smashed against it as if he had been falling from a five story building. He felt something pop, then noticed his leg was at a rather funny angle.
Liz was secured and felt the brutal acceleration as the ship zipped away from Homeworld. After five or so minuets, the acceleration stopped and zero gee settled in the ship. ├óÔé¼┼ôGo to centripetal, ship├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said tiredly. Then she heard some screaming ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the...├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered to herself ├óÔé¼┼ôIts down by the airlock├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Peter looked at his kneecap. It seemed to have moved to the right a bit. So why did it hurt so damned much, was his main thought. The airlock corridor was short, but high gee had made his fall far more painful and damaging. Liz dropped into the short corridor and looked Peter over. ├óÔé¼┼ôGod damn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø He groaned ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell happened?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz looked over the wound ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've dislocated your kneecap├óÔé¼┬Ø she said.
A few minuets later she returned from the ships supply cabinet with a injector. ├óÔé¼┼ôHold still damn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Peter, nearly crippled with pain, forced himself to hold still. Suddenly pain went away. But he couldn't move. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't panic├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts the next best thing to a pain killer. A paralyzer. You can breath, look around, but don't try anything else. Just focuses on breathing├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter found that breathing was very hard.
Liz looked over the knee. Based off her very vague idea of human anatomy, you should be able to pop it back into place. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell this wont hurt, but it might make it worse├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said. Then she thought that mabey Peter wouldn't wand to hear that. She took the leg and straightened it. She heard a slight pop. The leg was straight, and the bump that she presumed was Peter's kneecap disappeared. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat looks better├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Amber looked at the ship. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is your ship?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked Olivia. The other woman sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôThats what everyone says├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said. The ship looked dilapidated, and seemed to hail from a prior age of space travel. Its engines where on ONE side, and the entire thing was made of aluminum and it looked entirely impractical for long term space travel.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell, come on board├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said, gesturing to a airlock that had a rather large wheel you have to open. Amber stepped up to it and Olivia jerked the wheel open and the door slid open. Amber stepped in and looked at the rusted wall's and dripping pipes. A single fan of unknown purpose spun around behind a grate. A light behind it cast a menacing shadow on the far wall. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is home├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said, pushing past Amber.
The ship slipped out of Leviathan's docking port, and Liz looked around the cockpit. It was small, cramped and looked like a lot of the walls was filled with pointless lights and switches. Olivia flipped two switches and a low rumble went through the ship. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat did you just do?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôStarted fuel transfer├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said, before pressing two buttons. The button's, which where red, suddenly flickered to a green color.
Then the engines on. The ship shot through space really really really fast. Amber felt gravity assert itself, but not in the direction the outside of the ship suggested. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said, seeming completely unperturbed by the gravity ├óÔé¼┼ôThis entire set up is a ruse. Who is going to board a ship that looks like its from 2003?├óÔé¼┬Ø she pointed out.
├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, a vein on her neck twitching as she tried to keep her head up ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you slow down to at least 1 or 1.5 Gee's?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh, sure├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said, turning a dial down on the dash board. The gravity relaxed and Amber got up slowly. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow long before we get to Homeworld?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. Olivia looked away from console ├óÔé¼┼ôAbout two days, or so at this burn. Less if we go faster├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you have a water chair, or something similar?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôA acceleration tanks in the back├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said.
Acceleration tanks where a product of a bygone day when only really adventurous landers went into space, and they did not want to spend a long time their. So, to keep up extream accelerations, they built Acceleration tanks. It looked like a cylinder, and had a lot of tubes and needles connected to to tubes. A bit too much like Amber's outmoded power armor for her, but oh well. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm going to speed up in a few moments├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia called back.
├óÔé¼┼ôImpatient little├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber muttered to herself, pressing the open button on the acceleration tank. The liquid inside drained away and she stepped in. She closed her eye's as a thick blue liquid started to fill the tank. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy is it always blue?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked as she felt like she was floating in space. It was surprisingly relaxing.
Olivia took the dial on the dashboard and turned it back up to its full settings. A readout on her main screen, typed out in glowing green letters that looked like something from the 1980's, let alone the 2000 era. ├óÔé¼┼ôETA:10 hours, five minuets. Aprox├óÔé¼┬Ø
Olivia finished the pattern, standing in a pose that would have been hard to keep in normal gravity. In three it was excruciatingly painful, and would break a untrained persons legs under the strain. The sword wobbled slightly as her muscles twitched under the strain. Olivia held the pose for a few more moments, then relaxed. She looked to the side slowly, moving as little of her body as she could. They had hit the midway point.
She relaxed at exactly the right moment, so the sudden alteration of gravity as the engines went off wouldn't send her flying into the celling. The star field she saw out of the window rotated gently as the ship spun around. After it had completely flipped, Olivia braced herself. It was going to be a long five hour's.
They where all around her, pressing in on all sides. She tried to fight back, but they held her down. A paralyzing weight was pressing over her. She couldn't breath. Then...something was different. They where...oh god! Oh god!
Amber flailed out and her hand struck the side of the tube. The thick liquid around her was draining away. The tube opened, multiple needles and a single large feeding tube in her throat slid out. She hit the floor, gagging. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet up├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said, looking at her, arms crossed. Amber rolled onto her front and slowly stood up. The gravity was normal she noticed. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are almost there, and the ships almost done acceleration├óÔé¼┬Ø
Amber walked down the hall, her skin suit drying off quickly. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe just need to pass the picket ships├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said ├óÔé¼┼ôSo you should stay back and listen├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said. The ship suddenly smashed to the side, the wall becoming the floor. The metal stressed, sounding like a actual banshee screaming through the ship. A warning klaxon blared, red light suddenly replacing the normal white light. Olivia grabbed a useless pipe on the wall and 'shoved' herself down the wall. The ship must be rotating to create gravity like that.
Olivia reached the cockpit and looked at several read outs. Engines fired and the ship's spin corrected itself. ├óÔé¼┼ôFUCK!├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked, running into the cockpit. ├óÔé¼┼ôDeploying drones├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said. Hidden ports in the side of the ship disgorged ten drones, each one moving so fast the eye could not track their progress. ├óÔé¼┼ôEvasive├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said, slightly calmer now that she was fighting back.
Olivia's ship, though it looked old and rotten, was as nimble as a police fighter. It flipped round and round, then shot through the glittering band of the Asteroid Belt. A lot of asteroids in the Belt where connected in massive scaffolds. The belt was split into four sectors, Alpha, Beta, Delta and Gamma. Right now Olivia's ship was in the Beta sector, witch was owned by, or rather WAS owned by the now defunct Transsteller line's, and it was basically a huge scaffold.
So the police skiff that had opened fire on her stopped firing its explosive rounds, fearing to damage the scaffolding. The drone's Olivia deplored where not so scrupulous. The skiff, piloted by what amounted to a brain in a jar connected to the ship and the required systems to keep it alive, spun and whirled out of the scaffolding. Explosive rounds from the drones hypervelocity cannons smashed into and through the scaffolding. The golden rule of collisions in space is that they are very rare...until one happens.
One of the large support beams exploded, the atmosphere inside detonating and sending a rippling shock wave through the metal around it. This ripple hit the asteroids at the ends of the support beam, shattering them. Shards of those asteroids spread out and started smashing into other parts of the scaffold in a miasma of destruction. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets get the hell out of here!├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber shouted as the ship started to do more and more frantic efforts to dodge fragments.
The skiff fired three missiles, and those, piloted by medium end A.I's, snaked through the expanding debris fields. Olivia's hands darted over the control panel of her ship and directed two drones to destroy the missiles. The Skiff, spotting her smaller ship exiting the debris field, fired its flack cannons. The shells, designed to explode next to or on a ship, where fired out in a pattern that would corral the ship into a specified corridor.
The explosions did no damage out side of their relatively small shortwave's, as they where unaided by air. However the shrapnel, if it just so happened to fly through something vulnerable. Like it did then. There was a splintering and suddenly something in the floor exploded outward, then inward as air started to be blown outwards. Amber shoved her foot into the hole and tried to block some of the air loss. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said ├óÔé¼┼ôTime to pull out the big guns!├óÔé¼┬Ø
The skiff, unfortunately for them, decided to do the same. It fired three solid mercury rounds out of its main cannon, a snub nosed rail gun that could barely fire a shell at three kilometers per second. The first two missed by a hair's breadth without Amber or Olivia even knowing they had been fired. The third scraped along the upper armor of the ship.
This produced the effect of a massive knife being dragged over the top of the ship, cutting a gouge so deep that it almost split the ship in two. The world went black, the only light coming from the explosions that were continuing in the Beta sector. Amber felt a mask press over her face and the world was suddenly snapped into a green hue. ├óÔé¼┼ôListen├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said ├óÔé¼┼ôOur hull's been breeched. You've been breathing a very thin atmosphere├óÔé¼┬Ø.
That explained the lightheaded feeling, Amber thought. ├óÔé¼┼ôFollow├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said, her voice sounding only because she was pressing her O2 mask so close to Amber's that they looked like they where kissing. Amber struggled to her feet, the spinning ship throwing her inner ear out of what suddenly. The managed to get half way down the nearest corridor before the Skiff's search light shone through a hole in the roof. Olivia said ├óÔé¼┼ôLets get to the pods├óÔé¼┬Ø, her voice tinny in the thin atmosphere.
The Marshall received the information and nodded slightly. His subordinate saluted back, and walked away, clip board in hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø the President said, spinning around in his chair ├óÔé¼┼ôYou say that Owens has defected?├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Marshall nodded. The President leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples ├óÔé¼┼ôGod damn it├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôI thought Owens was out best operative├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôThats not exactly true├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said, sitting down in the chair that sat in front of the President's desk ├óÔé¼┼ôHe was a scientists, not an Operative per say├óÔé¼┬Ø. The President laughed humorlessly. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut yes, that is true. Owens was...special├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said slowly, mulling over his words carefully. You could only trust the President so far. The President leaned forward, sliding his pen into a small slot on his desk, ├óÔé¼┼ôCut the crap├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.
The Marshall looked at the President, one of his incredibly thin eyebrows lifting slightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôTell me about Project Oblivion├óÔé¼┬Ø the President said slowly, as if it was a word he had never said before. The Marshall sat straight up, placing his hands on his arm rests. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have no idea what you are prying into├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said, accenting his words with a subtle threat. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo i?├óÔé¼┬Ø the President asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWell...if your not inclined to talk about the Project, tell me about the shoot out in...├óÔé¼┬Ø he pulled up a data slate ├óÔé¼┼ôBeta sector├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh, a minor altercation├óÔé¼┬Ø the Marshall said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was the offending ship that caused the explosions├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAh├óÔé¼┬Ø the President said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou are dismissed├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Marshall got up, and snapped off a perfect salute. Then he winked at the President ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen you look into the Abyss├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Abyss looks back├óÔé¼┬Ø . Then he walked out of the office, leaving the President to think what he will.
Liz looked at Beta sector. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered. Peter looked at his leg, feeling as if it was going to explode if he put weight on it. ├óÔé¼┼ôPeter look at this├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, pointing to the screen. Peter looked up. It looked like three overlapping spheres of light expanding slowly with thousands of dark spots on the fore front. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats the explosion we are heading to├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said.
├óÔé¼┼ôShouldn't we...move in another direction?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe wavefront will dissipate long before we get there├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo i shouldn't worry, and get some sleep?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're going to be setting down in Vulcan in a few hours├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôVulcan?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, reclining in his chair. ├óÔé¼┼ôthe Roman god of smithing. Its one of the few industrial asteroids devoted to nanosmithing├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Peter fell asleep.
The radio chatter was loud and unencrypted. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll units. All units. Target 2 has been splashed. Repeat T2 has been splashed├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôConfirmed. Skiff 901 report to stardock├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo they think we are dead?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked, nursing a drink. ├óÔé¼┼ôApparently├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said. She was not in the mood for talking, being more intent on the police radio she just happened to have in her pocket. Amber looked out of the window. They had not had much air. Or time. They had gotten into the escape pod, and Amber had eyeballed a trajectory. Then Olivia pressed the fire button and the escape pod shot out of the ship, helped along its way by some high explosives.
Now they sat in what could best be termed a bar/hotel. It was a small asteroid that someone had hollowed out and stuck and engine too. The man who owned it, a man amicably nicknamed ├óÔé¼┼ôFat Erny├óÔé¼┬Ø even though he was skinner then what most people would consider healthy, had picked up the frantic ├óÔé¼┼ôPick me up! Pick me up!├óÔé¼┬Ø signal that Olivia's escape pod sent out.
He didn't seem perturbed when two sweaty and grimy women with multiple abrasions and one rather sever laceration down one their thighs, walking into his bar and asked for a room. ├óÔé¼┼ôThird door on the left├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, looking back down to his data slate. His bar made up roughly fifty percent of the asteroid and had three people in it at the time, each drinking themselves into a torpor.
Olivia bandaged her wounds, while Amber sponged herself off. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo what do you say, lay low down here for a while?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôSounds like a plan├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said, grunting as she pulled a makeshift bandage tight around her leg. Amber put her drink down, the fell into the small cot that obviously was supposed to be a bed.
The Banshee docked with Vulcan, its engines flaring in the darkness of space periodicaly as it matched rotation with the asteroid. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy is this taking longer then at Leviathan?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, snapping a brace on his leg. It was a filled with a healing agent that would be slowly seeped into Peter skin. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause Leviathan wasn't rotating├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said preoccupied with a data slate.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you looking at?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôObituary├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said quietly. Peter looked at her. She was sobbing softly. The highlighted line on the data slate said: ├óÔé¼┼ôElizabeth Montoya Snr. Cause of death unknown├óÔé¼┬Ø . ├óÔé¼┼ôElizabeth├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, laying a hand on her shoulder, half expecting it to be thrown off. But Liz found it with her own, and held it as they docked with the open side of Vulcan.
She relaxed at exactly the right moment, so the sudden alteration of gravity as the engines went off wouldn't send her flying into the celling. The star field she saw out of the window rotated gently as the ship spun around. After it had completely flipped, Olivia braced herself. It was going to be a long five hour's.
They where all around her, pressing in on all sides. She tried to fight back, but they held her down. A paralyzing weight was pressing over her. She couldn't breath. Then...something was different. They where...oh god! Oh god!
Amber flailed out and her hand struck the side of the tube. The thick liquid around her was draining away. The tube opened, multiple needles and a single large feeding tube in her throat slid out. She hit the floor, gagging. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet up├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said, looking at her, arms crossed. Amber rolled onto her front and slowly stood up. The gravity was normal she noticed. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are almost there, and the ships almost done acceleration├óÔé¼┬Ø
Amber walked down the hall, her skin suit drying off quickly. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe just need to pass the picket ships├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said ├óÔé¼┼ôSo you should stay back and listen├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said. The ship suddenly smashed to the side, the wall becoming the floor. The metal stressed, sounding like a actual banshee screaming through the ship. A warning klaxon blared, red light suddenly replacing the normal white light. Olivia grabbed a useless pipe on the wall and 'shoved' herself down the wall. The ship must be rotating to create gravity like that.
Olivia reached the cockpit and looked at several read outs. Engines fired and the ship's spin corrected itself. ├óÔé¼┼ôFUCK!├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked, running into the cockpit. ├óÔé¼┼ôDeploying drones├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said. Hidden ports in the side of the ship disgorged ten drones, each one moving so fast the eye could not track their progress. ├óÔé¼┼ôEvasive├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said, slightly calmer now that she was fighting back.
Olivia's ship, though it looked old and rotten, was as nimble as a police fighter. It flipped round and round, then shot through the glittering band of the Asteroid Belt. A lot of asteroids in the Belt where connected in massive scaffolds. The belt was split into four sectors, Alpha, Beta, Delta and Gamma. Right now Olivia's ship was in the Beta sector, witch was owned by, or rather WAS owned by the now defunct Transsteller line's, and it was basically a huge scaffold.
So the police skiff that had opened fire on her stopped firing its explosive rounds, fearing to damage the scaffolding. The drone's Olivia deplored where not so scrupulous. The skiff, piloted by what amounted to a brain in a jar connected to the ship and the required systems to keep it alive, spun and whirled out of the scaffolding. Explosive rounds from the drones hypervelocity cannons smashed into and through the scaffolding. The golden rule of collisions in space is that they are very rare...until one happens.
One of the large support beams exploded, the atmosphere inside detonating and sending a rippling shock wave through the metal around it. This ripple hit the asteroids at the ends of the support beam, shattering them. Shards of those asteroids spread out and started smashing into other parts of the scaffold in a miasma of destruction. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets get the hell out of here!├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber shouted as the ship started to do more and more frantic efforts to dodge fragments.
The skiff fired three missiles, and those, piloted by medium end A.I's, snaked through the expanding debris fields. Olivia's hands darted over the control panel of her ship and directed two drones to destroy the missiles. The Skiff, spotting her smaller ship exiting the debris field, fired its flack cannons. The shells, designed to explode next to or on a ship, where fired out in a pattern that would corral the ship into a specified corridor.
The explosions did no damage out side of their relatively small shortwave's, as they where unaided by air. However the shrapnel, if it just so happened to fly through something vulnerable. Like it did then. There was a splintering and suddenly something in the floor exploded outward, then inward as air started to be blown outwards. Amber shoved her foot into the hole and tried to block some of the air loss. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said ├óÔé¼┼ôTime to pull out the big guns!├óÔé¼┬Ø
The skiff, unfortunately for them, decided to do the same. It fired three solid mercury rounds out of its main cannon, a snub nosed rail gun that could barely fire a shell at three kilometers per second. The first two missed by a hair's breadth without Amber or Olivia even knowing they had been fired. The third scraped along the upper armor of the ship.
This produced the effect of a massive knife being dragged over the top of the ship, cutting a gouge so deep that it almost split the ship in two. The world went black, the only light coming from the explosions that were continuing in the Beta sector. Amber felt a mask press over her face and the world was suddenly snapped into a green hue. ├óÔé¼┼ôListen├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said ├óÔé¼┼ôOur hull's been breeched. You've been breathing a very thin atmosphere├óÔé¼┬Ø.
That explained the lightheaded feeling, Amber thought. ├óÔé¼┼ôFollow├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said, her voice sounding only because she was pressing her O2 mask so close to Amber's that they looked like they where kissing. Amber struggled to her feet, the spinning ship throwing her inner ear out of what suddenly. The managed to get half way down the nearest corridor before the Skiff's search light shone through a hole in the roof. Olivia said ├óÔé¼┼ôLets get to the pods├óÔé¼┬Ø, her voice tinny in the thin atmosphere.
The Marshall received the information and nodded slightly. His subordinate saluted back, and walked away, clip board in hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø the President said, spinning around in his chair ├óÔé¼┼ôYou say that Owens has defected?├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Marshall nodded. The President leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples ├óÔé¼┼ôGod damn it├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôI thought Owens was out best operative├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôThats not exactly true├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said, sitting down in the chair that sat in front of the President's desk ├óÔé¼┼ôHe was a scientists, not an Operative per say├óÔé¼┬Ø. The President laughed humorlessly. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut yes, that is true. Owens was...special├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said slowly, mulling over his words carefully. You could only trust the President so far. The President leaned forward, sliding his pen into a small slot on his desk, ├óÔé¼┼ôCut the crap├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.
The Marshall looked at the President, one of his incredibly thin eyebrows lifting slightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôTell me about Project Oblivion├óÔé¼┬Ø the President said slowly, as if it was a word he had never said before. The Marshall sat straight up, placing his hands on his arm rests. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have no idea what you are prying into├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said, accenting his words with a subtle threat. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo i?├óÔé¼┬Ø the President asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWell...if your not inclined to talk about the Project, tell me about the shoot out in...├óÔé¼┬Ø he pulled up a data slate ├óÔé¼┼ôBeta sector├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh, a minor altercation├óÔé¼┬Ø the Marshall said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was the offending ship that caused the explosions├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAh├óÔé¼┬Ø the President said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou are dismissed├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Marshall got up, and snapped off a perfect salute. Then he winked at the President ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen you look into the Abyss├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Abyss looks back├óÔé¼┬Ø . Then he walked out of the office, leaving the President to think what he will.
Liz looked at Beta sector. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered. Peter looked at his leg, feeling as if it was going to explode if he put weight on it. ├óÔé¼┼ôPeter look at this├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, pointing to the screen. Peter looked up. It looked like three overlapping spheres of light expanding slowly with thousands of dark spots on the fore front. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats the explosion we are heading to├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said.
├óÔé¼┼ôShouldn't we...move in another direction?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe wavefront will dissipate long before we get there├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo i shouldn't worry, and get some sleep?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're going to be setting down in Vulcan in a few hours├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôVulcan?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, reclining in his chair. ├óÔé¼┼ôthe Roman god of smithing. Its one of the few industrial asteroids devoted to nanosmithing├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Peter fell asleep.
The radio chatter was loud and unencrypted. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll units. All units. Target 2 has been splashed. Repeat T2 has been splashed├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôConfirmed. Skiff 901 report to stardock├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo they think we are dead?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked, nursing a drink. ├óÔé¼┼ôApparently├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said. She was not in the mood for talking, being more intent on the police radio she just happened to have in her pocket. Amber looked out of the window. They had not had much air. Or time. They had gotten into the escape pod, and Amber had eyeballed a trajectory. Then Olivia pressed the fire button and the escape pod shot out of the ship, helped along its way by some high explosives.
Now they sat in what could best be termed a bar/hotel. It was a small asteroid that someone had hollowed out and stuck and engine too. The man who owned it, a man amicably nicknamed ├óÔé¼┼ôFat Erny├óÔé¼┬Ø even though he was skinner then what most people would consider healthy, had picked up the frantic ├óÔé¼┼ôPick me up! Pick me up!├óÔé¼┬Ø signal that Olivia's escape pod sent out.
He didn't seem perturbed when two sweaty and grimy women with multiple abrasions and one rather sever laceration down one their thighs, walking into his bar and asked for a room. ├óÔé¼┼ôThird door on the left├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, looking back down to his data slate. His bar made up roughly fifty percent of the asteroid and had three people in it at the time, each drinking themselves into a torpor.
Olivia bandaged her wounds, while Amber sponged herself off. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo what do you say, lay low down here for a while?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôSounds like a plan├óÔé¼┬Ø Olivia said, grunting as she pulled a makeshift bandage tight around her leg. Amber put her drink down, the fell into the small cot that obviously was supposed to be a bed.
The Banshee docked with Vulcan, its engines flaring in the darkness of space periodicaly as it matched rotation with the asteroid. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy is this taking longer then at Leviathan?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, snapping a brace on his leg. It was a filled with a healing agent that would be slowly seeped into Peter skin. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause Leviathan wasn't rotating├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said preoccupied with a data slate.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you looking at?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôObituary├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said quietly. Peter looked at her. She was sobbing softly. The highlighted line on the data slate said: ├óÔé¼┼ôElizabeth Montoya Snr. Cause of death unknown├óÔé¼┬Ø . ├óÔé¼┼ôElizabeth├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, laying a hand on her shoulder, half expecting it to be thrown off. But Liz found it with her own, and held it as they docked with the open side of Vulcan.