Darkside

maverick256 · Post by **maverick256** » 10 Apr 2006, 20:39

yeah. And I was hoping the good doctor's daughter would actually be good, instead of evil. Too bad.

Zoombie · Post by **Zoombie** » 10 Apr 2006, 21:51

Mwuahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Archangel of Death · Post by **Archangel of Death** » 10 Apr 2006, 21:57

Zoombie you twisted, twisted person.

Zoombie · Post by **Zoombie** » 10 Apr 2006, 23:37

See above

Zoombie · Post by **Zoombie** » 11 Apr 2006, 08:00

Things are comming to a head.

├óÔé¼┼ôI got to get to the phone!├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall grunted, sitting up in the same bed he had, minuets ago, gotten out of. ├óÔé¼┼ôGod damn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø The doctor said, shoving him back down ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've lost enough blood to be considered technically dead by some laws├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell I'm not├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I need to get to a phone!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø The doctor asked.

├óÔé¼┼ôBecause, right now, a brainwashed cyborg is carrying a 6 to 8 H atomic bomb to the center of Leviathan! Because in a hour or so this entire city will be so much dust and radiation!├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall snapped. The doctor was stunned ├óÔé¼┼ôA...a nuke?├óÔé¼┬Ø He asked somewhat dimly. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes!├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said ├óÔé¼┼ôSo I need someone to get the mayor to run a fucking radiological scan!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The doctor, realizing the depth of the situation, ran out of the room.

├óÔé¼┼ôSo you want me to run a Rscan to find ANOTHER psychotic cyborg├óÔé¼┬Ø The head of the police said, running his pen through his hands, wishing his aid would get back with the headache medication. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø The doctor said ├óÔé¼┼ôThis man is still trying to get to you, after getting shot a record twenty times├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd he's going to live?├óÔé¼┬Ø The head of the police said, leaning over his desk and looking at the phone. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes, actually. His blood production is through the roof. He only needed a iron transfusion and some nutrient supplements. Good thing, as his blood type is completely bizarre├óÔé¼┬Ø

The head of the police sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll see what I can do├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, closing his eyes. If they didn't come up with anything he would catch hell. The doctor turned the phone off and walked out of the booth. He walked back to the room with the Marshall in it, flashing his doctor badge to the two police officers that had arrived to guard the Marshall. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said, looking at the doctor as he walked in ├óÔé¼┼ôDid you get through?├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôA high resolution Rscan is going to start soon├óÔé¼┬Ø the doctor said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you have brought hell down on this hospital! We've never had a shooting├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was worth it├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said, relaxing. Then, almost as an after though, he looked at the doctor ├óÔé¼┼ôIn case they weren't in time, get off Leviathan now├óÔé¼┬Ø. The doctor gulped. Something in the man's blood drained face made him trust him.

An hour later he was on a ship falling to the asteroid belt.

Amber kicked the wall of her cell, earning her a mild shock. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell that was a great plan├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôRun after him and shoot as fast as possible├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôI didn't expect the police officers arresting me├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôI have some even worse news for you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz groaned ├óÔé¼┼ôDid Marco die, or something?├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut you were shooting at Peter├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWHAT!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz shouted, falling off of the cot. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats right├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber grinned wryly ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Marshall's in the hospital, and Peter killed five police officers, three civilians and tried to kill you├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôHoly fucking shit!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz groaned, still lying on the floor of the cell ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is going on!├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Suddenly a shout broke through the prison hall. Then a smash, a clatter. Then a gun going off and a wet snap, as if a bone were breaking. Amber and Liz craned their heads, trying to see out of the hall and into the guards room. One of the officers flew back, blood spraying from his nose. He lands against the wall and slides down, unconscious. Then the Marshall, wearing a torn hospital smock, walked into the cell block.

├óÔé¼┼ôCome to gloat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, actually├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall tottered on his feet. He had broken out of the hospital, tracked down the jail and knocked two police officers out after being shot twenty times, and as such was feeling very woozy. ├óÔé¼┼ôAny of you got food?├óÔé¼┬Ø He asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI really need some fuel├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI've got a candy bar├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, pulling out the snickers and chucking it through the bars. The Marshall tore the wrapper off and ate the bar in two bites.

├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, his face flushing slightly as his ultra Efficient digestive system used every last erg of chemical energy left to make new blood and power his torn muscles. Cybernetic implants all over his body, placed in his stomach, bones, kidneys and lungs rebuilding his body and rejuvenating him. A new form of blood, pumped out by implants strewn throughout his marrow, starts to course through his body, and for the first time since wakening up in the hospital he felt alive.

Then, as soon as it arrived, it passed. The after taste of the candy bar fades and the Marshall feels only managerially better. He takes one step, stumbles as his torn calf fails to support his weigh, and faints.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat a great plan!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz groaned, kicking the cot in her cell experimentally. It didn't shock her, but it gave slightly like a pillow. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy adrenalin reserves were lower then I though├óÔé¼┬Ø the Marshall said, laying back down on his cot and trying not to move as much as he could. ├óÔé¼┼ôAdrenalin?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI thought you were a cyborg├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDoesn't mean I don't need to eat and drink├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said ├óÔé¼┼ôMy implants use chemical energy, just like the rest of my body. Granted I have batteries rather then fat stores and sixteen filters in my stomach for more efficient digestion├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôShut up├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd stop bragging├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall sat slowly up ├óÔé¼┼ôI think I can walk and talk now├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôReally?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. The Marshall stumbled, grabbing the a bar for support, and pressed the food dispenser's button. It bleeped and a single bowl of mush slid out of the dispenser. The Marshall grabbed the dish and the dispenser folded in on itself and slid into the wall. The Marshall drank the mush down in three gulps and sat back down.

A few minuets later Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôI wonder if they found the bomb├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell If they don't, I suspect that we won't notice├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said, smiling as he rubbed his stomach, full at last. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats the plan?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked ├óÔé¼┼ôwait here and get blown up?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôActually├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said, looking at the bars around his cell and finally chosen one. He slowly placed his foot on the bar, careful to not set off the force detector that starts off the shock. With his foot firmly placed on the bar The Marshall waited for the computer to decide that he was not a threat.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. The Marshall shoved hard with his entire leg and the bar smashed through the plastic surrounding the bar's top. Electricity sparked as wire's snapped and the bar clattered to the floor. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhoa├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz muttered, looking at the bar ├óÔé¼┼ôHow did you do that?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSimple├óÔé¼┬Ø the Marshall placed his foot on the next bar ├óÔé¼┼ôI pushed├óÔé¼┬Ø. Five bars later and all three of them were out.

├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø The aid said. The head of the police, who was taking headache medication and trying to relax ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have the results of the scan├óÔé¼┬Ø his aid said, handing him a data slate. The head of police read through it in a few moments.

Peter set his bomb down, turned around and walked to the nearest air lock, his left hand rummaging under his jacket, which he had pulled tight across his chest. Peter grunted, jerking his hand out of the jacket and dropping a crumpled, blood soaked bullet onto the ground and grinding it under foot. Then he reached under the jacket and pulled another.

He reached the air lock and opened the door, the air lock starting its cycle. It was unnecessary, but the computer didn't detect the ship on the other side of the bulkhead. The door opened and Peter walked into his ship, pulling out the last bullet with a slurp. His ship was a small pod, with four movable nacelles in the same vein of the Persephone, and had a single stealth generator strapped to the back. It was running at full strength and, enough for the light atmosphere leaking out of Leviathan freezing onto the side of the ship.

Compressed air, still used even in a hyper advanced war ship created by the brightest minds of the Overseers, fired out of small jets and pushed the ship away from Leviathan. Peter sat down in his chair, and flipped the activation switch on the ship. A holographic representation of his ship appeared, and Peter 'reached' into it with his hands. The computer detected his hands, and he started to control the ship by motion.

The ship fell away from Leviathan, and a single timer started to count down.

60:00

The Marshall ran down the corridor and delivered a kick that shattered bones into the police woman's sternum. A crack sounded and she fell back, clutching the three ribs that were now broken in several pieces. Amber and Liz caught up, ready to help. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't run so fast├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber gasped, staggering to a halt. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to get out of here├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said, leaning down and grabbing the police womans pistol and cocking it. ├óÔé¼┼ôWere to?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked, looking down the corridor for any more enemy's. The prison was more like a maze, and the cell blocks were innumerable.

├óÔé¼┼ôforward├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said ├óÔé¼┼ôOnce we get to the exit, Liz and I will├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber cut in ├óÔé¼┼ôWho made you leader?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall grumbled ├óÔé¼┼ôI broke you out of prison├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd he knows what the fuck is going on├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz pointed out. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine, but we still don't trust you├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said, continuing his plan ├óÔé¼┼ôAmber will go to Marco's mansion and get him onto the Persephone. Liz will go to the police headquarters and try to get them to evacuate. I will...I will├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall closed his eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôFind who is doing this...and kill them├óÔé¼┬Ø.

55:01

Liz looked over the desk at the head of police. Three riot police men aimed guns at her, and looked like they were ready to kill her if she twitched slightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo you want to evacuate the city based off of a bomb that doesn't exist├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz nodded slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôTrue├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet out of my office right now and I might let you not go to jail├óÔé¼┬Ø the head of the police said, grinning weakly and gesturing to the door.

Amber arrived at the mansion and ran into Olivia. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is going on!├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman asked ├óÔé¼┼ôThis entire area is under lock down. They say Peter killed people├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe has├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut more importantly we need to get out of here├óÔé¼┬Ø. Olivia chewed her lip ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôBomb├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber explained. Olivia nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôGood thing we have the Persephone[i/]├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't say things like that├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber moaned ├óÔé¼┼ôIts bad luck├óÔé¼┬Ø.

The Marshall saw the bomb. The bomb was stuck under a massive lead bulkhead, jutting out of the police's headquarters like a cancerous protrusion. It used to be the entrance to a warehouse, before the police had been established in Leviathan, and now it was hiding an atomic bomb. ├óÔé¼┼ôCame to watch?├óÔé¼┬Ø he heard a voice behind him. He turned around and saw Athena leaning gently against one of the many buildings that shot up around the area like massive tree's. The place itself was deserted. No one would walk through the base of Leviathan when you could fly through the air.

├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall gently ran his finger over the bomb and read the count down. 55:01, and going down ├óÔé¼┼ôI heard it was going to be quite a show├óÔé¼┬Ø. Athena laughed ├óÔé¼┼ôJason├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. The Marshall's back stiffened ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't call me that├óÔé¼┬Ø he said flatly. ├óÔé¼┼ôJason├óÔé¼┬Ø Athena repeated, not listing to his request ├óÔé¼┼ôI still love you├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't care├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said, looking over his shoulder at her and grinning sardonically ├óÔé¼┼ôAlly├óÔé¼┬Ø. Athena smiled, but it was forced ├óÔé¼┼ôI gauss both have abandoned our old names. I hid behind metaphor, you hid behind rank├óÔé¼┬Ø.

The Marshall nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôBut your metaphor I still don't understand├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell my brain is larger then yours. Smarter, faster.├óÔé¼┬Ø Athena frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôI thought I covered this before├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes but the name itself...├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said, looking back at the bomb. 51:51. ├óÔé¼┼ôAthena was the goddess of wisdom, springing forth from Zuse's head fully grown├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Marshall jerked his face, his imposter's face, into a wry grin ├óÔé¼┼ôGood choice. You came out of the operation, fully formed├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said.

├óÔé¼┼ôYou're going to kill me, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Athena said, cutting straight to the point. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes, actually├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're plan is insane. Its not worth killing six million-├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes yes yes├óÔé¼┬Ø Athena waved her hand through the air ├óÔé¼┼ôWe all know the tripe. Six million lives are not worth it, bla bla bla├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Marshall was taken aback slightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut do these people really deserve to live? They are criminals at best, degenerate, decadent and hedonistic scum at worst. Vampires. Genehacks. Datajills, and Datajacks. All of them sub-human├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôAnd we aren't?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, don't you see!├óÔé¼┬Ø Athena strode forward, looking into his eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôVampires and Genehacks are pollutions of genetic wizardry! One feeds on blood, the other on genetic strands. Both are parasitic...vile. Datajacks and Datajills have the same implants we use to interface with computers, but they use it to make money! Money! In just a few decades money will be next to useless├óÔé¼┬Ø Athena's eyes flashed ├óÔé¼┼ôIf we can focus human kind into a direction that expands outwards and upwards, then we can go farther then you... or Peter├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat did you do to him?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI loved him├óÔé¼┬Ø Athena said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd he reaped the rewards of my love, and became more then what he was├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAthena├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall fired. Athena backed up, feeling the dent in her forehead. Blood trickled from the skin, but her reinforced skull still held steady. The Marshall fired again. Athena fell back, her forehead buckling and blood starting to flow faster and faster. The Marshall fired once. Twice. Three times. Athena held her hand up, trying to bat away the bullets.

The Marshall fired again and the hole in her skull gave completely. Brain matter splashed out of the back of her head and a puddle of black liquid spread below Athena's skull. She twitched once and then stopped moving. The Marshall looked at the bomb. 39:11. The bomb was wired to explode when touched, tampered with or even turned off. There was nothing that could be done.

Zoombie · Post by **Zoombie** » 12 Apr 2006, 03:42

I have now hit the half way mark!

LETS KEEP UP THE PACE!

The Marshall hung up the phone. The police hadn't listened, not that he expected them to. He walked down the side of Leviathan, humming to himself. He looked over the entire cityscape, sinking in the beauties and its colors. It would be the last time anyone would see it.

├óÔé¼┼ôYou're back├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said. She was sitting on a crate, watching the door way of Marco's mansion. She was actually floating slightly above the crate, as the mansion was no longer spinning. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said, looking around the white corridor. It was drab, the paintings packed and the viewers off ├óÔé¼┼ôEvery one gone?├óÔé¼┬Ø He asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut you...and me├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo gun?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall asked.

├óÔé¼┼ôLook me in the eyes and say that this is not bull crap├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôTell me that there really is a bomb, that Peter is psychotic and that you're not really a bad man after I get to know you, and then├óÔé¼┬Ø she pulled a gun out from behind her back ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd then I will not have a gun├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Marshall grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôThe first two are true, but I'm not so sure about the third├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz frowned and holstered her pistol and pushed away from the crate ├óÔé¼┼ôTwo out of three's not bad...its only a D├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôSo where is the Persephone?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall asked as the two of them pushed away from the mansion. ├óÔé¼┼ôSeveral hundred kilometers from here and accelerating├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're taking a different ship├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhich ship?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall asked, looking Liz quizzically. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Banshee II├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said. The Marshall looked at her again. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked ├óÔé¼┼ôYou thought we only had one?├óÔé¼┬Ø.

1:33

Leviathan receded, finally. The Marshall never relaxed until the engines fired and even then his back was tense. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it all├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz muttered, staring at the city. ├óÔé¼┼ôThere is still a chance- ├óÔé¼┼ô The Marshall started to say until. The entire screen flared white and Liz brought her hand up, turning the monitor off. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it all├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered, then started to sob.

├óÔé¼┼ôApril 11th, 2110├óÔé¼┬Ø The President said, reading his teleprompter with the ease he had accumulated over the years ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a day that will forever be remembered as the day of First Contact. It is a cosmic tragedy that the day we learned that we are not alone in the universe was the day we also learned we, the Federal Union of Planets, are not safe. At six thirty, earth standard time, a unidentified probe entered Sol, orbited Leviathan for an hour and fired a pellet of antimatter into the side of the station. Six million lives were lost in a single instant of utter brutality.

We know that this probe arrived from the vicinity of Alpha Centuri, and we know it is most certainty not of human construction. It is my solemn duty to immideatly declare a state of emergency├óÔé¼┬Ø. The clouds the President was speaking too murmured. A state of emergency hadn't been declared since world war III. ├óÔé¼┼ôIn this state of emergency we will progress into the future, and find the enemy that has brazenly attacked us and destroy them!├óÔé¼┬Ø His voice raised in volume, his speech becoming more energetic. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd in the name of justice, freedom and democracy, we will build a new society in the stars! We will not be quietly destroyed. We will not allow enemies to kill us with out a single word in protest! My friends├óÔé¼┬Ø The President raised his hands to the celling ├óÔé¼┼ôWe will attack the alien! We will completely obliterate them!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The crowd started to clap, caught up in the oration.

The Marshall turned off the view screen. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it├óÔé¼┬Ø He snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôThey are taking this shit├óÔé¼┬Ø. He was alone in the room, his words echoing off the hard metal walls. The room itself was a dingy shack, about the size of a closet. It was situated next to millions of other rooms like it, and every few moments it leaned to the left and then to the right as the Arco it was situated in swayed with the wind. Earth stank.

There was a knock on the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall asked, walking to the door. Pulling it open he saw a woman, her face drawn with worry. A faint outline of her old tattoo's ran over her face, her tanned skin. ├óÔé¼┼ôLiz!├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said, stepping back slightly ├óÔé¼┼ôI thought you were never going to come back├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz shouted, stepping into the room, her tense face scrunching up into a furious face. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it! He asked, closing the door.

├óÔé¼┼ôIts Amber├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's signing up├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall was not sure he had heard her properly. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe has signed up for The Rodger Young├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôSo this is it├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said to herself ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Rodger Young├óÔé¼┬Ø. the ship itself was only a skeleton, but even so it was awe inspiring. The ship itself took up an entire third of the massive Titan Ship yards, paid for by the UP, and stretched a staggering six miles in length. Conical in shape, it would boast, in the end, over fifteen thousand men and women on board. Amber and the four hundred and ninety nine other people on her shuttle were just the preliminary.

├óÔé¼┼ôAll right maggots!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge shouted through the P.A ├óÔé¼┼ôWelcome to the Rodge Young, your home for the rest of your life├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber felt the shuttle decelerate suddenly, jerking her and four hundred or so other people to the left. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen we dock, report to your billets and stow your gear. Then you will meet in the holding chambers so we can see if we can whip your sorry asses into shape!├óÔé¼┬Ø

The shuttle docked and then Amber waited for three hours as four hundred and ninety nine other people shuffled into the billets. The only place on the ship that was complete, fully armored and pressurized, was the point of the cone. The point itself was buried in a huge chunk of ice. Ice was easy to make, made great amour when it was hundreds of meters thick and melted easily, making it great for dispersing laser fire. Point defense guns bristled from it, stopping bullets and missiles.

Amber threw her gear down under her billet. Three hundred bunks stretched to the left and the right, and another row above Amber and another row above that and a third row above that. Ladders went between the bunks, and people swarmed up and down them. ├óÔé¼┼ôA girl!├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber heard from above her. She looked up at the bunk above her. A redheaded woman leaned over the side of the bunk and grinned at Amber. ├óÔé¼┼ôHello├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said. ├óÔé¼┼ôPolite├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman said to the next bunk over. A man called back ├óÔé¼┼ôYou'll actually have to work to get your head between her legs├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Amber, cross that the man could assume so much, said evenly ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat if i want HER head between my legs?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe bites, too├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said back to the redhead, still not moving out of his bed. Amber climbed up the ladder, so she was on the same level as the others. The man was wire thin, blue haired and gold skinned. The woman was half a head shorter then Amber, and twice as thin. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats your name?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked the man. ├óÔé¼┼ôTipp├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, his eye's close. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd yours?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber looked at the redhead ├óÔé¼┼ôTapp├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôTipp here is my brother├óÔé¼┬Ø. She punched him in the side. Tipp rolled over.

├óÔé¼┼ôYou're billeted next to each other?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy misfortune├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said, still not facing them. ├óÔé¼┼ôFuck you too├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, grinning ├óÔé¼┼ôOh and who are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked Amber. ├óÔé¼┼ôI am Amberly Wishbourn├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, deciding to screw caution. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked, rolling over. ├óÔé¼┼ôSounds familiar├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said. Amber sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't believe we've been forgotten that quickly├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh right! I remember you now!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, sitting up ├óÔé¼┼ôYou used to be with Amber and Snouts, right? The band├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Amber slid back down the ladder, grumbling about fame and how if you don't keep doing things they forget you. After a few minuets a bell rang, blaring through the massive sleeping chamber. The chambers were massive, stretching up fifty feet. But they were only wide enough for the beds and walking in front of the bed, with doors every few feet. It was also cold, as the ice was close to the wall. ├óÔé¼┼ôListen up, maggots!├óÔé¼┬Ø the sarge shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôAll members of shuttle flight 1 report to the main chambers├óÔé¼┬Ø. Pointless, the flight 01 business. They were the only people other then construction workers currently stationed in the Rodger Young.

The main chambers were huge, stretching as high as the sleeping rooms, and fifteen times as wide. The five hundred men and woman, including Tipp, Tapp and Amber stood in a clump. ├óÔé¼┼ôFORM UP!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge shouted, his boots smashing on the floor as he practically charged into the room. The clump shut up and tried to get into formation. ├óÔé¼┼ôIN STRAIGHT LINES, YOU FUCKING IDIOTS!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge shouted.

The semi-orderly clump took more shouting, twenty five push ups and fifteen minuets to get straight. In the end the Sarge glowered at them and finally shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôMeet Major Donahue!├óÔé¼┬Ø he pointed to a blond woman, dressed in a gray uniform, ├óÔé¼┼ôShe will be the second half of your miserable lives!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge continued ├óÔé¼┼ôYou will not just be turned into Marines but you will also become a Navy Officer! Each and every one of you will have to be able to operate this ship and CLEAN IT WITH YOUR ENEMIES INTESTINES! Now salute!├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôSir, yes sir!├óÔé¼┬Ø They shouted, saluting as best they could. ├óÔé¼┼ôNOW WE GET TO THE FUN PART!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôRUN! RUN! RUN! RUN!├óÔé¼┬Ø. They broke into a run, and as sarge had put it, the fun part began.

├óÔé¼┼ôGod damn├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall sat down next to Liz on his cheap, earth bed. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe was taken in by the propaganda. I would have been, If i wasn't there├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, looking away from him ├óÔé¼┼ôAliens and all├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôAs she put it, she trusted the government more then a fucking cyborg├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Marshall grinned sardonically. ├óÔé¼┼ôThen I told her what you said, and that I trusted you...and she...├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz trailed away ├óÔé¼┼ôJoined the Army├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall finished for her.

├óÔé¼┼ôYou know what really gets me├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz looked at him, her eyes bright ├óÔé¼┼ôOver the past two months you are the only person who hasn't lied or been lied too. You are the one man in the entire solar system who hasn't been caught up by war fever, or is spreading it├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Marshall grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôWell thats what happens when you are on three sides at one point├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Liz grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know, back when I thought you were Peter, I wanted to fuck you so bad it hurt├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôSeems rather childish now├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell there are so many important things going on, and changes happening that there doesn't seem the time to├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz was cut off when The Marshall leaned in and kissed her.

Zoombie · Post by **Zoombie** » 12 Apr 2006, 06:01

What is the only band great enough to survive a hundred and fifty years, a world war that makes Hirosima like a water gun fight, AND a secret war between the Overseers and the Black Ops? First one to tell me...wins!

Amber smashed back into her bed, thanking every saint and deity she knew of that she had a bunk at the bottom of the ladder. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou fucking bitch├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp groaned, slowly pulling her self up with her arms screaming in agony. Tipp muttered the same. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey its not my fault i'm down here...├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut at least YOU get a nice view├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOf what?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, throwing her self on the bunk ├óÔé¼┼ôSweaty men trying to get lucky with sweaty women, and all of them being to tired to do much more then cuddle and talk about how...├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp went on in the same vein for the next ten minuets, but Amber had already fallen asleep.

The next day was more brutal then the first. Rather then do calisthenics for hours, they now learned hand to hand combat. ├óÔé¼┼ôTry to kill your partner!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôOr when you get to the real thing, the enemy will kill you!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber was paired off with a man who she could almost, but not quite recognize. ├óÔé¼┼ôReady! GO!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge shouted. Two hundred and fifty men and woman leaped forward and attacked their two hundred and fifty partners. Amber struck first and hard, her hand smashing into her partners sternum.

He fell back, clutching his chest. Amber stopped, thinking that was easy. ├óÔé¼┼ôKILL HIM!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge shouted, smashing her thigh with his shock stick. She jerked forward and, after recovering from the shock, kicked the man in the kneecap. It wouldn't kill him, but it would hurt. The man she was partnered with fell to the side, screaming. His scream was mixed in with hundres of others who were wounded. Amber kicked him again, this time in the face. He fell back, blood starting to pour down his face. This is kind of fun Amber thought, remembering who the man was. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow do you like me now, Larry?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked, kicking the smut peddler in the stomach.

After melee combat training they moved onto field aid. Amber spent the next twenty minuets applying sealant and stims to the man she had just beaten up, nursing him back to health. Fat Larry was still unconscious though, so Amber was none to gentle. After learning preliminary field aid, and hearing from Sarge that they would get a lot of practice at it, they moved to zero gee ranged combat. Donning a bulky space suit, equipped with thick ablative amour. She wielded a reaction rifle, which fired a chunk of anti matter. It acted like a rocket launcher, obliterating an sphere of fifty meters cubed, and could use the square milliliter of antimatter in fifty shots.

Everyone used them, firing at a nearby commit with them. It was oddly beautiful, hundreds of sparks of light and radiation bursting thousands of miles away. Amber pulled the trigger, feeling the slight whir as electro magnets fired pellets of anti-matter into the commit. After Z-gee training they moved onto more calisthenics, then Navy training programs. By now it was almost nine thirty, PM EST.

Mgr. Donahue was nicer then Sarge, but her training was hard. It quickly turned out that a light hugger needed countless hours of attention or it falls apart. Later, when it was finished, they were told that it would stay together much better. But for now they had to work like dogs, running repairs while learning spatial geometry and, even worse, the hierarchy needed to run a light hugger. At twelve thirty, PM EST, Amber fell down in her bunk. ├óÔé¼┼ôDonahue is a bitch├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said. ├óÔé¼┼ôTrue that├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber replied.

And so the first week passed, and they got their first 'weekend'. That is rather then working six to twelve, they only worked nine to nine. In between Amber, Tipp and Tapp lay in their bunks. ├óÔé¼┼ôSome weekend├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, laying in her bed. The uniforms they wore during practice were sheer to the point of embarrassment, and even those were abandoned by the men and women (and men and men and women and women) who used the only avenue of entertainment with complete abandon. The entire place was a slurry of jabbering voice's, shouts, moans and groans from those wounded in training and those currently diverting them selves.

├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôTipp what are you going to do?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSleep├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, rolling over and immideatly falling asleep. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôAmber what are you going to do for YOUR weekend├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber pursed her lips ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not rightly sure├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI could read, find a man to shackle too, sleep as Tipp's is doing, or, if I am feeling really adventurous, could stair at the celling and try to amuse myself├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôYou?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWell I could read├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp's said ├óÔé¼┼ôFind some woman to shackle to or-├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWoman?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked, sitting up. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, you going to make something of it├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, sounding angry. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôIf anything I am intrigued├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have a girl back home?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp's asked, leaning over the bunks side and looking at Amber. ├óÔé¼┼ôUsed too├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, frowning ├óÔé¼┼ôBut she was never all that interested...and she ran off with some man├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Tapps clambered down to Amber's bunk ├óÔé¼┼ôWell that it one thing├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôI am never going to do├óÔé¼┬Ø. She made motions to climb in, but Amber raised her hand ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm to damn tired to try new...calisthenics├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tapp shrugged ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I was ready to spend my evening in a productive manner├óÔé¼┬Ø she grunted, climbing back into her bed. ├óÔé¼┼ôTapp's├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked after a few moments. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah?├óÔé¼┬Ø the other woman said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWere you serious?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm always serious├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I would of lick-├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber cut her off ├óÔé¼┼ôEnough, enough├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI Am serious about getting extra sleep over this weekend. I think we are going to need it over the rest of our life├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôEnjoy your weekended, kids?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge asked, a mocking whine in his voice. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir yes sir!├óÔé¼┬Ø Was the reply. Some people slouched, and soon learned the err of their ways after the fiftieth push up. The training continued for the next three weeks, moving onto harder calisthenics, martial arts and more complicated weapons in zero gee. Laser rifles, plasma rifles, anti-matter beams. Even old M160's. They trained with everything and anything.

They also learned more and more things about space combat then Amber had ever even thought there was. They learned how to take down a bigger ship, how to take down smaller ships, how to destroy armada's with a well placed shot, and how to best board enemy ships. They also learned that military life, even in training, was dangerous. Because on the third week someone died.

├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp wheedled. ├óÔé¼┼ôFor the last fucking time you're not giving me a back rub├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou said you were interested a week ago├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp complained, but they were interrupted by a scream. Amber shot out of bed and Tapp jumped down, falling with a clump. They both ran down, to gather in a crowd around the corpse. The man was Kelly, one of the other recruits. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat happened?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp asked. Tipp, who was nearest to the accident looked at his sister ├óÔé¼┼ôHe fell off the ladder├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd broke his neck├óÔé¼┬Ø.

The funeral was short, solemn and very Sarge like. ├óÔé¼┼ôKelly was a good man who died because he did something incredibly stupid. Learn that even good men and women can be killed through a laps of mind├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said, pressing a button and letting the coffin shoot into space ├óÔé¼┼ôLet that be the lesson of his death├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber, Tapp and Tipp walked out of the air lock, all somber. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know what would cheer us up├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said finally ├óÔé¼┼ôA m├â┬®nage ├â┬ó trois├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôA what?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't bother├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe wouldn't agree to it anyway├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAgree to what!├óÔé¼┬ØAmber snapped. Tapp leaned over and whispered in her ear. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell...├óÔé¼┬ØAmber said, holding out the L as she thought about it.

The next weekend was more subdued then the first. People moved up and down the ladders carefully, and many people took to tying themselves into bed if they tossed and turned. Amber was glad she was on the bottom. But even so Tapp kept trying to elicit Amber's...well if not love, then body at least. Amber, getting tired of the constant come on's, snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll sleep with you if we survive the first year├óÔé¼┬Ø she said.

├óÔé¼┼ôReally?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp leaned over the bed. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd when I saw something i mean it├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôA kiss till then, then?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp asked. Amber chucked a pillow at her. The next day was the unveiling of the next eighth of the ship. The new rooms made bunking safer, and added extra recreation rooms. That is a bar and a dojo for martial arts. IF you could call spending you time bashing your friends brains out with your hands and feet 'fun'. Another layer of PD guns and the first two out of three thousand heavy cannons were now mounted.

Amber, Tipp and Tapp all celebrated by getting royally drunk. Tipp downed his fifth cup and laughed ├óÔé¼┼ôI met this really nice guy├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôDown by Kelly's old bed├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't you dare├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôSuggest he would be a good match for me├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said, looking at Amber ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm saving him for me!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tapp laughed, slapping her hand on the bar. A hundred or so other people were in the bar, sitting at the edge and dancing in the middle. They only had a half hour before the next batch of people got their turn, so Amber, Tapp and Tipp drank as much as they could, as fast as they could.

Once the bell ringed and they shuffled out, Amber, Tipp and Tapp were all singing at the top of their voice's.

├óÔé¼┼ôWe all live in a yellow submarine,
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine,
We all live in a yellow submarine,
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber shouted, giggling.

├óÔé¼┼ôAs we live a life of ease├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp sang, his baritone evening out Tapp's alto

├óÔé¼┼ôEveryone of us has all we need,
Sky of blue and sea of green,
In our yellow submarine,├óÔé¼┬Ø

Tapp took up the next phase

├óÔé¼┼ôSo we sailed off to the sun,
Till we found a sea of green,
And we lived beneath the waves,
In our yellow submarine,├óÔé¼┬Ø

They all sand in unison the last stanza of Yellow Submarine before they ran into Sarge. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you singing Privets!├óÔé¼┬Ø He shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôSubmarine!├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber giggled. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said, his words dangerous but his eyes glinting. Sarge was never angry off duty, but in duty he would rip you in half at the drop of a hat. Only the booze was the reason why none of the three felt any enmity against him. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe were...boosting moral├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know what they call you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said. ├óÔé¼┼ôSubmarine├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber giggled again, still tickled by the nonsensical song. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe can't hold her liquor very well├óÔé¼┬Ø she said to the Sarge. ├óÔé¼┼ôI hold my liquor just fine honey├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, turning to Tapp ├óÔé¼┼ôIts just drugs are so much more fun back at home├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôThats another way of saying she can't hold her liquor├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp chimed in. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight, now back on topic├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said, grabbing the tangent and shoving it back on track ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know what you are called, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, gathering Tipp and Tapp with her arms ├óÔé¼┼ôAre the Three Amigos├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sarge grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôThats right├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd do any of you know what an Amigo is?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked.

Amber giggled something that sounded like submarine, but Tapp elbowed her and said ├óÔé¼┼ôActually, come to think of it, i have no idea what an Amigo is├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôCarry on├óÔé¼┬Ø he gestured to the three of them and walked into the bar.

Candleman · Post by **Candleman** » 12 Apr 2006, 06:25

THE BEATLES!!!!

i win.

Zoombie · Post by **Zoombie** » 12 Apr 2006, 06:42

You do not!

Candleman · Post by **Candleman** » 12 Apr 2006, 06:49

dang.

Zoombie · Post by **Zoombie** » 12 Apr 2006, 07:02

Actually you are right, I'm just a miserly SOB! Oh and i've been working like an overcaffinated squirlle to push out....three episodes in this day alone! Its not that I'm bored its just this new plot wiggy i likey very much! Want more write now...

mabey i do need sleep...

Zoombie · Post by **Zoombie** » 13 Apr 2006, 00:48

├óÔé¼┼ôYou know what├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber moaned ├óÔé¼┼ôI think that adding in a bar was a bad bad bad move├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow bad?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôAs bad as this hang over├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber moaned, rolling over in bed and trying to muffle the sounds of the sleeping quarters with a pillow. As the pillows were nearly transparent and there was only one of them that did nothing to buffer her head from the hangover. The day had been hell, as Sarge was the only one who hadn't gone completely insane with the drink.

Sarge had been particularly sadistic with the ├óÔé¼┼ôSir Yes Sir├óÔé¼┬Ø's. First it wasn't loud enough. So he made them repeat, hammering their heads with sound. Then he had made them work on disciple by saying it more together, and so on. Amber decided to stick with a nice, less powerful drinks next time they had a weekend, and so avoid the not so subtle lesson Sarge expressed through sadism.

├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôAt least tomorrow can't be worse then today├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber immideatly felt her head ache spike in pain and intensity, and she buried her head deeper into her pillow, if that were possible. The next morning and the billets got doubled up, as the next five hundred men and women arrived from Battle station One. They had already trained for the three week's that Amber's group had been in, and more. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey think they are so great├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôJust because they went through 'officers' school!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell they need someone to wash their backsides├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said helpfully.

The officers got the billets at the ground floor, and they got to work more with Mrg. Donahue and almost never with Sarge. They worked with the grunts, as Amber's group was called, only in the morning warm up, then they practiced tactics, command and other such nonsense. They also looked down on the grunts. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said to Amber ├óÔé¼┼ôWe could whop their sorry asses in zero gee football any day├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôThere is not such thing as zero gee football├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said. ├óÔé¼┼ôEarth Style Football├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp corrected his sister. ├óÔé¼┼ôEarth style?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked, snorting ├óÔé¼┼ôThat moronic throw the ball thing! Thats not foot ball├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber made the motion of kicking ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is foot ball!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tapp rolled her eyes and downed her drink. Amber had had a single drink for the last three hours, and as such was more cogent then her friends. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell at least tomorrow├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp started to say but Amber smacked her on the back of her head. Tapp thumped to the counter and snored. Tipp guffawed. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh damn it├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber moaned.

The new bunks for the three of them were all on the same level. Unfortunately they were at the top level. Amber could touch the top of the room's celling and she felt like throwing up when she thought about how far down it was to the ground. So she tied herself into bed with some homemade rope, handed out by a helpful recruit and went to sleep. When she woke up the rope strained around her stomach, and she was leaning over the edge. ├óÔé¼┼ôFUCK!├óÔé¼┬Ø She shouted, waking up Tapp, who was fine, and she crawled back into the bunk and untied herself. ├óÔé¼┼ôI hate that├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, climbing down the ladder.

The first month of training ended with a cheer, as the third eighth of the ship was unveiled. The bunk room's expanded, another five hundred people were ushered on board and the ship was feeling more and more like a city in space. The new section had a better cafeteria, more training rooms, a game room (Really just more dojo space and weights) cold storage, acceleration tanks and the first of three computer banks. Each new part of the ship held more things, thanks to the conical shape of the structure.

The first week of the second month was so mindbogglingly normal Amber felt like she was going to die. ├óÔé¼┼ôOnly a month ago├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, sitting in the bar with Tipp and Tapp for the nth time ├óÔé¼┼ôI was a criminal, working with another criminal and a vampire...to uncover a conspiracy that stretched through the government├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tapp snorted ├óÔé¼┼ôConspiracy, eh?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was all horse shit├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd so I signed up├óÔé¼┬Ø she turned to Tipp ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat did you do?├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Tipp looked at her ├óÔé¼┼ôWell....├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, staring off into the distance. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôTapp and I had relatives on Leviathan when the enemy blew it├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Amber sucked in a breath, all trace of cheer gone. ├óÔé¼┼ôMother...Father...aunt├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said, his voice angry ├óÔé¼┼ôAll gone├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tapp slapped Amber's back ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't Worry├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôFather was a prick, Mom was a vampire and my aunt was already a brain case├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Amber thought that was Tapp's way of dealing with her angry and sorrow, but didn't call mention to it. They sat at the bar for the next ten minuets, not talking and simply drinking in the sound of the music and the talking. The bell rang and they all shuffled out of the bar and went to their bunks. Amber rolled over and looked at Tipp, who was asleep. She rolled over and looked at Tapp who was rolled over, looking away from Amber.

├óÔé¼┼ôSo, Tapp├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said. ├óÔé¼┼ôEh?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, rolling over and looking at Amber. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you doing next weekend?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSame as you, probably├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, sitting up on one elbow ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts just that I've found this really cool view├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôSo after hours we can log in some zero gee practice and...├óÔé¼┬Ø she trailed off. ├óÔé¼┼ôSure├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, nodding ├óÔé¼┼ôIts a date├óÔé¼┬Ø.

The next week passed much the same as the last, with a new five hundred people arriving on Friday. A new eighth of the ship was unveiled and the only really new thing in the entirety of the new eighth was the new armory. In the coming months new power armor would arrive, and they would get to 'play', as Sarge put it. On Saturday, after the twelve hour training Amber and Tapp's requested extra zero Gee time.

├óÔé¼┼ôYou girls have fun├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said, passing them the key to the space suit locker. Amber grabbed it, thanked Sarge and walked into the locker room. Tapp saluted as she walked past. Sarge grunted and closed the door behind them. Amber pulled off her upper uniform, grumbling about the thinness of the clothes and the temperature of the ship. Tapp, who always dressed feet first, grumbled about the cold floor.

Amber pressed the helmet over her head, wondering why the army would still use a helmet that looked like it was made fifty years ago, and clamped it shut over the suit's chest. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo what is this view?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp asked, pulling on her gloves one finger at a time. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou'll see├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, grinning. The two of them walked out of the air lock, turning on the mag boots as they did so.

├óÔé¼┼ôHoly fuck!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp murmured, looking out over the ship. The skeletal frame of the Rodge Young stretched up and over them, stretching up like a huge upside down mountain. Construction Bee's zipped over and around the ship, carrying girders and amour plating. Their engines flickered like thousands of candle flames, and the heat glow from metal being welded by lasers completed the fairy tail colorscape, making the entire ship appear like a massive, moving painting, rather then a war ship.

├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, i know├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts almost as pretty as Leviathan was├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tapp sighed slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôPlease├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't bring it up├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, leaning back and looking at the other three ships. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh Amber├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôI can understand Rodger Young and I get the Alexander[i/] but what I don't understand├óÔé¼┬Ø she pointed at the half finished skeletal frame of the third ship. That ship would be finished last. It was the smallest, weakest and crappiest ship in the three ship fleet.

├óÔé¼┼ôBut what I don't understand├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôIs why...why the fuck did they name it the Enterprise?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber shrugged, a hard thing in a space suit, saying ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôCool name though├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said. Amber checked her clock, wincing at the time ├óÔé¼┼ôWe'd better get back├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, reengaging her boots and starting to clomp back to the air lock. Tapp joined her and they both went back into the ship to spend their 'weekend'.

The second month passed as did the first, and the one after that. And the one after that. Amber, Tapp and Tipp saw people die, some in horrible and gruesome ways. One man was accidentally blown out of an air lock, decompressing messily. A woman was shot through the stomach by a misfired rifle. A second woman was killed in a martial arts exercise. The death tool, by the end of the first year had reached a staggering one hundred. One hundred in training.

├óÔé¼┼ôThis is the end of the first year├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou get two days of rest and relaxation before the Rodger Young is moved to a holding area, near SP1├óÔé¼┬Ø. SP1 was Staging Point 1. The Rodger Young would hold the area till the Alexander[i/] and the Enterprise arrived, and was thus considered to be the flagship. Why they were sending the fleets to SP1 in a trickle was beyond Amber. ├óÔé¼┼ôOnce we move out, you'll have to put your preliminary training├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber didn't like the emphasis on preliminary ├óÔé¼┼ôto the test├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôRunning a light hugger while its starting up is backbreaking, running it while it is slowing down is back breaking and so this will be the hardest part of our voyage├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said, deciding to boost their confidence ├óÔé¼┼ôAs you will first accelerate then decelerate within the same solar system├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber knew more about the reasoning behind this then some others in the crowd, who looked positively shocked.

Large ships are great for interstellar travel. You can pack everything in one ship, they can create ram fields and have a huge amount of guns or a huge amount of cargo space, good for either trade or conflict. However they had problems, mostly centered in the engines. Before getting to ram scoop speeds, the crew had to maintain the huge 'secondary ' engines until they got quick enough to turn around and start slowing down.

├óÔé¼┼ôRemember your promise?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp asked, shouting over the din of the sleeping chambers. People were throwing them selves into their free day with an abandon that Amber used to only see in Leviathan at its most hedonistic. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber shouted, cocking her ear. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you remember your promise!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp screamed, trying to get over the din. Not only were their shouts, laughter, and other associated din of human kind, but also music. Loud music, to make it worse.

Tapp, forgoing talk, grabbed Amber's arm and pulled her to the hallway. It was still loud, but at least Amber could hear Tapp. ├óÔé¼┼ôRemember your promise?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp shouted, the din subsiding enough for her to be heard. ├óÔé¼┼ôPromise?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber shouted, still not quite hearing. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh fuck this!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp snapped, grabbing her arm and dragging Amber to an unoccupied dojo.

It was so quiet in the dojo that Amber had a hard time not shouting. Not to mention the ringing sound in her ears, that made everything sound off. ├óÔé¼┼ôRemember your promise?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, nonplussed ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI've kept my word├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber though back over the past year (had it really been that long?) and found that yes, Tapp had made no sexual overtures. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut ill need a drink├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôTo the bar then├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, gesturing to the door. The bar was almost as quiet as the dojo, as there were only four other people there. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh there's Tipp├óÔé¼┬Ø said Tapp, glowering ├óÔé¼┼ôMaking out with his new boyfriend├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôHypocrite├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôI heard that├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, sitting down and grabbing a bottle from under the bar and tossing it to Amber. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhole thing?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhole thing├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou want me, but your also├óÔé¼┬Ø she grabbed a second bottle ├óÔé¼┼ôare a fundamental coward├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, her voice muffled as she pulled the top of the bottle with her teeth. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell I've been studying your psyche over the last year and managed to come up with this├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp drank her first glug of the bottle ├óÔé¼┼ôYou want to sleep with me, but after years├óÔé¼┬Ø she drank another glug of the bottle, reducing it a down to two thirds, ├óÔé¼┼ôOf denying your self due to the socio-political movements of the overarching public heterosexuality that has├óÔé¼┬Ø another glug ├óÔé¼┼ôForced you into this pattern of denying your romantic├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp pulled a long gulp out of the bottle, leaving the contents at a vastly lowered level ├óÔé¼┼ôUrges├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Amber got her bottle down to half way at the same time Tapp got her empty. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou are absolutely right├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I think you also want to fuck me├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot the most romantic sentence├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, sliding her bottles top into the bottle's neck. ├óÔé¼┼ôI would like to drown in your eye's , dear, and bask in your loveliness until the sun explodes and we are reduced to├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp leaned and stared into Amber's eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôradioactive├óÔé¼┬Ø she kissed the other woman ├óÔé¼┼ôDust├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôThat'll work├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Zoombie · Post by **Zoombie** » 13 Apr 2006, 06:35

What am I, some kind of rabbit chipmonk? NO! I just like writing.

├óÔé¼┼ôYou know├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber panted, crawling down the tube, Tipp at her heels ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat this is like?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, stop here├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said, turning to the side and propping himself up and jerking a panel open. Tubes of white hot light shot through the area under the floor, and Tipp fiddled with it, using a odd tool shaped more like a syringe then anything else ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat dose this like?├óÔé¼┬Ø. The heat was unbearable and both of them were literally pouring sweat off of their limbs.

├óÔé¼┼ôGlobal Warming├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said. Tipp snapped the covering close and checked his data slate ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right, only three hundred and forty three more to go├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Then what Amber had said stopped him, finally striking home. ├óÔé¼┼ôGlobal Warming? Global Warming!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said, looking up at Amber, completely flummoxed ├óÔé¼┼ôHow the hell is recalibrating sixty miles of├óÔé¼┬Ø he banged the floor ├óÔé¼┼ôtubing and cables is anything like Global Warming├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, sagging down with exhaustion ├óÔé¼┼ôWith the two of them we were given a grace period, and wiled it away. Its just Global warming it was one hundred years, and with us it was two days├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tipp still looked confused ├óÔé¼┼ôThats not funny├óÔé¼┬Ø he said finally, confusion abating.

├óÔé¼┼ôNo one gets it anymore├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, starting to crawl. After five feet of crawling they stopped again and started to do the same thing over again. After the fiftieth time it was time for break. Amber lay down in the tube and pulled up a wafer of bread to her lips and slowly eating. ├óÔé¼┼ôGod I am so tired├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôI think I'm going colorblind├óÔé¼┬Ø. She waved her hand in front of her face, realizing it was always white. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow long is this break going to be?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked. Amber looked at her watch ├óÔé¼┼ôHow about five minutes of fraternization and back to work├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôHow was your date?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked, jerking out a power coupling that had shorted out. It was incredibly hot to the touch, and she dropped it, swearing. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow was your's?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked. Amber sucked on her fingers ├óÔé¼┼ôHot├óÔé¼┬Ø she moaned. ├óÔé¼┼ôReally?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked. Amber pulled her finger out of her mouth ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked, looking over her shoulder at Tipp.

├óÔé¼┼ôYour date├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said, getting annoyed. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked, using her shirt to slowly, gently, place the hot coupling into her trash bag. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow was it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp snapped. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was fine├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, closing her trash bag ├óÔé¼┼ôHow was your's?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's a very nice man you'll have to meet├óÔé¼┬Ø. They returned to their work, removing five more faulty couplings and fixing a single bit of tube. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo what about these power couplings? Do we replace them?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked.

├óÔé¼┼ôActually no├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey sent the burst through the system to see what exploded, now we go and remove the exploded ones, and another team replaces them├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo by under way├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said as they started to crawl again ├óÔé¼┼ôThey meant we sit here for three days, hammering out the inherit problems in the system that should have been fixed when the damn thing was built, then get under way├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber ranted along the same vein for quite a while, as they went on with their work.

In the end it was four days, but that was no real fault of anyone. It was more a fault of the contractor of the ship. They didn't supple enough power coupling, making the repair drag on and on for three more days. But after the week the ship finally started to move. It was rather unimpressive, just a gentle humming as the ship stopped rotating and started to fly. The engine was the biggest weapon on the ship, actually. It could shatter planets on full force, and turn the ship into one gigantic missile, in worst case scenarios.

So it was with great anticipation that Amber, Tapp, Tipp and nearly four hundred other people all clambered onto the side of the ship, now complete, and watched the engine go off. Each of them wore space suits, obviously, and they all stood in a hazy atmosphere that leaked out of the ship. They could hear some sounds, nearly inaudible in the nearly non-existent atmosphere. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôLet see if our work was worth it├óÔé¼┬Ø.

The engine fired and a massive spear of light shot out of the end of the cone, a column of plasma that stretched into the distance and dissipated into a small speck of light. Thousands of pieces of debris that floated around the asteroid field ignited, and the column was surrounded by fire. It was breathtaking. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow that is why I joined the fucking army!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp clapped, her glove's clanging together.

├óÔé¼┼ôIt truly is a glorious sight. Worth all the songs and prayers of the human race├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said, in his usual sardonic fashion. The engine stopped and the ship was underway. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt took that long to accelerate?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell its five million ton's of metal, and a wall of plasma capable of shattering a planet and because we want to go only a A.U, we don't need all that much├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said as they all started walking into the air lock.

The ship seemed to lurch slowly into motion, but it was only the scale of the movement that made it look like it. The Rodger Young was actually moving about as fast as the Persephone at full tilt, if only for a few seconds. As such they would cover the ground to Pluto in a week and a half. Unfortunately that week was spent trying to keep the ship from falling apart. The Rodger Young had not born the power usage well.

The fault, as Amber quickly learned, was in the rushed production. The entire ship had been made in only a year, with cut corners every ware. For example: The bulkheads were of 2010 production. They dripped fluids when opened or closed. They stank, opened with a loud squeak noise and broke often. Many many times Amber found that she was unable to proceed because the door was half open, half close with a worker jerking cables out of the wall.

Over the week a single engine fired, rotating the ship around to face in the opposite way so it could decelerate. And the entire process had to be repeated AGAIN! The power system was only half repaired, and so it had to be scrapped and rebuilt again as it blew out. Again. Amber and Tipp were assigned to the exact same crawl space, and Amber was commenting on that when a single plate fell from the celling and almost brained Tipp. ├óÔé¼┼ôHoly hell!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted, jerking backwards as the plate smashed to the floor with a clang. Amber jerked her legs back, trying to avoid them from getting her legs crushed.

├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, looking at the celling and realized that the bolts had been undone. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho ever replaced the power in this area was an idiot├óÔé¼┬Ø She muttered, grabbing the plate and jamming it back in place. ├óÔé¼┼ôScrew it please├óÔé¼┬Ø She said. Tipp grabbed his screwdriver and they reattached the plate. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think we should send in a complaint├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said ├óÔé¼┼ôWho ever replaced these things is an idiot├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood plan├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, and they moved on to the next place on the crawlspace.

The Rodger Young drifted in the SP1 and the crew got their second two day break before training started again. Amber wiled it away sending letters to the center of command about rushing ship jobs and the state of things. The training was more...sedate compared to the morbid pace of before. They got through the month needed for the Alexander and the Enterprise to arrive. There were reports that the Enterprise was in even worse shape then the Rodger Young. The Alexander was actually in working order. Therefore everyone on the Rodger Young made fun of everyone on the Alexander.

The Enterprise Capitan, a Cpt. Moors, put his feet up on the chair and relaxed. His crew had finished this last repairs on the ship, and all they needed to do was get the orders from command to move out into interstellar space. Then he heard the clunk on the side of the hull. The bridge was roughly spherical in nature, with multiple consoles set into the wall and a massive holographic representation of the Enterprise.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Cpt. Moors asked, looking at his Xo. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think it might have been a low speed collision with the nose ice amour├óÔé¼┬Ø the Xo said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll go check it out├óÔé¼┬Ø. Suddenly there was a bang, and before either of them knew it a massive circle of metal was blown into the room, bouncing off of a console, shattering it. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the fuck!├óÔé¼┬Ø Moors shouted, kicking off of the floor to get out of the way of a man who dived through the hole. The man rolled, landed feet first on the other side of the bridge, kicked off and aimed his pistols at Moors and his Xo. A woman, wearing a black jumpsuit covered with lurid pink tattoo's, leaped through the hole, her pistols bared as well.

├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry to break up your evening├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said, slowly turning to face Cpt Moor. Moor backed up, scrambling to get away from him. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall leveled his gun at Moor's face ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm stealing your ship├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Maelstrom · Post by **Maelstrom** » 13 Apr 2006, 08:47

Well thats got to be one of the biggest thefts in the history of the galaxy. Add the Persephone to that, and I can see why they are infamous galaxy wide!

Kixxe · Post by **Kixxe** » 13 Apr 2006, 11:31

Tipp and Tapp did'nt know who amber was...

And BTW, motive for stealing the gigantic war ship? Maybe to lure the military away from the "Aliens"? Or to win back Amber? Any other ideas?

Zoombie · Post by **Zoombie** » 13 Apr 2006, 15:24

Well someone is going to have to stop this crazy ass war....

and Tipp/Tapp are just wird, is all.

Zoombie · Post by **Zoombie** » 14 Apr 2006, 03:07

We only need sixhundred more views before I've betten Rings view count!

Get to it!

├óÔé¼┼ôThis is your Capitan speaking├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said, speaking into the P.A, leaning back in the captains chair ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I would like to say that there has been a fundamental shift in our chain of command├óÔé¼┬Ø. All over the ship people looked up from their jobs, and chattered to themselves about the sudden announcement. ├óÔé¼┼ôOur old Capitan. Mr Moor has been...relived of his post├óÔé¼┬Ø the Marshall said. Liz thumbed the bulkhead shut down switch. Thousands of doors slammed shut, and the crew was suddenly separated.

├óÔé¼┼ôNow, i would like to say that you have all been given a free...vacation. However there is only a slight grace period├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou all have five hours to get to your escape pods before we depressurize the ship├óÔé¼┬Ø. The escape pod procedures, now put in effect by Liz, caused the door to open automatically and the escape pods ready. The crew, not sure what to make of the announcement, milled about for a half hour, only a few actually getting into the pods.

Then the first section, a small cargo area with no people in it, depressurized, right after three people exited it. They warned others and those people warned their friends. Then those friends warned their friends. Then the next area, this time with a single man in it, depressurized. He managed to get out, clawing the door open and immideatly diving into a escape pod. The next area that was depressurized had a single woman in it, and she was not so lucky. She died, her fist bashing against the window of the bulkhead as two others stared in horror. The stampedes for the escape pods were huge, and some were killed in the frenzy for escape.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell is going on├óÔé¼┬Ø Cpt. Donahue, formerly Mgr Donahue, snapped. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think...I think the Enterprise crew is jumping ship├óÔé¼┬Ø her Xo said, scratching his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôSend a ping to them├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue said ├óÔé¼┼ôAsk what the├óÔé¼┬Ø. She was cut off when the Enterprise's engine fired. The light speared outwards, and kept going and going. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell!├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôFIRE!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø Her Xo said, turning around to face her ├óÔé¼┼ôthats a friendly ship├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôA friendly ship with no crew compliment├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue pointed at the screen, jabbing it at the escape pods.

├óÔé¼┼ôI'll send a message to the Alexander├óÔé¼┬Ø Her Xo said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd to our batteries├óÔé¼┬Ø. She turned around and walked to the main hologram, looking at the guns that bristled all over the cone that was her ship. They started to fire. Bullets shot through space at the Enterprise, but the Enterprise's PD guns were more then capable of taking down the munitions. The two walls of fire met and exploded, creating the effect known as a 'flack' cloud. It looked like a wall of explosions.

├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she read off the numbers from the PD gun computers ├óÔé¼┼ôOur guns are operating at seventy three percent capacity, and raising├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy is that bad?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell its just thats ALL of our PD capability├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôIf the Alexander opens fire we would be in trouble├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe engines will take us out of range in a few minutes├óÔé¼┬Ø.

The flack cloud grew sparse as the three ships split up. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can't move out├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Xo nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôFucking High command├óÔé¼┬Ø She muttered, crumpling the orders and dropping them on the floor. The Enterprise zoomed out of the system with only a few postmarks from stray shells that got through the flack field, and gained months of deceleration on the other ships.

├óÔé¼┼ôDid you hear├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, clambering up the ladder faster then would be considered safe. Amber looked at her, rolling over on her side. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôTwo people broke into the Enterprise and now they're high tailing it out of the system├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, hoisting herself onto her bunk. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber sat straight up, almost hitting her head on the celling of the sleeping bay. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts true├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said. Amber jumped, this time actually smacking her head on the celling and looking behind her. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't do that!├óÔé¼┬Ø She hit Tipp over the head with a light palm strike.

├óÔé¼┼ôWho are the hijackers?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber turned back to Tapp. ├óÔé¼┼ôDunnknow├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut they will probably announce it soon├óÔé¼┬Ø. The P.A crackled on ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is the captain speaking├óÔé¼┬Ø Cpt Donahue said ├óÔé¼┼ôAs of a half hour ago the starship Enterprise was stolen by two pirates, that we have now identified├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber, Tipp and Tapp all looked at the speaker in anticipation. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe first was identified as a prior military officer, name locked away behind cryptology. He is known as the Marshall├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber was not too surprised. Who else would have been able to- ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd the second is named Elizabeth Montoya├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôSon of a BITCH!├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber shouted, jumping onto the ladder and sliding down it as fast as she could. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp shouted after her. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll be right back├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber shouted. Tapp looked over the cot that lay between her and her brother. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp asked. Tipp shrugged. ├óÔé¼┼ôMabey she was another member of the band?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp suggested. ├óÔé¼┼ôMabey├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, laying back down in her bed.

├óÔé¼┼ôSarge!├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber shouted. Sarge kept a safe, nice routine, even though he didn't really need to train anymore. So Amber knew that he was patrolling the martial arts dojo's at this time, now being 5:04 PM EST. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it, privet?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge asked, turning around. Amber saluted, and he returned the salute, though it was much much sharper. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to talk to the captain├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts about the hijackers├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôSo...├óÔé¼┬Ø Cpt. Donahue said, gesturing to her chair with her right hand ├óÔé¼┼ôHave a seat├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber saluted. Cpt. Donahue looked blankly at her for a moment, then saluted vaguely. Sarge closed the door as Amber sat down, shaking his head at the Captains salute. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is this about, ensign?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked, leaning back in her desk. The Captains office was very very very nice, compared to the relatively squalid conditions of the rest of the ship. All the walls were white plastic, the desk white plastic. The computer in the desk was smooth and futuristic looking.

├óÔé¼┼ôIts about Elizabeth Montoya, the hijacker├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, sighing ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I know her├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell of course you know her, Mr. Wishbourn├óÔé¼┬Ø Cpt. Donahue said, grinning ├óÔé¼┼ôDid you really thing that we didn't know that you were famous space pirate Amberly Wishbourn? Do you really think our recruitment people are THAT dumb?├óÔé¼┬Ø Cpt. Donahue leaned forward, clasping her hands together. Amber, still sitting army straight in the chair, said nothing.

├óÔé¼┼ôWell?├óÔé¼┬Ø Cpt. Donahue said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat did you want to say about Mr. Montoya├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell i know that she is not only crazy enough to steal the Enterprise but smart enough to use it well, and creative enough to come up with all sorts of nasty traps├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd every month of deceleration we giver her, the worse our fight is going to be when we get to Darkside├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Cpt. Donahue nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôSo are you saying we should move forward without orders?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, unflinching ├óÔé¼┼ôLiz is a good person, and I would rather not give her enough time to do something incredibly stupid├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôStupid as?├óÔé¼┬Ø Cpt. Donahue prompted. ├óÔé¼┼ôLike facing down two larger, better ships, with only her and a psychotic cyborg at the helm├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said. Cpt. Donahue nodded slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know...I think your knowledge of the enemy could prove useful...├óÔé¼┬Ø she said.

├óÔé¼┼ôYeah?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, leaning forward. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow would you like├óÔé¼┬Ø Cpt. Donahue reached under her desk and pulled out a small box ├óÔé¼┼ôA new set of insignia├óÔé¼┬Ø she flipped the box open and the three bars and one star glimmered in it ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd a new rank...commander?├óÔé¼┬Ø Cpt. Donahue cocked her eyebrow. Amber stood up slowly, looking at her current rank. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats four ranks├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, after clearing her mind of shock enough to think ├óÔé¼┼ôI haven't done anything though├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôAmber├óÔé¼┬Ø Cpt. Donahue said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need a bridge crew. You are smart, quick on your feet and can take orders├óÔé¼┬Ø she emphasized orders ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd as such would make a good Xo├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut, captain I'm...├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber sat slowly down again ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not qualified for this position├óÔé¼┬Ø. Cpt. Donahue kept smiling, but her grin was fixed ├óÔé¼┼ôAmberly...you wouldn't want to get your name leaked out among the general population. Half the ships crew are Landers, and they don't like you very much down on Homeworld├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Amber frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôIs this blackmail?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI told you I'm not officer material├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôListen, girl├óÔé¼┬Ø Cpt. Donahue said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need a new Xo├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat happened to the old Xo?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe fell off a ladder in the sleeping chambers├óÔé¼┬Ø Cpt. Donahue said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you are a good choice├óÔé¼┬Ø She slid a piece of paper over the desk at Amber ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is your psych report, and as you can see your command potential is through the roof├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôYou did a psych report on me!├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked, outraged. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts standard procedure for all soldiers├óÔé¼┬Ø Cpt. Donahue said. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you really want to see me fail, ill take your fucking promotion├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber palmed the box and stood up to walk out of the room. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh and Amber├óÔé¼┬Ø Cpt Donahue said ├óÔé¼┼ôAll command officers are hetro├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked, crossing her arms. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts policy├óÔé¼┬Ø Cpt Donahue said.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked, walking slowly back to the desk, placing her hands on the desk and leaning her face close to the other woman ├óÔé¼┼ôIts none of your business who I spend my time with├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said quietly ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd nothing, not even a promotion is going to change that├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour loss├óÔé¼┬Ø Cpt. Donahue said ├óÔé¼┼ôSome of the officers don't like homo's├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts their problem├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, walking out of the room, furiously ripping her old insignia off of her uniform, dropping them on the floor and grinding them under foot.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhats wrong?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp asked, seeing Amber climb up the ladder, fuming. ├óÔé¼┼ôNothing├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, pinning her new rank on. ├óÔé¼┼ôDid you get promoted?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes, damn it├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber muttered, trying to get the rank to fit right. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat to?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp asked. Amber, wanting to change the subject, looked over her shoulder at Tipp's bed. He wasn't in it. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere's Tipp?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's with Michal├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut the important thing is what your new rank is├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Amber got the star on and dropped her hands. ├óÔé¼┼ôCommander!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, saluting. Amber saluted half heartedly back ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm off duty├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber pulled her over shirt off and threw it in the small basket under the cot, were their stores were kept. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp murmured ├óÔé¼┼ôThats four ranks├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôTell me what I don't know├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, laying back in bed. ├óÔé¼┼ôMind if we├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp clambered onto the ladder and propped herself on the side of the cot ├óÔé¼┼ôcelebrate?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked.

Amber rolled over, glad that the new rank made little to no difference between her and Tapp. ├óÔé¼┼ôSure├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, pulling Tapp onto the bed with her right hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, kissing Amber's forehead playfully ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy did you get this new rank?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôPolitics├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Tapp kissed her nose ├óÔé¼┼ôWell there could be better ways├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôto go├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber frowned as Tapp rolled onto her back and Amber got on top ├óÔé¼┼ôIts just├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp asked, looking puzzled ├óÔé¼┼ôI'd think you'd be pleased├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, enjoying the closeness to Tapp, ├óÔé¼┼ôThe captain said they don't like homos in the officers ranks├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôAnd your going to let some bluebloods stop you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp asked, pushing Amber away slightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you think I am?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber grabbed the back of Tapp's head and pulled her close ├óÔé¼┼ôAn idiot?├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Zoombie · Post by **Zoombie** » 14 Apr 2006, 07:21

The next morning and Amber reported to the bridge. She had never been to the primary bridge on the Rodger Young. Come to speak of it she had never been on the secondary or tertiary bridges either. Each bridge was spaced through out the hull, primary in the cone's front, secondary in the center and tertiary right next to the engine. Each bridge was roughly the same, but the secondary and tertiary were meant to be used in terms of hull buckling or boarding.

If you had lost enough of the ship to have to go to the tertiary bridge, Amber thought that it was then it was about time to get to the pods. The bridge itself was a massive sphere, with a single platform shooting up and out of the floor. The platform projected a holographic representation of the ship, with numerals floating around it, blipping up and down as ungodly amounts of energy was rerouted through its vein like power system. ├óÔé¼┼ôPut up sewage overlay├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue said, talking to the computer. The holographic representation changed color from blue to green, and the vein's of the power grid were replaced by the massive tubes that shot from the outer layers of the ship, deeper into the recyclers.

├óÔé¼┼ôSee the blockage├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue asked, gesturing to the hologram. Amber took a few seconds to realize that she was talking to her. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, looking over the hologram. She pointed her index finger into the hologram, finding the blockage easily. ├óÔé¼┼ôReally?├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue said, floating over to the hologram ├óÔé¼┼ôNo wonder we didn't see it├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you mean├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts right here├óÔé¼┬Ø. She jabbed her finger into the hologram again.

├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou passed the first test: Holographic aptitude├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôTest?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôSimple, your going to be tested to see if your promotion was a good idea├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have second thoughts?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked ├óÔé¼┼ôSeemed pretty sure last night├óÔé¼┬Ø. Donahue smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôwell onto the console├óÔé¼┬Ø she gestured to a large chair ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is your chair├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber say down in it, and was rather surprised when two needles jammed into her eye's, shooting through the irises painlessly.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is this?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked, looking around. She was seeing in third person. She saw herself in the chair, with Donahue behind her. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue said ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is the neural interface. Its impractical for ME to be in it, as I have to command multiple sections of the ship. Can't fuss around with the nitty gritty of navigation and firing control...witch is you job├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber nodded slowly, feeling her eye's being pulled slightly by the needles. It didn't hurt, but felt damned odd.

├óÔé¼┼ôSo just fiddle with that├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts very user├óÔé¼┬Ø. The guns on the nose of the ship fired three shot into deep space. ├óÔé¼┼ôFriendly├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue said, her jaw dropping ├óÔé¼┼ôMabey you were a good choice├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôMost people take three days minimum to get the hang of the neural interface├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber grinned, swiveling the turrets and firing off some experimental air bursts. The ship moved like a cow, but had enough fire power to focus on at least three targets. ├óÔé¼┼ôOy, Enterprise├óÔé¼┬Ø A laser message was being beamed from the Alexander ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have issue's?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, directing a laser comm tower to send to the Alexander.

├óÔé¼┼ôFine, just don't shoot anything├óÔé¼┬Ø The Xo of the Alexander said. Amber grinned. Then she realized that she couldn't move. ├óÔé¼┼ôDonahue├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôHow do I get out of this thing?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSimple├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou press the button on the dash├óÔé¼┬Ø. Seeing as how there was only one button it was easy to see what Amber had to push. Pushing it was hard though, as Amber was used to controlling the ship with her mind by now. Forcing her body to move through the third person was hard, but her hand managed to brush against the button and the needles jerked out.

Amber fell back in the chair, sighing as she could control her body again. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo how did you like your stint as the ship?├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue asked. Amber thought about it for a bit ├óÔé¼┼ôI loved it├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, grinning. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo you and I are the only people in the bridge crew?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked, looking around. There were three other consoles, but no one was manning them. ├óÔé¼┼ôIn battle we have two gunnery officers who focus our fire, and one shields officer who also doubles as out main engineer├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue said.

├óÔé¼┼ôSo what do i do till then?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôTill what?├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôBattle├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a war ship, after all├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh well before battle you drive the ship. And this fucking ship isn't going anywhere until we get orders├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue snapped. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôWell...till then ill go get some R&R├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are not exactly in military formal mode├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber nodded, saluted and floated out.

She moved up the corridor, heading outwards to the edge of the ship. Using the ladder meant that while gravity reassured itself. Amber flipped over so she was crawling down rather then up, and got to the outer corridor which lead to the sleeping hold and the bar. A nice intersection for a tired, off duty officer. Amber almost ran into someone as she walked to the sleeping quarters. It was a man, wearing the four bars of a Lt. Commander. ├óÔé¼┼ôHello├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said. The man saluted and Amber saluted back. ├óÔé¼┼ôHello├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said again, reaching her hand out to shake the man's.

├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø He muttered, reaching forward and taking her hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm Amberly Wishbourn, the new Xo├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOld McArthy was a good man...good man├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said, sighing ├óÔé¼┼ôBut he's not getting out of bed for a long while├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's not dead?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, thankfully├óÔé¼┬Ø the man's smile faded ├óÔé¼┼ôNo one told you?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey just said he fell and I assumed he went the way of Kelly├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell he's going to be in the medical unit for the next forty years as they rebuild his spine├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Amber sucked in a breath ├óÔé¼┼ôForty years?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôMost of it will be spent in cold sleep├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is your name, actually?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWeinstein├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said ├óÔé¼┼ôEli Weinstein├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGlad to meet you Eli├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWeinstein, please├óÔé¼┬Ø Weinstein said, anger flashing in his eyes. Amber looked at him quizzically ├óÔé¼┼ôWell...good day to you, sir├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, bowing slightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes sir├óÔé¼┬Ø Weinstein said not meeting Amber's eyes. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell...see you around├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said.

She could of sworn that he muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôfucking dyke├óÔé¼┬Ø under his breath. Amber walked down the hall to the sleeping chambers, then changed her mind and went to the bar. The bar's music was poundingly loud, as normal, and its four sided 'buffet' of drinks was all normal. But Amber felt a little cold. She spotted Tipp talking with another man, both of them inaudible over the music.

Amber sat down next to Tipp, away from his line of sight and slapped him on the back. Tipp sprayed his drink over his friends face in surprise. ├óÔé¼┼ôDONT DO THAT!├óÔé¼┬Ø He shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, grinning ├óÔé¼┼ôWho's your friend over there?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôMichal, Amber, Amber, Michal├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp referred his lover to Amber and Amber to his lover. ├óÔé¼┼ôHi├óÔé¼┬Ø Michal said, Amber reached over Tipp and shook his hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo I just met this...odd man, Eli Weinstein├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said.

Michal sucked in a breath ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn I know him├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, slapping the table. Spilled alcohol sprayed with his hand slap. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is up with him├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked, sucking down some of her own alcohol. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's a homophobe├óÔé¼┬Ø Michal said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd if he's working with you, you'd better keep your guard up├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI could just kick him in the crotch├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOne problem├óÔé¼┬Ø Michal said ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's got cronies├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked.

├óÔé¼┼ôLt. Commander Julia Smith and Charlie Kilgore├óÔé¼┬Ø Michal said ├óÔé¼┼ôBoth are homophobes and they like harassing people. Now why they are in command of a military star ship is beyond me├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it all!├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôIs this a madhouse, or what!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo its just politics├óÔé¼┬Ø Michal said. Tipp snorted then his head fell to the table and started to bubble as he breathed part air and part puddle of beer. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut what dose the president want? Winning a fucking war├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber drank some more of the bottle ├óÔé¼┼ôOr pleasing the fat cats?├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôBoth├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp murmured. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee The Smiths are one of the biggest lobbyists in the Earth senate├óÔé¼┬Ø Michal said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd the Weinsteins had one of the most famous generals in history├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot Joshua Weinstein?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôJoshua Weinstein├óÔé¼┬Ø Michal said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd his son was a president of the UP├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôBut Donahue?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell they need SOMEONE competent. Donahue might be a stuck up bitch, but she can command a star ship├óÔé¼┬Ø Michal laughed ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd don't get me started on Kilgore. Inbred bastards├óÔé¼┬Ø Michal drank some more and ruffled the hair of Tipp ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll get the big man to my bunk. Its on the first floor├óÔé¼┬Ø Michal grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I'm sure he won't mind sleeping in my bed├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Amber moaned as she walked down the hall. It was late, and she had a splitting headache. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø she heard a voice behind her. She turned around and saw two people walking down the hallway at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôHello, my good friends├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, holding up her drink ├óÔé¼┼ôI need some friends to drink with me├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up!├óÔé¼┬Ø The first man shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôBitch!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber took offense to that, and recognizing Weinstein, shouted at them ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you forgetting, Lt. Commander├óÔé¼┬Ø she emphasized the Lt. In Lt. Commander.

Weinstein saluted slowly, and his partner did so as well. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said and threw her bottle into his stomach. Weinstein doubled over and collapsed, moaning. His friend rushed at Amber, who was more then able to kick him in the crotch. Unfortunately he was so drunk he managed to lock his hands around her neck. Amber broke out of it easily enough and she elbowed him in the sternum. The man fell backwards and collapsed, unconscious.

Light played over the insignia on his shoulder. Amber moaned as she recognized that she had just knocked out both of the gunnery commanders.

Zoombie · Post by **Zoombie** » 16 Apr 2006, 04:40

Year 1: Part 1

Liz twirled her pistol on her finger, spinning the light weight weapon around several times. She tightened her grip on the handle, causing the gun to halt its motion. The barrel rested right over a Amber's forehead, depicted down to a slight blemish over her right eye by the computer screen. It was an old photo of Amber and Liz from high school graduation. Amber had been wearing the dean's wristwatch while he gave the congratulation speech.

├óÔé¼┼ôBang├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz muttered, twirling her gun back into its holster at her hip. The picture had Liz edited out so she could aim unimpeded at Amber's digital representation. Liz turned away from the picture, straighting her cowboy hat, then turned back to face the picture and jerking her pistol out of its holster, twirling it around and around to bring it to bear on Amber's face.

The door slid open and The Marshall walked in. Liz had tried calling him Jason for a few days, but he had said it brought back one to many bad memory's. Liz could understand that. She slid the pistol back into her holster and turned around. She adjusted her cowboy hat. ├óÔé¼┼ôStill nursing that grudge?├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall asked, looking at the screen. Liz threw her cowboy hat onto her cot and looked around the massive sleeping bay. The screen was one out of four in the entire place.

├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, kicking the screen off with her big toe. ├óÔé¼┼ôNice hat├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said ├óÔé¼┼ôWere did you get that?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe captain's chambers├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, grinning. The Marshall nodded, handing Liz a data slate. Liz looked it over ├óÔé¼┼ôIt took your a week to find this out?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts a five mile long ship, and the captain locked the computer systems down before he was ushered out. I'm having a hard time getting the engine to run├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôWe are at ramscoop speeds, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked, looking over the data slate again. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes, but we can still barely manage half a gee├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said, frowning ├óÔé¼┼ôBut its enough to get us up to sixty or so percent the speed of light. We are still going to arrive four or so years ahead of the others├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen do you think you can get the computer to be more cooperative?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell if we both work at it...we could do it...in five days to a week├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz pulled on her cowboy hat ├óÔé¼┼ôLets get to it!├óÔé¼┬Ø

A week later and the damn computer was still not working. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz intoned, rummaging through the cables, flashlight gripped in her teeth. She was working in one of the multiple computer core's scattered through out the ship. This one managed the PD targeting for a third of the ship's left side, and it was one of the three hundred ship core's that was encrypted with a hardwire system. The upshot of a hardwire system was that a hacker literally had to go in and manually rip out the cables and replace them.

Liz jerked out another clump of cables and grinned at the sound it made when it was ripped out. She reached around for a replacement cable in her bag. It was hard to maneuver around as it was jammed full of cables of every sort and size. She found the right cable and placed it roughly were the cable that she had pulled out had been. The cable slithered into position by itself and connected up. The computer system hummed into new life, and a green light flicked on. ├óÔé¼┼ôOnly ninety nine more to go├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, getting up, stooping in the low spherical room, and walked over to the next crawlspace.

She crawled into the space and, dragging the bag with her foot, moved onto the next computer core. ├óÔé¼┼ôLiz├óÔé¼┬Ø Her walky talky crackled to life, and Liz grabbed it. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, whipping sweat off her brow ├óÔé¼┼ôIts me├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat new computer core's back on line, and that brings us up to fifty three percent capacity on weapons├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz jerked her leg up, pulling the bag further ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø She grunted ├óÔé¼┼ôThats good to know├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôIt also increases our workload├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said, frowning ├óÔé¼┼ôThere is a ammo loading system for that half the ship and its broken down. So we need to fix that too├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôFuck├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz moaned ├óÔé¼┼ôHow long will that take?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWith two people...roughly two months├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think we need a break├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôIve gone through two hundred of these core's in a week and I'm running a little low on food├óÔé¼┬Ø. She looked at the bag and pulled out her food. She gulped it down quickly, letting her stomach's filters sort it out. Liz cricked her neck ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks Cyndie for these implants again├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. The Marshall nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI will...again├óÔé¼┬Ø he flicked his walky talky off and slid it back onto his desk and started to type into the computer again.

A week later and the computer was up and running. It took miles of cable, Liz working near nonstop, and some work around computer hacking. But it was done. Now they knew the extent of the work needed to get the ship too full combat status. Half the gun's were not working, the ammo carts for the left side were not working either, and three of the six fusion reactors that provided back up power were close to falling apart. The ramsfield was the only thing that worked without fail. Not, Liz reasoned, they would care if it stopped working, as interstellar dust hitting the ship at this speed acted more like high power gamma ray's then anything else. The ramfeild, the magnetic field created by the use of the ramscoop, was more then enough to deflect the dust before it hit the ship

Liz chucked the bottle between her hands, grinning. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow we have fixed the ship enough to know how to fix the ship!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. The Marshall laughed, trying to put the amount of work ahead of them out his mind. The table was set and ready, with two plates of food that were artfully arranged to look palatable. The actual food was as bland as the rest of the food on the ship, but the champaign was a nice touch. ├óÔé¼┼ôTo a job well started├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, jerking the cork out of the bottle. She poured half the bottle into her tankard. She then poured the rest into The Marshall's tankard.

She grabbed the tankard and downed a third of it. ├óÔé¼┼ôNice├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Then she looked at the food. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets just forgo the food├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, jabbing her finger at the food. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm game, if you are├óÔé¼┬Ø The Marshall said, grinning. Liz got up and walked over to the Marshall. He grinned as Liz pulled on her cowboy hat ├óÔé¼┼ôThat is a fearsome hat├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI feel like zero gee├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôShall we go to the bridge?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. The Marshall nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI could do that├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz gestured to the door ├óÔé¼┼ôAfter you...├óÔé¼┬Ø she was about to say Jason.

├óÔé¼┼ôCan i call you├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôJason?├óÔé¼┬Ø. The Marshall's back stiffened slightly ├óÔé¼┼ôIf it makes you happy├óÔé¼┬Ø he said finally. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll right Jason├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôI think its time we left the past behind├óÔé¼┬Ø. They walked down the hall and into the bridge.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the FUCK were you thinking!├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue shouted. Amber was standing, back straight. Donahue looked at Weinstein, who was standing next to Amber, his back even more straight then Amber, as if he was trying to win some contest. ├óÔé¼┼ôBoth of you!├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue looked at him ├óÔé¼┼ôGetting into a fight, both of you senior officers!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber kept her face set in a neutral position. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue said ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause no one saw it but Kilgore I'm letting you off with a light reprimand├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Amber turned to go, but Donahue raised her hand ├óÔé¼┼ôAmber├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôwait├óÔé¼┬Ø. Weinstein flashed her a nasty look as he walked past. Amber walked over to Donahue's desk. ├óÔé¼┼ôListen, Amber├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue said ├óÔé¼┼ôMy sympathy for you has shot up about ten thousand fold├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat, cause Weinstein is a son of a bitch?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked, grinning ├óÔé¼┼ôIts no big deal├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know you could kick his, and Kilgore's ass, but├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's in the regs├óÔé¼┬Ø She slid a data slate over the table to Amber. Amber picked it up, reading through it.

├óÔé¼┼ôNo relations, sexual or otherwise, between two or more ranks├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry, but you and Tapp will have to be...just friends├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber saluted stiffly ├óÔé¼┼ôYes sir├óÔé¼┬Ø. She turned to go, and Donahue let her. ├óÔé¼┼ôSon of a fucking BITCH!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp shouted, her voice banging off the walls of the bathroom. Amber had thought that it would be a good place to tell her, as it was privet and quiet. Now, holding her hands to her ears as Tapp raged to the wall's, Amber thought a different place would have been better. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis won't stand!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said. Amber grabbed her by the face to get her to shut up ├óÔé¼┼ôTapp, listen├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Tapp stopped ranting.

├óÔé¼┼ôThis doesn't need to be the end├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said. Tapp nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôOf course not├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll go to the captain and├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can't go to the captain├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy the fuck not!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp snapped. Amber smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôFor a second there...├óÔé¼┬Ø she trailed off. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôFor a second there you sounded like Liz├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNever mind├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts just...the captain would have to drum us out, and we'd both get demoted. Same old story├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tapp nodded slowly, eye's closed.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do we do then?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou work maintenance, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, looking away and thinking. ├óÔé¼┼ôHave you ever seen a place thats out of the way, easy to get to, has air and is not monitored├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked. Tapp leaned back against the wall of the restroom ├óÔé¼┼ôI think I might know were to go├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll get back to you├óÔé¼┬Ø. She grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôNow you have to get on with your 'light reprimand'.

The light reprimand ended up being a loss of free time for three days and some extra duty's. Amber got the night shift and the day shift for those three days. She got sleep in between the shifts, at lunch and breakfast and dinner. She was tired, irritable and furious at every misstep anyone made, and had a splitting headache. She lay down in her cot and saw Tapp walking past. She found little comfort in seeing her lover, and rather fell asleep when she blinked.

Amber woke up the next day feeling less irritable and incredibly tired. She ate hurriedly and turned in for her regular duty's. She saluted to Donahue on entering the bridge, floated to her station and sat down, strapping herself into the chair. Weinstein floated up behind her ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't think I'm letting this go, bitch├óÔé¼┬Ø he grabbed her shoulder and squeezed. Amber ignored him.

The weeks that followed assumed a routine. Amber woke up, ate breakfast, then reported to the bridge and worked at the ship, keeping the ship running without the sewer plants from overloading, the power grid exploding or the ammo detonating in its storage bins, and finally, keeping the crew's air supple in the right place's. It took finesse, but thanks to the neural link up, it was like moving her own body.

After working in the bridge for her shift, Amber had lunch and reported for her second shift on the bridge. Which was the same as the first. Then she had dinner, worked out one of the dojo's and finally met Tapp in their hide out. The hide out was a mistake in the blueprint of the ship. A small cubbyhole in one of the air ventilation shafts. It was cold as hell, windy, loud and hidden from everything but Tapp, who had found it.

├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp asked, her voice barley audible over the sound of the air rushing past ├óÔé¼┼ôHow was your day?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSame as the last├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, leaning back on her hands. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnother three years plus some├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôThen we get to either kill or be killed over a frozen wasteland├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôYou say that as if it were a bad thing├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Tapp nodded, then sat up and, frowning, said ├óÔé¼┼ôAmber, something about this ship doesn't add up├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber looked at her ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. The air vents quieted for a moment, possibly because a part of the ship was now out of use and as such this air vent was no longer needed as much. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell think about it├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôHave you seen anymore then fifteen computer terminals around here?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber thought about it for a bit then shook her head ├óÔé¼┼ôNo I've only seen the bridge controlls, some computer terminals in the dojo's, bar and sleeping quarters├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd they were just site to site. No interweb├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Tapp snapped her fingers ├óÔé¼┼ôRight!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôNo interweb. No news├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber thought about it. It really had been a year since she had gotten real news from Homeworld. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy keep the news from us?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have no idea, and that worries me├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôOh, and another thing. Remember when we first set out for SP1?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôHow could I not?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell we were on the side of the ship, and the engine fired for a few seconds. But it was enough to push the ship to SP1 in one week. The acceleration would have been enough to send everyone on the side into space, and turn everyone on the inside into jelly├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Amber realized Tapp was right. She slowly stood up and started pacing ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you saying, we defied the laws of physics for a few seconds?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWorse├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôThis ship has been accelerating , in spurts, far far faster then it should be able too. We should barely be topping twenty percent the speed of light, and we've already hit fifty. We should have arrived in ten years, but we are going to arrive in four. Things aren't right Amber, and we've got to find out why├óÔé¼┬Ø

Zoombie · Post by **Zoombie** » 16 Apr 2006, 22:15

Year 1: Part 2

The year ended much as it had begun. With fire. Interstellar hydrogen, free floating in the depths of space between the stars, was pinched by magnetic fields and pushed out the back of the Rodger Young, accelerated by the same magnetic fields. It became plasma and accelerated the ship. The two ship fleet was accelerating again. It would mean they arrived faster, time dilated more and made deceleration harder.

The best thing, Amber though, was that it meant they would be on the ship less...subjectively. It hurt her head to think about it. The life on the ship was normal. Training went on, people had sex, made relations, fell out, fell in. Normal things, even in a tin can whipping through space at millions of miles an hour. Amber, however, was unhappy. She wanted more. She wanted more then meeting Tapp in a bolt hole, more then talking for a bit and then splitting up again for days at a time.

She wanted to spend more time with Tipp, which was hard as Tipp was with Tapp most of the time. She wanted to do something new, something fresh. She wanted...Amber sighed, looking around the bridge on one of her coffee breaks. She was beginning to sound like her mother. She looked around the bridge again, and realized something was missing. A floor panel was gone, making the smooth sphere suddenly break into a gaping, square, hole.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhats being fixed, sir?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked Donahue. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh, just part of the computer core├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts overheating, so we're going to yank it out and replace it├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHmm├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber sighed, drinking her coffee. That was another thing she wanted. Good coffee. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know what I think would be nice├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôIf the contractors had installed cryotanks onto the ship├óÔé¼┬Ø. Donahue laughed ├óÔé¼┼ôWell, to make you feel better, if we were in cryotanks the ship would have fallen apart by now├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber nodded, then checking her watch ├óÔé¼┼ôI'd better get back to work├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, strapping into her chair.

Amber walked down the hall, humming to herself. It had been a particularly long day. The replacement computer piece had melted, causing part of the computer system to overheat. Amber had spent several hours with three techs trying to get the damn thing to work again, and they managed to keep the ship running in those hours. Once they replaced the part Amber had set the system to do some time consuming process, like debugging one of its data banks, then went to have a steak.

She chewed the hard meat, cutting it with a bendy plastic knife. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnother thing I want├óÔé¼┬Ø She muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôA good steak├óÔé¼┬Ø. The cafeteria was almost exactly like the bar, but it was connected to several hydroponic bays, nutrient replicators and a single super cow pasture. Super cows. A genetically engineered blood of flesh, that only needed to eat a little every day and breathed very little. They grew fast, grew fat, and tasted absolutely horrific. Amber ate it anyway.

Then she came to the corridor. It was dark, abandoned and dank. Normal. Amber whistled, trying to bring some life to the dead corridor. She walked held way down the corridor, and was suddenly grabbed and pulled into an alcove. Two arms held her through her armpits and she could only see a dim outline of a figure. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot so hot anymore, bitch├óÔé¼┬Ø a man said. Amber smelt alcohol on his breath, and recognized Weinstein.

├óÔé¼┼ôLet me guess├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, putting a brave face on ├óÔé¼┼ôKilgore?├óÔé¼┬Ø she pressed him back into the wall. He pushed, and tightened on her chest. Amber wheezed slightly ├óÔé¼┼ôThought so├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôNeeded a friend to take a single queer out? A woman, to top that├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up!├óÔé¼┬Ø Weinstein punched her in the stomach, hard but without skill. Amber grunted, straining against Kilgore's arms. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat did I ever do to you, anyway├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber snapped. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou exist├óÔé¼┬Ø Weinstein said ├óÔé¼┼ôEnough for me├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôIf your thinking about trying to get away├óÔé¼┬Ø. He pulled out a knife. It was a nasty shock, for Amber, to see the jagged blade made out of what looked like part of a bulkhead and a computer piece. ├óÔé¼┼ôThink again├óÔé¼┬Ø Kilgore said, grinning. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Weinstein said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm going to make you sorry for your crimes├óÔé¼┬Ø. He jerked the fly down on his pants.

Amber kicked him in the knee as hard as possible. Then she jammed her thumb into Kilgore's eye socket. Kilgore screamed, but kept on holding onto her. Amber was about to follow up, but Weinstein, his face beat red, jammed the knife up to the hilt into her gut. Amber sucked air into her lungs, and Weinstein pulled the knife out. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh fuck├óÔé¼┬Ø Kilgore said, looking down at the blood suddenly expanding in the cloth of Amber's shirt.

├óÔé¼┼ôLeave the bitch here├óÔé¼┬Ø Weinstein said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd lets go├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber slid down the floor and lay, her breathing shallow. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn├óÔé¼┬Ø Kilgore said, looking back at her before walking out ├óÔé¼┼ôI was looking forward to your cunt├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then he was gone, and Amber was alone. ├óÔé¼┼ôBastards├óÔé¼┬Ø She muttered, her right hand clutching her wound, and her left hand reaching forward. Her fingers slipped through the holes in the grate of the floor, and she pulled herself forward a few inch's.

She repeated this seven times before she was out of the small hole in the wall and into the corridor, which was still dark and deserted. Amber felt faint. ├óÔé¼┼ôHelp!├óÔé¼┬Ø She shouted down the hall. Nothing. ├óÔé¼┼ôSomeone fucking help me!├óÔé¼┬Ø she screamed, her voice cracking. Nothing. Amber curled up, her head on the floor, her stomach formed in a U over the ground. Blood dribbled out of the hold in her stomach, and she almost screamed again as she got her foot under her. ├óÔé¼┼ôI will not die!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted, slowly pushing herself up with the foot.

Her arms hung limp at her sides and she took one step forward. Then another. The door was still far away, and it seemed to move closer and father and closer again as her vision blurred. Amber felt the wall with her right hand, leaving a bloody smear. She took another two steps, faltering and unsteady. She stumbled, and for a sickening moment was about to fall. Then she grabbed onto the wall with her right hand, blood slicking up the pipe she was using for support. Amber took another two steps and started to mutter to herself, a liteny of the nasty things she would do to Weinstein.

├óÔé¼┼ôRape me?├óÔé¼┬Ø She muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôNot if i cut off his balls and mount them on my wall├óÔé¼┬Ø. She took a step. But her second step caught on the floor's and she tumbled to the ground. Amber lay, tears running down her face. She wasn't going to get up again. It was too painful, she was too tired. Amber lay on the floor, and was ready to die. Then she grabbed the wall, her blood soaked hand pulling her up. Amber found herself on her knee's, and the door was only a few feet away.

├óÔé¼┼ôI WILL NOT DIE!├óÔé¼┬Ø She screamed to the hallway, to the emptiness and to the darkness. To Weinstein and Kilgore, and to herself. Amber took two steps forward and was half way to the door. She took another step and fell against the door. She pressed the open button and the door slid open. The techy on the other side of the door, who was about to open it, screamed, dropping his data slate to the ground with a clatter.

├óÔé¼┼ôI will not die├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, and fell into the man's arms. ├óÔé¼┼ôDoctor!├óÔé¼┬Ø The techy said ├óÔé¼┼ôDOCTOR!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted to the two people behind him. A woman nodded, and ran off. Her companion tore a large piece of his shirt off and passed it to the techy, who gently lowered Amber to the floor. The technician, who was no fool, immideatly started to bandage Amber. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber saw the other man, who had torn his shirt.

├óÔé¼┼ôI believe you outrank Me, commander├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said, grinning. Amber nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry Sir├óÔé¼┬Ø She looked at her wound ├óÔé¼┼ôI didn't quite dislocate his kneecap├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sarge frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôYou'd need to work on that├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. The doctors arrived, and stitched her up and carted her to the hospital. She was one of three people in a hospital meant to house thousands of people. Tipp, Tapp and Michal all came to see her. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey Tapp├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, still woozy from all the drugs ├óÔé¼┼ôLong time no see├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tapp smiled, dabbing at her eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôNever ever do that again├óÔé¼┬Ø She said .

'Not like I had a choice├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôI got stabbed├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôStabbed!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, her face reddening ├óÔé¼┼ôThey said it was an accident├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAccident?├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber asked ├óÔé¼┼ôNo I'm sure he meant to kill me├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't joke├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said, his face serious ├óÔé¼┼ôWho ever did this will have to be punished. Do you know who it was?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho else├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôWeinstein and Kilgore├óÔé¼┬Ø. Michal groaned and rubbed his head ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat did they do?├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôFirst they tried to rape me├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said. Tapp looked so furious that it was almost funny ├óÔé¼┼ôThey didn't├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôWorrying makes you wrinkle, and I love you the way you are├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, closing her eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôThen I tried to dislocate his kneecap. Didn't work├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôThen he stabbed me and left me for dead├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBastards├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôRat Bastards├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôUnfortunately├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey are necessary rat Bastards├óÔé¼┬Ø.

The group jumped, none of them noticing Donahue's entrance. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need those two├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue said ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause no one else can operate the gunnery consoles. Not that they do a very good job of it, but├óÔé¼┬Ø she walked over to Amber's bed ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are almost a light year from earth, and It makes replacements hard to get├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI understand├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut you won't make me like it├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tapp's face was purple ├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't expect us to go along with us├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, her voice tight.

├óÔé¼┼ôYes I do, Mrs. Silverman├óÔé¼┬Ø Donahue snapped, looking at Tapp ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd i believe your forgetting something....Ensign├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tapp snapped a salute ├óÔé¼┼ôYes SIR├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, venom dripping from her mouth. ├óÔé¼┼ôTapp├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said, putting her hand on the woman's arm ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tapp bit her lip and Amber looked at Donahue ├óÔé¼┼ôCall it an accident├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôSay that that the corridor is unsafe, the door's don't work right. Close on people when they're going through├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Donahue nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôThat will work├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Then she patted Amber's shoulders ├óÔé¼┼ôIf i can find a way to space the bastard, I would├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôTrain a new bastard to take his place├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said. Donahue nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll look into that...Weinstine's father can't help him out here├óÔé¼┬Ø. The captain patted Amber's shoulder again and walked out of the hospital.

├óÔé¼┼ôCan you believe that!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, walking around the bed. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes, I can, actually├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need gunnery officers to win against a medium sized asteroid, let alone aliens and the Enterprise and god knows what else├óÔé¼┬Ø. Michal frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôWho do you think would make a good gunnery officer├óÔé¼┬Ø.

├óÔé¼┼ôWell all I know is a Xo needs to be good at neural link ups. I think Gunny's need math skills, above anything else├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd the ability to juggle the ammo├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, I think someone can learn to do that├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, leaning down to kiss Amber's forhead. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe should leave the love birds alone├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said. Michal grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôI think they've got the right idea though├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.

├óÔé¼┼ôI think I know one of the reasons why this ship is so strange├óÔé¼┬Ø Amber whispered into Tapp's ear ├óÔé¼┼ôThey are keeping us busy, with work. With play. Thats why we didn't notice the oddness earlier├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I also have found out that things are getting odd on the Alexander too. I'll tell you once you get out of the hospital├óÔé¼┬Ø. Amber nodded, then blinked. Then she was asleep.

The Marshall. Wait. Jason. He had to start thinking of himself as Jason. It was hard as his memory's as Jason were still foggy and incomplete. Memory erasure took a long time to wear off, even more so with a computerized brain. He rubbed his eye sockets, and looked back at the screen. Jason was having trouble focusing on the computer screen. The number focused again, and he was worried again. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need more sleep├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered, grabbing his walky talky.

├óÔé¼┼ôLiz├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is Jason├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho the hell else would it be?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz snapped, her voice tinny through the radio ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats up?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôCould you come up here├óÔé¼┬Ø Jason said, typing with one hand ├óÔé¼┼ôWe've got some problems├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz groaned, starting to run to the elevator. The elevator shot around the ship, and Liz looked at the number as they counted up. Once they reached one, she stood to get off and started to run to the bridge.

She got to the stair well that lead to the bridge, and jumped down it, feeling gravity lessen as she went down the axis, and grabbed the bar over the door and swung into the bridge. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats up├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked. Jason looked away from his console and frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have a big problem. We need to move the ship half a click to the left by Sunday or we are going to die├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz balanced ├óÔé¼┼ôCan we even MOVE the ship?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked, floating by Jason.

├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, its just going to take a lot of work├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou get to the right engines and place these by the computer link up├óÔé¼┬Ø Jason said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll reroute the power systems to put enough A/M in the engines so your link ups will do something├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, kicking off to the door. Jason turned back to the console. He started to reroute some power from their. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat I wouldn't give for a neural link up├óÔé¼┬Ø he groaned.

By Saturday the first four engines on the left side of the ship were ready. Liz was sweating heaps from being next to the power lines. The entire place was swelteringly hot, and she had been working nonstop for a day and a half. But she kept working. Imminent death did that to one's resolve. Liz plugged another computer link up. The link ups were massive hunks of metal and plastic, handmade by Jason and required three hours of preparation and hard work to be put in.

Now that this part of the engine was done Liz stood up, banged her head on the celling and heard her walky talky crackle. ├óÔé¼┼ôLiz├óÔé¼┬Ø Jason said ├óÔé¼┼ôLiz!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz piked up the walky talky and pressed it to her ear ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet to the bridge, now├óÔé¼┬Ø Jason said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm moving the ship├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I've only done half the engines├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, walking to the crawlspace she had used to get in. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think i can compensate with the main engine├óÔé¼┬Ø Jason said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut it won't be pretty. The acceleration will be damaging if your not the bridge, and even then it'll be pretty bad├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Liz nodded, crawling on her hands and knees. Jason looked up as she floated through the door to the bridge. Liz looked exhausted. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôEngaging engines in thirty seconds├óÔé¼┬Ø. Liz grumbled ├óÔé¼┼ôNo thinks├óÔé¼┬Ø and kicked off to a chair on the other side of the bridge. Strapping in, Liz let her body go limp and tried to relax. They both waited for the thirty seconds. And.

Liz felt a slight tug to her left, then nothing. ├óÔé¼┼ôDid the engines go?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. Jason looked over his console ├óÔé¼┼ôI think so├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're now in the right spot├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about the acceleration?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz unstrapped ├óÔé¼┼ôWe should have felt more then that. Much much more then that!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Jason shrugged ├óÔé¼┼ôI have no idea├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut something isn't right about this ship├óÔé¼┬Ø.

Spring RTS Engine

Darkside