I wander what his next story is about?
I like vampires and werewolves...
Finish that Hunters sequel!!!
E.L.F
Moderator: Moderators
Jimmy froze. Then he shook his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôFox...you're one to talk. Goodnight.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWait,├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox said as Jimmy started to pull the phone off his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou'll be seeing me.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôRight, right,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, slamming the phone down on the receiver. He looked at Pix. She was glaring at the phone. She growled, then glanced at the door.
├óÔé¼┼ôWill...will we be safe?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôMaybe we should ring for your father.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôRight,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, picking up the receiver.
├óÔé¼┼ôI thought you didn't want to talk to me,├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox said the instant Jimmy put the receiver on his ear. Jimmy slammed the hang up button on the receiver. Fox laughed.
├óÔé¼┼ôLeave us alone and you might have a chance of getting away with your life,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy gritted his teeth.
Fox breathed in, then sighed. He made a noise, as if he was about to speak...then a click sounded. Jimmy gulped, looking at the phone.
├óÔé¼┼ôJimmy? Jimmy!├óÔé¼┬Ø A new voice came over the phone, a female voice. ├óÔé¼┼ôRun, Jimmy.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWho is this?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôDoes it matter?├óÔé¼┬Ø The female voice became pleading. ├óÔé¼┼ôThere are four well armed men in black uniforms coming down the hall. There is an access port-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSparrow, get the hell out of my phone line!├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox, this time.
There was a loud screech over the phone. Jimmy tore it off. He heard a faint voice from the receiver. ├óÔé¼┼ôJimmy? Jimmy!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy put the phone back on his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôThere is an access port in the closet. You've got Builder nanobots in your blood stream, so just find the black circle and concentrate.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix pulled on her pants, feeling extremely ruffled. Fox had tried to have them killed more times than she could count, and now he was messing with what was supposed to be the best night of her life-
├óÔé¼┼ôPix, get down!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy shouted, hanging up the phone. The door blew open as Pix hit the deck. Bullets twanged overhead, bouncing off the wall. The phone exploded as a bullet slammed into it and Jimmy dropped as well. Pix crawled to him, pushing herself under the bed. Jimmy saw two black figures pausing in the door. One of them was about to step through the door when Anna stuck her head out of the door, two down from Pix and Jimmy's room.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat's going-├óÔé¼┬Ø She started. The four assassins snapped to the side and let lose with another flurry of bullets. Their guns coughed again and Anna yelped, leaping back into her room.
Pix and Jimmy got to their feet, Jimmy dragging Pix to the closet. The door closed it a moment before more bullets smashed into it. Jimmy heard footsteps, coming close. He smashed the lock with his hand, slicing his palm open. Jimmy winced then started looking around frantically. The closet was large, large enough to fit enough clothes for a upper level dweller's normal life style. It was also empty and had a ceiling light, allowing Jimmy to search it quickly.
Pix pressed her ear to the door, frowning. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait,├óÔé¼┬Ø she whispered. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is...plastique?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy saw a small black circle in the side of the wall. He hissed to Pix, ├óÔé¼┼ôGet over here!├óÔé¼┬Ø
He concentrated...and the wall vanished, revealing a long passageway. Jimmy and Pix crowded into the passage way. The wall returned a moment before the closet exploded.
Jimmy breathed slowly, trying to slow his heart down. Pix was next to him, still shirtless. She sighed, placing her forehead against the wall.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe made it,├óÔé¼┬Ø She whispered.
├óÔé¼┼ôShhhh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, pulling her down the passageway. It went for a good long way...a very long way. After a while, Jimmy stopped.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo...who were they?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked, jerking her head down the passageway.
├óÔé¼┼ôFox sent them,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy sighed. He glanced at Pix. ├óÔé¼┼ôAren't you cold?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix blushed, covering herself with her arms. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's okay,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, slipping an arm around her neck.
├óÔé¼┼ôHello! Hello!├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix shouted suddenly, looking around. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you hear me?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy clapped his hand over Pix's mouth, wincing. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, I can hear you...what's wrong with you!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix locked eyes with Jimmy and shrugged. Jimmy removed the hand.
├óÔé¼┼ôOkay, don't blame Pix if my voice is a little loud,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said. She was still shouting. Jimmy made frantic shushing noises. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs this better?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYes,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy hissed. ├óÔé¼┼ôPix, what the-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThis isn't Pix's voice,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said. Pix nodded emphatically. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe can't talk, I've hacked into her vocal systems through her FM radio.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYou have FM radio?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked. Pix pointed at her antennae, rolling her eyes.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow listen...this hallway can lead to any number of little circles,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix, or whoever was talking through her, said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm setting it to my position, so we can end this-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWait, wait...who is this?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSparrow...the woman on the phone!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh...thanks for the tip,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. Pix nodded.
├óÔé¼┼ôI just want to say one last thing...please don't be too hard on Fox. He can't help it.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôCan't help it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy squeaked.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell...he's kinda crazy,├óÔé¼┬Ø Sparrow said. Then Pix slapped the side of her head.
├óÔé¼┼ôThat kinda stings,├óÔé¼┬Ø She hissed. ├óÔé¼┼ôOw...├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAre...are you okay now?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
Pix nodded, smiling. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's just...ouchy.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell...let's keep going down this hall,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy muttered, taking Pix's hand. Pix paused.
├óÔé¼┼ôJimmy,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôDo you really think we can trust this woman?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy looked up, then down the hall. He looked back at Pix.
├óÔé¼┼ôDo we have a choice?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell...no,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut before we go, lets do one thing.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWha-├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix leaned in and kissed him, long and hard. She broke the kiss and Jimmy blinked, smiling dazedly.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow let's go,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, taking his hand and dragging him down the hallway.
------
After what seemed like an eternity walking, the hallway never changing. The only thing Jimmy could see was Pix's back. Which wasn't the worst thing to look at in the whole of Harbinger, but Jimmy would have rathered...
The hallway ended, curving sharply into an open doorway. Jimmy paused, peeking around the corner. A thin bridge stretched into what looked like complete blackness. The bridge went on, and on, and on, with no hand rails, until it suddenly expanded into a ring shaped platform. And...in front of the platform...
Was Earth. Jimmy stepped onto the bridge and saw that the blackness wasn't complete. It eventually became a stretching, massive, cone that reached around the Earth. Behind the Earth, a distant sun burned. Jimmy didn't know why he wasn't suffocating or dying from radiation exposure. Pix gasped as she rounded the corner. Jimmy looked at her and decided that it didn't really matter.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy gulped. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a pretty great view.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix sighed, starting to walk down the bridge. Jimmy stood where he was, staring at the Earth.
├óÔé¼┼ôCome on!├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix shouted, ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't you want to know the truth?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy gulped, nodded, and started walking with Pix. As they walked, Jimmy noticed an odd sound. It was a...faint sound, at the edge of his hearing. Pix heard it too, her brow furrowing.
They reached the platform. Jimmy was disappointed to find that there was nothing actually on the platform. Then the middle of the platform rose into the air, a hovering sliver of silver metal, hanging in the air. It shaped itself into a sphere and then cracked open, a thin ray of light projecting on the ground. It flickered up, building a figure...
├óÔé¼┼ôMom?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo, not really,├óÔé¼┬Ø The hologram said, looking at her hands. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe was a lovely woman.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôPlease,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, feeling a thick wad in the back of his throat. ├óÔé¼┼ôPlease, use something...else.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHows this?├óÔé¼┬Ø The hologram reshaped into a petite young woman with long black hair.
├óÔé¼┼ôWho is that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked. Pix was staring, eyes wide.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy glanced at Pix.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh wow,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix breathed.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis form is Dr. Ford, creator of the model 3-A. She based the females off her daughter, and the males off her son.├óÔé¼┬Ø The hologram bowed. Jimmy looked again and noticed that, if you shortened the hair and added antennae, she would look a lot like Pix.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo...who are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, crossing his hands over his chest.
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm over there,├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman pointed into the darkness. Jimmy looked into the darkness...and made out a massive pillar of silvery metal. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy name is Sparrow.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat...what is that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix breathed.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou, but a thousand fold larger,├óÔé¼┬Ø Sparrow sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm only a part of the machine. Thats why...I'm afraid that I wasn't as useful as I could have been.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat's the rest of the machine?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked. Then he snapped his fingers. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo wait, it's Fox isn't it?
├óÔé¼┼ôGot it in one,├óÔé¼┬Ø Sparrow said, clapping slowly. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's only a matter of time before Fox notices us, so I'll give you a very brief explanation. I became part of Fox a few hundred thousand million years ago.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôBecame part? You didn't start as it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI mean, you're a program-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo, I'm not,├óÔé¼┬Ø Sparrow smiled. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou are the latest vagrants on this grand ship. I'm the first.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYou were one of the first races here?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, eyes wide. ├óÔé¼┼ôThen where are the rest of your people? How did they first get here-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Sparrow shook her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, you don't understand. My race didn't emigrate to this ship en-mass. I came alone. I was the first person on this ship. Ever.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWait,├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox said as Jimmy started to pull the phone off his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou'll be seeing me.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôRight, right,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, slamming the phone down on the receiver. He looked at Pix. She was glaring at the phone. She growled, then glanced at the door.
├óÔé¼┼ôWill...will we be safe?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôMaybe we should ring for your father.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôRight,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, picking up the receiver.
├óÔé¼┼ôI thought you didn't want to talk to me,├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox said the instant Jimmy put the receiver on his ear. Jimmy slammed the hang up button on the receiver. Fox laughed.
├óÔé¼┼ôLeave us alone and you might have a chance of getting away with your life,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy gritted his teeth.
Fox breathed in, then sighed. He made a noise, as if he was about to speak...then a click sounded. Jimmy gulped, looking at the phone.
├óÔé¼┼ôJimmy? Jimmy!├óÔé¼┬Ø A new voice came over the phone, a female voice. ├óÔé¼┼ôRun, Jimmy.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWho is this?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôDoes it matter?├óÔé¼┬Ø The female voice became pleading. ├óÔé¼┼ôThere are four well armed men in black uniforms coming down the hall. There is an access port-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSparrow, get the hell out of my phone line!├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox, this time.
There was a loud screech over the phone. Jimmy tore it off. He heard a faint voice from the receiver. ├óÔé¼┼ôJimmy? Jimmy!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy put the phone back on his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôThere is an access port in the closet. You've got Builder nanobots in your blood stream, so just find the black circle and concentrate.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix pulled on her pants, feeling extremely ruffled. Fox had tried to have them killed more times than she could count, and now he was messing with what was supposed to be the best night of her life-
├óÔé¼┼ôPix, get down!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy shouted, hanging up the phone. The door blew open as Pix hit the deck. Bullets twanged overhead, bouncing off the wall. The phone exploded as a bullet slammed into it and Jimmy dropped as well. Pix crawled to him, pushing herself under the bed. Jimmy saw two black figures pausing in the door. One of them was about to step through the door when Anna stuck her head out of the door, two down from Pix and Jimmy's room.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat's going-├óÔé¼┬Ø She started. The four assassins snapped to the side and let lose with another flurry of bullets. Their guns coughed again and Anna yelped, leaping back into her room.
Pix and Jimmy got to their feet, Jimmy dragging Pix to the closet. The door closed it a moment before more bullets smashed into it. Jimmy heard footsteps, coming close. He smashed the lock with his hand, slicing his palm open. Jimmy winced then started looking around frantically. The closet was large, large enough to fit enough clothes for a upper level dweller's normal life style. It was also empty and had a ceiling light, allowing Jimmy to search it quickly.
Pix pressed her ear to the door, frowning. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait,├óÔé¼┬Ø she whispered. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is...plastique?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy saw a small black circle in the side of the wall. He hissed to Pix, ├óÔé¼┼ôGet over here!├óÔé¼┬Ø
He concentrated...and the wall vanished, revealing a long passageway. Jimmy and Pix crowded into the passage way. The wall returned a moment before the closet exploded.
Jimmy breathed slowly, trying to slow his heart down. Pix was next to him, still shirtless. She sighed, placing her forehead against the wall.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe made it,├óÔé¼┬Ø She whispered.
├óÔé¼┼ôShhhh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, pulling her down the passageway. It went for a good long way...a very long way. After a while, Jimmy stopped.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo...who were they?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked, jerking her head down the passageway.
├óÔé¼┼ôFox sent them,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy sighed. He glanced at Pix. ├óÔé¼┼ôAren't you cold?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix blushed, covering herself with her arms. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's okay,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, slipping an arm around her neck.
├óÔé¼┼ôHello! Hello!├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix shouted suddenly, looking around. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you hear me?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy clapped his hand over Pix's mouth, wincing. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, I can hear you...what's wrong with you!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix locked eyes with Jimmy and shrugged. Jimmy removed the hand.
├óÔé¼┼ôOkay, don't blame Pix if my voice is a little loud,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said. She was still shouting. Jimmy made frantic shushing noises. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs this better?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYes,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy hissed. ├óÔé¼┼ôPix, what the-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThis isn't Pix's voice,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said. Pix nodded emphatically. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe can't talk, I've hacked into her vocal systems through her FM radio.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYou have FM radio?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked. Pix pointed at her antennae, rolling her eyes.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow listen...this hallway can lead to any number of little circles,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix, or whoever was talking through her, said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm setting it to my position, so we can end this-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWait, wait...who is this?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSparrow...the woman on the phone!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh...thanks for the tip,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. Pix nodded.
├óÔé¼┼ôI just want to say one last thing...please don't be too hard on Fox. He can't help it.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôCan't help it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy squeaked.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell...he's kinda crazy,├óÔé¼┬Ø Sparrow said. Then Pix slapped the side of her head.
├óÔé¼┼ôThat kinda stings,├óÔé¼┬Ø She hissed. ├óÔé¼┼ôOw...├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAre...are you okay now?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
Pix nodded, smiling. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's just...ouchy.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell...let's keep going down this hall,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy muttered, taking Pix's hand. Pix paused.
├óÔé¼┼ôJimmy,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôDo you really think we can trust this woman?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy looked up, then down the hall. He looked back at Pix.
├óÔé¼┼ôDo we have a choice?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell...no,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut before we go, lets do one thing.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWha-├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix leaned in and kissed him, long and hard. She broke the kiss and Jimmy blinked, smiling dazedly.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow let's go,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, taking his hand and dragging him down the hallway.
------
After what seemed like an eternity walking, the hallway never changing. The only thing Jimmy could see was Pix's back. Which wasn't the worst thing to look at in the whole of Harbinger, but Jimmy would have rathered...
The hallway ended, curving sharply into an open doorway. Jimmy paused, peeking around the corner. A thin bridge stretched into what looked like complete blackness. The bridge went on, and on, and on, with no hand rails, until it suddenly expanded into a ring shaped platform. And...in front of the platform...
Was Earth. Jimmy stepped onto the bridge and saw that the blackness wasn't complete. It eventually became a stretching, massive, cone that reached around the Earth. Behind the Earth, a distant sun burned. Jimmy didn't know why he wasn't suffocating or dying from radiation exposure. Pix gasped as she rounded the corner. Jimmy looked at her and decided that it didn't really matter.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy gulped. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a pretty great view.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix sighed, starting to walk down the bridge. Jimmy stood where he was, staring at the Earth.
├óÔé¼┼ôCome on!├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix shouted, ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't you want to know the truth?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy gulped, nodded, and started walking with Pix. As they walked, Jimmy noticed an odd sound. It was a...faint sound, at the edge of his hearing. Pix heard it too, her brow furrowing.
They reached the platform. Jimmy was disappointed to find that there was nothing actually on the platform. Then the middle of the platform rose into the air, a hovering sliver of silver metal, hanging in the air. It shaped itself into a sphere and then cracked open, a thin ray of light projecting on the ground. It flickered up, building a figure...
├óÔé¼┼ôMom?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo, not really,├óÔé¼┬Ø The hologram said, looking at her hands. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe was a lovely woman.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôPlease,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, feeling a thick wad in the back of his throat. ├óÔé¼┼ôPlease, use something...else.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHows this?├óÔé¼┬Ø The hologram reshaped into a petite young woman with long black hair.
├óÔé¼┼ôWho is that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked. Pix was staring, eyes wide.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy glanced at Pix.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh wow,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix breathed.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis form is Dr. Ford, creator of the model 3-A. She based the females off her daughter, and the males off her son.├óÔé¼┬Ø The hologram bowed. Jimmy looked again and noticed that, if you shortened the hair and added antennae, she would look a lot like Pix.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo...who are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, crossing his hands over his chest.
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm over there,├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman pointed into the darkness. Jimmy looked into the darkness...and made out a massive pillar of silvery metal. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy name is Sparrow.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat...what is that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix breathed.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou, but a thousand fold larger,├óÔé¼┬Ø Sparrow sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm only a part of the machine. Thats why...I'm afraid that I wasn't as useful as I could have been.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat's the rest of the machine?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked. Then he snapped his fingers. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo wait, it's Fox isn't it?
├óÔé¼┼ôGot it in one,├óÔé¼┬Ø Sparrow said, clapping slowly. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's only a matter of time before Fox notices us, so I'll give you a very brief explanation. I became part of Fox a few hundred thousand million years ago.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôBecame part? You didn't start as it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI mean, you're a program-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo, I'm not,├óÔé¼┬Ø Sparrow smiled. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou are the latest vagrants on this grand ship. I'm the first.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYou were one of the first races here?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, eyes wide. ├óÔé¼┼ôThen where are the rest of your people? How did they first get here-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Sparrow shook her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, you don't understand. My race didn't emigrate to this ship en-mass. I came alone. I was the first person on this ship. Ever.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI would love to say I came to Harbinger with the best of intents. A researcher. An explorer, something!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôBut no. I was...exiled. My kind exiled me to this ship as it passed through our solar system, and it was here that I...learned how to be sane once more. It was here I found Fox. His name wasn't Fox, he chose that recently. His first name was Vehltet, and it was this name that I called Fox for a few thousand years. He taught me everything about this ship, but for many centuries, he did not teach me why he was teaching me.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThen, one day, he said that he was teaching me to keep himself sane. The countless years were driving him mad. And so we kept each other sane. We...fell in love.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd for the longest time, he continued to teach, I continued to learn, and Harbinger arrived in a new part of the galaxy, one teeming with life. The new arrivals started to come, some as exiles, some as researchers, some as explorers and some as refugees. Some died out. Others thrived. This continued...and I found that each new arrival taxed Vehltet's mind more and more. He started to go mad and...I couldn't do anything to stop it.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôVehltet kept me alive. He still loves me, you know. But he got more and more obsessed with the vagrants living inside Harbinger. He...decided to kill everyone on the ship. He's been doing it for thousands of years, you know. That's why the sewage system is failing constantly, why the entire ship seems to be falling apart. If humanity and Arachnos weren't such excellent environmentalists, the entire ship would have suffocated by now.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI couldn't stand by and watch everyone on this ship die. So...I intervened. Thirty years ago, I took control of an E.L.F and went to the one place that neither Fox, nor I, could access using...normal methods.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThe Forget.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt was there that I found a small village. I helped them, made their live easier and was welcomed as a goddess. I selected the man with the best genetic traits and had a child by him. I injected Builder nanobots into the fetus, birthed it, and left. That baby grew up a bit...odd, taking more after my race than I expected. Which was odd, because I was using a E.L.F body, not my own.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôMy daughter's nanobots are the only nanobots that aren't controlled by Fox. My daughter spread those nanobots to a gang...and to you, James Leonite.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd only those nanobots can save every race on this ship.├óÔé¼┬Ø
----------
Jimmy gulped as Sparrow pointed at him.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo Anna's your daughter?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked.
Sparrow nodded.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd Fox is a computer?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Sparrow nodded.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd Jimmy's blood is filled with Builder nanobots, making him the only person in the entirety of Harbinger that can stop Fox?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Sparrow nodded.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you planned it all?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Sparrow nodded, smiling.
├óÔé¼┼ôGood job,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, grinning. She looked at Jimmy, who's jaw was hanging open. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat's a great plan, don't you think?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo...So what do we do?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI need some of your blood,├óÔé¼┬Ø Sparrow said, snapping her fingers. A small bit of floor floated up, forming into a small robot with a long needle sticking out of the side. Jimmy rolled back his sleeve, extending his wrist. The robot floated forward...then froze in the air. Someone started clapping, slowly, almost sardonically
Jimmy, Pix and Sparrow spun.
A man in a well pressed suit walked down the bridge, clapping. His face was hard, squarish, with black hair and piercing blue eyes. The man stopped at the platform, still clapping.
├óÔé¼┼ôVery, very nice, Almerath,├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said, eyes glinting. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou matched me, plan for plan.├óÔé¼┬Ø
He spread his arms and bowed his head.
Sparrow frowned. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo? You're suddenly going to be nice now?├óÔé¼┬Ø
The man stood straighter, smiling again. He fixed an eye on Jimmy. There was enough hate in that glance that make Jimmy recoil.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat can I do? I can't kill you,├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox said, shaking his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo I might as well be civil.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAre you going to not kill us too?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked, smiling weakly.
Fox shot a glare at her. Pix squeaked, stepping backwards.
├óÔé¼┼ôPlease, Fox,├óÔé¼┬Ø Sparrow said. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt still doesn't have to end like this.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYes, I'm afraid it does,├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox said, shaking his head.
├óÔé¼┼ôFox...├óÔé¼┬Ø Sparrow stepped forward, taking Fox's holographic hands in her own. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can still stop. Anytime.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Fox thrust her hands away from him, shaking his head. He started walking away, then turned. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't understand, do you?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôFox, I-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôCountless centuries worth of time, and you still haven't guessed it! I am a warship!├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox spread his hands wide, his voice becoming nearly hysterical. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I have one...last...choice.├óÔé¼┬Ø
He turned around. ├óÔé¼┼ôConstruct Fifteen. Active.├óÔé¼┬Ø
A sudden black shape loomed in the darkness around the platform. Pix recognized the vaguely biological outline of the thing she had seen, hanging over Torguga.
/What do you need\
The voiceless voice seemed to come from the base of Jimmy's spine, rumbling through his body and vibrating throughout his entire frame.
├óÔé¼┼ôActivate. Exterminate.├óÔé¼┬Ø
/As part of my warranty, I must warn you that that course of action will cause immense damage to your hull\
├óÔé¼┼ôI don't care.├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox turned around and winked out of existence. The massive form in the blackness paused a moment longer.
Sparrow grunted, her form becoming vague and fuzzy. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm...trying to hold the construct here. I can't keep it in check for very long.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWe're doomed then,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix sighed.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo, wait,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy muttered, his mind spinning. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't kill you...Sparrow, what did Fox do before he met you?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHe...never said.├óÔé¼┬Ø Sparrow sighed, her form almost dissolving.
Jimmy felt around in his pockets. ├óÔé¼┼ôPix, do you have a gun?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI can create you a weapon,├óÔé¼┬Ø Sparrow said. She staggered back and the massive form started to open. Red light spilled from the ribcage like body of the machine. Inside, Pix and Jimmy could see a massive red crystal. Weird energy flickered around the crystal, slowly getting brighter and brighter. Sparrow sighed, looking at the ground, tears brimming in her eyes. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's started...It's going to fire in two minutes!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôCreate the weapon!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy hissed.
Sparrow waved her hand and a piece of the floor floated off the ground. It formed into a squat, silvery pistol. Jimmy took it...and everything slowed. His eyes became sharper somehow. He looked at the column of computer that Sparrow had pointed out earlier.
He stared until he saw it, illuminated by the growing red light from the Construct. A frail, winged form, tied up in computer cables, tubes, straps and a buzzing field of blurry air that made her form indistinct. Jimmy aimed down the barrel of his pistol. It didn't feel right.
├óÔé¼┼ôOne minute,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix muttered, counting in her head. Sparrow saw what Jimmy was aiming at. She opened her mouth, her form becoming even fuzzier.
It felt right.
Jimmy fired.
The bullet thwacked into Sparrow's chest. The tubes, nanobots, cables and whatever else had been sustaining her life for all these years did nothing to stop the bullet or heal the wound.
The hologram version of Sparrow stood still, her face frozen. Then the ghost of a smile graced her lips.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh,├óÔé¼┬Ø She breathed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI see now.├óÔé¼┬Ø
She looked at Jimmy and smiled wider. Her body started to unravel, a thin streamer of light trailing into the distance, then fading into nothing. Her entire body vanished.
├óÔé¼┼ôAlmerath!├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox appeared, looking disheveled. He saw Jimmy, holding the smoking gun. ├óÔé¼┼ôAlmerath! You killed her, you killed her you-├óÔé¼┬Ø
He took a step forward, then staggered, falling to his knees.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou...don't know what you've done,├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox moaned. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I can't live without her!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI know,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, tossing the pistol off the side of the platform. He walked to Fox, sighing. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe woke you up, when she was exiled here.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Fox looked at Jimmy. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...├óÔé¼┬Ø
Then he blinked out of existence.
├óÔé¼┼ôThirty seconds,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix muttered.
├óÔé¼┼ôBut Fox is gone,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, the weapon can't fire...can it?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix sighed. Then. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow did you know killing Sparrow would kill Fox?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôGuess,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said smiling.
Suddenly, a man blipped into reality, standing in front of Jimmy. It looked somewhat like his father.
├óÔé¼┼ôHi!├óÔé¼┬Ø The head said, chirply. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm the backup program for this Xllatch class Warship. I've had to borrow some of your psych, so...here I am. How can I help you?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThere's a big shooty thing in your cargo hold about to blow this ship apart. We have about...├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy glanced at Pix. She held up ten fingers. ├óÔé¼┼ôTen seconds before it fires!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh dear, I'd better fix that.├óÔé¼┬Ø The hologram blinked. The massive Construct's light dimmed and it's ribcage body closed, hiding the crystal. The light vanished, then, a moment later, the Construct's form vanished as well. ├óÔé¼┼ôDone.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy and Pix sagged in relive.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat instructions do you have for me?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôUh...off line, and wait for instructions.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôCan do,├óÔé¼┬Ø The hologram said, bowing. He vanished.
Jimmy and Pix sat down, their legs not feeling strong enough to support them. They had no words for the moment. Instead, they watched the Earth.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's kind of sad, isn't it? Sparrow still loved Fox enough to sacrifice herself to save him.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôBut she didn't save him,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's gone.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôBut...but he didn't follow through with his plans. His...├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy smiled. ├óÔé¼┼ôHis...hands were clean.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôFox said he was a warship. He must have killed countless millions in his time, before Harbinger started drifting,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo, really, all Sparrow did was save us.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôTube it, Pix,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy snapped. ├óÔé¼┼ôStop poking holes in my sentiments.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSorry,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I'm cold, we've nearly been killed, I'm hungry and...├óÔé¼┬Ø she looked down. ├óÔé¼┼ôI really need a shirt.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy glanced at her and grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know...this is one of the prettiest parts of Harbinger.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôExcellent view,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix agreed, nodding.
├óÔé¼┼ôGreat company.├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy smiled, leaning close to Pix.
Pix smiled, her antennae sparking.
Then she slapped the side of her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôOw, ow, ow!├óÔé¼┬Ø She snapped.
├óÔé¼┼ôAre you okay?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix winced. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy FM radio's been acting up since Sparrow did her hijacking thing with my voice. It kind of hurts.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, taking hold of Pix's arms, pulling her close. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet me see if I can distract you.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix giggled as he pulled her onto him as he fell onto his back.
Anna stuck her head around the corner, looking into the massive, empty space that the secret passage led too. Behind her were twenty three human marines, equipped with the best weapons in the human arsenal. And behind them was Ambassador Leonite, similarly equipped.
├óÔé¼┼ôWait,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not sure what's on the other side...can't quite make it out.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOkay,├óÔé¼┬Ø The sergeant said. ├óÔé¼┼ôFire Team One head forward, Team two, cover.├óÔé¼┬Ø
The marines ran out and raised their guns.
Pix squealed, covering herself with her arms. Jimmy yelped as well, grabbing his shirt.
Anna started laughing, walking past the marines, who were trying not to laugh as well.
├óÔé¼┼ôAmbassador,├óÔé¼┬Ø The sergeant said, looking back at Leonite. ├óÔé¼┼ôThere is nothing dangerous here. Your son is safe.├óÔé¼┬Ø He glanced back at the two incredibly embarrassed teenagers. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd very lucky.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Epilogue
Birds called. The moon hung overhead, half lit by reflected sunlight. The night was gorgeous, the skies were clear.
A massive smear of burning brightness stretched across the sky. Harbinger, leaving the solar system.
Jimmy watched it go, leaning back on the side of the Pyramid. The large, stone constructs had stood, been renovated, then been abandoned, just as the rest of Earth had been abandoned for Harbinger. And now humanity was back.
Green was creeping up the sides of the pyramids, bushes, grass, other pants trying to creep up the sides. They had gotten about halfway before seeming to lose interest, leaving the tops of the pyramids untouched. And it was there that Jimmy sat.
Pix's lips tickled his ear and Jimmy giggled, looking at her.
She looked incredibly lovely in the night air, the moon almost directly behind her head.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, leaning back on the Pyramid. ├óÔé¼┼ôEarth.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy sighed, leaning back with her. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't think I'll ever get tired of this view.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôBest view on the planet,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix agreed, nodding.
Jimmy's wrist watch bleeped. Jimmy glanced at it. The alarm was set for when the human settlement expected anyone who was sightseeing to return their shuttles.
├óÔé¼┼ôI have a naughty idea,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix murmured, her mouth very close to Jimmy's ear. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet's rent a room for this night.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy wait?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, rolling himself onto his arms, pinning Pix below him. She grinned, snuggling closer to the rocks, her antennea sparking.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe have to go back soon,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix murmured.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's not too cold,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, leaning his head closer.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt'll get colder.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThen let's make it...warmer,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy kissed Pix. He broke the kiss. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd...one last thing...├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked.
Jimmy's face became very frank. ├óÔé¼┼ôKarma Sutra.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix's spine went straight. Very straight. Her eyes went wide and her antennae spun a full circle. Her mind read through the newly opened file.
So thats what that feeling is, she thought, her fingers already playing with the fasten on her pants. A smile spread across her lips and she kissed Jimmy.
The moon hung in the sky. Harbinger's engines continued to leave a streak of light in the skies.
Humanity congratulated themselves for saving their homeland. A few weeks later, the Xorquin fought bitterly to stop Harbinger from scooping up their homeworld.
They lost. Mars was gone by the end of the month.
The End.
AND THAT'S THE END OF OUR SHOOOOOOOW!
├óÔé¼┼ôBut no. I was...exiled. My kind exiled me to this ship as it passed through our solar system, and it was here that I...learned how to be sane once more. It was here I found Fox. His name wasn't Fox, he chose that recently. His first name was Vehltet, and it was this name that I called Fox for a few thousand years. He taught me everything about this ship, but for many centuries, he did not teach me why he was teaching me.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThen, one day, he said that he was teaching me to keep himself sane. The countless years were driving him mad. And so we kept each other sane. We...fell in love.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd for the longest time, he continued to teach, I continued to learn, and Harbinger arrived in a new part of the galaxy, one teeming with life. The new arrivals started to come, some as exiles, some as researchers, some as explorers and some as refugees. Some died out. Others thrived. This continued...and I found that each new arrival taxed Vehltet's mind more and more. He started to go mad and...I couldn't do anything to stop it.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôVehltet kept me alive. He still loves me, you know. But he got more and more obsessed with the vagrants living inside Harbinger. He...decided to kill everyone on the ship. He's been doing it for thousands of years, you know. That's why the sewage system is failing constantly, why the entire ship seems to be falling apart. If humanity and Arachnos weren't such excellent environmentalists, the entire ship would have suffocated by now.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI couldn't stand by and watch everyone on this ship die. So...I intervened. Thirty years ago, I took control of an E.L.F and went to the one place that neither Fox, nor I, could access using...normal methods.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThe Forget.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt was there that I found a small village. I helped them, made their live easier and was welcomed as a goddess. I selected the man with the best genetic traits and had a child by him. I injected Builder nanobots into the fetus, birthed it, and left. That baby grew up a bit...odd, taking more after my race than I expected. Which was odd, because I was using a E.L.F body, not my own.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôMy daughter's nanobots are the only nanobots that aren't controlled by Fox. My daughter spread those nanobots to a gang...and to you, James Leonite.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd only those nanobots can save every race on this ship.├óÔé¼┬Ø
----------
Jimmy gulped as Sparrow pointed at him.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo Anna's your daughter?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked.
Sparrow nodded.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd Fox is a computer?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Sparrow nodded.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd Jimmy's blood is filled with Builder nanobots, making him the only person in the entirety of Harbinger that can stop Fox?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Sparrow nodded.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you planned it all?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Sparrow nodded, smiling.
├óÔé¼┼ôGood job,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, grinning. She looked at Jimmy, who's jaw was hanging open. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat's a great plan, don't you think?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo...So what do we do?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI need some of your blood,├óÔé¼┬Ø Sparrow said, snapping her fingers. A small bit of floor floated up, forming into a small robot with a long needle sticking out of the side. Jimmy rolled back his sleeve, extending his wrist. The robot floated forward...then froze in the air. Someone started clapping, slowly, almost sardonically
Jimmy, Pix and Sparrow spun.
A man in a well pressed suit walked down the bridge, clapping. His face was hard, squarish, with black hair and piercing blue eyes. The man stopped at the platform, still clapping.
├óÔé¼┼ôVery, very nice, Almerath,├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said, eyes glinting. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou matched me, plan for plan.├óÔé¼┬Ø
He spread his arms and bowed his head.
Sparrow frowned. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo? You're suddenly going to be nice now?├óÔé¼┬Ø
The man stood straighter, smiling again. He fixed an eye on Jimmy. There was enough hate in that glance that make Jimmy recoil.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat can I do? I can't kill you,├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox said, shaking his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo I might as well be civil.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAre you going to not kill us too?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked, smiling weakly.
Fox shot a glare at her. Pix squeaked, stepping backwards.
├óÔé¼┼ôPlease, Fox,├óÔé¼┬Ø Sparrow said. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt still doesn't have to end like this.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYes, I'm afraid it does,├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox said, shaking his head.
├óÔé¼┼ôFox...├óÔé¼┬Ø Sparrow stepped forward, taking Fox's holographic hands in her own. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can still stop. Anytime.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Fox thrust her hands away from him, shaking his head. He started walking away, then turned. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't understand, do you?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôFox, I-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôCountless centuries worth of time, and you still haven't guessed it! I am a warship!├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox spread his hands wide, his voice becoming nearly hysterical. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I have one...last...choice.├óÔé¼┬Ø
He turned around. ├óÔé¼┼ôConstruct Fifteen. Active.├óÔé¼┬Ø
A sudden black shape loomed in the darkness around the platform. Pix recognized the vaguely biological outline of the thing she had seen, hanging over Torguga.
/What do you need\
The voiceless voice seemed to come from the base of Jimmy's spine, rumbling through his body and vibrating throughout his entire frame.
├óÔé¼┼ôActivate. Exterminate.├óÔé¼┬Ø
/As part of my warranty, I must warn you that that course of action will cause immense damage to your hull\
├óÔé¼┼ôI don't care.├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox turned around and winked out of existence. The massive form in the blackness paused a moment longer.
Sparrow grunted, her form becoming vague and fuzzy. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm...trying to hold the construct here. I can't keep it in check for very long.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWe're doomed then,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix sighed.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo, wait,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy muttered, his mind spinning. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't kill you...Sparrow, what did Fox do before he met you?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHe...never said.├óÔé¼┬Ø Sparrow sighed, her form almost dissolving.
Jimmy felt around in his pockets. ├óÔé¼┼ôPix, do you have a gun?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI can create you a weapon,├óÔé¼┬Ø Sparrow said. She staggered back and the massive form started to open. Red light spilled from the ribcage like body of the machine. Inside, Pix and Jimmy could see a massive red crystal. Weird energy flickered around the crystal, slowly getting brighter and brighter. Sparrow sighed, looking at the ground, tears brimming in her eyes. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's started...It's going to fire in two minutes!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôCreate the weapon!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy hissed.
Sparrow waved her hand and a piece of the floor floated off the ground. It formed into a squat, silvery pistol. Jimmy took it...and everything slowed. His eyes became sharper somehow. He looked at the column of computer that Sparrow had pointed out earlier.
He stared until he saw it, illuminated by the growing red light from the Construct. A frail, winged form, tied up in computer cables, tubes, straps and a buzzing field of blurry air that made her form indistinct. Jimmy aimed down the barrel of his pistol. It didn't feel right.
├óÔé¼┼ôOne minute,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix muttered, counting in her head. Sparrow saw what Jimmy was aiming at. She opened her mouth, her form becoming even fuzzier.
It felt right.
Jimmy fired.
The bullet thwacked into Sparrow's chest. The tubes, nanobots, cables and whatever else had been sustaining her life for all these years did nothing to stop the bullet or heal the wound.
The hologram version of Sparrow stood still, her face frozen. Then the ghost of a smile graced her lips.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh,├óÔé¼┬Ø She breathed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI see now.├óÔé¼┬Ø
She looked at Jimmy and smiled wider. Her body started to unravel, a thin streamer of light trailing into the distance, then fading into nothing. Her entire body vanished.
├óÔé¼┼ôAlmerath!├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox appeared, looking disheveled. He saw Jimmy, holding the smoking gun. ├óÔé¼┼ôAlmerath! You killed her, you killed her you-├óÔé¼┬Ø
He took a step forward, then staggered, falling to his knees.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou...don't know what you've done,├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox moaned. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I can't live without her!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI know,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, tossing the pistol off the side of the platform. He walked to Fox, sighing. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe woke you up, when she was exiled here.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Fox looked at Jimmy. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...├óÔé¼┬Ø
Then he blinked out of existence.
├óÔé¼┼ôThirty seconds,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix muttered.
├óÔé¼┼ôBut Fox is gone,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, the weapon can't fire...can it?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix sighed. Then. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow did you know killing Sparrow would kill Fox?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôGuess,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said smiling.
Suddenly, a man blipped into reality, standing in front of Jimmy. It looked somewhat like his father.
├óÔé¼┼ôHi!├óÔé¼┬Ø The head said, chirply. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm the backup program for this Xllatch class Warship. I've had to borrow some of your psych, so...here I am. How can I help you?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThere's a big shooty thing in your cargo hold about to blow this ship apart. We have about...├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy glanced at Pix. She held up ten fingers. ├óÔé¼┼ôTen seconds before it fires!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh dear, I'd better fix that.├óÔé¼┬Ø The hologram blinked. The massive Construct's light dimmed and it's ribcage body closed, hiding the crystal. The light vanished, then, a moment later, the Construct's form vanished as well. ├óÔé¼┼ôDone.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy and Pix sagged in relive.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat instructions do you have for me?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôUh...off line, and wait for instructions.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôCan do,├óÔé¼┬Ø The hologram said, bowing. He vanished.
Jimmy and Pix sat down, their legs not feeling strong enough to support them. They had no words for the moment. Instead, they watched the Earth.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's kind of sad, isn't it? Sparrow still loved Fox enough to sacrifice herself to save him.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôBut she didn't save him,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's gone.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôBut...but he didn't follow through with his plans. His...├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy smiled. ├óÔé¼┼ôHis...hands were clean.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôFox said he was a warship. He must have killed countless millions in his time, before Harbinger started drifting,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo, really, all Sparrow did was save us.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôTube it, Pix,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy snapped. ├óÔé¼┼ôStop poking holes in my sentiments.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSorry,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I'm cold, we've nearly been killed, I'm hungry and...├óÔé¼┬Ø she looked down. ├óÔé¼┼ôI really need a shirt.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy glanced at her and grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know...this is one of the prettiest parts of Harbinger.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôExcellent view,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix agreed, nodding.
├óÔé¼┼ôGreat company.├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy smiled, leaning close to Pix.
Pix smiled, her antennae sparking.
Then she slapped the side of her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôOw, ow, ow!├óÔé¼┬Ø She snapped.
├óÔé¼┼ôAre you okay?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix winced. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy FM radio's been acting up since Sparrow did her hijacking thing with my voice. It kind of hurts.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, taking hold of Pix's arms, pulling her close. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet me see if I can distract you.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix giggled as he pulled her onto him as he fell onto his back.
Anna stuck her head around the corner, looking into the massive, empty space that the secret passage led too. Behind her were twenty three human marines, equipped with the best weapons in the human arsenal. And behind them was Ambassador Leonite, similarly equipped.
├óÔé¼┼ôWait,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not sure what's on the other side...can't quite make it out.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOkay,├óÔé¼┬Ø The sergeant said. ├óÔé¼┼ôFire Team One head forward, Team two, cover.├óÔé¼┬Ø
The marines ran out and raised their guns.
Pix squealed, covering herself with her arms. Jimmy yelped as well, grabbing his shirt.
Anna started laughing, walking past the marines, who were trying not to laugh as well.
├óÔé¼┼ôAmbassador,├óÔé¼┬Ø The sergeant said, looking back at Leonite. ├óÔé¼┼ôThere is nothing dangerous here. Your son is safe.├óÔé¼┬Ø He glanced back at the two incredibly embarrassed teenagers. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd very lucky.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Epilogue
Birds called. The moon hung overhead, half lit by reflected sunlight. The night was gorgeous, the skies were clear.
A massive smear of burning brightness stretched across the sky. Harbinger, leaving the solar system.
Jimmy watched it go, leaning back on the side of the Pyramid. The large, stone constructs had stood, been renovated, then been abandoned, just as the rest of Earth had been abandoned for Harbinger. And now humanity was back.
Green was creeping up the sides of the pyramids, bushes, grass, other pants trying to creep up the sides. They had gotten about halfway before seeming to lose interest, leaving the tops of the pyramids untouched. And it was there that Jimmy sat.
Pix's lips tickled his ear and Jimmy giggled, looking at her.
She looked incredibly lovely in the night air, the moon almost directly behind her head.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, leaning back on the Pyramid. ├óÔé¼┼ôEarth.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy sighed, leaning back with her. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't think I'll ever get tired of this view.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôBest view on the planet,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix agreed, nodding.
Jimmy's wrist watch bleeped. Jimmy glanced at it. The alarm was set for when the human settlement expected anyone who was sightseeing to return their shuttles.
├óÔé¼┼ôI have a naughty idea,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix murmured, her mouth very close to Jimmy's ear. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet's rent a room for this night.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy wait?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, rolling himself onto his arms, pinning Pix below him. She grinned, snuggling closer to the rocks, her antennea sparking.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe have to go back soon,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix murmured.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's not too cold,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, leaning his head closer.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt'll get colder.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThen let's make it...warmer,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy kissed Pix. He broke the kiss. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd...one last thing...├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked.
Jimmy's face became very frank. ├óÔé¼┼ôKarma Sutra.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix's spine went straight. Very straight. Her eyes went wide and her antennae spun a full circle. Her mind read through the newly opened file.
So thats what that feeling is, she thought, her fingers already playing with the fasten on her pants. A smile spread across her lips and she kissed Jimmy.
The moon hung in the sky. Harbinger's engines continued to leave a streak of light in the skies.
Humanity congratulated themselves for saving their homeland. A few weeks later, the Xorquin fought bitterly to stop Harbinger from scooping up their homeworld.
They lost. Mars was gone by the end of the month.
The End.
AND THAT'S THE END OF OUR SHOOOOOOOW!
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Guessmyname
- Posts: 3301
- Joined: 28 Apr 2005, 21:07
Update: According to my obsessive compulsive mother who tracks every story related thing I do (it's a good thing she dosn't check the NON-story related things I do on the internet...heh...heh...heh), she told me that this story is the most popular in terms of hits per day and in terms of non-me responces.
Hurray.
And there is the second factor, that being that I wrote over 56,000 words in, what, a month or less?
Why? Because I LOVE E.L.F! I loved writing it aaaand I'm going to see if I love RE-writing it.
Er...well...maybe not as much as writing it. But I've been fixing all those silly your/you're and there/their/they're and, the biggest one, its/it's.
Ugh. I'm also going to be kerploding extra words, tightening up prose, making Pix sexier...all the things you need to sell a novel.
So I have two questions for my audiance...
One) How much sexier does Pix need to be?
Two) Any other major/minor problems NON-gramatical (I.E: Plot and timing) that any of you noticed. Please, be as brutal as you want. It's not going to hurt my feelings! I don't have them!
Thanks.
Oh and read Winds of Fate (tm) my lastest rough draft.
Hurray.
And there is the second factor, that being that I wrote over 56,000 words in, what, a month or less?
Why? Because I LOVE E.L.F! I loved writing it aaaand I'm going to see if I love RE-writing it.
Er...well...maybe not as much as writing it. But I've been fixing all those silly your/you're and there/their/they're and, the biggest one, its/it's.
Ugh. I'm also going to be kerploding extra words, tightening up prose, making Pix sexier...all the things you need to sell a novel.
So I have two questions for my audiance...
One) How much sexier does Pix need to be?
Two) Any other major/minor problems NON-gramatical (I.E: Plot and timing) that any of you noticed. Please, be as brutal as you want. It's not going to hurt my feelings! I don't have them!
Thanks.
Oh and read Winds of Fate (tm) my lastest rough draft.
The thing that bugged me was the lack of description. For example, I didn't have a clue that Xorquin had three eyes until halfway through the story. Also, sometimes the combat scenes are tough to visualize because of the lack of detail. How many legs does a Yetel have? What does the Forget look like? Your only real description of it wasn't part of the actual story.
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Guessmyname
- Posts: 3301
- Joined: 28 Apr 2005, 21:07
You have to balance no description and describing a wall for 5 pages..
ideally after reading what you wrote I should, assuming I have the skill, be able to draw what happened with some pretty good approximation..
Also it is great to throw people into a universe they barely understand, at least for the beginning and parts of the middle, but shit needs to get elaborated on.. You need to either leave the story open, or explain in the due course of time why shit is how it is.. remember zoombie, its that time again.. and you need to explain in the due course.. of well, Im not really at liberty to say..
ideally after reading what you wrote I should, assuming I have the skill, be able to draw what happened with some pretty good approximation..
Also it is great to throw people into a universe they barely understand, at least for the beginning and parts of the middle, but shit needs to get elaborated on.. You need to either leave the story open, or explain in the due course of time why shit is how it is.. remember zoombie, its that time again.. and you need to explain in the due course.. of well, Im not really at liberty to say..
So far, I've been deleteing entire sections and re-writing them entirely, keeping the plot the same but the prose different. Good, good.
I've also been adding scenes that I never actually got to put in. Like, early on Anna makes a reference to the Slayer, a homocidal robot that yanks passerby's eyes out before tearing them limb from limb. If you don't remember that, that's becuase I never got around to putting it into my story.
So it'll be in the new/improved version.
Oh and what's not clear, Fanger, and when? List off those things so I can look into them.
I've also been adding scenes that I never actually got to put in. Like, early on Anna makes a reference to the Slayer, a homocidal robot that yanks passerby's eyes out before tearing them limb from limb. If you don't remember that, that's becuase I never got around to putting it into my story.
So it'll be in the new/improved version.
Oh and what's not clear, Fanger, and when? List off those things so I can look into them.
Well, you never covered specifically why where who what and wherefore the harbinger came from, baring that what it is made out of, how the aliens came to be on it, why the humans were on it, why it was at their homeworld, what was stopping it from eating their homeworld, why it needed to eat worlds, why the xorquin hated the humans so much, why the races were disposed how they were, what tech level the people lived at, why ELFs are partially biological, where the hell ELFs came from what exactly prevented Fox from just wiping out everything in the ship in the first place, the manifestation of Jimmy's so called "super human" strength was extremely underwhelming almost the to point of sillyness, and the rapidity of why it happened, Why were the slur and the other dudes fighting out by tortuga, why did they call it tortuga..? why was anyone fighting, where did they get resources from, how was the ship disposed, is it a dyson sphere afare, or a giant enterprise, what did the walls look like, what was the general decorum of most of the areas, how was it that the whole place was full of breathable oxygen.. I could continue to go on.. now not all those are critical story breakers but some sort of explaination needs to be conconcted during the course of the story, unless you intend to cointinue it in which case its ok.. granted there are certain elements of mystique that are fun:
Example look at half life First game you had NO idea what was going on (story wise) Second game they explain whats going on story wise and through little bits here and there explain what is currently in the making, however they leave the general plot and its resolution hanging as well as everyones overall intentions, hanging, but you have an Idea.. and of course half life is not finished yet, but this story is, so the whole story ought to be elaborated somewhere..
Oh to add to all of this, the explainations dont have to be the gospel truth, You dont have to for say detailt he entire history of whoever built the harbinginer, but its nice to put that stuff in there in a point of view perspective, of this is what the X know about the way shit is.. helps with immersion..
Example look at half life First game you had NO idea what was going on (story wise) Second game they explain whats going on story wise and through little bits here and there explain what is currently in the making, however they leave the general plot and its resolution hanging as well as everyones overall intentions, hanging, but you have an Idea.. and of course half life is not finished yet, but this story is, so the whole story ought to be elaborated somewhere..
Oh to add to all of this, the explainations dont have to be the gospel truth, You dont have to for say detailt he entire history of whoever built the harbinginer, but its nice to put that stuff in there in a point of view perspective, of this is what the X know about the way shit is.. helps with immersion..