Spring RTS Engine

A purple, 'Shroud'-like shield?

And let me guess...

Fox was killed by the Tatooed. In order to keep up Mike's appearances, the UNSC give him a false life, wife and family and tried to brush the entire incident under the carpet.

Correct?

What the hell is the UNSC mean? Its the USHS, United States of Human Space.

Good job, GMN, you have discovered my secret. Expect death by crack assault ninja.

Oops on the UNSC / USHS mixup

It wasn't hard to figure out, once I knew the General's name...

Eh, whatever...

You're annoyed that I figured out that quickly aren't you?

Not really, no. I'm actually pleased people are paying attention to the hints I'm putting here and there.

Miles yanked back on the cabling and banged his back into the celling. ├óÔé¼┼ôSon of a bitch├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered, wincing. The nacelle had a small crawlspace, one Miles was sure was designed for a superchimp or something. ├óÔé¼┼ôThen the Tatts had to go and kill├óÔé¼┬Ø he slipped out some new cabling, putting it in the right place, ├óÔé¼┼ôall the nice furry genetically engineered animals├óÔé¼┬Ø

This bit of cabling done, he moved to the next. This was hard work, but it would only get worse when he had to move outside in an EVA suit. But at least he didn't have to talk to Teresa, who was busy throwing a tantrum or something. Miles grimaced. Women. Sometimes it seemed like the only sane one was Chess...

Chess looked over the Michaelangelo. It was a nice ship, though now warped and deformed by a single bullet. She ran her fingers over the side, smiling faintly. Then she walked down the hall, moving past Teresa's room. She heard faint sounds in there, a mix between prayer and strange ramblings. Then she got to the main computer console and sat down, propping the chess board on it.

'You know├óÔé¼┬Ø The computer said, its personality subroutines turning on, ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Chess AI is not exactly the best in the world. I could play a better game├óÔé¼┬Ø

Chess looked up, slightly startled. Then she nodded.

The computer started to play. Chess played as well, smiling. This was fun...


Teresa walked in circles around the room, trying to clear her head. Because she couldn't figure out the present, her mind wandered to the past.

├óÔé¼┼ôThis is Alpha Leader├óÔé¼┬Ø Mitchel's voice crackled over the radio, bouncing in Teresa's headset, ├óÔé¼┼ôAlpha squad we're moving out├óÔé¼┬Ø

Teresa grinned wolfishly, tapping her headset, ├óÔé¼┼ôAlpha leader...how many Muslims are we going to bag today?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôMore then enough├óÔé¼┬Ø Mitch sounded tired, ├óÔé¼┼ôLaunching├óÔé¼┬Ø

The Retribution class fighter in front of Teresa's ship exploded downwards, darting out of the docking bay. Teresa tapped her launch key and her ship, The Rock, spun out of the bay. She gunned her engines, following her squad leaders. She felt rather then saw Alpha 2, 3 and 4 form up on her tail.

├óÔé¼┼ôEnemy fighters closing├óÔé¼┬Ø Mitch said, ├óÔé¼┼ôA2 and A3, you're with me. A4 you're with A1. Break and attack!├óÔé¼┬Ø

Teresa jammed her engine hard, knowing that Julia would be easily able to match her. The Muslim fighters outnumbered them, flying towards Teresa's home ship, the Holy Wrath.

├óÔé¼┼ôShields up!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa turned her shield on and felt, in the seat of her pants, the shield generator turn on.

├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø A2's voice crackled over the radio, ├óÔé¼┼ôTwo missiles tagged me├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôGot em'├óÔé¼┬Ø A3 said a second later, ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're clear├óÔé¼┬Ø

Teresa gunned her gatt guns up to full rotation, flying straight for the enemy. Julia formed up on her wing, a laser darting out from under her nose, trying to get a lock.

├óÔé¼┼ôThey've mirrored their ships├óÔé¼┬Ø Julia muttered, ├óÔé¼┼ôTrying to get radar lock├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôIncoming fire├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa spun her ship, avoiding a few stray cannon shells, ├óÔé¼┼ôLet them burn!├óÔé¼┬Ø

Her gatts opened fire, spraying the space in front of her ship with bullets. One of the Muslim fighters was a touch to slow and was torn to shreds. Two other Muslim fighters let loose with their missiles. One skimmed Teresa's shield and vanished, dissipating into plasma. A bit of the superheated gas brushing the side of Teresa's fighter.

Teresa spun her fighter around, jamming on the reverse thrust. Bullets hit her shield, each turned to plasma by the field. Then her ship was jolted forward, hard. A smell of ozone filled the air and air started to rush out of a hole to the right of her head. The glass on her cockpit started to crack. Teresa jammed on her helmet, breathing quickly. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey've got├óÔé¼┬Ø she gasped, not sure if anyone heard her, ├óÔé¼┼ôLasers├óÔé¼┬Ø

Then she smashed her hand down on the eject button and she was vaulted out of her ship, the shield shut down before she was vaporized.



Teresa blinked, realizing she had been standing over the bed for the last ten minutes, unmoving. After a few moments the battle resolved itself in her mind. That had been...New Jerusalem, of course. The space battle had been bad, the Muslims paying for every single inch of space that the she and her friends had taken back. Their ships had been worse, their crews less well trained...but they had still kept up the battle fleet for a week.

Then the ground war. Teresa shook her head, not wanting to remember that campaign. She knew it had been a good cause, but- She couldn't stand to look back on it, not with Miles so present in her mind. Teresa sat down on the bed, rubbing her shoulders. ├óÔé¼┼ôGotta get a hold of yourself├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered, ├óÔé¼┼ôGet a hold of...├óÔé¼┬Ø the ship was rumbling. They were moving.

Miles leaned over the contorlls, chewing his lips. Teresa walked behind him.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhats going on?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked.

├óÔé¼┼ôI think I'm just not lucky this week├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said, ├óÔé¼┼ôOne run in was enough, but two is just getting ridiculous├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôSanders?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa asked.

├óÔé¼┼ôSanders. These ones are moving too├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said, ├óÔé¼┼ôComputer bring up a picture├óÔé¼┬Ø

The picture they got was blurry, but Teresa picked out the motion from the stars that were blacked out, blocked by black shapes. They were strange, fan like creatures that were moving towards them.

├óÔé¼┼ôKliners?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa asked

├óÔé¼┼ôStill down├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said, ├óÔé¼┼ôThey were attracted by the first explosion, and if we turn on the other one...well...then were just going to have another explosion on our hands├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôThat would be bad├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa murmured.

├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said, ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd my shield is down and this ship doesn't have the computing abilities to target a MNG in space, so...there we are├óÔé¼┬Ø

Teresa nodded, carefully not touching Miles as she stood behind him. Miles continued to chew his lower lip. The Sanders were getting closer. Chess was staring at her chess board, where she and the computer had been playing. The computer had managed to pull a draw, both kings trapped. She turned the chessboard off and looked out the window, at the Sanders.

├óÔé¼┼ôThey're going to get in soon├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said, reaching under his desk for his MNG. He pulled out the strangely shaped gun, knowing it was a futile gesture. The most effective weapon mankind had against Sanders was...not the most effective.

The Sanders passed. Miles didn't dare believe it till they were past the ship, the strange forms completely invisible even with telescopes tied into the Glory scanner.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell just happened?├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles asked the air.

Chess leaned back in her chair and laced her fingers behind her head.

------------------


The General sat in his office, gathering up his old junk. His god damned aid walked in, slowly, and said, ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you moving to a new office?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø The General sighed, ├óÔé¼┼ôI've been fired├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø The aide said, ├óÔé¼┼ôCan...can I ask why?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôBecause I have stopped being a useful asset and have become a liability├óÔé¼┬Ø The General's hand reached into his desk and pulled out his secret photograph. He placed it face down in his box and started to walk out of his office.

├óÔé¼┼ôAren't you going to take this?├óÔé¼┬Ø his aide asked, picking up the false photograph of his wife from the desk. The General laughed bitterly, ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's not my wife├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôShe's...not?├óÔé¼┬Ø His aide's brow furrowed.

├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø The General seemed to be using that word a lot, ├óÔé¼┼ôMy real wife would get me fired, and the USHS needed my skills...but now that they don't, here├óÔé¼┬Ø

He handed the photograph to his aide. It took her a moment to realize what she was looking at. She almost dropped it. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh my god├óÔé¼┬Ø She said.

├óÔé¼┼ôYour god├óÔé¼┬Ø The General took the photograph from her fingers, ├óÔé¼┼ôNot mine├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôYou...you married that...thing?├óÔé¼┬Ø

The aide's feet left the floor and her back slammed into a wall. She blinked, head spinning.

├óÔé¼┼ôNever├óÔé¼┬Ø The General said, his voice deadly, ├óÔé¼┼ôNever say that again├óÔé¼┬Ø

The aide felt her feet touch the ground, her shirt slipping through the General's fingertips.

├óÔé¼┼ôNever├óÔé¼┬Ø The General picked his box up, put the things that had fallen out of it back in, and walked out of his office. His aide gasped, feeling her throat.

-------------------

├óÔé¼┼ôWe've finished the evaluation├óÔé¼┬Ø General Silia said, looking at his PDA, ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd...we're worried├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôMore then we already were?├óÔé¼┬Ø Janet asked.

├óÔé¼┼ôYes, madam president├óÔé¼┬Ø General Livingston cut in, ├óÔé¼┼ôhe has a serious revenge issue with the Tattooed for the death of his wife. He also has a strong disregard for authority, as shown by his repeated flouting of regulations. The time he was 'forced' to commandeer a fighter. This recent event with Commander Lowman and L.T Commander Weathers.├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôI also believe that he might be having...well...schizophrenic episodes. This entire goose hunt could have been concocted in his mind├óÔé¼┬Ø General Silia said, frowning.

├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Janet said, ├óÔé¼┼ôNot only is he rebellious and vengeful, but he's crazy too?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôThat about sums it up, Madam President├óÔé¼┬Ø the two General's said.

Janet sighed. Then the phone in the office rang. Janet picked it up.

├óÔé¼┼ôUh...is General Livingston in there?├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice on the other end said, ├óÔé¼┼ôHe asked me to inform him if-├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôIts for you├óÔé¼┬Ø Janet said, handing the phone to Livingston. He took it, cocking his head as he listened. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh motherless son of a bitch├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, ├óÔé¼┼ôtrack him and launch every ship we can...he's already jumped├óÔé¼┬Ø

Janet got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

├óÔé¼┼ôIts Dobson├óÔé¼┬Ø Livingston said, hanging the phone up, ├óÔé¼┼ôHe managed to get a ship and has already warped...├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWhere too?├óÔé¼┬Ø Silia asked.

├óÔé¼┼ôGolgotha├óÔé¼┬Ø Livingston said, sitting down and rubbing his temples.


----------------

├óÔé¼┼ôYou know...I never thought I'd be here├óÔé¼┬Ø The General...or was it just Dobson now?

├óÔé¼┼ôWhys that Mr. Dobson?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jeremy asked, smiling at the elderly man. He had requested a meeting, and because Jeremy had surprisingly little to do with the 'day to day' operations of the Party, he had accepted.

├óÔé¼┼ôBecause I stood my entire life for democracy...but see three hundred years ago my religion failed me├óÔé¼┬Ø he slipped off a glove that he was wearing and Jeremy saw a half faded tattoo, still semi-legible Latin, ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd today my govement failed me├óÔé¼┬Ø

Jeremy suddenly realized which Dobson he was talking too.

Michal Dobson, Paladin of the Tattooed, grinned, ├óÔé¼┼ôI want to hurt them. And I believe you have a way├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWe...we have a will├óÔé¼┬Ø Jeremy said, ├óÔé¼┼ôNot so much on the actual supplies├óÔé¼┬Ø

Dobson's grin only intensified, ├óÔé¼┼ôI have a secret collection of military codes, codes I stored for just this eventuality. With these you could get ships...guns, armor, supplies...even robots├óÔé¼┬Ø

Jeremy laughed, ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is indeed good news...but I never wanted this to become a violent-├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôIt will├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson said, ├óÔé¼┼ôIt will become very violent. AS soon as Janet realizes how powerful you have become, and you will become powerful, she will crack down. I want to help you crack back├óÔé¼┬Ø

Jeremy thought this over. He liked Dobson's honesty and commitment. For some reason he felt that the former General was more...trustworthy then the Cardinal, who continued to rub Jeremy the wrong way.

├óÔé¼┼ôSo...I thought Paladin Dobson├óÔé¼┬Ø Jeremy said, ├óÔé¼┼ôDied over three centuries├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôSaying that Paladin├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson spat the word like it was an insult, ├óÔé¼┼ôDobson left in disgrace, swearing vengeance against the Cardinals and the Church they lead is a lot less...inspiring than saying he died valiantly in battle├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôTrue├óÔé¼┬Ø Jeremy said, ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy did you turn against the church?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôThey killed my wife├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson said.

Jeremy was taken aback, ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôBecause she was a genehack├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson said, ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd she was a visibly placed genehack, one that everyone could see was respectable, intelligent and well educated. So the powers that be had to get rid of her, if their war for purity was going to succeed. They came...they came in the night, as people like this do├óÔé¼┬Ø

Jeremy held up his hand, an image of Hawk leaping into his mind. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm...sorry for your loss├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.

Dobson smiled bitterly, ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you? If I hadn't lost her, then I wouldn't be joining forces with you now├óÔé¼┬Ø

I see something on the horizon! Things are comming closer! Stuff will blow up soon! I swear! You just need to sit through twenty or so more pages of boring diolouge. Then I swear fun stuff will happen!


I swear!



├óÔé¼┼ôI am an idiot├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa said.

├óÔé¼┼ôNot getting any arguments from me├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles muttered.

├óÔé¼┼ôEh?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat did you say?├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles amended

├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa said, frowning at him, ├óÔé¼┼ôBut are our tachyon communications online?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Miles looked his console over, looking up the tachyon system details.

├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø he nodded, ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah its up. Got a freq that would get us help?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa said, ├óÔé¼┼ôType in 733.111924 and give me the speaker├óÔé¼┬Ø

Miles typed the code in. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy didn't you bring this up before?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked, offering the speaker to her.

She took it. ├óÔé¼┼ôForgot, actually├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa said, ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not infallible├óÔé¼┬Ø


--------------------

Vindict was writing in his office, trying to keep his worrys away. But it was hard. Cardinal Amadeus was causing more trouble, the Savior was far to late and Teresa had apparently dropped of the map. Vindict had been trying to keep track on all the players, but it was getting increasingly difficult. He stopped writing, placing his pen down.

The phone almost stopped his heart. He picked up the receiver.

├óÔé¼┼ôDo you wish to accept a collect call?├óÔé¼┬Ø a computerized voice said on the other side of the line.

├óÔé¼┼ôYes, please├óÔé¼┬Ø Vindict said, always sure to be polite, even to machines

├óÔé¼┼ôLord Illustrator├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa's voice sounded scratchy from the distance, static sometimes filling the line.

├óÔé¼┼ôTeresa!├óÔé¼┬Ø Vindict sat straight in his chair, ├óÔé¼┼ôThank the Lord that you've checked in. I was getting worried├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôDon't├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa said, ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're fine...ish. It's just the ship I've commandeered has taken a bit of a beating and our Kliners are down. Could you send a ship out here to pick us up?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Vindict asked.

├óÔé¼┼ôDS-992├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa said, ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd...make sure you send us some one trustworthy. Some of the church are not to be trusted├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôAmadeus├óÔé¼┬Ø Vindict said the name like a curse

├óÔé¼┼ôWho?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa asked.

├óÔé¼┼ôThe Cardinal of Golgotha├óÔé¼┬Ø Vindict said, ├óÔé¼┼ôI hear that he caused you a spot of bother├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôMore then that├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa said, ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's got George Peck in his pay├óÔé¼┬Ø

Vindict was silent.

├óÔé¼┼ôThe same Peck we all know and love├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa said, thinking he needed conformation

├óÔé¼┼ôThis is very serious├óÔé¼┬Ø Vindict said, ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll have to send someone even more trustworthy then I expected. Expect a ship in five, maybe six hours├óÔé¼┬Ø

Teresa grinned as he hung up. Miles was also smiling at her. His smile unnerved her, so she looked away.

├óÔé¼┼ôI take it the taxi is going to show up soon├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said.

├óÔé¼┼ôHe said he'd send someone he trusted├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa said, standing, ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm going to take the time to shower├óÔé¼┬Ø

Miles watched her leave. Chess watched him watch Teresa leave. Miles turned back to the console, starting up the diagnostic programs. ├óÔé¼┼ôEVA├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered, ├óÔé¼┼ôFun├óÔé¼┬Ø

Miles worked on the side of the ship, carefully attached with a safety line. His magnetic boots kept him attached to the nacelle. He walked, slowly, and arrived at his next 'spot'. Miles reached down and yanked up the paneling off. He stopped the motion of the panel so it floated nearby and started to work in the cabling again. It was harder this time to keep his mind of Teresa. His mind kept conjuring images her in the shower, and a distraction in an EVA stint could be deadly. Miles stopped, momentarily, trying to clear his head.

Then a ship warped into view, right above the Kitty Hawk. It was a slender ship, with a bulbous living section separated from a rather dangerous looking fusion engine by a long tether. The side of the ship proclaimed that it was named The Long Sleep. The sides were scrawled with Latin, marking it as a tattooed ship. Miles stared, taken in by the splendor of the thing. It was a huge ship, from his perspective, and the fusion engine was as beautiful as it was deadly.

├óÔé¼┼ôMiles Benedict, I presume├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice crackled over his radio, ├óÔé¼┼ôEven in a space suit you look surprised├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWho do I have the pleasure of speaking to?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôVindict Chambers├óÔé¼┬Ø The voice said, ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd please prepare to be latched onto our ship. I'd also love to invite you, Teresa and the young woman you call Chess onboard for dinner├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôUh├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles felt incredibly out of place in his old spacesuit, standing in an inch of sweat, listening to a very cultured voice invite him to a dinner party, ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll have to get changed first├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.

Chess looked around the main chamber of the Long Sleep. It was a large, long room, built like a Victorian dinner room. A chandelier hung from the celling, or more accurately hovered from the ground, and a double staircase lead to the different sleeping quarters. A table was set in the middle of the room, far to large for the modest amount of people here. Chess saw a man at the end of the table, a very old looking man rather similar to the old man she had tricked a few hours ago.



├óÔé¼┼ôWelcome├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, gesturing to the table, ├óÔé¼┼ôSit. I am Vindict├óÔé¼┬Ø

Teresa bowed, head almost touching the floor as she knelt. Her arm shot out and dragged Miles to a bowing position as well.

├óÔé¼┼ôStand, my children├óÔé¼┬Ø Vindict walked to them, touching their foreheads with his finger. Teresa stood, eyes still looking down.

├óÔé¼┼ôUh├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said, a bit flustered by the proximity of an important individual like Vindict, ├óÔé¼┼ôI didn't think you'd come yourself├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWho can I trust more then myself?├óÔé¼┬Ø Vindict asked, clapping Miles on the shoulder. He then looked at Chess, who was standing slightly back and away from this. He stepped past the others, eyes wide. He reached out, slowly, and took Chess's hand. Then he bowed, slowly so as to not injure his back.

├óÔé¼┼ôI...am honored├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, his voice hushed, ├óÔé¼┼ôI am honored you would permit yourself onto a vessel of such...insignificance├óÔé¼┬Ø

Chess chewed her lower lip. Never before had she longed to talk as she did now. She wanted to...but what could she say?

├óÔé¼┼ôShe...she doesn't talk├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said softly.

├óÔé¼┼ôIs there something wrong with her...├óÔé¼┬Ø Vindict trailed off, standing and looking at Miles.

├óÔé¼┼ôNot that the computer can tell├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said, ├óÔé¼┼ôChess you just don't want to talk, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Chess nodded. If only they knew why.

├óÔé¼┼ôThen├óÔé¼┬Ø Vindict said, ├óÔé¼┼ôLet us hope that when you do speak it is with wisdom├óÔé¼┬Ø. He gestured to the table, ├óÔé¼┼ôlet us eat, drink and be merry. It will take about a day for our ship to reconfigure the Kliner warp for your ship's added shape├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure you can't fit it inside?├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles asked as he sat.

├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't have a cargo hold├óÔé¼┬Ø Vindict said, taking his seat as well, ├óÔé¼┼ôso its either this or leave your ship behind├óÔé¼┬Ø

Miles shook his head, ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't want that├óÔé¼┬Ø

They started to eat. Conversation remained nearly nonexistent, everyone not familer enough with one another. Then Miles said, ├óÔé¼┼ôSo...how long has this Cardinal Amadeus been trouble?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôToo long├óÔé¼┬Ø Vindict said, frowning as he did so, ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's ambitious, far too much for his own good├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôAnd who is George Peck?├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles asked.

├óÔé¼┼ôHe was a Cardinal, the Cardinal of the Halcyon system├óÔé¼┬Ø Vindict said.

├óÔé¼┼ôLiked little girls├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa said, bitter, ├óÔé¼┼ôI was one of the constables who took him out. Sick bastard had a nine year old...and├óÔé¼┬Ø she stopped, ├óÔé¼┼ôI think we should have done more then excommunicated him├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôSo he's working with Amadeus├óÔé¼┬Ø Vindict murmured, mulling this over, ├óÔé¼┼ôvery serious. I think that Amadeus has enough evidence against him to be excommunicated himself├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not so sure├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa said, ├óÔé¼┼ôIf he's as smart as he is ambitious, then he must have some kind of support other then the Church├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôThe Barons├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles cut in, ├óÔé¼┼ôHe has at least nine of the Baron's behind him├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôI'm still not sure what the hell a Baron is├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa muttered.

├óÔé¼┼ôVampires├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said, ├óÔé¼┼ôThe last 'clan' of genehacks still in existence├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôFor which we must thank God every day├óÔé¼┬Ø Vindict said. The other stared at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you believe that every mistake that we make in our pasts must be as accepted now as it was back then?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said, licking his lips nervously, ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's just...I didn't expect that├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Vindict said, ├óÔé¼┼ôI've been working to fix the mistakes that have been made. There is nothing we can do for the extinct sub-species of man, but we can at least keep those that survived our madness alive├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôCan't say you've been doing a...perfect job├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said, realizing belatedly that wasn't the best time to say that.

├óÔé¼┼ôAnd it pains me every day├óÔé¼┬Ø Vindict said, ├óÔé¼┼ôThat the others in my Church fight me constantly in that regard├óÔé¼┬Ø

Teresa listened to this, slightly chagrined that she had never thought too much about genehacks. She had never given them more then a thought of 'they're dead, oh well'. She'd have to try and stand up to the example set by Vindict.

Once the dinner was over, each of them retired to their individual rooms. Chess walked into her room. It was a large affair, but not opulent as the main chambers of the ship. The window looked out on space, a very nice view, and the desk was stacked with all the latest amenities. A electronic light was cleverly disguised with a holographic candle, and the bed was a four poster. Chess set her chessboard up on the desk top and quired the ship's A.I. She was disappointed to find that it lacked the personality and brains of Miles' computer. But it still played a better game then her chessboard's A.I.

Miles lay down in his bed, sighing. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can get used to this├óÔé¼┬Ø he murmured.

But he couldn't sleep, rolling over as he tried to get some rest. After a few minutes he sat up, swearing under his breath. He stood up and walked to the door. He looked into the walkway that connected the rooms. The dinner table was cleared, sitting in the main chambers and below the walkways.

He walked to Teresa's room and raised his hand to knock. Then he paused. His hand brushed the door, not making a sound. He moved his hand back, willing to try again. He almost, almost, knocked. Then he lowered his hand and turned around. The door cracked open. Teresa watched Miles walk away, but she didn't say anything. Her door closed and an hour later the Long Sleep warped to the Outreach system.


------------


A month passed. Then a year. Chess was accorded every courtesy, living in the finest room in the Outreach Temple Castle. Teresa stood by her side, always ready to defend her. Miles, his job done, was knighted by the Tattooed. It was controversial, considering his prior actions in the battle for New Jerusalem, but no one tried to kill him a week later, so he considered himself accepted. He then took the Kitty Hawk, completely repaired and refitted, and left.

Teresa felt disappointed that he didn't stay. Chess didn't seem to miss him, but who could tell. Her face was impassive most of the time, other then a few smiles or frowns. Chess, or more accurately her treatment in the Tattooed Castle, was amusing to Teresa. Countless dignitaries flocked to her, wanting to talk with her. She spoke nothing, but simply did what she saw Vindict do when she arrived on the Long Sleep. That is she touched them on the forehead with her fingertips. They seemed to find this most exiting and left very happy.

Miles continued to live out his retirement. He had the money he had gotten when he had left the Outrunners, thought he received an angry letter from the Muslim Intergalactic Community for rendering services to the Tattooed...but the letter arrived about once every month or so no matter what he did, so he just ignored it.

Jeremy watched the Cardinal. The Cardinal watched Jeremy. Dobson watched them both, smiling on occasion. They continued to speak, filter pamphlets through the slave and prole populations. Hawk continued to speak as well, and soon became a well known figure. She was called the new Angle by the slaves who looked up to her as some kind of magical entity. Even the Tattooed were won over by her speeches, her simple way of stating things appealing to them. Also Vindict's new messages of healing of old wounds were percolating through the Church, slowly, and meant less Tatts looked on Hawk as they would a pile of garbage. But only less. Not all.

-----------------


Jeremy stood at the star port, nervous. Had it really been a year? He looked at the passing crowds, gulping as he did so. Then he spotted Hawk. The first thing he noticed was her wings were folded on her back, but not covered by a cloak. She no longer looked like she would blow away in the wind, her face more serene and calm.

├óÔé¼┼ôHawk!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jeremy said, raising his hand. Hawk spotted him and brightened. They both ran to each other and hugged.

├óÔé¼┼ôI take it you missed me├óÔé¼┬Ø Hawk said.

├óÔé¼┼ôUh...a bit├óÔé¼┬Ø Jeremy said, stepping away in a hurry. The Golgothan wind whistled through the doors of the spaceport, causing him to cough. He still wasn't used to it, even after a year of living here.

Hawk smiled as he walked her along.

├óÔé¼┼ôI've been hearing things from the fringe├óÔé¼┬Ø Jeremy said as they walked through the streets, ├óÔé¼┼ôInteresting things├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôMy helpers keep telling me I'm really good at what I do├óÔé¼┬Ø Hawk said.

├óÔé¼┼ôYou are├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said.

├óÔé¼┼ôFreak!├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice was sudden. Something flew threw the air and Hawk pitched forward, crying out. The person who had thrown the rock was already gone, running into the crowd.

Jeremy moved to chase him, but Hawk held him back. She was holding her hand to a cut on her hear, eyes flashing as she looked after her attacker. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe opinions of worthless people are worthless├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, ├óÔé¼┼ôA wisewoman out on the Fringe told me that. Lets go├óÔé¼┬Ø


----------------

Miles stared at the computer, not quite willing to believe it.

├óÔé¼┼ôYou win├óÔé¼┬Ø the computer said, ├óÔé¼┼ôStop looking so surprised├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôI've never been able to beat you├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said, sighing. He felt a pang of melancholy stab him. He wasn't sure who he missed more, Teresa or Chess. Even a year later, he...he still saw Teresa in his dreams, in the back of his mind. He was caught up on her. Miles turned off the chess program, sighing as he did so.

Then his computer said, ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've got mail├óÔé¼┬Ø

Miles turned on his in box and pulled out the E-mail. It was dated five minutes ago. Must have been a high priority on his buddy list. Then he saw the sender. ├óÔé¼┼ôI never put Teresa on my buddy list├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said.

├óÔé¼┼ôSo?├óÔé¼┬Ø The computer said innocently.

├óÔé¼┼ôI said never bother me with E-mails unless they are on my buddy list├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles snapped, ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I don't like flippant, match making computers!├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWho...me?├óÔé¼┬Ø the computer said. Miles turned the speaker off, staring at the E-mail. Then he opened it.

├óÔé¼┼ôSender: T. Voorman
Address: T.Voorman@hotmail.com
Subject: Hey, Miles

├óÔé¼┼ôHey Miles├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa's voice started to play over the ship's speakers. God damn, Miles had forgotten how much he missed her, ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is Teresa and...├óÔé¼┬Ø she paused.

├óÔé¼┼ôYou know I hate these things. You rehearse what you're going to say, you have good reasons for everything and...then you turn on the recorder and then it all drains out├óÔé¼┬Ø another pause.

├óÔé¼┼ôJust come, Miles...It's taken me a year to record this, but...I miss you├óÔé¼┬Ø

The email ended. Miles sat in his chair, grinning like an idiot.

├óÔé¼┼ôI've already plotted the warp├óÔé¼┬Ø The computer said.

├óÔé¼┼ôThanks, you flippant pile of circuitry├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said, leaning back in his chair.

-------------


Janet rarely smoked, but tonight was another exception. She jammed her cigarette down in the ashtray, glowering as she did so.

├óÔé¼┼ôThis...Communist party is getting to be even more of an issue├óÔé¼┬Ø Carter said.

├óÔé¼┼ôI know' Janet said, ├óÔé¼┼ôI know. Have our new networks manage to do anything?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôThe government run news networks have been losing popularity, and no one else wants to be seen as 'paid off'├óÔé¼┬Ø Carter said, his face neutral, ├óÔé¼┼ôBut we've managed to dent their popularity...a bit├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôAnd please tell me that Dobson died of old age├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôNot yet├óÔé¼┬Ø Carter sighed, ├óÔé¼┼ôand we've still been unable to...take care of Jeremy Williams├óÔé¼┬Ø

Janet scratcher her nose, the frustrations of the last year welling up behind her eyelids.

├óÔé¼┼ôAnd if we crack down legally├óÔé¼┬Ø Carter continued his grim forecast, ├óÔé¼┼ôPeople have threatened to go to war├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôCivil War?├óÔé¼┬Ø Janet asked, ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you serious?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôPeople are tired├óÔé¼┬Ø Carter said, ├óÔé¼┼ôTired of being told that the Sanders are going to fall on their heads every day if we are not kept in power. They've stopped believing it. The Communist party says they can make everyone free from oppression, slavery, the works├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôSo...if we stop the Commies from talking, they will fight back. If I abolish slavery, half the USHS will fight back. If I let both parties continue to argue this, sooner or later people are going to stat shooting at one another!├óÔé¼┬Ø Janet ran her fingers through her hair.

├óÔé¼┼ôWell, if it makes things any better, the Tattooed have sided with us, supporting neither communisms or slavery├óÔé¼┬ØCarter said, reaching for good news, ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd with General Dobson no longer in our pay they no longer claim that we have a racist in our Board of Generals├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôThats not quite good news├óÔé¼┬Ø Janet pointed out.

├óÔé¼┼ôAnd the Third coming is drawing more and more Tattooed to the Outreach system. Its getting clogged in there and some people are starting to strain their Kliners a bit too much. Three ships have exploded, for Pete's sake!├óÔé¼┬Ø Carter stopped himself.

├óÔé¼┼ôWe're going to have to go with one side, or the other├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're the president...who's it going to be?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Janet thought, slowly. Then she nodded, ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can't side with Communism...William might be trustworthy, but I don't trust Amadeus farther then I can throw him. So I suppose we must support the lesser of the two evils├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôThe slave's aren't going to be happy with that├óÔé¼┬Ø Carter said, ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd if the Communists try to free them...its going to get ugly├óÔé¼┬Ø

Janet stood, ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not the first President in Human history that had to lead a country through a civil war. We have to stand beside our ideas and defend them├óÔé¼┬Ø

Carter sighed, ├óÔé¼┼ôIt might not come to that├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, ├óÔé¼┼ôThey don't even have ships beyond civilian level. We have the entire Navy on our side├óÔé¼┬Ø

"We have the entire Navy on our side" are words that are going to haunt them, I can tell...

Raaamping up the stakes!



The Kitty Hawk warped into the Outreach system. Miles had to gun the engines forward quite suddenly, to avoid getting burned to a crisp by a wave of radiation pouring out of a freighters engines. Once he was out of that, Miles had time to look around the system. It was clogged, absolutely clogged with ships of every shape and design. Many of them were obsolete, using deadly looking engines. Radiation hulks like the one that almost fried the Kitty Hawk.

It took Miles a moment to realize that each ship was a pilgrim ship.

├óÔé¼┼ôHow many are believers, and how many are being paid by believers├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered, looking at the countless speckles of light that were dancing around the planet Outreach. The holding formation was massive, thousands of ships in a steady orbit around the planet.

├óÔé¼┼ôThis is going to be a nightmare├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles muttered, looking at the ships. If a single one was off course, then half the thing could be ripped apart by the fragments and explosions. To his relief it soon became apparent that the traffic authorities were 'bleeding' ships off, scattering them to smaller holding patterns. There were still far too many ships in orbit...

The Kitty Hawk, to his uprise, got a quick transfer to the main holding pattern and a few hours later he was able to touch down in a shuttle, landing on the outskirts of the main city. The dome had been expanded twice over, large tracts of the ice melted to make room for it. Miles was more then a bit surprised at how many new people were living there, rather then just visiting. But then again he wasn't a believer. He walked through the streets, looking with interest at the robed Tatts that were walking in single file, each of them holding a Bible and praying under their breath.

He got to the Castle. It was still as impressive as when he had dropped Chess off. Large, sweeping and very ancient feeling, with massive granite walls, flying buttresses and a single tower that actually shoved above the dome into the thin atmosphere of the planet. Miles walked through the main chambers, finding his way to the appointment desks.

├óÔé¼┼ôDo you have an appointment?├óÔé¼┬Ø The robot at the desk asked.

├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said, leaning in to be heard over the din of the others that were crowding the rooms.

├óÔé¼┼ôWho?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôT. Voorman├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said.

├óÔé¼┼ôTake the elevator, Room 111├óÔé¼┬Ø

Miles walked to the elevator, pushing past the others that were still milling about. He got to the elevator and stepped in, grumbling as he did so. The doors closed and cut off the noise suddenly, leaving Miles with a ringing sound in his ears.

The elevator door opened into a thin hallway. Holographic candles lit the place, showing the walls without any doors or ornaments. At the end of the hall a single door stood, a crucifix nailed to it. Miles walked to the door and socked.

├óÔé¼┼ôNo appointments!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa shouted through the door. Miles' breath caught in his throat.

Teresa listened for the person to leave. Usually they complained or left. She brought her monofilament glove up. Chess was sitting behind her desk, as usual, playing a chess game online against some random person. She found she enjoyed playing against real men and women then computers. They so often did something amusing or new.

Teresa licked her lips, listening for the footsteps of the leaving pilgrim. She still didn't hear anything.

├óÔé¼┼ôGo on! Leave!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa shouted.

├óÔé¼┼ôUh├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said, scratching his head, ├óÔé¼┼ôIts Miles├óÔé¼┬Ø

Teresa opened the door a crack, looking through the thin slit at Miles. ├óÔé¼┼ôMiles?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked, ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you doing here├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôUh├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said, taken aback, ├óÔé¼┼ôYou invited me├óÔé¼┬Ø

Teresa opened the door all the way, slipping her glove off now that she knew it wasn't an assassin. Chess was sitting straight up, completely losing her interest in the chess game.

├óÔé¼┼ôNo I didn't├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa said. She paused, not quite letting Miles into the room, ├óÔé¼┼ôBut...├óÔé¼┬Ø she trailed off.

├óÔé¼┼ôI got an E-mail├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said, ├óÔé¼┼ôWith your voice!├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôI'm afraid that I am responsible for that├óÔé¼┬Ø a voice said from behind Miles. He turned and Teresa pulled her glove on, ready to defend Chess.

A shadowy figure walked down the hall, robe drawn tight about his shoulders. He threw his hood back and grinned toothily at Miles.

├óÔé¼┼ôUh...do I know you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles asked.

├óÔé¼┼ôYou might not have remembered├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said, ├óÔé¼┼ôBut about a year ago I leaned you both money, saying that you would both owe me a favor├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôMarco, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles asked, suddenly remembering.

├óÔé¼┼ôMarcus, actually├óÔé¼┬Ø Marcus said, bowing, ├óÔé¼┼ôNow...I need you two to cache in with my favor├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWhy the fakes E-mail?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa asked.

├óÔé¼┼ôBecause I had no way of knowing that Miles would respond to an E-mail sent by me. But an E-mail sent by you...├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWhats that supposed to mean?├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles and Teresa said at the same time.

├óÔé¼┼ôNever mind├óÔé¼┬Ø Marcus said, raising his hand to stop them from speaking any more.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat favor?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa asked, a sinking feeling in her stomach about what this man might want.

├óÔé¼┼ôOh its easy├óÔé¼┬Ø Marcus said, smiling, ├óÔé¼┼ôI simply need an audience with Vindict├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôThats it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles asked.

├óÔé¼┼ôLet me do the talking├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa snapped. She stepped in front of Miles.

├óÔé¼┼ôThats it?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked.

-----------


Hawk held the rag to her head, wincing slightly as she prodded the forming bruise. Jeremy walked into the room, carrying a real bandage.

├óÔé¼┼ôSo was that your reception in most planets?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôSome├óÔé¼┬Ø Hawk said, putting the bandage on her forehead, ├óÔé¼┼ôBut not all, thankfully├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Jeremy said, ├óÔé¼┼ôWe've been hearing nothing but good things about your appearances├óÔé¼┬Ø

Hawk shrugged

├óÔé¼┼ôDon't you have anything to say about it?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôOne├óÔé¼┬Ø Hawk said, ├óÔé¼┼ôthe fringe planets are a lot more dusty then the inner worlds├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôThats it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jeremy sat down next to her.

├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Hawk sighed, ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm just tired├óÔé¼┬Ø

Jeremy smiled, looking at her.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you so happy about?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hawk smiled at him. Jeremy moved forward. Her lips felt so soft on his...

-----------

The Cardinal sighed, shutting off the camera he had put in Jeremy's office. Dobson and he were planning the first moves in their grand plan.

├óÔé¼┼ôI think Jeremy could prove to be a liability. Him and Hawk both├óÔé¼┬Ø The Cardinal said.

├óÔé¼┼ôHow, exactly?├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson said, using the air of someone who was only politely interested in the conversation.

├óÔé¼┼ôJeremy is weak├óÔé¼┬Ø The Cardinal said, ├óÔé¼┼ôHe loves that woman, Hawk. He doesn't have the stomach for controlling the people when the war is over├óÔé¼┬Ø

Dobson grunted.

├óÔé¼┼ôHe might not sanction some of the actions we might take├óÔé¼┬Ø

Dobson grunted.

├óÔé¼┼ôI think we should get rid of him├óÔé¼┬Ø

Dobson grunted

├óÔé¼┼ôSoon├óÔé¼┬Ø

Dobson grunted.

The Cardinal sighed, annoyed. Somedays it seemed as if Dobson didn't even notice that he was there.

The Cardinal walked to Dobson, leaning over his shoulder.

├óÔé¼┼ôAre you even listening to me?├óÔé¼┬Ø

Dobson's hand clamped down on the Cardinal's throat.

├óÔé¼┼ôListen to me, you sick fuck├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson said turning around as he pushed the Cardinal against the wall, ├óÔé¼┼ôI've been watching you for the past year, and I don't like you. I don't like your methods. I don't like the way you always have your attack dog, Peck five seconds from wherever you are├óÔé¼┬Ø

As if to underscore what he was saying, Peck ran into the room, bursting the door down. He aimed his laser pistol at Dobson's head.

├óÔé¼┼ôPut the Cardinal down├óÔé¼┬Ø George said, his voice even.

Dobson let the Cardinal down, looking down the laser barrel.

├óÔé¼┼ôThe stink is getting too much for me├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson pushed past George. George holstered his laser pistol, looking at the Cardinal for instructions.

├óÔé¼┼ôThis entire party has gone soft├óÔé¼┬Ø The Cardinal felt his throat, sighing.

---------

Everything seemed perfect, to Jeremy at least. Then the door to his office burst open. Hawk jumped away from him, wings flapping unsteadily. Jeremy pulled the desk chair up to cover his crotch. Dobson strode into his room.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you-├óÔé¼┬Ø Jeremy started, but Dobson's gun was suddenly in his hand. Jeremy's eyes bugged, as he was not used to staring down the barrel of a gun. Then the gun moved to the corner of his room and fired. The bullet tore apart the hidden camera, sending sparks flying.

├óÔé¼┼ôGet dressed├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson said, turning around and closing the door, ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have some problems├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jeremy asked, pulling his pants on.

├óÔé¼┼ôSaving our lives├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson said, ├óÔé¼┼ôYou've been pushing papers, and you've been wandering around the fringe, while I've been watching our friend Amadeus├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôThe Cardinal?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jeremy asked, rooting around under the desk to find his shirt.

├óÔé¼┼ôHe thinks you're soft├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson said, ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd he doesn't like how you have emotions other then completely loyalty to the cause. Emotions such as...love├óÔé¼┬Ø

Hawk, who was buttoning her custom made shirt on, blushed.

├óÔé¼┼ôHe's had a camera in this office?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jeremy walked to the still smoking hole in the corner of his room. He could see the mangled remains of the camera.

├óÔé¼┼ôHe's not going to admit it...but as soon as you leave for the night, a new camera will be put up somewhere in here├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson said, ├óÔé¼┼ôBut first we have to remove him from power. Its going to be hard, seeing as how he controls more of the Party then you do├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôHe does?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jeremy said, belatedly realizing how dumb that made him sound.

Dobson held his hand up for silence. Then he placed his gun barrel on the door and fired three times. He opened the door and George lay in the hallway, moaning as he felt his chest.

├óÔé¼┼ôYou shot me├óÔé¼┬Ø He gasped.

Dobson fired a few more times. George curled up, the bullet impacting painfully on his body armor. Dobson hobbled to George and smashed his face with his cane.

├óÔé¼┼ôNever give these guys chances├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson said, looking at Hawk and Jeremy, both of whom were shaking in their boots. Dobson picked up George's laser pistol and tossed it to Jeremy, who caught it unsteadily.

├óÔé¼┼ôThat should be good├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson said, ├óÔé¼┼ôIt has no recoil, so don't compensate, that can foil your aim├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôI can shoot things├óÔé¼┬Ø Jeremy said.

├óÔé¼┼ôIts either shoot things, or the Cardinal is running this place from now on├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson said.

Jeremy nodded, slowly, and walked to Dobson, who was rooting through George's belongings. Dobson found a small transponder. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd now the Cardinal knows everything we've been saying├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson crushed the transponder with his fist and threw the mangled bit of plastic away.

├óÔé¼┼ôLets├óÔé¼┬Ø Jeremy looked up, hearing footsteps, ├óÔé¼┼ôGet├óÔé¼┬Ø

Five Tattooed ran around the corner, each of them armed with deadly looking rifles. They wore robes, but moved like...soldiers.

They aimed, each of them covering Dobson, Jeremy and Hawk.

Jeremy acted first, kicking the door behind him close, shouting, ├óÔé¼┼ôHawk! Run!├óÔé¼┬Ø

Hawk ran to the window, hoping the lighter gravity of Golgotha would-

Gunshots. A bullet whizzed over her shoulder, shattering the window she was running do. Hawk dived out, wings snapping out. She slowed. It wasn't enough. The ground came up too fast...

What is an Internet 400 error? It didn't stop the post, but it dose confuze the crap out of me...

The Cardinal frowned as he walked down the hall. George was feeling several wounds on his chest that bled sluggishly, little more then serious welts.

├óÔé¼┼ôBastard knew I was coming├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. He delivered a vicious kick to Dobson's body. To his annoyance a groan escaped from Dobson's lips.

├óÔé¼┼ôHe's still alive├óÔé¼┬Ø George knelt next to Dobson, pulling out his newly recovered laser pistol. He placed the blunt barrel on Dobson's temple. Then a fist smashed into his nose, sending George flying backwards, blood spraying from his re-broken nose. The Cardinal half way turned as Dobson got to his feet. The man was bleeding from ten, maybe eleven bullet wounds...and he was still walking.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you!├óÔé¼┬Ø The Cardinal asked.

Dobson grinned, picking the laser pistol off the ground.

├óÔé¼┼ôYou'd never believe me├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. The laser cracked in the air, and a smell of ozone filled the air. The Cardinal fell, screaming. IT was a pitiful noise. Dobson, not really caring if the Cardinal lived or died, knelt next to Jeremy. He rolled the younger man onto his back, wincing at the three bullet wounds that bled sluggishly. Jeremy's breath was coming in short gasps, face pale and sickly from blood loss

├óÔé¼┼ôIs...Hawk├óÔé¼┬Ø Jeremy gasped, ├óÔé¼┼ôO...Okay?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson nodded, ├óÔé¼┼ôYou did good, kid├óÔé¼┬Ø

Jeremy grinned, a trickle of blood running down the side of his lips, ├óÔé¼┼ôI...never been shot before├óÔé¼┬Ø

Then he died.

Dobson picked up his cane, standing slowly. The Cardinal was gone, not even a blood trail marking his exit. The wound must have cauterized. Dobson hobbled down the hall, hugging the wall. The bullets weren't lethal, not to someone of his...type. But he still felt the pain of them. He'd have to find Hawk. Partly because she had spent the better part of a year getting allies in the Fringe world...but mostly because Jeremy didn't deserve what had happened to him, and Hawk didn't deserve to be shot by someone like Amadeus.

Dobson heard the sound of approaching soldiers. He slipped into a room, looking around for an escape. The soldiers came to his door, ready to kick it down. Dobson fired his laser pistol, burning multiple holes through the door. Someone shrieked, and two bodies hit the deck. Bullets shredded the door even more, shattering the window behind Dobson. But he was already hobbling to the side.

The five surviving soldiers ran into the room, each of them ready to fire. The room was empty. One of the soldiers went to the desk, looking behind it. The room itself was an unused office, so it lacked a bathroom or a shower, even a bed. The search was done quickly. Dobson was not there. They turned to leave, each of them wondering what had happened.

Then one of the soldiers turned around, seeing something that perked his interest. He walked to the small gray panel in the wall and opened it. It was the trash chute, leading straight to the incinerator. The soldier opened the panel and shone his light into it. It was wide enough for a skinny man, the sides streaked with dirt and gunk. It smelled disgusting as well. The soldier shone his flashlight down the thing, and saw that the tube curved down sharply. No one could be hiding in there. He turned around and walked out of the room.

Then a hand came up from the curve and managed to grab onto a chink in the tube's segment. Dobson hauled himself up, pushing off his cane, which he had wedged a few inches down from the curve in the tube. He crawled out, landing on the floor, panting heavily.

├óÔé¼┼ôThose things are always cleaner in movies├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson brushed himself off. Then he picked up his cane, which was bent slightly after supporting his weight. He hobbled out of the room, keeping a look out for any of the Cardinal's guards.

-------------


Hawk shifted in the gutter, groaning. There were bits of broken glass, trash and other bits of things she didn't want to identify. She slowly pushed herself up, then stopped. Her left wing was on fire! She looked at it, twisting slowly. It the wing was broken, that much she could see. Hawk gulped, knowing she would have to bind it somehow. She folded her wings back, tears running down her face from the pain. She held her left wing down with her arm and unhooked her belt. Then she tied the wing down, hard. She stood, testing the belt. It seemed to work, for now, but she'd have to find a better way later.

She turned around, snapping her right wing to her back. Then she looked around for a way to cover it, but choices were scarce in the alleyway. So she simply ducked backwards, moving deeper into the shadows.

After a few minutes she got to a dead end. Hawk sighed, looking up. Then she heard the sound of footsteps. Hawk chewed her lower lip, looking around for some kind of escape. Then she noticed the wall had some deep pits, chunks torn out by vandals and simple age. She started to climb, wincing every other hand hold as her left wing was moved a bit too much, pain spiking when it was jostled. The lighter gravity, combined with the surprising amount of exercise she had gotten over the past year, helped her get to the roof. She clambered there, rolling onto her front. Then she crawled to the edge, hunching down to avoid the person who was walking into the dead end's sight.

The man was using a cane, dressed in a long Tattooed robe. He stopped, looking around.

Then he turned around, walking away with his cane.

├óÔé¼┼ôDobson?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hawk risked speaking.

Dobson turned, throwing his hood back.

├óÔé¼┼ôGood, your alive├óÔé¼┬Ø he said gruffly, ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Cardinal, as soon as he gets over getting shot, will send some troops after us├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôYou shot him?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hawk asked.

She caught the glint of Dobson's smile, ├óÔé¼┼ôSeemed the thing to do├óÔé¼┬Ø

Hawk climbed down the same wall she had just scaled. She almost fell at the bottom, but Dobson grabbed her around the waiste and helped her down. She wimpered as he jostled her broken wing.

├óÔé¼┼ôIs this broken?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked.

Hawk nodded, turning as she did so.

├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson pulled the robe off over his head. Hawk was shocked to see that he still bled from multiple gunshot wounds.

├óÔé¼┼ôYou're hurt├óÔé¼┬Ø Hawk said, reaching to tear bandages from her own shirt.

├óÔé¼┼ôI've live├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson said, tossing her the robe, ├óÔé¼┼ôWear this and head to the spaceport. I'll meet you there and we can get off the planet├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWait!├óÔé¼┬Ø Hawk said, looking in the direction of the Church, ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can't leave with out Jason├óÔé¼┬Ø

Dobson stopped, half turning to exit the alleyway. He looked pained.

├óÔé¼┼ôHe's dead, right├óÔé¼┬Ø Hawk said, her voice soft.

├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson said. Then he walked out of the ally. Hawk stared at the wall, not quite able to move. Then she shook herself, mechanically putting the robe on. It hurt, but then it was on. She forced her unbound wing down and looked over her shoulder. It would work. Then she walked out of the ally, pulling the hood over her head. With each step something begin to eat at her stomach. Her vision blurred, suddenly, and Hawk couldn't move again. Then she bit her lip, trying to focus.

Hawk looked up and saw three Tattooed soldiers walking down the street, each of them holding a picture of her and asking people if they had seen her. She pulled her hood down, her sadness being slowly shoved aside by a smoldering anger. She walked past the soldiers, who walked right past her without a second glance, and then to the spaceport.

-----------------


Capitan Harry Lowman looked at his new pip and grinned. It was a small thing he allowed himself every other day. Then he turned his attention back to the main screen.

├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø his sensor officer, Cmd. Lesley, looked over her shoulder, ├óÔé¼┼ôAnother bit of trouble down in the way├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôMr. Benji├óÔé¼┬Ø Lowman said, ├óÔé¼┼ôPlease take us there├óÔé¼┬Ø

Lt Cmd. Benji nodded, scratching himself behind the ear as he plotted the course. It was a small ship, the Potemkin, deceptively small. Armed with a full broadside of lance batteries, and a heavy shield capable of sustaining full force for three hours, the Potemkin could hold out against multiple hostiles better then other ships it size.

Now who had decided that its shakedown cruise would be in the Outreach system...

The Potemkin came to a stop next to the two arguing ships.

├óÔé¼┼ôPut me on a shared channel├óÔé¼┬Ø Lowman sighed, trying to compose himself and look less like a man slowly being nibbled to death by ducks.

The two captains of the two vessels popped onto his screen. One was a rather lovely looking redheaded woman, her name listed as Lorraine. The other was a less lovely man, name listed as Harold.

They both started to talk at the same time. Lowman held his hand up, trying to stop them. ├óÔé¼┼ôPlease!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, when that didn't work.

They shut up, reluctantly.

├óÔé¼┼ôStart at the beginning├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôI have this full cargo├óÔé¼┬Ø Lorraine said, ├óÔé¼┼ôOf cultists trying to get to whatever big thing thats going down here├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôOr so she claims├óÔé¼┬Ø Harold cut in snidely

├óÔé¼┼ôAnd then this man stops me, saying I have explosives onboard!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lorraine said, ├óÔé¼┼ôHe just wants my position in the docking pattern├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôIs this true?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lowman asked, looking at Harold.

├óÔé¼┼ôNot only does she have explosives...she's also a Pinko├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôSo what if I am, bastard!├óÔé¼┬Ø

That started up another shouting match.

├óÔé¼┼ôTarget both of their ships├óÔé¼┬Ø Lowman said to his gunnery officer, Lt. Okinawa. She nodded, grinning. After a month of this, they knew how Lowman worked.

├óÔé¼┼ôUh├óÔé¼┬Ø Lorraine said, blanching, ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you getting targeted too, Harold?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôYes I am├óÔé¼┬Ø Harold said, his face purpling.

├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Lowman said, ├óÔé¼┼ôI am going to search both of your ships. If I find anything strange on anyone's ships, then that person is going to get arrested├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôI haven't done anything wrong!├óÔé¼┬Ø Harold cut in.

├óÔé¼┼ôIf there are no explosives on Lorraine's ship, then you've obstructed a military asset for five minutes too long├óÔé¼┬Ø Lowman said, turning off both of the connections before anyone could start shouting again.

├óÔé¼┼ôPlease dispatch a search team to both of those ships├óÔé¼┬Ø Lowman said.

├óÔé¼┼ôSir!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lesly shouted, ├óÔé¼┼ôLorraine's ship has broken holding pattern! They're running├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôShields up├óÔé¼┬Ø Lowman said.

A warning indicator flashed on, showing that impacts were registering with the shield.

├óÔé¼┼ôHoly shit├óÔé¼┬Ø Lesly said, ├óÔé¼┼ôThose were nukes!├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôSend a message to traffic control and open fire with forward lance's. Mr. Benji, please pass us over their heads├óÔé¼┬Ø

The Potemkin shot forward, its size allowing it to accelerate easily. The Rockhopper, Lorraine's ship, was fleeing far faster then Lowman would have thought, its engines putting out enough heat and light to burn a hole in the Potemkin's hull.

Then part of the Rockhopper's hull exploded off the back, brushing into the Potemkin's shield and turning instantly into plasma. A hidden Lance slid out of the back, aiming as it did so.

├óÔé¼┼ôOpen fire! Disable that├óÔé¼┬Ø Lowman said, hands clenching on his armrests.

Shields, at their core, were nothing more then huge modified MNG's. They created a screen that turned all matter that touched it into plasma, suppressing the strong/weak atomic forces that bound atoms together. Stopping bullets and missiles with a shield was almost laughably easy. Missiles were a bit more tricky, because the explosion could still penetrate a shield if it was large enough and detonated close enough. Lasers, however, fired coherent light rather then actual matter, and could go through Shields without being impeded.

The lights flickered and the Potemkin rocked slightly.

├óÔé¼┼ôLance hit on the below├óÔé¼┬Ø Okinawa said, ├óÔé¼┼ôReturning fire...their lance is down├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôShield failing├óÔé¼┬Ø Lt. Scot cut in, hands dancing over his console as he tried to reroute power, ├óÔé¼┼ôThey hit our forward power routers├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lowman said, ├óÔé¼┼ôSpin us around and let fly with upper lance batteries See if we can't hit their engines├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø Lesly cut in, ├óÔé¼┼ôThey are changing course, heading lower into the planet's atmosphere. We're getting a message├óÔé¼┬Ø

Lorraine appeared on the screen, her face drawn. ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, ├óÔé¼┼ômy mission will end in a more dramatic way then I expected....Long live the revolution├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôThey're breaking up├óÔé¼┬Ø Lesly said, her voice dull. The Rockhopper fell into the atmosphere, stresses starting to rip it apart

├óÔé¼┼ôWarn Outreach! They have-├óÔé¼┬Ø Lowman started, but was cut off when the radiological alarms went off.

├óÔé¼┼ôMissles launching!├óÔé¼┬Ø Okinawa said, ├óÔé¼┼ôTargeting. Lance's have taken out five, but there's still at least three nukes heading for Outreach├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôGet the Governor on the line NOW!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lowman stood up.

--------------


Teresa stood outside the room, waiting impatiently. Marcus had been talking with Vindict for far too long, far far too long for just a 'simple' request. Chess and Miles were down the hall, playing Chess. Teresa had a simple security measure set up. A camera was in Chess's room, and fed a live video into a small contact lenses that Teresa wore in her left eye. Every once and a while she closed her eyes to check on the two of them. Chess, as usual, was winning.

Then something rumbled. A white light shone through the windows. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet down├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa breathed. Then, running. ├óÔé¼┼ôGET DOWN!├óÔé¼┬Ø She shouted. Something smashed into the side of the building, a blinding roar of light and sound. A wind whipped through, deadly cold, then burning hot. Then she blacked out.


----------------------

Miles coughed, standing up. The room was in ruins, the walls cracked and...almost broken. He breathed experimentally. The air was still viable, still breathable. He supposed he was lucky. Chess was sitting in the corner, staring at him. Miles ran to her, but she pointed to something in the doorway.

Miles turned around and saw that the doorway outside had crushed inwards slightly, bulging madly. Teresa's arm fell out from there, the rest of her body hidden. Miles ran to her, skidding to a stop.

├óÔé¼┼ôTeresa!├óÔé¼┬Ø He shouted, ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you alive!├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôY...yeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa gasped, her voice sounding panicked, ├óÔé¼┼ôUh...I think my left leg is trapped├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat happened?├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles asked

├óÔé¼┼ôHow the fuck do you think I would know!├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa snapped

├óÔé¼┼ôDon't panic├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said, looking at the rubble, trying to see if he could get it open, ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll get you out├óÔé¼┬Ø

Teresa's breath came in short gasps. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I trust you├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, ├óÔé¼┼ôJust...it...it hurts, damn it├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôChess├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said, ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you help me with this?├óÔé¼┬Ø Chess had been staring at the wall, seemed completely loss. The words from Miles snapped her out of it and she stood, walking to Miles. He braced his shoulder on the rubble and shoved. It didn't give. Chess moved to help him.

├óÔé¼┼ôOkay├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said, ├óÔé¼┼ôOne...two..THREE!├óÔé¼┬Ø They both hauled off and the rubble fell forward. Miles grabbed Teresa and hauled her out. Teresa screamed, feeling her leg. Her hands were bloody, cut up when the glass on the window had exploded over her. The left side of her face, the tattooed side, was burned and her leg was crushed and mangled, twisted at an odd angle.

├óÔé¼┼ôChess├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said, looking at her, ├óÔé¼┼ôHold her please├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWh-what...its going to hurt right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa asked, sounding very afraid.

├óÔé¼┼ôI'm afraid it will├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles took hold of her leg, ├óÔé¼┼ôReady?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa whimpered, Chess taking her hand and patting it, trying to be comforting.

Miles snapped her leg into place. Teresa shrieked, tears running down her face. Chess placed her hand over the burn. Miles looked at Teresa, smiling, ├óÔé¼┼ôIts nothing more then a few bumps and bruises├óÔé¼┬Ø

Chess took her hand away, chewing her lower lip. Teresa didn't notice the sudden lack of pain from her face, still absorbed by her leg's agony.

├óÔé¼┼ôNow what the hell happened?├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles looked around. The hallway was still chocked with rubble, preventing him from seeing out. Then he heard a faint hissing.

├óÔé¼┼ôThere's a leak├óÔé¼┬Ø he said softly, shivering. Was it really colder in here, or just his imagination?

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa sat up, wincing as she did so.

├óÔé¼┼ôI think there's a leak├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles said, ├óÔé¼┼ôOver there├óÔé¼┬Ø

Is it just me or is there a lack of responces?


Nah, I'm just crazy. Oh and here is a new episode, with excitement and horror aglore!



The news hit them with the Kliners half charged. Hawk was sitting in a back rooms of the liner, a blanket pulled over her wings. Every tiny vibration made her wince slightly. The wing was getting swollen, she was sure that it wasn't healing properly. Dobson snoozed in the seat across from her, a hat pulled over his wrinkled face.

Something was clicking under his shirt. Hawk stared at him, trying to figure out what was making the noise. Then she shook her head, fatigue seeping into her mind again. She was tired, the pain from both her wing and Jeremy's death making it hard to focus on things. Then the screen, which she had turned off after the in flight movie had turned out to be Biodome, flickered on.

├óÔé¼┼ôDobson├óÔé¼┬Ø Hawk kicked him in the shin. He woke with a start, hat falling off into his lap.

He immediately oriented on the news screen, being quick on the uptake.

├óÔé¼┼ôBreaking news├óÔé¼┬Ø The newscaster looked as if he had been pulled from his bed quite suddenly, ├óÔé¼┼ôUh...A half hour ago a ship with communist affiliations fired five missiles at the fringe planet Outreach, were a religious gathering of Tattooed was at its height. Thanks to the brave actions of the USS Potemkin, three of the missiles were shot down. However the remaining two impacted o the surface of Outreach and...we're only just getting the casualty reports, but they are estimated in the millions├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôSon of a bitch├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson turned the screen off, looking at Hawk.

├óÔé¼┼ôDid Amadeus have something to do with this?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôA few months ago, when we were discussing different ways of starting off the rebellion...Jeremy and I shot this one down, too many civilian casualties├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat...what plan?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôTotal nuclear attacks on the planets most entrenched against us. Outreach, Shepherd's Planet and Halcyon├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôBut...thats inhuman!├óÔé¼┬Ø

Dobson smiled bitterly, ├óÔé¼┼ôWe shot it down...guess the Cardinal thought it was a good idea after all├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôThis is the captain speaking├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice came over the P.A, ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're rerouting to the Outreach system to see if we can help. Anyone not heading there, please head for the shuttle bays├óÔé¼┬Ø

Hawk stood, but Dobson stopped her. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, ├óÔé¼┼ôWe should see if we can help down there├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôHow can we help?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hawk asked, sitting down.

├óÔé¼┼ôEvery bit counts├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson lay back down. The truth of the matter began to sink into Hawk's mind. Millions...dead? She had lived on Outreach for ten years...she could have been dead. Then she, quite unexpectedly, fell asleep.

Dobson waited until she was completely asleep. Then he stood, placing the hat more firmly on his head, hunched over and walked down the hallways of the ship. People were rapidly leaving, all of them talking in hushed whispers. Dobson shoved unceremoniously past some of the more packed groups of people, finally arriving at the bathroom.

He allowed the pain to show once he got in the bathroom, closing the door behind him. His breath came in short gasps as he opened his shirt, revealing the bullet wounds that still scored his chest and stomach. The clicking was coming from where his left lung would have been if...his fingers probed the bullet wound there, spreading the caked and clotted blood till he found the bullet. He pulled it out and the mechanical clicking stopped.

Dobson sighed, leaning against the door as he did so. His breathing slowed, deepening now that there wasn't a bullet lodged in his left lung. Dobson, still shirtless, walked to the sink and daubed away the blood. Then he rummaged in his bag, finding the bandages he had pilfered from Golgotha before he had left. Once he was bandaged up, Dobson pulled his shirt on. Then he looked at himself in the mirror. For once in...has it been a century? He smiled. For once in a century he had something to do that didn't relate entirely to revenge.

----------------

Teresa was propped up against the wall, teeth bared with pain. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles hauled off and snapped the leg off what had been Chess's chair. He slid it next to Teresa's leg and tore bits of his own shirt off.

├óÔé¼┼ôI think it was nuclear├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa said through gritted teeth. Miles bound her leg to the chair leg. Teresa whimpered.

Chess was piling rubble at the hallway, trying to slow the leakage...not that Miles thought it would work, but he saw no reason to dissuade her.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhen do you expect help?├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles asked, standing up and pacing around what was left of the room.

├óÔé¼┼ôAs soon as possible and as late as possible├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa said, ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is one of the highest chambers...but Chess is up here. I don't see anyone who would not want to rescue her├óÔé¼┬Ø

Miles nodded, sitting down as he did so, ├óÔé¼┼ôThen we just wait├óÔé¼┬Ø

Teresa shifted slightly, trying to get more comfortable. Chess finished piling ruble, walking to the middle of the room. She looked around and sat down on the three legged chair. It wobbled, but stayed upright.

They all sat there. Then something shifted in the rubble.

Miles stood, picking up a rock as he did so. It wasn't the most elegant weapon. A bit of the rubble fell inwards and a man crawled through the crack, looking very disheveled. He crawled through the small tunnel of rubble until he got to the room proper. He stood, brushing himself off.

├óÔé¼┼ôMarcus?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa croaked, looking at the man.

├óÔé¼┼ôI'm afraid so├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. The dim light in the room, coming from a single holographic candle that still flickered weakly, threw his face into horrible relief. It looked cracked and burnt, skin peeling back to show raw redness beneath.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat happened to you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles asked, wincing.

├óÔé¼┼ôI looked a atomic blast in the face' Marcus sat down, ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd, being a vampire, it was even worse then it would have been for a man├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôDoesn't that hurt?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Marcus wheezed, his teeth flashing on his blackened and burnt face. Teresa laughed, ├óÔé¼┼ôI thought I had it bad├óÔé¼┬Ø

They all sat there, waiting.

-----------------

The capital city of Outreach was a disaster zone. The first nuke had been scrambled by the Potemkin's shots and impacted three miles away, the shockwave almost useless in the nearly nonexistent atmosphere of Outreach. The gamma rays simple bounced off the side of the dome, doing nothing. The second nuke, on the other hand, smashed into the outer domes. The shockwave traveled through the connecting domes, almost shattering the main dome. Two outer domes shattered outright, killing thousands. The shockwave and heat that smashed into the main dome killed thousands more.

Hawk gaped at it all. Charred corpses were being piled at street corners, the Tattooed silent in their work. Some people were sobbing, sitting by themselves and staring at the walls. Fires still burned, filling the dome with evil smelling smoke.

├óÔé¼┼ôCome on├óÔé¼┬Ø Dobson said gruffly, not looking at the horrors around him.

Hawk followed him, staring at his back. It was better then looking anywhere else. Dobson led the way through shattered city. Then they were at the Castle. It looked mostly intact, aside from the left side which was almost completely shattered. Dobson crouched, slowly using his cane for support, and went through the small hole that used to be a door way. Inside it was even more chaotic then outside. The Tattooed, abandoning their robes as they realized that they were completely impractical in this situation, ran too and fro, carrying wounded and patching up the holes in the wall.

├óÔé¼┼ôYou there!├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice shouted, ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need more medical supplies! Go to the strange room. Don't just stand around, head to the food bins, people are going to be hungry!├óÔé¼┬Ø

People, surprisingly enough, actually followed the orders. The woman shouting, for it was a woman, was standing on a desk that had been used to catalog incoming pilgrims. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou two! Don't just stand there gaping, GET TO FUCKING WORK!├óÔé¼┬Ø

Dobson pulled of his hat, handing it to Hawk, ├óÔé¼┼ôBest do what the lady says├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, rolling up his sleeves and hobbling to some things that needed lifting. He grabbed a bundle of supplies, hauled it to his shoulder with ease, and then hobbled out. Hawk watched him, thinking that not everything was lining up with Dobson's appearance. He had to use a cane to get around, but he could also shatter a man's nose in a single blow.

├óÔé¼┼ôGET MOVEING!├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman shouted. Hawk jumped, almost dropping the hat. Then she moved to some people who were wounded.

├óÔé¼┼ôCan you hold her please?├óÔé¼┬Ø A doctor said, pointing at a writhing woman, burns scouring the upper right side of her. Hawk placed her hands on the woman's shoulder, keeping her from moving.

├óÔé¼┼ôIts just a moment├óÔé¼┬Ø Hawk murmured, ├óÔé¼┼ôJust a moment in time, you can get past it├óÔé¼┬Ø

The woman calmed enough for the doctor to inject her with something or other. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø The doctor said, moving to his next patient. An hour passed quickly, Hawk simply doing what she was told, moving mechanically. Then-

├óÔé¼┼ôWe need some people for cutting duty up in the hundreds floor. I've gotta say that its going to be very dangerous├óÔé¼┬Ø the woman who was orchestrated everything shouted over the din.

Hawk raised her hand, somewhat dejectedly. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine, you three come here├óÔé¼┬Ø

Hawk and two other Tattooed walked to the woman. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have some laser cutters. This job is high priority, as we know the Messiah is up there...but God's not going to let her die, so don't risk yourself├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman smiled weakly, ├óÔé¼┼ôBe careful├óÔé¼┬Ø

Hawk took the laser cutter offered her, looking it over. It was a backpack laser. She sighed, hoping no one would shoot her and shucked off her cloak. The others stared. Hawk spread her right wing, slipping the backpack onto it. She did the same, very slowly and carefully with her still broken right wing. Then she folded her wings behind her back again.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you staring at!├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman shouted at the two other workers, ├óÔé¼┼ôNever seen a genehack before! GET TO WORK!├óÔé¼┬Ø

The other nodded and walked to the fire escape that lead to the upper floors. Hawk followed, fiddling with her laser cutter. The trudge up the stairwell seemed interminable, the backpack weighing more and more with every step. They chafed her wings, and each step made her right wing twinge. Then they got to their first obstruction. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø A blond haired Tatt said, looking at his two partners, ├óÔé¼┼ôer...whats your name?├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôHawk├óÔé¼┬Ø Hawk said.

├óÔé¼┼ôJohn├óÔé¼┬Ø The black haired Tatt said, looking nervously.

├óÔé¼┼ôHawk, John...I'm Tim├óÔé¼┬Ø Tim turned to the rubble, ├óÔé¼┼ôMove out of the way, in case something collapses├óÔé¼┬Ø

He turned the laser on the rubble. He triggered the laser. Something smelt strongly of ozone and sparks flew from the rubble. Soon a circle was cut from it, slamming downwards. It clattered past Hawk's feet, almost crushing her toes. They waited until the edge was cool, then crawled into it. The hallways up here were twisted, damaged and almost completely impassible.

They worked, slowly to get through the rubble and ruins. Every once and a while they found a dead body. Then they found a live one.

├óÔé¼┼ôLord Vindict!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tim stooped. The elderly man lay, crushed under a large hunk of ruble. He was barely breathing.

├óÔé¼┼ôShe...is down there├óÔé¼┬Ø Vindict gasped. He wasn't crushed, once Hawk looked closely. The rubble was rounded, pinning him to the floor. The burns on his legs looked more serious, and the smoke filling the air.

├óÔé¼┼ôGet some air in here├óÔé¼┬Ø Tim said to John, then, turning to Hawk, ├óÔé¼┼ôYou start cutting to that room├óÔé¼┬Ø

Hawk nodded and ran to the hallway. She felt air being drawn past her, being pulled through the cracks in the rubble.

├óÔé¼┼ôThere's a leak├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, ├óÔé¼┼ôMust be in the connecting hallways...or in the other room├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôJust cut!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tim shouted, turning his laser on the rubble pinning Vindict down. Hawk started cutting through.

--------------



├óÔé¼┼ôMarcus is dead├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa said flatly.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles stood. He walked to the vampire, leaning next to him. His head was lolled backwards, his chest unmoving.

├óÔé¼┼ôMarcus?├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles asked softly. Was it him, or was the air getting thinner? He snapped his fingers in front of Marcus' face. The blackened and burnt face didn't twitch. Miles carefully touched Marcus' neck, feeling for a pulse. There was none.

├óÔé¼┼ôGod damn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles threw himself backwards, slamming his back against the wall. Chess wobbled slightly, then regained her balance. Teresa moved herself slightly, then whimpered. Her leg was still in horrific pain.

Then a bit of the rubble blocking off the hallway fell open and a woman's face peered in on them.

├óÔé¼┼ôAnyone alive in here?├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted, her voice lilting and oddly accented.

├óÔé¼┼ôYES!├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles shouted, pushing Marcus' corpse out of the way unceremoniously, ├óÔé¼┼ôWe think there's a leak!├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôIts been welded shut...you guys just sit tight, we're getting you out of there in five minutes tops├óÔé¼┬Ø

Miles lay his head back.

├óÔé¼┼ôHey Miles├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa said, ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know...I'm glad you came├óÔé¼┬Ø

Miles smiled, ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø

Finally the stretcher came, followed by two Tattooed and a woman with wings. Miles stared at the woman. She seemed familer. Then- ├óÔé¼┼ôDid I see you on T.V?├óÔé¼┬Ø Miles asked.

├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman said, ├óÔé¼┼ôHelp me with her├óÔé¼┬Ø She grabbed Teresa under the armpits. Miles took hold of her legs, carefully. Teresa held onto his arm, her hand squeezing tight. Miles didn't complain, placing her on the stretcher. The woman moved to carry her out. Miles shook his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll do it├óÔé¼┬Ø He said. The woman nodded.

├óÔé¼┼ôMessiah!├óÔé¼┬Ø The two others in the woman's group bowed low to Chess. Chess shook her head, pointing to Vindict, who was standing and holding his ribs, which were undoubtedly broken. The two Tatts ran to their leader to assist him.

Teresa woke up in the hospital. The drear light of Outreach's pitiful sun filtered through the windows. It was not the best sight to wake up too. Teresa hauled herself to a sitting position, looking around in the hospital. It was choke filled with injured people, burns and shattered bones aplenty.

A nurse was walking up and down the rows of bed, injecting each of them with some chemical. She got to Teresa.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat it like?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa asked.

├óÔé¼┼ôTake this or you'll die in a few hours├óÔé¼┬Ø The nurse said, ├óÔé¼┼ôFifty percent of the people in the city got hit with enough Gamma rays to melt their nervous systems├óÔé¼┬Ø

Teresa pulled up her sleeve hurriedly, ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I though...the dome is made to block those out! Even from a nuclear attack├óÔé¼┬Ø

├óÔé¼┼ôThats when the rays are outside the dome. When they're inside, they just bounce around├óÔé¼┬Ø The nurse injected Teresa with the anti-rad meds. Then she moved to the others. Some asked questions, like Teresa did. But too many didn't.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhy├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice drifted to Teresa's ears.

Teresa turned around and looked at the woman sitting in bed next to her. She had half her face tied down with bandages, covering nasty burns.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Teresa asked, wishing for some water.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhy did she let this happen?├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman asked, ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy did she let this happen!├óÔé¼┬Ø

Teresa didn't have an answer, laying back in her bed. She heard footsteps and turned her head to see Miles walking down the aisles of beds to her. Teresa got back to her sitting position, then-

Miles kissed her. Teresa froze, momentarily. This is kind of nice a stray thought drifted across her mind. Teresa was suddenly angry. She forced Miles away from her and slapped him. Miles stood, not moving. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry├óÔé¼┬Ø he said softly.

There was silence. Teresa wouldn't apologize. She wouldn't. Miles turned around and walked out of the hospital.

├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø the woman next to Teresa continued to talk, mumbling to herself. Teresa still didn't have an answer for her. Would she ever?

Interesting...

Thanks...I think.

Yeah, its pretty good, but extremely long too.. Heheh

This one has like 4 into one, or something, cuz these are LONG..

I have planed this to be the longest, bestest, most coherent book I have ever written. No more mashing three books into one (like Darkside) or coping out at the end (Like Darkside) or killing off almost all of the characters...(like Darkside...)

Honestly, my slider is this big!

|



I am hoping this one turns up pretty good..

Me too, actually. Now read it! REEEEAD IT!