I have got my mental hooks in you! Hahahahah! HAHAHAHAHA! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHA!
And now I can insert subliminal advertisment into my stories, telling you to buy S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Buy S.T.A.L.K.E.R now. Buy S.T.A.L.K.E.R, and be happy
E.L.F
Moderator: Moderators
Here ya go. More story. Less spam.
Pix got her fist look at the Forget. And she didn't like it. Beyond the skin marked passage, past dank, dripping corridors in even worse shape than her home. Then the real horror of the Forget struck her, when she was pushed through a small arch way and into the Forget proper.
├óÔé¼┼ôSee...that is what I meant,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir said, pointing. They had entered a large chamber, the machinery that used to fill it long stolen by looters. All that was left...were the bodies. Fifteen...maybe sixteen were nailed to the walls and ceilings. The worst looked like they had been torn apart...Pix gulped down bile rising in the back of her throat. Those bodies looked like they had been...chewed. Above the line of corpses, a single, massive skull was fastened to the roof. It's three eye sockets stared at them.
├óÔé¼┼ôCome,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir said. Pix noticed that his plasma pistol was no longer pointed at her, but rather at the surrounding area. He jerked on Pix's arm, taking her along the left side of the room and into an area that Pix began to think of as ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Maze.├óÔé¼┬Ø Countless turning, twisting hallways, branching, rebranching, joining, connecting, going up, down. Pix's memory started to feel over full and she stopped keeping a map. It seemed to go on forever, light only by grime encrusted lights. And even those were in disrepair, some long stretches of the area filled with nothing but darkness and the faint sounds of breathing. It took Pix a moment to realize that sound was her own breath.
There were no other sounds. Pix stopped, shivering in the blackness. Hir looked at her, his body glowing faintly under Pix's enhanced eye sight.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI don't hear anything,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix whispered, as if the sound of her voice would shatter something.
├óÔé¼┼ôThen do not fill that void,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir said, being wiser than Pix would like to think of him. He turned back to the hallway and started walking. Pix followed, her heart pounding in her ears.
Dum...dooph.
Pix stopped again, her ears twitching. ├óÔé¼┼ôHir,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said.
├óÔé¼┼ôI hear it,├óÔé¼┬Ø The Xorquin said, his eyes narrowing. He looked around, his pistol held at the ready.
Dum...dooph.
├óÔé¼┼ôDrums,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix muttered. The distant sound of drums was getting louder.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe must run,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir said, ├óÔé¼┼ôI did not-├óÔé¼┬Ø
THOCK! Hir rattled, falling back as an arrow buried itself in his neck. Florescent pink blood splattered and the plasma pistol clattered over the ground. Pix screamed, catching glimpses of glowing humanoids running back and forth down the corridor, holding strange curved weapons. One of them aimed at Pix, letting loose on the string that he had pulled back. A slow, very slow, projectile shot towards Pix, who ducked, letting it whistle over head. She saw the plasma pistol and dived forward. She grabbed it, aimed, and fired. One of the humanoids took the round in his chest.
The round paused, or seemed to in Pix's quickened mental state, then exploded, green fire burning through the humanoid's chest, then up into his head. It burst through the ceiling. The humanoids scattered, their war drums beating a different pattern. Soon the corridor was silent from all but Pix's breathing.
Then Hir sat up, jerking the arrow out of his neck. He looked at it, sneered and tossed it down the corridor. It spread a thin trail of pink blood.
Hir tried to stand, but his legs didn't seem to support his weight. He shook himself, grimacing. Pix jammed the plasma pistol into the back of his head, snarling.
├óÔé¼┼ôRape me?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked, pressing forward, pushing Hir into the ground. ├óÔé¼┼ôTube you...├óÔé¼┬Ø. Motherless didn't seem a bad enough epitaph. Pix searched through her memory banks and came up with the very satisfying, ├óÔé¼┼ôBastard.├óÔé¼┬Ø
It actually came out more like a floppy splutter than the proper rattle that a Xorquin would have managed. But Hir still bunched up his muscles, trying to sit up.
Pix was about to pull the trigger when Hir said, ├óÔé¼┼ôYou need me.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix shouted.
├óÔé¼┼ôListen,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir said.
Duh...Dooph
Pix gulped, blinking.
├óÔé¼┼ôOnly I know the short cut to Xorquin territory. At least they won't skin you alive.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix gritted her teeth, her finger jerking on the trigger. Then she stood, letting Hir stand. Hir stood, looking at her, his eyes impassive. The next think Pix knew, she was on the floor, blood streaming out of her nose and mouth. She gasped, curling up. There was something hard, floating around in her mouth. She spat and a tooth scattered across the floor.
Hir cricked his neck, then hauled Pix to her feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôWalk.├óÔé¼┬Ø
----------------
Jimmy blinked, fatigue filling his eyes. The forest was thinning out...being replaced by craters, burn marks and a single formidable, burnt out husk of a building. The building looked like it had once housed guns, weapons, even one large turret on the top. But now it was simply a graveyard. Several Yetel grave urns sat in a irregular circle around the building. Jimmy tried to remember what the pattern meant. Then he remembered: The Yetel believed that a corpse should not be moved from it's death site, or else the spirit would never find it's way back.
Jimmy was careful to avoid the dead Yetel. Then he had to be careful to avoid the alive Yetel, who were lightly patrolling. They chattered to one another in their strange rattling language, carrying weapons. For some reason Jimmy expected something similar to the constables of his home. Instead of shock sticks, these soldiers held rifles, pistols and a smattering of advanced looking swords, knives, axes. Jimmy even saw a few spears, which looked completely ridiculous to him. But Jimmy wasn't about to point that out to armed soldiers. Instead he pressed on, following the direction Fox had given him.
Eventually the forest ended in a blank wall that had been cut away by the Yetel, creating a smooth entrance into the Armory proper. The Armory, from what Jimmy could see over the fortress wall that kept just anyone from walking through, looked like just a different kind of forest. Just instead of trees, this forest was made up of massive columns. Jimmy pulled out his phone and slipped it over his head.
├óÔé¼┼ôFox?├óÔé¼┬Ø He asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôFox?├óÔé¼┬Ø
A moment later. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm at the Fortress wall. What now?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThere is a secret exit to the right of the fortress wall, near a burnt out driller tank, kept by a crooked Yetel named Xim. Say the password 'Tortuga or bust' and he'll let you through.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThanks,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy slid the phone off his head and set off, looking around for this 'driller tank'
After a few minutes, he saw it. The driller tank, or what was left of it, sat next to a small hole in the wall. And next to it stood a bored looking Yetel.
├óÔé¼┼ôuh....Tortuga or bust?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy shouted, waving as he walked out of the forest.
The Yetel looked at him, it's wings flapping slightly.
├óÔé¼┼ôAh...I don't ask questions,├óÔé¼┬Ø Xim said, gesturing to the hole. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust go through.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThanks,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. He stepped through the hole and into the armory.
It was dark. Far darker than Jimmy expected. He looked around, turning back to the hole. Suddenly the light streaming through there was blocked off.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh sewage,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy muttered.
CLONK! Jimmy collapsed, the club blow to the back of the head working perfectly.
And the shadowy figures standing around him laughed. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnother point for Xim!├óÔé¼┬Ø Someone shouted.
A woman flicked on a torch. She looked down at their mark and paused, her eyes narrowing. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the tube is this?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked, prodding Jimmy onto his back with her toe. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a kid, that's what it is.├óÔé¼┬Ø
The rest of the gang gathered around, looking at the kid, then at the leader.
Their leader spat. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn Fox to the tubes,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said. A pause. ├óÔé¼┼ôTie him up. I suppose we'll have a guest tonight!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYar!├óÔé¼┬Ø The group shouted. Jimmy moaned, seeing them crowd around him. A woman knelt next to him...her head seemed like it was on fire, her hair a florescent red. The next thing he noticed were two bat wings folded behind her back. The woman licked her lips, showing two long fangs.
├óÔé¼┼ôWelcome to hell, little boy.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix got her fist look at the Forget. And she didn't like it. Beyond the skin marked passage, past dank, dripping corridors in even worse shape than her home. Then the real horror of the Forget struck her, when she was pushed through a small arch way and into the Forget proper.
├óÔé¼┼ôSee...that is what I meant,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir said, pointing. They had entered a large chamber, the machinery that used to fill it long stolen by looters. All that was left...were the bodies. Fifteen...maybe sixteen were nailed to the walls and ceilings. The worst looked like they had been torn apart...Pix gulped down bile rising in the back of her throat. Those bodies looked like they had been...chewed. Above the line of corpses, a single, massive skull was fastened to the roof. It's three eye sockets stared at them.
├óÔé¼┼ôCome,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir said. Pix noticed that his plasma pistol was no longer pointed at her, but rather at the surrounding area. He jerked on Pix's arm, taking her along the left side of the room and into an area that Pix began to think of as ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Maze.├óÔé¼┬Ø Countless turning, twisting hallways, branching, rebranching, joining, connecting, going up, down. Pix's memory started to feel over full and she stopped keeping a map. It seemed to go on forever, light only by grime encrusted lights. And even those were in disrepair, some long stretches of the area filled with nothing but darkness and the faint sounds of breathing. It took Pix a moment to realize that sound was her own breath.
There were no other sounds. Pix stopped, shivering in the blackness. Hir looked at her, his body glowing faintly under Pix's enhanced eye sight.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI don't hear anything,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix whispered, as if the sound of her voice would shatter something.
├óÔé¼┼ôThen do not fill that void,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir said, being wiser than Pix would like to think of him. He turned back to the hallway and started walking. Pix followed, her heart pounding in her ears.
Dum...dooph.
Pix stopped again, her ears twitching. ├óÔé¼┼ôHir,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said.
├óÔé¼┼ôI hear it,├óÔé¼┬Ø The Xorquin said, his eyes narrowing. He looked around, his pistol held at the ready.
Dum...dooph.
├óÔé¼┼ôDrums,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix muttered. The distant sound of drums was getting louder.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe must run,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir said, ├óÔé¼┼ôI did not-├óÔé¼┬Ø
THOCK! Hir rattled, falling back as an arrow buried itself in his neck. Florescent pink blood splattered and the plasma pistol clattered over the ground. Pix screamed, catching glimpses of glowing humanoids running back and forth down the corridor, holding strange curved weapons. One of them aimed at Pix, letting loose on the string that he had pulled back. A slow, very slow, projectile shot towards Pix, who ducked, letting it whistle over head. She saw the plasma pistol and dived forward. She grabbed it, aimed, and fired. One of the humanoids took the round in his chest.
The round paused, or seemed to in Pix's quickened mental state, then exploded, green fire burning through the humanoid's chest, then up into his head. It burst through the ceiling. The humanoids scattered, their war drums beating a different pattern. Soon the corridor was silent from all but Pix's breathing.
Then Hir sat up, jerking the arrow out of his neck. He looked at it, sneered and tossed it down the corridor. It spread a thin trail of pink blood.
Hir tried to stand, but his legs didn't seem to support his weight. He shook himself, grimacing. Pix jammed the plasma pistol into the back of his head, snarling.
├óÔé¼┼ôRape me?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked, pressing forward, pushing Hir into the ground. ├óÔé¼┼ôTube you...├óÔé¼┬Ø. Motherless didn't seem a bad enough epitaph. Pix searched through her memory banks and came up with the very satisfying, ├óÔé¼┼ôBastard.├óÔé¼┬Ø
It actually came out more like a floppy splutter than the proper rattle that a Xorquin would have managed. But Hir still bunched up his muscles, trying to sit up.
Pix was about to pull the trigger when Hir said, ├óÔé¼┼ôYou need me.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat!├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix shouted.
├óÔé¼┼ôListen,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir said.
Duh...Dooph
Pix gulped, blinking.
├óÔé¼┼ôOnly I know the short cut to Xorquin territory. At least they won't skin you alive.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix gritted her teeth, her finger jerking on the trigger. Then she stood, letting Hir stand. Hir stood, looking at her, his eyes impassive. The next think Pix knew, she was on the floor, blood streaming out of her nose and mouth. She gasped, curling up. There was something hard, floating around in her mouth. She spat and a tooth scattered across the floor.
Hir cricked his neck, then hauled Pix to her feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôWalk.├óÔé¼┬Ø
----------------
Jimmy blinked, fatigue filling his eyes. The forest was thinning out...being replaced by craters, burn marks and a single formidable, burnt out husk of a building. The building looked like it had once housed guns, weapons, even one large turret on the top. But now it was simply a graveyard. Several Yetel grave urns sat in a irregular circle around the building. Jimmy tried to remember what the pattern meant. Then he remembered: The Yetel believed that a corpse should not be moved from it's death site, or else the spirit would never find it's way back.
Jimmy was careful to avoid the dead Yetel. Then he had to be careful to avoid the alive Yetel, who were lightly patrolling. They chattered to one another in their strange rattling language, carrying weapons. For some reason Jimmy expected something similar to the constables of his home. Instead of shock sticks, these soldiers held rifles, pistols and a smattering of advanced looking swords, knives, axes. Jimmy even saw a few spears, which looked completely ridiculous to him. But Jimmy wasn't about to point that out to armed soldiers. Instead he pressed on, following the direction Fox had given him.
Eventually the forest ended in a blank wall that had been cut away by the Yetel, creating a smooth entrance into the Armory proper. The Armory, from what Jimmy could see over the fortress wall that kept just anyone from walking through, looked like just a different kind of forest. Just instead of trees, this forest was made up of massive columns. Jimmy pulled out his phone and slipped it over his head.
├óÔé¼┼ôFox?├óÔé¼┬Ø He asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôFox?├óÔé¼┬Ø
A moment later. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm at the Fortress wall. What now?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThere is a secret exit to the right of the fortress wall, near a burnt out driller tank, kept by a crooked Yetel named Xim. Say the password 'Tortuga or bust' and he'll let you through.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThanks,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy slid the phone off his head and set off, looking around for this 'driller tank'
After a few minutes, he saw it. The driller tank, or what was left of it, sat next to a small hole in the wall. And next to it stood a bored looking Yetel.
├óÔé¼┼ôuh....Tortuga or bust?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy shouted, waving as he walked out of the forest.
The Yetel looked at him, it's wings flapping slightly.
├óÔé¼┼ôAh...I don't ask questions,├óÔé¼┬Ø Xim said, gesturing to the hole. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust go through.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThanks,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. He stepped through the hole and into the armory.
It was dark. Far darker than Jimmy expected. He looked around, turning back to the hole. Suddenly the light streaming through there was blocked off.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh sewage,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy muttered.
CLONK! Jimmy collapsed, the club blow to the back of the head working perfectly.
And the shadowy figures standing around him laughed. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnother point for Xim!├óÔé¼┬Ø Someone shouted.
A woman flicked on a torch. She looked down at their mark and paused, her eyes narrowing. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the tube is this?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked, prodding Jimmy onto his back with her toe. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a kid, that's what it is.├óÔé¼┬Ø
The rest of the gang gathered around, looking at the kid, then at the leader.
Their leader spat. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn Fox to the tubes,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said. A pause. ├óÔé¼┼ôTie him up. I suppose we'll have a guest tonight!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYar!├óÔé¼┬Ø The group shouted. Jimmy moaned, seeing them crowd around him. A woman knelt next to him...her head seemed like it was on fire, her hair a florescent red. The next thing he noticed were two bat wings folded behind her back. The woman licked her lips, showing two long fangs.
├óÔé¼┼ôWelcome to hell, little boy.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Currently I'm trying to break into the proffessional rink. My plan is to get a short story sold, then work out a novel (preferably this one cause I love the charicters, setting and plot to peices) and send it to an agent. Cuase if you've already been accepted by a magazine and paid, then agents take you much more seriously.
Behold! DETAILS! I HAVE ADDED DETAILS!
Just so you know, the Forget is based off the Engineering Decks level of System Shock 2. Endless corridors, lots of zombies. The only thing I left out was the radiation posining.
------------------------------------------
Jimmy looked around, frantically, trying to get his bearings as he was dragged through the hallways of the Armory. It was dark, very dark, the only light being cut off by a press of bodies. The gang moved quickly, quietly and with complete confidence. Jimmy caught glimpse of the mostly human gang. Some had horrible scars. One had a third arm, sticking out of the base of his spine. That arm glimmered in the occasional light. Jimmy thought he saw the baleful yellow eyes of a Xorquin, but then the eyes were gone and the gang carried Jimmy into a well lit chamber, slamming him onto a pole in the middle of the room and strapping him there, tying his arms around his back.
Then they stood back and looked at him. Jimmy tried to control his knees, which where knocking together, and his bowels, which were clenching something fierce. The leader of the gang, that demon woman, stepped forward and Jimmy got a good look at her. Red hair surrounded striking green eyes on a angular, dagger like face. A single fang poked over one of her lips. She was dressed in a bizarre collection of straps, each strap wrapping around her body, connecting to a different strap. It was a crisscrossing pattern that was almost hypnotic to look at...and exposed a good deal of skin. She also wore very short shorts, with the edges flared out at the ends. The woman stepped forward, then bowed, bending almost completely over.
├óÔé¼┼ôGreetings, sirrah,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, using the same weird word that Henry had. ├óÔé¼┼ôI am Anna Hellborn, leader of the Hellion gun runners.├óÔé¼┬Ø
She stood, straight. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow...what did you do to piss of Fox so much?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôF...Fox?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy stammered, whispering under his breath. Anna heard.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes, Fox,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna stepped froward, running a finger under Jimmy's chin, lifting his head up. She fixed his eye with hers. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe said some berk'd be down here and we'd kill him. But...let's say my curiosity has gotten the better of me.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôFox...he helped me. Or said he'd help me,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy found that his voice came out calmer than he expected. He took advantage of that, standing as straight as his could against the pole. Maybe if I look brave, I'll feel braver, he thought.
├óÔé¼┼ôHelp you...help you what?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôFind my friend,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, his jaw clenching. Pix was still in the hands of that bastard Xorquin. Jimmy glanced over Anna's shoulder and saw he'd be right, there was a Xorquin in the Hellions.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd who is your friend?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna purred, starting to walk around Jimmy.
├óÔé¼┼ôShe-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's a she?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, a slight stammer sneaking back into his voice. ├óÔé¼┼ôW...Why?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh...no reason.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôShe...Her name is Pix,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe were traveling, trying to get to the upper levels.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôTo see my father Le-├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy stopped himself, something sneaking into his mind. Why...why was he telling her all this? Shoulden't he be...
├óÔé¼┼ôWho is your father?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna asked, once again stepping in front of Jimmy. She made an effort to expose her profile, giving him an excellent look at her legs...
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, stalling for time. What...why did he feel so foggy? ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat's going on?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna blinked, snapping her wings out, then in. She snarled. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust tell us who your father is.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy opened his mouth to say something. Why shouldn't he do what the pretty lady told him too? Very pretty lady. Then, in the thickening fog of his mind, Jimmy remembered Pix. Pix...was much prettier than this lady. Jimmy shook his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo...I won't.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna stepped forward, pressing her forehead into Jimmy's. Jimmy swore he could smell something thick and musky in the air, something that tickled his mind, fogging it even more. She locked eyes with him and said, her voice oddly warped to Jimmy's ears. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho. Is. Your. Father!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAmbassador Lenoite,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said before he could stop himself.
Anna's eyes went very wide, then very narow. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn you Fox,├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered, looking away. She stepped away from Jimmy, turning to her gang. ├óÔé¼┼ôSomeone fan him off and splash water in his face. The rest of you, with me.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Most of the gang followed her out of the room, but one started fanning Jimmy. As the air cleared, Jimmy's mind cleared. Then a bolt of water struck him square in the face and Jimmy swore loudly at the Hellion. The scarred man grinned, making his scar twist his face into a grotesque mask.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou'd make a fine Hellion, you would,├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, shaking his head in amazement. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't believe you actually managed that.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôManaged what?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, blinking water out of his eyes. He shook his head, spraying the area with droplets of water.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnna...she's got a way with men, if you know I mean.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy didn't, shaking his head to show it.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's her smell...that's my idea,├óÔé¼┬Ø the Hellion said. ├óÔé¼┼ôMakes a berk go absolutely barmy. If she used it on me, you'd know I'd do whatever she wanted.├óÔé¼┬Ø He sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf only she'd want what I want, if you know what I mean.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy shook his head.
--------------
Anna grabbed the phone out of Kirk's hands. Kirk, who loved his phone more than life itself, squawked indignantly.
Anna ignored him, sliding it over her head and ears. ├óÔé¼┼ôFox! Fox you whoreson. Fox!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYes, Anna?├óÔé¼┬Ø The calm, cultured voice Anna had grown to associate with their mysterious benefactor, said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the tubing hell are you doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna demanded. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou almost had us kill Ambassador Leonite's son of all people.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Silence. ├óÔé¼┼ôFox? FOX!├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna tore the phone out of her ears. ├óÔé¼┼ôTube it, Tube it, Tube it!├óÔé¼┬Ø
She handed it roughly back to Kirk, who rushed away before more damage could be done to his precious phone. Anna gritted her teeth, her wings folding and unfolding reflexively, like they always did when she was tense.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo...what do we do?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna turned and saw that Udo had walked in. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe let him go. I am not going to kill Ambassador Leonite's son. Hell...Leonite is the only chance us humans have.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Udo blinked his outer eyes for a moment, his shoulders and Anna realized how that must have sounded.
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry,├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, walking forward. Udo looked away for a moment. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey, big guy,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, holding her arms out for a hug. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know I love you.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI know,├óÔé¼┬Ø Udo rattled, his translator translating a moment later. Anna stepped behind him and suddenly jumped on his back. Udo rattled something, but before it could be translated, Anna slipped the translator off his neck.
├óÔé¼┼ôSush,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna murmured in his ear, her lips playing along the edge of the hole. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet me apologize properly.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Udo rattled the phrase Anna knew meant her name. She started to shimmy down Udo's back, licking her lips in anticipation.
When Hoffa walked in.
Anna glanced back at the doorway, snarling. Udo grabbed the translator from her hands and slapping it around his throat.
├óÔé¼┼ôUh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa coughed. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry to disturb you, uh, mam, but we've got something moving up on base.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôRight,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, dropping off Udo and walking to the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet half of us working to clean the place up, evac the rest. I'll deal with Sir Leonite.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHeh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa said as Anna ran past him. He stopped to look at Udo. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know, you're really lucky to have her.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Udo nodded.
----------
Jimmy started when Anna burst into his prison room. She jumped behind him and, without preamble, she unlocked his chains. ├óÔé¼┼ôWha-├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy started.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo time,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna siad, grabbing him by the wrist and hauling him along. ├óÔé¼┼ôSomeone is buzzing our base and we need to get the tube out of here.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWait, I need to get to Tortuga,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, watching as the Hellion gang dashed too and fro. They all seemed to be calm. Just fast.
├óÔé¼┼ôToo bad,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're gonna hide for a bit. Then we're gonna decide what to do with you, boy.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna dragged Jimmy to a doorway and into a large room. Jimmy gasped. The room was filled with guns of every kind imaginable. Rifles, cannons, rockets, a scattering of completely black cubes, grenades...the array of death dealers made Jimmy's head hurt. The Hellions were carrying their gear into the area. Soon it was filled to the brim with Hellions, each holding their assorted belongings. Anna dragged Jimmy into the middle of the room, where a hulking Xorquin stood.
├óÔé¼┼ôHey Udo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. ├óÔé¼┼ôMeet Udo, Sir Leonite.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy blanched. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy name is Jimmy.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhatever,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. She stamped her foot down on a circle on the middle of the floor. A thin sliver of black material slid out of the floor and hung in the air, not supported by anything Jimmy could see.
├óÔé¼┼ôWant to see something cool?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna asked, grinning at Jimmy. Jimmy nodded. Anna took his hand in hers, then bit down, hard.
Jimmy yelped as blood welled.
Anna slid her finger along the side of the black sliver, tracing a line of glowing green. The green flashed...and suddenly the room was empty. Jimmy whimpered, his hand throbbing. He felt Anna jerk her fangs out of the flesh and Jimmy looked at his hand. It was gone!
Jimmy looked down and saw that his entire body was gone. He was about to ask Anna about that when an invisible hand clamped down over his mouth. He smelled that strange musky, alluring scent Anna wore. Then Anna whispered in his ear, her lips close enough to his ear for Jimmy to feel them. ├óÔé¼┼ôBe very...very quiet.├óÔé¼┬Ø
The door to the room opened and two floating spheres moved in. The spheres were completely white and looked faintly rubbery. Black forms could be seen through the mostly opaque surfaces, black slug like shapes. The spheres floated into the room. A small strip of metal slid out of the bottom of the sphere. It turned on it's side, revealingly a thin lenses. The strip circled around the room, beeping softly. It paused, then looked down. A splattering sound came from the sphere.
├óÔé¼┼ôFIRE!├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna shouted, jerking her finger off the sliver of black crystal. The Hellions flashed into visibility. Each held a weapon of some sort.
The spheres moved back, far too slowly. Bullets, lasers, bolts of plasma and other, weirder projectile, sizzled through the air. One of the spheres burst like a fruit, spraying yellow goo everywhere. The other was only winged and smashed into the wall. A very dead Slor slid out of a hole in the sphere, splattering the floor with his guts.
├óÔé¼┼ôSlor?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna asked, licking the blood off her fangs.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou bit me,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, cradling his hand.
├óÔé¼┼ôSlor...they must have made a major break through to get this close to Yetel space,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, looking at Udo. ├óÔé¼┼ôStrip the corpses. And get a bandage.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôShe bit me,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said to the next Hellion over, a man with a phone slid over his ears. The man looked at him, then held up his hand. There was a scar on that, two long healed puncture wounds.
├óÔé¼┼ôShe bites everyone,├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said, shrugging. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know the full dark of the matter, but if she don't bite you, the invisibility thingy doesn't work.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy was about to ask more questions, but the Hellions started walking out of the room, calmly as if nothing had happened. He turned to Anna. She licked her lips clean of blood and grinned at him.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou taste pretty good,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd do you know what this means?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, wadding his hand up with his shirt. Anna took his hand from him and licked the wounds. They closed, as if sealed shut. Anna looked up at Jimmy, grinning, her lips covered with his blood.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhether you like it or not, you're a Hellion now.├óÔé¼┬Ø
----------
Pix walked down the hall. Her nose had dried up, scabbing over. Another mark. Her face throbbed, and she was sure there was a bruise over her cheek. Another mark. Her tongue felt out the bleeding hole in her line of teeth. Another mark. And the horrible helpless feeling when the word ├óÔé¼┼ôrape├óÔé¼┬Ø had come out of Hir's vocal organ. Another mark.
Hir put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait...├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôBack, we took the wrong path there.├óÔé¼┬Ø
They backtracked and turned down a different hallway. The Forget was forming into one long maze to Pix, an endless, formless, pointless waste of space.
Filled with countless tribals. Hir had said they were people who had forgotten where they were. To Pix, they had forgotten more than just that. They had forgotten decency, humanity...anything worth doing.
Twang! An arrow bounced off the wall next to Pix, clattering across the floor. Hir fired a few shots down the hall. The flashes from the igniting plasma showed two running Forgetters, dashing down the hallway. They were gone in a moment.
Hir rattled something, then jerked on Pix's arm. ├óÔé¼┼ôWalk.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix was about to take a step forward when something screamed at her to stop. She paused, them shrugged and put her foot forward. Something rushed through the air and Pix stepped backwards, into Hir, almost bowling him over. Which moved them both out of the way as a large bit of the ceiling came down, almost crushing the two of them. The new hole in the ceiling held a single painted Forgetter, a human holding a spear. He hurled it and it sank into Pix's skin, breaking it. Then it struck the armored plating and bent, falling aside. Hir fired and the Forgetter dropped, howling. Hir crushed the Forgetter head with his foot.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe are almost out,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir said. He moved forward, stepping over the bit of ceiling. Pix stood, glaring at him. Why didn't he walk in front of her. Hir stopped, looking over his shoulder.
├óÔé¼┼ôCome!├óÔé¼┬Ø He snapped. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome, human thing!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix's left eye twitched. Then she stooped, picked up the spear, and stood. Hir brought his plasma pistol to bear on Pix's head. Pix hurled the spear, her enhanced muscles making it fly like a bullet. It's blunted end didn't do as much damage as Pix would have liked. Instead of going through the eye and into the brain, it simply squashed the eye, making it burst, spreading yellow fluid mixed with pink blood over Hir's face. Hir rattled, louder and harder than he ever had before. It sounded like a machine gun, like a huge piece of cloth being torn by a knife.
Pix turned and ran, not caring that she didn't know where she was going. She didn't care that she was surrounded by the Forgetters. Pix paused at an intersection. She accessed her memory of the map she had been shown by Tlessia. It had a bit of area marked Forget. Inward, the Armory. According to Pix's internal compass, Inward was to the right. Pix straightened her back, squared her shoulders, and jogged down the hallway.
Hir got to his feet, still rattling. He reached into his belt pouch and pulled out the cauterizer. He quickly sealed up his eye socket, knowing that it wouldn't be pretty. But it would work. He took out his injector gun, pressed it into his neck and fired off the bullet of pain killers. The pain subsided and Hir cricked his neck. That E.L.F bitch would pay for this. Hir grinned, a human expression that he didn't know his race had long ago copied. It suited his face and his teeth.
Ambassador Jorquin didn't need the E.L.F to be alive when she gave the information. Just the head, and the spine. Even though humans looked hideous to a Xorquin, Hir still felt his genitalia uncoil at the base of his spine at the thought of capturing that E.L.F. Hir started running down the corridor, pistol at the ready.
Just so you know, the Forget is based off the Engineering Decks level of System Shock 2. Endless corridors, lots of zombies. The only thing I left out was the radiation posining.
------------------------------------------
Jimmy looked around, frantically, trying to get his bearings as he was dragged through the hallways of the Armory. It was dark, very dark, the only light being cut off by a press of bodies. The gang moved quickly, quietly and with complete confidence. Jimmy caught glimpse of the mostly human gang. Some had horrible scars. One had a third arm, sticking out of the base of his spine. That arm glimmered in the occasional light. Jimmy thought he saw the baleful yellow eyes of a Xorquin, but then the eyes were gone and the gang carried Jimmy into a well lit chamber, slamming him onto a pole in the middle of the room and strapping him there, tying his arms around his back.
Then they stood back and looked at him. Jimmy tried to control his knees, which where knocking together, and his bowels, which were clenching something fierce. The leader of the gang, that demon woman, stepped forward and Jimmy got a good look at her. Red hair surrounded striking green eyes on a angular, dagger like face. A single fang poked over one of her lips. She was dressed in a bizarre collection of straps, each strap wrapping around her body, connecting to a different strap. It was a crisscrossing pattern that was almost hypnotic to look at...and exposed a good deal of skin. She also wore very short shorts, with the edges flared out at the ends. The woman stepped forward, then bowed, bending almost completely over.
├óÔé¼┼ôGreetings, sirrah,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, using the same weird word that Henry had. ├óÔé¼┼ôI am Anna Hellborn, leader of the Hellion gun runners.├óÔé¼┬Ø
She stood, straight. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow...what did you do to piss of Fox so much?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôF...Fox?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy stammered, whispering under his breath. Anna heard.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes, Fox,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna stepped froward, running a finger under Jimmy's chin, lifting his head up. She fixed his eye with hers. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe said some berk'd be down here and we'd kill him. But...let's say my curiosity has gotten the better of me.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôFox...he helped me. Or said he'd help me,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy found that his voice came out calmer than he expected. He took advantage of that, standing as straight as his could against the pole. Maybe if I look brave, I'll feel braver, he thought.
├óÔé¼┼ôHelp you...help you what?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôFind my friend,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, his jaw clenching. Pix was still in the hands of that bastard Xorquin. Jimmy glanced over Anna's shoulder and saw he'd be right, there was a Xorquin in the Hellions.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd who is your friend?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna purred, starting to walk around Jimmy.
├óÔé¼┼ôShe-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's a she?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, a slight stammer sneaking back into his voice. ├óÔé¼┼ôW...Why?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh...no reason.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôShe...Her name is Pix,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe were traveling, trying to get to the upper levels.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôTo see my father Le-├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy stopped himself, something sneaking into his mind. Why...why was he telling her all this? Shoulden't he be...
├óÔé¼┼ôWho is your father?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna asked, once again stepping in front of Jimmy. She made an effort to expose her profile, giving him an excellent look at her legs...
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, stalling for time. What...why did he feel so foggy? ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat's going on?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna blinked, snapping her wings out, then in. She snarled. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust tell us who your father is.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy opened his mouth to say something. Why shouldn't he do what the pretty lady told him too? Very pretty lady. Then, in the thickening fog of his mind, Jimmy remembered Pix. Pix...was much prettier than this lady. Jimmy shook his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo...I won't.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna stepped forward, pressing her forehead into Jimmy's. Jimmy swore he could smell something thick and musky in the air, something that tickled his mind, fogging it even more. She locked eyes with him and said, her voice oddly warped to Jimmy's ears. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho. Is. Your. Father!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAmbassador Lenoite,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said before he could stop himself.
Anna's eyes went very wide, then very narow. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn you Fox,├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered, looking away. She stepped away from Jimmy, turning to her gang. ├óÔé¼┼ôSomeone fan him off and splash water in his face. The rest of you, with me.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Most of the gang followed her out of the room, but one started fanning Jimmy. As the air cleared, Jimmy's mind cleared. Then a bolt of water struck him square in the face and Jimmy swore loudly at the Hellion. The scarred man grinned, making his scar twist his face into a grotesque mask.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou'd make a fine Hellion, you would,├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, shaking his head in amazement. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't believe you actually managed that.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôManaged what?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, blinking water out of his eyes. He shook his head, spraying the area with droplets of water.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnna...she's got a way with men, if you know I mean.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy didn't, shaking his head to show it.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's her smell...that's my idea,├óÔé¼┬Ø the Hellion said. ├óÔé¼┼ôMakes a berk go absolutely barmy. If she used it on me, you'd know I'd do whatever she wanted.├óÔé¼┬Ø He sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf only she'd want what I want, if you know what I mean.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy shook his head.
--------------
Anna grabbed the phone out of Kirk's hands. Kirk, who loved his phone more than life itself, squawked indignantly.
Anna ignored him, sliding it over her head and ears. ├óÔé¼┼ôFox! Fox you whoreson. Fox!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYes, Anna?├óÔé¼┬Ø The calm, cultured voice Anna had grown to associate with their mysterious benefactor, said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the tubing hell are you doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna demanded. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou almost had us kill Ambassador Leonite's son of all people.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Silence. ├óÔé¼┼ôFox? FOX!├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna tore the phone out of her ears. ├óÔé¼┼ôTube it, Tube it, Tube it!├óÔé¼┬Ø
She handed it roughly back to Kirk, who rushed away before more damage could be done to his precious phone. Anna gritted her teeth, her wings folding and unfolding reflexively, like they always did when she was tense.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo...what do we do?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna turned and saw that Udo had walked in. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe let him go. I am not going to kill Ambassador Leonite's son. Hell...Leonite is the only chance us humans have.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Udo blinked his outer eyes for a moment, his shoulders and Anna realized how that must have sounded.
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry,├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, walking forward. Udo looked away for a moment. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey, big guy,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, holding her arms out for a hug. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know I love you.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI know,├óÔé¼┬Ø Udo rattled, his translator translating a moment later. Anna stepped behind him and suddenly jumped on his back. Udo rattled something, but before it could be translated, Anna slipped the translator off his neck.
├óÔé¼┼ôSush,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna murmured in his ear, her lips playing along the edge of the hole. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet me apologize properly.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Udo rattled the phrase Anna knew meant her name. She started to shimmy down Udo's back, licking her lips in anticipation.
When Hoffa walked in.
Anna glanced back at the doorway, snarling. Udo grabbed the translator from her hands and slapping it around his throat.
├óÔé¼┼ôUh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa coughed. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry to disturb you, uh, mam, but we've got something moving up on base.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôRight,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, dropping off Udo and walking to the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet half of us working to clean the place up, evac the rest. I'll deal with Sir Leonite.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHeh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa said as Anna ran past him. He stopped to look at Udo. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know, you're really lucky to have her.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Udo nodded.
----------
Jimmy started when Anna burst into his prison room. She jumped behind him and, without preamble, she unlocked his chains. ├óÔé¼┼ôWha-├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy started.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo time,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna siad, grabbing him by the wrist and hauling him along. ├óÔé¼┼ôSomeone is buzzing our base and we need to get the tube out of here.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWait, I need to get to Tortuga,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, watching as the Hellion gang dashed too and fro. They all seemed to be calm. Just fast.
├óÔé¼┼ôToo bad,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're gonna hide for a bit. Then we're gonna decide what to do with you, boy.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna dragged Jimmy to a doorway and into a large room. Jimmy gasped. The room was filled with guns of every kind imaginable. Rifles, cannons, rockets, a scattering of completely black cubes, grenades...the array of death dealers made Jimmy's head hurt. The Hellions were carrying their gear into the area. Soon it was filled to the brim with Hellions, each holding their assorted belongings. Anna dragged Jimmy into the middle of the room, where a hulking Xorquin stood.
├óÔé¼┼ôHey Udo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. ├óÔé¼┼ôMeet Udo, Sir Leonite.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy blanched. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy name is Jimmy.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhatever,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. She stamped her foot down on a circle on the middle of the floor. A thin sliver of black material slid out of the floor and hung in the air, not supported by anything Jimmy could see.
├óÔé¼┼ôWant to see something cool?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna asked, grinning at Jimmy. Jimmy nodded. Anna took his hand in hers, then bit down, hard.
Jimmy yelped as blood welled.
Anna slid her finger along the side of the black sliver, tracing a line of glowing green. The green flashed...and suddenly the room was empty. Jimmy whimpered, his hand throbbing. He felt Anna jerk her fangs out of the flesh and Jimmy looked at his hand. It was gone!
Jimmy looked down and saw that his entire body was gone. He was about to ask Anna about that when an invisible hand clamped down over his mouth. He smelled that strange musky, alluring scent Anna wore. Then Anna whispered in his ear, her lips close enough to his ear for Jimmy to feel them. ├óÔé¼┼ôBe very...very quiet.├óÔé¼┬Ø
The door to the room opened and two floating spheres moved in. The spheres were completely white and looked faintly rubbery. Black forms could be seen through the mostly opaque surfaces, black slug like shapes. The spheres floated into the room. A small strip of metal slid out of the bottom of the sphere. It turned on it's side, revealingly a thin lenses. The strip circled around the room, beeping softly. It paused, then looked down. A splattering sound came from the sphere.
├óÔé¼┼ôFIRE!├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna shouted, jerking her finger off the sliver of black crystal. The Hellions flashed into visibility. Each held a weapon of some sort.
The spheres moved back, far too slowly. Bullets, lasers, bolts of plasma and other, weirder projectile, sizzled through the air. One of the spheres burst like a fruit, spraying yellow goo everywhere. The other was only winged and smashed into the wall. A very dead Slor slid out of a hole in the sphere, splattering the floor with his guts.
├óÔé¼┼ôSlor?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna asked, licking the blood off her fangs.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou bit me,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, cradling his hand.
├óÔé¼┼ôSlor...they must have made a major break through to get this close to Yetel space,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, looking at Udo. ├óÔé¼┼ôStrip the corpses. And get a bandage.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôShe bit me,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said to the next Hellion over, a man with a phone slid over his ears. The man looked at him, then held up his hand. There was a scar on that, two long healed puncture wounds.
├óÔé¼┼ôShe bites everyone,├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said, shrugging. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know the full dark of the matter, but if she don't bite you, the invisibility thingy doesn't work.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy was about to ask more questions, but the Hellions started walking out of the room, calmly as if nothing had happened. He turned to Anna. She licked her lips clean of blood and grinned at him.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou taste pretty good,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd do you know what this means?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, wadding his hand up with his shirt. Anna took his hand from him and licked the wounds. They closed, as if sealed shut. Anna looked up at Jimmy, grinning, her lips covered with his blood.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhether you like it or not, you're a Hellion now.├óÔé¼┬Ø
----------
Pix walked down the hall. Her nose had dried up, scabbing over. Another mark. Her face throbbed, and she was sure there was a bruise over her cheek. Another mark. Her tongue felt out the bleeding hole in her line of teeth. Another mark. And the horrible helpless feeling when the word ├óÔé¼┼ôrape├óÔé¼┬Ø had come out of Hir's vocal organ. Another mark.
Hir put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait...├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôBack, we took the wrong path there.├óÔé¼┬Ø
They backtracked and turned down a different hallway. The Forget was forming into one long maze to Pix, an endless, formless, pointless waste of space.
Filled with countless tribals. Hir had said they were people who had forgotten where they were. To Pix, they had forgotten more than just that. They had forgotten decency, humanity...anything worth doing.
Twang! An arrow bounced off the wall next to Pix, clattering across the floor. Hir fired a few shots down the hall. The flashes from the igniting plasma showed two running Forgetters, dashing down the hallway. They were gone in a moment.
Hir rattled something, then jerked on Pix's arm. ├óÔé¼┼ôWalk.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix was about to take a step forward when something screamed at her to stop. She paused, them shrugged and put her foot forward. Something rushed through the air and Pix stepped backwards, into Hir, almost bowling him over. Which moved them both out of the way as a large bit of the ceiling came down, almost crushing the two of them. The new hole in the ceiling held a single painted Forgetter, a human holding a spear. He hurled it and it sank into Pix's skin, breaking it. Then it struck the armored plating and bent, falling aside. Hir fired and the Forgetter dropped, howling. Hir crushed the Forgetter head with his foot.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe are almost out,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir said. He moved forward, stepping over the bit of ceiling. Pix stood, glaring at him. Why didn't he walk in front of her. Hir stopped, looking over his shoulder.
├óÔé¼┼ôCome!├óÔé¼┬Ø He snapped. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome, human thing!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix's left eye twitched. Then she stooped, picked up the spear, and stood. Hir brought his plasma pistol to bear on Pix's head. Pix hurled the spear, her enhanced muscles making it fly like a bullet. It's blunted end didn't do as much damage as Pix would have liked. Instead of going through the eye and into the brain, it simply squashed the eye, making it burst, spreading yellow fluid mixed with pink blood over Hir's face. Hir rattled, louder and harder than he ever had before. It sounded like a machine gun, like a huge piece of cloth being torn by a knife.
Pix turned and ran, not caring that she didn't know where she was going. She didn't care that she was surrounded by the Forgetters. Pix paused at an intersection. She accessed her memory of the map she had been shown by Tlessia. It had a bit of area marked Forget. Inward, the Armory. According to Pix's internal compass, Inward was to the right. Pix straightened her back, squared her shoulders, and jogged down the hallway.
Hir got to his feet, still rattling. He reached into his belt pouch and pulled out the cauterizer. He quickly sealed up his eye socket, knowing that it wouldn't be pretty. But it would work. He took out his injector gun, pressed it into his neck and fired off the bullet of pain killers. The pain subsided and Hir cricked his neck. That E.L.F bitch would pay for this. Hir grinned, a human expression that he didn't know his race had long ago copied. It suited his face and his teeth.
Ambassador Jorquin didn't need the E.L.F to be alive when she gave the information. Just the head, and the spine. Even though humans looked hideous to a Xorquin, Hir still felt his genitalia uncoil at the base of his spine at the thought of capturing that E.L.F. Hir started running down the corridor, pistol at the ready.
she likes the taste of blood(i think)Zoombie wrote:Why does everyone assume that vampires have fangs? The fangs were made up by Bram Stroker to make Dracula more interesting. And she is not a vampire, damn it. All will be explained soon. Till then try to guess and scratch your head, looking puzzled.
Or she's joking. Who can tell with these people?
I swear the next chapter is Fun With Gravity. I swears it!
Chapter Four: Tortuga
├óÔé¼┼ôSo...what...er, who the hell are you people?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, looking around the Hellion armory. The scarred man, who's name turned out to be Hoffa, was busy moving weapons into crates. He talked as he worked.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe're gun runners. Lucky gun runners.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHow are you lucky?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, feeling the bandage placed over his hand. It alternated between throbbing and feeling like it was on fire.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe found Anna.├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa closed the crate he had filled and slid it onto a hover trolley. He pulled up an empty crate and started loading that. ├óÔé¼┼ôFound her in the edge of the forget, naked and smeared with the blood of five Slor, two Yetel and a luckless Xorquin who had been in the area. She'd killed them all, just like that. And she was carrying the Invisibility device.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôShe killed all those people? With what?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôFar as we could tell at the time,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa said, loading another rifle into the crate. ├óÔé¼┼ôHer bare hands?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Someone snorted. ├óÔé¼┼ôHoffa, stop exaggerating me,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, plopping down on the floor next to Jimmy. Jimmy slid away from her, already smelling that musk. Pheromones, that's what they were called.
Anna laughed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't bite. More than once, at least.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy did you bite me, anyway?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, feeling his hand again.
├óÔé¼┼ôThe device,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt only works on beings with a certain retro-virus in their bodies. This retro-virus is harmless to most people, but one in a billion have the right genetic make ups to become stronger and faster. And one in a hundred die horribly. But we've only had that happen to two people in the entire history of my being with the Hellions.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, his mouth feeling dry. ├óÔé¼┼ôUh...what are the symptoms of the death thing?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna looked at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôUh...fever, dehydration, then bleeding from every orifice on the body till death. Why?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy felt his brow. Was he sweating because it was hot, or did he have a fever? Oh sewage.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo now the device is attuned to your genetic make up...or something. More importantly, that marks you as a Hellion for every single genetic scanner out there. Which means your stuck with us till Tortuga!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYou're going to Tortuga?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, his fears about exangunation vanishing.
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah. We have to sell these guns somewhere,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd, I suppose, if we happen to maybe find your friend on the way?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôCan you get a map?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked. Anna nodded, reaching into a pouch that was hung from one of her many straps. She pulled out a small bead.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's Xorquin manufacture,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, dropping it on the ground. The bead projected a three dimensional image of Harbinger over the floor, flickering once every few minuets.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhoa,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy murmured, trying to take it all in. Harbinger was shaped like a huge cone, sheer black, with four massive prongs that stuck out of the wide base. Those prongs were what the map Tlessia had shown Jimmy called the ├óÔé¼┼ôPlanet Maw├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôUh...the Forget is here, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy pointed. Anna nodded.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd the Xorquin space is here?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd Tortuga is here.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna nodded again, her wings opening and closing.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd we're...where?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna pointed. Jimmy noticed how close she was. And she smelled nice. Pheromones, pheromones, remember the pheromones.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo...yeah, that bastard Xorquin was taking her this way,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy muttered.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you have against Xorquin?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna asked, frowning.
├óÔé¼┼ôHey,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm just saying what I seen. He shot me, then stole Pix, and when I find him, I'm gonna kill him.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôFine, fine.├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, mollified. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's just...you know Udo, the Xorquin?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah...what about him?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked as Anna picked up the bead, turning the map off. She slipped it into her pouch.
├óÔé¼┼ôSee this?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna asked, pulling out a large neckless of colored stones. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a...ahem,├óÔé¼┬Ø she made a gargling rattling sound, clicking her teeth at the end. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think the human word is engagement ring.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYou're marrying a Xorquin?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, incredulous.
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm in love,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, laying her head down on Jimmy's lap. She smiled at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôAren't you happy for me?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôUh...sure,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. Hoffa laughed.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe head out tomorrow.├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. ├óÔé¼┼ôTill then, can I use your lap as a pillow?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are the rooms? I kinda need to sleep...and do you have any food?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna rolled her eyes, sitting up. ├óÔé¼┼ôHoffa, I'll load for a bit. You send Jimmy to the mess hall and off to his rooms.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Hoffa lead Jimmy through the small Hellion base. They passed a few of the gun runners, nodding at them. The mess hall, actually, was a row of crates with food stuffs in them. It seemed that people just took what they wanted, when they wanted.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about people who take too much?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWe kill them,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa said, grinning. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow get some food.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy came away with a few pieces of hull rat meat and a flask of water. Hoffa lead him to a row of closet sized rooms. One was empty and Hoffa left Jimmy in it. Jimmy sighed, feeling his hand. Bleeding from every orifice? Or super human strength. He felt his forehead, but he didn't notice anything wrong.
Or he hoped he didn't notice anything wrong. He finished his meal, then curled up on the cushioned, incredibly small space, and went to sleep.
--------
Pix was truly surprised when she saw the dangling flap of skin.
├óÔé¼┼ôI made it,├óÔé¼┬Ø She murmured. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...made it?├óÔé¼┬Ø
A grin spread across her lips and she walked forward, to the flap of skin. She pushed it open.
And faced a battle. Three driller tanks, squad, spherical devices that hovered a half an inch off the floor, with massive laser drills that doubled as their main weapons mounted on the front, were advancing through a section of walls. Yetel soldiers fired at the tanks, their rifles cracking and popping. Pix expected nothing to come of their rifle fire. Then one of the driller tanks exploded, sound thumping into the enclosed space. Pix ducked down, crawling frantically towards a twisted, burnt piece of wreckage.
She got behind it and cowered, the sounds of battle filling the air. After a few more moments, explosions, and a single death rattle, the battle ended.
Pix kept cowering till she felt a barrel press into the back of her head. A Yetel chattered at her. The translator around his neck said something in human speak, something that Pix knew she used to know...but knew no longer. She opened her mouth and said, ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't understand.├óÔé¼┬Ø
The Yetel tapped his translator and said, ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy are you here?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôTortuga,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to get to Tortuga.├óÔé¼┬Ø
The Yetel looked at her, then at his comrades. Two of them were bent over one of their dead comrades. The stuck a small strip of metal to the dead Yetel's torso, then stepped away. There was a flash and the corpse was turned to ash.
├óÔé¼┼ôTortuga, that way,├óÔé¼┬Ø The Yetel pointed. ├óÔé¼┼ôIn main theater of Amory. It should be safe. Now go, before my superiors see you.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThank you,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, bowing. She ran in the direction he pointed, slipping into a side hallway...then into the Main Theater.
Pix gasped. The room that stretched before her was massive, large enough to fit multiple Haily's Oceans in it. Unlike the Yetel forest, this room didn't have an artificial sky. Instead it had a large, glaring sun lamp hanging between fifteen of the largest constructs that Pix had ever seen. They boggled the mind to look at, massive constructs of cubes, tubes, biological looking tumorous outcroppings and stranger shapes that bent around on themselves. Each was unique, each was massive, and each radiated death. Death, death, death. Pix shivered.
Then one of the things looked...back.
Pix froze, jerking her eyes away from the massive, ribcage shaped thing that hung in the air above the Main Theater. She could have sworn she heard mocking laughter. Pix's eyes came down onto a large circular splotch on the otherwise clear floor. A wall, created out of scrap metal, burnt out tanks, and other material that Pix couldn't identify at this distance. Inside the wall was Tortuga, smoking. Yes, smoking. Trails of smoke rose from the city, but Pix couldn't see a panicked wave of refugees. So she presumed that such fires and the smoke they created were normal.
She looked around the rest of the Main Theater. Other than Tortuga and some craters, destroyed vehicles, and distant splotches of moving armies, the floor was a bare, silvery surface. Pix started to walk across the surface. Then she remembered Hir, imagining him finding her out here. And...Pix gulped. She started to run, towards Tortuga.
Two hours later, Hir staggered onto the Main Theater. He immediately glanced around, a low rattle escaping him. Every second that was wasted was another horrible thing he'd do to that stupid, devil taken, cunt of an E.L.F.
Then his middle eye, the left most one that worked, caught a glimpse of a distant shape, fleeing towards the distant city of Tortuga. Hir snarled and started running, his injuries burning as he dashed towards Tortuga.
Jimmy tore his eyes away from the ceiling a second time. Anna had warned his, sharply, the first time he had stared at the constructs. He wouldn't give her a chance to smack him around some. Jimmy instead looked at Tortuga, which was getting bigger and closer every minute. From there, he could get to Pix. Jimmy smiled at that. He was feeling better, better than he had, even after the nano-surgery. His hand had stopped throbbing and he'd stopped being afraid of bleeding from his nose, and mouth and eyes and so on.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo, you're looking hale and hearty,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa said, coming up behind him. Hoffa was attached to the hover trolley, but it didn't seem to slow him down. But why should it? It was hovering on what was, for all intents and purposes, on a frictionless plane.
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah...think I'm a one in a billion chance?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, looking at his still bandaged hand.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell...let me check,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa said. He took hold of Jimmy's arm, feeling the muscles. Jimmy was surprised to notice how hard they were. He grinned, flexing his arms.
├óÔé¼┼ôI think you are,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa breathed. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou lucky bastard!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy went back to walking, smiling for ear to ear. The caravan halted a good ways away from the gate. A human gate watcher hailed them and Anna greeted them. They traded words for some time, long enough for Jimmy to get a bit bored. He looked aside...and saw a flash of pink on the wall of Tortuga. Pink...on top of a body, leaning against the wall. Pink...hair.
├óÔé¼┼ôPix? Pix!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy ran.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the tube is he doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø The human gate guard shouted.
├óÔé¼┼ôLeonite!├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna hissed. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet back here.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy stopped, skidding across the ground and dropping to his knees. Pix...oh by the Upper levels, Pix's face. Her face was bruised, her nose bloodied, her lip cut. She seemed to not be breathing...no, there was a little movement on her chest.
├óÔé¼┼ôPix,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy murmured, gathering her into his arms. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh no, oh...who did this to you?├óÔé¼┬Ø
He didn't need to ask. Jimmy looked up, scanning around. He couldn't see the Xorquin bastard who had done this. But he'd be back. Jimmy stood, carrying Pix as easily as a piece of paper. He walked back to the caravan.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to get her to a hospital,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said to Anna.
├óÔé¼┼ôIs this your friend?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna whispered.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. Anna looked at Pix...then looked a second time.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou didn't say she was a tubing E.L.F!├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna snarled.
├óÔé¼┼ôIf you don't like it, you can stick your head up a tube,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy snarled back. He looked up at the gate guard. ├óÔé¼┼ôMedical emergency, please let us through.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôDid she say Leonite?├óÔé¼┬Ø The gate guard asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes! My name is James Leonite, now open the tubing gates!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy shouted.
├óÔé¼┼ôOpen the gates,├óÔé¼┬Ø The guard shouted. The gates opened a crack and Jimmy ran in. He looked over his shoulder in time to see the gates slam shut before Anna or the rest of the Hellions could get through. Jimmy looked back to Tortuga and saw a very short, very fat man with a very fine coat, braided hair, a big hat, sunglasses and a light goatee.
├óÔé¼┼ôWelcome to Tortuga, young Leonite,├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said, whipping his hat off. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm Lucky Ja-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI don't care,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, pushing past the man. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere's the hospital?├óÔé¼┬Ø
---------
Night fell. Distant battles sounded, both in the Main Theater and in the side hallways of the armory. Battles of chases of weapons, battles over the control switches for the Constructs, and battles for the sheer sake of fighting.
But in Tortuga, the sound of battles were drowned out by the sound of a long, continuous party. Occasional knife fights, and a few pistol duels left a few bleeding in back allies, but it was nothing compared to the fierce battles between the Slor and the Yetel. So, for all intents and purposes, Tortuga was at peace.
The gate guard stood at his post, watching the night.
Behind him, a warping of shape, hard to see at night, moved into place. Then a incredibly powerful hand lashed out and wrapped around the guard's fragile human skull. Hir squeezed and felt the blood dribble through his fingers.
He crouched and fell into Tortuga.
-------
Jimmy snored in a chair, sitting next to Pix's 'bed'. It looked more like a long tub of chemicals, the same chemicals that Jimmy was slated for before he got his nano-treatment, then a bed. She was mostly nude, her private parts covered by hospital issued underwear, a rebreather in her mouth. Jimmy spent most of the night, alone in the room, staring at her till he nodded off.
The Third Being watched through a camera in the upper right corner of the room. It watched...and was not pleased.
I swear the next chapter is Fun With Gravity. I swears it!
Chapter Four: Tortuga
├óÔé¼┼ôSo...what...er, who the hell are you people?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, looking around the Hellion armory. The scarred man, who's name turned out to be Hoffa, was busy moving weapons into crates. He talked as he worked.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe're gun runners. Lucky gun runners.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHow are you lucky?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, feeling the bandage placed over his hand. It alternated between throbbing and feeling like it was on fire.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe found Anna.├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa closed the crate he had filled and slid it onto a hover trolley. He pulled up an empty crate and started loading that. ├óÔé¼┼ôFound her in the edge of the forget, naked and smeared with the blood of five Slor, two Yetel and a luckless Xorquin who had been in the area. She'd killed them all, just like that. And she was carrying the Invisibility device.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôShe killed all those people? With what?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôFar as we could tell at the time,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa said, loading another rifle into the crate. ├óÔé¼┼ôHer bare hands?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Someone snorted. ├óÔé¼┼ôHoffa, stop exaggerating me,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, plopping down on the floor next to Jimmy. Jimmy slid away from her, already smelling that musk. Pheromones, that's what they were called.
Anna laughed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't bite. More than once, at least.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy did you bite me, anyway?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, feeling his hand again.
├óÔé¼┼ôThe device,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt only works on beings with a certain retro-virus in their bodies. This retro-virus is harmless to most people, but one in a billion have the right genetic make ups to become stronger and faster. And one in a hundred die horribly. But we've only had that happen to two people in the entire history of my being with the Hellions.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, his mouth feeling dry. ├óÔé¼┼ôUh...what are the symptoms of the death thing?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna looked at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôUh...fever, dehydration, then bleeding from every orifice on the body till death. Why?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy felt his brow. Was he sweating because it was hot, or did he have a fever? Oh sewage.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo now the device is attuned to your genetic make up...or something. More importantly, that marks you as a Hellion for every single genetic scanner out there. Which means your stuck with us till Tortuga!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYou're going to Tortuga?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, his fears about exangunation vanishing.
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah. We have to sell these guns somewhere,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd, I suppose, if we happen to maybe find your friend on the way?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôCan you get a map?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked. Anna nodded, reaching into a pouch that was hung from one of her many straps. She pulled out a small bead.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's Xorquin manufacture,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, dropping it on the ground. The bead projected a three dimensional image of Harbinger over the floor, flickering once every few minuets.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhoa,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy murmured, trying to take it all in. Harbinger was shaped like a huge cone, sheer black, with four massive prongs that stuck out of the wide base. Those prongs were what the map Tlessia had shown Jimmy called the ├óÔé¼┼ôPlanet Maw├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôUh...the Forget is here, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy pointed. Anna nodded.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd the Xorquin space is here?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd Tortuga is here.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna nodded again, her wings opening and closing.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd we're...where?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna pointed. Jimmy noticed how close she was. And she smelled nice. Pheromones, pheromones, remember the pheromones.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo...yeah, that bastard Xorquin was taking her this way,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy muttered.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you have against Xorquin?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna asked, frowning.
├óÔé¼┼ôHey,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm just saying what I seen. He shot me, then stole Pix, and when I find him, I'm gonna kill him.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôFine, fine.├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, mollified. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's just...you know Udo, the Xorquin?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah...what about him?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked as Anna picked up the bead, turning the map off. She slipped it into her pouch.
├óÔé¼┼ôSee this?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna asked, pulling out a large neckless of colored stones. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a...ahem,├óÔé¼┬Ø she made a gargling rattling sound, clicking her teeth at the end. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think the human word is engagement ring.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYou're marrying a Xorquin?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, incredulous.
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm in love,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, laying her head down on Jimmy's lap. She smiled at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôAren't you happy for me?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôUh...sure,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. Hoffa laughed.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe head out tomorrow.├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. ├óÔé¼┼ôTill then, can I use your lap as a pillow?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are the rooms? I kinda need to sleep...and do you have any food?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna rolled her eyes, sitting up. ├óÔé¼┼ôHoffa, I'll load for a bit. You send Jimmy to the mess hall and off to his rooms.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Hoffa lead Jimmy through the small Hellion base. They passed a few of the gun runners, nodding at them. The mess hall, actually, was a row of crates with food stuffs in them. It seemed that people just took what they wanted, when they wanted.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about people who take too much?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWe kill them,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa said, grinning. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow get some food.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy came away with a few pieces of hull rat meat and a flask of water. Hoffa lead him to a row of closet sized rooms. One was empty and Hoffa left Jimmy in it. Jimmy sighed, feeling his hand. Bleeding from every orifice? Or super human strength. He felt his forehead, but he didn't notice anything wrong.
Or he hoped he didn't notice anything wrong. He finished his meal, then curled up on the cushioned, incredibly small space, and went to sleep.
--------
Pix was truly surprised when she saw the dangling flap of skin.
├óÔé¼┼ôI made it,├óÔé¼┬Ø She murmured. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...made it?├óÔé¼┬Ø
A grin spread across her lips and she walked forward, to the flap of skin. She pushed it open.
And faced a battle. Three driller tanks, squad, spherical devices that hovered a half an inch off the floor, with massive laser drills that doubled as their main weapons mounted on the front, were advancing through a section of walls. Yetel soldiers fired at the tanks, their rifles cracking and popping. Pix expected nothing to come of their rifle fire. Then one of the driller tanks exploded, sound thumping into the enclosed space. Pix ducked down, crawling frantically towards a twisted, burnt piece of wreckage.
She got behind it and cowered, the sounds of battle filling the air. After a few more moments, explosions, and a single death rattle, the battle ended.
Pix kept cowering till she felt a barrel press into the back of her head. A Yetel chattered at her. The translator around his neck said something in human speak, something that Pix knew she used to know...but knew no longer. She opened her mouth and said, ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't understand.├óÔé¼┬Ø
The Yetel tapped his translator and said, ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy are you here?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôTortuga,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to get to Tortuga.├óÔé¼┬Ø
The Yetel looked at her, then at his comrades. Two of them were bent over one of their dead comrades. The stuck a small strip of metal to the dead Yetel's torso, then stepped away. There was a flash and the corpse was turned to ash.
├óÔé¼┼ôTortuga, that way,├óÔé¼┬Ø The Yetel pointed. ├óÔé¼┼ôIn main theater of Amory. It should be safe. Now go, before my superiors see you.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThank you,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, bowing. She ran in the direction he pointed, slipping into a side hallway...then into the Main Theater.
Pix gasped. The room that stretched before her was massive, large enough to fit multiple Haily's Oceans in it. Unlike the Yetel forest, this room didn't have an artificial sky. Instead it had a large, glaring sun lamp hanging between fifteen of the largest constructs that Pix had ever seen. They boggled the mind to look at, massive constructs of cubes, tubes, biological looking tumorous outcroppings and stranger shapes that bent around on themselves. Each was unique, each was massive, and each radiated death. Death, death, death. Pix shivered.
Then one of the things looked...back.
Pix froze, jerking her eyes away from the massive, ribcage shaped thing that hung in the air above the Main Theater. She could have sworn she heard mocking laughter. Pix's eyes came down onto a large circular splotch on the otherwise clear floor. A wall, created out of scrap metal, burnt out tanks, and other material that Pix couldn't identify at this distance. Inside the wall was Tortuga, smoking. Yes, smoking. Trails of smoke rose from the city, but Pix couldn't see a panicked wave of refugees. So she presumed that such fires and the smoke they created were normal.
She looked around the rest of the Main Theater. Other than Tortuga and some craters, destroyed vehicles, and distant splotches of moving armies, the floor was a bare, silvery surface. Pix started to walk across the surface. Then she remembered Hir, imagining him finding her out here. And...Pix gulped. She started to run, towards Tortuga.
Two hours later, Hir staggered onto the Main Theater. He immediately glanced around, a low rattle escaping him. Every second that was wasted was another horrible thing he'd do to that stupid, devil taken, cunt of an E.L.F.
Then his middle eye, the left most one that worked, caught a glimpse of a distant shape, fleeing towards the distant city of Tortuga. Hir snarled and started running, his injuries burning as he dashed towards Tortuga.
Jimmy tore his eyes away from the ceiling a second time. Anna had warned his, sharply, the first time he had stared at the constructs. He wouldn't give her a chance to smack him around some. Jimmy instead looked at Tortuga, which was getting bigger and closer every minute. From there, he could get to Pix. Jimmy smiled at that. He was feeling better, better than he had, even after the nano-surgery. His hand had stopped throbbing and he'd stopped being afraid of bleeding from his nose, and mouth and eyes and so on.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo, you're looking hale and hearty,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa said, coming up behind him. Hoffa was attached to the hover trolley, but it didn't seem to slow him down. But why should it? It was hovering on what was, for all intents and purposes, on a frictionless plane.
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah...think I'm a one in a billion chance?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, looking at his still bandaged hand.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell...let me check,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa said. He took hold of Jimmy's arm, feeling the muscles. Jimmy was surprised to notice how hard they were. He grinned, flexing his arms.
├óÔé¼┼ôI think you are,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa breathed. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou lucky bastard!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy went back to walking, smiling for ear to ear. The caravan halted a good ways away from the gate. A human gate watcher hailed them and Anna greeted them. They traded words for some time, long enough for Jimmy to get a bit bored. He looked aside...and saw a flash of pink on the wall of Tortuga. Pink...on top of a body, leaning against the wall. Pink...hair.
├óÔé¼┼ôPix? Pix!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy ran.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the tube is he doing?├óÔé¼┬Ø The human gate guard shouted.
├óÔé¼┼ôLeonite!├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna hissed. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet back here.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy stopped, skidding across the ground and dropping to his knees. Pix...oh by the Upper levels, Pix's face. Her face was bruised, her nose bloodied, her lip cut. She seemed to not be breathing...no, there was a little movement on her chest.
├óÔé¼┼ôPix,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy murmured, gathering her into his arms. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh no, oh...who did this to you?├óÔé¼┬Ø
He didn't need to ask. Jimmy looked up, scanning around. He couldn't see the Xorquin bastard who had done this. But he'd be back. Jimmy stood, carrying Pix as easily as a piece of paper. He walked back to the caravan.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to get her to a hospital,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said to Anna.
├óÔé¼┼ôIs this your friend?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna whispered.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. Anna looked at Pix...then looked a second time.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou didn't say she was a tubing E.L.F!├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna snarled.
├óÔé¼┼ôIf you don't like it, you can stick your head up a tube,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy snarled back. He looked up at the gate guard. ├óÔé¼┼ôMedical emergency, please let us through.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôDid she say Leonite?├óÔé¼┬Ø The gate guard asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes! My name is James Leonite, now open the tubing gates!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy shouted.
├óÔé¼┼ôOpen the gates,├óÔé¼┬Ø The guard shouted. The gates opened a crack and Jimmy ran in. He looked over his shoulder in time to see the gates slam shut before Anna or the rest of the Hellions could get through. Jimmy looked back to Tortuga and saw a very short, very fat man with a very fine coat, braided hair, a big hat, sunglasses and a light goatee.
├óÔé¼┼ôWelcome to Tortuga, young Leonite,├óÔé¼┬Ø The man said, whipping his hat off. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm Lucky Ja-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI don't care,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, pushing past the man. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere's the hospital?├óÔé¼┬Ø
---------
Night fell. Distant battles sounded, both in the Main Theater and in the side hallways of the armory. Battles of chases of weapons, battles over the control switches for the Constructs, and battles for the sheer sake of fighting.
But in Tortuga, the sound of battles were drowned out by the sound of a long, continuous party. Occasional knife fights, and a few pistol duels left a few bleeding in back allies, but it was nothing compared to the fierce battles between the Slor and the Yetel. So, for all intents and purposes, Tortuga was at peace.
The gate guard stood at his post, watching the night.
Behind him, a warping of shape, hard to see at night, moved into place. Then a incredibly powerful hand lashed out and wrapped around the guard's fragile human skull. Hir squeezed and felt the blood dribble through his fingers.
He crouched and fell into Tortuga.
-------
Jimmy snored in a chair, sitting next to Pix's 'bed'. It looked more like a long tub of chemicals, the same chemicals that Jimmy was slated for before he got his nano-treatment, then a bed. She was mostly nude, her private parts covered by hospital issued underwear, a rebreather in her mouth. Jimmy spent most of the night, alone in the room, staring at her till he nodded off.
The Third Being watched through a camera in the upper right corner of the room. It watched...and was not pleased.
Actually I've yet to see an anime that does that.
And that's cause I've seen the magical number of Two. That's right TWO animes!
Oh wait, three. I keep forgetting to add Cowboy Beebop for some reaons. Well if you wish, I can and shall delete the offending sentence.
EDIT: Oh and one of the reasons I like you and Smoth is you both, when you see something that is bad, you say something about it. If more high school teachers said "This is crap" we'd have less angsty, crappy poems floating around our school systems.
I firmly belive that if teachers take the time to actually critizise their students on their poems, we'd actually have GOOD poems insted of the CRAP they shove down our ears at these open mike sessions. Ugh. I'm never going to another one of those. And I only went the first time by accident becuase I thought it was a writing seminar.
Sure. A writing seminar on POEMS. "For today's writing prompt, let's write about the word gross and how it makes us feel"
I wanted to stand up and leave at that point, but the counciler looked like she was handy with a knife. And I'm too polite.
And that's cause I've seen the magical number of Two. That's right TWO animes!
Oh wait, three. I keep forgetting to add Cowboy Beebop for some reaons. Well if you wish, I can and shall delete the offending sentence.
EDIT: Oh and one of the reasons I like you and Smoth is you both, when you see something that is bad, you say something about it. If more high school teachers said "This is crap" we'd have less angsty, crappy poems floating around our school systems.
I firmly belive that if teachers take the time to actually critizise their students on their poems, we'd actually have GOOD poems insted of the CRAP they shove down our ears at these open mike sessions. Ugh. I'm never going to another one of those. And I only went the first time by accident becuase I thought it was a writing seminar.
Sure. A writing seminar on POEMS. "For today's writing prompt, let's write about the word gross and how it makes us feel"
I wanted to stand up and leave at that point, but the counciler looked like she was handy with a knife. And I'm too polite.
One thing to consider is that those very english teachers probably suck at poetry themselves, or were worthless poets like the ones you hate while they were students.
I'll read the story and critique when I have more energy.
First thing from 3 seconds of scanning: MAKE MORE CURSEWORDS. cursing is great and can really help dialogue feel less fabricated, but they need to be more inventive about it, and diversify a bit rather than using the same one...tube tube tube, over and over and over.
I'll read the story and critique when I have more energy.
First thing from 3 seconds of scanning: MAKE MORE CURSEWORDS. cursing is great and can really help dialogue feel less fabricated, but they need to be more inventive about it, and diversify a bit rather than using the same one...tube tube tube, over and over and over.
Last edited by Nemo on 25 Mar 2007, 08:57, edited 1 time in total.
Wow, Three episodes in one night? This is like the end of Rose, it is, it is.
-------------------
///Wake up.\\\
Pix shifted in her sleep Her eyes did not open, but she was suddenly awake. Her tongue felt around the inside of her mouth, feeling the teeth, counting them. None were missing. Pix relaxed. So it had all been a dream, after all. She and Jimmy would be in the hotel room and ready to keep going to Tortuga.
Tap tap tap tap. Pix opened an eye, to see who was tapping...and she saw blue. Blue...chemical, surrounding her, causing her to float. She felt the rebreather now, pressed into her mouth. She looked for the source of the tapping and saw Jimmy. Pix knew she'd never been happier to see Jimmy in her entire life. She turned in her bath of chemicals, swimming to the side. She pressed her hand into the side of the tank, wanting to touch Jimmy.
├óÔé¼┼ôglagh arrta raskla rrpatha,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy shouted, his voice coming through the side. He gave her a thumbs up...Pix noticed that his hand had a bandage on it...and the arm that hand was attached to had thicker muscles on it than she remembered. She looked back to Jimmy's face. He wore the same smile that she'd seen on him a hundred times. Pix gave Jimmy a thumbs up.
The blue liquid started drooping, draining out of the bottom of the tank. Pix let herself float till she touched bottom. She pulled the rebreather out and stood, letting the chemical drip off her body. A moment later and water began to spray onto her from above. Once the chemicals were all gone she stood in front of Jimmy...
Almost completely naked. Pix blushed a bright red, covering herself with her hands. Jimmy blushed too, stammer a quick, ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø and leaving, rapidly.
Pix stepped out of the tub, feeling incredibly good. She felt her face. The bruise was gone. Pix smiled and felt her teeth with her fingers. All real, all there.
She looked around and saw a robe laying on a cot next to the chemical tank. She slipped it on and walked to the door Jimmy had walked out of.
The sound of a door opening made Jimmy jump away from the wall he'd been leaning on. He spun around and saw Pix, who was swathed in a light blue hospital gown. Her hair was wet, danging about her head and antennae. She opened her mouth and a squishing gargling sound came out.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
Pix stared at Jimmy. Once again, gibberish had come out of his mouth. Then she slapped herself in the forehead. ├óÔé¼┼ôDuh!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy was getting worried something might have happened to Pix's head when she had been captured. Her antennae flexed and sparked.
Pix deleted the hateful Xorquin language from her systems and downloaded human as fast as possible.
├óÔé¼┼ôGrash asaklta, Pix as-ou okay?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy's works snapped into focus midway through the sentence.
Pix blinked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôI said are you okay?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes...├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, her lips curving in a smile. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh very...I'm better then okay.├óÔé¼┬Ø Her smile widened until she was afraid her head would fall in half.
├óÔé¼┼ôGood,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. When he had imagined this, curled up in that locker sized room last night, he'd imagined taking Pix in his arms and squeezing her in a delightful way, then kissing her, then...well...his knowledge of how such things went was vague from there on out. But Jimmy yearned to find out.
But instead of kissing her, Jimmy seemed to be unable to do much more than stair at her and grin his head off.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell...you look...├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix looked Jimmy up and down. He was wearing different clothes, a leather jacket with a strange symbol on the upper right breast, long pants, boots. A pistol was strapped to his hip...and muscles bulged under his shirt. Pix gulped. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood...when did you get...those...uh...those?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYesterday, actually,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said.
├óÔé¼┼ôSir Leonite-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôJimmy!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHey Jimmy!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Three voices broke in on their conversation simultaneously. Jimmy and Pix jumped, both moving about a foot away from one another. Hoffa, Jack, and Anna walked down the corridor.
├óÔé¼┼ôWho are these people,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, unconsciously moving behind Jimmy.
├óÔé¼┼ôUh...the fat one is Jack, the girl with fangs and wings is Anna Hellborn and the guy with the scar is Hoffa,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, pointing them out one by one.
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, but who are they?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôUh-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHello...you must be Pix,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, her voice frosty. She held out a hand and Pix took it, shaking.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnna? W...What are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôA woman,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna snapped. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôUh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix stammered. Jimmy scowled at Anna. Anna snarled back.
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm Jack,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said, reaching out and taking Pix's hand. They shook. ├óÔé¼┼ôI own and operate Tortuga.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYou're Lucky Jack?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôVery lucky,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said, smiling. ├óÔé¼┼ôLucky enough to meet a 3-A as fine as you.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix blushed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I didn't...I,├óÔé¼┬Ø She stammered. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's nice to meet you, mam,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa said, bowing slightly.
├óÔé¼┼ôThanks,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said again. She sniffed the air. Something...in the air. She looked at Anna who was still glaring at her.
├óÔé¼┼ôLet's stop taking up so much hallway space,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThere is a much nicer place we can talk at. My place.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy walked with Pix through the streets of Tortuga, following a little ways behind Anna, Jack and Hoffa.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, nodding.
├óÔé¼┼ôI...I'm sorry.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked, her brow furrowing.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell...I'm sorry. If I had just jumped out and let you cover me, then we'd have avoided this whole...├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, shaking her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was my fault. I should have been-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo, no, no,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was not your fault.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt was my fault,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said again.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt was both of yours fault!├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna shouted over her shoulder.
Pix and Jimmy stopped in their tracks, staring at Anna.
├óÔé¼┼ôThat sounds good,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix murmured.
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, starting to walk. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell...I'm just glad your back.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôMe too,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said. Jimmy looked at her. There were incredible sights around them. Tortuga was filled with every race on Harbinger.
But all he could see was Pix. That's why he almost walked into a fruit stall on the side of the road. Pix giggled, dragging Jimmy into the middle of the street. Jimmy staggered, already off balance, and fell onto Pix. Pix fell back and Jimmy found that they had somehow wrapped each other in one another's arms.
Jimmy smiled at Pix. Pix smiled back at him. She opened her mouth, saying-
├óÔé¼┼ôHey!├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna snapped, ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you two coming!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix and Jimmy jumped away from one another and started walking, both of them blushing.
Jack's house was smaller than Pix and Jimmy had expected. It had a central section, which was two stories, and two sections that were one story tall. In front of the left section, the Hellions were unloading their crates, moving them into the left section.
Pix stiffened, seeing the Xorquin working amongst the Hellions. She gulped, eyes going wide.
├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy murmured. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat's Udo. He's actually pretty nice.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôRight,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, nodding. She started walking again. Anna sneered at her.
├óÔé¼┼ôDon't like Xorquin, do you?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix glared at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the tube is your problem?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna smiled sweetly, looking the picture of innocence. ├óÔé¼┼ôProblem? What problem.├óÔé¼┬Ø
She turned to Udo and waved cheerly. Udo waved back.
Jack gestured to his front door, leading Jimmy and Pix to it. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry about Anna and her gang,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey'll be unloading for some time.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôUnloading what?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôGuns,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said. ├óÔé¼┼ôGuns are our life blood, here. They're what makes us rich, and what makes us safe.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, following Jack into his main chambers. The lobby for his house was quiet impressive and quite bizarre. Two stare cases, made out of strange looking material. They lead up to a second floor, and between them was a central column that supported the roof. To the left and the right, doors lead to the other sections of the house.
├óÔé¼┼ôBed rooms are up there,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said, pointing at the second level. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry, but you and Pix will have to share a room.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh, don't worry,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, smiling. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe've been sharing a room for a long time...what are those stair cases made out of?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWood,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said, grinning at Jimmy. ├óÔé¼┼ôMost precious stair case in Harbinger. Now...let me show you the rest of the house.├óÔé¼┬Ø
After a long, interesting tour the house, Jack brought Jimmy and Pix to his dining room. The table was short and only set for two.
├óÔé¼┼ôUh...what about you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, looking at Jack.
├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said, ├óÔé¼┼ôI've already eaten. And I really do need to place a call.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAbout that,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said.
├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said, again. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou may talk to Leonite once you've finished dinner.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy smiled and Jack left the room. Pix pulled her chair back and sat down behind the table. Jimmy joined her, and they both looked at the food set out for them. A cooked bird, mashed up gray stuff and green vegetables that looked like sticks. Soft, gross tasting sticks. Jimmy didn't touch them after the first bite.
Jack sat in his room, sliding his phone into his ears. He tapped it to turn it on and, after a moment, the phone asked, ├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you calling?'
├óÔé¼┼ôFox.├óÔé¼┬Ø
-------------------
///Wake up.\\\
Pix shifted in her sleep Her eyes did not open, but she was suddenly awake. Her tongue felt around the inside of her mouth, feeling the teeth, counting them. None were missing. Pix relaxed. So it had all been a dream, after all. She and Jimmy would be in the hotel room and ready to keep going to Tortuga.
Tap tap tap tap. Pix opened an eye, to see who was tapping...and she saw blue. Blue...chemical, surrounding her, causing her to float. She felt the rebreather now, pressed into her mouth. She looked for the source of the tapping and saw Jimmy. Pix knew she'd never been happier to see Jimmy in her entire life. She turned in her bath of chemicals, swimming to the side. She pressed her hand into the side of the tank, wanting to touch Jimmy.
├óÔé¼┼ôglagh arrta raskla rrpatha,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy shouted, his voice coming through the side. He gave her a thumbs up...Pix noticed that his hand had a bandage on it...and the arm that hand was attached to had thicker muscles on it than she remembered. She looked back to Jimmy's face. He wore the same smile that she'd seen on him a hundred times. Pix gave Jimmy a thumbs up.
The blue liquid started drooping, draining out of the bottom of the tank. Pix let herself float till she touched bottom. She pulled the rebreather out and stood, letting the chemical drip off her body. A moment later and water began to spray onto her from above. Once the chemicals were all gone she stood in front of Jimmy...
Almost completely naked. Pix blushed a bright red, covering herself with her hands. Jimmy blushed too, stammer a quick, ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø and leaving, rapidly.
Pix stepped out of the tub, feeling incredibly good. She felt her face. The bruise was gone. Pix smiled and felt her teeth with her fingers. All real, all there.
She looked around and saw a robe laying on a cot next to the chemical tank. She slipped it on and walked to the door Jimmy had walked out of.
The sound of a door opening made Jimmy jump away from the wall he'd been leaning on. He spun around and saw Pix, who was swathed in a light blue hospital gown. Her hair was wet, danging about her head and antennae. She opened her mouth and a squishing gargling sound came out.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
Pix stared at Jimmy. Once again, gibberish had come out of his mouth. Then she slapped herself in the forehead. ├óÔé¼┼ôDuh!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy was getting worried something might have happened to Pix's head when she had been captured. Her antennae flexed and sparked.
Pix deleted the hateful Xorquin language from her systems and downloaded human as fast as possible.
├óÔé¼┼ôGrash asaklta, Pix as-ou okay?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy's works snapped into focus midway through the sentence.
Pix blinked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôI said are you okay?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes...├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, her lips curving in a smile. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh very...I'm better then okay.├óÔé¼┬Ø Her smile widened until she was afraid her head would fall in half.
├óÔé¼┼ôGood,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. When he had imagined this, curled up in that locker sized room last night, he'd imagined taking Pix in his arms and squeezing her in a delightful way, then kissing her, then...well...his knowledge of how such things went was vague from there on out. But Jimmy yearned to find out.
But instead of kissing her, Jimmy seemed to be unable to do much more than stair at her and grin his head off.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell...you look...├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix looked Jimmy up and down. He was wearing different clothes, a leather jacket with a strange symbol on the upper right breast, long pants, boots. A pistol was strapped to his hip...and muscles bulged under his shirt. Pix gulped. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood...when did you get...those...uh...those?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYesterday, actually,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said.
├óÔé¼┼ôSir Leonite-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôJimmy!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHey Jimmy!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Three voices broke in on their conversation simultaneously. Jimmy and Pix jumped, both moving about a foot away from one another. Hoffa, Jack, and Anna walked down the corridor.
├óÔé¼┼ôWho are these people,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, unconsciously moving behind Jimmy.
├óÔé¼┼ôUh...the fat one is Jack, the girl with fangs and wings is Anna Hellborn and the guy with the scar is Hoffa,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, pointing them out one by one.
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, but who are they?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôUh-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHello...you must be Pix,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, her voice frosty. She held out a hand and Pix took it, shaking.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnna? W...What are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôA woman,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna snapped. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôUh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix stammered. Jimmy scowled at Anna. Anna snarled back.
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm Jack,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said, reaching out and taking Pix's hand. They shook. ├óÔé¼┼ôI own and operate Tortuga.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYou're Lucky Jack?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôVery lucky,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said, smiling. ├óÔé¼┼ôLucky enough to meet a 3-A as fine as you.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix blushed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I didn't...I,├óÔé¼┬Ø She stammered. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's nice to meet you, mam,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa said, bowing slightly.
├óÔé¼┼ôThanks,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said again. She sniffed the air. Something...in the air. She looked at Anna who was still glaring at her.
├óÔé¼┼ôLet's stop taking up so much hallway space,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThere is a much nicer place we can talk at. My place.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy walked with Pix through the streets of Tortuga, following a little ways behind Anna, Jack and Hoffa.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, nodding.
├óÔé¼┼ôI...I'm sorry.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked, her brow furrowing.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell...I'm sorry. If I had just jumped out and let you cover me, then we'd have avoided this whole...├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, shaking her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was my fault. I should have been-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo, no, no,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was not your fault.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôIt was my fault,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said again.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt was both of yours fault!├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna shouted over her shoulder.
Pix and Jimmy stopped in their tracks, staring at Anna.
├óÔé¼┼ôThat sounds good,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix murmured.
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, starting to walk. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell...I'm just glad your back.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôMe too,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said. Jimmy looked at her. There were incredible sights around them. Tortuga was filled with every race on Harbinger.
But all he could see was Pix. That's why he almost walked into a fruit stall on the side of the road. Pix giggled, dragging Jimmy into the middle of the street. Jimmy staggered, already off balance, and fell onto Pix. Pix fell back and Jimmy found that they had somehow wrapped each other in one another's arms.
Jimmy smiled at Pix. Pix smiled back at him. She opened her mouth, saying-
├óÔé¼┼ôHey!├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna snapped, ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you two coming!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix and Jimmy jumped away from one another and started walking, both of them blushing.
Jack's house was smaller than Pix and Jimmy had expected. It had a central section, which was two stories, and two sections that were one story tall. In front of the left section, the Hellions were unloading their crates, moving them into the left section.
Pix stiffened, seeing the Xorquin working amongst the Hellions. She gulped, eyes going wide.
├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy murmured. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat's Udo. He's actually pretty nice.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôRight,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, nodding. She started walking again. Anna sneered at her.
├óÔé¼┼ôDon't like Xorquin, do you?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix glared at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the tube is your problem?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna smiled sweetly, looking the picture of innocence. ├óÔé¼┼ôProblem? What problem.├óÔé¼┬Ø
She turned to Udo and waved cheerly. Udo waved back.
Jack gestured to his front door, leading Jimmy and Pix to it. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry about Anna and her gang,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey'll be unloading for some time.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôUnloading what?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôGuns,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said. ├óÔé¼┼ôGuns are our life blood, here. They're what makes us rich, and what makes us safe.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, following Jack into his main chambers. The lobby for his house was quiet impressive and quite bizarre. Two stare cases, made out of strange looking material. They lead up to a second floor, and between them was a central column that supported the roof. To the left and the right, doors lead to the other sections of the house.
├óÔé¼┼ôBed rooms are up there,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said, pointing at the second level. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry, but you and Pix will have to share a room.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh, don't worry,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, smiling. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe've been sharing a room for a long time...what are those stair cases made out of?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWood,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said, grinning at Jimmy. ├óÔé¼┼ôMost precious stair case in Harbinger. Now...let me show you the rest of the house.├óÔé¼┬Ø
After a long, interesting tour the house, Jack brought Jimmy and Pix to his dining room. The table was short and only set for two.
├óÔé¼┼ôUh...what about you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, looking at Jack.
├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said, ├óÔé¼┼ôI've already eaten. And I really do need to place a call.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAbout that,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said.
├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said, again. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou may talk to Leonite once you've finished dinner.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy smiled and Jack left the room. Pix pulled her chair back and sat down behind the table. Jimmy joined her, and they both looked at the food set out for them. A cooked bird, mashed up gray stuff and green vegetables that looked like sticks. Soft, gross tasting sticks. Jimmy didn't touch them after the first bite.
Jack sat in his room, sliding his phone into his ears. He tapped it to turn it on and, after a moment, the phone asked, ├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you calling?'
├óÔé¼┼ôFox.├óÔé¼┬Ø