E.L.F
Moderator: Moderators
PSYCH!
Jimmy and Pix stood at the door to their bed chambers. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, looking at the two beds. Both were a lot nicer than their old beds back at Jimmy's house.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, gesturing to the room. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhich one do you want?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI...well,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix looked from one to the other bed. She stepped inside and sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow about...this one.├óÔé¼┬Ø She pointed at the one of the left.
├óÔé¼┼ôOkay,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, nodding. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell...we should get to bed.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix sat down on her bed. Then patted the space next to her. ├óÔé¼┼ôJimmy...could we talk?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOkay,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, sitting down next to Pix. She was...close.
├óÔé¼┼ôI...just wanted to thank you again,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix murmured. ├óÔé¼┼ôFor finding me. For a bit, I thought I'd never see you again.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, trying to be casual. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll in a days work.├óÔé¼┬Ø He made to stand up, but Pix put her hand on his hand.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd...I'd like to thank you,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix murmured, turning her head. She leaned in and brushed her lips on Jimmy's, then drew away. They both sat on the bed, breathing a bit heavier than normal.
Jimmy leaned in and kissed her again. Pix kissed him back, leaning back on the bed. Jimmy looped his arms around her back, pulling her closer. Pix made a soft mewling sound in the back of her throat, pushing Jimmy onto his back with her arms. She straddled his chest, biting her lower lip. Pix gulped, then took hold of her shirt, slowly drawing it up.
Past her bellybutton.
Past her intake/outtake port.
She paused, the shirt dangling right below her breasts. Then she sighed and let the shirt drop. It hung up on her intake/outtake port, leaving her bellybutton exposed.
├óÔé¼┼ôJimmy,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, her eyes closed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm really sorry about this?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, sitting up.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a dream.├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, shrugging.
Jimmy sat up, blinking away the grit that had collected in his eyes. He panted, sweat beading on his brow. Jimmy felt an uncomfortable tightness in his pants. He looked down and sighed, thinking that he wouldn't get control of himself for a while. He looked over at Pix, who was sleeping in her chosen bed, snoring softly.
Jimmy sighed, slowly getting out of bed. He'd never get control of himself laying next to Pix. Jimmy snuck out of the room, finding it incredibly easy to move silently and quickly. He felt a strange sense of power, an ease of moment that he'd never had before. Jimmy walked down one of the two staircases that lead to the first level. The house was almost completely silent, most people being completely asleep at this time at night.
Jimmy started to pace around the main lobby, trying to get his thoughts under control. After a few minuets, something made Jimmy stop dead. He strained his ears, trying to catch what was disturbing him so much. He moved to the left side of the lobby and pressed his ear against the door.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnna, she is weak.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jack. Jimmy's brow furrowed.
├óÔé¼┼ôI know exactly how many credits she passed up, just because she's squeamish about killing children.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHow much?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Hoffa! Jimmy gulped.
├óÔé¼┼ôFifty three billion SSC. That's enough for the entire Hellion gang to retire and live like kings. It's enough to afford you an entire harem of A-3 models.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Hoffa laughed. It was a nasty laugh. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think I could make it with just one. Just look at the tits on that Pix.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jack laughed too. ├óÔé¼┼ôI wonder if she's got pink hair...down there.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo doubt about it,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa said. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo we cap the two of them, and Fox pays us both the fifty three billion?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWe can split it. I could live with a paltry twenty three billion.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Hoffa laughed again. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo...what about the rest of the Hellions?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôTube them,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut, if you don't want to blow them off, we have a perfect scape goat. One Xorquin assassin. The one Jimmy was talking about.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI like the way you think,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen will we do the deed?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy wait?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack asked.
Jimmy turned and ran. The door opened and light spilled into the lobby. Jack swore, snapping his pistol to bear on Jimmy. He fired, the gun coughed softly, a shell casing flying into the air. Jimmy felt the bullet whiz by and jumped, leaping up the steps five at a time.
├óÔé¼┼ôTubes,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said, running up the stairs, Hoffa right behind.
Jimmy hit the door to his and Pix's chamber. The door burst open and Jimmy slammed it shut behind him. Two dull thocks sounded as bullets impacted the door.
Pix sat up, blinking. ├óÔé¼┼ôPix, run!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy shouted. Pix didn't ask questions, sliding out of bed and grabbing Jimmy's pack. She ran to the window of the room and jerked it open.
A clawed hand grabbed onto the window sill and Hir dragged himself through the window. He swung an arm around and brought his plasma pistol to bear on Pix. She gasped, ducked, and the bolt of plasma sizzled through the wall behind her.
The door burst open and Jack fired five silenced shots in rapid succession. Jimmy, who had been pushed aside by the opening door, pushed the door closed again, bowling Jack over. Hoffa stuck an arm between the door way and the door. He grunted, pushing his way into the room, trying to bring his gun to bear on either Jimmy or Pix.
Hir got through the window and reached for Pix. Pix dropped the pack, blood draining out of her face.
├óÔé¼┼ôPix!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy shouted, slamming his body into the door, causing Hoffa to shout in pain. Pix looked at him and Jimmy pulled the pistol he had been given by Anna and hurled it at her. Pix caught it. A clawed hand wrapped around her wrist and Hir brought his other fist into Pix's stomach, causing her to fold up, bile rising in her throat. Hir dropped her to the floor.
Hoffa pushed against Jimmy, but Jimmy pushed back even harder, grimacing. Whuff, whuff. Jack's silenced pistol fired twice. The bullets burst through the door, almost hitting Jimmy. Jimmy growled and grabbed Hoffa by the hair. Hoffa shouted, reaching for Jimmy's hand. Jimmy smashed his head against the wall.
Hir stood above Pix, holding his plasma pistol. He supposed it would be to quick to just shoot her. His genitalia uncoiled. Pix saw it and tried to move, but her body wouldn't uncurl. Pix looked around, frantically. The gun Jimmy had thrown her lay a foot out of her reach. Pix reached anyway and Hir's hand shot down, pinning her wrist. His genitalia uncoiled completely, danging above Pix.
Pix grinned savagely and slammed her heel into the base of Hir's spine. Hir didn't make a sound, his two remaining eyes becoming very, very wide. His hand loosed its hold on her wrist and Pix reached, straining for the gun.
Jack fired two more rounds into the door before his gun clicked, the magazine empty. He reached for his pocket, where the second magazine was. The door burst open and Jack brought the gun to bear on Jimmy before he took another step.
├óÔé¼┼ôSorry, my boy,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut fifty three billion is jus-├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy's hand shot out and smashed Jack's wrist into the wall. The gun fell from his fingers and Jack shouted, the bones cracking in his arm.
Pix's fingers wrapped around the barrel of Jimmy's gun. She slid it close and grabbed it with her other hand. Hir grabbed the gun before she could use it. He squeezed and the metal bent. Pix tried kicking him again, but Hir dropped his left knee, pressing Pix's leg into the ground.
Jimmy reached for Jack's throat with his other hand, a murderous light in his eyes. Jack grimaced, then gasped for air as Jimmy squeezed. Then he grinned. Jimmy felt the barrel pressed into his stomach.
BANG! Jack's second gun was not silenced. But the bullet tore through Jimmy despite it, carrying with it blood that splattered onto the wall and ceiling behind them.
Jimmy fell over. Jack stood over him and aimed the gun at his head.
He was about to fire when Udo smashed into him from behind, sending Jack flying into the wall. Jimmy heard a snap, crack and a wet splash. He looked up, craning his head to see Udo tear Jack's left arm off.
Hir's head turned and he saw the last person he expected to ever see.
├óÔé¼┼ôUdo!├óÔé¼┬Ø He rattled.
Udo held the severed human arm, his outer eyes closing in shock. Anna stepped into the room, helping Jimmy to his feet. She saw Hir, then looked at Udo. Jack whimpered, leaning against the wall that Udo had slammed him into.
Hir stood, Pix forgotten.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou have nerve,├óÔé¼┬Ø Udo rattled. ├óÔé¼┼ôRapist.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAs you do,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir responded. ├óÔé¼┼ôTraitor.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Udo opened his mouth, wide, and dashed at Hir. Hir locked his legs, opening his jaw too. Udo slammed into him and the two of them stopped in place, Hir's leg muscles straining to keep from moving an inch backwards. He managed it, for a moment, before the floor gave way under him. Hir and Udo fell together into the next level, crashing into the ------- chambers below them. Pix stood, coughing. She kicked the useless, bent, pistol away and looked at Jimmy. Jimmy smiled weakly, his hand plastered over the wound on his chest.
├óÔé¼┼ôPix, hold him,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. Pix nodded, taking Jimmy's arm around her neck. Anna ran to the hole in the ground and dropped down there.
She turned around and gasped. Udo lay on one of the ------- counters, his throat...oh tubes. His throat. Anna felt her gorge rise as she ran forward. Udo moved, still weak. He waved his hand, as if-
A sudden blur of motion made Anna spin, knives popping into her hands, launched from the hidden sheathes on her forearms. Hir slammed head first into her, bashing her against the wall. Anna felt one of her wings snap. She brought her knives into Hir's neck. One bounced off his scales, but the other found its way in, sinking to the hilt. A long, hard rattling sound broke into the air. Hir took hold of Anna and hurled her away. Anna hit the floor, skidded, and lay there, too battered to stand.
Hir looked at Udo. Then back at the winged human that had attacked him. Hir jerked the knife out of his neck.
├óÔé¼┼ôHey...tube head,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna gasped. She thrust a hand forward and a pistol snapped into her fingers. She pulled the trigger and a short burst of bullets tore through the air. At least three struck Hir, spreading more pink blood into the air and walls. Hir turned and ran, staggering out of the room. Anna staggered to her feet, her wing screaming in anger with every step.
She got to Udo, grimacing. The pool of pink blood surrounding Udo became darker and redder the closer it got to his head. That was the life blood, the black blood that only circulated the interior part of Xorquin bodies.
Udo was dead.
Anna crawled out of the hole. Jimmy and Pix looked at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about-├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
Anna stalked across the room and dragged Jack to his feet. Jack's face was completely white.
├óÔé¼┼ôTALK!├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna shouted. Jack couldn't talk. Jack was dead. Anna let him fall to the ground with a snarl.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt was Fox,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. Pix tore a a strip of her shirt off and wrapped it around his wound, her face pinched with worry. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe decided to pay Hoffa and Jack the fifty three billion he'd paid you.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHoffa?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna asked, her face going slack. Hoffa groaned, rolling over. Jimmy knelt next to him and dragged him to his feet. Anna walked to them and and grinned. Jimmy smelled an extra strong amount of pheromones in the air.
├óÔé¼┼ôTalk,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. Hoffa blinked, his head lolling to the side.
├óÔé¼┼ôFifty three...billion SSC?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou passed that up?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThere are somethings that you can't buy,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. ├óÔé¼┼ôSelf respect is one of them. I don't kill children. We're gun runners, not murders.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôStill...fifty three million, just for the brat and an E.L.F...that's too good to be true.├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd hell, we were planing to let that Xorquin assassin take the blame. Then you'd be happy, we'd be happy...├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd what about Jimmy and Pix, huh?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThey'd be dead. Close enough to happy, huh?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna pursed her lips, then placed her gun on Hoffa's forehead and splattered his brains over the wall.
She looked at Jimmy. ├óÔé¼┼ôSay,├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're heading to the upper levels to throw a wrench in the Xorquin plans, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI think so,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said.
Anna nodded, holstering her pistol. Her broken wing twinged, but she ignored it. She held her hand out and Jimmy took it.
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm in.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy and Pix stood at the door to their bed chambers. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, looking at the two beds. Both were a lot nicer than their old beds back at Jimmy's house.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, gesturing to the room. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhich one do you want?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI...well,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix looked from one to the other bed. She stepped inside and sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow about...this one.├óÔé¼┬Ø She pointed at the one of the left.
├óÔé¼┼ôOkay,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, nodding. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell...we should get to bed.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix sat down on her bed. Then patted the space next to her. ├óÔé¼┼ôJimmy...could we talk?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOkay,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, sitting down next to Pix. She was...close.
├óÔé¼┼ôI...just wanted to thank you again,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix murmured. ├óÔé¼┼ôFor finding me. For a bit, I thought I'd never see you again.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, trying to be casual. ├óÔé¼┼ôAll in a days work.├óÔé¼┬Ø He made to stand up, but Pix put her hand on his hand.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd...I'd like to thank you,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix murmured, turning her head. She leaned in and brushed her lips on Jimmy's, then drew away. They both sat on the bed, breathing a bit heavier than normal.
Jimmy leaned in and kissed her again. Pix kissed him back, leaning back on the bed. Jimmy looped his arms around her back, pulling her closer. Pix made a soft mewling sound in the back of her throat, pushing Jimmy onto his back with her arms. She straddled his chest, biting her lower lip. Pix gulped, then took hold of her shirt, slowly drawing it up.
Past her bellybutton.
Past her intake/outtake port.
She paused, the shirt dangling right below her breasts. Then she sighed and let the shirt drop. It hung up on her intake/outtake port, leaving her bellybutton exposed.
├óÔé¼┼ôJimmy,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, her eyes closed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm really sorry about this?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, sitting up.
├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a dream.├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, shrugging.
Jimmy sat up, blinking away the grit that had collected in his eyes. He panted, sweat beading on his brow. Jimmy felt an uncomfortable tightness in his pants. He looked down and sighed, thinking that he wouldn't get control of himself for a while. He looked over at Pix, who was sleeping in her chosen bed, snoring softly.
Jimmy sighed, slowly getting out of bed. He'd never get control of himself laying next to Pix. Jimmy snuck out of the room, finding it incredibly easy to move silently and quickly. He felt a strange sense of power, an ease of moment that he'd never had before. Jimmy walked down one of the two staircases that lead to the first level. The house was almost completely silent, most people being completely asleep at this time at night.
Jimmy started to pace around the main lobby, trying to get his thoughts under control. After a few minuets, something made Jimmy stop dead. He strained his ears, trying to catch what was disturbing him so much. He moved to the left side of the lobby and pressed his ear against the door.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnna, she is weak.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jack. Jimmy's brow furrowed.
├óÔé¼┼ôI know exactly how many credits she passed up, just because she's squeamish about killing children.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHow much?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Hoffa! Jimmy gulped.
├óÔé¼┼ôFifty three billion SSC. That's enough for the entire Hellion gang to retire and live like kings. It's enough to afford you an entire harem of A-3 models.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Hoffa laughed. It was a nasty laugh. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think I could make it with just one. Just look at the tits on that Pix.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jack laughed too. ├óÔé¼┼ôI wonder if she's got pink hair...down there.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo doubt about it,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa said. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo we cap the two of them, and Fox pays us both the fifty three billion?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWe can split it. I could live with a paltry twenty three billion.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Hoffa laughed again. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo...what about the rest of the Hellions?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôTube them,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut, if you don't want to blow them off, we have a perfect scape goat. One Xorquin assassin. The one Jimmy was talking about.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI like the way you think,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen will we do the deed?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy wait?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack asked.
Jimmy turned and ran. The door opened and light spilled into the lobby. Jack swore, snapping his pistol to bear on Jimmy. He fired, the gun coughed softly, a shell casing flying into the air. Jimmy felt the bullet whiz by and jumped, leaping up the steps five at a time.
├óÔé¼┼ôTubes,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack said, running up the stairs, Hoffa right behind.
Jimmy hit the door to his and Pix's chamber. The door burst open and Jimmy slammed it shut behind him. Two dull thocks sounded as bullets impacted the door.
Pix sat up, blinking. ├óÔé¼┼ôPix, run!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy shouted. Pix didn't ask questions, sliding out of bed and grabbing Jimmy's pack. She ran to the window of the room and jerked it open.
A clawed hand grabbed onto the window sill and Hir dragged himself through the window. He swung an arm around and brought his plasma pistol to bear on Pix. She gasped, ducked, and the bolt of plasma sizzled through the wall behind her.
The door burst open and Jack fired five silenced shots in rapid succession. Jimmy, who had been pushed aside by the opening door, pushed the door closed again, bowling Jack over. Hoffa stuck an arm between the door way and the door. He grunted, pushing his way into the room, trying to bring his gun to bear on either Jimmy or Pix.
Hir got through the window and reached for Pix. Pix dropped the pack, blood draining out of her face.
├óÔé¼┼ôPix!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy shouted, slamming his body into the door, causing Hoffa to shout in pain. Pix looked at him and Jimmy pulled the pistol he had been given by Anna and hurled it at her. Pix caught it. A clawed hand wrapped around her wrist and Hir brought his other fist into Pix's stomach, causing her to fold up, bile rising in her throat. Hir dropped her to the floor.
Hoffa pushed against Jimmy, but Jimmy pushed back even harder, grimacing. Whuff, whuff. Jack's silenced pistol fired twice. The bullets burst through the door, almost hitting Jimmy. Jimmy growled and grabbed Hoffa by the hair. Hoffa shouted, reaching for Jimmy's hand. Jimmy smashed his head against the wall.
Hir stood above Pix, holding his plasma pistol. He supposed it would be to quick to just shoot her. His genitalia uncoiled. Pix saw it and tried to move, but her body wouldn't uncurl. Pix looked around, frantically. The gun Jimmy had thrown her lay a foot out of her reach. Pix reached anyway and Hir's hand shot down, pinning her wrist. His genitalia uncoiled completely, danging above Pix.
Pix grinned savagely and slammed her heel into the base of Hir's spine. Hir didn't make a sound, his two remaining eyes becoming very, very wide. His hand loosed its hold on her wrist and Pix reached, straining for the gun.
Jack fired two more rounds into the door before his gun clicked, the magazine empty. He reached for his pocket, where the second magazine was. The door burst open and Jack brought the gun to bear on Jimmy before he took another step.
├óÔé¼┼ôSorry, my boy,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jack sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut fifty three billion is jus-├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy's hand shot out and smashed Jack's wrist into the wall. The gun fell from his fingers and Jack shouted, the bones cracking in his arm.
Pix's fingers wrapped around the barrel of Jimmy's gun. She slid it close and grabbed it with her other hand. Hir grabbed the gun before she could use it. He squeezed and the metal bent. Pix tried kicking him again, but Hir dropped his left knee, pressing Pix's leg into the ground.
Jimmy reached for Jack's throat with his other hand, a murderous light in his eyes. Jack grimaced, then gasped for air as Jimmy squeezed. Then he grinned. Jimmy felt the barrel pressed into his stomach.
BANG! Jack's second gun was not silenced. But the bullet tore through Jimmy despite it, carrying with it blood that splattered onto the wall and ceiling behind them.
Jimmy fell over. Jack stood over him and aimed the gun at his head.
He was about to fire when Udo smashed into him from behind, sending Jack flying into the wall. Jimmy heard a snap, crack and a wet splash. He looked up, craning his head to see Udo tear Jack's left arm off.
Hir's head turned and he saw the last person he expected to ever see.
├óÔé¼┼ôUdo!├óÔé¼┬Ø He rattled.
Udo held the severed human arm, his outer eyes closing in shock. Anna stepped into the room, helping Jimmy to his feet. She saw Hir, then looked at Udo. Jack whimpered, leaning against the wall that Udo had slammed him into.
Hir stood, Pix forgotten.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou have nerve,├óÔé¼┬Ø Udo rattled. ├óÔé¼┼ôRapist.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAs you do,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir responded. ├óÔé¼┼ôTraitor.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Udo opened his mouth, wide, and dashed at Hir. Hir locked his legs, opening his jaw too. Udo slammed into him and the two of them stopped in place, Hir's leg muscles straining to keep from moving an inch backwards. He managed it, for a moment, before the floor gave way under him. Hir and Udo fell together into the next level, crashing into the ------- chambers below them. Pix stood, coughing. She kicked the useless, bent, pistol away and looked at Jimmy. Jimmy smiled weakly, his hand plastered over the wound on his chest.
├óÔé¼┼ôPix, hold him,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. Pix nodded, taking Jimmy's arm around her neck. Anna ran to the hole in the ground and dropped down there.
She turned around and gasped. Udo lay on one of the ------- counters, his throat...oh tubes. His throat. Anna felt her gorge rise as she ran forward. Udo moved, still weak. He waved his hand, as if-
A sudden blur of motion made Anna spin, knives popping into her hands, launched from the hidden sheathes on her forearms. Hir slammed head first into her, bashing her against the wall. Anna felt one of her wings snap. She brought her knives into Hir's neck. One bounced off his scales, but the other found its way in, sinking to the hilt. A long, hard rattling sound broke into the air. Hir took hold of Anna and hurled her away. Anna hit the floor, skidded, and lay there, too battered to stand.
Hir looked at Udo. Then back at the winged human that had attacked him. Hir jerked the knife out of his neck.
├óÔé¼┼ôHey...tube head,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna gasped. She thrust a hand forward and a pistol snapped into her fingers. She pulled the trigger and a short burst of bullets tore through the air. At least three struck Hir, spreading more pink blood into the air and walls. Hir turned and ran, staggering out of the room. Anna staggered to her feet, her wing screaming in anger with every step.
She got to Udo, grimacing. The pool of pink blood surrounding Udo became darker and redder the closer it got to his head. That was the life blood, the black blood that only circulated the interior part of Xorquin bodies.
Udo was dead.
Anna crawled out of the hole. Jimmy and Pix looked at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about-├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
Anna stalked across the room and dragged Jack to his feet. Jack's face was completely white.
├óÔé¼┼ôTALK!├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna shouted. Jack couldn't talk. Jack was dead. Anna let him fall to the ground with a snarl.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt was Fox,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. Pix tore a a strip of her shirt off and wrapped it around his wound, her face pinched with worry. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe decided to pay Hoffa and Jack the fifty three billion he'd paid you.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHoffa?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna asked, her face going slack. Hoffa groaned, rolling over. Jimmy knelt next to him and dragged him to his feet. Anna walked to them and and grinned. Jimmy smelled an extra strong amount of pheromones in the air.
├óÔé¼┼ôTalk,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. Hoffa blinked, his head lolling to the side.
├óÔé¼┼ôFifty three...billion SSC?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou passed that up?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThere are somethings that you can't buy,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. ├óÔé¼┼ôSelf respect is one of them. I don't kill children. We're gun runners, not murders.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôStill...fifty three million, just for the brat and an E.L.F...that's too good to be true.├óÔé¼┬Ø Hoffa grinned. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd hell, we were planing to let that Xorquin assassin take the blame. Then you'd be happy, we'd be happy...├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd what about Jimmy and Pix, huh?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThey'd be dead. Close enough to happy, huh?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna pursed her lips, then placed her gun on Hoffa's forehead and splattered his brains over the wall.
She looked at Jimmy. ├óÔé¼┼ôSay,├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're heading to the upper levels to throw a wrench in the Xorquin plans, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI think so,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said.
Anna nodded, holstering her pistol. Her broken wing twinged, but she ignored it. She held her hand out and Jimmy took it.
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm in.├óÔé¼┬Ø
In case you were wondering, why did those two Xorquin explode early on in the story...well...now you get to find out.
Anna, with a wing bound tight to her back, stalked around the commandeered dinner table. Above the table, a map of Harbinger floated. She waved her hand and the edges of the map peeled away until only the Armory and the Xorquin sector were shown.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe only have so much time before Hir comes after us again,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, looking at Pix and Jimmy. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd it's a three day march to the Slor sector, and from there, a two day march from there to the Xorquin, and from there, it's a five day walk to the Council Chambers.├óÔé¼┬Ø
She sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd frankly, I doubt we can keep up that pace with Hir dogging us the entire way. So...I say we screw with his head.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHow?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked. Anna waved her hand and another part of the map faded in. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe head here. The E.L.F zone is a quick day long walk, half a day if we make good time, and they're good allies with the Humans, so we might not get stabbed in the back there. And, what's better, it's rumored they have some really...interesting technology up there.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôLike...how interesting?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôAs interesting as my technology,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about the Hellions?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôI'll have them head the long rout. Hopefully Hir will track them for a time, giving us a better chance of getting away.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôRight,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. He squared his shoulders, looking at the route planned. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs there a way we can put a call into my father?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, shaking her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôHir will buzz this house again any time now.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôPix,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, looking at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you type up a general summery of our situation?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSure,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said. Her antennea twiddled slightly, then she nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôDone.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôPix will send it out,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôCould you please get some gear for us to use. I'm going to see if I can find anything on Jack's computer.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôCan you find anything on his computer?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôMight as well try,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, running up the stairs. He searched for a moment, then found Jack's rooms. He sat down in front of Jack's computer...and the phone rang.
Jimmy picked it up. ├óÔé¼┼ôHello?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôJames Leonite.├óÔé¼┬Ø The voice was definitely Fox.
├óÔé¼┼ôFox...why the hell do you want to kill me?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
Fox sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's...complicated.├óÔé¼┬Ø Then he hung up. Jimmy growled and pulled the phone off.
---------
Hir rattled softly as he daubed at his wounds with his medical swabs. Udo's blood was still fresh on Hir's teeth. Hir grinned, the memory of Udo's death blow fresh in his mind. Traitor...got what he deserved. Hir finished cleaning his wounds and started walking down the alleyway he was hiding in. Suddenly he heard a ringing behind him. Hir moved to the sound of the ringing...and saw that a pay phone rang.
When a phone rings...what does one do? You answer it. Hir walked to the phone and picked it up.
├óÔé¼┼ôHir,├óÔé¼┬Ø A perfectly accented Xorquin voice came over the line. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou are doing a very commendable job.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWho is this? Jorquin?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou can call me Fox,├óÔé¼┬Ø The voice said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you should be happy to know that James Leonite and his friends are still in Lucky Jack's manor. If you hurry, then you can catch them.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat's it to you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôI have interests in James Leonite's death,├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat interest?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôTimes wasting,├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox said. Then he hung up. Hir sighed, then turned and ran down the street towards Lucky Jack's manor.
-------
├óÔé¼┼ôI sent the message,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said.
├óÔé¼┼ôDidn't find anything,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said.
├óÔé¼┼ôThe Hellions are moving out, catch!├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna tossed a rifle to Jimmy. Jimmy caught it, amazed at it's lightness. Anna handed another rifle to Pix, who looked far more comfortable holding the rifle than Jimmy.
├óÔé¼┼ôThese are simple point and click hard light rifles. If you put it over an enemy, it'll burn through em. Put if over the wall, and it'll burn through in a matter of moments. So be careful.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWow,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, hefting the rifle. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm...not a good shot though.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHey,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, grabbing Jimmy's biceps. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're one of the lucky one in a billion types. Your reflexes...well...you'll find out. Now let's get going.├óÔé¼┬Ø
They walked onto the street, then ducked into a back alleyway. Anna lead them to a small section of the city wall that opened into the Main Theater. From there, the small group started walking.
As they walked, Anna drew Jimmy aside and whispered to him. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't trust the E.L.F,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is your problem?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy hissed.
├óÔé¼┼ôE.L.F's aren't human. No matter how much they look it, they're not. I learned that the hard way. I don't want you to have to learn it hard too.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy glowered at her, moving faster to catch up with Pix.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was that about?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôNothing,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut...do I look different?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôBetter,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, grinning. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou...well...hell, you're buff.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI wasn't buff before?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix snorted.
The side wall of the Main Theater was closer than it appeared. By the end of the first day's walk, the small group was within miles of the wall. Distant cracks and booms could be heard from fighting that raged somewhere near the Yetel side of the Main Theater. Night fell, and Jimmy got to sleep, shivering in his blanket.
-------
Anna lead Jimmy and Pix through the tight, winding hallways of the Armory. Every few paces was a door, opening into a room that held guns, rifles, pistols, small black cubes and other weirder devices. Most of the rifles were oddly shaped, but could still be used by most races. Some looked like they had come out of the history books. Other things didn't look like weapons at all. Clear cubes with small slivers of redness in the middle. A sphere that hovered an inch of the ground and whistled to itself. A sword, an honest to goodness sword, just standing on it's tip. Pix paused to look at the sword.
An eye opened, situated right above the hilt. It looked at Pix and she hurried to catch up with the rest of the group, her heart pounding.
Anna kept leading them until, a few hours after passing the sword room, she stopped, falling over. Anna yelped as her broken wing slammed into the ground. Pix helped her to her feet and Anna started swearing.
├óÔé¼┼ôThey need to mark these things better,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna muttered. She put her hand forward and pressed it against air. Jimmy stepped forward and almost ran into the invisible wall that Anna had struck a moment earlier. The entire group felt the wall, Pix and Jimmy amazed, Anna a bit bored.
├óÔé¼┼ôRight,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow we just need to wait for a bit.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWait for what?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôProbes float around here. Once they see someone wants to get in, interview, then let them.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSo you've done this thing before, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell...no,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, frowning. ├óÔé¼┼ôI just remember a few rumors and su-├óÔé¼┬Ø
A bolt of plasma hit the invisible wall, bounced off, struck the floor, then ignited. The plasma burned its way through the ceiling a moment later.
├óÔé¼┼ôGet down!├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna shouted. Jimmy dropped to the floor, reaching for his rifle. Hir's plasma pistol fired again and Anna winced as the bolt almost stuck to her cheek. Jimmy got his rifle in his hands. Pix fired off a shot. The smell of ozone filled the air and a loud CRACK sounded.
Hir was gone. Pix lowered the laser carbine, breathing heavily.
├óÔé¼┼ôTube it,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe should just hope the probe comes by before he does that again.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, nodding. ├óÔé¼┼ôI mean, what can he-├óÔé¼┬Ø
A black cube rattled around the corner. It slid to a stop at Jimmy's foot. It's corners flashed green, then yellow.
Before it hit red, Jimmy hauled back and kicked it as hard as he could.
The cube hurtled down the hallway. It got half way down the corridor when it...imploded. Wind whistled past Jimmy and he felt his legs get jerked out from under him. He flew towards the black point that the cube had created, a scream bursting from his lips. Hir was jerked around the corner, a shocked rattle coming from him. The black point vanished and the two of them landed next to each other. Jimmy tried to reach for the laser carbine he had dropped. Hir grabbed his leg and hauled on it, dragging Jimmy down the corridor.
Hir stood, grabbing Jimmy by the throat and lifting him. He raised a clawed hand, ready to slash Jimmy's throat open. One of those claws exploded, a loud crack sounding. Pix held her laser carbine to her eye, clenching her teeth.
├óÔé¼┼ôPut him the tube down!├óÔé¼┬Ø She shouted.
Hir looked at her, then pushed Jimmy around so he faced Pix. Hir dragged Jimmy into his chest and hunched over, using him as a makeshift shield.
├óÔé¼┼ôShoot me, shoot your friend,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir said, grinning.
├óÔé¼┼ôHe's right,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said.
Pix adjusted her aim. ├óÔé¼┼ôI gouged out one eye with a spear. I can do it with anything else, whoreson. Drop him!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWait,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir said. He shifted, exposing his waste. A thin black strip ran around his waist, with small black pods attached at regular intervals. ├óÔé¼┼ôI wear an honor belt.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna grabbed the barrel of Pix's gun and jerked it down. Pix strained, trying to get the gun on Hir again.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo, you idiot!├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna hissed. ├óÔé¼┼ôHonor belts explode when their wearer's die.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix remembered the explosion that had rocked the city before she and Jimmy had escaped. Honor belts? Maybe.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen the probe arrives, you shall let me through. From there, we will find a data retrival point and I will extract the data from the E.L.F. Then, I shall leave.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôDon't trust-├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy started. He stopped when Hir tightened his hold around Jimmy's neck.
├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry Jimmy,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't trust him. But we don't have a choice.├óÔé¼┬Ø
At that moment, a small, spherical device hovered behind Anna. It flipped a small prod out of its body and stuck it into the invisible wall. There was a flash of electricity and the sphere floated through the now clear space. It looked around, cameras clicking once every few seconds.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat's going on here?├óÔé¼┬Ø It asked, first in human, then in Xorquin.
├óÔé¼┼ôPlease let us through,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said.
├óÔé¼┼ôI detect hostile intentions from one, definite, and from other three, possible. Clause: Carrying of weapons and posture.├óÔé¼┬Ø The probe said.
├óÔé¼┼ôIf you don't let us in, the son of James Leonite will die!├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix snapped.
├óÔé¼┼ôModel 3-A,├óÔé¼┬Ø The probe said, turning to Pix. ├óÔé¼┼ôQuery; How would a concubine know this information?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix blushed bright red. Jimmy blinked, not sure he'd heard right. What was a concubine?
├óÔé¼┼ôHe's my master,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix murmured, her blush deepening. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can test me, I'm not lying.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThat will not be necessary,├óÔé¼┬Ø The Probe said. ├óÔé¼┼ôHumor Mode: James Leonite Junior is a very lucky boy, no?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix didn't laugh.
├óÔé¼┼ôHumor Mode canceled. Admission granted. Please follow me to Police Central.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo!├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir rattled. ├óÔé¼┼ôI wish to go to a data access position and nothing else.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThere is a data access port in Police Central,├óÔé¼┬Ø The Probe said.
├óÔé¼┼ôFine. Broadcast this ahead of us. I am wearing an honor belt,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir said.
├óÔé¼┼ôVery well,├óÔé¼┬Ø the Probe said. ├óÔé¼┼ôFollow me.├óÔé¼┬Ø
It wafted down the corridor into the E.L.F zone.
Anna, with a wing bound tight to her back, stalked around the commandeered dinner table. Above the table, a map of Harbinger floated. She waved her hand and the edges of the map peeled away until only the Armory and the Xorquin sector were shown.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe only have so much time before Hir comes after us again,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, looking at Pix and Jimmy. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd it's a three day march to the Slor sector, and from there, a two day march from there to the Xorquin, and from there, it's a five day walk to the Council Chambers.├óÔé¼┬Ø
She sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd frankly, I doubt we can keep up that pace with Hir dogging us the entire way. So...I say we screw with his head.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHow?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked. Anna waved her hand and another part of the map faded in. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe head here. The E.L.F zone is a quick day long walk, half a day if we make good time, and they're good allies with the Humans, so we might not get stabbed in the back there. And, what's better, it's rumored they have some really...interesting technology up there.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôLike...how interesting?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôAs interesting as my technology,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about the Hellions?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôI'll have them head the long rout. Hopefully Hir will track them for a time, giving us a better chance of getting away.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôRight,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. He squared his shoulders, looking at the route planned. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs there a way we can put a call into my father?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, shaking her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôHir will buzz this house again any time now.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôPix,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, looking at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôCan you type up a general summery of our situation?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSure,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said. Her antennea twiddled slightly, then she nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôDone.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôPix will send it out,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôCould you please get some gear for us to use. I'm going to see if I can find anything on Jack's computer.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôCan you find anything on his computer?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôMight as well try,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, running up the stairs. He searched for a moment, then found Jack's rooms. He sat down in front of Jack's computer...and the phone rang.
Jimmy picked it up. ├óÔé¼┼ôHello?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôJames Leonite.├óÔé¼┬Ø The voice was definitely Fox.
├óÔé¼┼ôFox...why the hell do you want to kill me?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
Fox sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's...complicated.├óÔé¼┬Ø Then he hung up. Jimmy growled and pulled the phone off.
---------
Hir rattled softly as he daubed at his wounds with his medical swabs. Udo's blood was still fresh on Hir's teeth. Hir grinned, the memory of Udo's death blow fresh in his mind. Traitor...got what he deserved. Hir finished cleaning his wounds and started walking down the alleyway he was hiding in. Suddenly he heard a ringing behind him. Hir moved to the sound of the ringing...and saw that a pay phone rang.
When a phone rings...what does one do? You answer it. Hir walked to the phone and picked it up.
├óÔé¼┼ôHir,├óÔé¼┬Ø A perfectly accented Xorquin voice came over the line. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou are doing a very commendable job.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWho is this? Jorquin?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou can call me Fox,├óÔé¼┬Ø The voice said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you should be happy to know that James Leonite and his friends are still in Lucky Jack's manor. If you hurry, then you can catch them.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat's it to you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôI have interests in James Leonite's death,├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat interest?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôTimes wasting,├óÔé¼┬Ø Fox said. Then he hung up. Hir sighed, then turned and ran down the street towards Lucky Jack's manor.
-------
├óÔé¼┼ôI sent the message,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said.
├óÔé¼┼ôDidn't find anything,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said.
├óÔé¼┼ôThe Hellions are moving out, catch!├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna tossed a rifle to Jimmy. Jimmy caught it, amazed at it's lightness. Anna handed another rifle to Pix, who looked far more comfortable holding the rifle than Jimmy.
├óÔé¼┼ôThese are simple point and click hard light rifles. If you put it over an enemy, it'll burn through em. Put if over the wall, and it'll burn through in a matter of moments. So be careful.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWow,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, hefting the rifle. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm...not a good shot though.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHey,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, grabbing Jimmy's biceps. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're one of the lucky one in a billion types. Your reflexes...well...you'll find out. Now let's get going.├óÔé¼┬Ø
They walked onto the street, then ducked into a back alleyway. Anna lead them to a small section of the city wall that opened into the Main Theater. From there, the small group started walking.
As they walked, Anna drew Jimmy aside and whispered to him. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't trust the E.L.F,├óÔé¼┬Ø She said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is your problem?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy hissed.
├óÔé¼┼ôE.L.F's aren't human. No matter how much they look it, they're not. I learned that the hard way. I don't want you to have to learn it hard too.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy glowered at her, moving faster to catch up with Pix.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat was that about?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôNothing,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut...do I look different?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôBetter,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, grinning. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou...well...hell, you're buff.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI wasn't buff before?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix snorted.
The side wall of the Main Theater was closer than it appeared. By the end of the first day's walk, the small group was within miles of the wall. Distant cracks and booms could be heard from fighting that raged somewhere near the Yetel side of the Main Theater. Night fell, and Jimmy got to sleep, shivering in his blanket.
-------
Anna lead Jimmy and Pix through the tight, winding hallways of the Armory. Every few paces was a door, opening into a room that held guns, rifles, pistols, small black cubes and other weirder devices. Most of the rifles were oddly shaped, but could still be used by most races. Some looked like they had come out of the history books. Other things didn't look like weapons at all. Clear cubes with small slivers of redness in the middle. A sphere that hovered an inch of the ground and whistled to itself. A sword, an honest to goodness sword, just standing on it's tip. Pix paused to look at the sword.
An eye opened, situated right above the hilt. It looked at Pix and she hurried to catch up with the rest of the group, her heart pounding.
Anna kept leading them until, a few hours after passing the sword room, she stopped, falling over. Anna yelped as her broken wing slammed into the ground. Pix helped her to her feet and Anna started swearing.
├óÔé¼┼ôThey need to mark these things better,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna muttered. She put her hand forward and pressed it against air. Jimmy stepped forward and almost ran into the invisible wall that Anna had struck a moment earlier. The entire group felt the wall, Pix and Jimmy amazed, Anna a bit bored.
├óÔé¼┼ôRight,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow we just need to wait for a bit.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWait for what?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôProbes float around here. Once they see someone wants to get in, interview, then let them.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôSo you've done this thing before, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell...no,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, frowning. ├óÔé¼┼ôI just remember a few rumors and su-├óÔé¼┬Ø
A bolt of plasma hit the invisible wall, bounced off, struck the floor, then ignited. The plasma burned its way through the ceiling a moment later.
├óÔé¼┼ôGet down!├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna shouted. Jimmy dropped to the floor, reaching for his rifle. Hir's plasma pistol fired again and Anna winced as the bolt almost stuck to her cheek. Jimmy got his rifle in his hands. Pix fired off a shot. The smell of ozone filled the air and a loud CRACK sounded.
Hir was gone. Pix lowered the laser carbine, breathing heavily.
├óÔé¼┼ôTube it,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna muttered. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe should just hope the probe comes by before he does that again.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôYeah,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, nodding. ├óÔé¼┼ôI mean, what can he-├óÔé¼┬Ø
A black cube rattled around the corner. It slid to a stop at Jimmy's foot. It's corners flashed green, then yellow.
Before it hit red, Jimmy hauled back and kicked it as hard as he could.
The cube hurtled down the hallway. It got half way down the corridor when it...imploded. Wind whistled past Jimmy and he felt his legs get jerked out from under him. He flew towards the black point that the cube had created, a scream bursting from his lips. Hir was jerked around the corner, a shocked rattle coming from him. The black point vanished and the two of them landed next to each other. Jimmy tried to reach for the laser carbine he had dropped. Hir grabbed his leg and hauled on it, dragging Jimmy down the corridor.
Hir stood, grabbing Jimmy by the throat and lifting him. He raised a clawed hand, ready to slash Jimmy's throat open. One of those claws exploded, a loud crack sounding. Pix held her laser carbine to her eye, clenching her teeth.
├óÔé¼┼ôPut him the tube down!├óÔé¼┬Ø She shouted.
Hir looked at her, then pushed Jimmy around so he faced Pix. Hir dragged Jimmy into his chest and hunched over, using him as a makeshift shield.
├óÔé¼┼ôShoot me, shoot your friend,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir said, grinning.
├óÔé¼┼ôHe's right,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said.
Pix adjusted her aim. ├óÔé¼┼ôI gouged out one eye with a spear. I can do it with anything else, whoreson. Drop him!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWait,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir said. He shifted, exposing his waste. A thin black strip ran around his waist, with small black pods attached at regular intervals. ├óÔé¼┼ôI wear an honor belt.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Anna grabbed the barrel of Pix's gun and jerked it down. Pix strained, trying to get the gun on Hir again.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo, you idiot!├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna hissed. ├óÔé¼┼ôHonor belts explode when their wearer's die.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix remembered the explosion that had rocked the city before she and Jimmy had escaped. Honor belts? Maybe.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen the probe arrives, you shall let me through. From there, we will find a data retrival point and I will extract the data from the E.L.F. Then, I shall leave.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôDon't trust-├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy started. He stopped when Hir tightened his hold around Jimmy's neck.
├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry Jimmy,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't trust him. But we don't have a choice.├óÔé¼┬Ø
At that moment, a small, spherical device hovered behind Anna. It flipped a small prod out of its body and stuck it into the invisible wall. There was a flash of electricity and the sphere floated through the now clear space. It looked around, cameras clicking once every few seconds.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat's going on here?├óÔé¼┬Ø It asked, first in human, then in Xorquin.
├óÔé¼┼ôPlease let us through,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said.
├óÔé¼┼ôI detect hostile intentions from one, definite, and from other three, possible. Clause: Carrying of weapons and posture.├óÔé¼┬Ø The probe said.
├óÔé¼┼ôIf you don't let us in, the son of James Leonite will die!├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix snapped.
├óÔé¼┼ôModel 3-A,├óÔé¼┬Ø The probe said, turning to Pix. ├óÔé¼┼ôQuery; How would a concubine know this information?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix blushed bright red. Jimmy blinked, not sure he'd heard right. What was a concubine?
├óÔé¼┼ôHe's my master,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix murmured, her blush deepening. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can test me, I'm not lying.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThat will not be necessary,├óÔé¼┬Ø The Probe said. ├óÔé¼┼ôHumor Mode: James Leonite Junior is a very lucky boy, no?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix didn't laugh.
├óÔé¼┼ôHumor Mode canceled. Admission granted. Please follow me to Police Central.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo!├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir rattled. ├óÔé¼┼ôI wish to go to a data access position and nothing else.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThere is a data access port in Police Central,├óÔé¼┬Ø The Probe said.
├óÔé¼┼ôFine. Broadcast this ahead of us. I am wearing an honor belt,├óÔé¼┬Ø Hir said.
├óÔé¼┼ôVery well,├óÔé¼┬Ø the Probe said. ├óÔé¼┼ôFollow me.├óÔé¼┬Ø
It wafted down the corridor into the E.L.F zone.
Chapter Five: Fun with Gravity
Jimmy tried to get as good a look at the E.L.F zone as he could while being dragged by a burly Xorquin assassin to an almost certain death.
The entire place was completely beyond human understanding. That must be why the E.L.F's lived there. Each room they passed, too fast to see more than a glimpse, held new sights that Jimmy could never hope to understand.
He saw a room where each wall was covered by pyramids that stuck into the middle of the room. At the center a glowing sphere floated, humming a soft tune that made a tear come to Jimmy's eye.
He saw a room filled with floating cubes, each cube moving in a pattern both unique to that cube, but timed so that it was never in the way of any other cube, creating a shifting, painful to look at miasma of moving, shiny black.
He saw a that, at first, was completely bare. But as he was dragged past, the room was suddenly filled with winged humans of both gender. Before Jimmy could see what they were doing, his view changed and the image vanished.
He saw a room that ended at the doorway, an infinite black space expanding in every direction.
He saw a room that, instead of infinite blackness, he saw an infinite whiteness.
Finally they moved past the bizarre rooms and into a large, open space that had been carved out by the E.L.F's. Inside that area a compact, efficiently designed town had been made. The buildings were small, much smaller than any Jimmy had ever seen, and E.L.F's of every different make and design bustled around. They all stopped when Hir pushed Jimmy into their city. Their faces, all unique, stared at the small group of aliens. Even Pix looked out of place amongst them.
The police station was a building that looked exactly like all the others. The only reason Jimmy knew it was the police station was because the probe told them it was. The doors opened and two female E.L.F's, one who looked like a cross between a football player and a gorilla, the other one a sprightly, thin woman with long, pointed ears, walked out, holding laser carbines somewhat similar to the ones Anna and Pix carried.
├óÔé¼┼ôSir Leonite!├óÔé¼┬Ø Someone shouted. Everyone in the city started, including Hir. His arm tightened around Jimmy's neck and he squawked. The man who had shouted, an E.L.F himself, ran down the streets.
├óÔé¼┼ôUn,├óÔé¼┬Ø The thin E.L.F hissed. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a hostage situation.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Un skidded to a halt, surprise flashing over his face. He looked at Hir, then at Jimmy.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh,├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, gulping. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...just got the message that young Leonite was to be taken to the teleport.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Murmuring filled the city as the E.L.F's started discussing the situation.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell this Xorquin has his own ideas about this,├óÔé¼┬Ø The slender E.L.F said.
Hir was getting nervous. Jimmy could sense it, in the way his muscles bunched up, the way his eyes darted back and forth. And how he was backing away from the E.L.F's as best he could. Jimmy glanced around. He caught Anna's eye and winked.
Anna blinked. Then she snapped her unbroken wing out and shouted at the top of her lungs: ├óÔé¼┼ôGRABLDYDO!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Hir's head snapped to the side and Jimmy smashed his elbow into his chest. Hir rattled hard, his arm going slack. Jimmy was shocked at how...strong he felt. He jerked forward and out of Hir's grasp.
Jimmy staggered, turning around. He saw Hir clenching his fists, ready to go after him.
Suddenly five more laser carbines snapped to cover Hir. Pix, Anna, both the police officers and Jimmy's. Hir froze, eyes glancing around.
The gorilla police officer ran forward and jerked the suicide belt off. It beeped and the gorilla hurled it into the air. It shot straight up, farther than Jimmy could throw...the belt exploded. Bits of metal dropped onto the croud, but no one seemed worried. The gorilla and the slender police officer tackled Hir. He struggled, smashing his hand into the gorilla. Gorilla staggered, but the slender E.L.F slapped a strip of metal onto Hir's back.
Hir dropped to the ground, frozen.
Jimmy and Pix watched Hir, carted away by the two police officers. As he left, Un walked forward, bowing to first Jimmy, then Pix.
├óÔé¼┼ôSorry about all that,├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, holding out a hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy name is Untranslatable.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôUntranslatable,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un said. ├óÔé¼┼ôOr Un for short.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy are you...Untranslatable?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôBecause it is the most beautiful name in the Yetel language. I love it...but it's not translatable for humans.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat does it sound like?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Un coughed, opened his mouth and sang a short melody that made Jimmy shiver, chills running up his spine.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo...I was sent a message by your father-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo, no, no,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, holding up his hands. ├óÔé¼┼ôLast time someone got a message from my father, they tried to kill me the next night. I'm not going to do anything, till I can call my dad.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Un puffed up his cheeks and blew air out through his lips. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell, it's gonna be a while till we can get a clear signal to your father. Say...a day, maybe a day and a half.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôTill then, all I want to do is get some sleep,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, yawning.
├óÔé¼┼ôMe too,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said.
├óÔé¼┼ôI notice that you have wings,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un said.
├óÔé¼┼ôVery perceptive of you,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, glowering at Un.
├óÔé¼┼ôInteresting. What race are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHuman,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said.
├óÔé¼┼ôI doubt it,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un stepped closer. He pulled out a small device and pressed it against Anna's skin. Anna jerked away, but Un still drew blood. He looked at the device and read the As, Ts,Gs, and Cs that flashed across the small screen on the device.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou are not human,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know what you are...but we can repair your wing.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, looking at her broken wing. ├óÔé¼┼ôOkay.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Un snapped his fingers and the probe floated up. ├óÔé¼┼ôFollow me,├óÔé¼┬Ø It said. Anna and the probe left, heading down the street.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow, you two,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un said. ├óÔé¼┼ôUh....what to do with you two?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI'd just like a room,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. Un nodded and snapped his fingers. Another probe floated up. ├óÔé¼┼ôShow these two to a room.├óÔé¼┬Ø
The probe chirped and started floating down the street. Jimmy and Pix followed, looking around the city. The E.L.F's kept watching them for a few more moments. Then they turned away and went back to their work.
The E.L.F probe lead the two of them to a squat building. Inside the building were at least ten incredibly small rooms.
├óÔé¼┼ôTwo at the end of the row,├óÔé¼┬Ø The probe said, then floated out of the room. Pix and Jimmy walked to the end of the row. Jimmy opened the first door and gestured into the very small room. It had barely enough room to lay down. Pix stepped half in before Jimmy coughed. ├óÔé¼┼ôPix, wait.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôUh...what did the probe mean?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix looked at her feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you mean?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAbout you being a...what was it? A concubine?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said. She forced a smile to her face. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt means 'helper' or 'tutor'.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh...oh!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy nodded, grinning. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat was it.├óÔé¼┬Ø he paused. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know...I didn't know that I was your master.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix gulped.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou're free.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, eyes going wide.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou are free.├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't want a servent. I want a friend and...tube it, you're the best friend I've ever had.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix blushed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm the only friend you've ever had.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI know,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix grinned. Jimmy nodded and walked to his door. When Pix heard his door close, she backed into her room, closed her door and started to cry.
Pix curled into a ball and cried, giggling as she did so. She wasn't sad. Far from it. She rolled onto her back and let the giggling turn into laughter, which bounced off the walls.
Jimmy lay on his back, looking at the ceiling. Concubine...did it really mean tutor? He furrowed his brow and, for the life of him, couldn't remember for sure. He rolled onto his side and sighed, thinking about Pix. She...was....she had been his servant. That hurt...that hut worse than anything Jimmy could have thought of.
She was his servant. A step away from a slave. And he'd never known. She must have thought that he was a cruel master, playing with her, but never actually making her an equal.
├óÔé¼┼ôShe must hate me,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy murmured.
No...he'd been wrong, earlier.
That hurt worse than anything else.
Jimmy tried to get as good a look at the E.L.F zone as he could while being dragged by a burly Xorquin assassin to an almost certain death.
The entire place was completely beyond human understanding. That must be why the E.L.F's lived there. Each room they passed, too fast to see more than a glimpse, held new sights that Jimmy could never hope to understand.
He saw a room where each wall was covered by pyramids that stuck into the middle of the room. At the center a glowing sphere floated, humming a soft tune that made a tear come to Jimmy's eye.
He saw a room filled with floating cubes, each cube moving in a pattern both unique to that cube, but timed so that it was never in the way of any other cube, creating a shifting, painful to look at miasma of moving, shiny black.
He saw a that, at first, was completely bare. But as he was dragged past, the room was suddenly filled with winged humans of both gender. Before Jimmy could see what they were doing, his view changed and the image vanished.
He saw a room that ended at the doorway, an infinite black space expanding in every direction.
He saw a room that, instead of infinite blackness, he saw an infinite whiteness.
Finally they moved past the bizarre rooms and into a large, open space that had been carved out by the E.L.F's. Inside that area a compact, efficiently designed town had been made. The buildings were small, much smaller than any Jimmy had ever seen, and E.L.F's of every different make and design bustled around. They all stopped when Hir pushed Jimmy into their city. Their faces, all unique, stared at the small group of aliens. Even Pix looked out of place amongst them.
The police station was a building that looked exactly like all the others. The only reason Jimmy knew it was the police station was because the probe told them it was. The doors opened and two female E.L.F's, one who looked like a cross between a football player and a gorilla, the other one a sprightly, thin woman with long, pointed ears, walked out, holding laser carbines somewhat similar to the ones Anna and Pix carried.
├óÔé¼┼ôSir Leonite!├óÔé¼┬Ø Someone shouted. Everyone in the city started, including Hir. His arm tightened around Jimmy's neck and he squawked. The man who had shouted, an E.L.F himself, ran down the streets.
├óÔé¼┼ôUn,├óÔé¼┬Ø The thin E.L.F hissed. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a hostage situation.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Un skidded to a halt, surprise flashing over his face. He looked at Hir, then at Jimmy.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh,├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, gulping. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...just got the message that young Leonite was to be taken to the teleport.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Murmuring filled the city as the E.L.F's started discussing the situation.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell this Xorquin has his own ideas about this,├óÔé¼┬Ø The slender E.L.F said.
Hir was getting nervous. Jimmy could sense it, in the way his muscles bunched up, the way his eyes darted back and forth. And how he was backing away from the E.L.F's as best he could. Jimmy glanced around. He caught Anna's eye and winked.
Anna blinked. Then she snapped her unbroken wing out and shouted at the top of her lungs: ├óÔé¼┼ôGRABLDYDO!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Hir's head snapped to the side and Jimmy smashed his elbow into his chest. Hir rattled hard, his arm going slack. Jimmy was shocked at how...strong he felt. He jerked forward and out of Hir's grasp.
Jimmy staggered, turning around. He saw Hir clenching his fists, ready to go after him.
Suddenly five more laser carbines snapped to cover Hir. Pix, Anna, both the police officers and Jimmy's. Hir froze, eyes glancing around.
The gorilla police officer ran forward and jerked the suicide belt off. It beeped and the gorilla hurled it into the air. It shot straight up, farther than Jimmy could throw...the belt exploded. Bits of metal dropped onto the croud, but no one seemed worried. The gorilla and the slender police officer tackled Hir. He struggled, smashing his hand into the gorilla. Gorilla staggered, but the slender E.L.F slapped a strip of metal onto Hir's back.
Hir dropped to the ground, frozen.
Jimmy and Pix watched Hir, carted away by the two police officers. As he left, Un walked forward, bowing to first Jimmy, then Pix.
├óÔé¼┼ôSorry about all that,├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, holding out a hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy name is Untranslatable.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôUntranslatable,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un said. ├óÔé¼┼ôOr Un for short.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy are you...Untranslatable?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôBecause it is the most beautiful name in the Yetel language. I love it...but it's not translatable for humans.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat does it sound like?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Un coughed, opened his mouth and sang a short melody that made Jimmy shiver, chills running up his spine.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo...I was sent a message by your father-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo, no, no,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, holding up his hands. ├óÔé¼┼ôLast time someone got a message from my father, they tried to kill me the next night. I'm not going to do anything, till I can call my dad.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Un puffed up his cheeks and blew air out through his lips. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell, it's gonna be a while till we can get a clear signal to your father. Say...a day, maybe a day and a half.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôTill then, all I want to do is get some sleep,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, yawning.
├óÔé¼┼ôMe too,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said.
├óÔé¼┼ôI notice that you have wings,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un said.
├óÔé¼┼ôVery perceptive of you,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, glowering at Un.
├óÔé¼┼ôInteresting. What race are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHuman,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said.
├óÔé¼┼ôI doubt it,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un stepped closer. He pulled out a small device and pressed it against Anna's skin. Anna jerked away, but Un still drew blood. He looked at the device and read the As, Ts,Gs, and Cs that flashed across the small screen on the device.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou are not human,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know what you are...but we can repair your wing.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, looking at her broken wing. ├óÔé¼┼ôOkay.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Un snapped his fingers and the probe floated up. ├óÔé¼┼ôFollow me,├óÔé¼┬Ø It said. Anna and the probe left, heading down the street.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow, you two,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un said. ├óÔé¼┼ôUh....what to do with you two?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI'd just like a room,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. Un nodded and snapped his fingers. Another probe floated up. ├óÔé¼┼ôShow these two to a room.├óÔé¼┬Ø
The probe chirped and started floating down the street. Jimmy and Pix followed, looking around the city. The E.L.F's kept watching them for a few more moments. Then they turned away and went back to their work.
The E.L.F probe lead the two of them to a squat building. Inside the building were at least ten incredibly small rooms.
├óÔé¼┼ôTwo at the end of the row,├óÔé¼┬Ø The probe said, then floated out of the room. Pix and Jimmy walked to the end of the row. Jimmy opened the first door and gestured into the very small room. It had barely enough room to lay down. Pix stepped half in before Jimmy coughed. ├óÔé¼┼ôPix, wait.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôUh...what did the probe mean?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix looked at her feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do you mean?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAbout you being a...what was it? A concubine?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said. She forced a smile to her face. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt means 'helper' or 'tutor'.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh...oh!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy nodded, grinning. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat was it.├óÔé¼┬Ø he paused. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know...I didn't know that I was your master.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix gulped.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou're free.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, eyes going wide.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou are free.├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't want a servent. I want a friend and...tube it, you're the best friend I've ever had.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix blushed. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm the only friend you've ever had.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI know,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix grinned. Jimmy nodded and walked to his door. When Pix heard his door close, she backed into her room, closed her door and started to cry.
Pix curled into a ball and cried, giggling as she did so. She wasn't sad. Far from it. She rolled onto her back and let the giggling turn into laughter, which bounced off the walls.
Jimmy lay on his back, looking at the ceiling. Concubine...did it really mean tutor? He furrowed his brow and, for the life of him, couldn't remember for sure. He rolled onto his side and sighed, thinking about Pix. She...was....she had been his servant. That hurt...that hut worse than anything Jimmy could have thought of.
She was his servant. A step away from a slave. And he'd never known. She must have thought that he was a cruel master, playing with her, but never actually making her an equal.
├óÔé¼┼ôShe must hate me,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy murmured.
No...he'd been wrong, earlier.
That hurt worse than anything else.
-
Lindir The Green
- Posts: 815
- Joined: 04 May 2005, 15:09
And here is the next part.
Hir sat in the jail cell, his two remaining eyes locked straight ahead. Two E.L.F police men stood next to his cell, waiting for orders on what to do with him. The Leonite child and that E.L.F bitch were probably testfying right now...
Hir looked at his right hand, where one claw was missing. Shot off by the E.L.F bitch. It was his second index finger. Hir smiled. Good thing the E.L.F hadn't shot his left hand. Hir gently took hold of his left hand's second index claw, closed his eyes, and snapped the claw off. He managed to make no more noise then a soft crack. A few droplets of pink blood flowed down his fingers and Hir buried his hand in his chest to prevent any of the blood from dribbling onto the floor.
A moment later and Hir took the broken claw and looked down the middle of it, where, before he'd been sent out, a Xorquin doctor had hollowed out a space. An in the space was a small explosive.
The E.L.F's nearly jumped out of their skins when the lock to the cell door exploded. A clawed hand grabbed the left E.L.F's head and swung him around like a club, bashing him into the other guard. Hir jerked one of their guns out of his hands and shot them both dead. Alarms were already sounding.
Hir knew he would die today. But first, he would end those that had brought this death to him.
He set off down the hall, clutching the E.L.F weapon.
-----
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd this is the gadget room,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un said, waving his arm around. Jimmy, Pix and Anna walked into the room, looking around curiously.
The room was a rectangular area, large, but not huge, and it was stacked, wall to wall, with bizarre devices. To Jimmy's mind they all blended into a mishmash of things he didn't care about. He sighed, looking away from Pix.
Pix glanced at Jimmy. Something had been bothering him, that much was obvious. Throughout the entire day, through the breakfast, grilling by the police and the tour Un was putting them through. But Pix couldn't, for the life of her, see what was bothering him. Was it something she'd done?
Anna watched Pix watch Jimmy. After a moment, Pix glanced away hurriedly as Jimmy glanced at her. Anna rolled her eyes as Un prattled on.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow this,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un said, pulling out a squat box with a thin strip on the side and a knob. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs the gravity actuator. Watch this.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Un twisted the knob slightly and dropped the square on the ground. ├óÔé¼┼ôJames, put your hand over the box.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOkay,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, putting his hand forward. It started floating upwards and Jimmy made a choked noise in his throat. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhoa!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôCool huh?├óÔé¼┬Ø Un asked, picking the box up and turning the knob back to it's first setting. ├óÔé¼┼ôTurn this knob up, and gravity goes up. Turn it down, gravity goes down. Set it to zero and it doesn't do anything. We've marked the Gs, here.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy took the box and twiddled with the knob. He shot up, then down and landed in a pile.
├óÔé¼┼ôOw,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, blinking. Pix helped him to his feet. He smiled at her, somewhat hesitantly.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you might recognize this, Anna,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un said, pulling out a black cube.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh...those,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI call them grenades.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôActually,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un said. ├óÔé¼┼ôMost people turn the corner three times, to activate it. But it changes how hard it sucks with every turn so...├óÔé¼┬Ø
He twisted the corner of the cube once, then threw it into the air. Wind buffeted the group, dirt and dust flying off the surrounding floor and gadgets.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's a vacuum cleaner,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWow.├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix blinked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere does the stuff it sucks up go?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't really know,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un said, reaching into the pile of gadgets for something new. BANG! A bullet tore through his shoulder and Un went sprawling. BANG! Pix staggered, air woofing out of her lungs. Anna dived for cover and Jimmy spun, looking at the doorway.
Hir stood, holding the smoking gun. He moved forward, aiming his pistol higher. Jimmy blinked...and everything went slow. His hand moved, slowly, as if he was in a dream. He pulled out the pistol Anna had given him, the one the E.L.F police had let him keep after his testimonial. Hir pulled the trigger. The bullet was awfully fast-
Jimmy jerked his head to the side and the bullet tore through his ear.
Everything went fast again. He snapped the pistol up and fired. Hir rattled loudly as his pistol flew out of his hand, a bullet twanging off it. He jumped straight for Jimmy, claws out stretched.
Then he stopped, hanging in the air.
Pix held the gravity actuator, hand on the knob.
├óÔé¼┼ôSee you in the tubes,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix spat. She slammed the knob to the maximum.
Hir vanished.
The sound of splattering fruit sounded. Pink blood sprayed over the ceiling and started to dribble over the ground.
The second police grilling was only slightly less intensive than the first. Jimmy felt as if his brain had been scrubbed by a rough piece of sand paper, and walked out of the police station, Pix, Un and Anna at his side.
Anna spoke first. ├óÔé¼┼ôNice going,├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, grinning at Pix. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe only thing that disappointed me is I didn't get to throw the switch.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThanks,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix murmured, feeling the dented subcutaneous armor that had stopped the bullet from entering her guts and going out the other side. Un was not so lucky, being a scientific model. His arm was bound in a sling, but he still chattered happily.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes, yes, excellent work,├óÔé¼┬Ø He said. Jimmy opened his mouth to say something, but Un barreled on. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat was a most inventive use of our device. So inventive, I think we should give you an award, or something-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôUn,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Un shut up, coughing.
Jimmy opened his mouth and mumbled. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood job.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix was sure she'd done something wrong. She looked away.
Jimmy sighed. Pix must hate him, the way she looked. ├óÔé¼┼ôPix,├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôEr...Anna, can you give us a moment.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOkay,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, beating a hurried retreat, dragging Un with her.
Pix looked at Jimmy. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy blurted.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix blinked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, I'm the one who's sorry!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHuh?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix looked at her feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôI thought I'd done something wrong.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo, I was the one who did something wrong!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI...I left you as a servant for all those years...you didn't deserve that. You deserved to be free the day you were constructed.├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy looked at his feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I should have found out earlier.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix stared at Jimmy. She blinked away tears, smiling. ├óÔé¼┼ôJimmy...I like you.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy looked at her. Pix continued. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I like being your servant, and I like you.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh...well...I like you too,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. Pix smiled. Then she blushed, looking away.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd...well...concubine doesn't just mean what I said it does.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy waited.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt means...├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said. Her antennae rotated, facing down. Pix played with the hem of her shirt, her face getting redder. ├óÔé¼┼ôI means be-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHey! James!├óÔé¼┬Ø Un shouted, running down the street. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe've got a link up to your father.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy kept himself from punching Un's face in. Barely.
---------
Leonite didn't quite belive it till Jimmy's face filled the screen. He beamed at his sun and opened his mouth to say something, when Jimmy cut in first.
├óÔé¼┼ôDad,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, his eyes hard. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy didn't you ever tell me that Pix was a servant?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Leonite blinked, completely blindsided. He shook his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy is it so important?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôBecause Pix deserves freedom, and she's deserved it years ago. If I had known that she was just hanging out with me because she was a servant, I'd have freed her in an instant!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Leonite nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôFair enough. The reason why is because, until this phone call, I'd have said you were too young to have your play mate removed.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôPix is more than a play mate!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's a person!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Leonite stared at his son. Then he started laughing.
├óÔé¼┼ôStop laughing!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy snapped.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo, no, your right,├óÔé¼┬Ø Leonite said, wiping a tear of mirth from his eye. He grinned at Jimmy, shaking his head slowly. ├óÔé¼┼ôI just...I'm just so proud of you, my boy.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Now it was Jimmy's time to be nonplussed. He blinked at his father, at a loss for words.
├óÔé¼┼ôMany people believe E.L.F's to be tools. And even more people believe Pix's Model, 3-A are little more than bed warmers. That is why I got Pix for you when you were a child, rather than a year ago. So that you could learn that they are people. The Slor are people. The Xorquin are people. Angry, violent people, but people. If you've realized that, then you have come farther than many on Harbinger.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy gulped, a glowing feeling in his chest starting to grow. ├óÔé¼┼ôT-Thanks, dad,├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow, when you have the time, please tell Pix that I said hello. And speak the word Karma Sutra.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Leonite smiled. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou'll see. Now, onto real business. The Xorquin Ambassador, Jorquin, has been pushing for the destruction and stripping of a planet. That is what has caused this, I believe.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat planet?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt is called Earth,├óÔé¼┬Ø Leonite said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd it...is our home.├óÔé¼┬Ø
---------
Pix looked up as Jimmy walked out of the phone booth. She tapped Anna, who had started snoring. Anna blinked herself awake.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow did it go?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWe've got to get to the teleport,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's a device the E.L.F's have perfected, after lots and lots of practice, to send one person across Harbinger. Fortunately, the only coordinates that they've worked out is a small room near the Council Chambers. So...one step, and we're at my father's.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAwesome!├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, smiling. She stood and looked at Anna. Anna shrugged.
├óÔé¼┼ôI've seen my fill of devices and gadgets and weird things. I think this is where I leave you two.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy blinked. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut...Anna...what about-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI just wanted to see Hir, may his body rot in the Tubes, dead. He's dead, thanks to you Pix. Now I think it's time I return to my gang.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell...will you at least watch us go off on the teleport?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôFine.├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. She crossed her arms over her chest. Then she held out her hand. Jimmy took it. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's been fun.├óÔé¼┬Ø
The teleport looked like a sphere, floating free in a equally spherical room. A man (or E.L.F) built bridge stuck out of the door and connected to the teleport. Familer technology hooked up to the teleport, all metallic boxes and large switches. Un stood next to one of those switches, flanked by a few other E.L.F scientists.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do we do?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, a bit dazed. On the walk to the teleport, somewhere in the hallways, Pix's hand had slipped into his. Jimmy wasn't sure whether it was him or her who'd done it. He didn't really care.
├óÔé¼┼ôJust enter the sphere,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un said, pointing. Jimmy nodded and, with a glance over his shoulder at Pix, then at Anna, he walked to the sphere. He squeezed in, Pix moving to his other side. Pix waved. Anna waved back.
Un flipped the switch.
For a moment, Jimmy and Pix ceased to exist.
The machinery sparked and Un shouted, backing away from the switch. The rest of the scientists were thrown into turmoil, pushing to get away from the now smoldering wrecks of the machines. The teleport flashed purple and smoke filled the air.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the tubing sewage!├óÔé¼┬Ø Un muttered, waving his hand under his nose.
├óÔé¼┼ôIs that supposed to happen?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna asked, pointing at the sphere.
-----
Jimmy and Pix appeared with a flash and a crack of displaced air. Jimmy blinked, then blinked harder.
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm blind!├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, groping for Pix. She hugged close to him...then Jimmy saw that her eyes glowed in the darkness.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh,├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, somewhat sheepishly.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are we?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked. Their words echoed slightly and a slight wind brushed past them.
├óÔé¼┼ôLets find out,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, sliding his pack off his back. He opened it and groped around till he found the light stick that he'd been carrying.
He clicked it on, shining it on a corroded, brownish floor. A few droplets of red made him pan the light up, following the widening trail of red. He moved the light up.
And up.
And up. Over the wall, over the severed legs.
Over the spilled intestines.
Over the two hands, nailed to the wall, hanging the torso between them. Over the shaven head, hanging forward, it's tongue lolling out.
Jimmy's hand went to his mouth. Pix retched. Jimmy turned away from the corpse, his light shining over more of the room. He wished he hadn't.
More bodies. Some women, some men, some aliens. And above them all, scrawled in blood, was a huge skull.
├óÔé¼┼ôI know where we are,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix croaked.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhere?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy whispered.
├óÔé¼┼ôSssssh!├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix hissed, pressing herself closer to Jimmy. Jimmy perked his ears, not hearing anything. Then he caught it.
Duh...Dooph
Duh...Dooph
Hir sat in the jail cell, his two remaining eyes locked straight ahead. Two E.L.F police men stood next to his cell, waiting for orders on what to do with him. The Leonite child and that E.L.F bitch were probably testfying right now...
Hir looked at his right hand, where one claw was missing. Shot off by the E.L.F bitch. It was his second index finger. Hir smiled. Good thing the E.L.F hadn't shot his left hand. Hir gently took hold of his left hand's second index claw, closed his eyes, and snapped the claw off. He managed to make no more noise then a soft crack. A few droplets of pink blood flowed down his fingers and Hir buried his hand in his chest to prevent any of the blood from dribbling onto the floor.
A moment later and Hir took the broken claw and looked down the middle of it, where, before he'd been sent out, a Xorquin doctor had hollowed out a space. An in the space was a small explosive.
The E.L.F's nearly jumped out of their skins when the lock to the cell door exploded. A clawed hand grabbed the left E.L.F's head and swung him around like a club, bashing him into the other guard. Hir jerked one of their guns out of his hands and shot them both dead. Alarms were already sounding.
Hir knew he would die today. But first, he would end those that had brought this death to him.
He set off down the hall, clutching the E.L.F weapon.
-----
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd this is the gadget room,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un said, waving his arm around. Jimmy, Pix and Anna walked into the room, looking around curiously.
The room was a rectangular area, large, but not huge, and it was stacked, wall to wall, with bizarre devices. To Jimmy's mind they all blended into a mishmash of things he didn't care about. He sighed, looking away from Pix.
Pix glanced at Jimmy. Something had been bothering him, that much was obvious. Throughout the entire day, through the breakfast, grilling by the police and the tour Un was putting them through. But Pix couldn't, for the life of her, see what was bothering him. Was it something she'd done?
Anna watched Pix watch Jimmy. After a moment, Pix glanced away hurriedly as Jimmy glanced at her. Anna rolled her eyes as Un prattled on.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow this,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un said, pulling out a squat box with a thin strip on the side and a knob. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs the gravity actuator. Watch this.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Un twisted the knob slightly and dropped the square on the ground. ├óÔé¼┼ôJames, put your hand over the box.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOkay,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, putting his hand forward. It started floating upwards and Jimmy made a choked noise in his throat. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhoa!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôCool huh?├óÔé¼┬Ø Un asked, picking the box up and turning the knob back to it's first setting. ├óÔé¼┼ôTurn this knob up, and gravity goes up. Turn it down, gravity goes down. Set it to zero and it doesn't do anything. We've marked the Gs, here.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy took the box and twiddled with the knob. He shot up, then down and landed in a pile.
├óÔé¼┼ôOw,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, blinking. Pix helped him to his feet. He smiled at her, somewhat hesitantly.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you might recognize this, Anna,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un said, pulling out a black cube.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh...those,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI call them grenades.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôActually,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un said. ├óÔé¼┼ôMost people turn the corner three times, to activate it. But it changes how hard it sucks with every turn so...├óÔé¼┬Ø
He twisted the corner of the cube once, then threw it into the air. Wind buffeted the group, dirt and dust flying off the surrounding floor and gadgets.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's a vacuum cleaner,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said.
├óÔé¼┼ôWow.├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix blinked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere does the stuff it sucks up go?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't really know,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un said, reaching into the pile of gadgets for something new. BANG! A bullet tore through his shoulder and Un went sprawling. BANG! Pix staggered, air woofing out of her lungs. Anna dived for cover and Jimmy spun, looking at the doorway.
Hir stood, holding the smoking gun. He moved forward, aiming his pistol higher. Jimmy blinked...and everything went slow. His hand moved, slowly, as if he was in a dream. He pulled out the pistol Anna had given him, the one the E.L.F police had let him keep after his testimonial. Hir pulled the trigger. The bullet was awfully fast-
Jimmy jerked his head to the side and the bullet tore through his ear.
Everything went fast again. He snapped the pistol up and fired. Hir rattled loudly as his pistol flew out of his hand, a bullet twanging off it. He jumped straight for Jimmy, claws out stretched.
Then he stopped, hanging in the air.
Pix held the gravity actuator, hand on the knob.
├óÔé¼┼ôSee you in the tubes,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix spat. She slammed the knob to the maximum.
Hir vanished.
The sound of splattering fruit sounded. Pink blood sprayed over the ceiling and started to dribble over the ground.
The second police grilling was only slightly less intensive than the first. Jimmy felt as if his brain had been scrubbed by a rough piece of sand paper, and walked out of the police station, Pix, Un and Anna at his side.
Anna spoke first. ├óÔé¼┼ôNice going,├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, grinning at Pix. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe only thing that disappointed me is I didn't get to throw the switch.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôThanks,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix murmured, feeling the dented subcutaneous armor that had stopped the bullet from entering her guts and going out the other side. Un was not so lucky, being a scientific model. His arm was bound in a sling, but he still chattered happily.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes, yes, excellent work,├óÔé¼┬Ø He said. Jimmy opened his mouth to say something, but Un barreled on. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat was a most inventive use of our device. So inventive, I think we should give you an award, or something-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôUn,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Un shut up, coughing.
Jimmy opened his mouth and mumbled. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood job.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix was sure she'd done something wrong. She looked away.
Jimmy sighed. Pix must hate him, the way she looked. ├óÔé¼┼ôPix,├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôEr...Anna, can you give us a moment.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOkay,├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said, beating a hurried retreat, dragging Un with her.
Pix looked at Jimmy. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy blurted.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix blinked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, I'm the one who's sorry!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHuh?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix looked at her feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôI thought I'd done something wrong.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôNo, I was the one who did something wrong!├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI...I left you as a servant for all those years...you didn't deserve that. You deserved to be free the day you were constructed.├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy looked at his feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I should have found out earlier.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Pix stared at Jimmy. She blinked away tears, smiling. ├óÔé¼┼ôJimmy...I like you.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy looked at her. Pix continued. ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I like being your servant, and I like you.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôOh...well...I like you too,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. Pix smiled. Then she blushed, looking away.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd...well...concubine doesn't just mean what I said it does.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy waited.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt means...├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said. Her antennae rotated, facing down. Pix played with the hem of her shirt, her face getting redder. ├óÔé¼┼ôI means be-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôHey! James!├óÔé¼┬Ø Un shouted, running down the street. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe've got a link up to your father.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy kept himself from punching Un's face in. Barely.
---------
Leonite didn't quite belive it till Jimmy's face filled the screen. He beamed at his sun and opened his mouth to say something, when Jimmy cut in first.
├óÔé¼┼ôDad,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, his eyes hard. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy didn't you ever tell me that Pix was a servant?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Leonite blinked, completely blindsided. He shook his head. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy is it so important?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôBecause Pix deserves freedom, and she's deserved it years ago. If I had known that she was just hanging out with me because she was a servant, I'd have freed her in an instant!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Leonite nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôFair enough. The reason why is because, until this phone call, I'd have said you were too young to have your play mate removed.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôPix is more than a play mate!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's a person!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Leonite stared at his son. Then he started laughing.
├óÔé¼┼ôStop laughing!├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy snapped.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo, no, your right,├óÔé¼┬Ø Leonite said, wiping a tear of mirth from his eye. He grinned at Jimmy, shaking his head slowly. ├óÔé¼┼ôI just...I'm just so proud of you, my boy.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Now it was Jimmy's time to be nonplussed. He blinked at his father, at a loss for words.
├óÔé¼┼ôMany people believe E.L.F's to be tools. And even more people believe Pix's Model, 3-A are little more than bed warmers. That is why I got Pix for you when you were a child, rather than a year ago. So that you could learn that they are people. The Slor are people. The Xorquin are people. Angry, violent people, but people. If you've realized that, then you have come farther than many on Harbinger.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy gulped, a glowing feeling in his chest starting to grow. ├óÔé¼┼ôT-Thanks, dad,├óÔé¼┬Ø he said.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow, when you have the time, please tell Pix that I said hello. And speak the word Karma Sutra.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø
Leonite smiled. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou'll see. Now, onto real business. The Xorquin Ambassador, Jorquin, has been pushing for the destruction and stripping of a planet. That is what has caused this, I believe.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat planet?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt is called Earth,├óÔé¼┬Ø Leonite said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd it...is our home.├óÔé¼┬Ø
---------
Pix looked up as Jimmy walked out of the phone booth. She tapped Anna, who had started snoring. Anna blinked herself awake.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow did it go?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWe've got to get to the teleport,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's a device the E.L.F's have perfected, after lots and lots of practice, to send one person across Harbinger. Fortunately, the only coordinates that they've worked out is a small room near the Council Chambers. So...one step, and we're at my father's.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôAwesome!├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix said, smiling. She stood and looked at Anna. Anna shrugged.
├óÔé¼┼ôI've seen my fill of devices and gadgets and weird things. I think this is where I leave you two.├óÔé¼┬Ø
Jimmy blinked. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut...Anna...what about-├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôI just wanted to see Hir, may his body rot in the Tubes, dead. He's dead, thanks to you Pix. Now I think it's time I return to my gang.├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWell...will you at least watch us go off on the teleport?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked.
├óÔé¼┼ôFine.├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna said. She crossed her arms over her chest. Then she held out her hand. Jimmy took it. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's been fun.├óÔé¼┬Ø
The teleport looked like a sphere, floating free in a equally spherical room. A man (or E.L.F) built bridge stuck out of the door and connected to the teleport. Familer technology hooked up to the teleport, all metallic boxes and large switches. Un stood next to one of those switches, flanked by a few other E.L.F scientists.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do we do?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy asked, a bit dazed. On the walk to the teleport, somewhere in the hallways, Pix's hand had slipped into his. Jimmy wasn't sure whether it was him or her who'd done it. He didn't really care.
├óÔé¼┼ôJust enter the sphere,├óÔé¼┬Ø Un said, pointing. Jimmy nodded and, with a glance over his shoulder at Pix, then at Anna, he walked to the sphere. He squeezed in, Pix moving to his other side. Pix waved. Anna waved back.
Un flipped the switch.
For a moment, Jimmy and Pix ceased to exist.
The machinery sparked and Un shouted, backing away from the switch. The rest of the scientists were thrown into turmoil, pushing to get away from the now smoldering wrecks of the machines. The teleport flashed purple and smoke filled the air.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the tubing sewage!├óÔé¼┬Ø Un muttered, waving his hand under his nose.
├óÔé¼┼ôIs that supposed to happen?├óÔé¼┬Ø Anna asked, pointing at the sphere.
-----
Jimmy and Pix appeared with a flash and a crack of displaced air. Jimmy blinked, then blinked harder.
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm blind!├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, groping for Pix. She hugged close to him...then Jimmy saw that her eyes glowed in the darkness.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh,├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, somewhat sheepishly.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhere are we?├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix asked. Their words echoed slightly and a slight wind brushed past them.
├óÔé¼┼ôLets find out,├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy said, sliding his pack off his back. He opened it and groped around till he found the light stick that he'd been carrying.
He clicked it on, shining it on a corroded, brownish floor. A few droplets of red made him pan the light up, following the widening trail of red. He moved the light up.
And up.
And up. Over the wall, over the severed legs.
Over the spilled intestines.
Over the two hands, nailed to the wall, hanging the torso between them. Over the shaven head, hanging forward, it's tongue lolling out.
Jimmy's hand went to his mouth. Pix retched. Jimmy turned away from the corpse, his light shining over more of the room. He wished he hadn't.
More bodies. Some women, some men, some aliens. And above them all, scrawled in blood, was a huge skull.
├óÔé¼┼ôI know where we are,├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix croaked.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhere?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jimmy whispered.
├óÔé¼┼ôSssssh!├óÔé¼┬Ø Pix hissed, pressing herself closer to Jimmy. Jimmy perked his ears, not hearing anything. Then he caught it.
Duh...Dooph
Duh...Dooph
