|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:03 pm
Fred chuckled a little at Marcus' answer. "I suppose I should apologize then for needling him to drink more. And as for keeping him out of trouble wouldn't it of been easier just to not have let him on board in the first place? 'Course hey, what would I know about it, I am just a humble pilot," he said almost half jokingly, before returning his face to a serious demeanor, "Whatever the higher ups want to do, I do really care, like I said before, all I do is fly. So long as he doesn't sabotage anything, I could care less." Fred stretched his neck again, issuing another audible crack which seemed to relax him.
"So, I guess if we are stuck here, we might as well keep things light, eh? What's the new admiral like? I haven't had the chance to meet her in person."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:35 pm
Marcus thought hard and spoke casually, "Well, to be honest, we kinda had to bring him aboard. My briefing says he was missing most of his liver, several feet of intestines and a lung. A Drathonian got too close and unloaded into him you see." He'd need friends, and who'd be better at baling him out if his shuttle was disabled than Fred? He grinned, reaching for his PDA. "This is from four months ago, a civilian calendar which features our latest technology against the Drathonians." As he scrolled through the previous year's technology, including the Sugar and Scimitar, a person suddenly popped up. This young woman on the display, to be frank, looked like Emma's long lost sister. She was short and thin like Emma, with similar brown hair and blue eyes. But the similarities ended there. Sort of. Her body was wonderfully curvaceous, and to top it off, was wonderfully 'gifted' with assets Cibo would literally beat a person over in jealousy. And the eyes. Blue, cybernetic eyes. The image was leaning forward, a hand resting on her leg as she stood, giving a wink and a 'V' for victory with the other. Behind her was unmistakably the Battle Hymn of the Republic, the words 'Admiral Evelyn of The Battle Hymn' clearly visible. "Looking at this, what do you think of our fair Admiral? And keep in mind, this photo is not shopped."
****
Cibo gritted her teeth as she listened to Marcus and Fred. They were talking about Evelyn! She felt like beating the crap out of him and perhaps biting him. "Are you ok?" Killy asked. Change of plan. She felt like doing the same and worse to Killy instead.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:44 pm
Fred gave an appreciative whistle to the picture. "Hm, dunno if it is the alcohol talking, but she looks like on of my wingmen," he mumbled as he look at the picture, "A few more curves though. Well, at least now I can put a face to Captain Kerning's story about the time on shore leave when the cute little admiral there took him by the arm and the two got all cozy." The last comment, while said in a straight tone, was meant as a chid to see how Marcus would respond.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:56 pm
Marcus chucked warmly. 'Dammit. Didn't the techies program her to be a 'good girl' they said?' Marcus thought. "Well, as long as your Captain didn't go in too deep, I suppose that's fine." Marcus quipped in response. "But seriously, how friendly did they get? This sounds like an epic story in the making." he went on. 'Epic story for the techies. First the nuke, and now what she's up to? Getting friendly with the grunts and flyboys? Sounds like she's turning into a little slut at this rate...' he thought venomously. Killy called over from his cell,
"Please, do tell me a story Fred." Some of the guards shifted, turning an ear towards Fred and the gang.
****
'F*ck!' Cibo thought. 'If word of this got out...moral might drop!' She hastily added on, hoping to prevent any damage, and maybe steer him away from saying anything. Regardless of what happened next, Cibo would have to have a...friendly conversation with him later. "If any of you guys squeal about this story, me and Marcus here will skin you alive. But please, do tell Fred. And don't worry, your Captain will not have any troubles visit him if someone rats. We'll make sure."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:32 pm
"You want me to tell the story, eh?" Fred chuckled slightly and then re-situated himself in his chair to get ready to tell the story. "This should be fun," he thought in passing.
"Okay, when was it again, oh yeah, that's right. So, this was way back around the time the Hymn was just coming into commission, so not even a a month old at the time. We had just finished with an engagment with a Drathonian fleet that had one beast-a** of a starship cannon. The crew got some shore leave while the Hymn was being repaired. I, personally, was off hitting the bars with some of the other guys from the other squadrons, meanwhile Steven, my CO, not being much of a drinker decides to go off on his own. A little while after he sits down on a bench in a park, he is approached by a woman, the Admiral. She sits down, a conversation strikes up, and then out of nowhere she grabs him by the arm and puts his hand on her chest. Why this happened I have no kriffin' clue, but if there is one thing to know about steven it is that he dedicates most of his time to flying, and so leaves little time for other commodities, like women and a social life outside the squad. So he is completly caught off guard by this. Hell, I would be to if a random woman came up and made me touch her jumblies. So he is off balance doesn't know how to respond, so she then says something along the lines of "See how real I am?"" Fred shifted again in his seat and gave the guards and Killy a wary look, wonder just how much he should disclose about the Admiral being a cousin to the bartender. "The Captain then says some cheesy-a** line that makes him sound sweet. She, still holding onto the Captain's arm like a vice, give him a hug, and then proceeds to pull him up off of the bench wanting to go for a walk with him. Steven obviously said yes, and then the to walked off arm in arm around town. Now, the Captain left the story off with the two of them conveniently stopping infront of hotel. Doesn't take a psychologist to come to the conclusion that the two of them likely had issues they both needed to get off of their chests; like their shirts."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 9:01 pm
'Robot Whore!' Marcus thought.
'My boss is a bimbo...and a...' Cibo thought. And then there was Killy. He sat there quietly as Cibo's hidden face screwed up in frustration. Marcus looked calm, thinking it over, giving it an appreciative whistle.
"Now, that's what I call a story." he remarked. "Hey, you guys better not betray Fred's kindness here, or I'll have the lot of you hamstrung, kay?" he called to the guards. "Well, I for one am glad she has a healthy social life. It does wonders for morale, I'm certain." he went on. Marcus crossed his arms and leaned back, chuckling, "And I do envy your Captain just a bit." he said with a grin. 'Maybe I shouldn't report this after all...I can probably make use of her emotional simulation and software, get myself in her good graces. Rank up, and maybe get a few kicks in the process. Yeah. That's the ticket.' Marcus laughed heartily. Cibo stewed in her own pot of bad feelings. And Killy sat silently.
****
"Do you know what it's like to be alone, in a sea of people?" she spoke. "See how real I am?" She said. "Do you know what it's like to be alone, in a sea of people?" she spoke. "See how real I am?" She said. "Do you know what it's like to be alone, in a sea of people?" she spoke. "See how real I am?" She said. "Do you know what it's like to be alone, in a sea of people?" she spoke. "See how real I am?" She said. The words rang inside his mind, as clearly as though Evelyn were before him.
"I hope we can both fit in, soon."
'There is something about Evelyn.' he thought. "A fascinating tale about our beloved Admiral's mating behavior." he commented cheerfully. The armored boot's talon carelessly scraped at the floor, twisting a little of the metal.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:59 am
"Ha! You envy him? How do you think I feel? I mean, all I get are spaceport floosies, and then Captain K swoops in and snags a hot Admiral!" Fred laughed in reply. After laughing for a bit Fred once again became very serious.
"Now, just remember, as I said Captain K left off his story before anything happened, so that may just be the case. Don't go thinking any less of either the Admiral or the Captain, and if anyone wants to use this information for their own personal benefit, I will personally make sure the next transport your on doesn't get to its destination," Fred growled ominously as he looked around at his listeners. Then the seriousness left and he laughed again.
After a few seconds of regaining his composure, he looked up to check the reaction of the group. "Are you alright there, missy?" he asked Cibo, "You are lookin' a little frazzled."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 11:01 pm
"Uhh. Me?" Cibo moaned, sounding sick. By now, she really did look frazzled. "I think I drank too much. I swear...its, it's never happened before. Rehab...uggh." The intelligence officer leaned forward and dry retched a few times. Killy turned his head and noticed a small drain in the floor of the cell. He looked through the bars and into the other cells as well; they all had them, besides the normal amenities of course. Cibo, sharp eyes an all, noticed the drain as well. She lashed out at one of the many sources of suffering she had, "Yeah, we have those drains there, so if we interrogate anyone and they bleed or piss themselves, they got a place to leak." She spoke, sharp teeth flashing. Killy looked at her, and no matter how harmless he tried to make himself look, came off as foreboding.
"You know that you can...you know. The toilet. So it doesn't accidentally light afire." He completely missed her point. Cibo's eye twitched.
****
Marcus searched through his PDA, looking over the personnel files for the pilots assigned to the Hymn. Only two pilots had the last name starting with a 'K' aboard her. First, there was Kirk, but he was killed a while back by a rock-slide, and then there was Kerning. 'I'll keep that in mind.' He went on, "You don't need to say that Fred, but, I definitely got your back, on anything. We're Intel after all. Secrets. It's a business." Marcus spoke proudly. He adjusted his collar and insignia as though they were a tie. Cibo gave out a 'pfft' of annoyance. "What? I haven't told any of your secrets."
"Don't tempt me into telling yours." she replied, sticking her tongue out.
****
"Pardon me, but it is considered rude to stick one's tongue out from where I came from." The Ottyo pointed out. Cibo gave out a moan.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 11:26 pm
Fred sat back in his seat as he picked up malevolent vibes from Cibo, so decided to swap his target to Killy. "Really now? It is considered to be quite the complement for Terrans. Kinda like waving hello and shaking hands," he joked, trying to lighten the mood a bit. And speaking of bad vibes, Marcus' words were sounding a bit forced. "Hm, locked up with an alien, a spook who sounds like she is ready to eat somebody's throat, and another one almost sounds as if he is trying to get into my pants, so to speak. I'll have to keep an eye out for trouble with these guys in the future," he thought.
"How long are we stuck in here anyway?" he asked nobody in particular.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 11:43 pm
Both Marcus and Cibo turned their backs to one another with a "Hmph!" in unison. Killy, upon hearing what Fred said, merely curled up a little and whimpered like a dog.
"Some of your customs are so strange to me...." he shivered. Cibo automatically sat up straight at that noise, looking between Fred and the alien lizard thingy with her.
"Look what you did! He's whimpering!" she cried out. 'Great. First, second or third contact and it's already scared of us. Wait. Isn't that a good thing?' Marcus raised his voice in return to hers,
"Now, now! Don't just stick it to Fred like that! I'm sure he had no idea tongue meant...whatever it means..." his voice petering out towards the end. 'What does it mean anyways?'
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 4:21 pm
"It almost feels as if I'm in a bad sitcom," Fred thought to himself as he watched the situation unfurl, and debated with himself whether to put it right or not. He wouldn't have felt a need to if not for Marcus trying to hard to be nice, and he found himself wishing once more that he had been put with either the girl or the alien instead. He cleared his throat to try and command attention before continuing.
“I must once again apologize, my extraterrestrial friend, for the prime opportunity presented itself to pull your leg once more, and I took it. Didn't stop to think about culture shock,” he said to Killy, then turned to Cibo, “There, I apologized, now don't glare at me,” then he turned to Marcus, “And Marcus, I've already got a fiancée back home, so thanks for the concern, but I can handle myself just fine.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 6:07 pm
"Krikk, Krikk, Krikk, KRIK." the Ottyo clicked. "I see. Well, I suppose that explains it then. Still, I am unsettled. Just to let you know, it means something...wrong. Very, very, wrong. The implication of a heinous act." Yotruyan relaxed a little, but still seemed a little on edge. Cibo merely stared hauntingly at Fred and then Killy for a moment, before turning her back to them again. And then, Fred spoke to Marcus.
****
Inside, Marcus shrugged. Fred was probably catching on. Outside, he merely gave a slightly confused, "Huh?" before going on, "Uh Fred, I don't follow. What's your fiancee got to do with us all here?"
****
Cibo wasn't watching those two idiots. Oh no, she was watching the Killy thing watch the idiots. It's eyes seemed to narrow at a word Fred said. But what was it? Marcus replied. There!' The thing's hand clenched into a fist at the word 'Fiancee'. Cibo rolled her eyes at that realization. 'Great, now I'm stuck inside a cage with a lizard out for revenge because his lady lizard probably bit the dirt. Great, just great. It's like someone's torturing me just so they'd laugh at me...' She stiffened as the armor plate in Killy's hand started to silently buckle, his grasp was like a merciless machine. 'F*ck. Those grubby claws better not touch my neck! He'll pop it right off!' Cibo imagined a horrifying image where her head was simply squeezed off. And then she imagined Marcus having his head squeezed off. And so, she smiled, finally happy, if only for a little bit.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 8:28 pm
Fred simply sat silently now, and looked around the room, then he burst into uproarious laughter. "Sweet baby Jesus, you guys are nothing like my wingmen what so ever. It has been a while since I have met such a odd group of fellows. You lassy have the most amusing facial expressions I have ever seen, and Feathers, same goes for you. And Marcus, well, nevermind really," He chuckled, his laughter dying down a bit, "Sigh, I haven't laughed like that since my days as a marine."
***
Meanwhile, back in the medical tent, the once unconcious Steven began to once again show signs of life. The disoriented captain opened his eyes and was blinded momentarily by the overhead medical lights. He moved his eyes from side to side and took notice of the fact that he was alone. "That is funny," he thought to himself, "I thought there were other people here?"
Steven warily tried to lift himself out of bed, but was stopped by an excrutiating pain that shot throught the whole of his body. It felt like his skin was peeled back and somebody had thrown salt on the wound. Every inch of his body felt this way. He let out an anguished cry and fell back onto the bed.
Moments later a nurse rushed to his side and looked down at him and said, "Looks like it is time for the next dressing." Steven could hear a cart being rolled in his direction. "Now Captain Kerning, I am sure you are wondering what is going on," the nurse started to say, "You contracted a sickness we have been calling 'lizard flu'. You have been treated and are now longer sick, but unfortunatly you did not come in soon enough and are now suffering from one of the lingering symptoms: extremly dry, cracked skin. The good news is that it did not spread over your whole body, the bad news is that the locations that are affected have some residual scarring caused by the cracks."
Steven grunted in reply as she started applying the salve and some gauze to some places including his hands and forearms, his right shoulder, the right side of his lower back and chest, as well as the lower left hand part of his face along his chin line. The pain in those areas dissipated as the salve absorbed into his dry skin, and he found that he could sit up without to much trouble. As he sat in his bed the nurse motioned that she would help him the rest of the way up. He brushed her aside and got up on his own power, and exited the tent. Once outside he was greeted with a glass of purified water for his symptomatic dry throat. He chugged it down instantly, asked if there was anything else he had to do, then left the medical facility.
As Steven walked down the hallway he recieved several odd stares from other soldiers, and just as he got sufficiantly irritated by it he found a reflective surface to see for himself. In the reflection he saw himself, but he looked much different from what he remembered. For one his characteristic goatee had been shaved off, his skin was incredibly pale, and, on the left had side of his face where the ointment had been applied, he could see unhealed cracks in his skin. His mind flashed to the nightmare version of himself that he saw and he turned away and kept walking down the hallway, which he realized was taking him to the mess hall.
"I look like a kriffing lizard!" he growled under his breath.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 9:24 pm
"Well, that just means I don't stick out very much do I? Apparently, I fit my job just fine." Marcus nodded to no one in particular. "So you used to be a marine Fred?"
"I used to work with marines a lot in the field before this guy here." Cibo said, pointing accusingly at Marcus. "Good bunch of guys, if it weren't for the holes in their heads." He merely shrugged at her, as if to say,
'It wasn't my fault'. Even though she was talking to Marcus a little, Cibo was paying more attention to the angry, frustrated and anguish ridden feathered lizard thing with her.
'Holy crap, I think the red in it's feathers is spreading! Wait...wait...it is!' Cibo tried her hardest not to look panicked, as it was safe to assume red was an unsafe color. 'Think, think. He's in a lot of pain, and was just reminded of his dead lady friend. He's not saying anything, and he's bottling it up.' Of course, Cibo pushed aside the thought that went along the lines of, 'Like me' but still tried to figure some way to diffuse the situation. After all, she was the one stuck in a cell with him; only an idiot would want to be in this cell! Cibo had taken many psychology classes and whatnot; she knew that the wrong choice could easily push him over the edge, after all, he just crumpled a piece of his own armor. She tried to surprise him. "Killy, are you going to tell us about your fiancee or not?" A single golden eye locked with hers. She simply couldn't tell what he was thinking. He just kept on looking at her. 'God dammit! Why does this lizard have to have different expressions and s**t from the Draths?!' He spoke,
"Am I that easy to...to read?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2009 3:07 pm
"Hm? Yeah I used to be a marine before I became a pilot, but I have enough stories for today. It is somebody elses turn," Fred said as he sat back in his seat, "Sounds like Killy's got a story, though."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
