tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87701614113212040092024-03-08T19:07:47.070-08:00IntercosmicDarrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-60950327613127424232023-06-07T13:00:00.001-07:002023-06-07T13:00:00.146-07:001.66 - New Tactics<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwst5pPih_8j8tljefVjYWKyRNXwexPM4u8Gad3fBEoxV42LQp7pTEd662xh2WRvByNDIFBcOYeZXwrjlHpnHSnyUHYnXp7TpktPIlEg1fgk8xMIy_JahpPgiRLy3gbysQCEJJXsHsAXOmmQ8ykdQ7ciuxWmVhsqtMl-ot16cyUwz77NocWka45s/s826/Tactics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwst5pPih_8j8tljefVjYWKyRNXwexPM4u8Gad3fBEoxV42LQp7pTEd662xh2WRvByNDIFBcOYeZXwrjlHpnHSnyUHYnXp7TpktPIlEg1fgk8xMIy_JahpPgiRLy3gbysQCEJJXsHsAXOmmQ8ykdQ7ciuxWmVhsqtMl-ot16cyUwz77NocWka45s/s16000/Tactics.jpg" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">It took six
hours for us to finish cleaning Tawa’s apartment. Enyolo didn’t come, Velphi
was rather heavy handed and Nastas complained the entire time. Still, the
apartment is clean. Everyone has headed back to the ship or hotel
accommodations they secured on Tortuga except the lucky few of us remaining for
a planning session. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“So, who’s
the boss,” Edan asks as he sips from a glass of water.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Tawa
swallows a bite of the cold and spicy noodle dish he served us. “A woman named
Yana is the leader of their group. She’s done a brief stint in prison and is
fond of neon tattoos so she’s really easy to spot when it’s dark.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I don’t
see what her fashions sense has to do with the plan,” Nastas interrupts, still irritated.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Oh, I
can,” Nastas fumbles over his words, clearly uncomfortable.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Let him
finish. I’m sure he had more to tell us than just what she likes to wear,” I
give him a nod.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Yeah, it’s
not as if you can be long winded,” Edan stares down Nastas.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Thank
you,” Tawa regathers his composure. “Yana has recently taken control of the
group. Previously they primarily worked in smuggling drugs and people. Since she’s
taken control, they’ve began a life of true piracy. Attacking ships and deals
seemingly at random. They don’t have a preferred broker of jobs; so, word of
mouth, hacked emails, stolen ship manifestos and anything else they can get
their hands on is how they choose jobs. But, it looks like she’s been planning
something big, as they’ve taken control of a large warehouse where they’ve been
storing goods.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Tawa gives
the command and a projector shines down on the tabled displaying an exterior
view of the warehouse. He swipes through cameras that he had taken control of,
giving us a view of the layout and items inside. He’s strange, Edan didn’t lie
about that. He also wasn’t lying when he said Tawa does good work. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“This is
too much of a risk. There are no less than twenty people inside of that
warehouse,” Nastas crosses his arms. “I propose we cut our losses now. The
client will be disappointed but it will not hurt our reputation as a crew. He
was aware of the risks involved when he chose to work with the kidnapers
instead of the authorities.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“We’re just
going to let Phil lose his job and his son because it might be dangerous,” I
ask Nastas.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Who is
Phil,” He asks both confused and enraged.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“The
client,” Edan chimes in.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You are a
guest on The Pariah,” Nastas raises his voice, “you have no say in how we
conduct our business or dealings. It would behoove you to remember your place,”
Nastas drops the long winded persona as he speaks to me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You’ve got
a place for me? Put me in it. But, you’re going to have to do more than
talking.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Are you
asking me for a fight?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I didn’t
ask you for anything. I never will. But if it’s a fight you want, I’m sure we
could arrange something.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Edan places
a hand on my shoulder to calm me before speaking to Nastas. “I understand you
have your reservations. We don’t deal with drug dealers and human smugglers
because they’re dangerous. More dangerous than what we usually do. I’m not
going to ask you to participate in the raid, because there will be a raid. I’m
only going to ask you to fence the goods,” Nastas is fuming but doesn’t respond
to Edan. “Oh, one more thing. At the end of the day, this is my ship, my crew
and you may be the first mate, but Efrem is my brother. It doesn’t matter if
you think he oversteps his boundaries or doesn’t talk to you nicely. If you
have a problem with him, then you have a problem with me. If you have concerns,
voice them. Now, or forever hold your peace.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I’ve never
seen Edan like this before. It’s almost as if he really is the captain of a
ship, not just someone flying through the skies and pretending to be a smuggler
or pirate for fun. I’m glad he defended me even if I didn’t need it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I will not
partake in the raid and I shall voice my concerns to you privately, not in
front outsiders,” Nastas speaks to Edan before standing. “Tawa, I apologize if
I have offended you or your home. I shall leave now. Farewell.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Tawa makes
a strange sound somewhere between a grunt and sigh as he gives Nastas a strange
wave goodbye. “I don’t read social situations well, but even I can tell that
didn’t seem good. Do you two need a moment?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“No,” Edan
laughs and takes another sip of his water.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You sure,
because that was tense,” Tawa asks.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“We’re
good,” I chime in.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Do you
have a plan,” Tawa asks moving along. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I got
nothing, it’ll probably end in a full blown fight, which I don’t do. I also
don’t do killing,” Edan shrugs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I’m sure
we can get some non-lethal rounds from somewhere. It’ll be easy if we can get
one or two people inside. Then we bottle neck them out the front door and pick
them off from there. The easiest way to do that would have two people
infiltrate, and kick start some shock and awe. Smoke, loud bangs and flashes.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“This is
some real military dog behavior,” Edan laughs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Tawa hesitantly
laughs along with Edan, still unsure of the mood. The situation is a lot less
tense as we go over the finer details of the plan. We’re hoping to run it with
just Edan, Enyolo, Velphi and myself at the warehouse while Tawa hacks their
electronics from his home. Tawa seems really eager to participate after meeting
the rest of the crew for the first time. I don’t think he was joking when he
said he rarely has any visitors. I’m glad we can help him feel better, but I’m
concerned about Nastas. I got the feeling he didn’t like me when we first met,
but he’s really making it known. I don’t care if he doesn’t like me, he isn’t
the first. My concern is that he may do something to Edan or something that
puts him in danger.</span></span></p><p></p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-63252019011282666102023-03-15T09:00:00.014-07:002023-03-15T09:00:00.169-07:001.65 - Tawa the Techie <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsX_MdUdE5UKWr31m3J5loA-5Jf9e5RYWUvaL1pbxqUobSdlkzOxxGJNmNNOEjWX0iYKxDZ9IbhmfmpEU0zZBeGCiKFInBmCKWKgLN8L8t_oGFExn8DSD4jzbhAKC0KF2UY2PDlzZYu55foc5_HAMa9rlCrJ6kDS696tGeIg791LhWko4CmzbcKM/s826/techie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsX_MdUdE5UKWr31m3J5loA-5Jf9e5RYWUvaL1pbxqUobSdlkzOxxGJNmNNOEjWX0iYKxDZ9IbhmfmpEU0zZBeGCiKFInBmCKWKgLN8L8t_oGFExn8DSD4jzbhAKC0KF2UY2PDlzZYu55foc5_HAMa9rlCrJ6kDS696tGeIg791LhWko4CmzbcKM/s16000/techie.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal">Edan, Nastas and I stop walking as the two stare blankly at
what seems to be a regular apartment door. It looks like every other door in
this complex but the two look to be gathering themselves for some great test of
courage. From what they’ve told me we’re going to see a man named Tawa that’s
nothing short of unique, but they weren’t too clear about what made him unique.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I can’t do it,” Edan says as I move to buzz the intercom.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s not that bad, we’ll be in and out. Please, do not
leave me alone. The ramifications can be astronomical,” Nastas begins.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Will someone tell me what’s going on,” I cut off their
bickering. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Tawa, is a very nice person with some special traits,” Edan
starts. He suddenly slams his hand on the intercom button and takes off running
before shouting, “good luck.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Come on in, I was expecting you,” a pleasant voice comes
from the speaker. “Edan said he had an errand to run but you would be stopping
by.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Bastard,” Nastas mumbles as the door slides open.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first thing that hits me is the smell. The smell is
worse than anything I’ve ever smelled and I've smelled rotting corpses in a
mass grave before. That was disgusting, a scent that never truly leaves your
nostrils, but this smell actively attempts to strangle me. Nastas seems laser
focused stepping in. I follow, choking down vomit, because I need to know
what’s going on here.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Welcome Nastas, I see you brought a new friend,” a voice
speaks to us seemingly from nowhere and everywhere at once.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Edan’s brother Efrem,” Nastas keeps the sentences short for
once.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Hello Edan’s brother Efrem,” the voice giggles.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Hello,” I respond, tasting the stale air as I speak.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I take a few steps and glance around as they exchange pleasantries
and catch up. There’s nobody here as far as I can tell. There are plenty of
speakers out in the open that bring the voice to us. I start to pick up on
several cameras in the apartment as well; likely giving the person behind the
voice a live feed of us. I wave one of the less hidden cameras, letting them
know I’m watching too.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Tawa right,” I ask during a pause in the conversation.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes, I’m Tawa.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Are you actually here in the apartment?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I knew you would ask,” the voice giggles, “I’m in the bathroom,
you can peek at me if you like,” it’s suddenly clear to me the voice is
attempting to mimic a teenaged girl. With that sentence it’s became very unsettling.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I make my way toward the bathroom door, wishing I had a side
arm before Nastas grabs my elbow, “It is not for the faint of heart.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Well that’s not me,” I push open the door.<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Inside the stench of dried blood takes on the smell of
filth. Old blood has dried and stained the floors and walls of the bathroom.
The room’s temperature is a massive shock, as if walking from Hell into a
freezer. The centerpiece is a naked Meteorian man soaking in a bathtub of
partially frozen water. His eyes are rolled into the back of his head
displaying just the black area that would surround the pupils. More disturbing
is the number of tubes going into his body, each extending from different parts
of the wall. Blood surrounds and leaks from what look to be homemade ports for
the tubes to enter. He’s a netrunner but the tech is old, risky and honestly a
surprise to still work. Netrunners almost live on the internet, searching at a
pace that our brains can’t normally comprehend. Most people do it now with a
helmet that links up to an input at the base of their skull. He’s at least
fifty years past due for an upgrade. It’s not the first time I’ve seen a
netrunner use old equipment, but it’s the first time I’ve seen it in a place
that wasn’t in the midst of war.<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“He’s a netrunner,” Nastas says closing the door of the
bathroom behind him.<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Noticed, but the tech is old. I don’t see why he wouldn’t
get new gear, go mobile.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s all he had when they reached Tortuga. This was cutting
edge when he first got here,” the scent isn’t bad in here so Nastas is back to
normal. “Our people fled with what they could. While things have progressed
much further and there are all kinds of new fancy skills we Meteorians don’t quickly
throw out the old. There are still uses for old things and often the old is
just as reliable if not more reliable than the new. Cherish the youth, or new
technology in this situation, but trust the old. Take guns for instance. There
are guns that fire lasers, hypersonic bursts, use water to pierce, acid and so
on. But, the most popular all use bullets. Why? Because it works, always has,
always will.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I can hear you, I’m right here,” the voice comes through
the speakers still. “Well said Nastas. I always enjoyed the way you speak.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m sorry if I offended you,” I quickly apologize.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s no problem, you are unaware of our customs or history.
As long as you are willing to learn and treat them with care, questions are
always welcome.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Thank you.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“No, thank you. I don’t have many visitors and you are the
most interesting.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nastas coughs, “can we get to the business at hand? Time is
of the essence.” <span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I have the information. I’ll require 166,000 credits,” the
voice gleefully answers.<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“What,” Nastas asks almost in shock “That’s more than we are
being paid for the job.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Information is not cheap.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I get that. I understand more than many men or women would in
this situation. However, the price your are requesting boarders on extortion.
This is crazy.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“It was a lot of work to track this down. Staiv’al do not
have any real organization, especially criminals.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“But this is more than twice the usual price.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“This was more work. This is the friend price. You and your
comrades are the only people who come in person. I owe you greatly, which is
why you get the discount.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Tawa, I cannot accept these terms.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“What if we make a deal,” I interrupt.<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“You have no authorization to make a deal on behalf me or
The Pariah Crew,” Nastas interrupts.<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Shut up and let the man speak,” Tawa interrupts him.<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“How about you provide us with the information for 42,000
credits,” I offer.<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“That is a very steep discount. What do I get in return?”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We’ll clean your apartment; the crew will visit once a
month and hang out with you.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Do you think I’m lonely,” Tawa asks.<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I didn’t word it that way, but I think so.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Why?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Netrunners tend to be lonely. They get used to their minds
moving faster than everyone else’s or they start to think of the world in code.
You fill your apartment with junk, looks like you only eat takeout. You had the
information we requested but still prefer to leave your body in a coma as you
talk with us through cameras. I think you’re lonely; we’re all fundamentally
lonely but you may have agoraphobia or some anxiety as well.”<span class="normaltextrun"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“50,000, two visits a month and you have to come.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I don’t live in this sector of space but I’ll make the trip
once a year and I’ll give you my contact information so we can exchange
messages regularly.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“You drive a very hard bargain,” Tawa pauses for a moment.
“Deal.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Nastas, get the crew together, and tell them bring cleaning
supplies.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“You’re worse than your brother, this is no way to do
business,” Nastas mumbles as he leaves the bathroom.<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“In my line of work, we call it favor for a favor,” I laugh.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“You’re not going to follow him,” Tawa asks.<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“No, I thought we could chat, get to know each other while
we wait on the others. You going to hop offline and join us?”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m never offline with others, but I suppose I could join
you in person.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Thank you.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We chat for a while, and Tawa tells me about what shows and
movies are popular around here. Eventually Tawa goes silent for a long time,
slowly the hum of machines in the bathroom begin to go quiet before coming to a
complete silence. There’s a massive deep breath and Tawa sits up in the bathtub
spilling water, ice and blood on the floor as he quickly removes the various
tubes and wires from himself before climbing out the bathtub, stopping on all
four as he regains his breathing. I help him up from the ground, he wraps an
arm around my shoulder and leans on me.<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“That was, a lot,” is all I can say after witnessing it.<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“It helps to have someone get me off the ground, otherwise I
might be there for half an hour as my body readjusts.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“How about I help you get some clothes on before the others
come?”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tawa glances down, “I guess I should put some clothes on.
Guests probably don’t like to be greeted naked.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Sometimes they do,” I laugh as I help him out of the
bathroom and into the stench that will hopefully be gone soon.</p></div>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-19103314750912418252023-01-18T14:30:00.001-08:002023-01-18T14:30:00.177-08:00Black Friday #1 - Arthur Ashe<p>I've been working another project which is why chapters have been delayed, sorry. I'll be back on point next week. For now, enjoy what I've been working on.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_u0EgtyvaRI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Do you know who Arthur Ashe is? Do you know how Magic Johnson changed his life? What about how he helped to change South Africa? Don't worry, we got you.</div><div><br /></div><div>Subscribe to Black Friday to learn more about Black history, past and present.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/_u0EgtyvaRI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs8R5dONxuiFB_qj7kN4Af81rxjiW1nS6WJhfXYvHOjnsaqBaURv8W_bV1A4Pqsa__ShRzjH8tX3parA7RRhYHs7BWxD9OKSM9QOuULyFM3OdzdRQ31DOpZJ8k6HeExa1ZS4-uGalgnIvoYD59DNpx4869WTjQEk6lIKtSUUrO07zcbJuRolK86No/w640-h360/Thumbnail.png" width="640" /></a></div>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-59112484325053987682022-12-21T21:38:00.002-08:002022-12-21T21:38:58.237-08:001.64 - The Hangover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0I9Htqq7mrv7cM72euF3eM1Kp_TVicPk90V2Y61MpZekLADIBuve_V4K9kLB8rvaobvDbRP8kysfZZ91KVIYS-w_E0Hw7IlCr55LsjC6hiBzIEgVMjdt90UpbEcOWQ8p7gmGnAZXkUgn42ZL04gj9At_Z0Kw8a0uadnLvY2QsFGxkT4UdchJFlbs/s826/hangoer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0I9Htqq7mrv7cM72euF3eM1Kp_TVicPk90V2Y61MpZekLADIBuve_V4K9kLB8rvaobvDbRP8kysfZZ91KVIYS-w_E0Hw7IlCr55LsjC6hiBzIEgVMjdt90UpbEcOWQ8p7gmGnAZXkUgn42ZL04gj9At_Z0Kw8a0uadnLvY2QsFGxkT4UdchJFlbs/s16000/hangoer.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal">I wash down a bite of my omelet with a sip of orange juice.
The flavor is great, and washes away the dryness of the omelet. Edan seems
pained with every bite of food or sip of his drink. Still, he’s doing a lot
better than last night. I couldn’t carry him any further and used a coatrack to
take him to the hotel room. At least now he can eat properly, even if the
hangover is taking a toll on him. At least the café we stopped at to have
breakfast is quiet. Tortuga amazes me; this place seems like an endless metal
monstrosity, yet there’s always these beautiful spots to feel like you’re on
the most amazing planet. A small café with a forest motif, complete with grass
carpets and wooden tables made to look like logs.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Hey, you need to take better care of yourself, I won’t
always be around to take care of you,” I sound like Mom lecturing Dad.<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Yeah, I know. It’s just nice that you are right now,” he
shifts in his seat to avoid the artificial sun shining through the fake
windows.<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Well don’t overdo it. I know we haven’t been in contact for
a long time, but we’re not going to lose touch anymore,” I shift my seat to
block the light from his eyes.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Thanks.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“No problem,” I take another bite while he struggles through
a glass of coffee. “If I’m going to stick with you until this thing is over, I
need to know everything. Let’s start with who, attacked us last night. You said
Straiv’al. I’ve done my research but I need to know if they were enemies or
just a set up.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Just a random hit by a flock. I don’t deal with Straiv’al,”
he pauses, “don’t think I’m racist or anything. It’s just they tend to stab
everyone in the back and rob deals, even their own. As you can see they had no
problem going at both sides of our little deal.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Unaffiliated guerillas focusing on wealth not political
means. Probably think they’re untraceable. Alright. Next question, what was the
deal? You all kept your lips sealed but I need to know.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“You putting together some army plan because I really can’t
follow right now. Mentally, I’m just not there yet.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Eat your food and drink more. Hangovers can be prevented
with proper hydration. It’s funny I have to treat you like one of my soldiers.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Whatever,” Edan rolls his eyes, but takes a drink of water
this time.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Alright, the deal. Break it down.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We were hired by a client, I’ll call him Phil. Phil’s son
was taken. Phil works at a company that has some really groundbreaking tech. He
stole it, and gave it to us. We were making a trade for the cash. We’d give the
cash to Phil, he’d pay the ransom for his son.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I struggle to project a display on my wrist comp that I can
write on. Edan shakes his head and continues to eat as I lay out my board with
the information that we’ve got. I don’t make any connections or try to figure
out plots between nations. This is just some criminal stuff, and I’m out of my
element. I’ll need his help filling in the gaps.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We’ve got three goals. Number one, we get back the tech
that was stolen. No need for Phil to lose his job. Number two, we get back the
cash that was taken so we can pay the ransom. Number three, we go get Phil’s
son ourselves.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Do I have any say in this? I smuggle stuff, broker deals
and steal the occasional item. But, I’m not big on the whole kick in the door
save the day thing.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“No, you don’t get a say in this. But, since you’re the
captain, I’ll let you present it all as your idea.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Fine, what’s the first step?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We need to collect some information on who hit us.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“How do you suppose we do that?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“You telling me you don’t know any information brokers,
fixers, or anything like that?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I know plenty, but I only know one guy around here,” Edan
seems disgusted at the thought.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Sounds like you don’t want to call him.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I don’t.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Call him anyway.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I’ll call Nastas and he can call.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Edan makes the call while I finish my breakfast. He doesn’t
want to eat more, but I make him. It’s the same with drunken soldiers. Make
them eat, drink water and give it an hour they’ll be through it. Nastas arrives
looking more damaged than Edan. He’s wearing a large curved hat to keep the
light from his eyes. The usual neat robe he wears has been replaced with knee
high boots, green shorts and a yellow tank top displaying a combination of
muscle as well as the stone like structure of Meteorian skin.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“What is so urgent that you felt the need to contact me at a
time like this,” Nastas starts one of his long speeches again.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Nope, got a hangover. Not doing this. We need to go see
Tawa.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Tawa,” Nastas asks.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Yeah, Tawa,” Edan places a hand on his shoulder.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Shit,” Nastas rolls his eyes.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“That’s it? That’s all you have to say,” I ask causing Edan
to burst into laughter before the pain of his hangover calms him down.</p></div>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-30941472220036439222022-11-02T19:53:00.002-07:002022-11-02T19:53:38.898-07:001.63 - Still Kids<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HjfAvJRzKYv1vbr0yqjbDwKf0I_Vn3f4PuQmBnLLEMbEqI3xlet-OiE4sY-jyOPB7rQMEUO0hThUCx2oyf2EtmiyLl0TJDg5QmvnAQgI_UIG0WsOcDceDQ0SbKXFHAqNYAcyHYj7M-zo01ion6jeDKXFBy22d3TkrD5coks0zjEzCrq1zcof-vU/s826/63.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HjfAvJRzKYv1vbr0yqjbDwKf0I_Vn3f4PuQmBnLLEMbEqI3xlet-OiE4sY-jyOPB7rQMEUO0hThUCx2oyf2EtmiyLl0TJDg5QmvnAQgI_UIG0WsOcDceDQ0SbKXFHAqNYAcyHYj7M-zo01ion6jeDKXFBy22d3TkrD5coks0zjEzCrq1zcof-vU/s16000/63.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Everyone has been quiet since our grand escape; just went
their separate ways on Tortuga. Edan assured me everything is fine, this is
just how they regroup. I ended up heading to a nightclub with him. He knows it
isn’t my style, but he promised it’s a place where the drinks aren’t watered
down. A green light covers the club providing some darker corners for things I
probably don’t want to see. I keep my eyes straight forward as we make our way
to the bar, avoiding eye contact and any attention it might bring. Hitting a
the club after an ambush attack doesn’t seem like the smartest idea but I didn’t
want Edan left alone.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As the bartender pours another round of drinks for us, I’m
starting to wonder if Edan inherited dad’s alcoholism and is just trying to
share it with me. He seems to think drinking is the solution to every problem.
I can’t say I’m any better, I have my own issues. Despite all my protesting, I
was excited when the flames went up at the docks. I should have been suffering
from PTSD or something but the sound of my heart beating so fast filled my ears
and it was all I could think about as I was filled with energy. Drug dealers,
gang members, splicers nor anything else has been able to give me the same
rush. The idea that an enemy’s only goal is to kill you, while you’re willing
to do anything to escape is an arousing thought. I don’t know if it’s my
childhood or the mentality drilled into me after years of service that makes it
so appealing. It’s wrong, and I know it’s wrong but there’s no other high like
it for me. I’m an addict. I got addicted to the high of going home and telling
stories of war. I’m addicted to the satisfaction I get when I survive a
situation I shouldn’t have. I’m addicted to the do or die feeling.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“If you’re going to be on my team, you need to accept that
we take risks but lives are more important than any property,” Edan is already
slurring his speech as interrupts my thoughts.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I don’t have a problem with that. I was thinking about
civilians. Hearing that you value your life is reassuring.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Not you, Nastas. I should have backed you. Someone could have
gotten hurt. He swears he knows everything but he’s been to jail more than I
have so what does he know,” Edan calls for another drink.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Are you drunk already,” I quickly finish my drink, it
stings my throat and leaves a bitter taste as I try to keep up with Edan.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“No, I took a little something extra,” he gives me an
exaggerated wink.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Drinking wasn’t enough?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Couldn’t numb the pain fast enough. Don’t worry rookie, I’m
a professional. Don’t let this afternoon shake you up. On this crew, you’ll see
all kinds of things.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m not on your crew.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“You were on my mission, sleeping on my ship, wearing my
armor, firing my gun. You’re on my crew.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“You abducted me,” I don’t even know why I’m having this
conversation again. “We can finish this when your extras wear off.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“You know why I abducted you,” Edan struggles to stand from
the bar. He gingerly makes his way to an empty booth without finishing his
sentence as he stretches across the couch.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Yeah, because I can’t lay low. I got it,” I take a seat
across from him.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Edan doesn’t answer me right away. I’m stuck listening to
the music, it’s rhythmic, almost similar to club music in Sol but there’s
something more mechanical below the surface. Almost as if someone decided to
dance to the ambiance of machines.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“You think I want to cremate another brother,” Edan asks me
as he stares at the ceiling from his back.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I don’t get the chance to answer his question before he
passes out. He knows the answer. Both of us chose dangerous lifestyles, but
we’d never want to lose the other. Even when we weren’t speaking for a long time,
we still had love. I checked for him in the news constantly, tracked his
bounties. I knew every planet and station he crossed in Sol. He sent someone
take pictures of me as I graduated. We care, we don’t want to lose one another.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I lift up his limp body, like when were kids and he’d get
too tired at the playground. As if by instinct he wraps his arms around my neck
and legs around my chest as I piggyback him out of the club. I didn’t even get
drunk and he’s high enough to fly to the moon right now. I settle on a quiet
little restaurant when I can’t carry him further and order what seems to be
edible. I get him to wake up and eat something when the food finally arrives.
Some kind of synthetic protein grown on the station mixed with potatoes,
peppers and other vegetables. Easy move, protein, potatoes, and more vegetables
will always produce an edible if not good meal. I force feed Edan a few bites
before tending to myself. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Like I was saying, if you’re going to be on my team you
need to get used to the unexpected,” he doesn’t even realize where he’s at or
what was going on.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m on your team, until we get this straightened out. We’ll
talk tomorrow, for now, eat your food.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Thanks,” he smiles and slowly eats in a grinding fashion.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“For the record, I don’t want to burry you either. That’s
why you need to your shit in order.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m not like this always,” Edan seems satisfied after
remembering how to swallow his food. “But, I know you’ll take care of me, so I
can let loose.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I won’t always be around to take care of you.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I know, but I want to enjoy it while you’re here.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Almost as if on cue he passes out again. It’s going to be
hell trying to get him back to the ship, because I don’t know where the ship
is. I don’t even have contact information for the rest of his crew. Trying to
use his wrist comp is no good because he keeps a lock on there. I guess we’re
getting a hotel for the night.</p><p></p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-63316743772674848802022-08-31T21:08:00.002-07:002022-10-31T18:28:34.501-07:001.62 - Language of Pain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YUdWQXK7QxE-qKTrY06G6RsYPxxe2pYybii3kLaTTmlBH0nEPDQfdeF85KMA5qE3LoVEXcTHSAyfdq2-b94PN0GqJ2Nfsjv8exwdrePHkhN1OFq6gEIlsdazgpCunWWNdY8AP_BEO9gP_IQ_PgP0fuSgNUsMEph9qXva2L1lfqCZ56yZC1Lhebw/s826/62.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YUdWQXK7QxE-qKTrY06G6RsYPxxe2pYybii3kLaTTmlBH0nEPDQfdeF85KMA5qE3LoVEXcTHSAyfdq2-b94PN0GqJ2Nfsjv8exwdrePHkhN1OFq6gEIlsdazgpCunWWNdY8AP_BEO9gP_IQ_PgP0fuSgNUsMEph9qXva2L1lfqCZ56yZC1Lhebw/s16000/62.jpg" /></a></div><p>I’ve taken up position on top of a shipping container;
there’s hardly any wind resistance and light won’t be an issue for my scope.
The bigger issues are the massive size of the docks and this old rifle I was
given to cover them. It took a minute for me to even get eyes on them down
there. Edan and Nastas are carrying a red box and making small talk over the
radio. Still, this rifle is, odd if nothing else. It’s not a human or Ghuk
build, probably Revrell. The bigger issue is how terrible it is. I’m fine with
nonlethal rounds, but you can only fire five shots before reloading. Each
magazine is a different type of ammunition but doesn’t specify which. Edan
assures the one I have loaded as an electric charge. It could also be some kind
of gas, or a net. A net fired from a sniper's perch is the stupidest thing I’ve
ever heard of. It’s no wonder Revrell are terrible at warfare. Instead of
innovating the basics, they’re trying to do something new. I wish I knew who
came up with this idea because they should be publicly shamed. I hope Enyolo is
having better luck on the ground. She’s supposed to be tailing the people with
the money to make sure they don’t try anything.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Efrem and Nastas come to an opening where they’re face to
face with two more Meterorians. The others are carrying a briefcase, cliché.
Probably old bills, just as good as credits but it’ll take a long time to
convert them without raising any red flags. There doesn’t seem to be any actual
worry and they almost seem friendly considering the tradeoff. Things get tense
when we all seem to spot Enyolo sprinting across a set of shipping containers.
I struggle to keep the sights of the scope on her. Almost effortlessly she
leaps from the stack of containers into the air colliding with some kind of
large...blueish colored man, with a beak. I’m so confused here. The two quickly
slam to the ground in what I can only imagine is a thud before Enyolo quickly
rises.<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I don’t have time to process what’s going on before another
of the blue people rushes in and stabs the Meteorian carrying the briefcase.
Soon the meeting is overrun with them and it’s clear they aren’t friends.
They’re odd to look at, almost human, but large beak like shells that cover
most of their faces, extremely long limbs, red markings across their bodies and
some kind of tentacle or hair jutting from the back of their skulls. If I was
down there I can get a better view, but I’m here and there’s only one thing I
can do. I line up a shot on one of them approaching Edan from behind and fire.
An electric round quickly causes it to drop and convulse on the ground. Enyolo
engages one in a fist fight, she’s easily winning until an arrow pierces her
shoulder. I didn’t know archers were still a thing. I spot the culprit on a
shipping container slightly lower than mine across the docks. My next shot
quickly drops him. I switch back to the mayhem and the second of the Meteorians
is down. Another quick shot, this time on one of the creatures approaching
Nastas. Two shots left before I reload, need to prioritize. I watch as Edan
quickly dispatches one of the creatures through some kind of martial arts I
don’t recognize. I spot another bowman and take him out. Before I can take my
last shot a cloud of smoke appears at Nastas’ feet covering the area. There’re
still enemies around but I need to get down there. I’m not about to lose
another brother.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The cloaking tech on this armor mixed with the chaos of the
smoke makes for great cover. I follow the tracker signal of the others to meet
up with them. Along the way I can hear what sounds like predator birds
screeching while gurgling water as my translator tries to decipher the
language. I take the opportunity to clothesline one of the creatures who
couldn’t spot me. Up close their flesh is slimy, as if covered in some kind of mucus.
I dodge two others, as more approach. It almost seems like they’ve got an
endless number of them on the docks.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Open the door, it’s Efrem,” I reach a shipping container
they’re all hiding in.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Glad you found us,” Nastas begins before Edan cuts him off.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Nice shooting, really glad we brought you,” Edan says.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes, I am grateful,” Enyolo says picking at the raw and
bloody wound from the arrow.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We should get that checked out,” I say as she sticks her
finger in to measure the depth.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“This is nothing, I can pull spikes from my flesh. I am
simply checking for any blood clots or barbs,” Enyolo responds calmly, wiping
blood from her hand onto her shirt.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Who are those guys,” I ask.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Staiv’al,” Edan sighs.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Who?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Think Ponarians but instead of insects, they look like a
combination of dinosaurs and squids.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I was thinking slimy flightless birds.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Dinosaurs were birds.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Not all of them.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Silence,” Enyolo interrupts Efrem and I. “What is the
plan.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“They hate fire, we set a fire,” Nastas finally speaks up.
“It’s the reason they have such a hate for us as Meteorians. Legend has it they
once ruled the skies until we burned their wings away.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Please save the story for later, the smoke won’t last, and
is fire a good option? We don’t know if any of this stuff out here is explosive,”
I argue.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s stuff, not people. We chose a dock that’s not in
service today,” Edan responds.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I try to argue about the damages and how we can probably
wait them out or lure them into a trap fighting one at a time. My concerns seem
to be falling on deaf ears as Nastas produces several small objects from
beneath his robe. Even if I’ve never seen any like these before, I’ve seen enough
grenades to recognize them. One a bright red color, the other two a dirty
yellow.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“On three,” Edan suggests.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Three,” Enyolo agrees.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We don’t really need to do it this way,” I argue.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“One,” Nastas starts the count.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Seriously, a lot of damage could be done,” I argue.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Two,” Enyolo actually smirks at me.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“You want to be a swashbuckling space pirate, act like it,”
Edan laughs before shouting “three!”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Enyolo kicks open the door to the container, alerting our
enemies of our location. The screeching picks up immediately. My translator
sends me a notification that it can’t identify the language. Nastas tosses the
two yellow grenades high into the air between us and the Staiv’al. The two grenades
smash into each other raining down liquid. It confused them for a moment,
before he tosses the red. It smashes to the ground flinging sparks in every
direction. The drops of liquid immediately catch fire when coming into contact
with the sparks. A wall of fire separates us from our pursuers as we escape
with our lives and nothing else. Even without understanding the language I’m
sure they’re shouting in pain as their flesh is burned away. Pain is universal,
and shouts of the pain sound the same in every language.<o:p></o:p></p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-58677267107634474142022-08-17T22:14:00.004-07:002022-10-31T18:27:12.786-07:001.61 - Welcome to Tortuga<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebW7sMuBkzioG6ugktWxx8EmUuUc4MmLESu7FoerCakxZNQxN_D6gcBPtBp60a56DapIWm92_25ID-RdLicrBwbI2MQ6fftYxwBhRbpW66LhPttssZccBYunHXX3ldbX3iN_ZXtwbFzGyFd887iZ2glq6nnHP9zjWxdb-j3Djng09Nllp-etQD94/s826/61.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebW7sMuBkzioG6ugktWxx8EmUuUc4MmLESu7FoerCakxZNQxN_D6gcBPtBp60a56DapIWm92_25ID-RdLicrBwbI2MQ6fftYxwBhRbpW66LhPttssZccBYunHXX3ldbX3iN_ZXtwbFzGyFd887iZ2glq6nnHP9zjWxdb-j3Djng09Nllp-etQD94/w640-h184/61.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Space stations, you either love them or hate them. A lot of
people live their entire lives on them. Some of the stations I’ve been on house
over a million people. They’re complete with their own interior ecosystems,
grass, trees and everything else that make them seem like real planets. We’re
supposed to be doing this deal on Tortuga Station. I’m told it boarders the
space between The Draconian Empire and Revrell Republic so it gets a fair
number of visitors for both and is a neutral ground for many unsavory deals.
You’ve seen one space station; you’ve seen them all. That’s how I felt until I
got a glimpse of Tortuga as we approached for docking. The station is a massive
sphere, bigger than any station I’ve ever seen before. A large ring encircles
it and jutting from the ring are eight more giant spheres. The entire structure
is probably larger than some planets I’ve been on. It’s certainly larger than
moons like Enceladus, yet everyone else seems to think of this as typical as we
make our approach.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“That thing is huge,” I speak up.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Yes, it most certainly is. It has a very interesting
history as well,” Nastas speaks up. “Originally it was built by The Revrell as
a modern marvel, a testament to what their scientific advancements could do.
However, it was overrun by several species attempting to escape Revrell Rule.
I’m told the battles breaking out across the station were extremely bloody, and
eventually culminated in all of The Revrell being executed or expelled from the
ship depending on what their supposed crimes were. Stop me if I’m boring you.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“You’re boring me,” Edan spins around to inform Nastas.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I like history, so I’d appreciate hearing more.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Thank you Efrem,” Nastas smiled.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Losers,” Edan says with a sigh before continuing to spin in
the copilot chair.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Well, the station could not remain in Revrell space, so it
was moved to Draconian space over several decades. However, species fleeing
Draconian control attempted to take control of the station as well. Once again,
bloody battles took place. However, when the two sides spoke, they realized
they were both struggling through the same torment. Those escaping The Revrell
had been under the impression that every species in The Draconian Empire
pledged absolute loyalty. Eventually they settled the station here. A place
where Draconians nor Revrell would peruse. While the station was built for
show, and much of it was empty over time the population has crept to twenty
million and every portion seems to serve a purpose. It is the place I call
home. My people, The Meteorians were one of the keys to escaping The Draconian
Empire. We had attempted to settle many planets but none of them were suitable.
The station truly was a blessing,” Nastas speaks lovingly. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We’ve got permission to dock,” Janet loudly interrupts him.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I love to discuss history but Nastas alters his speech
pattern so there’s never a way to interrupt him. It’s almost as if he wants to
constantly keep you off balance. There’s never a natural way to jump into the
conversation. He implies you’re rude then you’re stuck for another five
minutes. I hate people like that. They’re always hiding something.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m curious about all the different kinds of ship docked
here than what he’s hiding at the moment. I exit the ship first, not because I
know where I’m going but because I’m excited. I’ve seen some nice docking bays
before but never one with waterfalls. I know the sky above is just a digital
image, but it’s incredibly detailed and lit well enough to appear as if I’m
actually below a shining sun. Waterfalls run down at various points, there’s
grass, actual grass growing inside not the artificial kind. There’s a massive
shipping bay here, but it’s also a park. I’ve been all over Sol and several
other systems but I’ve never seen anything like this. I can’t help but wonder
if the rest of the station is as impressive.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Hey, let’s split up and meet later for the job. I’m going
to take my awestruck brother on a tour. It’s not every day I get to see him
actually amazed by something,” Edan jokes. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Crossing from the docks we reach the market, a massive
market. Tents and shops seeming stacked to the ceiling thousands of feet into
the air with everything you could ever want. I attempt to use my wrist comp to
get information about various species, and merchandise I’m witnessing but most
things return nothing. The information about different species is limited. I’m
sure I look like I’m some kind of obnoxious tourist.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We need to get you a new wrist comp,” Edan grabs my wrist.
“I’m glad you didn’t go with the implant, I didn’t either. But this thing is
old and outdated even by Sol standards. Let’s go check out some tech,” a smile
creeps over his face.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Who’s amazed now,” I joke.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is nothing like the market in Invicta. Everything here
is out in the open and seems to be legal; there’s no guilt for wanting to buy
things here. It’s the opposite, I have an urge to spend money and I don’t even
know what the currency is here. We bypass the carts and head into a small shop.
Inside is filled with small wooden toys and handmade crafts. Edan waves to the
shop keep who points us to an elevator. We ride for a few minutes before
exiting into another shop. The walls are lined with various models of tech, but
Edan pulls me to a wall lined with dozens of different wrist comps.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“None of these are human models and that’s fine. I’m running
the Imago firmware. It’s designed for humans who are regularly in rooms where
they’re the only human. It’ll do everything your current wrist comp does and
allow access to Draconian and Revrell tech and Nexus. Your translator will work
a little better, you’ll be able to keep up in conversations, and Now you won’t
have to look confused searching for information. I think this light weight
version will work well for you,” Edan points out a small black rectangle. “But
you’ll also need something heavy duty. This one can take one hell of a beating
and keep going but it is a little heavier. Well, do you have any that are
catching your eye?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“You know, you can give Nastas a run for his money if you’re
allowed to talk about tech.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m doing you a favor and you insult me like that,” Edan
feigns shock complete with a hand over his heart.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">In the end
we settle on something that’s an eighth of the size of my previous wrist comp,
but still rated for heavy duty. Edan says it’s a model used by the Sudalit
species. He promises I’ll love them when I finally meet some. Once he’s
finished installing the firmware, I’m going to look them up. As he sits at a
table tinkering with the new wrist comp I try a type of Meterorian snack. It’s
fried dough filled with something that I can only describe as a cross breed between
chocolate and strawberries. I don’t know what this is, but I know it’s delicious.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I got you
a gift, and lunch? You get more than some of my dates,” Edan passes me the
wrist comp.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“That’s why
you’re still single.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“What about
you? Who’s the Renan fellow you’ve been trading messages with? Seems like
there’s something there.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Why would
you read my messages?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Had to
keep myself busy while the system worked.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“He’s just
a friend.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Now?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Shut up.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You’re
fresh off a break up and you’ve already got eyes for Enyolo,” Edan laughs.
“You’re so greedy, still.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I don’t
have eyes for Enyolo. You need to stop saying that.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Why do you
not have eyes for me,” Enyolo asks. I hadn’t seen her arrive but judging by
Edan’s laughter, he did. “Am I not beautiful or is because I don’t allow my
loins to guide my behavior.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I can feel
all of my body heat rush to my head. “I think you’re beautiful, I just think
we’re on a mission and we should keep our eyes on the prize,” she just stares
at me. “Not that you aren’t a prize, I think you’d be a great prize. Not that I
think women are prizes to be won in competition. I’m sorry.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Women can
be won as prizes in some cultures.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Is yours one
of those,” I’m surprised by her response.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“No, but I
like that you think you can win me.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I wasn’t
saying I’d try to win you. You’re not an object.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You’re as
stupid as your brother,” Enyolo sighs and takes a seat next to me. I don’t even
say anything when she reaches over and takes a piece of my food.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Wow, you actually made her speak, and tell a joke,” Edan
laughs. “Sounds like love is in the air. Wait until Nastas and Janet hear about
this.”<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Do not persist on making me your entertainment. It could be
hazardous to your health,” Enyolo calmly implies a threat to Edan.<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I can’t let you kill my little brother,” I try to joke.<span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I understand, family is important to humans as well,” she
shrugs and continues to eat my lunch.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Wrist comp is done,” Edan holds it out. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It snaps to my left wrist and instantly begins a biometric
scan, getting a baseline of my vitals. I guide it through a few different basic
settings before it lands on the home screen. The location displays “Tortuga
Station,” so there’s already an improvement over my previous wrist comp.
Photos, music and notes to myself are all intact, but it’ll take some getting
used to.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Would you two like a tour? I don’t think either of you has
ever been here,” Edan asks while sending a message on his own wrist comp.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I don’t care,” Enyolo shrugs.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I’d like a tour.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A message pops up on my wrist comp, it’s from Edan. “You’re
on a road to nowhere with her,” an attached image is a picture of him with his
hands on his hips and a disapproving face. He gives me a smirk as I look at him
across the table.<o:p></o:p></p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-31343482758716846472022-08-10T23:50:00.002-07:002022-10-31T18:26:22.367-07:001.60 - A Notch Above<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQO6KviCeKrluoZTH_DiydY1WE-8wzzv2Y-_FN99JyzYxZVAD8azCVrasYd5kE1nBWN6uRCNVfLW6Z4m3DAGFKgsnkP0pxd0gVLoErBtjGbqX14xBs9m7si9sFvYDiEvCFBm7Q072ljQcQNeTm2wOwPkRkA0XhrPtkPhZwmpXqBbS70at9gTUnpco/s826/60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQO6KviCeKrluoZTH_DiydY1WE-8wzzv2Y-_FN99JyzYxZVAD8azCVrasYd5kE1nBWN6uRCNVfLW6Z4m3DAGFKgsnkP0pxd0gVLoErBtjGbqX14xBs9m7si9sFvYDiEvCFBm7Q072ljQcQNeTm2wOwPkRkA0XhrPtkPhZwmpXqBbS70at9gTUnpco/s16000/60.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The couch
isn’t bad for a ship, I’ve had worse. I stand and stretch, trying to wake up
fully, “You’re a rough sleeper,” Edan doesn’t give me a chance to forget we’ve
been sharing a room for three days.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Morning.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Brush your
teeth, your breath stinks in the morning,” Edan jokes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You know,
I really hate that you’re a morning person.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Nah, you
love everything about me. After that first day, you stopped complaining. You’re
enjoying this. I can see it in your eyes. You look grumpy, but the eyes tell it
all,” Edan smiles.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">After more
brotherly banter and a quick breakfast Edan leads me to their small armory
closet. He made it sound like a large section of the ship but it’s just a
corner of the shipping bay. I understand, I’m used to military ships, large
armories and small amounts of cargo. I guess it would be the opposite when
you’re smuggling goods between systems all across the galaxy. It’s not a lot, a
few different models of gun that I don’t recognize. No explosives, at least none
that I can recognize. Guns are easy to spot no matter what species they come
from. Barrell at the end, bullet, laser, shrapnel or whatever comes out,
trigger on the other end. Explosives, not always as easy to spot. Could be
solid, liquid, a foam or even a gas. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Lot of
guns, no explosives,” I start to poke around the corner.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Well, we
can’t get everything and I prefer to keep it nonlethal. You can shoot someone
and make sure they don’t die. It’s a little harder to do that with explosives.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Good
point. I see you and your friends do wear armor.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“We’re not
soldiers,” Edan sighs. “Doesn’t make sense to wear full armor to trade talks. A
chest piece under a shirt is usually enough. No need to wear full military
gear.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Well,
that’s not going to work for me.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“We’ve got
a full kit if that’s more your speed. But, don’t blame me if you’re out there
struggling to keep up. We’re not hunkered down and shooting. Most of the time,
we’re not even shooting or fighting. Things tend to go smoothly. But, we’re meeting
with someone new. They’ve got a bad reputation, so having a little extra
security doesn’t hurt.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Well, I’m
going to be, hunkered down and shooting,” I imitate Edan, “So, I’d like that
full set. Don’t worry, I won’t get trigger happy and if I have to run, it won’t
be my first time running in armor.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Our
different takes on what weapons should be used and what kind of armor, if any,
should be worn to operations shows that we really don’t know what the other
does. He seems to think I’m digging trenches and having full blown gun battles.
I can admit I thought he was doing the same kind of thing I was. I’ve made
trades before. Hostages for guns, gun for bombs, bombs for money and so on. I
wore armor to all of them; but I guess I was dealing with government and
military entities even if they weren’t always my own. I suppose you don’t want
to look like you’re prepared for a fight if you’re dealing with other
smugglers, gangs, or whoever buys smuggled goods. There’re situations either
approach could work but for the most part, if I’m prepared for a fight, nobody
is going to try me. If he’s prepared for a fight, people are thinking it’s a
setup.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Here we
go,” Edan brings me to a set of black armor.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“What’s is
this,” I ask, confused by some of the design choices.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Well, it’s
a Revrell set of armor we got,” he stalls, “as a bonus. Don’t worry, it’ll fit
a human as well. There’s some kind of airbag system or something that helps it
fit around whoever wears it. Good for cooling as well. It’s actually a really
good piece of tech, but we never had use for it.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I take the
helmet in my hand and feel around it. The exterior is a cold and hard plastic
like material, but it’s sturdy. Inside a very comfortable suede type material
covering padded sides. I can tell there is some kind of electronic heads up
display without powering it on.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“It has a
light weight, but the material it’s made from is strong. We took some shots at
it, didn’t leave a scratch. If you do get hurt, it’ll provide first aid through
nanobots or something,” Edan laughs. “The Revrell are terrible fighters, so
they make great armor. It’s easy to modify for humans as well. They were
calling this one chameleon armor.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Why is
that?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Edan takes
the helmet from me and presses a hidden switch on the side I hadn’t been aware
of. The helmet and suit both lose their color in an instant becoming a cloudy
translucent color. “When a person is wearing it, and the suit is powered on,
it’s almost perfectly invisible.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“That’s
incredible,” I walk around the armor waving my hand on one side to view a blurry
version on the other.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Humanity
could really learn a lot by embracing other species,” Edan just nods.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You know,
I’m always jealous when you randomly break out profound quotes like that. It’s as
if you meditate on the meaning of life,” I laugh.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I do. I’ve
been enjoying your company but usually I wake up, exercise, meditate, journal
then read. It’s important to keep my mind and body straight.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Wow, and I
thought you were just a born philosopher.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Nope, just
a regular guy. You should write in a journal too. It’ll help you understand
thoughts that you can’t reckon with.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I’ll keep
that in mind Mr. Sensitivity,” I shove his shoulder.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You need to
be more sensitive, figure out that wild mess going on in your head. Military
won’t take you back like this.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I’m not
going back.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Probably
scared you don’t have it anymore,” Edan jokes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I still go
it, that doesn’t mean I’m going back.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I never
saw you with it Mr. Black Ops. I’ve just got your drunken stories. You need to
get in shape before shipping out.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I’m not
going back,” I say more forcefully this time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“We’ll see.
Once I show you some new moves, you’ll be dying to get back.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Nastas
coughs to make himself known, “you two bicker like children.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-21492296038484914152022-08-03T21:56:00.005-07:002022-10-31T18:24:30.368-07:001.59 - Mission Briefing II <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLP09m7Qe8IcPkIkK-GDU6Pyg2mYWoeig_WuyMTMulQAj-6bHQLsCR-AxPnpYY0RLV6kNRDQyvv-P86kh2A1-VhAG-n9OTomV32Ul6XFadHZWB6RlN-Q81lJ0gkZZcu-57lbdVwWBfAKDMQOYqkg90egfbo68hMeaSg8t520jk0lDnlTZ7jRfoMU/s826/59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLP09m7Qe8IcPkIkK-GDU6Pyg2mYWoeig_WuyMTMulQAj-6bHQLsCR-AxPnpYY0RLV6kNRDQyvv-P86kh2A1-VhAG-n9OTomV32Ul6XFadHZWB6RlN-Q81lJ0gkZZcu-57lbdVwWBfAKDMQOYqkg90egfbo68hMeaSg8t520jk0lDnlTZ7jRfoMU/s16000/59.jpg" /></a></div><p>I take a
seat next to Edan in the conference and communications area of the ship. Janet
gives me a perverted look as we wait. I catch a glimpse of a team member that
Edan hadn’t mentioned. I get the feeling she isn’t the Nastas that everyone
considers long winded as she’s sitting in a corner by herself. She’s
unmistakably Naengi. Her skin is a dark black, almost void of light except for
the slight glisten it gives off. Each Naengi has a unique set of birth marks
that cover their body. Spots, stripes, geometric shapes and anything else. Hers
are similar to the stripes of tiger. The ones on her face are a beautiful
metallic gold, fading in color as they go down her arms. The ones visible on
her exposed legs are almost the same color as her flesh, more feint gold outlines
of where the stripes should be. Naengi have spikes made of bone they use as
weapon on their knees and elbows but she seems to be missing those, or maybe doesn’t
allow hers to poke out as far. I don’t know much about Naengi biology, so they
could just be in a relaxed state at the moment. The spikes along her skull are
also unique, each Naengi has a unique pattern from what I know, but it can be
genetic. She’s got one horn extending on the left and another on the right
about two inches, in the center a slightly larger horn. The thing that makes
hers unique is they seem to be made of actual gold. I haven’t met many Naengi
before, but she’s the most memorable of them for sure. It’s not just because
she’s beautiful but everything about her is, special.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Who is
she,” I ask Edan.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Oh, that’s
Enyolo. Well, that’s the name she gave us. When we met her, she had robbed some
folks that robbed us. We gave her a ride out of there and she’s kind of just
stuck with us for the last three months,” he shrugs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“What’s her
role on the ship?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“She’s good
at sneaking around, scouting and really good at beating people up.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Where did
you pick her up?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Do you
want me to just introduce you? Then you can ask her yourself.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You
introduced me to everyone else.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Yeah, but
you’ve got a special interest in her,” Edan laughs. “I can see it in your eyes.
You were looking at her for almost ten minutes. I’m surprised you weren’t
drooling.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“It wasn’t
ten minutes, we haven’t been in here for ten minutes.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“It was
long enough.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I don’t
have anything to say, maybe I was staring. I don’t think I was but if I was, he
would have seen it. Edan reads people and that includes me. In fact, he’s
probably got more experience reading me than anyone else. I just keep quiet and
enjoy the snacks until this Nastas guy shows up.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">When he
does come in, I’ve got no clue what species he is. I’ve never seen anyone like
him before. His flesh is somewhere between brown flesh and a cracking reddish
orange clay dotted with small craters. The back portion of his skull actually
looks to be cracking and peeling away sprouting dreadlocks with various gold
and silver beads throughout. He’s wearing a hoop ring piercing his lip, a large
silver hoop hanging from each ear and large solid gold gages in each ear.
There’s a golden sun shaped tattoo in the center of his head, although it could
be a birthmark for all I know. It takes a few seconds but I realize this is the
person I saw with Edan in the market. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“He must be
the Meteorian,” I whisper to Edan.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Why yes, I
am the Meteorian Edan has informed you of,” Nastas answers. “Edan said that you
were not familiar with the world beyond your own planetary system but I had
never considered you lacked the knowledge of alien races that do not typically
reach your system and do not belong to The Galactic Federation. Us Meteorians
have a complicated history and were once on the verge of being extinct, but
that is a story I will tell you later. For now, as second in command of The
Pariah, I welcome you to our ship.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Will you
get on with it already,” Enyolo interrupts his introduction to a few stifled
laughs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The mission
is simple. Edan and Nastas will be making an exchange with a gang they don’t
really trust. Velphi will cover the East exit, Enyolo will cover the West exit
and somehow it has already been decided I’ll be watching from above with a
sniper rifle. I’m starting to wonder if Edan abducted me for my own good or
because Nastas felt I would be a good fit for this mission. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I’ve never
met a Meteorian, but I’ve met plenty of people like Nastas before. They aren’t
naturally long winded. They do it because they’re attempting to have you lost
in their words, fall victim to whatever trap they’re setting. Usually they’ll
fill their diatribes with some words from philosophers long dead or quotes from
cultures you’re unfamiliar with. Sometimes, there’s a reason but I’ve found they’re
mostly doing it just to manipulate people. I only met this man a few minutes
ago and he’s already decided I’m the expert sniper that he needs. He spent
forty-five minutes talking and nobody realized he essentially asked me to kill
someone because they had gotten lost in his words. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">When the
briefing is over Enyolo exits quickly. I follow behind her, only noticing now
that she’s barefoot. “Why are you following me,” she quickly turns and catches
me off guard causing me to slam into her.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Sorry,” I
back up, really glad her horn didn’t pierce my throat. “I was just trying to
introduce myself, and meet you. I’ve met everyone else on the ship.” Enyolo
just stares at me with a combination of annoyance and confusion. “I’m sorry
this has gotten really weird. I got kidnapped, and I’m trying to be social
because everyone on this ship is social but I don’t know what I’m doing. I
usually keep quiet and let other people talk to me first.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Then allow
me to give you some advice. Just keep quiet and do your own thing,” Enyolo
leans in on the tips of her toes, I bend down so she can whisper in my ear. “I
know how you feel about Nastas. Your face betrays your thoughts. Keep your eye
on him and you’ll be fine.” She smiles and takes off as Nastas arrives.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Good to
see you’ve gotten on Enyolo’s good side, not many people seem to do that.
Please come with me, I’d like to discuss your resume and determine what
equipment you’ll be needing for our upcoming mission. I need an understanding
of how you work and what tools you’re familiar with. While Edan has provided
information for me a first-hand recap would be much more favorable,” Nastas
begins to talk my ear off. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I would
love to, but Velphi was going to show me his room,” I take off with no real
destination in place, but it isn’t like I can go far on a ship. He’ll find me
eventually.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-24012430948729409922022-07-27T21:47:00.002-07:002022-10-31T18:23:04.873-07:001.58 - The Pariah<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo8xZTGW-G0ksOCdqCavmHgGjUhpBqXruVi8I-XS09mQUVpN2Il5QSY_bm3Isy3rdR5VxC3NcT0RVmk2RFlD6wcfAhw4Lhj3d9AlgcB1991n2MqwKk8W9hbxXCa5I-j7Tba88hMOOm5HK7BTc0fpW8nAR2_x3HNTxzwvh32dc8cFUbqYAZtB-fYas/s826/58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo8xZTGW-G0ksOCdqCavmHgGjUhpBqXruVi8I-XS09mQUVpN2Il5QSY_bm3Isy3rdR5VxC3NcT0RVmk2RFlD6wcfAhw4Lhj3d9AlgcB1991n2MqwKk8W9hbxXCa5I-j7Tba88hMOOm5HK7BTc0fpW8nAR2_x3HNTxzwvh32dc8cFUbqYAZtB-fYas/s16000/58.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">It’s an old
military ship, similar to the one Creed uses for missions with small teams. It
can comfortably hold about fifteen crew members as long as your idea of comfort
is military. Doctor sleeps in the med bay, engineer sleeps in the engine room,
but it works. More often than not, it won’t be carrying fifteen people,
probably five could run the ship. A captain, a pilot, an engineer, maybe two
random squad members if the pilot can navigate as well. Edan’s ship seems
outdated at first glance but there’s a lot that has been custom made or at
least from places I’ve never been. It’s probably on par with Creed’s ship when
it comes to technology, even if I don’t recognize most of it. Probably ill-gotten
from Revrell or Draconian space. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“The Pariah
isn’t the best ship in the world, but it’s mine and it’s pretty good,” Edan
boasts.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Why did
you name your ship The Pariah?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Because
we’re a ship full of weirdos. There’s me, you know how messed up we are. Mom
and dad did a number on us both. Velphi, one of the few Draconians to leave The
Draconian Empire and live. Janet is a walking HR violation. Mae is incredibly
awkward. Nastas is just, he’s Nastas; somewhere between space pirate and
business man. You can see how we would all be considered misfits in society.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I’m a
little envious, I always wanted to reach the commander level. Then I could jump
over the Galactic Federation, and they’d give me a ship and let me cruise the
universe, doing whatever I wanted. Edan has that, and a bounty, but he has the
freedom I wanted. We step into the dining quarters, small, three tables and a
kitchen area. Same as Creed’s but bright white like the rest of his ship’s
interiors. Ship interiors never have magnificent paint jobs, but everything is
painted white in here, or some cold steel finish. It reminds me of the
rehabilitation center.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Hey, this
is my brother,” Efrem yells at a petite woman with a blue and gold pixie cut.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Hmm,” she
looks me up and down, making me feel dirty. “I’m Janet Stringfield,” she
extends her hand, not for a shake but a kiss.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I shake her
hand, “I’m Efrem,” I pull my hand away as she tries to hold onto it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Well
Efrem, I’m the pilot, navigator and do a little first aid. If you ever need to
get checked out, just call me,” Janet steps in entirely too close.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Yeah, I
think I’m good,” I take a step back from Janet.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Alright,
Janet. I told you, either I’m going to find an HR person or another pilot. You
need to get it together,” Edan steps between us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You know
it’s just my medication,” she sips her coffee, “but I wouldn’t mind if you
both,” Edan pulls me out of the kitchen. “I’m in the cockpit, pit for cocks”
Janet calls after us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Is your
entire crew like this? Because if so, I’m really eager to go back already,” I
say.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“No, and
I’m serious about finding another pilot, so if you know any military drop outs,
tell me,” Edan actually seems embarrassed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I know a
guy, but he’s got no legs,” Taffy would probably get along with Edan if he can
live with crime.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I’m going
to pretend you didn’t just recommend a man with no legs to fly my ship,” Edan
laughs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I walk into
a wall, or what I think is a wall. Looking again, it’s Velphi and his massive
frame. He was exiting a room labeled “lab,” I didn’t take him for a scientist,
but I’ve been wrong before.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“It is good
to see you again Efrem,” Velphi greets me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Good to
see you too, didn’t know you were a scientist.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I am no
scientist, but the room can be set for more,” Velphi searches for a word,
“reptilian climates. It is more comfortable. This has become my sleeping
location.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“We’re
smugglers, why would we need a science lab,” Edan raises a good point, “Let’s
go, you two can catch up later,” he leads the way.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I do not
understand,” Velphi responds. “You introduced me to your hatch mate, in hopes
that we would become friends, but now you don’t wish for us to associate?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“No Velphi,”
Edan responds. “I simply mean we need to get to the mission briefing before Nastas
gets upset,” Edan turns to me, “Nastas is our logistics guy, my first mate and
a Meteorian. You probably never met one of them.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Can’t say
that I have,” I shrug. “I’m learning a lot today so why not meet a Meteorian.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“They are
thin, yet formidable in battle and very good at getting things,” Velphi adds.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Nastas
actually helped me get this ship,” Edan laughs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I’ve been
meaning to ask; how did you get a military ship? Even with all the
modifications, you shouldn’t be able to get this.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“It’s just
a ship,” he laughs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“No, it’s
not just a ship,” I put on my big brother look.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Are you
going to tell mom?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I seem to
recall you’re the snitch in our group of hatchlings.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You’re
right.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“So
snitch.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Nastas
knew a guy on the black market. Sold me the ship piece by piece. Some bigger
than others, but over the years, I’d buy a piece, he’d come install it. Took a
long time, but eventually, I got a whole ship.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Why didn’t
you just buy a normal ship? Why a former military ship?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Safety
features, maintained perfectly, easily modified and comes with a lot of
modifications already. Also, if you break a ship down and build it again with
some new Revrell and Draconian tech mixed in, is it still the same ship?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You really
do find a way to turn every conversation into a philosophical one, don’t you?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Yes, he
does,” I’m startled by a tall thin bald woman. “Hello Efrem, I’m Mae Bluford,
the engineer.” Mae could be Janet’s sister if it weren’t for the height and
lack of hair. Same warm beige colored skin and big eyes. Mae has a pair of
goggles hanging around her neck and is wearing a dirty jump suit, but they look
as much alike as Edan and I. Eden wanted to send Janet to human resources, but
he clearly has a type and needs to pay a trip there himself.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“How did
you know my name,” I ask.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“She knows
everything, a real stalker,” Edan says.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I do not
stalk, I simply listen while doing my routine work,” Mae seems flustered.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“What’s
your job Mae,” I ask.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I’m the
chief engineer,” she smiles proudly. “I manage everything that makes the ship
go fast, and also communications.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Which is
how you know my name?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I saw Edan
introduce you to Janet on the cameras. I wanted to meet you before the mission
briefing,” Mae seems to hide her face behind a small tablet. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“We should
get snacks,” Edan suddenly stops walking. “Nastas can be long winded.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Snacks
would be good,” Velphi responds before heading in the opposite direction.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I’ll go
make sure we’ve got something besides insects,” Mae follows.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“What do
you think so far,” Edan asks.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Janet
creeps me out but Velphi and Mae seem nice.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Good,
because the last two, a real trip. Pretty sure they’re actually in charge of my
ship,” Edan laughs. “I’m so glad to have you here,” he smiles.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You
abducted me.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“But we’re
bonding,” he laughs and starts to walk again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-65762448863112014732022-07-20T21:24:00.003-07:002022-10-31T18:21:57.300-07:001.57 - Little Captain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxfgl_xrtBFpV0ke2B8IhCFoaMWyDs7ufjNY9Wh_YyGDx3-jvbkiMovb0WEhec7rdpgrrGrRkLTRV2t2c2_d1KKjmjdxk7kfY-bMDvHb21sIVnBu41F-hxClMeGWrWvuL2idqttEDbW-xoppz33VOufJg0LAwBQfZRBVQ7wV4NR0-msowew4IdZb0/s826/57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxfgl_xrtBFpV0ke2B8IhCFoaMWyDs7ufjNY9Wh_YyGDx3-jvbkiMovb0WEhec7rdpgrrGrRkLTRV2t2c2_d1KKjmjdxk7kfY-bMDvHb21sIVnBu41F-hxClMeGWrWvuL2idqttEDbW-xoppz33VOufJg0LAwBQfZRBVQ7wV4NR0-msowew4IdZb0/s16000/57.jpg" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I stare at
the white ceiling, testing my limbs, making sure I can still move them. I reach
both hands towards the ceiling and stretch my fingers, no shackles.
Hallucinations and paralysis aside, that was some great sleep. I move to sit on
the edge of the bed. Whoever took me wasn’t worried about me wandering free.
That means it wasn’t anyone tied to the armed forces, they wouldn’t be that
sloppy. Wasn’t the drug dealers, they would have just shot me. I do some more
stretches just to loosen the stiffness in my body. I must have been out for a
while. According to my wrist comp I’ve been out for three days and my location
is, out of range. That’s strange. I’ve been to all kind of places and never had
that issue before.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I survey my
surroundings, a white room with random bright colors thrown in. A green rug,
red door, blue bed sheets. The whole thing seems organized, yet chaotic. It’s a
ship, an old one with some modifications, based on the accommodations it’s a
frigate. I take it back, could be military. It might be a ship belonging to an
independent commander from the Galactic Federation, a scout, trailblazer or
whatever. I don’t have anything to do with the Galactic Federation, I never
worked any missions for them. Okay, what else, luxury items for sure. The
accommodations are small for a regular bedroom, but likely part of the
captain’s cabin. Wait, what is that?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A Picture
frame shifting through a series of pictures stands out more than anything else
now that I’m looking at it. The pictures are of my parents, my brothers, me.
Some of these pictures I’ve never seen, I’m not sure who would have these. My
parents maybe, but they wouldn’t be on a ship, and it could be Edan, but I’ve
never seen some of these pictures. Pictures of me graduating the academy, he
wasn’t there for that. He was in jail, and my parents didn’t come. No, this is
Edan’s ship. He’s the only person sentimental enough for this. I swipe at the
frame, there’s hundreds of pictures here, all family. I should be worried about
why I’ve been abducted by Edan. Still, I can’t help but take the time to duplicate
the photos to my wrist comp. Just, in case I want to look later. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The door
slides open when I press the button, captain’s quarters like I guessed.
Glancing through the window to my left, we’re in space, traveling right now,
cruising speed. Dead ahead, another door, likely leading to the rest of the
ship. Some kind of artwork I don’t understand hangs on the wall to the right.
Right beneath it is a couch pulled out into a bed. On the couch is none other
than my little brother, sleeping. I want to go over and punch him in the face
for abducting me, but he looks stressed out. He’s so careless when he’s up and
moving about. But right now, asleep, I can see all the worry in his face. He
finally looks his age. I’m wondering if he’s worried about me, some big bounty
on his head, or whatever he’s hiding in this ship. I’m mad, really mad, madder
than I’ve ever been at him. Still, seeing him, like this, frowning, grinding
his teeth and moving restlessly in his sleep, along with all the pictures of
our family, I’m just sad. We missed so many years together, and we can’t get
them back. I take a seat on the arm of the couch and poke his cheek, just
making sure this isn’t a hallucination.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Stop,” he
smacks my hand away after the fourth poke.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Did you
abduct me,” I keep poking.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Stop,” he
tries to slip away and falls to the floor, tangled in the blanket he was using.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You look
ridiculous.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Not as
ridiculous as you did being dragged through a crowd like you fainted.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You did
abduct me?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Yeah, but
it was for your own good,” he stands up freeing himself from the sheet.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You
drugged me, and dragged me into space. My wrist comp doesn’t even know where I
am. How is that for my own good?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You didn’t
understand the game.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“The game?
Explain it to me before I make sure you eat through a straw for the next
month.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You
couldn’t if you wanted to,” Edan takes a seat. “Imagine you’re me, the ultimate
transporter. You’re making some deals in the night market as usual. Nothing
big, don’t work by your house. Getting some small things for personal use, ship
upgrades and all that.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Get to the
point.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I’m
getting there, why don’t you sit down and listen. Want a drink?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I just
woke up from being drugged, by you, and you’re offering me a drink.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“It’s
always a good time for a drink,” he smiles.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Focus, why
did you abduct me?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Well, I’m
hearing rumors about some psychopath tying up drug dealers and demanding they
stop dealing drugs. Personally, that’s hilarious to me. But the thing that
caught my attention is the description of the dealer. Some big military acting,
proper speaking, asshole with a shiny green arm. Well, that sounds like my big
brother. But, my big brother wouldn’t try to go at a group of criminals solo.
He knows he can call his little brother, a criminal. But I wasn’t sure, so I
started watching them to see who’s watching. Turns out, you were watching them
too. They were going to kill you. Your options were to kill them and face
retaliation or lay low. You don’t know how to lay low, and I didn’t want to
lose another brother. I figured, I missed you so much, I’d bring you with me on
my next trip. That way, I don’t have to cremate you when I get back,” Edan
gives me a big fake smile, but I can tell he’s just as mad as I am.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You could
have just told me.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“When?
Between gunshots? You clearly weren’t planning to back down. You were moving
toward the violence like a nutjob. I see why you decided to march off to war,
you love the chaos and the rush of it all. I know you; you would have just kept
pushing until you died or got arrested for murder,” he throws his hands up then
sighs, “even if I told you, you wouldn’t have listened.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I make my
way to the small cart holding a dozen or so bottles of alcohol. I pick a purple
one in a language I can’t read, and pour a glass. I hand it to Edan, before
taking a big sip from the bottle myself. A chill runs down my spine. I cap the
bottle and take a seat next to Edan on the couch. I can’t deny anything that he
said. I wouldn’t have listened, I never listen.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Where are
we?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You still
mad at me,” he asks as if we’re kids again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“No,” I lie
like a big brother trying to spare his little brother’s emotions as a kid.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I think
you’re mad.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Yeah, but
I get where you’re coming from.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Good
enough,” he takes a sip. “Kwasi,” Edan calls out, “display current location and
route.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The windows
are closed and lights in the room are dimmed. A light on the ceiling shines
down and flickers before displaying a hologram of what looks to be a planetary
system, but not one I’m familiar with, before expanding out and displaying
another before expanding once more displaying what looks to be a massive space
station.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“What is
this,” I ask in confusion.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“We’re
picking up some equipment in The Revrell Republic and transporting it to some
rebels in the Draconian Empire, then coming back with some other stuff. We’ve
also got some equipment to drop off to The Meteorians, so we’ll be out here for
a while. Specifically, we’re just inside The Republic right now.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I’d ask if
you were insane, but I know the answer.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Runs in
our family,” he smiles.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I’ll give
you a tour of the ship, and get you up to speed on the mission,” Edan finishes
his drink and waves for me to follow.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-29512960652885941702022-07-19T19:15:00.002-07:002022-10-31T18:20:50.899-07:001.56 - Eyes Wide Shut<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhvND2ns7V03OX4Ub8Dy1ERzjA4ujKcUkD1HmCGxqj8cv8QE9H3ez-jyyzbg8z-FK2oL_HUAQMH9ki4FNW48ijTGWl0JarTMGqeG_xuc8ndjrDXx3ocaJ7rYl2zZgqkoNnkFZpHtj3MGvZ22b5PitnpAvZQi53eFZFAyIHqgfeN0-0hNSg0HiQtI/s826/56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhvND2ns7V03OX4Ub8Dy1ERzjA4ujKcUkD1HmCGxqj8cv8QE9H3ez-jyyzbg8z-FK2oL_HUAQMH9ki4FNW48ijTGWl0JarTMGqeG_xuc8ndjrDXx3ocaJ7rYl2zZgqkoNnkFZpHtj3MGvZ22b5PitnpAvZQi53eFZFAyIHqgfeN0-0hNSg0HiQtI/s16000/56.jpg" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I told them
to stop selling in Tranquillus, and they didn’t. I should have killed them when
I had the chance but I’m really trying not to use that as a solution for
everything. It took a total of three days before another overdose was reported
on the news. Took another week for me to confirm it was the same little
operation. I know I can’t stamp out all drug usage, and I’m not trying to. I’m
just trying to curve it enough that Pauline feels comfortable hiring workers
without keeping an overdose kit on site. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I make my
way out of the elevator and head towards the stash house. No new security, and
I can hear a few people inside laughing. The door slides open and I’ve already
rushed the first before he can say “not you again.” When fighting multiple
people, always come in as hard as you can at one person. It’ll hold the others
off for a few seconds while they’re in shock. A few seconds makes a big deal in
a fight. With a metal arm, it’ll give you time to knock the first person out. The
second guy manages to throw a few punches, but he’s too shaken up for any
serious fight. I manage to toss him over the kitchen counter and he doesn’t
come back. Third guy tries to grapple me, he’s big but a few punches to the squishy
parts of his face are enough for him to drop me so I can finish the job. Once
again, the zip ties come out. I don’t wait for the correct time to make a
pickup or bother with any threats this time around.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I make the
walk to the market stall a lot quicker this time, it’s hard to calm down with
all the energy flowing through me right now. Inside the market I make may way
over as fast as possible. I know there’s at least three people there, and I’ll
need to take them out as quick as possible so I don’t cause a scene. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A gun shot
fires in the air as I get close. People scream out in terror, running in
different directions. I stand out, another gunshot, likely fired at me, but
doesn’t hit anyone. It’s the men from the stall, they’re shooting at me. They
upped the ante more than I was willing to. I’m forced to flee with the crowd.
As another shot echoes through the crowd more people yell. I’m just putting
them in danger running with them. Eventually they’re going to hit someone even
if it isn’t me. I turn and spot my pursuers giving chase. I start making my way
towards them, fighting against the crowd. They’re spread out, I can at least
grab one in the chaos. It seems like they’ve only got one gun so I’ve got
pretty good odds the guy will be unarmed. I make it to the first, taking his
punches until he’s in reach. I wrap my left hand around his throat and use my
right to quickly knock him out. I spot the second and start to make my way
towards him. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">My legs
start to give out beneath me, and I drop to my knees. I don’t know what’s going
on. A small vial rolls in front of me. I try to focus my vision to read it but
I can’t make out the language. I know in an instant someone has drugged me, but
who? They brought guns to a fist fight, they’re not the type to drug someone. I
try to stand but a foot on my back pushes me forward onto my face. A bag is
tossed over my head, and the weightlessness tells me I’ve been lifted for the
ground. The whole thing is playing out as if it’s taking hours for me, but I
know it has to be seconds. I try to fight back, but my body just won’t move no
matter how much I try.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You really
stand out with that arm,” I hear a warped voice say.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Perhaps
there’s a better way to do this,” a second voice responds.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Nope, he
doesn’t know how to take it easy, it’s too hot, and he needs to lay low, so I’m
making him.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The voices
keep having a discussion but my body is shutting down completely and I can’t
understand what they’re saying anymore. The commotion of the crowd begins to
fade along with their conversation. I feel my body being dropped somewhere,
then there’s nothing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Hello,” I
try to call for help in the white void that my mind is now trapped in.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You’re
trapped,” I hear my own voice call back to me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Where?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Trapped in
a war with yourself.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“What?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You’re
fighting your own nature.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I just
need to get out of here.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You can’t
get out of here unless you’re willing to do what you know you have to.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“What is
that I have to do?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“The thing
that’s been calling you for nearly a year now.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I don’t
have time for riddles.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Where are
you going?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“How do I
get out of here?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Time.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“That’s not
very helpful.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“How is
chasing drug dealers helpful? How is shooting gangs on Mars helpful? How is
leaving Renan when he needed you helpful? What about Beatrix, she could have
used more than a terrible pep talk. You did all that talk about leaving the
military because you weren’t helping people. Who have you actually helped? You
can’t even help yourself. Mr. Spec Ops can’t even take on some local drug
dealers. You should have died on Xioshaa, but you lived and didn’t do anything
to make the universe a better place. You’re still running from something that
isn’t even chasing you.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“What do
you know?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I’m you, I
know everything. I know why you can’t sleep. I know why you still crave
adrenaline. I know why you think nobody should love you. I know why you’re
planning to run away from Pauline and Martin. I know all your failures and
weaknesses.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You don’t
know anything.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I know
everything, I told you that.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“If you
know everything how do I wake up.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You just
open your eyes. It’s always been that easy. Just open your eyes and see what
the world around you.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-82120516051977371472022-07-13T21:22:00.001-07:002022-10-31T18:13:10.403-07:001.55 – Because I Can <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUtbwkt1q0GdBIT7xWSk3JdzBT8a6zA7Z-6Ee56wIxZZfId8fvyHWmfzUENZjP_BimOAbaxOOlVU7j3BaMdAwj-Q5h6w9SuYjyDdzJCkabCvUXaGFQckyLVyXqx2rLNgAyPVCCw34s2Y5Jcwni3JCLG0NewONznxo8NA-e30gcK9Z-GiXa3tvdqg/s826/55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUtbwkt1q0GdBIT7xWSk3JdzBT8a6zA7Z-6Ee56wIxZZfId8fvyHWmfzUENZjP_BimOAbaxOOlVU7j3BaMdAwj-Q5h6w9SuYjyDdzJCkabCvUXaGFQckyLVyXqx2rLNgAyPVCCw34s2Y5Jcwni3JCLG0NewONznxo8NA-e30gcK9Z-GiXa3tvdqg/w640-h184/55.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I went back
and forth about how I should handle this for two days. I wanted to just kill
them all and be done with it. Then I wanted to kill the guy with the stash, but
they could just find another supplier. The more I thought about it, the more my
solutions just revolved around killing more and more people until I ended up
with over a dozen bodies on my list. The more I thought about killing the more
excuses I thought of as to why it was okay. In the end, killing just doesn’t
feel right for me anymore. Still, I need to do something, so I’m here, waiting
inside the stash house. I snuck in between runs without any issues. I expected
at least some extra locks or a hand scanner, but I suppose they think they’re
good enough that nobody notices their little operation. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The money
wasn’t exactly hidden well either, a second bedroom holding boxes and shipping
instructions. They’re shipping the money to a few different addresses off world.
The entire origination is much larger than I had expected. I’m not a one-man
army, taking out a gang with a few members is nothing, but a cartel operating
on multiple worlds is too much.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I take up
position in the stash room, just out of sight. When the man makes his way into
the room I surprise him with a strong right hand. We don’t fight for long
before I’m able to zip tie his hands and legs together. They aren’t cuffs, but
they’ll make due. When he comes to, he’ll probably be loud. I don’t want to draw
any attention. I grab a towel from the kitchen and shove it in his mouth before
moving him to the main bedroom and dropping him on the bed. I lean on the wall
waiting on him to wake up. It might be easier to just kill him. It would send a
stronger message to the others. I just can’t do it; I could shoot him in the
knee but I didn’t bother to get a gun and I could have bought one on any corner
in a sixteen block radius. He starts to come to, choking on the rag before
breathing through his nose. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Hey, calm
down,” I take a seat on the bed next to him, pulling out my pocket knife. “I’m
just here to have a chat with you. Understand?” He nods, terrified of what I
might do. That’s all I need; the thought of death can be more powerful than
death. “Hey, you and your friends are supplying drugs to Tranquillus right,” I
ask, he nods. I don’t need his confirmation, I know. “I need you to stop. I
could have killed you tonight, but I chose not to. You haven’t wronged me
personally, but someone I care about is really upset with you guys. This whole
show, it’s just to prove to you that I can kill you and it wouldn’t even be
hard.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">This is the
part in the movie where I’m supposed to run my knife across his face and give
him a scar to remember me by. Instead I just use my wrist comp to snap a photo.
I’ll need it to show his friends when I meet them in the market. For now, I
just sit on the bed with him and read the news. I read it out loud, trying to
find the worst stories I can.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Trellis, a
large colony on the dwarf planet Romero 442 had to be abandoned and evacuated
today. After attempts to stop the spread of a fungal virus created by the local
fauna. The colony is on the outskirts of Revel Republic was formerly home to
Revrell refuges, The Strux, an insect like species. According to data logged by
late researcher Duane Benjamin, The Strux abandoned the planet because they
were also unable to cope with the infection. We’ll have more later.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">That’s some
nasty business. I thought I’d read a story about some murder and really drive
home my point, but that might actually be worse. Knowing what I know after my
years of service, they probably shot anyone that knew about what really
happened then bombed the colony into dust. We’ll never know the truth.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Well, I’ve
got to go. Your friends will come to get you later,” I ruffle the guys hair
like he’s a kid before leaving.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">It’s a
quick walk over on a warm summer night. Is it summer? I haven’t figured out the
season around here yet. I move through the crowd in the night market, doing my
best to stay out of the way of others and out of the grasp of merchants, but
we’re shoulder to shoulder. It’s hard to move through the place without bumping
into anyone or being having parts of your clothing yanked. From a distance I
can spot the three guys working the stand preparing the money for the pickup. I
approach them with a smile and they can already tell I’m up to something.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“What,” a
tall skinny man demands as I approach.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I pull up the
photo of their friend on my wrist comp, “I just wanted to show you how easy it
was for me to get your friend. I can do that to any of you, any time I want.
This is just to show you how easy it is. No more dealing in Tranquillus. I
don’t care what you do beyond that. Tranquillus is off limits. I didn’t touch
your money, take it. Start a new life.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I wait for
an answer as they go back and forth with each other, debating if I’m serious or
insane before one decides to make a phone call. I’m nervous when I hear the
phone ring, but I hide it. They could be calling for backup, but I’m hoping
they’re trying to call their friend.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You’re not
going to get away with this,” a shorter man swears at me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I think I
just did,” I turn my back and walk away from them, raising a hand and waving. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I’m not
sure if this is what Pauline wanted, but this should make things a little
easier, a little safer. It was fun running my own little operation. Perhaps I
miss it all; but more than likely it’s the adrenaline flowing through me again
altering my thoughts into thinking I’m the last true action hero. There’s
nothing calling me back to serve, but a craving for another shot of adrenaline.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-81458150289636857492022-06-29T09:00:00.005-07:002022-10-31T18:11:49.632-07:001.54 - Black Market Stalking<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmo8YpljfVY4wlWhdjL8kQR8rKLiidV5e6Day3P3BCrikGWJLR5lmsEel7ho0EQxlE5lrrTZljaq9UQZ_x5IgTt9CaK8gynsWnbI9QCfK8pHhcimaiJeWKuf8aus_AmlTIHAExBI9PbjUh7_o-smYaFfQrxYl1fZntt9xQrpT7kmv7F6s1TcPL64/s826/54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmo8YpljfVY4wlWhdjL8kQR8rKLiidV5e6Day3P3BCrikGWJLR5lmsEel7ho0EQxlE5lrrTZljaq9UQZ_x5IgTt9CaK8gynsWnbI9QCfK8pHhcimaiJeWKuf8aus_AmlTIHAExBI9PbjUh7_o-smYaFfQrxYl1fZntt9xQrpT7kmv7F6s1TcPL64/s16000/54.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I spoke
with six drug dealers, bought from three, followed two, and it all brought me
to Invictus. I’m not surprised that the drugs are flowing in from a larger
city. Tonight, I’m staking out a group of people in a night market. It’s hard
keeping track of them, hundreds of people flowing through tight alleyways
filled with makeshift merchant stalls. All while the bright lights from the main
roads shine down on the market and merchants try anything to draw more
attention to their stalls. Merchants who do magic, merchants who sing, or
dance. The whole thing is made to overwhelm the senses. Street food next to
stolen clothing, people shouting in five different languages trying to drown
out the others; it’s hard for my translator to keep up with all the commotion.
Live animals like chickens and snakes are being sold as well as a few I don’t
recognize. Beyond legitimate and semi-legitimate businesses, the place
functions like a black market. Deep in the far corners you can pick up
unregistered weapons and nobody ever looks there unless they’re looking to purchase
something illegal.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Watching
from the ground was too much for me, almost nauseating. I’ve chosen to take the
walkways up above. Less people, and I don’t look odd just hanging out for a few
minutes again. It’s easy to spot the leader. He comes around every now and
then, pretends to buy some food from the stall. Sits his bag down and they
slide it behind the stall. They hand him a container for the food, inside is
the money they’ve made. They slide his bag back after removing the canisters of
charge. They’re hardly the only dealers in the market, but they’re the ones I’m
after. A blatant disrespect for their customer base and who they sell to. I’ve
seen a few teenagers buy from them without so much as a hassle. I’m going to
follow the leader tonight. See where he goes with the money. I’m sure I’ll find
the stash of drugs along with the cash. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">As he makes
another pick up, I lose focus on him. It’s Edan with a large bag over his
shoulder. He’s a walking with a species I don’t recognize. A tall thin man in
some kind of long dress like clothing, dreadlocks with gold beads orange, skin
almost rocklike and strange orange tattoos. It’s all topped off by several lip
and ear piercings. I can’t make out what they’re saying but Edan seems to be
making jokes, being his usual self. The other man seems to be annoyed, also not
out of the ordinary. A few times the man with Edan pauses to look around, as if
he can tell he’s being followed. If he actually looked up, he might have
spotted me. I follow them to the edges of the market. This is one of Edan’s
deals for sure. I could back off now, but I want to see what he has in the bag.
I’m hoping he isn’t part of any drug trade or arms deals, nothing too illegal.
I know he’s a smuggler, I know what that entails, but I don’t want my little
brother doing anything too dangerous.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The two approach
three men guarding a single stall. After a few words Edan reaches into the bag
and pulls out a shiny blue cube that barely fits in his hand. He pokes at and
twists a little. Soon some kind of projection is being displayed. The men poke
at the projection, move it around. It isn’t hard to tell that they’re pleased.
The man with Edan prompts him to put the cube back into his bag. He speaks with
the three men who seem annoyed, almost irate. I don’t know if Edan can fight,
we never had much reason to fight as kids and I’ve never seen him get into a
fight. After a brief silence the three men laugh and produce a bag of their
own. The man with Edan looks into the bag, moves his hand around and nods to
Edan. Edan hands his bag to one of the men before taking their bag. I don’t
know what he sold, but the deal went well. I could follow them back, but I
don’t need to see more. My little brother is alright, and I don’t need to come
to his rescue tonight. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I make my
way back to the dealers, they’re still at it. A few obvious sales, not really
telling people what they’re buying. Selling drugs isn’t illegal here, but
they’ve got a dangerous product. Another pickup, this time I follow the money.
A short man, with shoulder length dirty blonde hair that looks like he hasn’t
bathed in a week leaves the market. He doesn’t head for any parking or transit;
their hideout has to be near here. He enters an apartment building, and I
follow. Just close enough that I can make a dash towards the elevator right
before the door closes. He seems frustrated that I got on, but doesn’t pick up
that I’m following him. He’s selected the fifth floor already, so I select
seventeen, a random number just so I can see where he goes when he gets off. I
hold the button to leave the door open and watch silently as he makes his way
down the hall into an apartment. Got him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-41519521394174698122022-06-28T09:00:00.004-07:002022-10-31T18:10:31.136-07:001.53 - What's Your Addiction<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdqX5okgcjjBYgsRa4w76o0fGMq0KjdoEZjSP2IIQ6Ci68DXmM-k7xGBSjkuu-2eqMP-9FCQL5Iuvv-F4nstPVFyoLXvhtHxiaY9ltWIfsF0ozbNiTCitT-Ck1WATCRlY3hQoChrFRRHHrd2mGn0gBreVSZr-8ZFtUA6LJpp0bfaoJoFodbdgQsoI/s826/a-comsmic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdqX5okgcjjBYgsRa4w76o0fGMq0KjdoEZjSP2IIQ6Ci68DXmM-k7xGBSjkuu-2eqMP-9FCQL5Iuvv-F4nstPVFyoLXvhtHxiaY9ltWIfsF0ozbNiTCitT-Ck1WATCRlY3hQoChrFRRHHrd2mGn0gBreVSZr-8ZFtUA6LJpp0bfaoJoFodbdgQsoI/w640-h184/a-comsmic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Pauline
probably didn’t expect me to take a hands-on approach to dealing with this, but
it’s the only thing I know how to do. After the ranch hand got back on his
feet, I went to pay him a visit. I found out the drug he was taking is called
charge. It’s supposed to give you a boost of energy and increase muscle
function. A lot of professional fighters have been using it because there’s no
real ban on it. There’s no ban on any drugs here. For the most part, it works
out well. It’s a double-edged sword. The number of people using drugs become
lower when we’re not hiding information about what they do and actually educate
the public on them. On the opposite side, the people addicted are hit way
harder than they would be if their drug of choice was in scare supply. People
who actually need help aren’t sent to prison, they’re sent to get help; but
drug tourism is a thing now, people just coming to get high. Nobody ever wants
to meet in the middle, it’s all or nothing. Another downside is that
corporations use it as a testing spot for whatever new thing they’ve got. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Charge<b> </b></span>screams corporate failure
to me. A drug that doesn’t necessarily get you high, but fills you with energy;
it’s an artificial caffeine. If I had to guess, the side effects were too much
to take to market.<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The
standard play here would be to visit a rehabilitation group and look for
someone who stands out, take his information and infiltrate the corporation. A
really simple play for a team of experienced people who are looking for a
specific target or piece of information. I’m just a single man looking to track
down a single drug supplier. I’m just going to look for someone to buy drugs
from. How do you find someone to buy drugs from? Be a drug addict.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I’ve been
watching and listening to people share their stories of addiction for the last
forty-five minutes. Occasionally, I fidget or stare off into space. The sun
glasses hide the fact that my pupils aren’t dilated. I’ve been doing a lot
lately to try to access my own emotions. Emotions I had placed in a trunk then
tossed beneath an ocean somewhere before melting the key. The moment things would
begin to tug at my heart, I’d lock them away. Even with all the soul searching
I’ve been doing lately, I’m not here for group therapy. I’m on a mission. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I mingle
eating snacks and drinking soda with the others. I make sure my erratic
movements are noticeable. Occasionally I place a snack in my pocket or give
someone a dirty look, as if they’re judging me. I don’t have to find a dealer, they’ll
find me as long I act noticeable enough, and I am.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Outside I
shuffle through my pockets in a rush. Eventually I remove a shoe, and produce
some money. That’s all I needed to do. A woman with pink hair leans against the
wall next to me. She’s the dealer here. Preying on people’s weaknesses,
illnesses, all to make a dollar.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Didn’t
catch your name in there buddy,” she says lighting a cigarette.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Didn’t
give one, and I’m not your buddy,” I respond as if I’m being rushed. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Woah, no
need to be so hostile, we can be buddies.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Don’t need
no buddies.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“But you
need a fix, I can tell and I help with that,” she softens her voice in attempt
to seem like a nurturer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“How can
you help with that?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“If I can’t
get it, I know someone who can.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Charge,
can you get that?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I can get
that, but it’ll cost you.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Well get
it,” I demand.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">It doesn’t
take long for her to send out a text message. Soon we’re making our way down
the block before heading into an alleyway. A man steps through an open door
wearing a dirty apron. I peel apart the dirty bills and pay him. He hands me an
inhaler cartridge before heading back inside.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Hey, what
if I need more,” I ask him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Eager
beaver,” woman with pink hair laughs. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I don’t
know you,” the man walks inside slamming the door behind him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Dealing
with local drug dealers is a lot different than assassinating dictators with a
whole team. I’ll likely have to cop more from her and a few other dealers.
Tranquillus isn’t a big city, but I’m sure there are other meetings, just as
I’m sure there are other dealers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">This is
what Pauline wanted right? Me taking care of the drug trade, making sure it
doesn’t reach the ranch. I roll the canister of charge around in my hand and
wonder if I’m going too far.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-24209507939533554082022-06-27T09:00:00.006-07:002022-06-27T09:00:00.168-07:001.52 - Pauline’s Property <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kt8_VrohqQxxfExFttcMZPK6ytLNsur5Ih6YLIjqqiifuax-delU1YnU94uG6IbTseyOlRcJDk0pmhpT-61Ks-7MaJhFzTTnupH7LKL1fOXzzKTK0LHSY9dkgobHycUKdlMxn1SNtfSEKng4YBdroQuY1vEcPxVGh9w2U3E5gKkuMpQaTJ-X2fA/s826/52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kt8_VrohqQxxfExFttcMZPK6ytLNsur5Ih6YLIjqqiifuax-delU1YnU94uG6IbTseyOlRcJDk0pmhpT-61Ks-7MaJhFzTTnupH7LKL1fOXzzKTK0LHSY9dkgobHycUKdlMxn1SNtfSEKng4YBdroQuY1vEcPxVGh9w2U3E5gKkuMpQaTJ-X2fA/w640-h184/52.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I visited
Edan when we got back from the trip, I wanted someone to discuss things with
and he wanted to get drunk before preparing for his next run across the galaxy.
When I told him about Martin’s past, he asked me why I looked up to the man. At
first, I thought he was joking, but Edan reads people well. As we drank more, I
came to the conclusion that I did admire Martin. I looked up to him a lot. My
realization just seemed to piss off Renan. Martin was a human supremacist. He
did cause a ton of harm, and his actions indirectly led to the loss of lives. I
can’t deny that. Still he did what he needed to do so that he could make it
right. That’s the part I admire.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I can’t say
I went on a lot of missions for humanitarian causes. I was directly involved in
the assignation of seventeen different individuals. I’m sure there were more lives
lost in the fallout from what I did. I was wrong, and instead of making things
right, I ran away. The fact that he was able to recognize he was wrong and do
something about it makes him admirable to me. Am I his legacy? No, I see that
as the ramblings of an old man obsessed with mortality. He’s not the first, and
won’t be the last. We all struggle with mortality during our lives. Some of us
wait until we’re old, others when we’re blown up and lose an arm. But we all
think about death, and what the world will think of us when we’re done here.
Thoughts for another day I suppose. I’m already running late.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The door to
the bar is already open, Pauline is wiping down some tables humming to herself.
I grab a rag and some cleaner before joining in. I’m expecting Pauline to tear
into me about being late, but she doesn’t and we finish with all of the tables
pretty quickly before moving onto the kitchen. Occasionally she pauses her song
to give me direction but other than that, she just sings today. It’s an odd
atmosphere; the fact that Martin isn’t around only makes it stranger. I take a
seat at the bar as we finish and she pours me a glass of water, she doesn’t
believe in drinking on weekdays. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You want
to be a rancher,” Pauline asks me bluntly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I’m not
sure what you mean.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“We’re
retiring. I’m sure Martin bored you to death with his life story on your little
trip. He probably talked about how we’re old, don’t have any children and all
that. Getting out of the business, planning to retire somewhere nice, with
snow,” she gazes off with a smile.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I can’t
help but laugh, “you both like snow a lot.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Yes, and
we like you a little. That’s why we’re giving you the first option to purchase
the ranch.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I don’t
know what I did that gave off the idea that I was rich, or wealthy but I can’t
afford to purchase one of these single-family homes around here, an entire
ranch is just an insane thought.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“If you had
the money, would you buy it,” Pauline isn’t giving me a chance to think any of
this over.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I don’t
know, it was never in my plans.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You’re an
idiot if you’d pass up a 500 acre ranch falling in your lap. When we got the
place it was dirt cheap,” she laughs at her pun. “But, with prices the way they
are now, we’re giving you one hell of discount.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I don’t
really know much about running a ranch.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“We’ll get
you set up, fully staffed. A good manager goes a long way. We can bring back
the animals, that’s where the real money is. Live, natural animals. We just
need to figure out what the market is craving.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I really
don’t know about this.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Yes, you
do, you just don’t want to say,” she brings out two shot glasses.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Look, I’d
never pay it off.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“We’re old,
we’ll keep it off the record. I’ll sign it all over to you this weekend, if you
just say yes. Who cares if you ever pay us off? We’re old, we don’t have any
kids. Just say yes, and send us half the yearly profit, just the profit. If you
lose money we won’t ask for anything. If you can promise that, we’re good.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Can I have
a few days to think it over?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“No.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I feel
like I don’t have a lot of say in this.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You don’t
have any say in this.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“What
happens if I don’t agree.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I just
told you, it’s already been decided.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Why?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Because
we’ve had a lot of folks in here, and you’re the only one who lasted this long.
We like you, Martin talks about you as if you were his own son. I can see that
you’re a hard worker and a tough bastard in a bar fight when you need to be.
You’ve earned respect from both of us and that’s hard to do. Any other
questions.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I’ve
killed people and I’m currently AWOL. Does that change your opinion of me?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“None of us
are perfect. I’ve stolen more than you can imagine. I bet Martin didn’t mention
that part.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“No, he
didn’t.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">She pours
two shots, “by the time you get that AWOL situation taken care of, we’ll have
this place looking like a real ranch.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I never
agreed to anything.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You don’t
have a choice. We’re doing what’s best for you. Keeping you from going out and
finding your own wars to fight.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">There’s a
knock at the door that interrupts us. I open the door to see Yushin, one of the
older workers Pauline has kept on staff. He works slower than most, talks
slower than most, but keeps at his own pace and finishes everything on time.
It’s like he has everything timed out, but he’s panicked today. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Mrs.
Pauline,” he starts, out of breath, “we got another overdose.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Another
one,” Pauline yells more than asks.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Yushin made
the run here across half the ranch, but we ride in Pauline’s truck to where
supplies were being dropped off. Pauline really was serious about getting this
place up and running again. While were out on our trip, she brought in some
extra help to get everything up and running. She used the phrase, “faster than
a rumble rabbit’s fart,” on the ride over. Personally, I have no idea what that
means but Yushin seemed to understand. His response was something along the
lines of “ocean cats don’t swim fast but always get their prey,” and she nods.
Do rumble rabbits have fast farts? How do you even measure a fart’s speed? What
is an ocean cat? Is it a cat that lives in the ocean or lives near it? I
haven’t been on Nyame long enough to completely follow their conversation. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">As we make
our way over people part the circle and Pauline lets off a list of curse words
and words I can only assume are curse words. The man seems to be coming to when
we arrive but it doesn’t matter. Pauline fires him on the spot.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I don’t
know where this stuff is coming from, or what it is. But if I even think you’re
getting high on my dime, your ass is fired,” Pauline shouts out and takes the
time to look everyone in the eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Some of the
others tend to the man was Yushin gets the rest back to work. I follow Pauline
to her truck. We don’t say anything on the way back to the main house, but
something is on her mind.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I can take
care of it,” I find myself saying it without thinking. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I don’t
know why, maybe my body and mind are craving something more. Life on ranch with
a few camping trips isn’t bad at all. But, it’s boring. Even before she
finished describing the situation around here, my mind was putting together and
operation. Find a dealer, track the drugs back to the distributor, handle them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Don’t get
caught,” is the only thing Pauline says.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I was
expecting her to stop me, or tell me to calm down but these aren’t my parents.
Pauline and Marty seem to throw caution to the wind if they think something is
for the greater good. But this is Nyame, a place where the laws of Sol just
barely overlap in some places. I can take care of this. I think I can.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-82915504547104344972022-06-26T09:00:00.002-07:002022-06-26T09:00:00.160-07:001.51 - Martin’s Legacy<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYfMs05Gq5jJ7AfODfT_Lo8OlSkutTmSOBdUO28VSD9gRpt-szzvuP8Ac1mp9s0LDW1aHECiz7qU1Fypx1LvPacQDVj9wDngHsTqB8QGjx4rq8SpZldPYRTsEFDe_yXRyoxacr-9xH9GWbHfg7mWy-nsTMm_Fik1McXYVqxNrfCj8N7D7Gd_iDb0/s826/51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYfMs05Gq5jJ7AfODfT_Lo8OlSkutTmSOBdUO28VSD9gRpt-szzvuP8Ac1mp9s0LDW1aHECiz7qU1Fypx1LvPacQDVj9wDngHsTqB8QGjx4rq8SpZldPYRTsEFDe_yXRyoxacr-9xH9GWbHfg7mWy-nsTMm_Fik1McXYVqxNrfCj8N7D7Gd_iDb0/w640-h184/51.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The boys
and I wait for Martin to finish his story, but it seems like he’s struggling to
find the words to continue. I pat him on his back, the only way I know to
comfort people. I know there’s no words I can say that will help him through
this. It’s just something he has to do on his own.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“We don’t
care who you hurt,” Phillip speaks up. “You did a lot to take care of us and it
wouldn’t change how we feel about you.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Yeah, he’s
right,” David adds, as Jacob just nods.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“You’re
good kids,” Martin takes a big sigh. “When I got out of jail, I did the worst
thing I had ever done in my life. I joined a human supremacist militia. Efrem,
you’ve seen how much I hate them, and part of the reason is I used to be one of
them. Those guys in the bar could have been me in my younger days. Wasting
their lives fighting against some folks that never did them any harm. Angry
because their life is going nowhere but refusing to put in the effort.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Martin
takes off his shirt and displays old faded remnants of a brand that he had
attempted to cover up or remove. I can barely make out the human skull with an
ancient sword and scythe above it. I can’t make out the words in the banner. If
I didn’t know what to look for, and hadn’t been so close I would have never
seen it. It looks like it was the centerpiece for some tattoos that had been
removed, only some light scarring remains for most of the images.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“The
militia is how I ended up on Nyame. It was the last place on Sol that seemed to
be a safe place far away from aliens. Humans like me, fled here in droves and
started breeding like crazy. I didn’t have any kids, couldn’t. I’m infertile,
it’s was probably for the best. I’m afraid I would have been a mean bastard
like my father. Anyway, to this day, hard as rock, but the swimmers just don’t
swim,” Martin laughs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“That’s too
much info,” I shake my head while the boys act disgusted.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Hey, just
letting you all know the love doesn’t have to stop when you get old, just take
care of yourself,” Martin pauses again. I can tell he was making a joke to
avoid getting to the next part. “But, aliens moved to Nyame. I’m sure you’ve noticed
there are still towns almost entirely human, but the big cities are some of the
centers for alien culture in our system these days. My group worked with some
others, and planned a terrorist attack. That’s when I backed out, it had just
gone too far. I couldn’t kill innocent people, even if they weren’t human. It
took that for me to realize, I wasn’t angry at them, I was angry at me. A few
others backed out as well, and I didn’t think they would do it. But they did
it, they blew up an entire city block. Worst thing I had ever seen. Buildings
crumbling with people inside, folks running through the streets on fire. I was
sick, because even if I didn’t set off the bomb, or plant the bombs. I was part
of that. I rushed into the chaos, not trying to be a hero, but trying to save
anyone I could so they didn’t haunt my conscience. My hands were so dirty, not
with ashes and soot from the destruction, not even blood and dirt, but
metaphorically. I kept going in and out of it all until I collapsed. They
treated me as if I was some kind of hero and I was a part of trying to bring
their demise.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">We wait for
Martin to finish, see how he became the man I know, the man the boys look up
to. “When I woke up, the nurse saw my brand and tattoos; she knew what it was
but didn’t tell anyone. She saw what I did, she saw my remorse. She saw that I
was a broken man. I asked her why she didn’t tell people one day; she told me
it was because I was punishing myself more than anyone else could. That nurse
was Pauline, and she wasn’t really a nurse, she was just a volunteer helping
with all the injuries. She actually took me to have the tattoos removed after I
was released, I consider it our first date. I loved her from the moment she
said wouldn’t tell anyone about my brand because the idea of me being a hero
was more important than who I was as a man. She still hated me. She was trying
to fix me, not because I was attractive, but because I gave hope to other
people that Nyame could be a better place after. She hated me, and made it no
secret.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“How did
she fall in love with you,” David asks eagerly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“When
humans and aliens decided to work together and drive out the militias. I
volunteered for the front lines and fought like a man possessed. Nyame was
going to be my home and I didn’t want anyone to feel unsafe here. I got shot,
blown up and every time I just went back out there. At one point she asked me
if I wanted to die. All I could tell her is that I’d die if it meant redemption
and she didn’t stop me. So I just kept going back out there. We fought for
almost twelve years with no intervention from any governments. We were
determined to make Nyame our own. Eventually The Galactic Federation sent in
some aid and made us look like children with how fast they cleaned out the
supremacist. When it was all said and done, I didn’t feel any better. I still
felt like I had done wrong. I dedicated my life to making sure it wouldn’t
happen again. Cleaning up any remaining outpost, talking to children, whatever
I could. Eventually I ran into Pauline again, by chance at a grocery store. She
gave me a real date, felt I had earned it. Somewhere along the line people
forgot the whole hero thing, she finally loved me and we got married.
Eventually we bought the farm house. It used to be a base for my supremacist
militia. We tried to make it a home, burry the sins of the past instead of let
it stand as a monument to wrong doing. Every morning I’m reminded of the
terrible things I did there, and I’m inspired to make sure nobody else ever
makes those choices.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I sit with
Martin long after the boys have gone to bed, just watching the water. To them,
these are just stories of the past, but I’ve seen these things. I know there
are still patches of Sol and other systems like this. I think Martin is
somewhat relieved to had told us all these things, and I’m glad for that. Glad
that someone knows the secrets besides Pauline; glad he isn’t carrying it
alone.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“Hey, why
did you want to tell us all that,” I ask as he stands and stretches before
heading to bed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">“I’m an old
man. All old men want to leave behind a legacy, not just in items and wealth
but people. They want a piece of them to live on. I think that’s why people
have children. I don’t have any children, but those boys have been part of my
troop since they were barely tying their own shoes. Faces came and went but
they stayed. They’re like my kids. And you, well Pauline doesn’t like many
people but she told me she wishes she had a son like you. So, you’re just our
long lost son. I wish I had met you earlier,” he laughs. “You four, are my
legacy. When I’m gone, tell your kids my story. The good, the bad, and the
ugly. Let them know I was just a man, but a man who tried to right his wrongs.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-24301434944637866822022-06-25T09:00:00.007-07:002022-06-25T09:00:00.161-07:001.50 - Martin’s Origins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXlHTNSuCnG6G0QPvHvYqqOhatADiQrRRBvlKeMfbCHiYPW2V3My238zyvP-m1SxG6iiv5r9VWuCP2OC1ozcY5SM1WUTrmWA-lxr6NvgHPrn5Y3ltO3bdK6VSmTNQXM_KyVNo5uztcH5rRt1CjGoOyzplz9rQhmaHwJt2eGLpLEcBDmP4KwHO5Ibg/s826/50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXlHTNSuCnG6G0QPvHvYqqOhatADiQrRRBvlKeMfbCHiYPW2V3My238zyvP-m1SxG6iiv5r9VWuCP2OC1ozcY5SM1WUTrmWA-lxr6NvgHPrn5Y3ltO3bdK6VSmTNQXM_KyVNo5uztcH5rRt1CjGoOyzplz9rQhmaHwJt2eGLpLEcBDmP4KwHO5Ibg/w640-h184/50.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>“When I was young, I didn’t know any aliens,” Martin starts randomly as we all watch the sunset on the beach. “I didn’t partake in the first contact wars or anything like that. I just lived on Mars, a place with no aliens at the time. The corporations made sure of that,” Martin seems somber, we all look and listen, but nobody interrupts him. “I was a damn terror. The first time I met aliens was when a company called Perseus Limited tried to restart the Corp Wars in 2131. It was different this time, we had already fought The War of Contact with the aliens. Things were good. Well anyway, Perseus Limited wanted to take over some titanium mines. They recruited folks like me. You boys don’t want to hear this.”</p><p>“No, keep going,” David responds. The rest of us nod.</p><p>“Well, I had fought in the Independence wars on Mars, The Corporate Wars lasted a lot longer there, even after they migrated people away from Earth. Sometimes, I think they started building on other planets just to keep the wars going. They had so much control, for so long. Back then, each city had a corporate sponsor, we the people didn’t like that. We fought to form our own government and limit the corporations’ power. But, after that, there were a lot of us who had been soldiers and didn’t have anything else. Perseus gave us a reason to fight, the promise of money and glory.”</p><p>“That war was a mess, a real shit show. See, the main advisory in the war was a company called Janza. They had embraced the new world, made allies with the aliens, these other species that us folks on Mars never had contact with before. They had been one of the first companies on Mars to open their doors and do business with non-human races. They took the same ideology with them when it was time to go to war. They hired some Ghuk to fight us alongside the humans they hired, it was a real ass beating. But, I’ll tell you the worst part, the Naengi. They only hired seven of them, as the Naengi weren’t keen on Humanity either. But, those seven, they assassinated many of our generals, the corporate heads. It was a real routing but we kept fighting for three years, just running to our deaths or running from mediocrity,” Martin pauses.</p><p>“You don’t have to keep going,” I place a hand on his shoulder.</p><p>“I want to hear,” Phillip responds. </p><p>“Me too,” Jacob follows.</p><p>“Just, let me get this off my chest,” Martin pats my hand.</p><p>“Alright, go on.”</p><p>“When the fighting was done, Perseus was no more. I didn’t have the money, the accolades or anything else I was promised. I was back to where I was after Mars gained Independence. I was angry, I had been promised so much, and gained nothing. I tried to work regular jobs, but I didn’t have the skills. I couldn’t even work as a damn waiter because I could identify twenty different weapons by the sound, but couldn’t remember who ordered what. I didn’t have the personality people wanted because I was so angry about my living situation,” Martin takes a deep breath. “I get upset thinking about it now. I was such an angry young man. If you boys learn nothing from me, it’s that you do not want to be the last angry young man.”</p><p>While Martin pauses, likely thinking what part to tell us next about his own life. I can’t help but ponder my life and the parallels. War never brought me money, glory or anything like that. I didn’t join up for those things, but it didn’t give me what I wanted either. I wanted the chance to explore, the chance to help people. I got a few chances to explore, but most of it was inside war zones or occupied territories. I had even less opportunities to help people, some nights I wonder if I helped anyone. I don’t remember running in to save any kids, or evacuating people. I spent most of my time killing people. Running unofficial operations that I couldn’t be rewarded for. I’m a damn good soldier, but like Martin, I struggle to find a place in civilian life. I’m not necessarily qualified for any jobs no matter how hard I try to learn. It’s part of the reason I took this job, trying to make sure I had something for when those military checks stopped rolling in, start building a CV.</p><p>“When nothing worked for me, I took a job transporting goods,” Martin pauses again, “No, you’re all old enough. I took a job smuggling stolen goods,” Martin nods as if he’s reckoning with his past. “I had a few fire fights, I was too reckless. I thought I was invincible after all the fighting I had survived. I wasn’t good at it either, but I got paid. The thing about fast money is it doesn’t last and things can come crashing down in a hurry. I was arrested. I spent seven years in prison. When you’re as old as I am you don’t think of seven years as a long time, but damnit, it is a long time. When I left jail, I was a changed man, and not in a good way. I was even angrier. I was looking for someone to hurt. It didn’t help that the world had changed overnight. Aliens were fully integrated into human society. It wasn’t even strange to see aliens on parts of Mars anymore. Nothing made sense to me, and I just got angrier and I was reaching a boiling point.”</p><p>“So what did you do,” David asks when Martin stops for too long.</p><p>“I did what I had done all my life, I ran from what my real problem was. Then I found somebody to hurt. Somebody who didn’t deserve it.”</p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-33444092405929474492022-06-24T09:00:00.005-07:002022-06-24T09:00:00.161-07:001.49 - Magnificent Cave<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rzofgXTMCTRg3LK55fhbh020uCwT9IIwiC8TlvHJBY5f0zZoxDMafvcl4LMoONaZQ-MvAk2NgQn2L-Dt_aNYlJVIXRGCyb6vpVLn2RiJvmTJXIc_3YcB98ZQtRvVuZ8pM8Hq26vW6xismWskHM7EAb6KJdO_5l7Zv_beeHb65eJ--NqizDqPpp8/s826/49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rzofgXTMCTRg3LK55fhbh020uCwT9IIwiC8TlvHJBY5f0zZoxDMafvcl4LMoONaZQ-MvAk2NgQn2L-Dt_aNYlJVIXRGCyb6vpVLn2RiJvmTJXIc_3YcB98ZQtRvVuZ8pM8Hq26vW6xismWskHM7EAb6KJdO_5l7Zv_beeHb65eJ--NqizDqPpp8/w640-h184/49.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">Martin is in an unusually good mood today. He’s usually in a good mood, but today is different. The old man is walking like he’s twenty years younger, humming songs from his youth and trying to talk to small woodland animals. I keep sharing concerned looks with the boys, hoping he doesn’t go completely insane out here. Either he hasn’t noticed our concern, or he doesn’t care at all.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">Once we clear the trees we’re staring at a large hill with a small cave. The boys and I pause to look around, deep down knowing we’re going to enter into this cave. Yeah, Martin has gone off the deep end and we’re all going to be murdered by him here tonight. I don’t even have a connection to the Nexus out here, and the boys don’t have wrist comps or implants as far as I can tell. We wouldn’t even be able to call for help if he went crazy now.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Let’s go boys,” Martin chuckles, “and man,” he heads into the cave with no hesitation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">I reach for my wrist comp to activate the light as the boys reach for flashlights. Martin puts a stop to that and forces us to all hold hands as he leads us through the darkness, still singing his song and acting as if this is normal.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">As we go deeper into the cave we’re greeting by an ever-growing amount of light. It seems that there are plants in this cave that output light of their own. I don’t think I’ve ever seen any above the land that do this.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“The plants are giving off light,” Jacob yells out with joy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“No, there has to be a light source that they’re reflecting. Plants simply can’t produce light,” Phillip responds but equally excited.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Relax boys,” I sound like Martin as the words come from my mouth.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">There’s more light the further we go, but the cave is also becoming tighter. Martin leads us through tunnel after tunnel as if he’s done this a thousand times before. As the blue and green light surrounds us I can’t help but feel a sense of euphoria washing over me. I’ve heard about plants that can give this sensation to people, I suppose these plants are no different. Perhaps some kind of psychoactive spore.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Alright boys, you might need to suck it in, especially you Jacob,” Martin jokes as he squeezes through a small crack in the wall.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Are we doing this,” David asks as he’s next in line.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Are we doing this Mr. Efrem,” Phillip asks with a sense of respect I’ve never heard from him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">I think for a moment, “we’re going to trust Martin on this, but I won’t let anything happen to you. Any of you.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">My words must carry some weight with the boys now. Nobody signs, curses or moans. David just takes a deep breath and follows Martin through the crack. Jacob is next, and does indeed need to suck it in. He also needs a little push from Phillip and I. Phillip gives me a concerned glance, and I reassure him with a nod as he passes through. I take a deep breath and make my way into the crack. It’s a tight space, in parts the rocks and glowing plants scratch across my nose. My prosthetic breaks off a small chunk of the wall and for the first time ever I felt claustrophobic. I keep inching towards the light until I’m free.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">Outside the cave and I’m standing on sand, staring at a small ocean, lake, I’m not sure. The sand and the water here are nothing I’ve ever seen before. The sand is filled with all kinds of different colors. I’ve seen white sand, brown sand, red sand and so on, but this sand is so many different colors, almost as if crystals were broken down until they were sand. The water is no different, changing colors every time the light hits it at a different angle. Martin is sitting on the sand running it through his hands as the boys run around amazed at what they’re witnessing. It’s nothing that any of us had ever seen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“What is this place,” I take a seat next to Martin.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Well, this lake is the hidden jewel here on Asase Ya, most people know it’s here because of the maps, but have no idea how to get here. Discovered it years ago when I came here to do some soul searching. You boys and Pauline, only people I ever showed. I’m sure other people know, but they keep their mouths closed too.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“How are the sand and water able to change colors.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“I imagine minerals from all the different environments manage to run into the waters here, but I’m not a scientist.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“This place is amazing.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“I used to come once a month, then I got old and once a month turned to once a year, then not at all. Haven’t actually been here in almost a decade. Glad it’s still the same.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Well I’m glad you brought us here.”</span></p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-35478344533601990382022-06-23T09:00:00.005-07:002022-06-23T09:00:00.187-07:001.48 - Chasing Ghosts <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmI0vKX9F3wmlh3xMugl1eDDS5qtG5jmd37n6krqwSoUUDBoi6CJKZg26umdqO5f3m3Jg2yp57D2GoeXfVdEURDzjXCwncortP-3FxPbvZnW1Na3c3WP_UYcsdoBqgrY0Sou5dZv8Jy7LcRO15BktYZztp4TRcBwE60R6NPYguiv2vDqSCE-OFOqY=s826" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmI0vKX9F3wmlh3xMugl1eDDS5qtG5jmd37n6krqwSoUUDBoi6CJKZg26umdqO5f3m3Jg2yp57D2GoeXfVdEURDzjXCwncortP-3FxPbvZnW1Na3c3WP_UYcsdoBqgrY0Sou5dZv8Jy7LcRO15BktYZztp4TRcBwE60R6NPYguiv2vDqSCE-OFOqY=w640-h184" width="640" /></a></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">For the life of me, I can’t tell why Martin would pick this place as one of his favorites. The fog makes it difficult to see, it’s damp but it hasn’t rained, and it doesn’t seem to able to house any lifeforms. There’s not a single leaf remaining on any of these trees and he can’t be happier. I can’t manage to sleep out here, I’m sure something is watching me. Ever since we entered this area, I can feel the eyes on me, but I can’t see anything through all the fog. Even now, I’m staring at the top of my tent, because I don’t want to go outside. I can’t exactly pee on myself either. I slip on my shoes and unzip my tent and head towards the edge of camp.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">Phillip is standing on the edge of our camping area, looking out between the trees and into the dense fog. He turns to me when he hears me approaching, I half expect him to say something rude again, but he doesn’t say anything. He just looks at me, fearfully as if I’m going to do something to him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“What do you want,” I ask him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“You going to the bathroom?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Yeah.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Can I come with you?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Why?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“I have to go to too.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Then why didn’t you just go?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“It’s, scary out there.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Wow, you must really be scared to count on a man with one arm.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Are you going to take me or not?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Yeah, let’s go.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">Phillip sticks close to me as we leave camp, not too far, just far enough that it isn’t rude to use the bathroom. 80 paces in a straight line is enough. The fog keeps getting thicker out here, and I don’t want to lose camp. All the trees out here look the same and there aren’t any real landmarks to find my way back to camp from here.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“I’m going over there, you go over there,” I say to Phillip.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Why are we splitting up?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Because I don’t plan on exposing myself to a teenager.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Yeah, but what if something happens?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“There’s nothing out here.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“It could be an animal or something.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Well, scream.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“What if we just go back to back.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Are you joking?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Not at all.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Just yell if you need me. You don’t seem too smart, but I think you can figure it out without my help,” I walk off to the side.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">It’s hard to pee out here, it is spooky. It doesn’t take long before I hear Phillip scream. I call out to let him know everything is fine, but he keeps screaming. I guess I should go check on him. Shit, I got some pee on my pants. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad letting him get lost out here.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Where did you go,” I ask as I return to where we split.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Over here,” I hear him call out.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">As I walk towards him it looks like he’s snatched deeper into the fog. I take off running without thinking. I’m unarmed but I could never forgive myself for letting a kid go missing on my watch. I chase after the rough outline in the fog, unsure if I’ll find a monster or another prank for the kids. For a moment my fingertips meet those of Phillip’s before he’s yanked further into the fog. The creature makes a sharp turn and I slip on leaves trying to make a leap towards them. I get back on my feet and keep giving chase. I snatch at Phillips arm and yank him back to my side.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">The creature stops and turns to me. A blob of a creature featuring only a mouth where the torso should be stared back at me, one massive eye for a face, and eyes covering each of the tentacles. I lose balance as the creature rips through my chest with claws I could not see. I panic as blood begins to pour from the wound. I scream but not a sound comes through, only Philips laughs. I stagger away from the creature. I fall and a sense of dread overtakes my body as the ground doesn’t seem to come closer only to realize I had fallen from a cliff. Every inch of my body rattles with pain radiating from my spine.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">Everything in my world fades to black. For an eternity I stare into the darkness. A bright light unzips around me and the ability to rise returns to me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Hey, breakfast is ready,” I’m staring into Phillip’s face.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Yeah,” is all I can say.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“And thanks for last night,” I really think it’s him, “the whole pee thing.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Yeah, no problem.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">I step out into the camp, and everything is different, the same but different. The fog is still here, but now bright sunlight shines through it as the fog drifts away. The dark and dirty leaves below us are showing all kinds of magnificent colors and even the dilapidated trees show flowers beginning to bloom along their branches.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“This place is beautiful in the mornings,” Martin says handing me a cup of coffee.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Yeah, it is.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">I can only wonder how much of last night was real, how much was a dream. On some level it feels like I’m still dreaming but I know that isn’t the case. If I was dreaming Martin’s coffee wouldn’t be sliding down my throat like hot sludge. He makes the worst coffee I’ve ever had, and making over a campfire doesn’t help the issue.</span></p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-11869368694869098172022-06-22T09:00:00.000-07:002022-06-22T09:00:00.168-07:001.47 - Snowfall<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRMgNaFKkEga433aGw0ioqV0H9jJqGu_SHFHufCxYVxM9Kc5_A70OvFJxNEL8HVS9LrU4Htf3ZbKHXEa2cRlQgOYSBUJsu4jHAkIjdPmbzDyVLWqHrv1B3OThjKtxfU4BoRi3IEidShjLsgMhzJikuZDzfi3UMs8XK0Uez3byOdtuteIykZE6agrs=s826" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRMgNaFKkEga433aGw0ioqV0H9jJqGu_SHFHufCxYVxM9Kc5_A70OvFJxNEL8HVS9LrU4Htf3ZbKHXEa2cRlQgOYSBUJsu4jHAkIjdPmbzDyVLWqHrv1B3OThjKtxfU4BoRi3IEidShjLsgMhzJikuZDzfi3UMs8XK0Uez3byOdtuteIykZE6agrs=w640-h184" width="640" /></a></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">The boys joke around, playing in the snow as they march ahead of Martin and I. Part of me wants to join them, I’ve never seen snow like this before. It’s light, flakey and pure white. It’s a foreign feeling to me. Every time I’ve seen snow, it’s been heavy and various shades of tan, brown or yellow. Usually, it falls hard and fast, but this is almost floating down. Martin sticks his tongue out, occasionally catching a snow flake, something I’d never do. I suppose there’s no fear of this snow being toxic.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“You never seen snow before,” Martin asks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“No. Yes. I’ve seen snow, just not like this.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“It used to fall like this all the time on Earth. Falls like this on Nyame too, only a few times a year, and never this much. That’s why I love this place so much. It’s not just falling, but you can feel it, really feel it in the air. It’s almost like being a kid again. I could sit around here all day if my feet wouldn’t get cold.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“I know what you mean, that sense of finding something new. I didn’t know snow could be like this.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“That’s not what I meant,” Martin laughs. “I grew up on Mars, when the terraforming was just starting, it would snow there for most of the year. Now it never snows at all, I wonder why they went so far in the opposite direction. You can put more clothes on if you’re cold. Can only get so naked if you’re hot. Now I’m lucky if I get a full month of snow Nyame.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">The boys run wild, tell the same dirty jokes I told when I was their age and throw snow at each other. But, when Martin gives the signal, they line up like his own little military regimen. We’ve reached the location that we’re camping in tonight. He waits on the boys to point out the perfect location. A small clearing in a group of trees, enough space for three tents and a fire. I prepare to make camp but Martin stops me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“The boys are going to set up all the tents. We’re just here to supervise and make sure nobody dies.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Why are we setting up his tent,” David asks. “We didn’t know you were chaperoning him too.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Because he knows how to set up a tent already and if you’ve got some idiot taking over the troop when I’m done, I want to make sure you can do it. There’s three of you, and three tents, should go by pretty quick.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">Despite the jokes, laughing and smiling Martin knows when to be stern and it seems like they respect him for it. Martin and I dig out a few loose sticks, some stones and prepare a few objects for a campfire. The boys hustle to get the tents up, racing to see who can do it the fastest. Each one stands in front of a completed tent in thirty minutes or less. Martin walks through and inspects the tents, two single tents for us and a large one for the boys. He comes back to me and looks disappointed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“What’s wrong with the tents Efrem,” he asks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“How would he know, he didn’t even look,” Jacob scoffs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“But he’s experienced, and watched you set up the tents,” Martin responds. “Go ahead, tell them.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Alright, well, the first thing is you didn’t pack down the snow. When you’re camping in the winter packed down snow can provide some insulation. On the floor of the tents, I would have put down an extra blanket or something just insulation, but it’s not required. Some of the spikes aren't in particularly good spots. When camping in snow, or any terrain that can shift it’s alright to tie a post to a tree or stone for sturdiness. Lastly, it’s not really required, but I would build a snow wall, just to block some of the wind,” I shrug after my evaluation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Like I said, experienced,” Martin “So, let’s break it down, and do it all again.” The boys begin to groan and complain about how this isn’t fair but Martin has them straighten up. “Efrem is going to take charge, and show you how to do it.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">Suddenly I’m bonding with the boys as I feel like I’m being punished too. I came prepared to set up my own tent, but not three tents. The boys whisper a few more jokes about my robot arm taking over my mind. I’m glad I’m meeting these kids now, and not when I first lost my arm. I might have ended up on the news for a triple homicide if I had met them back then. I still hate these kids. Despite the jokes, they take instruction well and we’re able to get everything done in about forty-five minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">Martin leads a short lesson how to start a campfire in the snow. He digs out a circle all the way to the ground and arranges some of the drier sticks we got earlier before pulling out a lighter. Next he reaches for a small prescription bottle filled with a synthetic gel and scraps of fabric.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“I thought we needed to know how to make a fire without a lighter,” David asks and gets some giggles.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“That’s kind of hard in the snow,” I respond.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">Martin lights the contents of the pill bottle and throws the bottle onto his little pile causing it to light in just a few moments. The boys rush in to warm their hands, amazed by his fire in a bottle. It’s simple, but they’re amazed by the old man’s ingenuity.</span></p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-87079448089875112212022-06-21T09:00:00.005-07:002022-06-21T09:00:00.163-07:001.46 - Troup 491<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAlPyns2AQU1SUKCT3fOylIe2xVUmU5J0qCCLCn-ygzIgUyy1N54gg9nUxrv8MwIQodhy4_TOXmAD_WWQRpl91r1SdkaabYfq6UYZbjW6xVAAgxzJcXn0u9nl1ukSS6aNFVnz4U0e6Ba9Iyat9Xz27wYEc9nQRdm9boXyqe-0PU_ay686nzSFkVTU=s826" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAlPyns2AQU1SUKCT3fOylIe2xVUmU5J0qCCLCn-ygzIgUyy1N54gg9nUxrv8MwIQodhy4_TOXmAD_WWQRpl91r1SdkaabYfq6UYZbjW6xVAAgxzJcXn0u9nl1ukSS6aNFVnz4U0e6Ba9Iyat9Xz27wYEc9nQRdm9boXyqe-0PU_ay686nzSFkVTU=w640-h184" width="640" /></a></p><p>I stare back at the four teenagers looking at me with distrust. No, it’s not distrust, I recognize the look. It’s defiance in the face of authority. That look was plastered on my face when I was their age. To see it glaring back at me some decades later. Martin is over to the side speaking with their parents leaving me with a group of kids I’ve never seen before. Chaperoning a troop of Galactic Groundbreakers was not in the job description. Yet, here I am. I thought I was just going on a camping trip with Martin, this was a set up. I didn’t even know he was a troop leader.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“What are you staring at slot machine,” one of the boys asks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Calm down, he doesn’t look like he’s been out camping before. We have to hand it to him for going on this trip,” another adds.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Just look at him,” the third starts. “I bet he can handle anything single handedly.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Alright, chill out. This guy is an amputee,” the first says.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“But on the other hand, this is really fun,” the third adds.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“He looks mad, I guess we’re lucky he’s unarmed,” the second continues.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">I’m not mad, I’m actually surprised they were able to string together so many bad jokes in quick succession. Were my brothers and I this terrible as teenagers? No, we couldn’t have been. We would never speak to some random guy like this, we’d wait until he left and say it behind his back. Did that runt call me a slot machine? This is a bad idea, I need to get out of here before this trip actually starts. Martin waves goodbye to the parents and makes his way over to us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Hey, Martin, I don’t think I can do this,” I intercept him before he can reach the kids.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Nonsense, this is going to be my last outing as a troop leader, it’ll be great if you can come with us.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“No, I really don’t think I can do this.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“You were a military man, you can do anything. I’m sure you’ve got some knowledge you can pass on to the kids.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">Martin knows exactly what I mean, he’s pretending to be ignorant on purpose. This is his way of saying that I don’t have a choice in the matter. Pauline would have just threatened to bury me with the other hypothetical bodies on the ranch. But Martin finds other ways to force me into going along with his plans.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Alright boys,” Martin starts and the boy stand up tall, “this is Efrem, he’s going to be joining us on the trip. I want you to give him the same respect you would me,” they don’t know what respect means. “Efrem, this is David, Phillip and Jacob.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">David, the ring leader, a short skinny kid with a devious look, Jacob a giant of a teenager is the second boy and Phillip, the last of the three, middling size but looks like he’s constantly plotting. I can’t stand any of them, and I don’t know what Martin is doing pretending they’re great kids. He has to know what they’re really like.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Mr. Efrem,” David raises his hand.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Yeah, David.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“How did you lose your arm?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“I was being a jerk to someone I didn’t really know. Turns out he was crazy, cut it right off,” I stare at him in the eyes without blinking. I’ll just make them fear me. “But don’t worry, you should see the other guy.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“You’re a real jokester,” Martin pats me on the back, I smile and wink at the kids.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">For the trip we’re going to be staying on Asase Ya, the second largest moon in Sol, only Ganymede is larger. While it’s a moon, of Nyame, it has two smaller moons, Bea and Tano of its own. While Ganymede has been colonized and has a sustainable population, Asase Ya is simply too wild and beautiful to be tamed. It’s a moon but according to the codex it maintains several different biomes. Martin’s goal is to spend the trip traveling through each of his favorites. I’m not sure what he has planned, but we’re all carrying massive amounts of gear suited for all kinds of wreathing, things we wouldn’t have gotten as soldiers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">The kids spend most of the ride to Asase Ya playing games and looking at various, things that teenagers look at on The Nexus. Things that they probably shouldn’t have access to, but they’ve got no shame. I try to gain some info about our path from Martin, but he’s keeping the whole thing secret. What I do know, is there’s a final destination on the trip and we won’t be leaving from the same station that we arrive on. There’s no map for him to review, and he seems perfectly at ease with the chaotic nature of it all. I start to rapidly search The Nexus for anything I can about the moon. I always tried to have information about where I was going. If you’re knowledgeable about the location you’ll be adventuring into, you don’t have to worry about things going too far off course.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">Martin places his hand over my wrist comp, blocking out the holographic information, “you should try to relax some, I’ve been doing this a long time. Put some trust in other people.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“This is the first time I ever wanted one of the facial implants instead of a wrist comp.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">Martin gives me a big laugh and moves his hand, “you don’t get to be my age by planning for everything. Going along for the ride isn’t bad, just have to know when to hop off.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“I’m trying to make sure I know when to hop off.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“You’re a good kid,” Martin glances out the window into space. “Maybe a little unhinged, but a good kid.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">I sigh, and close out of The Nexus. “So, what makes you want to go to Asase Ya for your last trip?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“I thought you’d never ask,” Martin looks at me and smiles.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“I could sense you really wanted to tell,” I chuckle.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“You’re smarter than you look,” he joins me in a laugh.</span></p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-28353810631728413222022-06-20T09:00:00.005-07:002022-06-20T09:00:00.165-07:001.45 – Human Supremacist<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTILOykZrinKb6z1v95D51uUS2zbe53umXUheWav2DejB46oAzovgja8q1BtSXCo2DR3iCUC-sTRXL1rJKbefbZbCSWtwNlsZMacnjzmtkAITg8OQCS3Is9PhNm0b4njvO5KkWq7ALnzcozygD-ihP5WAbhs6NBTs8BiAbU8Ta1h6hsFI4ZzXydNA=s826" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTILOykZrinKb6z1v95D51uUS2zbe53umXUheWav2DejB46oAzovgja8q1BtSXCo2DR3iCUC-sTRXL1rJKbefbZbCSWtwNlsZMacnjzmtkAITg8OQCS3Is9PhNm0b4njvO5KkWq7ALnzcozygD-ihP5WAbhs6NBTs8BiAbU8Ta1h6hsFI4ZzXydNA=w640-h184" width="640" /></a></p><p>“The aliens are taking over this planet too, used to be a safe haven for humanity,” a young man says to a group of others at a table off in the corner.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">I don’t pay them any mind, nothing I haven’t heard a thousand times before, especially after my trip to mars. The aliens took our jobs, my partner left me for an alien. It’s all a bunch of crap, just seems odd for a planet where there’s so many human and alien interactions every day. Racism, specism or whatever, just never made any sense to me. It doesn’t bother me, but the old man is clearly annoyed by the talk. He’s been eyeing the table since they came in, mumbled something about the Earth patches on their jackets. Each patch features Earth with a Vitruvian Man stretched across. It’s something I’ve never seen before but it gets a lot of looks, not just from Martin. While his is a look of rage, others seem more surprised. Their conversation gets more detailed in their dislike for other species, opting to use slurs instead of actual names. A small vein is popping out of Martin’s neck at this point. I’ve never seen the man get upset, raise his voice or look like he even knew how to be angry. I thought Pauline had exclusive rights to that emotion in their relationship.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“The winged rodents are the worst. Flying around but couldn’t even save their own damn planet,” A large man missing a finger speaks loudly. “They expect me to eat bugs like them?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Hey, we don’t really do that kind of talk around here,” I sit down a few beers to make this easy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Why? You fucking a flying rat,” the man asks loudly.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">His friends begin to cackle in unison as if they’ve heard the funniest joke of all time. They’ve managed to draw the attention of everyone in the bar at this point. Pauline shines some glasses as she watches for my reaction. Martin has made his way from the kitchen, but it seems like I’m the only one who notices he’s tucked a knife into his waistband. I can’t let this old man start a fight, even if he’s got a knife. He’d be outnumbered, I’m outnumbered too, but I think I can take these guys.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Yeah, just love that fur, so please respect my partner,” humor always worked for Edan, I suppose I’m just not funny because nobody laughed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Was that supposed to be funny,” a guy with strange shapes carved in his beard speaks up.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Yeah, but nobody laughed, so how about you all just leave?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“I’m not going anywhere because you want to kiss some extraterrestrial ass,” Fingerless Joe speaks as the third man licks his lips.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Alright, now I’m telling you, get out.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“You going to make me,” the three men rise from the table.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">I don’t answer right away, I wave off Martin and Pauline. I don’t get a chance to answer the threat before Squiggle Beard takes a wild swing that I see coming from a mile away. He’s drunk enough that he just tumbles to the floor. Fingers lands a body shot but I’m able to counter with a few solid lefts of my own. I lose track of who’s hitting me. After a good punch to the jaw I’m left wondering why I’m not using this arm full of all kinds of metal alloys that I’ve been carrying around. It feels good to throw a right-handed punch again; it feels better when Squiggle Beard drops the ground and there’s a pause in the fighting. Long enough for me to take the action to the third man, he can’t give a punch, but he can take one. He’s smaller than the others, but he’s a lot sturdier too. Screw this. I wrap my arms around his waist and twist as I lift him off the ground. There’s a bang and the sound of glass shattering as I slam him to the floor and the table comes with us. A few more quick punches and he’s out. My right arm goes dead again, not a good sign. I turn to face the man missing a finger only to see he’s got a taser. He looks like he’s seen a ghost when I face him. I grab a bottle in my left hand, I don’t do the stupid thing and try to break it. I just fling it as his head as hard as I can. When he dodges it I rush and tackle him to the ground. I’m able to land some punches but I can’t keep control with just one arm. Soon he’s on top of me throwing punches of his own. There’s a loud crack and he collapses on top of me. I roll his body over to see Martin standing there with a chair.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">It doesn’t take long for peace officers to show up, Pauline called them sometime before the fight started. I’m not in any trouble, everyone in the bar was on the same page about what had happened. The three of them will be going to jail, and I’ll be going to get an icepack and a cold shower. Maybe a couple days off if Pauline thinks I did a good job.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“You did a hell of a job, didn’t think you had it in you,” Martin pats me on the shoulder as people head out for the night.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Why not? I told you I was a marine,” I flex my right arm, and stretch my fingers to make sure it syncs up well.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“That bright and fancy arm is why I didn’t believe it, but you showed me. I respect it.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Thanks for the assist with the chair by the way.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Well you did all the hard work.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Just like with the roof,” we both laugh.</span></p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-73924786658386785272022-06-19T09:00:00.005-07:002022-06-19T09:00:00.188-07:001.44 – Take it Slow<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvKVmnwJRmvodOr69QjOZN9cf_8jQmuTadSNbLyHkR1vkFZyYCGy1yOAWNn_A_KxgSb6wPaFOo-GUnSM8RxFJgBFGdQ3DuzuwtmBRMAA3a3TTlWaczRDj4O407l9Pk-cVc8xlNTXoIHDWMmlE63_xtlzFgxWxqdwo3obQd8pJ5HnUJK67gtYlXs3A=s826" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvKVmnwJRmvodOr69QjOZN9cf_8jQmuTadSNbLyHkR1vkFZyYCGy1yOAWNn_A_KxgSb6wPaFOo-GUnSM8RxFJgBFGdQ3DuzuwtmBRMAA3a3TTlWaczRDj4O407l9Pk-cVc8xlNTXoIHDWMmlE63_xtlzFgxWxqdwo3obQd8pJ5HnUJK67gtYlXs3A=w640-h184" width="640" /></a></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">The bar here isn’t much different than any sports bar that I’ve been to before. The only surprise is that it’s right on the ranch. I suppose these are the things you can do when you’ve got money, I wouldn’t know. It’s only open on days when there’s a big game or playoffs. I thought it would be just a bar for Martin and Pauline’s friends but there’s a good mix of locals in here. I just have to keep the bar clean and pick up the dirty dishes. Martin is in the back cooking, and Pauline is actually a master bartender. A skill I should have just assumed she had. She’s got a drink list a mile long filled with modern drinks as well as classics and a plenty of her own original concoctions. Before we opened up tonight she gave me one she called ‘The Hagar’s Daughter.’ The drink was half black, half white, split along the vertical, a trick I’ve never seen before. The initial taste was bitter and tasted of bad fruit but immediately after I swallowed I felt a flow of energy and a taste of sweetness that hasn’t left my mouth even an hour later. I suppose living on a ranch gives you a lot of time to practice and hone different skills, including bartending.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">The locals around here are different than Invicta, a lot different. They’re mostly human, and mostly old. Some older than Pauline and Martin. Even the aliens here are old, older than any I’ve ever met before. They’re polite, tip extremely well even when it’s not mandatory and all I’m doing is clearing tables or occasionally dropping off drinks and food. Every so often a group will wander in from the city and find a place to sit down and enjoy the mellow ambiance provided. I imagine I’d want to take a break from Invicta if I lived there. A few of the locals watch them, expecting trouble, but greet them with open arms when they realize there’ll be none tonight.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">I feel a cold hand on my arm and turn to spot a woman old enough to be my mother’s, mother’s, mother. “Where’d you get this sexy number,” she asks rubbing her hand up and down my prosthetic arm.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Just had a little accident,” I smile and attempt to walk away.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Well, I’m old so we wouldn’t have any accidents,” she winks at me as her friends giggle.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“I’ll keep that in mind. I’d love to stay and chat, but I think I hear Martin calling,” I do not hear Martin calling.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">Pauline and Martin have gotten a kick out of it. I’m the youngest thing in the bar by far, and for some people, that’s all it takes for them to start trying to add me to their trophy cases. I always hear stories about how senior citizens are the most sexually active, but I believe them now. I haven’t taken anyone up on their offers, and I don’t intend to, but they keep coming. If they knew how boring I was, they’d stop wasting time trying to take me out and just enjoy the food and drinks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“You not going to give her the time of day,” Martin asks laughing as I enter the kitchen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“If I was 100 years older, I’d be all over it,” I laugh.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“If you were a 100 years older she wouldn’t be interested with her old cradle robbing ass,” Pauline adds as she grabs some clean glasses for the bar.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">I jump as the woman from earlier pinches my butt as I’m grabbing more plates. That’s the line, I’m no longer comfortable. Before I can’t say anything, Pauline is walking from behind the bar. She passes me without a word or a glance. In just a moment she’s staring down the table of women.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“You need to leave my bar before I burry you out back,” Pauline speaks slowly and calmly.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“What,” the woman asks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Take your friends with you too.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“I’m not understanding.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Keep your hands to yourself, or get them cut off. Real simple. I’m giving you the chance to leave, with your hands,” Pauline responds, producing a knife almost from thin air.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">I rush over and grab Pauline by the shoulders and guide her away from the table. Martin watches on laughing and clapping, loving the entire situation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“You don’t have to kill her for me,” I lead her to the kitchen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“I love it when you get the knife out,” Martin takes Pauline and gives her a big kiss before he starts to dance with her.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Anybody give you any trouble, I’ll gut them, for you,” Pauline promises as Martin twirls her around.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">Those two must have been something special back in the day. I’m not sure what I’ve gotten myself into working for them, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love it. I love their stories, their over the top reactions, the home cooked meals and even learning about farming. I thought I was becoming an adrenaline junkie, but it turns out, I just needed to slow down. </span></p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8770161411321204009.post-5318107454925007972022-06-18T09:00:00.006-07:002022-06-18T09:00:00.152-07:001.43 - Soldiers on the Roof<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjG7t0GdUrYGXYcD5dEmKShm7AVmz2CsiFG7TBvbSxRgb4q4e6gnW--eIXqN0XA6Qrns8Vll1S5By76zVJBP8U7D0tQ-jerm_EbKWgkmKyvVKyh2htTvx5PjFwhEOgBOAhcC1Onpq8FChNoXU32XQO3M6_bmfdov4bq7az3bc4QjvFAc3TmslR2uHY=s826" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="826" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjG7t0GdUrYGXYcD5dEmKShm7AVmz2CsiFG7TBvbSxRgb4q4e6gnW--eIXqN0XA6Qrns8Vll1S5By76zVJBP8U7D0tQ-jerm_EbKWgkmKyvVKyh2htTvx5PjFwhEOgBOAhcC1Onpq8FChNoXU32XQO3M6_bmfdov4bq7az3bc4QjvFAc3TmslR2uHY=w640-h184" width="640" /></a></p><p>I peel back another roof tile, remove the crooked nail and toss it down to the bin below. I wipe the sweat away from my eyes with my forearm. I’m told this is unusually warm for Spring in this hemisphere on Nyame. All I know is I signed up for mild physical labor, not replacing a roof on the biggest house I’ve ever seen that wasn’t owned by some dictator or warlord. I can’t complain too much, Martin isn’t hard to work for; he’s the type to keep his head down and get his work done. Pauline, is not someone I’d want to meet in a dark alleyway. She’s charming, but I can tell she could knock most men on their asses without much effort. If she was about 70 years younger, I might be turned on. Hell, I’m still kind of turned on at times. I’m sick, this is what I get for hanging out with Edan.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“You know, there’s easier ways to do this than the way they did it in the past,” I tell Martin as a I toss another shingle.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Easier isn’t always better,” Pauline responds. I didn’t even see her arrive on the roof. “If you can’t take the work I’ll gladly find a replacement.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“I can take as much as you can throw at me,” I smile at Pauline as she offers me a glass of dew broth.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“You know why Martin doesn’t complain,” she asks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Because it wouldn’t do him any good,” I respond.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“See, I told you the boy had some brains,” Martin smiles.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“So, is there some sentimental value in the house? I’ve noticed the guest house is a lot more up to date than the main house,” I’m stalling, roofing is hard.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“My grandfather built it. It’s an old house, made with real wood, real nails, and put together right here, not some factory on another planet. This isn’t a house you can just pick up and float somewhere else,” Pauline pauses to sip some dew broth. “It’s like this dew broth. I go out and select which dew berries I’m going to use to make the broth. I cut them myself, add the sugar, boil them down and make sure it gets chilled at the perfect temperature and mixed with just the right amount of water. Now, you can get the same drink, with the same ingredients at any store. But, it just won’t taste the same.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Pay attention, she might teach you something,” Martin smiles as she talks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“You boys keep up the work,” Pauline starts to leave.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">Martin smacks Pauline on the backside, she giggles and gives him a look that can only mean one thing. It’s an act of affection, a larger one than anything I’ve ever seen my parents do. I can’t help but blush just seeing their boldness. They’re both well over 100 and still acting like teenaged lovers. It’s sweet.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“You got a sweetheart of your own,” Martin asks as we pull more tiles.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Nah, I’m all by myself in this great big universe,” I laugh.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Why?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“What do you mean?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“You’re a good-looking fella, you’ve got a good head on your shoulders and you aren’t a user.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“I just don’t think I’ve met the right person.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Sometimes they just pop up right when you least expect it. That’s how I met Pauline.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“I’ll keep that in mind.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">Martin didn’t seem very talkative when I first met him, or even the next few days working around the ranch. Now that we’re up here on the roof he can’t seem to stop talking. The only time he pauses is when Pauline comes by to give us drinks, food or tell us to speed up the pace. Most of the things he says are, thoughtful. Things I wish my own father had said to me when I was young. I’ve already learned most of these things the hard way. Always work hard, but know when someone is taking advantage of you. Your life is more important than money. Value yourself, it isn’t okay for people to treat you poorly. Don’t just feel an emotion, try to understand it. Meanwhile Pauline keeps bringing me more food. She’s worried I don’t have enough weight. I’ve got plenty of weight and muscle, but she doesn’t seem to care. For my part I pretend to laugh at the jokes, I really do laugh at a few. It seems like I wasn’t the only person searching for family. I’ve only been here a week and they treat me more like a son they haven’t seen in a long time than a worker.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Good job up there today,” Martin pats me on the back as we come down from the roof.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Thanks, but I think you did more than I did.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Nah, it just seems like that, I was taking it easy. You’re going to have to do this without me one day.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“I hope not.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“You never know. Go ahead and get cleaned up, then come join us for dinner.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Did you clear that with Pauline,” I joke.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Nah, but she likes to have you eat with us and tell us stories.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“Alright, I’ll join you for dinner.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">“She might even let us have some beer,” Martin laughs as he walks away.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="normaltextrun">I feel like all I do around here is laugh. A lot of the laughs are fake, but even fake laughs make me feel some joy. Maybe being a rancher is what I should have been doing all along.</span></p>Darrell S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05073457397285089113noreply@blogger.com0