Man...I must have not like called enough attention to the briefing plan between Keller and Joseph. When they bickered about where to put down the drop pods, and Joseph wanted to put them down IN the refugee camp, and Keller pointed out that that would like...KILL most of the refugee's. Then they decided to put the drop pods down about a block or so from the camp.
Anyone else remember this? Anyone?
Next clip please.
Darkside: Extermination
Moderator: Moderators
Excitment, adventure! And the only charicter NOT confused by Peter's sudden return seems to be Tipp, because she's worked with him for the last few years.
├óÔé¼┼ôDoes this ship have an precision lasers?├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôYou shot them off in the second barrage├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph looked at the map ├óÔé¼┼ôThose tanks are doing wonders for the wrong side├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller frowned, leaning over the map. Three flash's lit the darkness on the live projection, fed in by a spy sat, and the explosions from the shell's lit up the grounds. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs there any way to hit those tanks?├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôI did send down fifty marines down there├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then Keller saw one of the tanks explode in a big fiery ball.
Tipp winced. The tank to the left of her exploded, sending chunks of armor and metal flying outwards. She ducked down as a bit of the exploded tank slammed into the turret of the Widower. It bounced off the armor, leaving a new dent in the already dented and pitted hull. ├óÔé¼┼ôFuck├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôThey dented one of our kill sines!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted down into the turret ├óÔé¼┼ôLets show them!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Her gunner pressed down both triggers and the tank fired. The shells were dead on, hitting the middle of the marine 's little army. Two rockets arced over head and impacted in the refugee camp, blowing apart another group of tents.
Tipp gestured to the pilot, shouting orders at the top of her lungs. The Widower slowly turned about and accelerated, driving around the marine position to assault them from an unprotected flank. Her other remaining tank followed suit, driving around the other way. Refugee's scattered. Then the marines opened up on the tank, firing armor pricing bullets. Children, women and men fell, cut down by the cross fire. The tank rolled around them, trying to block the bullets for the refugees. D.G soldiers started to form up, firing intermittent fire against the marines. Tipp got down as bullets bounced off her tank. She closed the top of the tank.
Lizzy spotted something that would save them. ├óÔé¼┼ôOver there!├óÔé¼┬Ø she pointed. It was a sewer grate. They all started to clamber over the ground. Then a tank with the word ├óÔé¼┼ôWidower├óÔé¼┬Ø spray painted over a plethora of kill sines, rolled to a stop behind them, turned its turret around and let lose with both of its barrels. The shells screamed over head and slammed into the wall behind the marines, knocking even more of the already shattered perimeter. The marines, responding to this new threat, opened fire on the tank.
Eve saw the bullets. They would turn her, Mike, Lizzy, Helena, Sarge and Mankowski into confetti. She raised her hands up, as if to stop the bullets. ├óÔé¼┼ôSTOP!├óÔé¼┬Ø She shouted. She slowly opened her eyes. A rain drop hung in the air, right in front of her. A man stood, hands up to ward off an enemy about to smash his face in with the butt of his rifle. The man attacking him was frozen as well, the rifle butt frozen an inch away from the man's face. A tank was half way down firing, its barrel still recoiling. A cloud of smoke was still billowing out of the tank, frozen as well. Eve stood up, brushing mud off her body.
She slowly walking around the battle, looking at the frozen scene in front of her. She walked around three men, running away from a unstoppable bullet. A child, hugging her dead mother. Eve walked back to her friends and plucked one of the bullets out of the air. She looked at the shell and dropped it. She looked around at the frozen battle and wondered what she could do. First she had to figure out what she did. Eve looked at her friends. They each looked vaguely comical, frozen like that.
├óÔé¼┼ôSir! Sir!├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller looked up. An aide was running into the map room. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jacob asked, looking cross. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø The aide said ├óÔé¼┼ôThere is something very unusual happening at the battle!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBe right back├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said, holding up his hand to Joseph, who opened his mouth to object. Then Keller was out of the room. Keller and his aide ran down the hall way to the Hannibal's bridge. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller's aide pointed at three screens. Each one was flashing with red and white letters, each a warning about sensor calibration. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller leaned in and looked at the screen, trying to make sense of it.
├óÔé¼┼ôIts the HEPE sensor├óÔé¼┬Ø His aide said, pointing at the readouts ├óÔé¼┼ôSee its detecting a solid mass of High Energy Partials, concentrated in a fifty foot by fifty foot sphere, right here├óÔé¼┬Ø the aide pressed a button and the battle appeared on the screen, as seen from orbit. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are we looking at here?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked, trying to make sense of the image. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think its rain├óÔé¼┬Ø The aide said softly. There was a sphere of rippling liquid. Ripples spread outwards from thousands of droplets hitting it. ├óÔé¼┼ôFuck├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôAre we getting any readings from our marines down there?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSome├óÔé¼┬Ø The aide said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut those are from the marines at the edge of the disturbance. We think they have less interference├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre they alive?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked, looking at the aide. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll discuss this with...Captain Joseph├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Eve opened a door into parliament, looking around. Inside a man was running past, frozen in motion. He was pulling a white glove tighter on his left hand, his glasses almost falling off his nose. Eve stepped around him, carefully walking over rubble that strewed the hall way. A cell had been blasted apart by a tank shell, and it had showered the place with fragments of wood and metal. Eve stepped past this, still not sure what she was looking for. She came round the bend in the hall and found a door ajar, with a man and a woman inside, hurriedly pushing a strange contraption into a bag. A black figure was pressed into the celling, hanging there, using some suction pads.
Eve turned around and saw another door open. It was a bathroom. Eve realized that she really really needed to pee. It sounded like an odd thing to want at a time like that, but Eve really did need to. She walked into the bathroom, pushing the door open. She walked into the bathroom and saw a line of urinals. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it all├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve muttered. She managed, squatting down on the ungainly thing. After she was done Eve flushed the urinal and walked over to wash her hands. She saw a mirror over the sink. Her face looked back at her, a small dribble of blood splattered over her forehead.
Eve smiled at her self. Eve blinked. She wasn't smiling. Her reflection then winked slowly at her. Eve backed away from the mirror slightly. Her reflection then smiled again. There was something very evil in the smile. Predatory and nasty. Then Eve's reflection held up a severed head, its face turned away from her. Eve gaped at the reflection, rotted to the spot. Then her reflection turned the head around and Mike's face leered at Eve. Eve didn't remember running out of the room, but she was suddenly outside, panting as if she had run a great distance. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm definitely going crazy├óÔé¼┬Ø She muttered, nonchalantly ducking under a tank shell that was stopped in mid flight. She looked at the tank shell ├óÔé¼┼ôCrasyier├óÔé¼┬Ø she amended.
Eve sat down on the ground, her head spinning. She barely remembered a time when she wasn't different from other kids. Then she realized she had always been different. She had been the daughter of the Minister for Colonial Security. Now that she thought about it her old life, before her ninth birthday, felt incredibly remote and dreamlike. Then she remembered what she had said earlier. ├óÔé¼┼ôStart├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, knowing it would never work.
The rain started again, a thundering sound that was almost deafening. Everyone breathed as one, able to move at last. The bullets fell to the ground. The shell clunked down and buried itself in the mud, not detonating. Mike looked around. Helena looked around. Mankowski looked around. Sarge looked around. The marines and D.G looked around. Peter pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose. To everyone else it appeared as if Eve had jumped a few inch's to the right, suddenly sitting up rather then ducking down.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the fuck just happened?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked. Suddenly everything had blinked and shifted around. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know├óÔé¼┬Ø Her plot said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe chronometer say we've gone forward about five minutes or so├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tipp opened the turret door and looked out, forgetting to straighten her beret. It seemed like everyone was too shocked and bewildered to really do anything. ├óÔé¼┼ôHello!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp shouted, climbing out of the tank.
The marines started and brought their guns up. Tipp's hands were still up ├óÔé¼┼ôCan we parley, perhaps?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked. Peter groaned ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell├óÔé¼┬Ø. He was stooped over, staring out of the window at his idiot tank commander. The marines slowly let their weapons drop, bringing them down to point at the ground. They were still ready to fire, of course. One of them stepped forward. He was wearing a helmet on that obscured his face and hair. He dropped down a ring of metal that landed din the mud. Then it spun up and three orbs slid out of it, rotating around the ring about head high above the ring itself.
Keller looked around. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts a state of the art battlefield communication system├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe've issued them to one in five of our troops. It works great when the enemy surrenders├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller looked at the other captain. He was standing in what looked like a very old style phone booth. He closed the door and the entire thing lit up. Then Joseph disappeared, static obscuring him. Then the static cleared and Keller was found looking at an almost exact copy of his aunt, a venerable woman named Alexandra. Except this woman was about ten or so years younger and wore a slanted beret. Keller was taken aback by the reality of the display around him that he prodded the walls to make sure they were still there.
Tipp looked at the sudden holographic image. He was an almost exact copy of her uncle, a venerable man named Trip. Tipp had only known her uncle by photograph and reputation of being a stubborn jackass. Tipp hoped that this man wasn't a stubborn jackass like her uncle had been. Then she heard a slam and the Commander was running into the field. ├óÔé¼┼ôTipp!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't do anything stupid!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tipp looked at the holographic figure and smiled at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho is that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust my boss├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said, thinking I stop a war and he yells at me to not do something stupid.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, shoving Tipp out of the way. Keller snapped to attention ├óÔé¼┼ôAdmiral Peter!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is an honer...sir├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter waved his hand ├óÔé¼┼ôNever mind that now├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats more important is why your men have been slaughtering civilians├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry, admiral, sir├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said, dropping his hand and standing at an uneasy attention ├óÔé¼┼ôAny and all people found guilty, via gun cam recordings, will be executed├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôOrgan banks├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôSend them to the Dantana Organ banks├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôI think that there might not be a Dantana Organ Bank soon...in fact I don't think there wont be any Dantana in a few weeks├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Lizzy was staring transfixedly at the sewer grate. It was slowly...rotating. Then she heard Mike get up. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell do you mean by that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, pulling his glove off slowly. Then Mike shoved him out of the way ├óÔé¼┼ôMichal Dobson, Irregular, reporting in├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller was completely taken aback ├óÔé¼┼ôYour...alive?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôActually I've been alive, making new friends├óÔé¼┬Ø He clapped Peter on his shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd meeting new people trying to kill me, and such├óÔé¼┬Ø. Petter gibbered at Mike. Tipp laughed, trying to cover her grin with her hand. The rain came down harder. Eve suddenly felt a trickle of fear roll down her spine. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Target├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe found it...her. But its complicated. As a matter of fact every thing on this fucking planet is complicated├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou could say that├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said, thinking frantically. Admiral Peter, there? On Dantana? A over eighty years after his supposed death in the Quarantine zone. And Mike said he found the target. And it was a she?. Keller realized that Mike was still talking. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe took two casualties so far├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike's face was suddenly dark ├óÔé¼┼ôJuly and Stevenson├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have the target with you?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked ├óÔé¼┼ôThen this entire battle has been for absolutely nothing, we can take it home and sell it├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôTheres one small problem with that├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Keller looked angry. Mike knew he was probably doing something incredibly moronic that would most likely end with his death. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I can't let Eve go back to where she acme from. Its inhuman├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôShe...it is not human├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHave you even seen her?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked ├óÔé¼┼ôHave you even spoken with her? It takes that much to know whats human and whats not├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller shook his head ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can't leave this planet without the target├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy backed away from the sewer grate as it rotated faster and faster.
Lizzy got up and ran. ├óÔé¼┼ôMike!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, grabbing him. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho is that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôLizzy├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy reached forward to shake Keller's hand. She put her hand through his projection and caused a scattering effect around his hologram. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, pulling her hand away. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs it that realistic?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôState of the art├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôFrom the looks of it├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat did you need Lizzy?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. Tipp covered her mouth with her hand, trying to not crack up. Peter looked so indignant that it was almost funny.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have a slight problem├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then Keller screamed, backing into an invisible wall behind him. Lizzy, Mike, Peter and Tipp all looked at what was causing the commotion. The sewer grate had burst open and a large hand was reaching out of it. It was a black hand, clawed and veined through with blue streaks. Everyone backed slowly away from it. Then the hand shoved upwards and the ground cracked. Everyone broke an ran as the monster stood up out of the hole in the ground.
Keller backed into the wall, wanting to run. He scrabbled at the invisible wall that kept him from running away. Then the monsters foot came down and everything blurred into static. Then the door opened into the phone book and Joseph pulled Keller out of the booth. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts not real!├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph snapped. Keller shook himself ├óÔé¼┼ôMonsters├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôBlack monsters...coming out of the ground├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôS-02├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt must be grown to a tremendous size├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller shook himself ├óÔé¼┼ôPull our men out├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey'll get slaughtered down there...on second thought put down and just get everyone and anyone out of that place├óÔé¼┬Ø. Joseph opened her mouth to say something, but Keller grabbed him ├óÔé¼┼ôNo!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are going to evacuate as many people out of that city as we can!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Lizzy fired a shot into the monster. It tore a thin gouge through its right arm. ├óÔé¼┼ôFuck this├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said, dropping the pistol. ├óÔé¼┼ôRunning time!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, grabbing her. The monster swept its arm about and sent a lode of people flying. One landed with a splatter next to Eve. She looked at the woman, who's neck was tilted at the completely wrong angle. She placed her hand on the neck and the bones straightened. The woman groaned. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet me help you├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. Gloria sat up ├óÔé¼┼ôThe weapon!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe weapon!├óÔé¼┬Ø Gloria grabbed Eve ├óÔé¼┼ôIt could stop that thing!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôThen lets grab it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, helping Gloria to her feet. Gloria felt her neck ├óÔé¼┼ôI should be dead├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. The Widower opened fire and a large chunk of the monster exploded, its torso shredding. Even thought it was a huge bit of S-02, it still had little to no shape, other then the two legs and two arms configuration. Now it had a big gaping hole in it. The hole started to refill, but the Widower opened fire again and this time the S-02's arm came off, falling to the ground. A resounding cheer went up from the surviving refugee's. Peter looked around at them.
Four shuttles screamed into the atmosphere. ├óÔé¼┼ôI still think this is a very├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph started to say. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut the fuck up├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller snapped, and felt immensely better for it. Joseph gibbered at him, at a loss for word. ├óÔé¼┼ôReload!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôReload!!!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Her gunner was reloading as fast as he could, but still Tipp shouted at him. The monster stood, almost split in half. Then it started growing, the middle of the creature expanding even as it was destroyed. ├óÔé¼┼ôFIRE FIRE!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp shouted. They fired and the creature was hit one in the neck like area, once again in the head. It fell back. Then started growing again. .
├óÔé¼┼ôDoes this ship have an precision lasers?├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôYou shot them off in the second barrage├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph looked at the map ├óÔé¼┼ôThose tanks are doing wonders for the wrong side├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller frowned, leaning over the map. Three flash's lit the darkness on the live projection, fed in by a spy sat, and the explosions from the shell's lit up the grounds. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs there any way to hit those tanks?├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôI did send down fifty marines down there├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then Keller saw one of the tanks explode in a big fiery ball.
Tipp winced. The tank to the left of her exploded, sending chunks of armor and metal flying outwards. She ducked down as a bit of the exploded tank slammed into the turret of the Widower. It bounced off the armor, leaving a new dent in the already dented and pitted hull. ├óÔé¼┼ôFuck├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôThey dented one of our kill sines!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted down into the turret ├óÔé¼┼ôLets show them!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Her gunner pressed down both triggers and the tank fired. The shells were dead on, hitting the middle of the marine 's little army. Two rockets arced over head and impacted in the refugee camp, blowing apart another group of tents.
Tipp gestured to the pilot, shouting orders at the top of her lungs. The Widower slowly turned about and accelerated, driving around the marine position to assault them from an unprotected flank. Her other remaining tank followed suit, driving around the other way. Refugee's scattered. Then the marines opened up on the tank, firing armor pricing bullets. Children, women and men fell, cut down by the cross fire. The tank rolled around them, trying to block the bullets for the refugees. D.G soldiers started to form up, firing intermittent fire against the marines. Tipp got down as bullets bounced off her tank. She closed the top of the tank.
Lizzy spotted something that would save them. ├óÔé¼┼ôOver there!├óÔé¼┬Ø she pointed. It was a sewer grate. They all started to clamber over the ground. Then a tank with the word ├óÔé¼┼ôWidower├óÔé¼┬Ø spray painted over a plethora of kill sines, rolled to a stop behind them, turned its turret around and let lose with both of its barrels. The shells screamed over head and slammed into the wall behind the marines, knocking even more of the already shattered perimeter. The marines, responding to this new threat, opened fire on the tank.
Eve saw the bullets. They would turn her, Mike, Lizzy, Helena, Sarge and Mankowski into confetti. She raised her hands up, as if to stop the bullets. ├óÔé¼┼ôSTOP!├óÔé¼┬Ø She shouted. She slowly opened her eyes. A rain drop hung in the air, right in front of her. A man stood, hands up to ward off an enemy about to smash his face in with the butt of his rifle. The man attacking him was frozen as well, the rifle butt frozen an inch away from the man's face. A tank was half way down firing, its barrel still recoiling. A cloud of smoke was still billowing out of the tank, frozen as well. Eve stood up, brushing mud off her body.
She slowly walking around the battle, looking at the frozen scene in front of her. She walked around three men, running away from a unstoppable bullet. A child, hugging her dead mother. Eve walked back to her friends and plucked one of the bullets out of the air. She looked at the shell and dropped it. She looked around at the frozen battle and wondered what she could do. First she had to figure out what she did. Eve looked at her friends. They each looked vaguely comical, frozen like that.
├óÔé¼┼ôSir! Sir!├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller looked up. An aide was running into the map room. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Jacob asked, looking cross. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø The aide said ├óÔé¼┼ôThere is something very unusual happening at the battle!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBe right back├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said, holding up his hand to Joseph, who opened his mouth to object. Then Keller was out of the room. Keller and his aide ran down the hall way to the Hannibal's bridge. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller's aide pointed at three screens. Each one was flashing with red and white letters, each a warning about sensor calibration. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller leaned in and looked at the screen, trying to make sense of it.
├óÔé¼┼ôIts the HEPE sensor├óÔé¼┬Ø His aide said, pointing at the readouts ├óÔé¼┼ôSee its detecting a solid mass of High Energy Partials, concentrated in a fifty foot by fifty foot sphere, right here├óÔé¼┬Ø the aide pressed a button and the battle appeared on the screen, as seen from orbit. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are we looking at here?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked, trying to make sense of the image. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think its rain├óÔé¼┬Ø The aide said softly. There was a sphere of rippling liquid. Ripples spread outwards from thousands of droplets hitting it. ├óÔé¼┼ôFuck├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôAre we getting any readings from our marines down there?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSome├óÔé¼┬Ø The aide said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut those are from the marines at the edge of the disturbance. We think they have less interference├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre they alive?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked, looking at the aide. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll discuss this with...Captain Joseph├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Eve opened a door into parliament, looking around. Inside a man was running past, frozen in motion. He was pulling a white glove tighter on his left hand, his glasses almost falling off his nose. Eve stepped around him, carefully walking over rubble that strewed the hall way. A cell had been blasted apart by a tank shell, and it had showered the place with fragments of wood and metal. Eve stepped past this, still not sure what she was looking for. She came round the bend in the hall and found a door ajar, with a man and a woman inside, hurriedly pushing a strange contraption into a bag. A black figure was pressed into the celling, hanging there, using some suction pads.
Eve turned around and saw another door open. It was a bathroom. Eve realized that she really really needed to pee. It sounded like an odd thing to want at a time like that, but Eve really did need to. She walked into the bathroom, pushing the door open. She walked into the bathroom and saw a line of urinals. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it all├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve muttered. She managed, squatting down on the ungainly thing. After she was done Eve flushed the urinal and walked over to wash her hands. She saw a mirror over the sink. Her face looked back at her, a small dribble of blood splattered over her forehead.
Eve smiled at her self. Eve blinked. She wasn't smiling. Her reflection then winked slowly at her. Eve backed away from the mirror slightly. Her reflection then smiled again. There was something very evil in the smile. Predatory and nasty. Then Eve's reflection held up a severed head, its face turned away from her. Eve gaped at the reflection, rotted to the spot. Then her reflection turned the head around and Mike's face leered at Eve. Eve didn't remember running out of the room, but she was suddenly outside, panting as if she had run a great distance. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm definitely going crazy├óÔé¼┬Ø She muttered, nonchalantly ducking under a tank shell that was stopped in mid flight. She looked at the tank shell ├óÔé¼┼ôCrasyier├óÔé¼┬Ø she amended.
Eve sat down on the ground, her head spinning. She barely remembered a time when she wasn't different from other kids. Then she realized she had always been different. She had been the daughter of the Minister for Colonial Security. Now that she thought about it her old life, before her ninth birthday, felt incredibly remote and dreamlike. Then she remembered what she had said earlier. ├óÔé¼┼ôStart├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, knowing it would never work.
The rain started again, a thundering sound that was almost deafening. Everyone breathed as one, able to move at last. The bullets fell to the ground. The shell clunked down and buried itself in the mud, not detonating. Mike looked around. Helena looked around. Mankowski looked around. Sarge looked around. The marines and D.G looked around. Peter pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose. To everyone else it appeared as if Eve had jumped a few inch's to the right, suddenly sitting up rather then ducking down.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the fuck just happened?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked. Suddenly everything had blinked and shifted around. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know├óÔé¼┬Ø Her plot said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe chronometer say we've gone forward about five minutes or so├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tipp opened the turret door and looked out, forgetting to straighten her beret. It seemed like everyone was too shocked and bewildered to really do anything. ├óÔé¼┼ôHello!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp shouted, climbing out of the tank.
The marines started and brought their guns up. Tipp's hands were still up ├óÔé¼┼ôCan we parley, perhaps?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked. Peter groaned ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell├óÔé¼┬Ø. He was stooped over, staring out of the window at his idiot tank commander. The marines slowly let their weapons drop, bringing them down to point at the ground. They were still ready to fire, of course. One of them stepped forward. He was wearing a helmet on that obscured his face and hair. He dropped down a ring of metal that landed din the mud. Then it spun up and three orbs slid out of it, rotating around the ring about head high above the ring itself.
Keller looked around. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts a state of the art battlefield communication system├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe've issued them to one in five of our troops. It works great when the enemy surrenders├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller looked at the other captain. He was standing in what looked like a very old style phone booth. He closed the door and the entire thing lit up. Then Joseph disappeared, static obscuring him. Then the static cleared and Keller was found looking at an almost exact copy of his aunt, a venerable woman named Alexandra. Except this woman was about ten or so years younger and wore a slanted beret. Keller was taken aback by the reality of the display around him that he prodded the walls to make sure they were still there.
Tipp looked at the sudden holographic image. He was an almost exact copy of her uncle, a venerable man named Trip. Tipp had only known her uncle by photograph and reputation of being a stubborn jackass. Tipp hoped that this man wasn't a stubborn jackass like her uncle had been. Then she heard a slam and the Commander was running into the field. ├óÔé¼┼ôTipp!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't do anything stupid!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tipp looked at the holographic figure and smiled at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho is that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust my boss├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said, thinking I stop a war and he yells at me to not do something stupid.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, shoving Tipp out of the way. Keller snapped to attention ├óÔé¼┼ôAdmiral Peter!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is an honer...sir├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter waved his hand ├óÔé¼┼ôNever mind that now├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats more important is why your men have been slaughtering civilians├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry, admiral, sir├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said, dropping his hand and standing at an uneasy attention ├óÔé¼┼ôAny and all people found guilty, via gun cam recordings, will be executed├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôOrgan banks├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôSend them to the Dantana Organ banks├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôI think that there might not be a Dantana Organ Bank soon...in fact I don't think there wont be any Dantana in a few weeks├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Lizzy was staring transfixedly at the sewer grate. It was slowly...rotating. Then she heard Mike get up. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell do you mean by that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked, pulling his glove off slowly. Then Mike shoved him out of the way ├óÔé¼┼ôMichal Dobson, Irregular, reporting in├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller was completely taken aback ├óÔé¼┼ôYour...alive?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôActually I've been alive, making new friends├óÔé¼┬Ø He clapped Peter on his shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd meeting new people trying to kill me, and such├óÔé¼┬Ø. Petter gibbered at Mike. Tipp laughed, trying to cover her grin with her hand. The rain came down harder. Eve suddenly felt a trickle of fear roll down her spine. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Target├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe found it...her. But its complicated. As a matter of fact every thing on this fucking planet is complicated├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôYou could say that├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said, thinking frantically. Admiral Peter, there? On Dantana? A over eighty years after his supposed death in the Quarantine zone. And Mike said he found the target. And it was a she?. Keller realized that Mike was still talking. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe took two casualties so far├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike's face was suddenly dark ├óÔé¼┼ôJuly and Stevenson├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have the target with you?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked ├óÔé¼┼ôThen this entire battle has been for absolutely nothing, we can take it home and sell it├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôTheres one small problem with that├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Keller looked angry. Mike knew he was probably doing something incredibly moronic that would most likely end with his death. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I can't let Eve go back to where she acme from. Its inhuman├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôShe...it is not human├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHave you even seen her?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked ├óÔé¼┼ôHave you even spoken with her? It takes that much to know whats human and whats not├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller shook his head ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can't leave this planet without the target├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy backed away from the sewer grate as it rotated faster and faster.
Lizzy got up and ran. ├óÔé¼┼ôMike!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, grabbing him. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho is that?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôLizzy├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy reached forward to shake Keller's hand. She put her hand through his projection and caused a scattering effect around his hologram. ├óÔé¼┼ôSorry├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, pulling her hand away. ├óÔé¼┼ôIs it that realistic?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôState of the art├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôFrom the looks of it├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat did you need Lizzy?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. Tipp covered her mouth with her hand, trying to not crack up. Peter looked so indignant that it was almost funny.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have a slight problem├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then Keller screamed, backing into an invisible wall behind him. Lizzy, Mike, Peter and Tipp all looked at what was causing the commotion. The sewer grate had burst open and a large hand was reaching out of it. It was a black hand, clawed and veined through with blue streaks. Everyone backed slowly away from it. Then the hand shoved upwards and the ground cracked. Everyone broke an ran as the monster stood up out of the hole in the ground.
Keller backed into the wall, wanting to run. He scrabbled at the invisible wall that kept him from running away. Then the monsters foot came down and everything blurred into static. Then the door opened into the phone book and Joseph pulled Keller out of the booth. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts not real!├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph snapped. Keller shook himself ├óÔé¼┼ôMonsters├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôBlack monsters...coming out of the ground├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôS-02├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt must be grown to a tremendous size├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller shook himself ├óÔé¼┼ôPull our men out├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey'll get slaughtered down there...on second thought put down and just get everyone and anyone out of that place├óÔé¼┬Ø. Joseph opened her mouth to say something, but Keller grabbed him ├óÔé¼┼ôNo!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are going to evacuate as many people out of that city as we can!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Lizzy fired a shot into the monster. It tore a thin gouge through its right arm. ├óÔé¼┼ôFuck this├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said, dropping the pistol. ├óÔé¼┼ôRunning time!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, grabbing her. The monster swept its arm about and sent a lode of people flying. One landed with a splatter next to Eve. She looked at the woman, who's neck was tilted at the completely wrong angle. She placed her hand on the neck and the bones straightened. The woman groaned. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet me help you├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. Gloria sat up ├óÔé¼┼ôThe weapon!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe weapon!├óÔé¼┬Ø Gloria grabbed Eve ├óÔé¼┼ôIt could stop that thing!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôThen lets grab it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, helping Gloria to her feet. Gloria felt her neck ├óÔé¼┼ôI should be dead├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. The Widower opened fire and a large chunk of the monster exploded, its torso shredding. Even thought it was a huge bit of S-02, it still had little to no shape, other then the two legs and two arms configuration. Now it had a big gaping hole in it. The hole started to refill, but the Widower opened fire again and this time the S-02's arm came off, falling to the ground. A resounding cheer went up from the surviving refugee's. Peter looked around at them.
Four shuttles screamed into the atmosphere. ├óÔé¼┼ôI still think this is a very├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph started to say. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut the fuck up├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller snapped, and felt immensely better for it. Joseph gibbered at him, at a loss for word. ├óÔé¼┼ôReload!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôReload!!!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Her gunner was reloading as fast as he could, but still Tipp shouted at him. The monster stood, almost split in half. Then it started growing, the middle of the creature expanding even as it was destroyed. ├óÔé¼┼ôFIRE FIRE!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp shouted. They fired and the creature was hit one in the neck like area, once again in the head. It fell back. Then started growing again. .
-
Guessmyname
- Posts: 3301
- Joined: 28 Apr 2005, 21:07
Tipp makes her move! Peter seems fine, then turns out to be crazy. Or is he?
Gloria unvails her prototype with stunning, unexpected side effects. Eve gets ANOTHER new power.
All of this and MORE in the next episdoe of Darkside!
Mankowski grabbed a rifle out of a dead D.G's hand and started firing at the S-02 beast. The monster seemed to be paralyzed, standing at a slant, two huge gaping holes in its chest, its skull split down the middle. ├óÔé¼┼ôStop firing!├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter shouted. It was a useless gesture, as the sound from fifty odd marines, twenty D.G and two tanks firing deafening pretty much anything. The S-02 beast fell back, stepping backwards slowly. Mankowski grabbed Helena out of the way before one of the S-02 beast's foot slammed down on her.
Gloria ran up to the door to her laboratory. It had been wedged shut, its knob shattered off. Gloria yanked on the door and it budged slightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Eve looked at her yanking on the door. The gunfire outside was so loud that Eve was surprised her ear's weren't bleeding. A stray round hit a nearby window and it shattered. Eve pushed Gloria out of the way ├óÔé¼┼ôLet me├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Then she kicked the door and the entire thing was wrenched out of the door frame and flew into the room. It hit the far side of the wall and broke into three large chunks. Gloria gaped at Eve. Eve gestured for her to go first.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Gloria said ├óÔé¼┼ôRobson said he would protect the thing├óÔé¼┬Ø. She looked around the office. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere is Robson?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked ├óÔé¼┼ôRobson!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLook out!├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, pushing Gloria out of the way with her powers. Gloria fell, hitting her shoulder as she fell. A knife whistled through the place where she was and buried itself hilt deep in the wall. Eve looked at the far end of the room and saw a black suited figure standing cat like on its toes. The Ghost had stripped off her upper right shoulder pad and slid it in half. It made two low tech, perfectly balanced throwing knives. The Ghost whipped the knife with a quick flick of her wrist.
Eve slid her head to the left and the knife whistled past her cheek, almost touching it. The Ghost looked at her. Eve looked at the Ghost. Then the Ghost ran up and jumped forward, delivering a vicious jump kick to Eve's head. Eve ducked that and the Ghost went up and over her head. Eve turned around and the Ghost landed, once again on her feet perfectly. The Ghost punched, her fist almost too fast to see. Eve ducked to the side. The Ghost punched again. Eve ducked in the other direction. Then Eve, getting tired of this game, slammed the Ghost against the wall with her mind.
The Ghost's body was pressed tight against the wall, so hard she couldn't breath. Eve walked slowly forward and looked at the Ghost. The armor was intricate, with more concealed weapons that she could count. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. The Ghost looked away, her masked face unreadable. The mask itself was just a blank, smooth half sphere with a single visor running along the eye level. A laser communication unit was strapped to the upper right side of the helmet. Eve tore the helmet off with her mind, the helmet ripping off in a haze of wires and cloth. The helmet clattered to the ground and Eve looked at her attacker.
It was a completely bald woman, with lips so thing she couldn't even see them. Her eyes were blue. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't bother├óÔé¼┬Ø Gloria said ├óÔé¼┼ôSee these├óÔé¼┬Ø She was holding the helmet. Eve looked at the helmet. Wires and connectors were scattered all over the forehead area. ├óÔé¼┼ôThese are neural link ups. I think she's a conditional mute, most likely. She can only talk with these embedded in her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôHuh├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. Then a large fist smashed down on the far corner of the lab, flattening completely. Then the S-02 beast placed its foot near the middle of the room.
├óÔé¼┼ôThe prototype!├óÔé¼┬Ø Gloria shouted, pointing. The S-02 beasts foot lifted off the ground, seconds away from crushing the brown bag that Gloria had placed the prototype in. Eve yanked it out from under the monster's foot with her mind. Gloria looked at Eve, her eyes wide. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll explain later├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, looking up. The S-02 beast was growing, three new arms sprouting from several place's on its body. It had grown. Then Eve felt a knife sink into her back. She turned around and looked at the Ghost, who had jammed a makeshift blade into her back.
Eve cut her head off. The Ghost collapsed, blood fountaining out of her neck. Gloria gibbered at the head that was settled between her feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôUse the prototype!├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve snapped at her. The S-02 monster saw them and reached down, ripping the celling off the lab. Gloria pulled the weapon on. It looked like something that was completely not a weapon. It looked like a can, with fifteen wires welded to the side. Above the can was a large tarp that rippled manically by itself. Gloria turned the can around and found three buttons and typed them. The rippling stopped, then started, then changed to a odd geometric pattern. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Gloria said ├óÔé¼┼ôLets see if this works├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou did test it, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked.
The S-02 monster was distracted from eating them by two tank shells that slammed into its back. It turned around and reached out of Eve's point of view. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Gloria said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've set the device to sixty thousand percent power├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSIX THOUSAND!├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Gloria said ├óÔé¼┼ôAt one hundred percent it makes a inch by inch hole├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWill that├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. Gloria pressed two buttons simultaneously. Then everything stopped and Space/time warped visibly, the center of the S-02 beast distorting madly. Then there was an audible TWANG and everything snapped backwards. Eve ran backwards for a moment.
Then everything stopped, skipped forward and froze again. Then Eve was in three place's at once. Then there was a flash, a crack and everything was still. Eve looked around. Gloria was staring at where the S-02 beast had been. Instead there was a silhouette, a ill-defined line that showed where the creature had been. Then that dissipated. Eve shuddered, feeling as if her mind had been ripped apart and reassembled. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo thats what happens when you set it that high├óÔé¼┬Ø Gloria said noncommittally.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhere is the thing?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere the fuck did it go?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have no idea!├óÔé¼┬Ø Her gunner said. Tipp kicked him then opened the door at the top of the turret and got out. Rain pattered down on her head. But there was no monster. Gloria walked out of the laboratory, using the new hole ripped in the wall by the monster. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôPeter! It worked├óÔé¼┬Ø. She held up the prototype and waved it around. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat worked?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. The rain came down harder still. Then Mike heard something underneath it. A high, shrill whistling nose. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think I recognize that sound!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, turning around.
Then four shuttles screamed over the camp and ground to a halt, their engines firing full blast in the other direction, the light from them etching trails on Mike's eyes. He blinked them away. The shuttles touched down in the center of the camp. Then they started to blast out of speakers hastily welded to the sides of the shuttle ├óÔé¼┼ôEveryone onto the SHUTTLE!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Refugee's who caught on faster then most ran up to the shuttles, who opened up like flowers. Marines ushered in the people as fast as they could, pushing them into restraining harnesses.
Mike pushed through the crowds ├óÔé¼┼ôSARGE! HELENA!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôEVE! EVE!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy shouted with him. ├óÔé¼┼ôMom?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, walking up to Lizzy, moving through the pushing shoving crowds as if it was something she did every day. There was something inhumanly graceful about her. Lizzy hugged her daughter. ├óÔé¼┼ôMom├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to get on that shuttle├óÔé¼┬Ø. One of the shuttles, full up, took off with its lighter engines, taking off slowly and gracefully. Then it got to a certain hight and smashed off, its main engines lighting up.
The second shuttle took off, full up. It moved slightly more rockily, but got to the point where it could light its engine up safely. Then it zipped off, hurtling out of the atmosphere in a few minutes. Then the third shuttle took off. Sarge walked up ├óÔé¼┼ôHey Mankowski was on the last shuttle!├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôHelena and I were looking for you. We've got to├óÔé¼┬Ø the fourth Shuttle took off ├óÔé¼┼ôhurry├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy, Helena, Sarge, Mike and Eve looked at the shuttle as it zipped off. Sarge looked at the ground and muttered a curse. The rain stopped.
Tipp threw her beret on the ground and stepped on it. There were about fifteen people left, including Tipp, Eve, Lizzy, Helena, Sarge, Mike, Peter, Gloria and some other refugees. ├óÔé¼┼ôRobson!├óÔé¼┬Ø Gloria shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôYou bastard!├óÔé¼┬Ø. He had left. Peter shushed her ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey'll send another shuttle as soon as they get those refugee's onto the ship├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tipp picked her beret off the ground and started to regret her rash decision to step on it. She turned it inside out and frowned at the mud in it.
├óÔé¼┼ôYour not sending another shuttle!├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThere are still fifty, possibly a hundred people down there!├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd any one of them could have S-02 on them, in them!├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph shot back. Keller had no response to that ├óÔé¼┼ôNow one of my Ghost's is dead, the other one is catatonic and we need to find out if we have Eve on board or not├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy is one catatonic?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey are a married pair├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe cut her wrists and is in urgent care├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller winced, then looked away ├óÔé¼┼ôLets start looking through the crowds├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Mike opened the room ├óÔé¼┼ôSo this was G's room?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. Lizzy breezed in after him, looking around. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe lived at Parliament├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats...odd├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôNice bed├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy walked past him and looked at him over her shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôI can think of a few uses for it├óÔé¼┬Ø she smiled. Mike blinked and closed the door hurriedly behind him. Lizzy walked to the bed, pulling off her over shirt. She dropped it and slid her gun belt off her hips. Mike, feeling decidedly odd, walked up to her.
Eve closed her eyes. She was lying in the open, looking at the suddenly clear sky. She reached out with her mind. Suddenly there was a snap and she sat up. She could feel a loud hum behind her, a wave of energy. She felt electricity behind her, thrumming outwards from the generator in parliament, sparking where the lines had been cut. Eve reached up with her mind, feeling a joy that she had never felt before. She felt the Handball and the Agamemnon in orbit, their generators putting out more energy then she could feel.
Then she felt Mike and her mother. She was shocked. She could never feel them before. Now she felt their minds, crackling and energetic. Eve could read them like a book, read them even better then a biological mind. They were more ordered, and logical. It was a massive net of orders and logical nets that made complexity come out of those. It was astonishing, how their minds could be so chaotic and yet so ordered. Then Eve blushed. She felt like a voyeur, in the night looking through windows. She immediately pulled her senses back to their normal proportions.
Peter stood next to a window, on one of the higher levels of parliament. He could see the city. His city. He look down at the courtyard and saw Eve, looking at the sky. He frowned. She was almost ready. Peter turned around and walked back into parliament. He would find Tipp and see if she could set up a test for Eve. He would make her what she needed to be. He swore it. Peter closed the door behind him and heard a giggle from the Prime Minister's old room. Then he heard Lizzy exclaim loudly. Peter frowned and walked away from the room.
Tipp closed the trash can and frowned. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow about this?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked, handing her a cow boy hat. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats really really tacky├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said. Helena sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôThere is no pleasing you├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôHow about a NEW beret!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tipp smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôNow that would be great...if we HAD a new beret├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou could have washed the new one!├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena snapped. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't have enough damn water!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp leaned back against the wall, silent for the time being. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you have anything else do to this evening?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. Helena sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôSleep?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said ├óÔé¼┼ôI can suggest some other recreational activity's├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena stared at her.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're not a prude are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. ├óÔé¼┼ôTrad?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said, looking annoyed. ├óÔé¼┼ôHetero?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked quickly. ├óÔé¼┼ôNoYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said, switching words half way through the sentence. Tipp smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôBoth?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've had three boy friends. All my girl friends were just that. Friends. I'm not into that stuff├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell how would you know if you don't try?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked. Helena closed her eyes and banged her head slowly against the wall ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy are you so persistent?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt worked the first time├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said.
Helena opened her left eye, looking at Tipp. ├óÔé¼┼ôAHA!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said, standing up. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. Tipp picked up the cow boy hat ├óÔé¼┼ôHow about now?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena gaped at her. She wavered. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat if I undo these buttons?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked, undoing the top three buttons on her shirt. Helena got up, walking out of the room. Tipp stood, crossing her arms. ├óÔé¼┼ôPrude├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered. Helena walked back into the room ├óÔé¼┼ôThe cowboy hat DOES look good on you├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Tipp kissed her then walked out of the room. Helena stood there, looking blindsided.
Sarge sat on the john. He read a magazine and slowly puffed on his cigar. There was a sound of a door opening and a gasp. ├óÔé¼┼ôSarge?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell are you doing in a girl's lavatory?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe men lavatory was taken out by a shell├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said, turning a page on his magazine. Helena opened the stall next to his. ├óÔé¼┼ôSarge├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôI have a problem├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sarge closed his magazine ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are stranded on a planet, surrounded by hostile aliens and we need to hold out until the Hannibal sends another shuttle after us. To make it worse, I think we have two insane people to tend with├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôPeter AND Eve├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said, puffing on his cigar ├óÔé¼┼ôSo what's your problem?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Helena sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôTipp asked me out├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is an odd time├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôTo be worrying about going out with a girl├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena thought about it for a moment ├óÔé¼┼ôSo should I?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll quote Marine policy. I...don't...care├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena blinked ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, standing up and opening the stall door ├óÔé¼┼ôSee you in the morning├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sarge opened his magazine again and puffed his cigar. Then Helena closed the door to the bathroom and Sarge sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôPansy├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôJust fuck her├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI heard that!├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena shouted.
Tipp walked down the hall way, buttoning up her over shirt. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey Tipp!├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said, walking up behind her. Tipp turned around, hurriedly unbuttoning the top three buttons. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. Helena slapped her. Tipp stood her cheek burning. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats for kissing me without asking├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. Tipp blinked. Helena smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôTry again tomorrows night├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, turning around. ├óÔé¼┼ôI will keep trying!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp shouted after her, smiling at Helena's back ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd when I succeed you'll be...├óÔé¼┬Ø
Tipp felt her other cheek ├óÔé¼┼ôOw├óÔé¼┬Ø she moaned.
Gloria unvails her prototype with stunning, unexpected side effects. Eve gets ANOTHER new power.
All of this and MORE in the next episdoe of Darkside!
Mankowski grabbed a rifle out of a dead D.G's hand and started firing at the S-02 beast. The monster seemed to be paralyzed, standing at a slant, two huge gaping holes in its chest, its skull split down the middle. ├óÔé¼┼ôStop firing!├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter shouted. It was a useless gesture, as the sound from fifty odd marines, twenty D.G and two tanks firing deafening pretty much anything. The S-02 beast fell back, stepping backwards slowly. Mankowski grabbed Helena out of the way before one of the S-02 beast's foot slammed down on her.
Gloria ran up to the door to her laboratory. It had been wedged shut, its knob shattered off. Gloria yanked on the door and it budged slightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Eve looked at her yanking on the door. The gunfire outside was so loud that Eve was surprised her ear's weren't bleeding. A stray round hit a nearby window and it shattered. Eve pushed Gloria out of the way ├óÔé¼┼ôLet me├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Then she kicked the door and the entire thing was wrenched out of the door frame and flew into the room. It hit the far side of the wall and broke into three large chunks. Gloria gaped at Eve. Eve gestured for her to go first.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Gloria said ├óÔé¼┼ôRobson said he would protect the thing├óÔé¼┬Ø. She looked around the office. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere is Robson?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked ├óÔé¼┼ôRobson!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLook out!├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, pushing Gloria out of the way with her powers. Gloria fell, hitting her shoulder as she fell. A knife whistled through the place where she was and buried itself hilt deep in the wall. Eve looked at the far end of the room and saw a black suited figure standing cat like on its toes. The Ghost had stripped off her upper right shoulder pad and slid it in half. It made two low tech, perfectly balanced throwing knives. The Ghost whipped the knife with a quick flick of her wrist.
Eve slid her head to the left and the knife whistled past her cheek, almost touching it. The Ghost looked at her. Eve looked at the Ghost. Then the Ghost ran up and jumped forward, delivering a vicious jump kick to Eve's head. Eve ducked that and the Ghost went up and over her head. Eve turned around and the Ghost landed, once again on her feet perfectly. The Ghost punched, her fist almost too fast to see. Eve ducked to the side. The Ghost punched again. Eve ducked in the other direction. Then Eve, getting tired of this game, slammed the Ghost against the wall with her mind.
The Ghost's body was pressed tight against the wall, so hard she couldn't breath. Eve walked slowly forward and looked at the Ghost. The armor was intricate, with more concealed weapons that she could count. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. The Ghost looked away, her masked face unreadable. The mask itself was just a blank, smooth half sphere with a single visor running along the eye level. A laser communication unit was strapped to the upper right side of the helmet. Eve tore the helmet off with her mind, the helmet ripping off in a haze of wires and cloth. The helmet clattered to the ground and Eve looked at her attacker.
It was a completely bald woman, with lips so thing she couldn't even see them. Her eyes were blue. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't bother├óÔé¼┬Ø Gloria said ├óÔé¼┼ôSee these├óÔé¼┬Ø She was holding the helmet. Eve looked at the helmet. Wires and connectors were scattered all over the forehead area. ├óÔé¼┼ôThese are neural link ups. I think she's a conditional mute, most likely. She can only talk with these embedded in her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôHuh├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. Then a large fist smashed down on the far corner of the lab, flattening completely. Then the S-02 beast placed its foot near the middle of the room.
├óÔé¼┼ôThe prototype!├óÔé¼┬Ø Gloria shouted, pointing. The S-02 beasts foot lifted off the ground, seconds away from crushing the brown bag that Gloria had placed the prototype in. Eve yanked it out from under the monster's foot with her mind. Gloria looked at Eve, her eyes wide. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll explain later├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, looking up. The S-02 beast was growing, three new arms sprouting from several place's on its body. It had grown. Then Eve felt a knife sink into her back. She turned around and looked at the Ghost, who had jammed a makeshift blade into her back.
Eve cut her head off. The Ghost collapsed, blood fountaining out of her neck. Gloria gibbered at the head that was settled between her feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôUse the prototype!├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve snapped at her. The S-02 monster saw them and reached down, ripping the celling off the lab. Gloria pulled the weapon on. It looked like something that was completely not a weapon. It looked like a can, with fifteen wires welded to the side. Above the can was a large tarp that rippled manically by itself. Gloria turned the can around and found three buttons and typed them. The rippling stopped, then started, then changed to a odd geometric pattern. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Gloria said ├óÔé¼┼ôLets see if this works├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou did test it, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked.
The S-02 monster was distracted from eating them by two tank shells that slammed into its back. It turned around and reached out of Eve's point of view. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Gloria said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've set the device to sixty thousand percent power├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSIX THOUSAND!├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Gloria said ├óÔé¼┼ôAt one hundred percent it makes a inch by inch hole├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWill that├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked. Gloria pressed two buttons simultaneously. Then everything stopped and Space/time warped visibly, the center of the S-02 beast distorting madly. Then there was an audible TWANG and everything snapped backwards. Eve ran backwards for a moment.
Then everything stopped, skipped forward and froze again. Then Eve was in three place's at once. Then there was a flash, a crack and everything was still. Eve looked around. Gloria was staring at where the S-02 beast had been. Instead there was a silhouette, a ill-defined line that showed where the creature had been. Then that dissipated. Eve shuddered, feeling as if her mind had been ripped apart and reassembled. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo thats what happens when you set it that high├óÔé¼┬Ø Gloria said noncommittally.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhere is the thing?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere the fuck did it go?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI have no idea!├óÔé¼┬Ø Her gunner said. Tipp kicked him then opened the door at the top of the turret and got out. Rain pattered down on her head. But there was no monster. Gloria walked out of the laboratory, using the new hole ripped in the wall by the monster. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôPeter! It worked├óÔé¼┬Ø. She held up the prototype and waved it around. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat worked?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. The rain came down harder still. Then Mike heard something underneath it. A high, shrill whistling nose. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think I recognize that sound!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, turning around.
Then four shuttles screamed over the camp and ground to a halt, their engines firing full blast in the other direction, the light from them etching trails on Mike's eyes. He blinked them away. The shuttles touched down in the center of the camp. Then they started to blast out of speakers hastily welded to the sides of the shuttle ├óÔé¼┼ôEveryone onto the SHUTTLE!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Refugee's who caught on faster then most ran up to the shuttles, who opened up like flowers. Marines ushered in the people as fast as they could, pushing them into restraining harnesses.
Mike pushed through the crowds ├óÔé¼┼ôSARGE! HELENA!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôEVE! EVE!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy shouted with him. ├óÔé¼┼ôMom?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, walking up to Lizzy, moving through the pushing shoving crowds as if it was something she did every day. There was something inhumanly graceful about her. Lizzy hugged her daughter. ├óÔé¼┼ôMom├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to get on that shuttle├óÔé¼┬Ø. One of the shuttles, full up, took off with its lighter engines, taking off slowly and gracefully. Then it got to a certain hight and smashed off, its main engines lighting up.
The second shuttle took off, full up. It moved slightly more rockily, but got to the point where it could light its engine up safely. Then it zipped off, hurtling out of the atmosphere in a few minutes. Then the third shuttle took off. Sarge walked up ├óÔé¼┼ôHey Mankowski was on the last shuttle!├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôHelena and I were looking for you. We've got to├óÔé¼┬Ø the fourth Shuttle took off ├óÔé¼┼ôhurry├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy, Helena, Sarge, Mike and Eve looked at the shuttle as it zipped off. Sarge looked at the ground and muttered a curse. The rain stopped.
Tipp threw her beret on the ground and stepped on it. There were about fifteen people left, including Tipp, Eve, Lizzy, Helena, Sarge, Mike, Peter, Gloria and some other refugees. ├óÔé¼┼ôRobson!├óÔé¼┬Ø Gloria shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôYou bastard!├óÔé¼┬Ø. He had left. Peter shushed her ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThey'll send another shuttle as soon as they get those refugee's onto the ship├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tipp picked her beret off the ground and started to regret her rash decision to step on it. She turned it inside out and frowned at the mud in it.
├óÔé¼┼ôYour not sending another shuttle!├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThere are still fifty, possibly a hundred people down there!├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd any one of them could have S-02 on them, in them!├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph shot back. Keller had no response to that ├óÔé¼┼ôNow one of my Ghost's is dead, the other one is catatonic and we need to find out if we have Eve on board or not├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy is one catatonic?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey are a married pair├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe cut her wrists and is in urgent care├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller winced, then looked away ├óÔé¼┼ôLets start looking through the crowds├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Mike opened the room ├óÔé¼┼ôSo this was G's room?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. Lizzy breezed in after him, looking around. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe lived at Parliament├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats...odd├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôNice bed├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy walked past him and looked at him over her shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôI can think of a few uses for it├óÔé¼┬Ø she smiled. Mike blinked and closed the door hurriedly behind him. Lizzy walked to the bed, pulling off her over shirt. She dropped it and slid her gun belt off her hips. Mike, feeling decidedly odd, walked up to her.
Eve closed her eyes. She was lying in the open, looking at the suddenly clear sky. She reached out with her mind. Suddenly there was a snap and she sat up. She could feel a loud hum behind her, a wave of energy. She felt electricity behind her, thrumming outwards from the generator in parliament, sparking where the lines had been cut. Eve reached up with her mind, feeling a joy that she had never felt before. She felt the Handball and the Agamemnon in orbit, their generators putting out more energy then she could feel.
Then she felt Mike and her mother. She was shocked. She could never feel them before. Now she felt their minds, crackling and energetic. Eve could read them like a book, read them even better then a biological mind. They were more ordered, and logical. It was a massive net of orders and logical nets that made complexity come out of those. It was astonishing, how their minds could be so chaotic and yet so ordered. Then Eve blushed. She felt like a voyeur, in the night looking through windows. She immediately pulled her senses back to their normal proportions.
Peter stood next to a window, on one of the higher levels of parliament. He could see the city. His city. He look down at the courtyard and saw Eve, looking at the sky. He frowned. She was almost ready. Peter turned around and walked back into parliament. He would find Tipp and see if she could set up a test for Eve. He would make her what she needed to be. He swore it. Peter closed the door behind him and heard a giggle from the Prime Minister's old room. Then he heard Lizzy exclaim loudly. Peter frowned and walked away from the room.
Tipp closed the trash can and frowned. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow about this?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked, handing her a cow boy hat. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats really really tacky├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said. Helena sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôThere is no pleasing you├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôHow about a NEW beret!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tipp smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôNow that would be great...if we HAD a new beret├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou could have washed the new one!├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena snapped. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't have enough damn water!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp leaned back against the wall, silent for the time being. ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you have anything else do to this evening?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. Helena sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôSleep?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said ├óÔé¼┼ôI can suggest some other recreational activity's├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena stared at her.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're not a prude are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. ├óÔé¼┼ôTrad?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said, looking annoyed. ├óÔé¼┼ôHetero?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked quickly. ├óÔé¼┼ôNoYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said, switching words half way through the sentence. Tipp smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôBoth?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've had three boy friends. All my girl friends were just that. Friends. I'm not into that stuff├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell how would you know if you don't try?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked. Helena closed her eyes and banged her head slowly against the wall ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy are you so persistent?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt worked the first time├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said.
Helena opened her left eye, looking at Tipp. ├óÔé¼┼ôAHA!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said, standing up. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. Tipp picked up the cow boy hat ├óÔé¼┼ôHow about now?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena gaped at her. She wavered. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat if I undo these buttons?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked, undoing the top three buttons on her shirt. Helena got up, walking out of the room. Tipp stood, crossing her arms. ├óÔé¼┼ôPrude├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered. Helena walked back into the room ├óÔé¼┼ôThe cowboy hat DOES look good on you├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Tipp kissed her then walked out of the room. Helena stood there, looking blindsided.
Sarge sat on the john. He read a magazine and slowly puffed on his cigar. There was a sound of a door opening and a gasp. ├óÔé¼┼ôSarge?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell are you doing in a girl's lavatory?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe men lavatory was taken out by a shell├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said, turning a page on his magazine. Helena opened the stall next to his. ├óÔé¼┼ôSarge├óÔé¼┬Ø She said ├óÔé¼┼ôI have a problem├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sarge closed his magazine ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are stranded on a planet, surrounded by hostile aliens and we need to hold out until the Hannibal sends another shuttle after us. To make it worse, I think we have two insane people to tend with├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôPeter AND Eve├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said, puffing on his cigar ├óÔé¼┼ôSo what's your problem?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Helena sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôTipp asked me out├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is an odd time├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôTo be worrying about going out with a girl├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena thought about it for a moment ├óÔé¼┼ôSo should I?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll quote Marine policy. I...don't...care├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena blinked ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, standing up and opening the stall door ├óÔé¼┼ôSee you in the morning├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sarge opened his magazine again and puffed his cigar. Then Helena closed the door to the bathroom and Sarge sighed. ├óÔé¼┼ôPansy├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôJust fuck her├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI heard that!├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena shouted.
Tipp walked down the hall way, buttoning up her over shirt. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey Tipp!├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said, walking up behind her. Tipp turned around, hurriedly unbuttoning the top three buttons. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. Helena slapped her. Tipp stood her cheek burning. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats for kissing me without asking├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. Tipp blinked. Helena smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôTry again tomorrows night├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, turning around. ├óÔé¼┼ôI will keep trying!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp shouted after her, smiling at Helena's back ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd when I succeed you'll be...├óÔé¼┬Ø
Tipp felt her other cheek ├óÔé¼┼ôOw├óÔé¼┬Ø she moaned.
Peter reveales shocking information! Lizzy is annoyed! Gun play, some fisticuffs and chair smashing action! All of this comming up in this episode of Darkside: Extermination!
Eve looked at the locker. It was one of the many lockers that had been set up in Parliament. This one was labeled ├óÔé¼┼ôFoob├óÔé¼┬Ø. On closer inspection the B turned into a d. Eve smiled and tried opening the locker, but the door rattled against a lock. Eve frowned at the lock. The lock exploded apart, the upper part flying into the celling and the lower part embedding itself into the floor. Eve smiled and opened the locker. Inside there were four loafs of bread, kept in vacuum bags. Eve grabbed a loaf and sharpened one of her fingernail's to a fine point. Then slit the bag open and started eating the bread.
The morning dawned uneventfully. The city felt dead. There was a lack of noise and movement, other then a slight wind that blew through the place. It was looking like rain, with menacing clouds boiling in the atmosphere above the city. It was also cold, far colder then Tipp was used too. She had been on this planet for ten or so years, and knew it never got this cold in Winter. She looked out of her window and slipped her cowboy hat on.
Eve finished off the bread, walking down the deserted hallways of parliament. The place felt dead. Eve hated it, the feeling of being alone. To reassure herself that the others were near, she reached out with her mind. She immediately felt Tipp and Mike...they were still at it? Eve blushed, gagging on her bread. It went down the wrong tube, and for a second she panicked, thinking she was choking. Then her body reacted in a decidedly inhuman way and the food dislodged itself. Eve wondered why she was hungry when she was supposedly S-02. She decided to ask her mother when she was finished.
Tipp whistled as she walked down the stairs, going for the food lockers. She was hungry, and they had enough food to feed at least a hundred refugee's for a week. She had been worried about feeding the two hundred refugee's that had been in the camps, but now she was just worried about surviving till the ship's in orbit sent down another shuttle. Eve was walking up the stairs as Tipp walked down it. Tipp eyed the younger woman. Eve took another bite out of her second loaf she had grabbed.
They both looked at each other for a few more seconds. Then Tipp resumed her walk down the stairs. Eve resumed her walk back up the stairs. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat was odd├óÔé¼┬Ø She murmured. Tipp got to the bottom floor of parliament ├óÔé¼┼ôT'would be robbing the cradle├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered. Tipp walked into the storage room and grabbed up the last loaf in the only open locker. She bit on the vacuum bag and tore a hole in it with her teeth. Then she yanked the loaf out, warping it into a odd shape. Then she proceed to eat the loaf.
Sarge pushed up, his arm trembling. He had never been good at one armed push ups, but he might as well get used to it. But his balance was all wrong, he kept correcting for a weight that no longer existed. He fell to the side and banged his stump hard. Sarge swore loudly and got up, sweat pouring down his face. ├óÔé¼┼ôScrew this├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered, placing a cigar between his lips ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm going to find some food├óÔé¼┬Ø. He opened his door and walked out into the room. Unlike that bastard Mike, Sarge had to make do with a desk with a blanket draped over it. Sarge had taken up the computer lab.
Peter groaned, uncurling his stiff back. He had spent the night in a plush chair in one of the conference rooms on the third floor. He wished there had been more rooms, but there was just the Prime Ministers room and some place's set up for refugees. And unfortunately those had been burned down in the fight last night. Then Peter realized something. He got up, stretched a bit, and ran to the Prime Minister's room.
Mike rolled over and panted, the sheets sticking to his skin annoyingly. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think its seven in the morning├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôThat must explain this curious sense of euphoria├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat might have something to do with me├óÔé¼┬Ø. He tickled her. Lizzy limply lifted her hand and placed it on Mike's face. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think you missed├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike mumbled. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy slid her hand off Mike's face, not in a particular hurry. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôWake me if anything bad happens├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then she closed her eyes and rolled over, stealing the covers from Mike. Mike shivered and Lizzy snored loudly. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn├óÔé¼┬Ø He muttered, grabbing his pants.
Lizzy drifted into odd, disjointed dreams of walking down a wedding aisle with a corpse accompanying her. Then a loud pounding woke her up. She sat up, suddenly awake. Mike was pulling on his shirt, scowling at the door as the knocking continued unabated. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it, damn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted, walking over to the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's Peter├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice came through the door. Lizzy rolled off the bed and then rolled again, ending up underneath the bed, safe from harm. Then she reached for her gun belt next to the bed and aimed it at the door.
Mike opened the door and Lizzy saw Peter. She fired, her bullet going wide. Peter dived to the side, out of her line of sight. Mike rolled away, shouting something incoherent. Peter stuck his arm around the corner and fired his gun at the bed. Puffs of fluff shot up from the bed, the bullets tearing holes in it. Lizzy fired back, blowing a largish hole in the door frame. She heard Peter snarl something and Lizzy smiled, knowing she hit something. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhoa! Whoa!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôStop shooting!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy fired another shot and hit Peters hand. He dropped his gun, and grabbed his newly injured hand. That made two with holes in them.
Lizzy crawled out from under the bed and stood up, aiming her gun at Peter. ├óÔé¼┼ôGod damn it├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, his teeth bared against the pain ├óÔé¼┼ôI only wanted to talk├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy kicked his gun away from him ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, right. Last time you wanted to talk you dropped a nuke suspiciously close to my house├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôUnder orders├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter snapped. Lizzy just laughed ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôUnder orders. Great excuse├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter stood up, still clutching his bleeding hand ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose I won't be able to convince you that I'm different now├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLess crazy?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes!├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter snapped. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll believe it when I see it├óÔé¼┬Ø she said.
Mike stepped into the conversation, grabbing Lizzy's gun out of her hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey!├óÔé¼┬Ø she snapped. Then Mike lent over and picked up Peters gun, witch had an impressive hole in the stock. Then he holstered both on his belt ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll just keep these until you two can stop trying to kill each other!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter and Lizzy both started to talk at the same time. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're pretty alone on this planet, so if you absolutely can't work out your problems, then I'm sure you could kill each other without the law bearing down on your necks├óÔé¼┬Ø.
With that he walked out of the room, leaving both Lizzy and Peter looking rather abashed. As Mike walked down the stairs to the first floor, he frowned. Eve was walking past him, chewing slowly on a loaf of bread. ├óÔé¼┼ôHello Eve├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow was my...your night?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked, blushing. Mike blinked at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYour mother, however, opened fire on our host a few seconds after he knocked on the door├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôShe knows him?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôApparently they go back away├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. Eve nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll have to go and break them up├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI wouldn't worry too much├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've got their guns├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve giggled at that. Then they both heard a crash and a loud curse. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike and Eve ran up the stairs.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd here is the food├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said. Helena grabbed an apple and popped the vacuum seal on it. She took a big bite out of it. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø she mumbled through the apple. Tipp smiled at her, showing her white teeth nicely. Helena swallowed ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome on!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said, following Helena as she walked to the eating table. Sarge was already their chowing down on a loaf of bred, messily slathered with butter. Helena sat down and started to polish off her apple. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can cook too├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd some have said I can do a fine back rub├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Helena looked at her and waved her mangled hand in Tipp's face ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm missing a half my hand├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked ├óÔé¼┼ôSarge over there is missing an arm├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge waggled his stump at them ├óÔé¼┼ôI have a perfectly fine stump here├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôEven a half a hand can do thing├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said, looking at the bandaged thing ├óÔé¼┼ôJust not very well├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena threw the apple core into a nearby trash can ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I will keep saying no until we get back to the Handball├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tipp looked at Sarge. Sarge shrugged and mouthed the word ├óÔé¼┼ôPansy├óÔé¼┬Ø at her. Tipp smiled at that.
Then there was a crash and Lizzy rolled backwards down the stairs into the storage chamber. She continued to roll until she was on her front, then climbed to her feet. Peter ran down the stairs after her and brought his fist around to hit her on the side of her head. Lizzy ducked and grabbed an unused chair. Then she swung it around to hit Peter in the side. She managed too do so, shattering the wooden chair against Peter's side. Peter fell down, clutching his ribs.
Mike and Eve ran down the stairs after them, both shouting at the two combatants. ├óÔé¼┼ôfor the love of God├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve muttered. She made a jerking motion with her hands and the two combatants flew apart, invisible hands grabbing them and yanking them apart. Lizzy struggled against the hand and shouted at Peter. Peter struggled as well and shouted at Lizzy. ├óÔé¼┼ôSHUT UP!├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve shouted at them, her voice surprisingly shrill. Both adults looked at her and shouted at her. Eve let them down, rolling her eyes. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou tried to kill me!├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou killed more people then I could hope for!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôUnder ORDERS!├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter shouted back.
Tipp went back to eating her loaf of bread. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure you don't want to├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNO!├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet some more food├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp finished. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena stood up, scowling. She walked to the lockers and found the one that they had been getting food from was empty. She tried to open the next one over, but it was locked. ├óÔé¼┼ôAllow me├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. The lock spontaneously exploded. ├óÔé¼┼ôMuch obliged├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. Lizzy and Peter were still shouting at each other. ├óÔé¼┼ôCould someone take the kids outside?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge asked.
Peter shouted something at Lizzy. Lizzy looked at the table ├óÔé¼┼ôIs that food?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm famished├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve looked at her and let her down. Lizzy walked over to the table and started to eat some food. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey!├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about me?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh right├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, letting him go. Peter brushed off his shirt and sat down at the table, as far from Lizzy as he could be. Then he started to eat an apple. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere's the meat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't have any├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said over a mouthful of cheese ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was all spoiled before we could get them in vacuum storage├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAh├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge frowned, looking at his buttered bread.
├óÔé¼┼ôI think we all need some explanations├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, pointing at Lizzy with his loaf ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy do you keep trying to kill Peter?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause he's insane├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôDangerous and-├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI was when you knew me├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat was eighty years ago, twenty with relativity and cryogenics taken into account├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôI also remember you destroying an entire city to get at me, is that right?├óÔé¼┬Ø .├óÔé¼┬ØYou put far too much importance on your pretty little head├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, frowning ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was to galvanize humanity├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGalvanize├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said ├óÔé¼┼ôThats a word we haven't heard for a long time. Also doesn't that sound like a really bad idea?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter and Lizzy said at the same time. They looked at each other irritatedly.
Peter pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose again. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy didn't you get corrective surgery?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked. Peter looked at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôFor your eyes├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI did├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôI actually swapped these out. The glasses are for effect├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena nodded slowly. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy haven't they sent a shuttle down?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said to Sarge ├óÔé¼┼ôI mean your ships aren't that slow, are they?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôthe Handball has one of the finest crews that I've ever served in├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tipp looked out the window at the rain that was starting to come down ├óÔé¼┼ôMaybe the weather├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered.
After that a silence fell over the table. Everyone was edgy. The rain came down hard, making the window pane rattle. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats with the rain?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't remember much rain├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike shrugged. Eve looked down at her plate and sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy is everyone so down?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh we're just abandoned on a planet├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôSurrounded by hostile aliens. And that bastard Mankowski is sitting up on the ship, eating some steak or something├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge grumbled, looking back down at his plate.
├óÔé¼┼ôPrivate Mankowski reporting for duty├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski bellowed, saluting. ├óÔé¼┼ôAt ease├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said. Mankowski relaxed. There was a stranger standing at the far corner of the room. It was a bald man wearing a casual suit. ├óÔé¼┼ôMeet Captain Joseph Kelly├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said. ├óÔé¼┼ôPrivate├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph nodded his head fractionally. Mankowski saluted to him as well. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've heard from Irregular Mike that you have found and captured the target├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mankowski sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts a little complicated├óÔé¼┬Ø. Joseph closed his eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôThen start now├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Mankowski started.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôFrom my point of view, Peter was a detective, down on his luck├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSeems like a dream from this end├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said softly. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt does├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôI think its when you live too long and see too much├óÔé¼┬Ø. There was silence. Then Lizzy started up again ├óÔé¼┼ôBut by the end he had become what, Admiral Peter?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think they still have my picture├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôAt least the Navy├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike looked at him closely ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou do look a little familiar├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Peter frowned at him, brows furrowed. Mike smiled at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo I stole one of his ships├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy was still talking ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd wasted his little fleet├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI was in that fleet├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd thought I was just a low ranked Ensign, I did notice that you thoroughly whipped us├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôHow did a former Pirate become a great military leader?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe didn't├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe got my ship by building a hundred odd nuke launchers on the side of her ship and got really close, then launched them all at once. Then she rammed the other ship, sacrificing her ship in the possess├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter started to eat his food again.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôAfter that I settled down on Darkside. They hired me as their security adviser├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo there are people on Darkside?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked, interrupting Lizzy's story. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôIts not the first colony of mankind for nothing. When I left they were going roughly half a million strong├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo there IS a Darkside?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell I certainly wasn't living on a figment of my imagination├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy snapped. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts just that I've always been told Darkside was a myth├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôI've heard that, but I still don't know why├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI believe I can answer that├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause while Lizzy was gallivanting around the galaxy, taking in the sights, I contacted the Colonial Government├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI told them everything. About Darkside, about S-02, about Prime and about you, Lizzy├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôI told them about it all├óÔé¼┬Ø. There was silence. ├óÔé¼┼ôThen...├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy...what...why weren't we ever told?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter leaned forward ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause then they told me about a girl they had been given by Bio-War cooperation. Did you ever wonder how they built the Hiroshima station so well?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter smiled at Lizzy ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause I helped! Considerably!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Lizzy was confused for a second. Then it all clicked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou son of a bitch!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted, jumping out of her chair. Peter grabbed Mike's gun out of his holster and brought it to bear on Lizzy. He slid backwards in his chair, causing the wheeled thing to move along the floor. He came to a stop a good distance away from a gun less Lizzy. Everyone made a motion to stand up, but Peter pulled the hammer back on his gun ├óÔé¼┼ôSit, please├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Lizzy sat down, her face a barely controlled mask of rage. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôI will be leaving├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. He looked at Eve oddly ├óÔé¼┼ôI hope you grow up, exactly the way we want you too├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Then he was gone, running through the door.
Eve looked at the locker. It was one of the many lockers that had been set up in Parliament. This one was labeled ├óÔé¼┼ôFoob├óÔé¼┬Ø. On closer inspection the B turned into a d. Eve smiled and tried opening the locker, but the door rattled against a lock. Eve frowned at the lock. The lock exploded apart, the upper part flying into the celling and the lower part embedding itself into the floor. Eve smiled and opened the locker. Inside there were four loafs of bread, kept in vacuum bags. Eve grabbed a loaf and sharpened one of her fingernail's to a fine point. Then slit the bag open and started eating the bread.
The morning dawned uneventfully. The city felt dead. There was a lack of noise and movement, other then a slight wind that blew through the place. It was looking like rain, with menacing clouds boiling in the atmosphere above the city. It was also cold, far colder then Tipp was used too. She had been on this planet for ten or so years, and knew it never got this cold in Winter. She looked out of her window and slipped her cowboy hat on.
Eve finished off the bread, walking down the deserted hallways of parliament. The place felt dead. Eve hated it, the feeling of being alone. To reassure herself that the others were near, she reached out with her mind. She immediately felt Tipp and Mike...they were still at it? Eve blushed, gagging on her bread. It went down the wrong tube, and for a second she panicked, thinking she was choking. Then her body reacted in a decidedly inhuman way and the food dislodged itself. Eve wondered why she was hungry when she was supposedly S-02. She decided to ask her mother when she was finished.
Tipp whistled as she walked down the stairs, going for the food lockers. She was hungry, and they had enough food to feed at least a hundred refugee's for a week. She had been worried about feeding the two hundred refugee's that had been in the camps, but now she was just worried about surviving till the ship's in orbit sent down another shuttle. Eve was walking up the stairs as Tipp walked down it. Tipp eyed the younger woman. Eve took another bite out of her second loaf she had grabbed.
They both looked at each other for a few more seconds. Then Tipp resumed her walk down the stairs. Eve resumed her walk back up the stairs. ├óÔé¼┼ôThat was odd├óÔé¼┬Ø She murmured. Tipp got to the bottom floor of parliament ├óÔé¼┼ôT'would be robbing the cradle├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered. Tipp walked into the storage room and grabbed up the last loaf in the only open locker. She bit on the vacuum bag and tore a hole in it with her teeth. Then she yanked the loaf out, warping it into a odd shape. Then she proceed to eat the loaf.
Sarge pushed up, his arm trembling. He had never been good at one armed push ups, but he might as well get used to it. But his balance was all wrong, he kept correcting for a weight that no longer existed. He fell to the side and banged his stump hard. Sarge swore loudly and got up, sweat pouring down his face. ├óÔé¼┼ôScrew this├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered, placing a cigar between his lips ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm going to find some food├óÔé¼┬Ø. He opened his door and walked out into the room. Unlike that bastard Mike, Sarge had to make do with a desk with a blanket draped over it. Sarge had taken up the computer lab.
Peter groaned, uncurling his stiff back. He had spent the night in a plush chair in one of the conference rooms on the third floor. He wished there had been more rooms, but there was just the Prime Ministers room and some place's set up for refugees. And unfortunately those had been burned down in the fight last night. Then Peter realized something. He got up, stretched a bit, and ran to the Prime Minister's room.
Mike rolled over and panted, the sheets sticking to his skin annoyingly. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think its seven in the morning├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôThat must explain this curious sense of euphoria├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat might have something to do with me├óÔé¼┬Ø. He tickled her. Lizzy limply lifted her hand and placed it on Mike's face. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think you missed├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike mumbled. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy slid her hand off Mike's face, not in a particular hurry. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôWake me if anything bad happens├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then she closed her eyes and rolled over, stealing the covers from Mike. Mike shivered and Lizzy snored loudly. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn├óÔé¼┬Ø He muttered, grabbing his pants.
Lizzy drifted into odd, disjointed dreams of walking down a wedding aisle with a corpse accompanying her. Then a loud pounding woke her up. She sat up, suddenly awake. Mike was pulling on his shirt, scowling at the door as the knocking continued unabated. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it, damn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted, walking over to the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's Peter├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice came through the door. Lizzy rolled off the bed and then rolled again, ending up underneath the bed, safe from harm. Then she reached for her gun belt next to the bed and aimed it at the door.
Mike opened the door and Lizzy saw Peter. She fired, her bullet going wide. Peter dived to the side, out of her line of sight. Mike rolled away, shouting something incoherent. Peter stuck his arm around the corner and fired his gun at the bed. Puffs of fluff shot up from the bed, the bullets tearing holes in it. Lizzy fired back, blowing a largish hole in the door frame. She heard Peter snarl something and Lizzy smiled, knowing she hit something. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhoa! Whoa!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôStop shooting!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy fired another shot and hit Peters hand. He dropped his gun, and grabbed his newly injured hand. That made two with holes in them.
Lizzy crawled out from under the bed and stood up, aiming her gun at Peter. ├óÔé¼┼ôGod damn it├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, his teeth bared against the pain ├óÔé¼┼ôI only wanted to talk├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy kicked his gun away from him ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, right. Last time you wanted to talk you dropped a nuke suspiciously close to my house├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôUnder orders├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter snapped. Lizzy just laughed ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôUnder orders. Great excuse├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter stood up, still clutching his bleeding hand ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose I won't be able to convince you that I'm different now├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLess crazy?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes!├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter snapped. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll believe it when I see it├óÔé¼┬Ø she said.
Mike stepped into the conversation, grabbing Lizzy's gun out of her hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey!├óÔé¼┬Ø she snapped. Then Mike lent over and picked up Peters gun, witch had an impressive hole in the stock. Then he holstered both on his belt ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll just keep these until you two can stop trying to kill each other!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter and Lizzy both started to talk at the same time. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe're pretty alone on this planet, so if you absolutely can't work out your problems, then I'm sure you could kill each other without the law bearing down on your necks├óÔé¼┬Ø.
With that he walked out of the room, leaving both Lizzy and Peter looking rather abashed. As Mike walked down the stairs to the first floor, he frowned. Eve was walking past him, chewing slowly on a loaf of bread. ├óÔé¼┼ôHello Eve├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. ├óÔé¼┼ôHow was my...your night?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked, blushing. Mike blinked at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYour mother, however, opened fire on our host a few seconds after he knocked on the door├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôShe knows him?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôApparently they go back away├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. Eve nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll have to go and break them up├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI wouldn't worry too much├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've got their guns├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve giggled at that. Then they both heard a crash and a loud curse. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike and Eve ran up the stairs.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd here is the food├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said. Helena grabbed an apple and popped the vacuum seal on it. She took a big bite out of it. ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks├óÔé¼┬Ø she mumbled through the apple. Tipp smiled at her, showing her white teeth nicely. Helena swallowed ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome on!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said, following Helena as she walked to the eating table. Sarge was already their chowing down on a loaf of bred, messily slathered with butter. Helena sat down and started to polish off her apple. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can cook too├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd some have said I can do a fine back rub├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Helena looked at her and waved her mangled hand in Tipp's face ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm missing a half my hand├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked ├óÔé¼┼ôSarge over there is missing an arm├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge waggled his stump at them ├óÔé¼┼ôI have a perfectly fine stump here├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôEven a half a hand can do thing├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said, looking at the bandaged thing ├óÔé¼┼ôJust not very well├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena threw the apple core into a nearby trash can ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I will keep saying no until we get back to the Handball├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tipp looked at Sarge. Sarge shrugged and mouthed the word ├óÔé¼┼ôPansy├óÔé¼┬Ø at her. Tipp smiled at that.
Then there was a crash and Lizzy rolled backwards down the stairs into the storage chamber. She continued to roll until she was on her front, then climbed to her feet. Peter ran down the stairs after her and brought his fist around to hit her on the side of her head. Lizzy ducked and grabbed an unused chair. Then she swung it around to hit Peter in the side. She managed too do so, shattering the wooden chair against Peter's side. Peter fell down, clutching his ribs.
Mike and Eve ran down the stairs after them, both shouting at the two combatants. ├óÔé¼┼ôfor the love of God├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve muttered. She made a jerking motion with her hands and the two combatants flew apart, invisible hands grabbing them and yanking them apart. Lizzy struggled against the hand and shouted at Peter. Peter struggled as well and shouted at Lizzy. ├óÔé¼┼ôSHUT UP!├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve shouted at them, her voice surprisingly shrill. Both adults looked at her and shouted at her. Eve let them down, rolling her eyes. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou tried to kill me!├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou killed more people then I could hope for!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôUnder ORDERS!├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter shouted back.
Tipp went back to eating her loaf of bread. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure you don't want to├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNO!├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet some more food├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp finished. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena stood up, scowling. She walked to the lockers and found the one that they had been getting food from was empty. She tried to open the next one over, but it was locked. ├óÔé¼┼ôAllow me├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said. The lock spontaneously exploded. ├óÔé¼┼ôMuch obliged├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. Lizzy and Peter were still shouting at each other. ├óÔé¼┼ôCould someone take the kids outside?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge asked.
Peter shouted something at Lizzy. Lizzy looked at the table ├óÔé¼┼ôIs that food?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm famished├óÔé¼┬Ø. Eve looked at her and let her down. Lizzy walked over to the table and started to eat some food. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey!├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about me?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh right├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said, letting him go. Peter brushed off his shirt and sat down at the table, as far from Lizzy as he could be. Then he started to eat an apple. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhere's the meat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't have any├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said over a mouthful of cheese ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was all spoiled before we could get them in vacuum storage├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAh├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge frowned, looking at his buttered bread.
├óÔé¼┼ôI think we all need some explanations├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said, pointing at Lizzy with his loaf ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy do you keep trying to kill Peter?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause he's insane├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôDangerous and-├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI was when you knew me├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat was eighty years ago, twenty with relativity and cryogenics taken into account├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôI also remember you destroying an entire city to get at me, is that right?├óÔé¼┬Ø .├óÔé¼┬ØYou put far too much importance on your pretty little head├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, frowning ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was to galvanize humanity├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGalvanize├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said ├óÔé¼┼ôThats a word we haven't heard for a long time. Also doesn't that sound like a really bad idea?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter and Lizzy said at the same time. They looked at each other irritatedly.
Peter pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose again. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy didn't you get corrective surgery?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked. Peter looked at her. ├óÔé¼┼ôFor your eyes├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI did├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôI actually swapped these out. The glasses are for effect├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena nodded slowly. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy haven't they sent a shuttle down?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said to Sarge ├óÔé¼┼ôI mean your ships aren't that slow, are they?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôthe Handball has one of the finest crews that I've ever served in├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tipp looked out the window at the rain that was starting to come down ├óÔé¼┼ôMaybe the weather├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered.
After that a silence fell over the table. Everyone was edgy. The rain came down hard, making the window pane rattle. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats with the rain?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't remember much rain├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike shrugged. Eve looked down at her plate and sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy is everyone so down?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh we're just abandoned on a planet├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôSurrounded by hostile aliens. And that bastard Mankowski is sitting up on the ship, eating some steak or something├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge grumbled, looking back down at his plate.
├óÔé¼┼ôPrivate Mankowski reporting for duty├óÔé¼┬Ø Mankowski bellowed, saluting. ├óÔé¼┼ôAt ease├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said. Mankowski relaxed. There was a stranger standing at the far corner of the room. It was a bald man wearing a casual suit. ├óÔé¼┼ôMeet Captain Joseph Kelly├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said. ├óÔé¼┼ôPrivate├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph nodded his head fractionally. Mankowski saluted to him as well. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said ├óÔé¼┼ôI've heard from Irregular Mike that you have found and captured the target├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mankowski sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts a little complicated├óÔé¼┬Ø. Joseph closed his eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôThen start now├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Mankowski started.
├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôFrom my point of view, Peter was a detective, down on his luck├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSeems like a dream from this end├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said softly. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt does├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôI think its when you live too long and see too much├óÔé¼┬Ø. There was silence. Then Lizzy started up again ├óÔé¼┼ôBut by the end he had become what, Admiral Peter?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think they still have my picture├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôAt least the Navy├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike looked at him closely ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou do look a little familiar├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Peter frowned at him, brows furrowed. Mike smiled at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo I stole one of his ships├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy was still talking ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd wasted his little fleet├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI was in that fleet├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd thought I was just a low ranked Ensign, I did notice that you thoroughly whipped us├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWait├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôHow did a former Pirate become a great military leader?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe didn't├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe got my ship by building a hundred odd nuke launchers on the side of her ship and got really close, then launched them all at once. Then she rammed the other ship, sacrificing her ship in the possess├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter started to eat his food again.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôAfter that I settled down on Darkside. They hired me as their security adviser├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo there are people on Darkside?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked, interrupting Lizzy's story. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy snapped ├óÔé¼┼ôIts not the first colony of mankind for nothing. When I left they were going roughly half a million strong├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo there IS a Darkside?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell I certainly wasn't living on a figment of my imagination├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy snapped. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts just that I've always been told Darkside was a myth├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôI've heard that, but I still don't know why├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI believe I can answer that├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause while Lizzy was gallivanting around the galaxy, taking in the sights, I contacted the Colonial Government├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôAnd?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI told them everything. About Darkside, about S-02, about Prime and about you, Lizzy├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôI told them about it all├óÔé¼┬Ø. There was silence. ├óÔé¼┼ôThen...├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy...what...why weren't we ever told?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter leaned forward ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause then they told me about a girl they had been given by Bio-War cooperation. Did you ever wonder how they built the Hiroshima station so well?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter smiled at Lizzy ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause I helped! Considerably!├óÔé¼┬Ø
Lizzy was confused for a second. Then it all clicked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou son of a bitch!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted, jumping out of her chair. Peter grabbed Mike's gun out of his holster and brought it to bear on Lizzy. He slid backwards in his chair, causing the wheeled thing to move along the floor. He came to a stop a good distance away from a gun less Lizzy. Everyone made a motion to stand up, but Peter pulled the hammer back on his gun ├óÔé¼┼ôSit, please├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Lizzy sat down, her face a barely controlled mask of rage. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôI will be leaving├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. He looked at Eve oddly ├óÔé¼┼ôI hope you grow up, exactly the way we want you too├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Then he was gone, running through the door.
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dogthinker
- Posts: 33
- Joined: 10 Jul 2006, 09:28
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Guessmyname
- Posts: 3301
- Joined: 28 Apr 2005, 21:07
New post!
Peter pressed the button and waited for the half a second it took the Tac-con to start up and put up a connection with the Agamemnon. After a few moments the blank screen flickered to Captain Joseph Kelly's face. ├óÔé¼┼ôBoss?├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph said ├óÔé¼┼ôI thought you would be on those shuttles!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't just leave the target alone├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's close, damn it! She's so close to the Breakthrough that Tabuchi predicted├óÔé¼┬Ø. Joseph sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôKeller is getting antsy. I don't think the threat of splashing his girl friend is working as well as we hope├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry. Just don't send any more shuttles till I tell you, and not before├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph nodded. Peter smiled lopsidedly ├óÔé¼┼ôI might not live to see the end of this├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut remember, we have to get the Target back to SOL. Even if it kills us├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't...intend to die├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I hope that this girl of yours is as valuable as you said it will├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt will make you rich beyond all your dreams of avarice├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter reassured him ├óÔé¼┼ôNow can you target a clump of S-02 with a high yield dirty bomb?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou...what!├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to give the Target something to...chew on├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts your funeral├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph muttered. Peter smiled and turned off the tac-con.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said, pushing the door open ├óÔé¼┼ôJust who were you talking too?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter turned around slowly to look at the woman. She was holding a pistol, possible the one Mike had confiscated from her. Peter smiled lopsidedly at her ├óÔé¼┼ôLizzy├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou bastard├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said, her gun hand not wavering as she pointed the gun at his face ├óÔé¼┼ôYou...you and your friends torchered my daughter for four years!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe helped her├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôMore then you can imagine. You see S-02 evolves with strife, with pain, just like humanity. But they just do it better...faster!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôShe was just a girl!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy shouted. Her gun hand wavered slightly, her hand shaking. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's not human├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe may look and act├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy fired and the bullet clipped the side of Peter's face, cutting his cheek. He ignored the blood dribbling down his face and the stinging of the cut. ├óÔé¼┼ôhuman├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter finished his sentence with only a slight pause. ├óÔé¼┼ôLizzy!├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter heard Mike running up ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's right next to the Tac-con! You could hit it!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike ran up to the door, gun drawn. Sarge, Helena and Tipp were following close behind.
Peter stepped to the side, walking in front of the Tac-con. He scratched his back. ├óÔé¼┼ôShoot me├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt doesn't matter. Eve is going to evolve, whether you like it or not, and she will...transcend the limitations of her race├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy was about to say something. Then there was a blindingly bright flash through the windows. It was bright and pure white, the kind of unmistakable explosion that came with a nuke going off. Everyone looked out the window. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood day├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, diving for the window. Lizzy fired, but her shot grazed the back of Peter's thigh. He ignored the minor wound and leaped out of the window. The glass shattered even as the shock wave from the nuke his the building. Everyone was thrown about and the walls groaned loudly.
Peter ran, limping. ├óÔé¼┼ôShoot him!├óÔé¼┬Ø Someone shouted. Lizzy ran up to the window, getting up off the floor. She fired one, two shoots. Then Peter went out between two holes in the perimeter, and was gone. ├óÔé¼┼ôSon of a fucking BITCH!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy shouted. Then she vaulted out of the window and landed with a grunt on the ground. Then she was running after Peter, holstering her pistol. Mike and the others went down the stairs. Eve watched this all, still not getting up from the chair she had been sitting in. Then she stood up, an odd expression on her face
Peter staggered through the ruined buildings. The nuke had shook up the city, even though it had been many many miles from it, and now was in even more disarray. ├óÔé¼┼ôPETER!├óÔé¼┬Ø He heard Lizzy's shout from the distance, echoing madly in the ruined hallways and wrecked walls. Peter turned in slow circles, trying to locate Lizzy. Then he saw her walking straight for him, gun drawn like some cowboy. Peter fired at her. Lizzy didn't flinch as the bullet whiffed through her hair, not touching her head. She stopped, both feet crunching in the gravel. Peter aimed his gun straight at her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôBefore├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou kill me, tell me...why?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWell first off, I'm not Peter├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy was visibly taken aback. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, walking forward, gun still aimed at Lizzy's head ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen Mike, your darling boyfriend, was hired on to the Hiroshima research station security staff├óÔé¼┬Ø he saw Lizzy's reaction to that ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd he didn't tell you? Well don't be too mad at poor Mike├óÔé¼┬Ø Not-Peter continued ├óÔé¼┼ôHe actually placed your daughter on a shuttle and told the computer for a high velocity burn out of the solar system. He was then fired, brain wiped and sent into the marines├óÔé¼┬Ø. He pressed the gun into Lizzy's forehead. She didn't flinch.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo I was thawed out, this body stored in cryo as a 'back up', in case Peter died. Then the stored memory's of Peter S Thompson, kept from when he was brain cored, were fed into my mind. The memory's were fragmented, almost destroyed during the Fourth World War. But enough survived for me to...play act├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said. ├óÔé¼┼ôPlay act?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause we needed someone to watch over Eve. We sent a laser message to the shuttle and told it to come to Dantana. Then I was sent to watch over her├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWatch├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôTabuchi-├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Then his right arm fell off at the elbow and blood sprayed out of the severed end. Not-Peter screamed, clawing at the stump. Then his stomach imploded, a fist slamming into it far harder and far faster then any human hand. Not-Peter gasped, blood spluttering out of his mouth. Then his face tore down the middle. Not-Peter screamed, clawing at the open flesh on his face. Lizzy backed away in horror, completely sickened. ├óÔé¼┼ôShould I put him out of his misery?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve's voice drifted over the air. Not-Peter collapsed to the ground, curling up and sobbing, beating the ground with his one still attached hand as blood poured out of his stump.
├óÔé¼┼ôHe deserves to die├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôTo die for what he's done to me├óÔé¼┬Ø. She walked over to Not-Peter and knelt down ├óÔé¼┼ôNow its my turn to do things to you├óÔé¼┬Ø She said. ├óÔé¼┼ôStop it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. Eve looked at her and frowned. Then Lizzy flew backwards, a hand jerking her away. She landed, dazed by the impact. Then Not-Peter's screams split the air, accompanied by a horrendous ripping and tearing sound. Lizzy got up and looked at Not-Peter and Eve. She gagged, bile rising to her throat. She had too look away. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's still alive├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said softly ├óÔé¼┼ôHow amazing his endurance is├óÔé¼┬Ø.Not- Peter made a wet, choking sound, the sound of something in too much pain to bear it. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow he's not├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said a moment later, looking away from her now broken toy. Lizzy lost control of her stomach. She vomited onto the ground, her stomach heaving at the sights and sounds she had witnessed. Eve walked over to her ├óÔé¼┼ôNow you├óÔé¼┬Ø she said softly ├óÔé¼┼ôDear mother, the one who abandoned me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy's eyes widened, looking at Eve in dismay.
Lizzy wanted to back up, wanted to run. But her legs were frozen. Then she heard footsteps. ├óÔé¼┼ôLizzy!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike shouted. Then he and the others behind to him skidded to a stop. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood god!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp gasped. Sarge gagged and Helena's face turned sheet white. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet away from her!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike shouted, running forward. The Target looked at Mike, her eyes wide and shock plain on her face. Mike strode past Lizzy and walked up to the Target. Then he slapped her. The Target stood, her cheek burning. Everyone was shocked, standing perfectly still, waiting for the next shoe to drop. Then the Target blinked and her entire demeanor changed slightly.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh god├óÔé¼┬Ø she gasped, covering her face and collapsing to the ground. She curled up into her self and spoke no more.
They buried Not-Peter as best they could, covering his...remains with mud and a tarp. No one cared enough to say anything at his burial. The entire group walked back to parliament. They hadn't managed to get Eve to say anything. Instead Lizzy carried her back, hugging her as if Eve was going to melt away any second. No one talked, not wanting to think to hard about what they had covered with mud and a tarp. It had started to rain again.
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm going to contact the Hannibal and demand extraction├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said dully, walking up the stairs into parliament. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôI want to get off this fucking rock├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena grunted and Tipp was in the bathroom. Lizzy and Eve had already retired for the day, even though it was only three o'clock. Rain beat against the windows, a chattering, melancholy rhythm. Mike walked up the stairs and into the Tac-con room. He opened the door and gasped.
Peter had scratched his back. He had also, carefully, dropped a small demolition charge on the Tac-Con. Now the Tac-Con was a tangled wreck of black metal and broken glass. ├óÔé¼┼ôSon of a fucking bitch├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike muttered. Then he walked out of the room stiff backed. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, walking down the stairs ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have some problems├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tipp had come out of the bathroom, her face red. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Tac-Con has been destroyed├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat fucking bastard put a pinhead mine on it before he left├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tipp immediately and walked into the bathroom again. Mike could hear her screaming and shouting through the door.
├óÔé¼┼ôEve?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. Eve lay in the bed, looking at the celling. She hadn't blinked in over twenty minutes. ├óÔé¼┼ôEve!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said louder. Eve didn't move. Rain pattered against the window. Lizzy closed her eyes and she did something she hadn't done in two decades, something she had never truly believed in. Something that made her think too much about her former husband. ├óÔé¼┼ôOur holy father, who art in heaven├óÔé¼┬Ø she mumbled the words slowly, falteringly, trying to call up the old song and dance. The rain pattered harder.
Eve stared at the celling, not hearing or not caring to hear her mother's words. Lizzy started to cry, almost surprised she could still cry. She felt drained off almost all emotions, after this week. A single week. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. There was no one to hear. Lizzy heard a knock on the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey, Lizzy├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's Mike├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôYes Mike?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Tac-Con is busted├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôme and Sarge are going into the city to see if we can make a radio├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll...I'll be with Eve├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike was silent for a bit. ├óÔé¼┼ôOkay├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôby├óÔé¼┬Ø. There was a sound of hurried footsteps and a slamming door. Lizzy looked back at Eve and settled down to wait.
Tipp lay in the sofa. Rain pattered on the window. Helena was sitting in a chair. ├óÔé¼┼ôGod damn it├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm so fucking horny├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena stared at her, slack jawed ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, wait, I don't really wasn't to know├óÔé¼┬Ø she shuddered. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy not?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy not are you horny, or why not do I wasn't to...not know├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. Then she thought about her sentence and realized it made no sense. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy not do you not want to not know if I'm not horny├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said. Then she blinked and crossed her eyes, trying to figure out what she just said.
├óÔé¼┼ôI think we are both insane├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said, standing up and out of the plush chair. Everything in parliament was plush. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said ├óÔé¼┼ôHell we don't have anything else to do. The looters are gone. The D.G are gone. The Marines are gone. The Refugee's are gone. There is nothing in this damn city then you, me and the others. Why not get it on!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena closed her eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy get it on?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. Tipp opened her mouth, but couldn't think of a response. Then Helena looked out the window. It was raining harder then ever and parliament was getting colder, most of its insulation useless with big holes blown in it.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's cold├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said, trying to change the topic. ├óÔé¼┼ôHelena├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's cold and we are probably going to die in a few hours. If your marines don't send a shuttle, and they won't because if they were going to, then they would have already, then the S-02 will expand across the planet and we will die├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena shivered ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks for the pick me up├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tipp stepped closer ├óÔé¼┼ôI can give you a better one├óÔé¼┬Ø she said softly. Helena rolled her eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is absolutely crazy├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, acutely aware of how close Tipp was.
├óÔé¼┼ôThe gods must be crazy├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said. Helena and Tipp stood, both of them close enough that Helena could count the hairs on Tipp's head. They stood there for a few more seconds, the rain pattering harder on the window. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôAren't you going to kiss me?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked, feeling decidedly silly. ├óÔé¼┼ôLast time├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou said to never kiss you again. I'm waiting for you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena thought about that for a moment.
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm worried├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said as Sarge rummaged through the bits and pieces in the hardware store. The store had been hit by a poorly aimed rocket, but enough parts looked usable, that Mike thought he could piece together a radio. At least he hoped he could. ├óÔé¼┼ô'Bout what?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge asked, pulling out a long cable and placing it in the 'usable' pile. ├óÔé¼┼ôAbout that damn nuke├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat if it hit some S-02? They could be a bit more...lively├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell I just hope they don't find us├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôAlso do you know what the D.G called S-02?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike siad.
Sarge turned around and looked at Mike ├óÔé¼┼ôThey called them Soots├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSoots?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWait...that sounds pretty good, actually├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôSo you keep an eye out for Soots, and I find a capacitors and some vacuum tubes├óÔé¼┬Ø. He turned back to the pile and started to rummage. Mike nodded, grumbling a little, and looked out the window. Then he started to laugh ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, turning back to Sarge ├óÔé¼┼ôNow I get it├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sarge looked at him as if he was crazy. Mike stopped laughing and turned back to the window.
├óÔé¼┼ôSarge!├óÔé¼┬Ø He hissed, grabbing the other man's shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôSarge!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat! What!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI saw something├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. Sarge walked over to the window and looked through the cracked and half broken glass. Through the rain he could see a small figure slowly walk down the street. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think it's a kid├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. He moved to go outside, but Sarge grabbed his shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to be careful├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôWho knows what that...kid is?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike brushed Sarge's hand off his shoulder and walked out of the door ├óÔé¼┼ôIf he or she bites my head off, shoot it├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Sarge pulled out his gun and half aimed it at the figure. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike shouted, walking out of the hardware store ├óÔé¼┼ôKid!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The figure stopped and looked at Mike. Mike walked up to the small boy. He was very skinny, almost past the point of starvation. His ribs were showing plainly, even in his overly baggy clothes. He looked chilled to the bone, slicked down with rain. He looked at Mike as if he hadn't seen a person...ever. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey, are you all right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. The kid opened his mouth, then closed it. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome on├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can talk, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø. The kid made a groaning sound, shaking his head. Then he opened his mouth. His tong had been cut out.
Helena leaned in ever so slightly. Then the door burst open. Mike, Sarge and a little kid walked into the room. Helena was sitting on a chair, reading a book she had grabbed off the table next to the chair. She was blushing furiously, and trying to cover her face with the book, witch was upside down. Tipp looked at the new comers ├óÔé¼┼ôHi├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI see we have a new man amongst us├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike winced ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know his name. Poor guy got his tung cut out├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tipp and Helena flinched ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do we do with him?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked, turning her book right side up.
├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôKeep him here till we get off this damn planet├óÔé¼┬Ø. The boy was looking around the room, eye's darting to the left and right faster then Helena would have thought possible. ├óÔé¼┼ôFirst├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe get some food for the little guy├óÔé¼┬Ø. The boy suddenly perked up at the sound of food. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll make him some bread├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said, casting a lace at Helena. Helena blushed even more. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you all right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked, seeing Helena's red face. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena choked ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll be in my bunk├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, walking out of the room.
Peter pressed the button and waited for the half a second it took the Tac-con to start up and put up a connection with the Agamemnon. After a few moments the blank screen flickered to Captain Joseph Kelly's face. ├óÔé¼┼ôBoss?├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph said ├óÔé¼┼ôI thought you would be on those shuttles!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI can't just leave the target alone├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's close, damn it! She's so close to the Breakthrough that Tabuchi predicted├óÔé¼┬Ø. Joseph sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôKeller is getting antsy. I don't think the threat of splashing his girl friend is working as well as we hope├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't worry. Just don't send any more shuttles till I tell you, and not before├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph nodded. Peter smiled lopsidedly ├óÔé¼┼ôI might not live to see the end of this├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut remember, we have to get the Target back to SOL. Even if it kills us├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't...intend to die├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd I hope that this girl of yours is as valuable as you said it will├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt will make you rich beyond all your dreams of avarice├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter reassured him ├óÔé¼┼ôNow can you target a clump of S-02 with a high yield dirty bomb?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou...what!├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to give the Target something to...chew on├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts your funeral├óÔé¼┬Ø Joseph muttered. Peter smiled and turned off the tac-con.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said, pushing the door open ├óÔé¼┼ôJust who were you talking too?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Peter turned around slowly to look at the woman. She was holding a pistol, possible the one Mike had confiscated from her. Peter smiled lopsidedly at her ├óÔé¼┼ôLizzy├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou bastard├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said, her gun hand not wavering as she pointed the gun at his face ├óÔé¼┼ôYou...you and your friends torchered my daughter for four years!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe helped her├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôMore then you can imagine. You see S-02 evolves with strife, with pain, just like humanity. But they just do it better...faster!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôShe was just a girl!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy shouted. Her gun hand wavered slightly, her hand shaking. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's not human├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôShe may look and act├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy fired and the bullet clipped the side of Peter's face, cutting his cheek. He ignored the blood dribbling down his face and the stinging of the cut. ├óÔé¼┼ôhuman├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter finished his sentence with only a slight pause. ├óÔé¼┼ôLizzy!├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter heard Mike running up ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's right next to the Tac-con! You could hit it!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike ran up to the door, gun drawn. Sarge, Helena and Tipp were following close behind.
Peter stepped to the side, walking in front of the Tac-con. He scratched his back. ├óÔé¼┼ôShoot me├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt doesn't matter. Eve is going to evolve, whether you like it or not, and she will...transcend the limitations of her race├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy was about to say something. Then there was a blindingly bright flash through the windows. It was bright and pure white, the kind of unmistakable explosion that came with a nuke going off. Everyone looked out the window. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood day├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, diving for the window. Lizzy fired, but her shot grazed the back of Peter's thigh. He ignored the minor wound and leaped out of the window. The glass shattered even as the shock wave from the nuke his the building. Everyone was thrown about and the walls groaned loudly.
Peter ran, limping. ├óÔé¼┼ôShoot him!├óÔé¼┬Ø Someone shouted. Lizzy ran up to the window, getting up off the floor. She fired one, two shoots. Then Peter went out between two holes in the perimeter, and was gone. ├óÔé¼┼ôSon of a fucking BITCH!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy shouted. Then she vaulted out of the window and landed with a grunt on the ground. Then she was running after Peter, holstering her pistol. Mike and the others went down the stairs. Eve watched this all, still not getting up from the chair she had been sitting in. Then she stood up, an odd expression on her face
Peter staggered through the ruined buildings. The nuke had shook up the city, even though it had been many many miles from it, and now was in even more disarray. ├óÔé¼┼ôPETER!├óÔé¼┬Ø He heard Lizzy's shout from the distance, echoing madly in the ruined hallways and wrecked walls. Peter turned in slow circles, trying to locate Lizzy. Then he saw her walking straight for him, gun drawn like some cowboy. Peter fired at her. Lizzy didn't flinch as the bullet whiffed through her hair, not touching her head. She stopped, both feet crunching in the gravel. Peter aimed his gun straight at her head. ├óÔé¼┼ôBefore├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou kill me, tell me...why?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWell first off, I'm not Peter├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy was visibly taken aback. ├óÔé¼┼ôSee├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said, walking forward, gun still aimed at Lizzy's head ├óÔé¼┼ôWhen Mike, your darling boyfriend, was hired on to the Hiroshima research station security staff├óÔé¼┬Ø he saw Lizzy's reaction to that ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd he didn't tell you? Well don't be too mad at poor Mike├óÔé¼┬Ø Not-Peter continued ├óÔé¼┼ôHe actually placed your daughter on a shuttle and told the computer for a high velocity burn out of the solar system. He was then fired, brain wiped and sent into the marines├óÔé¼┬Ø. He pressed the gun into Lizzy's forehead. She didn't flinch.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo I was thawed out, this body stored in cryo as a 'back up', in case Peter died. Then the stored memory's of Peter S Thompson, kept from when he was brain cored, were fed into my mind. The memory's were fragmented, almost destroyed during the Fourth World War. But enough survived for me to...play act├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said. ├óÔé¼┼ôPlay act?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôBecause we needed someone to watch over Eve. We sent a laser message to the shuttle and told it to come to Dantana. Then I was sent to watch over her├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWatch├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Peter said ├óÔé¼┼ôTabuchi-├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Then his right arm fell off at the elbow and blood sprayed out of the severed end. Not-Peter screamed, clawing at the stump. Then his stomach imploded, a fist slamming into it far harder and far faster then any human hand. Not-Peter gasped, blood spluttering out of his mouth. Then his face tore down the middle. Not-Peter screamed, clawing at the open flesh on his face. Lizzy backed away in horror, completely sickened. ├óÔé¼┼ôShould I put him out of his misery?├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve's voice drifted over the air. Not-Peter collapsed to the ground, curling up and sobbing, beating the ground with his one still attached hand as blood poured out of his stump.
├óÔé¼┼ôHe deserves to die├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said ├óÔé¼┼ôTo die for what he's done to me├óÔé¼┬Ø. She walked over to Not-Peter and knelt down ├óÔé¼┼ôNow its my turn to do things to you├óÔé¼┬Ø She said. ├óÔé¼┼ôStop it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. Eve looked at her and frowned. Then Lizzy flew backwards, a hand jerking her away. She landed, dazed by the impact. Then Not-Peter's screams split the air, accompanied by a horrendous ripping and tearing sound. Lizzy got up and looked at Not-Peter and Eve. She gagged, bile rising to her throat. She had too look away. ├óÔé¼┼ôHe's still alive├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said softly ├óÔé¼┼ôHow amazing his endurance is├óÔé¼┬Ø.Not- Peter made a wet, choking sound, the sound of something in too much pain to bear it. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow he's not├óÔé¼┬Ø Eve said a moment later, looking away from her now broken toy. Lizzy lost control of her stomach. She vomited onto the ground, her stomach heaving at the sights and sounds she had witnessed. Eve walked over to her ├óÔé¼┼ôNow you├óÔé¼┬Ø she said softly ├óÔé¼┼ôDear mother, the one who abandoned me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy's eyes widened, looking at Eve in dismay.
Lizzy wanted to back up, wanted to run. But her legs were frozen. Then she heard footsteps. ├óÔé¼┼ôLizzy!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike shouted. Then he and the others behind to him skidded to a stop. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood god!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp gasped. Sarge gagged and Helena's face turned sheet white. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet away from her!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike shouted, running forward. The Target looked at Mike, her eyes wide and shock plain on her face. Mike strode past Lizzy and walked up to the Target. Then he slapped her. The Target stood, her cheek burning. Everyone was shocked, standing perfectly still, waiting for the next shoe to drop. Then the Target blinked and her entire demeanor changed slightly.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh god├óÔé¼┬Ø she gasped, covering her face and collapsing to the ground. She curled up into her self and spoke no more.
They buried Not-Peter as best they could, covering his...remains with mud and a tarp. No one cared enough to say anything at his burial. The entire group walked back to parliament. They hadn't managed to get Eve to say anything. Instead Lizzy carried her back, hugging her as if Eve was going to melt away any second. No one talked, not wanting to think to hard about what they had covered with mud and a tarp. It had started to rain again.
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm going to contact the Hannibal and demand extraction├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said dully, walking up the stairs into parliament. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôI want to get off this fucking rock├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena grunted and Tipp was in the bathroom. Lizzy and Eve had already retired for the day, even though it was only three o'clock. Rain beat against the windows, a chattering, melancholy rhythm. Mike walked up the stairs and into the Tac-con room. He opened the door and gasped.
Peter had scratched his back. He had also, carefully, dropped a small demolition charge on the Tac-Con. Now the Tac-Con was a tangled wreck of black metal and broken glass. ├óÔé¼┼ôSon of a fucking bitch├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike muttered. Then he walked out of the room stiff backed. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø He said, walking down the stairs ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have some problems├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tipp had come out of the bathroom, her face red. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Tac-Con has been destroyed├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat fucking bastard put a pinhead mine on it before he left├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tipp immediately and walked into the bathroom again. Mike could hear her screaming and shouting through the door.
├óÔé¼┼ôEve?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. Eve lay in the bed, looking at the celling. She hadn't blinked in over twenty minutes. ├óÔé¼┼ôEve!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said louder. Eve didn't move. Rain pattered against the window. Lizzy closed her eyes and she did something she hadn't done in two decades, something she had never truly believed in. Something that made her think too much about her former husband. ├óÔé¼┼ôOur holy father, who art in heaven├óÔé¼┬Ø she mumbled the words slowly, falteringly, trying to call up the old song and dance. The rain pattered harder.
Eve stared at the celling, not hearing or not caring to hear her mother's words. Lizzy started to cry, almost surprised she could still cry. She felt drained off almost all emotions, after this week. A single week. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said. There was no one to hear. Lizzy heard a knock on the door. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey, Lizzy├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's Mike├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lizzy nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôYes Mike?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Tac-Con is busted├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôme and Sarge are going into the city to see if we can make a radio├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Lizzy said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll...I'll be with Eve├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike was silent for a bit. ├óÔé¼┼ôOkay├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôby├óÔé¼┬Ø. There was a sound of hurried footsteps and a slamming door. Lizzy looked back at Eve and settled down to wait.
Tipp lay in the sofa. Rain pattered on the window. Helena was sitting in a chair. ├óÔé¼┼ôGod damn it├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm so fucking horny├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena stared at her, slack jawed ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked ├óÔé¼┼ôNo, wait, I don't really wasn't to know├óÔé¼┬Ø she shuddered. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy not?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy not are you horny, or why not do I wasn't to...not know├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. Then she thought about her sentence and realized it made no sense. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy not do you not want to not know if I'm not horny├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said. Then she blinked and crossed her eyes, trying to figure out what she just said.
├óÔé¼┼ôI think we are both insane├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said, standing up and out of the plush chair. Everything in parliament was plush. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said ├óÔé¼┼ôHell we don't have anything else to do. The looters are gone. The D.G are gone. The Marines are gone. The Refugee's are gone. There is nothing in this damn city then you, me and the others. Why not get it on!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena closed her eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy get it on?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. Tipp opened her mouth, but couldn't think of a response. Then Helena looked out the window. It was raining harder then ever and parliament was getting colder, most of its insulation useless with big holes blown in it.
├óÔé¼┼ôIt's cold├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said, trying to change the topic. ├óÔé¼┼ôHelena├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said ├óÔé¼┼ôIt's cold and we are probably going to die in a few hours. If your marines don't send a shuttle, and they won't because if they were going to, then they would have already, then the S-02 will expand across the planet and we will die├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena shivered ├óÔé¼┼ôThanks for the pick me up├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tipp stepped closer ├óÔé¼┼ôI can give you a better one├óÔé¼┬Ø she said softly. Helena rolled her eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is absolutely crazy├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, acutely aware of how close Tipp was.
├óÔé¼┼ôThe gods must be crazy├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said. Helena and Tipp stood, both of them close enough that Helena could count the hairs on Tipp's head. They stood there for a few more seconds, the rain pattering harder on the window. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôAren't you going to kiss me?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked, feeling decidedly silly. ├óÔé¼┼ôLast time├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou said to never kiss you again. I'm waiting for you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Helena thought about that for a moment.
├óÔé¼┼ôI'm worried├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said as Sarge rummaged through the bits and pieces in the hardware store. The store had been hit by a poorly aimed rocket, but enough parts looked usable, that Mike thought he could piece together a radio. At least he hoped he could. ├óÔé¼┼ô'Bout what?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge asked, pulling out a long cable and placing it in the 'usable' pile. ├óÔé¼┼ôAbout that damn nuke├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat if it hit some S-02? They could be a bit more...lively├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell I just hope they don't find us├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôAlso do you know what the D.G called S-02?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike siad.
Sarge turned around and looked at Mike ├óÔé¼┼ôThey called them Soots├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSoots?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked ├óÔé¼┼ôWait...that sounds pretty good, actually├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôSo you keep an eye out for Soots, and I find a capacitors and some vacuum tubes├óÔé¼┬Ø. He turned back to the pile and started to rummage. Mike nodded, grumbling a little, and looked out the window. Then he started to laugh ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, turning back to Sarge ├óÔé¼┼ôNow I get it├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sarge looked at him as if he was crazy. Mike stopped laughing and turned back to the window.
├óÔé¼┼ôSarge!├óÔé¼┬Ø He hissed, grabbing the other man's shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôSarge!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat! What!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI saw something├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. Sarge walked over to the window and looked through the cracked and half broken glass. Through the rain he could see a small figure slowly walk down the street. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think it's a kid├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said. He moved to go outside, but Sarge grabbed his shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to be careful├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôWho knows what that...kid is?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike brushed Sarge's hand off his shoulder and walked out of the door ├óÔé¼┼ôIf he or she bites my head off, shoot it├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Sarge pulled out his gun and half aimed it at the figure. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey!├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike shouted, walking out of the hardware store ├óÔé¼┼ôKid!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
The figure stopped and looked at Mike. Mike walked up to the small boy. He was very skinny, almost past the point of starvation. His ribs were showing plainly, even in his overly baggy clothes. He looked chilled to the bone, slicked down with rain. He looked at Mike as if he hadn't seen a person...ever. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey, are you all right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked. The kid opened his mouth, then closed it. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome on├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can talk, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø. The kid made a groaning sound, shaking his head. Then he opened his mouth. His tong had been cut out.
Helena leaned in ever so slightly. Then the door burst open. Mike, Sarge and a little kid walked into the room. Helena was sitting on a chair, reading a book she had grabbed off the table next to the chair. She was blushing furiously, and trying to cover her face with the book, witch was upside down. Tipp looked at the new comers ├óÔé¼┼ôHi├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI see we have a new man amongst us├óÔé¼┬Ø. Mike winced ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know his name. Poor guy got his tung cut out├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tipp and Helena flinched ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat do we do with him?├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena asked, turning her book right side up.
├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike said ├óÔé¼┼ôKeep him here till we get off this damn planet├óÔé¼┬Ø. The boy was looking around the room, eye's darting to the left and right faster then Helena would have thought possible. ├óÔé¼┼ôFirst├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe get some food for the little guy├óÔé¼┬Ø. The boy suddenly perked up at the sound of food. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll make him some bread├óÔé¼┬Ø Tipp said, casting a lace at Helena. Helena blushed even more. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you all right?├óÔé¼┬Ø Mike asked, seeing Helena's red face. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Helena choked ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll be in my bunk├óÔé¼┬Ø she said, walking out of the room.
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Guessmyname
- Posts: 3301
- Joined: 28 Apr 2005, 21:07
